the thornback society – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 216 pages
Author: Aspen Hadley
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: December 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Meredith Atwood has been described as a lot of things.

Her friends call her determined, strong, and dedicated. Her enemies, well, their words are a little less flattering. But, Meredith doesn’t have time to worry about appearances, especially not when she finds herself locked in a life or death battle with her new HOA president – a man, incidentally, who didn’t even want the job that should have been hers.

Brooks VanOrman doesn’t have a lot of time or interest in fighting battles. However, when he finds himself unwittingly in the position of HOA president, he realizes he’s going to have to start caring, and soon. To complicate matters, his neighbor – the feisty, dark-haired woman of his nightmares – refuses to follow the rules and he’s the one called in to enforce them.

It’s an instant clash of wills.

Only the more Brooks gets to know Meredith, the more he realizes that there’s a lot more to the fierce warrior than meets the eye.

A Class of Her Own is a closed-door, kissing only, sweet and clean romance with all the swoon but no explicit content.

TEARS.

Uh, this made me tear up a whole bunch at the end so I gave it five stars and this is how my logic works.

I loved this story. I will say it did lean a little more women’s fiction than I was expecting when I picked it up but there was a lot of goodness in that side of the storytelling. I loved Meredith. I could relate to her on multiple facets. I think that’s what really got me. I understood her need for control and rules and some kind of a map to feel secure.

Enter in Brooks. This man is superior. I could not get enough of the way he handled everything. There was so much respect and caring for Meredith’s feelings while also voicing his own. I like that he didn’t hold back, and still gave space when needed. I loved watching this relationship come together and would have loved having even more romance throughout.

The friend group is great, the holiday antics were fun and it’s a pretty quick book to fly through. I can’t wait to read the next story.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of loss of a mother, an absentee father

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 334 pages
Author: Aspen Hadley
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Aryn Murphy loves her family and friends, sports, and teaching school. What she doesn’t love is all the wrong attention she receives from men who don’t know the first thing about her.

When her childhood friend Wesley moves to town and lands a job working at the same school where she teaches, she has the perfect idea – he can be the decoy that keeps all the men away while she focuses on her otherwise perfect life. After all, Wesley has always been someone she’s felt safe with.

Wesley Baker harbored a secret crush on Aryn in high school, and when he arrives at his new job to find Aryn there too, that crush comes raging back. Now she wants him to play the part of doting boyfriend by night, and forgotten coworker by day.

But he had enough of playing pretend all those years ago. This time, he’s looking to play a different game – one with high stakes, and the potential to make them both winners.

Back To Class is a kissing only, sweet and clean romcom, with all the swoon but no explicit content.

LOOOOVED.

First and foremost I have to talk about one of my favorite aspects of Aspen Hadley’s writing and the way she crafts a character. I love that we can see the flaws of her FMC’s. Aryn has things she needs to work on and issues that are weighing her down. And what I appreciate most is that when the conflict comes up in the end it doesn’t turn into miscommunication. It turns into an argument and talking and communicating needs and wants. Compromise and speaking with respect. IT IS MY FAVORITE. I love these kind of conversations and they make my heart absolutely melt.

I looooved the opposites attract, reverse jock/nerd tropes. They worked so well. I just adore Aryn and Wesley. The chemistry was continually flying and all of those little moments really added up to a wonderful romance. I love all of the friendships and family and traveling that happened. The volleyball games were fun and this book was a delight to read.

Overall audience notes: