ARC Book Review: The Bodyguard’s Fall (Falling for Autumn) by Cindy Steel

August 12, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Rmance
Length: 354 pages
Author: Cindy Steel
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: August 12th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Her stalker is getting closer. So is her bodyguard.

I know how to write murder mysteries.
Dead bodies? Great. Blood and gore? Even better.

Romance? Absolutely not.

Unfortunately for me, my production company disagrees. After years of writing cozy crime dramas, I’m suddenly being forced to write a flannel and cider romantic screenplay filled with pumpkin patches, maple festivals, and happily-ever-afters I don’t actually believe in.

Especially not after months of terrifying messages from a stalker who seems to know way too much about me.

Which is how I end up back in my hometown of Autumn Ridge, under the protection of Tate Walker—my older brother’s best friend, a cop, and the same overprotective pain in my neck who spent most of my teenage years telling me what I could and couldn’t do.

Tate is temporarily off-duty and back home recovering from a dangerous undercover operation that left him injured and drowning in guilt. And somehow protecting me has become his newest assignment.

Now I’m living on his family’s hay farm while police attempt to catch my stalker. Between boxing lessons, tractor rides, and cozy autumn outings that feel suspiciously like dates, I start finding inspiration for my romantic screenplay in the one place I never expected:

My bodyguard.

But as the threats escalate and my stalker gets closer, so do Tate and I. And falling for the man assigned to protect me might be the most dangerous plot twist of all.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THIS BOOK Y’ALL.

Cindy Steel does not miss. I was in love with this book from the opening chapter and that obsession only grew. I loved the banter and tension between Tate and Liv. It was sexy and swoony and every touch and glance had me kicking my feet and grinning. They were a couple that was an obvious match from the get go and I loved seeing Tate fall HARD. I love a well used brother best friend’s trope.

This book had allll of the autumn vibes. The setting was magical and made me crave all things pumpkin and cozy. I loved the ranch setting (hello tractor) and the small town fall moments too. I also loved the family and friend relationships too. I really like having a family on page that looks after and teases each other all in the same moment.

The suspense elements were woven in perfectly and only added to the book. I liked feeling slightly on edge wondering when Liv’s stalker was going to pop up again. I liked that it didn’t overwhelm the love story and ended in a satisfying way too.

This book is everything fall and romantic and all things Cindy Steel wrapped in a new book to love.

AND PLEASE JUST TRUST ME YOU’RE GOING TO WANT TO PICK IT UP OKAY???

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild
Content warnings: stalker (main plot point), mentions of gun violence (recounted)

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Book Review: North Country by K.A. Tucker

July 27, 2026July 26, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 398 pages
Author: K.A. Tucker
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 16th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the USA Today and international bestselling author of the Simple Wild comes a sweeping second-chance, forbidden romance set against the rugged beauty of northern Canada.

Emery McAllister once dreamed of leaving Cold River with the boy next door, but one devastating night destroyed their future and left her heart carefully guarded. Twenty years later, she’s built a life of control: running the town’s police detachment, raising her daughter, and keeping a fragile peace with her ex-husband, the mayor.

She’s certain she has moved on until the day she has dreaded—and secretly hoped for—finally arrives.

Logan Landry is home.

After two decades behind bars for being in the wrong place at the wrong time—and the choices that haunted him ever since—Logan returns to his family’s bison ranch carrying the weight of everything he lost, but especially Emery. Friendship is all he dares hope for now, but seeing her ignites a fire he thought long extinguished.

When a teenage girl disappears and old wounds reopen, Logan becomes Cold River’s favorite suspect, despite his airtight alibi. As distrust closes in, Emery must choose between the life she’s built … and the love she can’t let go.

Thank you RB Media for the gifted audiobook.

PRETTY GOOD.

I haven’t read a K.A. Tucker release in a hot minute but this one was calling my name. I really liked the audiobook narrators and that it was dual POV. Definitely recommend that route!!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with this kind of premise and it was intriguing. I liked the way it added to the suspense and left me wondering what was going to be revealed next. The mystery was good and honestly left me grasping at straws. I could not pin down that correct suspect and that made much of this book fly by.

Logan’s arc and reconnection with this family and Emery was fantastic. I love that I also got his POV to better understand his story and decisions. I do wish the spice hadn’t been thrown in so quickly? But I was grateful to find that it was more of a slow burn after that and much of the focus was on solving the murder.

I loved a lot of the little pieces like Logan’s relationship with Emery’s daughter, Logan’s parents and more. The setting is immaculate and atmosphere was perfect. I’ve missed reading K.A. Tucker’s books and hope she has plans for more in this vein!

