Tag: leah brunner

ARC Book Review: Flirtation or Faceoff (D.C. Eagles Hockey #2) by Leah Bruner

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 265 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After getting my heart broken, I’ve sworn off athletes forever.

Then my best friend has to go and marry an NHL player, and his teammate, Colby Knight, won’t leave me alone.

Colby is a master at scoring (on and off the ice), and he’s not used to being told no. So he takes my disinterest as an invitation to pursue me even harder. I ignore him… until I realize I can use his expertise to help me get my crush’s attention.

But now that he’s my dating coach, and we’re spending so much time together, I’m growing more and more distracted. I mean, those dimples? Very enticing.

Just when I think he might be more than just a playboy hockey player, a blast from the past comes back and reminds me why I swore off athletes in the first place.

Can I trust Colby, or is he just another jerk who will break my heart?

(This is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance, and can be read as a standalone. This book contains mild language. Trigger warnings: cheating exes.)

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

CLOSED DOOR HOCKEY QUEEN.

I don’t care that we’re only three books into this series (including the prequel!), Leah Brunner is creating the best closed door hockey romance series around.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Colby was absolutely GONE for Noel from the get-go and he was so dang sweet. Good heavens. I loved how much he cared. For Noel, his friends, family and those around him. I loved his passion and commitment. I just loved HIM.

And Noel. I loved her too. I loved how incredibly intelligent and nerdy she was. I loved her character arc too and how she learned to trust and move forward with the things she wanted in life.

The chemistry between Colby and Noel was off the charts. I loved how soft it was, but also sexy. It’s a fiery combination that sets the book A FLAME. I loved the dating lessons, and protective moments. All of the family get together and the seeing my favorite D.C. Eagles again.

This book had it all. I already want to read it again.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports Romance
  • Language: some light – moderate
  • Romance: heated kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief physical altercation, cheating ex (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: Desire or Defense (Hooked on a Feeling #1) by Leah Brunner

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Sports Romance
Length: 275 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’m not the hero in this story.

I’m the villain…

The notoriously angry, grouchy, D.C. Eagles defenseman that just can’t keep his temper in check. The temper that leads to a fifteen game suspension from the NHL.

As if that’s not bad enough, I’m forced into a short term youth-hockey coaching gig. Which my manager swears will “rebuild my image.”

But what I didn’t expect was for a gorgeous, spunky blonde to stomp onto the ice on day one and lecture me about being rude to her little brother.

Something about this spitfire of a woman, and the boy she’s so protective of, has my defenses melting.

And if I’m not careful, I’ll burst into flames, forever melting the ice I’ve carefully kept around my heart.

Thank you to the author for an eARC!

ABSOLUTELY LOVED.

This book has my whole heart and is Leah Brunner’s best book yet.

I LOVED Mitch. I loved his grumpy nature and his cinnamon roll center. The positive mental health conversations and therapy discussions were amazing and one of my favorite aspects. I also loved Andie. She was a wonderful FMC who did her best to look for things to be grateful for and was just someone I really wanted to be friends with.

All of the hockey dynamics were woven just right and I couldn’t get enough. Alongside the games was the best cast of side characters and teammates. I love them all and I loved every time they popped up. I’m already excited for the next book.

Noah was one of the sweetest kids I’ve read. I loved him too (see a theme?). He added so much to the story and I loved his placed between Andie and Mitch.

I need to address the third act too!!! It was PERFECT. Instead of a breakup that wouldn’t make sense it was more of a *take a breath* moment. I could rave all day just about this scene and the follow through. GAH THIS WHOLE BOOK WAS MAGNIFICENT.

Read and love it with me!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Sports Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of parents, scenes involving therapy, parental abandonment, an incarcerated parent, brief physical altercations, bullying

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ARC Book Review: Cabin Mate (Under Kansas Skies #4) by Leah Brunner

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 251 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the woman of my dreams finally becomes available, all bets are off.

I lost a bet to my older brother. My evil, life-ruining older brother. (Okay, maybe that’s a little over-dramatic).

Now I can’t go on a date for FOUR months. I can’t even touch a woman. No hand holding. Forget kissing.

I’m walking the straight and narrow (AKA dateless and lonely) just fine. Until my best friend (the woman I’ve been pining over since college) gets her heart broken.

How can I say no to those big, gorgeous blue eyes when she asks me to fly to Vermont to attend her sister’s wedding with her? As her fake boyfriend.

Yeah, all bets are off. (Don’t tell my brother).

It’ll be easy… pretend to be my best friend’s boyfriend without holding her, kissing her, or falling even more in love than I already am.

But when we end up having to share a room at her family’s cabin, the line between real and fake becomes very blurry…and very tempting.

This closed-door romantic comedy contains mild language and references to alcohol. This is book four in the Under Kansas Skies Series, and will be most enjoyed if read after Check Mate.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

ADORED THIS.

Do you ever spend a whole day reading a book and just love it? That’s how I felt here. This was a fast paced read filled with lots of friends to lovers angst that I have been waiting to read for months. I loved Brooks and Molly’s story. They ended this series beautifully!

I loved Molly’s character arc. I tend to struggle with ridiculously dramatic, wealthy type family backgrounds and while yes I did have to push past that a time or two, I thought overall it was written well. Molly learned to find her own ground and when she stood up for herself (and Brooks) it made me want to give her a high five. YAY for boundaries!

Brooks is the goofy guy we’ve seen across all of these books and I enjoyed getting his POV this go around. His personality is so fun and let me tell y’all I was straight swooning at all of the little things he did for Molly. I love little gestures and they’re plenty here to melt your heart.

The faking dating, one bed, and friends to lovers tropes were all highlighted well. I did notice a few repetitive inner monologue scenarios, but in the end. I truly loved reading this and it was the best book for me to pick up.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warning: fatphobia, discussion of weight and food restriction, emotionally manipulative parent

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Book Review: A Love Uncontainable (Under Kansas Skies #2) by Leah Brunner

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 405 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: November 20th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Seven years ago I made a decision that would change my life forever… I’ve never told a soul.

Now I’m worried my past could ruin my future.

As a surgeon and single father, my life is chaotic. I barely have time to find a new babysitter or a new tenant for my income property, let alone think about dating.

Sophie Windell-Miller seems like the answer to all of my problems—renting out the basement apartment and watching my daughter for me.

But now Sophie brings a whole new set of complications.

I can’t stop thinking about how gorgeous she is, and how her laughter fills the house with joy. Not to mention our daughters adore each other.

So, what’s the complicated part? Well, she’s still grieving the loss of her husband, and I work with her dad.

And then there’s the secret I’ve held for seven years.
If I tell her, will I lose everything she’s brought into my life?

WANTED MORE SHOW.

This was an enjoyable read, but I realized two things: it was too long, and there was a lot more telling rather than showing.

At 400 pages I expected a lot more moments between the two love interests. But that really wasn’t the case until after the halfway point when I was already pushing to get through. There was already a big forced proximity aspect and I think that could have been played into more initially.

I also got tired of long inner monologues about feeling the angst but not showing that on page. I want to feel it too!! Give me those scenes that make me ache for them to kiss already.

The romance is sweet when it finally gets there. I really liked Sophie and Drew as separate characters and together. There’s a lot of different types of love here and it’s emotional at times. I thought the two young girls in here were ADORABLE. They fit so well into the story. I can pick out plenty of scenes I definitely enjoyed, just needed more across the entire book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a spouse (off page, but many on page grief depictions), mentions of rape (off page, and briefly spoken of)

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