Tag: new adult romance

Book Review: Rookie Season (The Boys of Loft 3B #1) by Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner

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Rating: ★★★★.75
Audience: NA Sports Romance
Length: 330 pages
Author: Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s starting his rookie season in the NHL…

Noah Downsby has always had one goal: play professional hockey. Now that he’s finally made it, he’s determined to prove himself. And if he’s going to have the best rookie season in NHL history, he needs zero distractions.

But Noah didn’t plan for Allegra—Ally—Callahan moving in with him.

With her sassy smile, smart mouth, and bad habit of ‘borrowing’ his jerseys—nevermind her stupid cat who won’t stop sleeping in his bed—one thing’s for

Ally is officially a distraction.

…She’s moving across the country to start over.

The rumors say she’s a bad girl, but they’re all lies. Lies that have ruined her reputation.

So when Ally’s offered a fresh start in San Francisco, she packs up her life and brings her baggage out west—emotional and otherwise.

Living in a swanky loft with three NHL players is a world away from college dorms, but at least two of her new roommates treat her like one of the guys.

And then there’s Noah.The grump whose broody glances turn her blood hot. Who makes her feel both safe and sexy…when he’s not icing her out.

As things between Noah and Ally heat up, their walls come down. And suddenly, there’s a whole lot more than his rookie season on the line…

I’M HERE FOR IT.

I gotta say, I like this sexier writing style of LB & KB. It is that delicious level of heat without being open door and I can’t tell y’all how deeply I will BEG to have more authors in this category. It once again goes to show, you do not have to have spice to have a heated romance and I will die on this hill.

ANYWAYS.

I really did love the New Girl loft dynamics here. The boys were such gems and I adored the way they played off of each other and took care of each other. I love strong male friendship groups and that Allegra found her own close girlfriends too.

It did take me just a touch to get into (and I don’t know if that’s because I was getting used to the new setting or that the flow of writing was off for a few chapters). BUT, I thought things only got better and better and I binge read the second half of this book. I could not put it down and LOOOOVED it all. I loved the character growth for both Ally and Noah. I loved seeing old characters. I loved the protectiveness and all of the hockey content. Just so many good things stood out to me.

I’m very excited to read more books from this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Sports Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: heated make-outs with light touching
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: mentions of loss of parents (recounted), brief physical violence, recounting of sexual assault

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Book Review: The Love Playbook (Boys of Ann Arbor U #1) by Gracie Graham

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Sports Romance
Length: 404 pages
Author: Gracie Graham
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A brand new reverse grumpy sunshine, college football romance in a new series of standalone romances.

Charlotte Baker is the grump to my sunshine and the star of all my unrequited fantasies.

She checks all my boxes while all I seem to do is piss her off.

But I’m a wide receiver in the Big Ten. I’m used to winning, and my golden retriever personality is sure to wear her down.

Those cutting looks she gives? Just a cover. Secretly she wants me; she’s just loathed to admit it.

Those snarky comments? They’re simply a way to hide her attraction; she just can’t see it yet.

Oh, and did I mention I just discovered her father is engaged to my mother?

Now she’s saltier than normal.

But I won’t let this forbidden romance get me down. I have a plan, a way to win her over and secure my mother’s engagement to her father at the same time.

On paper, my plan is I’m going to show her what it’s like to be romanced. I’m going to woo her. I’m going to throw the Love Playbook right at her.

Lettie might have made it clear that she’s not interested in me, but I’m nothing if not persistent.

All she needs is a little persuasion.

Right?

I LOVE FOOTBALL.

I love a good Gracie Graham book and I am so happy to have this spin off series! It was incredibly swoony and I love golden retriever MMC’s and black cat FMC’s.

There’s a lot of family drama that’s complicated and brings the contention. I liked how things worked out in the end though and that some good resolutions were found. The found family text chains and group dynamics are so fun and I love the college setting.

Great chemistry and banter. It’s heated and an easy read to fly through. Looking forward to the next one!

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: high
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Content warnings: divorce, a parent with depression (theme throughout)

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Book Review: Things I Wish I Said by Gracie Graham

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Contemporary Romance
Length: 543 pages
Author: Gracie Graham
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 29th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lung cancer patient Ryleigh Sinclair wants a boyfriend for the summer.

And my mother wants me to be the one to make her wish come true.

Me. The eternal pessimist. The guy who no longer believes in happy endings after my dad died of pancreatic cancer and my girlfriend dumped me in the same month.

But after weeks of spending time with Ryleigh, she somehow does the impossible. She fills the gaping hole of my father’s absence until I’m the one hoping for a miracle.

I’ve learned my lesson about wishes.

Happily ever afters are a lie.

Yet I’m the one wishing like hell for another outcome for Ryleigh.

I lost my father to cancer; I can’t lose her too.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

THE WAY I BINGED THIS.

For a book over 500 pages I read this at an unhinged rate because the medical anxiety it was giving me made me need to know what was going to happen next. Not to mention, Gracie Graham has such addictive writing. You want to keep turning those pages and fall in love with these characters.

I loved both Ryleigh and Grayson so dang much. There was a lot of trauma and past histories, secrets and turns that brought the unexpected. This is a drama filled book that really has you wondering where it will go next. I loved the banter and relationship between these two and the undeniable chemistry that was present from the first moment they met. Both of the character arcs with filled with a strong impact that hit me square on and I appreciated how the ending all came together.

This is a new adult book (which I loved) but I did struggle with the innuendo throughout. It was crass to me and I didn’t think wholly necessary. The intimate moments were great and worked well with the plot, it was the extra stuff that stood out. And this one does have a LOT [read that again] of language.

Overall audience notes:

  • New adult romance
  • Language: very strong
  • Romance; 2ish brief open door; low explicit + high innuendo
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: major theme is cancer (treatments, doctor’s appointments, etc.), loss of a parent from cancer, grief and depression, drug use, underage alcohol use, major car accident

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Book Review: Where the Library Hide (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Ibanez

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: NA Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Isabel Ibanez
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: November 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!

1885, Egypt

Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.

ENDING SAVED IT.

OOOO do I love a dramatic and action packed ending. Bless this book for having one because I felt off kilter at the start. I thought the plot got lost initially and even though I loved seeing the development between Whit and Inez, there wasn’t much else happening until a quarter of the way in.

I did love all of the historical aspects and how those have been combined with fantasy elements. I love love love books in this sub genre and this hit the spot for those perfectly.

One of the main antagonists was extremely obvious and was a bit of a let down, BUT I will say I was surprised by one of the reveals and that helped balance out. It led to the chaos that was the final few chapters and I loved seeing how it all went down.

This duology really worked well as a duo. It was not drawn out, there’s good action and endearing characters. I adored Inez and Whit and the audiobook narrators for them did a great job. I can’t wait for more books from this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: vague fade to black
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, non-consensual drugging, near death experiences

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