under kansas skies – GoodeyReads

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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ARC Book Review: Check Mate (Under Kansas Skies #3) by Leah Brunner

July 1, 2022June 26, 2022 GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: July 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

How did I find myself sharing a tent with my obnoxious—albeit gorgeous—neighbor, Isabella Romero?

It all started with a stupid bet.

All I had to do in order to win was something unpredictable. (Which my brother thought was impossible for the ever-boring David Windell).

Well, I showed him… by booking a trek in the Andes Mountains to see Machu Picchu.

When the brochure for the expedition mysteriously appeared on my front porch, along with Isabella’s cat who doesn’t have boundaries, it was like fate interceded: I could win the bet while simultaneously getting a vacation from my irritating neighbor.

Two birds, one stone.

Except, it turns out that was Isabella’s brochure… and she booked the same trip.

So here I am, stuck sharing a tent with the woman who drives me crazy—and makes my heart race like never before.

Check Mate is book three in the Under Kansas Skies Series, but can be read as a standalone. Check mate is a dual POV, closed-door romcom. It contains mild language and innuendo.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THIS WAS SWEET!

Sometimes what you need is a fast paced contemporary romance and I feel like this mostly delivered in that department.

I adored the opposites attract vibes between Isabella and David. It’s not enemies in anyway. Just two people creating some laugh out loud neighborly pranks between each other before realizing how much they actually care about one another. It’s mega sweet and I loved seeing David come out of his shell. This also gave me major wanderlust as someone who is very much like David with a resistance and hesitancy towards big adventures.

Isabella was the perfect balance. I loved that she was a travel blogger and it was a career field I don’t see explored often in the contemporaries I happen to pick up. She has an amazing sense of who she wants to be and standing up to her Mom was the cherry on top.

My issue with a lot of this read was the depth. It is SO FAST that I felt like I was missing something. I wanted deeper explorations of everything. The main characters, side characters, maybe a good sub-plot or two. Anything to increase my connection with the story as whole. I kept feeling like the chapters were cutting off really quickly and moving on to complete new scenes without steady pacing.

This is another good installment to the series though. The conflict was truly natural and not overdrawn and gosh dang it do I love a sappy grand gesture ending. I was grinning hard at those closing scenes.

And I anxiously await getting my hands on the next brother’s story because I know I’m going to love it!!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: very little
Romance: make-outs
Trigger/Content Warnings: emotionally manipulation from a parent

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Book Review

Book Review: A Love Unexpected (Under Kansas Skies #1) by Leah Brunner

May 10, 2022January 11, 2022 GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 226 pages
Author: Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

My one and only goal has always been to make it to congress. I’ve got it all: the looks, the brains, the connections…

Except I missed one glaring requirement: a wife.

The conservative voters of Kansas don’t trust an unmarried man. Which means I need a bride. Immediately.

The lovely Odette Hastings seems to fit the bill. She’s a wholesome small-town girl, and most importantly, in need of cash. I’ll give her the money to take care of her elderly parents, and she’ll be the political arm candy I need.

The only problem is Odette is a little too beautiful, a little too intelligent, and much too distracting. I have to keep my eye on the prize. Even when I’m starting to think there might be something I’d rather have more.

WONDERFUL DEBUT!

Well this is a hidden gem in the sweet romance arena. If you don’t get farther then this first paragraph, know I highly recommend this one!

I LOVE marriage of convenience. Yesss, you do have to suspend a touch of reality, but that’s the best part! I liked how Odette and Madden came together to mutually help each other as their attraction grew. The second half held a lot more romance, banter and angst and that was this books sweet spot. It was SO GOOD. I was wrapped up in this couple without a doubt.

I only wished the first half held a bit more of that. This book is super short (barely over 200 pages) and I think with more page time the romance could have been amped up more. I thought the conflict was handled well and that even more a politically minded book (Madden is running to be a congressman) I didn’t feel beaten over the head with the agenda. It was woven in well and kept the romance at the forefront.

Really excited to get Sophie’s story in the next book!

Overall audience notes: