AT FIRST SPARK by Renee Harless

Blurb:

Lark Carrington came to Coral Bell Cove for a fresh start. A fading inn, a quiet life, and a chance to rebuild something steady after everything she’s lost. She didn’t expect her first real connection to come in the middle of chaos.

Holt Wright is used to being underestimated—long before he ever put on a uniform. The easygoing one. The goofball. The brother no one expected much from. Until he became a firefighter. Now, when the alarm sounds, he’s the one people trust when it matters most.

The one who shows up.

The one who stays.

Even for her.

What begins as a single moment—smoke, heat, and the steady presence of the man who pulled her back from the edge—turns into something neither of them can ignore. Long days restoring the Carrington Inn. Late nights that feel a little too honest. A connection that builds slowly… and burns deeper than either of them expected.

Because Lark doesn’t trust easily. And Holt is still learning what it means to be the man people finally believe in.

And when the past Lark tried to outrun starts to catch up with her… they’ll have to decide if this is just a spark—or something worth risking everything for.

At First Spark is a tender, slow-burn small-town romance about healing, showing up, and discovering that sometimes the person who saves you… is the one you choose to stay for.

Buy Link:

https://mybook.to/atfirstspark

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

At First Spark was a lovely addition to Renee Harless’ Coral Bell Cove series!

Lark arrives in town after her father’s death to fulfill his dream of restoring the Carrington Inn. And she really has her work cut out for her because the place is a mess. After taking in a stray dog on her way into town (seriously, I loved that dog), Lark eventually crosses paths with Holt, the goofball of the Wright family. Having spent his life being somewhat of the family joke, Holt is excited to start a new chapter in his life as part of Coral Bell Cove’s new firefighter team. So when he gets to play hero for Lark, it also starts a beautiful friendship between them that deepens as he helps her restore the inn.

There was instant chemistry between these characters. Because Lark has a lot on her plate (not only the physical demand of restoring the inn but the emotional trauma of navigating her grief after her father’s death), she keeps Holt at arm’s length at first. The slow burn between these two was delicious. There’s also an element of suspense to this story with Lark’s past, and Holt really became her protector when she was in danger.

I loved the journey that these characters went on. Being Lark’s cheerleader gave Holt, the guy who everyone always underestimated, a sense of purpose and duty, and in turn, he became a safe space for Lark to finally relax and catch her breath.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Renee Harless:

Renee Harless is a USA TODAY bestselling author with an affinity for wine and a passion for telling a good story. 
 

Renee Harless, her husband, and children live in Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She studied Communication, specifically Public Relations, at Radford University.

Growing up, Renee always found a way to pursue her creativity. It began by watching endless runs of White Christmas – yes even in the summer – and learning every word and dance from the movie. She could still sing “Sister Sister” if requested. In high school she joined the show choir and a community theatre group, The Troubadours. After marrying the man of her dreams and moving from her hometown, she sought out a different artistic outlet – writing.

To say that Renee is a romance addict would be an understatement. When she isn’t chasing her kids around the house, working her day job, or writing, she jumps head first into a romance novel.

​

Represented by Stephanie at SBR Media for Foreign and Audio Rights.

Connect with Renee Harless:

https://www.reneeharless.com/mobile

HAT TRICK by E.M. Lindsey

Blurb:

“For five million dollars, would you send a relative to jail?”

“Bud, I would pay five million dollars to send a few there.”

Problem number one: Almost everything the world thinks they know about me is a lie.

Problem number two: Two people know the truth.

Problem number three: One of those two is a stalker and he’s having a blast using that information against me to get his way.

The good news is, the second person who knows the truth about who I am seems pretty dedicated to taking my stalker down.

The bad news is, it’s NHL goalie Vanya Maximov, and he and I had a one night stand that I can’t stop thinking about. And while Vanya might be walking sunshine so bright he can make even my blind ass see light, we have no business being together.

I’m a mess, and while Vanya is everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, he deserves better than me.

If only he was willing to listen to reason. If only he was less stubborn and able to give up on a lost cause.

But with his ability to give me exactly what I want—a little pain with my pleasure—and his refusal to treat me like I’m fragile, something dangerous starts happening.

I’m beginning to think that maybe—just maybe—he’s right, and I am worth everything he sees.

Hat Trick is the second book in the Punk as Puck spin-off series, Legends and Fury. It’s a high heat, friends to lovers romance with a sunshine NHL goalie who also might be a golden retriever in disguise, a PPHL goalie with big black cat energy, a stalker, and no faith in himself, hooking up in a friend’s car, praise and pain, high stakes romance, hockey bro banter, tons of chirping, and the swooniest happily ever after.

Buy Link:

https://a.co/d/0io1BhPZ

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

EM Lindsey is a new-to-me author; I’ve only read Hat Trick and the previous book in the series, Stick Around. I enjoyed both, but I found Hat Trick to be a little more intense and deeper (thanks to Micah’s stalker) than the last.

I really enjoyed watching Micah’s relationship with Vanya go from a one-night stand to something more. He was so hesitant to let Vanya in and allow anyone to see behind the playboy mask he presents to the world. The real guy underneath was wildly insecure and carrying around a ton of trauma, so it was interesting to see how Vanya became a safe space for him.

However, I thought that the story was a little one-sided; I wanted to get to know Vanya more and felt that the character development was heavily focused on Micah, almost to the point that Vanya was a supporting character and not the other MC. I would have liked to have seen his relationship with his sister/roommate padded out more, and loved the bits that we got from his hacker brother.

Overall, Hat Trick was an engaging story with a disability representation (Micah’s blindness) that was handled well. Especially when it came to how his stalker’s actions really impacted him.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet E.M. Lindsey:

E.M. Lindsey is a Romance author, an ancient historian, and avid lover of nerdy things.  EM lives on the East Coast of the United States. 

Connect with E.M. Lindsey:

https://linktr.ee/emlindseyauthor

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I have been waiting for Amanda’s story, and I absolutely loved her romance with Coach Will!

Throughout the series, we’ve gotten to know Amanda as Bellamy’s best friend, who was trying to adopt a baby with her MIA husband. Shortly before this book begins, she has divorced her neglectful husband (who was cheating on her), and adopted baby Mia as a single mom. The Rampage guys and their WAGs have adopted Amanda into the group, which now also includes Will as he and Bellamy have reconnected after years of estrangement.

What starts out as some help from Will with babysitting turns into spontaneous pizza dinners, and slowly, Amanda and Will aren’t viewing each other as best friend’s father/daughter’s best friend any longer. For the first time in a long time, Will (who was always married to his job) has something to look forward to when he spends time with “his girls” rather than coming home to an empty house. And for Amanda, Will gives her the support and friendship that she was lacking from her husband.

For a while, they keep their relationship a secret, but it eventually gets to a point where the guilt of keeping it from Bellamy is crushing them both. Amanda doesn’t want to risk losing the found family she’s made in the Rampage crew by telling Bellamy, and Will doesn’t want to risk losing the second chance he’s gotten with his daughter by not telling Bellamy.

I really enjoyed this story, and all of the emotions that came with it! I am sorry to see this series come to an end, but I thought it ended on a high note.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

The Rulebreaker by Piper Rayne is NOW LIVE

I’m the coach’s daughter. Falling for one of my father’s players was never the plan.

Especially not Decker Davis.

Chicago Colts third baseman.

Dependable. Steady. The guy everyone trusts.

And the man who’s spent years keeping his distance—especially from me.

We have history. The kind that ten years and a thousand miles can’t touch.

So, this time, I promised myself I’d be smarter.

No getting attached. No blurred lines. And definitely, no falling.

He broke every last one within the first week.

Because Decker doesn’t just show up for me. He shows up for my daughter.

Because he fits into our lives like he was always meant to be there.

Because he looks at me like I was never something he wanted to lose.

And suddenly, the walls I’ve spent years building don’t feel nearly as solid as they used to.

But if I let him in, I’m not just risking my heart—I’m risking hers too… and I already know what losing him costs.

I won’t let my daughter pay that price.

THE RULEBREAKER is now live in Kindle Unlimited & in Audio (FULL CAST!!!)

https://books2read.com/t-rb

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Decker and Penelope’s second-chance romance has been my favorite of this series so far! This book was a classic tale of right person, wrong time.

There is so much history between these two characters, and I was dying to get into the nitty-gritty of it after learning in #2 that Penelope also had a past with Decker’s twin brother, Foster! (And why did it take me so long to realize that Decker was Teddi’s fake date in Mr. Charming?!?!?)

As much as I loved Decker finally getting out of his own way and claiming the girl he’s loved for 20 years, some of my favorite scenes were the therapy sessions with Decker and Foster. Those two had so much to unpack, and my heart went out to both of them as they dug deep into their childhood scars and tried to figure out how to drop some of that baggage that they’ve both been carrying around.

I loved the relationship that Decker developed with Pen’s daughter, Hazel, and how she became just as important to him as Penelope was. As with the rest of the books, the friend group is right there every step of the way, offering encouragement while placing bets on how long it was going to take Pen and Decker to finally get together. I did both the ebook and audio for The Rulebreaker, the latter having a full cast narration led by Teddy Hamilton and Willa Jaymes as the main characters. I will listen to anything featuring Teddy!

So I know I started out by saying Decker and Pen have been my favorite…. but I am fully prepared for Easton Bailey to steal that spot, because I have been waiting for his story since I finished reading Ryan and Calista’s book!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

ONLY FOR HER by Natasha Madison

Blurb:

Victoria

Being offered a job in a brand-new city wasn’t something I was planning on.

Neither was meeting him at a random hotel bar that same night.

We shared a drink, flirted, and then one thing led to another.

We exchanged first names, and I escaped the next morning with a quick goodbye.

I never expected to see him again.

I especially never expected him to come face-to-face with him at my brother’s house.

As the new coach of the team.

Zane

I was the youngest coach in the NHL.

I had to focus on one thing and one thing only.

My job.

It’s the only thing I had time for.

Until I came face-to-face with the stranger I thought I would never see again.

She’s off-limits in every sense of the word.

Not just because she’s younger than me.

She’s the sister to my star player.

Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/Only4HerNM

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Natasha Madison adds another book to her hockey universe in Only For Her, which centers on Victoria (the daughter of Manning & Evelyn from Only One Night) and Zane, the youngest NHL coach, who coaches her brother Jaxon’s team. Five months after they had a one-night stand, Victoria and Zane run into each other at her brother’s house, and the attraction is just as hot as it was the night they first hooked up.

As the youngest coach in the league, Zane has his work cut out for him — and many people looking at him to fail. So at first, he’s hesitant to date Victoria at all, but soon finds she’s become a light in his life and he can’t stay away from her. But as the pressures of his job mount, Zane begins to wonder if it’s fair to drag her into the media circus surrounding his career.

Having read most of NM’s books, I always enjoy it when the older generation shows up to talk some sense into the characters. So it was a treat to see Manning go all Protective Dad (with some help from buddy Nico) upon learning that his daughter’s boyfriend is an older man.

Only For Her was charming, sweet, and sexy. The audio is narrated by Aiden Snow and Vanessa Moyen, who did a great job in bringing this story to life.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Natasha Madison:

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

Connect with Natasha Madison:

https://linktr.ee/natashamauthor

He clicked “yes” on a dare. She bought a failing candy shop. Now they’re neighbors for the summer—and neither is ready for what comes next.

Renley Gossage has one shot to prove she’s more than Cape Meril’s favorite cautionary tale: restore her favorite candy shop before the town writes her off like they did her father. No help, no shortcuts, and definitely no rich men wielding engagement rings and making things messy.

Theo Williams never planned on ending up in Cape Meril. A drunken game of truth or dare turned into a botched online engagement, and now he’s across the ocean, escaping his father’s control with nothing but designer shoes, misplaced confidence, and a rental next door to Renley.

She’s practical, stubborn, and covered in paint. He’s posh, persistent, and willing to use a sander if it means earning her trust.

Between collapsing drywall, gossiping neighbors, and the chaotic schemes of Renley’s aunt, their forced proximity turns into something dangerously close to real.

 Rules for the Summer is NOW AVAILABLE in paperback, KU, and audio. https://a.co/d/07NUEGj0

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Rules for the Summer is a hilarious, small-town, standalone romcom, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Meghan Quinn! She knocked it out of the park with Theo and Renley, and all of their summertime shenanigans and updated lists of rules as these neighbors navigate the insane attraction between them.

I found the meet-cute for Renley and Theo’s relationship absolutely genius. He’s an aristocrat who needs to find a fiancée by the end of the summer or be forced into an arranged marriage, and she’s super focused on bucking her family’s reputation around town and opening her dream candy store. Falling for the hot Brit who moved in next door for the summer is not on Renley’s to-do list. Especially since they were “matched” on a website that she believed was for financiers looking for projects to invest in, and his best friend created him a profile on a fiancée-finder dating site on a dare.

Tag along as Renley and Theo fall in love. It’s charming, it’s funny, it’s sexy and sweet. Aunt Kitty and Rupert are scene-stealing supporting characters who had me in stitches at times.

Rules for the Summer is wonderfully performed in duet narration by Stella Hunter and Shane East as Renley and Theo, with Gary Furlong and Cassandra Medcalf as Rupert and Kitty. I went back and forth between the ebook and the audio, and this wonderful cast of characters just elevated this story to another level!

I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.

But is my hate true… or is it all a lie I tell myself to keep from falling back in love with the enemy?

From Rome, With Hate, an all-new forced proximity, enemies to lovers billionaire romance, and book 4 in the NYC Billionaire Series from bestselling author Brittany Taylor is now available!

He swore an oath to hate me… but then we fell in love.

For generations, the Capuletis and Montgomerys have been at war, and Rome has never let me forget it. Not until an anonymous pen pal assignment during our senior year has us breaking every damn rule set in place.

But my illicit affair with the tattooed billionaire I’ve hated my entire life ends as quickly as it began, and Rome and I return to being enemies once more.

Now, years later, I’ve done my best to avoid him, except for those unavoidable social gatherings, where we continue to taunt each other with relentless jabs and unnecessary pranks. But when one of my ‘jokes’ goes a step too far and nearly destroys Rome’s reputation, he demands payment from me in a way I never expect.

When the time comes for him to collect, he’s dragging me right back to where it all started between us—within the same four walls.

Unfortunately for me, these walls are haunted, and I can’t look at or exist around him without slipping back into our old ways.

For reasons I can’t understand, he makes me feel it all: passion, love… hate.

Just like our families before us, Rome and I were born to despise one another.

But is my hate true… or is it all a lie I tell myself to keep from falling back in love with the enemy?

Start reading today!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon:  https://a.co/d/02Ty4iQx

Add From Rome,With Hate to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243370145-from-rome-with-hate?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_20

Keep Reading for a look inside From Rome,With Hate!

“Fuck, Lark.” He growls. “Why are you so goddamn stubborn?”

“I’m the only one I can count on. I’m the only one who knows my secrets and cares about what I’ve lost,” I say, pushing up off my hands.

He flinches as though I’ve slapped him. “You think I haven’t suffered from what we lost, too?”

“You haven’t proven to me otherwise.”

“With the way you always push me away or keep me at a distance, it’s no wonder you have no fucking clue.”

“Pushing you away is the only way I come out of this alive.”

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

The NYC Billionaire series came to a stellar end with From Rome, With Hate. After getting little teases throughout the series, I have been waiting for this enemies-to-lovers, rival families story, and it was everything I wanted it to be!

I loved Rome and Julianna, and how a high school pen pal assignment began a torrid, forbidden love affair that spanned decades. So much of this story was Romeo & Juliet-coded, right down to the characters’ names (Capuletis and Montgomerys, Rome + Julianna), and I ate it up. The story went back and forth between past chapters when they were teenagers, when a traumatic event tore them apart, to the present day, when Rome and Julianna are in their 30s, and her life is in danger because of a deal gone wrong with Rome and the Irish Mafia. To protect her, Rome kidnaps Julianna and whisks her off to his cabin, where they are forced to face all of those feelings that never really went away.

The constant push and pull between these characters had me engaged, and I loved how deep-rooted the history was between them. This story was a wonderful “it’s always been you” — hard-earned, and full of ups and downs for Rome and Julianna to get there. Rome and Julianna’s story was messy, emotionally chaotic, and devastatingly beautiful.

I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.

For more information about Brittany Taylor and her books, visit her website:https://www.brittanytaylorbooks.com/

MAKE YOU MINE by Jenna Hartley

Blurb:

When I needed a date for my sister’s wedding, my late husband’s best friend seemed like the perfect solution.

I’ve known Frasier since college, and he was my husband’s teammate on the Hollywood Hawks—LA’s pro hockey team. At least until eighteen months ago, when a tragic accident upended everything.

As my world crumbled around me, Frasier was there for me.

We’ve been through a lot together, so I suppose it isn’t surprising that Frasier has become my best friend. The person I always turn to.

Which is how I find myself asking him to be my fake date to my sister’s wedding.

But after a game of truth or dare goes too far, I realize that Frasier isn’t pretending…was never pretending.

And I’m not sure I am either.

Buy Link:

https://mybook.to/MakeYouMineHockey

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Make You Mine is phenomenal!

The book takes place about a year and a half after Bryn’s husband, pro hockey player Derek, tragically passed away. His best friend/teammate, Frasier, has been her rock as she pieced herself together again, and they leaned on one another in their grief. Now, Bryn’s sister is getting married at a destination wedding, and Frasier has agreed to go with her. Because Bryn told her sister she and Frasier are dating, they go into the wedding week as a faux couple — but Bryn has no idea that Frasier is madly in love with her…

My heart broke for both these characters and the grief they were carrying after Derek’s death. I really loved the complexities of how Bryn and Frasier were worried about how their romance would be perceived by the public, yet wanted to live their private lives in a way that made them happy. They complemented each other so well, and it was such an easy transition for them to go from friends to something more.

I really liked that they faced their feelings for one another while on vacation, but then explored what it meant to be in a relationship during his off-season behind closed doors; I really felt like we were shown the full evolution of their relationship. Yet despite how happy Frasier made her, Bryn still had some misgivings about putting her heart out there again. So when The Conflict happens, she needs to decide if she’s willing to risk her heart or live a life of loneliness.

This story was beautiful, and it is one I am keeping on my re-read list! Highly recommend!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Jenna Hartley:

Jenna Hartley is USA Today bestselling author who writes feel-good forbidden romance, much like her own real-life love story. She’s known for writing strong women and swoon-worthy men, as well as blending panty-melting and heart-warming moments.

When she’s not reading or writing romance, Jenna can be found tending to her growing indoor plant collection (pun intended), organizing, and hiking. She lives in Texas with her family and loves nothing more than a good book and good chocolate, except a dance party with her daughter.

Connect with Jenna Hartley:

https://www.authorjennahartley.com/links

Beneath The Frost by Lena Hendrix is NOW LIVE

Weston Vaughn has always been the most charming man in any room—until he saved my brother’s life and the accident took his leg. Now he’s a gruff recluse and my new roommate.

After my life goes up in flames on my wedding day, I become my small town’s favorite scandal. I want to lie low while the gossip dies down, but living with my parents feels impossible. Moving in with my brother’s best friend is my best option.

He won’t ask for help and I won’t be dismissed. Trouble is, I like this gruff side of Wes, and despite his rules, I enjoy showing up for him. He’s adjusting to his new life, and when he finally admits his confidence is shot, well . . . I know exactly what he needs.

I’m a hands-on kind of caretaker.

Tensions rise as our tentative arrangement melts into sexy, forbidden lessons aimed to rebuild the confidence he’s lost. He thinks he’s broken, but all I see is an irresistible man with a firm grip and a filthy mouth.

He’s walled off his heart, but all it takes is a woman who’s willing to see what lies beneath the frost.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Frost…/dp/B0G1TXC6LW…

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I absolutely loved Wes and Clara and everything about Beneath the Frost!

Even though life has knocked her down (a farce of a relationship with a gay friend that dumps you the day of your wedding will do that!), Clara had such an upbeat personality. Then there was Wes. Sweet, broken, depressed Wes. We’ve seen bits of him in the previous books, as he is Hayes’s best friend — and lost his leg in a car accident saving Hayes’s life. But now that I really got to know the grump… he is a 10/10 winner!

Wes and Clara begin as roommates when she wants to get out of her parents’ house and he needs someone to help him out now and then. (I know she was supposed to be a home aid/caretaker, but Wes was pretty independent.) They grew closer as friends, as did their mutual attraction, which led to Clara offering to give Wes “love lessons” to figure out what worked and what didn’t work in his new normal as an amputee.

It didn’t take long at all for the “lessons” to have bona fide feelings behind them. But then something happens that causes Wes to lose all that newfound confidence, and he doesn’t want to be someone else in Clara’s life that she has to take care of and prevent her from living her best life. But will Wes ever realize that she sees him as a partner and not as a project?

I love a book with a Grand Gesture, and this one was great! The gum wrapper killed me! I loved how strong Clara was as she faced the potential end of their relationship, and then the work Wes put into himself to win her back. Narrators CJ Bloom and Sebastian York were phenomenal in voicing these characters!

This book delivered, 10/10. There was also some progression in the story of the mysterious lady of Star Harbor, and I can’t wait to see what the ancestral connection is to Hayes as the rest of this series unfolds!

I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.

CALEB by Cora Rose

Blurb:

I don’t let anyone in… I can’t afford to. But he’s the first person who makes me want to try.

My new roommate, Caleb, breezes into my life like unexpected sunshine lighting up the darkness. My secrets and sharp edges are built to keep people out.

But when he wraps his warm body around mine—needy and trusting—something in me cracks open and unfurls.

And the deeper Caleb sinks into my chest, the more I know I should push him away before he sees too much.

Before it’s too late. Because in the end, I know the truth will break us both.

Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/u/4En91A

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

Caleb was definitely a story full of yearning between a black cat, Type A, control freak, tortured hero and his messy, chaotic, golden retriever roommate.

Told from Whit’s POV, this story delves into the relationship between the roommates, Caleb’s awakening, and Whit’s family issues (as a result of a horrible childhood). I found Caleb to be so sweet and supportive as Whit worked through all of that. The contrast between the families of these two characters was so jarring (Caleb having lost his mom, but having a large extended family, and Whit having been abused and neglected by his), so my heart broke for both of them, each for different reasons.

Caleb is the companion story to the first book in this series, Whit (which was told from Caleb’s POV). I jumped into this series without having read any of the others, and I suppose this book is meant to be a standalone, but I definitely felt like I was missing pieces of the story. I enjoyed it, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read Whit first, so that’s why I’m ranking this at 3.5 Stars.

Overall, this book was a gem. I just wish I had known to have read Whit first, because then I’m sure this would have been a 5-Star read for me.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Cora Rose:

Cora Rose loves any kind of romance and consumes way too many books each year. She currently lives in the U.S. and spends her days daydreaming about the characters inside her head.

You can email her at CoraRoseRomance@gmail.com or visit her website at coraroseromance.com

Connect with Cora Rose:

https://www.instagram.com/coraroseauthor/