Overall audience notes:

Romantic Suspense
Language: moderate
Romance: 3-4ish open door
Violence: high
Content warnings: murder, loss of life, loss of loved ones, cheating (not between main characters), grief depiction, weapons violence, adult/minor relationship, gun violence

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Into the Fading Twilight (Starlight Grove #2) by Catherine Cowles

July 7, 2026July 1, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 472 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: The PageSmith LLC
Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She’s known nothing but darkness for 413 days…but he’ll burn down the world to save her.

After a year in captivity, Nova Monroe is back in Starlight Grove—but she’s not the same woman who vanished. She lives on the edge, chases adrenaline, and refuses to be caged again. Cliff diving. Mountain biking. Anything to feel alive and outrun the memories clawing at her.

But the single dad with shadows of his own won’t let her face it alone. Especially when she finds herself needing a place to stay.

Kol Archer has made it his mission to protect her. As a Forest Service investigator, he’s no stranger to rugged terrain or battling for control. But nothing prepared him for Nova—her fire, her fight, the way she makes him feel something he thought was lost.

The closer they get, the more dangerous things become. Someone doesn’t want Nova to move on. And Kol is determined to stop them—no matter the cost.

Because for the first time in forever, Nova’s not just surviving. She’s learning how to live, how to trust, and reminding Kol he can, too. But as darkness looms, the truth could destroy them both…

Thank you to Catherine Cowles for a gifted ALC/eARC.

LOVED.

I just love the way Catherine Cowles combines swoony romance with a suspenseful plot I can never put my finger on. I loved the slow burn between Kol and Nova!!! It’s a journey. Of love and healing and finding a new starting path in life. I loved Nova’s resilience and her courage. She made decisions that were best for her while creating boundaries and strengthening the relationships in her life. I loved that Kol met her where she was and didn’t push. I adore grumpy protective heroes. The soft banter and the way Kol finds ways to take care of Nova were incredibly romantic.

And the mystery plot?? I swore it was at least three other people before the reveal and was still shocked!! I’m in awe every time at how Catherine Cowles continues to deliver new and creative ways of incorporating the whodunnit. This one was delightfully unhinged and actually made me very curious for some future plot points too!!

The audiobook is a STUNNER. CC has gone to a multi-narrator format (each of the main characters has a separate narrator) and I’m OBSESSED. It brings incredible quality to the story. I did about half on audio half eyeball and you can’t go wrong either way.

Overall audience notes:

Romantic suspense
Language: moderate
Romance: 3ish open door
Violence: high
Content warnings: serial killer, attempted murder, murder, weapons violence, physical violence, mentions of child abuse

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Book Review: My Fault (Culpables #1) by Mercedes Ron

June 10, 2026June 22, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 416 pages
Author: Mercedes Ron
Publisher: Bloom Books
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fast-paced and sizzling with a forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance, My Fault is the first book in Mercedes Ron’s Culpable trilogy. This suspenseful YA series untangles the threads of love, trauma, and secrets, perfect for fans of Ugly Love and After.

Seventeen-year-old Noah Morgan loves her quiet, normal life in Toronto. But when her mother returns from a cruise unexpectedly married to a billionaire and announces they are moving to L.A., Noah is suddenly shoved out of her comfort zone and into a glittering world of illegal street races, lavish pool parties, and spoiled rich kids.

And her new stepbrother Nicholas is the most spoiled of them all. Arrogant, aloof, and viciously attractive, Nick is everything she hates, especially when she learns his bad boy persona isn’t just a façade. She’s spent her life running from danger, and Nick is danger incarnate. Yet neither of them can prevent the powerful attraction that flares between them―enough to turn their worlds upside-down and tempt them beyond all reason.

But Noah’s past may be even more dangerous than their forbidden romance. And if he wants her, Nick will have to decide if he’s willing to risk everything.

HOLY WATTPAD.

Yeah, this book had big wattpad vibes, and I gotta say, the movie was better.

I think I would have been close to hating this had I not already watched the movie so I knew what I was getting into. Because WOW, the whole thing feels over the top, there’s not a lot of development of anyone or anything, and you are dragged along this rollercoaster. It truly did follow the movie almost to a T so leaning into that made it more appealing.

I’m not sure what else to say about this one. It was like, I didn’t mind listening to it, but also, get this away from me now? BUT I AM WHO I AM and I am going to try book two (though the reviews from friends have taken away my optimism). Stay tuned.

Overall audience notes: