The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann is now live! 

He’s a single dad starting over in a new town. She’s a relentless flirt with a penchant for trouble, ten years younger than him, and the babysitter. What could go wrong?

Eve has just graduated from high school, but she doesn’t know what’s next aside from working at the local motel, spying on Kyle, her neighbor, and stealing apples from his orchard. If she doesn’t figure things out soon, she’ll be stuck at home and treated like a child forever.

Kyle is a single dad and the new football coach who needs a babysitter for his adorable son. When he meets Eve, there’s an instant connection because she reminds him of someone—himself. But Eve is the preacher’s daughter, off-limits, and Kyle has already had his heart trampled by his ex.

After earning his son’s affection with her homemade apple sauce and youthful spirit, Eve asks Kyle to teach her things like driving his fishing boat and shooting his hunting bow. Despite his better judgment, he agrees, but swears Eve to secrecy so no one gets the wrong idea about them.

Their playful banter and innocent flirting crosses a line, and Kyle misses the heartbreaking secret Eve’s hidden in plain sight.

When tragedy strikes, can they find their way back to each other?

The Apple Tree is a standalone in the Sunday Morning series by USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Jewel E. Ann.

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/47LyBJy

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheAppleTree

Hardcover: https://mybook.to/AppleTreeHC

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4dryjbZ

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Oh my gosh, Jewel E. Ann delivers another stunning forbidden romance, rife with family drama and full of angst, in The Apple Tree.

Age gap stories can be hit or miss for me, but I absolutely loved the connection between Eve and Kyle. And I adored her relationship with his little boy, Josh. From the first moment their paths crossed, I was all in, rooting for this couple. And their story was worth all the tension, angst, frustrating moments, and stolen glances. I cried. I cried a lot.

There’s a turning point in this book where everything hits the fan and Eve needs to face some hard facts about herself. That was hard to read, at times, because I was just feeling so much for this couple and wanted them to work things out. For a while there, i didn’t think it was going to happen, but don’t worry — JEA gives these two the happy ending they deserve, complete with a swoony epilogue set in the future.

The Apple Tree is set two years after Sunday Morning. There are references to Sarah’s story (and despite the events from SM, the Jacobsen parents have not relented in their strictness one bit), but TAT is a standalone. Having now read Eve and Kyle’s story, I recall so many little things about 16-year-old Eve from Sunday Morning that clicked into place. I didn’t even know that JEA was foreshadowing! So I can’t wait to see what she gives us with Gabby’s story!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Jewel E. Ann

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance. 

Connect with Jewel

Website: https://www.jeweleann.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7505427.Jewel_E_Ann

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jewel-E-Ann/e/B00IJYHDIG/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjeweleann

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/485996228236493

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeweleann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jewel-e-ann

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeweleannauthor/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeweleannauthor

JUST LIKE THAT by Lena Hendrix is NOW LIVE!

Tropes:

Accidental single dad

Guardians/ instant family

Enemies to lovers

Forbidden romance (sibling’s ex)

Forced Proximity

Age gap (7 years)

grumpy/sunshine

rakish villain with a heart of gold

Billionaire

Blurb:

He’s my sister’s ex, a stubborn jerk, and completely off-limits.

Getting a man to give up custody of a son he didn’t know existed should have been easy. Trouble is, nothing with JP King is ever easy.

Suave, grumpy billionaires aren’t supposed to have strong hands or filthy mouths, and I never expected our snippy banter to be so much fun.

JP regards me as something he scraped off the bottom of his dress shoe, but when this reluctant single dad looks at my nephew, there’s a softness there he struggles to keep hidden.

He may be gruff and uptight, but something simmers beneath his controlled, polished exterior. Sure, I’m wild and reckless, but when we’re forced together as guardians, everything changes.

His cold and calculated exterior melts into hushed conversations and lingering stares. The more we fight, the harder we fall.

I’m scatterbrained, unconventional, and everything he’s been missing. The closer we get, the less we understand why we were ever at odds.

. . . until just like that our lives are turned upside down.

BUY IT HERE: https://geni.us/justlikethat

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I love a redemption story and JP King’s delivered on all fronts! He’s been the prickly, stuck-up, no-fun brother we’ve gotten bits and pieces of through this series. Then Hazel Adams and her adorable nephew Teddy burst into his life like a hurricane, and her chaos and unpredictability ended up being exactly what JP needed in his life.

Much like Hazel, hers and JP’s story is messy and chaotic. When she arrives in Outtatowner insisting that her nephew is JP’s son, he has zero recollection of having been with her late sister. JP wants nothing to do with Hazel and Teddy, but don’t we all love seeing an adorable kid chip away at the icy heart of a billionaire? And watching said billionaire fall equally hard for the last woman he ever expected to develop feelings for?

JP is such a complex character, more so than I imagined he’d be. Though he is not the eldest of the King siblings, he was groomed by Russell to run the business, putting him in a place of leadership in his family that he never really asked for. As it turns out, the guy has hangups and insecurities just like the rest of them, and underneath that icy exterior is just a scared kid who lost his mom when he was a little boy. Seeing him bond with Teddy through similar losses was one of my favorite parts of this story. So, so good.

This book was *chef’s kiss* — from start to finish, and the twists and turns along the way, it was perfect. Stephen Dexter and Samantha Brentmoor were engaging and entertaining. I was completely smitten by the way they voiced JP and his Hex from the get-go.

I’ve really loved the through-line in the Sullivans and Kings series as these two rival families have become one big, blended brood. There are some awesome moments in Just Like That between the two families, and that made me all warm and fuzzy. As sad as I’ll be to see this series conclude with MJ’s story, I loved that teaser with her and the big, hot rugby player!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

DARING DESTINY

Kaylene Winter

Release Date: January 27

 

Daring Destiny is a sweltering saga of billionaire intrigue, opposites-attract, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers with an unexpected life-changing twist.

Before I founded my AI tech company, I spent my high school years silently pining over Astrid Gustafsson, the unattainable ice-blonde beauty. Fast forward a decade and I’m shocked when she asks to collaborate on a secret project. The opportunity is too enticing to pass up.

Our newfound friendship quickly ignites into a wildfire of
desire, and my passion for Astrid intensifies, leaving me eager to risk everything for our future. The challenge is, relentless demands of my high-stakes empire threaten to smother the flames of our burgeoning romance.

When fate dramatically intervenes, will a life-changing twist dare us to embrace our destiny?

 

Grab Your Copy HERE!

 

 

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Oh, my heart! Brennan and Astrid were so much more than I was expecting! The prologue — set in present day — hooked me right away. The story then begins two years ago, and Brennan and Astrid’s slow-burn romance unfolds in the most delicious way.

My heart ached for both of these characters at times. Neurodivergent Brennan and his vulnerabilities, how he still feels like the geek from high school even though he’s one of the most successful tech giants in Seattle. Astrid is one of the most successful realtors in the area, but she always feels less-than around her family. Both of them put on a mask to the world, yet when they are with one another, they both feel like they can be their authentic self. I loved that they had that connection, and how their relationship had a strong foundation of friendship before things turned romantic.

And wow, gotta appreciate the dirty mouth on sweet Brennan. This book mixes the spicy spice with family drama (there’s an overlapping timeline with Cillian’s book, Tender Temptation, and there’s also lots of drama with Astrid’s folks), sweet and vulnerable moments, and several plot twists.

Daring Destiny is definitely worth checking out! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

 

Kaylene Winter is an Amazon best-selling author of steamy, contemporary romance.

Each character-driven novel is filled with snappy dialogue, pop-culture references and enough steam to make you fan yourself. Kaylene weaves authenticity, emotion and angst into a turbulent rollercoaster ride of love, passion and soul-searing romance always ending with a delicious HEA.

Kaylene lives in Seattle with her amazing Irish husband and gorgeous Siberian Husky. She loves creating art of all kinds.

Keep up with Kaylene and subscribe to her newsletter: https://kaylenewinter.com/newsletter/

To learn more about Kaylene Winter & her books, visit here!

Connect with Kaylene Winter:

https://kaylenewinter.com/contact/

 

Hosted By:

 

🎀 𝓝𝓔𝓦 𝓡𝓔𝓛𝓔𝓐𝓢𝓔 🎀 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐔𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 (Castleton University Book 2) by Jennifer Chipman is now LIVE! Don’t miss this spicy Sleeping Beauty inspired college romance! 

𝟏-𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲! 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝! https://geni.us/OUAFD

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕: 

💕 Fake dating

🎭 Theater kids

🌸 Popular girl x Shy jock

✨ Childhood friends to strangers to lovers

🎀 Inspired by Sleeping Beauty

Blurb:

Once Upon A Fake Date…

Audrey

All my life, I’d been dreaming of two things: shining in the spotlight on stage and falling in love. When I landed the lead part in the spring musical junior year, it felt like everything was falling into place. Especially when my childhood best friend came waltzing back into my life. Only, he’d gone from a scrawny pre-teen to a handsome athlete, and it was hard to take my eyes off of him.

Especially when he ended up as my co-lead for the musical. But our friendship meant too much to me to risk. I wasn’t sure my heart could survive losing him again.

Parker

Transferring to Castleton University for my senior year was my chance to start over and focus on lacrosse and getting my degree. What I didn’t expect when my teammates dragged me to a party was finding the girl of my dreams… also known as my childhood best friend.

I was supposed to be focusing on lacrosse. Not volunteering to be the lead in the musical with her. Or fake dating her.

Except for when I saw her in my jersey, smiling just for me, I had a hard time remembering why this was supposed to be fake.

Which was why I intended to prove that I was the happy ending she’d always dreamed of.

One fake date at a time.

A spicy Sleeping Beauty inspired college romance.

ADD to Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205983720-once-upon-a-fake-date

Read A Not So Prince Charming (Castleton University #1): https://geni.us/nsprincecharming

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

This was a super cute fairy tale reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. Parker and Audrey (aka Rosie) had been best friends when they were around 12-13, but then his family moved away and they lost touch. Years later, they run into each other when he transfers to Castleton University and they rekindle their friendship. He’s a shy jock, she’s a free-spirited drama major…. when Audrey is having some issues with a former paramour, Parker steps up and offers to be her fake boyfriend to get the ex off her back. And of course, we all know how that goes!

I really loved the easy friendship between these characters. It was natural and effortless, and I didn’t feel like the chemistry was being forced upon me. Parker is a total cinnamon roll golden retriever book boyfriend, and this romance totally has the “it’s always been you” vibes.

This was the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Chipman, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Once Upon A Fake Date is a super charming, lighthearted, feel-good story! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Find more books by Jennifer Chipman here: https://www.jennchipman.com

🏒 𝑵𝑬𝑾 𝑹𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑬 🏒 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟 (Bainbridge Hockey #3) by Andi Burns is now LIVE! Don’t miss this all-new forbidden love, college hockey romance! 

1-click Today! FREE in Kindle Unlimited! 

https://geni.us/brickwall

WHAT TO EXPECT:

🥅 New Adult/College

🏒 Hockey Romance

🤫 Secret Romance

🍼Accidental Pregnancy

BLURB:

Brick Wall is a college hockey romance with a hero who falls hard and fast for the one girl he can’t have.

JT

Life hasn’t always been easy, but things are beginning to look up. I’m the starting goalie for the BU Wolves, Coach Baylor has become the family I have always wanted as a kid, and my dream career is waiting for me. All I need to do is defend my net for the next few seasons so I can prove to the Boston Bruisers that they drafted me for a reason. That’s a pretty bright future for a man with a past like mine.

When I hit up a party with a bunch of my roommates, I never expected to fall hard. But from that night on, it’s out of my control. Maggie Baylor is the one for me, no matter how much she tries to deny it.

Just when I think we’re getting somewhere, she ghosts me. But there’s one thing Maggie doesn’t understand: I’m not letting anything or anyone—not even Coach—stand in our way.

Maggie

As a transfer student, I have one goal: finish my senior year without any drama. And, ok…I may have lost sight of that goal before the year officially started. But that’s not my fault—Hottie Gym Shorts Guy was…well, hot. And sweet. And so very talented. That’s why I bolted the next morning. I didn’t move back home to fall in lust or worse, love. I came back to Bainbridge to spend time with my Uncle Hudson and earn my degree.

Besides, there won’t be any drama because I’m never going to see him again.

Except I do. We just keep running into each other. It’s fine, though. I can resist.

Until I can’t. JT is crumbling all my defenses. I’m on the verge of letting myself fall in love, even if I know my uncle will disapprove, when two little pink lines appear. I brace myself for impact because the only thing I know about love is that it doesn’t last.

But JT doesn’t leave my side. He slays my dragons and rubs my feet and makes me reconsider everything I thought I knew.

Is this really something I can believe in, or will our world come crashing down just when we need each other the most?

***

Brick Wall is the third book in the Bainbridge U hockey series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you love a stoic hero who’ll do anything to protect the woman he loves and the family they’ve created, no matter who tries to stop him, JT Norris will melt your kindle. If you can’t resist a jaded heroine who learns to trust again, Maggie Baylor is your kinda girl. If you want all the laughs, all the feels, and every single bit of steam, and no third act break-up, then settle in with your favorite snack—Maggie recommends dark chocolate peanut butter cups—and dive into this forbidden love, surprise baby college hockey romance. 

The Bainbridge Hockey Series: https://geni.us/BBHockey

Find more books by Andi Burns here: https://amzn.to/4bjWaKq

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3 Stars

Brick Wall started off strong — I liked the meet-cute with Maggie and JT and the sizzling connection that led to a one-night stand during a frat party, and now they kept running into one another around campus. But then, I felt like things just started getting thrown at me, I was being told, not shown, parts of the story. Things were happening off-page, things were being repeated, plot points began but were never carried to fruition… And we got so much information about side characters that didn’t really need to be there because it didn’t impact the story between Maggie and JT.

JT’s big mistake from his past and his cousin… kind of unnecessary drama, for example. Cut out all of that nonsense, condense the story, and this would have been a great story.

I struggled because I really liked JT and Maggie and thought this book lot of promise. He was certainly dedicated to Maggie, that’s for sure. He was all-in way before she was. Like, when did she decide she was in love with him? The execution kind of fell flat.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new forced proximity, single dad romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh out loud, enemies-to-lovers, small town standalone romance is now available in all formats and delivers the perfect happily ever after. One-click your copy today!

https://mybook.to/ThePathToLovingHim

About THE PATH TO LOVING HIM:

What does one do when they completely blow an interview?

If you’re me, you pick up a one-night stand with the most gorgeous man you’ve ever seen… 

That’s right, after a lousy interview that could have changed everything for me, I headed over to the local small town bar to sulk when the one man I shouldn’t want walked in. And when my friend convinced me to take him back to my hotel room, I didn’t think about it, I just did it . . . well, I did him.

It was an unforgettable night, but I didn’t stay for breakfast. Instead, I got out of there and tried not to think about him again.

Everything was fine until I received a call from the interviewer saying I got the job as the assistant baseball coach at Almond Bay High. I’d be working directly under the one and only Ryland Rowley–my one-night stand. 

Now, I’m not only working with him but renting the apartment above his garage. And I have to deal with the fact that he’s the man I dream about and can’t have while not letting my attraction get in the way of keeping the harmony between us. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

It should have been, except the plan falls apart when my shower breaks, and night after night I have to slip into his house to use the bathroom only to find him in the kitchen, staring me down with those hungry, single dad eyes. 

ONE-CLICK YOUR COPY TODAY!

https://mybook.to/ThePathToLovingHim

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I have been waiting for Meghan Quinn to give Ryland Rowley a happily ever after, and she did exactly that with the last book in her Almond Bay series.

Gabby and Ryland complemented each other perfectly. From their hot one-night stand, the awkwardness of discovering he is her new landlord, his shock that she is his new assistant coach, to them falling in love, this book was just perfect. I loved every moment of these two together, from start to finish. Both of these characters had troubled childhoods, and I loved how they connected over that. One of my favorite scenes is the vulnerability Ryland showed during his lame attempt to break things off with Gabby, and how she just loved him through the rough spot.

This book had all the spice and humor that I love in a Meghan Quinn book, and so much heart. I was full-blown crying when Bennett got called up to the majors, when Hattie and Hayes got engaged, when Mack started calling Ryland “Uncle Dad…” I cried as hard as I laughed with this book.

And the epilogue… the epilogue!! What an amazing wrap-up for this series!

Narrators Sebastian York and Samantha Brentmoor read this story in dual narration, bringing these vibrant characters to life with their top-notch storytelling.

I know this is the last of the Almond Bay books, but I really hope that Ryland’s best friend, Abel, finds his soulmate in another series someday! And I wouldn’t at all mind seeing Bennett and Bauer as the main characters in an older woman/younger man book. *Pretty please, Meghan*

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

ABOUT MEGHAN QUINN:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.

Connect w/ Meghan:

Website: https://authormeghanquinn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanquinnbooks/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

MR. BROODY, the second book in Piper Rayne’s hockey romance series The Nest, is now live!

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

https://books2read.com/MR-B

I’ve loved Henry Hensley since I was seven years old. We’ve gone from best friends to lovers to nothing.

To most people, he’s the Chicago Falcons starting right winger and hot single dad, but to me, he’s my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love.

Eight years ago, that all changed when our lives took us in two different directions. Our break-up almost broke me, so I kept my distance until our hometown called me back to where our story began.

I promised myself a quick visit to help my family out, and then I’d leave town before he even knew I was back, which should have been easy. He’s way too busy being a professional hockey player and raising his son to ever find out.

Of course, I’m only in town for a week before I run into him, and one thing is clear from our brief encounter—Henry wants to hash out our past, whereas I’d rather forget it.

But my plan really goes up in flames when I take a temporary substitute teaching job, and on day one, his son walks into my classroom. Boom.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Mr. Broody packed quite the punch! It included everything I hope for in a second-chance romance, especially that neither Jade nor Henry had moved on in the years they were apart and were still just as in love with the other as they day he dropped her off at the airport! It took me a bit to make the connection that Jade and Henry are the same little kids from Manic Monday/Smitten With The Best Man — I read that book way back in 2018! I love when authors bring up the next generation of characters to connect to previous books!

Jade and Henry had been through it all together, first as best friends, then as young lovers. They shared all of their firsts together, but then one day, Henry let Jade go so she could explore her own photography dreams rather than be his support as he embarked on a hockey career. Neither one of them ever quite got over that, and when Jade comes back home for a few months to help out her parents, these two get a second chance at love….

With a little pushing from Henry’s son, Bodhi. I love that kid! I thought that the chapters from the POV of Henry’s son Bodhi were fantastic. I love that kid, and it was so cute to get his take on things! (And how his dad is always staring at Jade’s picture!)

I listened to the audio as well as read the ebook, and I love the full-cast narration with this rowdy bunch. JF Harding is a favorite of mine, and I thought he perfectly captured the loneliness, the hurt, and the regret that Henry has been feeling. I believe this is the first book I’ve listened to Brooke Bloomingdale narrate, but I thought she did a great job in bringing Jade to life.

Mr. Broody had some wonderful flashbacks, so readers got to know Henry and Jade at the start of their relationship and then how it all blew up. There are some great moments between them as they face their past demons and try to figure out if there is a way for them to move forward. Looking forward to the rest of The Nest guys finding their loves! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 Claudia Burgoa  𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 💔 A past love she can’t forget 💞 A slow-burn so intense, you might combust 🛏 Forced proximity moments you’ll re-read (don’t lie, we all do it) 📸 Dual timelines ❌ No third-act break-up 💔 Second Chance Romance 🔥 Slow Burn 📷Love Triangle 🥀 Angst-Ridden Flashbacks 🏒 Hockey Player 🎸 Rockstar/Musician 😭 Ugly Cry Moments 📷 Emotional Damage 📷 Disability Rep 📷 Mental Health Rep USA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa brings you an angst-filled, emotional second-chance romance packed with heartache, longing, and an impossible love triangle. I fell in love with a boy who became my everything. Keane Stone was my first love. I thought I’d grow old with him.We had a future filled with promises, until one fateful night. One tragic accident, and just like that, he slipped into a coma. For years, I clung to hope; holding on to every ‘what if.’But life doesn’t stand still. Eventually, I had to learn how to live again. Grief clung to me like a second skin when Haydn Wesford came into my life. He’s a professional hockey goalie with a natural instinct to protect. He showed up just when I needed someone the most. Loving Haydn was like taking my first real breath in years. He made me laugh when I thought I’d forgotten how and made me believe in second chances. Just as Haydn and I were about to build a life of our own, everything came crashing down. Keane woke up.I can’t abandon him . Haydn, being the man he is, agrees to help bring Keane home and get him back on his feet. But as days turn into weeks, feelings I thought were buried begin to stir. I remember the promises Keane and I made, the future we dreamed up together. Now I’m standing at a crossroads—caught between the man who is my past and the one who would be my future. I’m torn in two. Two hearts. Two futures. And only one choice. How do you let go of your first love when he’s standing right in front of you? How do you choose the man you need… without breaking the heart of the one you can’t seem to let go of?The fault in forever is that sometimes love isn’t enough. And now, I have to decide who I am—and who I can’t live without—before I lose them both. Available in all retailers where e-books are sold. Amazon ➺ https://geni.us/TFIFAmazon Apple Books ➺ https://geni.us/TFiFApple Nook ➺ https://bit.ly/TFIFNook Kobo ➺ https://bit.ly/TFIFKobo Google Play ➺ https://bit.ly/TFIFGoogle Audio and paperback coming soon

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

I’m torn about this book… I don’t normally enjoy love triangles, but I was intrigued by the blurb for this book, and the idea of an ex suddenly reappearing, and how Keane’s presence would impact the new life Ophelia created with Hadyn. While I enjoyed parts of this book very much, I some things were unexplained by the time I got to the end. There were other parts that felt repetitive and yet others that even felt like a missing plot hole. And I felt like I was kind of dropped into the middle of a story at times; things I hoped would be further explained in later chapters were not. I was hoping for some kind of full flashback chapter about the accident. Keane’s brother just let her be his guardian? What the heck happened between Rowan and Constantine? Ophelia ended up with the guy I was rooting for at the end, but the second epilogue threw me for a loop and there was so much more to Keane than I initially thought. Overall, not a bad read, but not everything was tied up in a bow the way I would have liked it to be. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

ALWAYS HEATED by Irene Bahrd is AVAILABLE NOW

Blurb:

“You’re not sunshine after it rains. You’re the f*cking storm, Cass. But you’re my storm.”

Ten years after making a marriage pact with her brother’s best friend, Cassidy Rogers is finally engaged. Except, it isn’t Travis Harrison on one knee. Cassidy’s sweet veterinarian boyfriend, Zack, pops the question before Travis has a chance. While she loves Zack, there’s no passion, no fireworks. Still, she agrees to marry him, unknowingly breaking Travis’ heart.

Doing everything in his power to break them up, Travis is unwilling to accept Cassidy’s love for Zack. When all of his plans fail, he’s left with one final option—admitting his feelings for her have nothing to do with their pact. If Zack is out of the picture, does Travis have a chance with the one woman he’s always loved, or will everyone get burned in the process?

Always Heated is a sort-of spicy, romantic comedy-ish love story, intended for mature audiences. Just because it has funny moments, doesn’t mean you should forget to check your content warnings… There are a LOT with this one.

Buy Link:

https://mybook.to/alwaysheated

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Irene Bahrd is a new-to-me author, and I really enjoyed the depth she gave to the friends-to-lovers trope in Always Heated. Travis and Cassidy grabbed my attention from the beginning, and I loved seeing how much was actually behind this marriage pact that they made a decade ago.

Travis and Cassidy have been pining for each other since they were kids — he’s best friends with her brother, Caleb, and the three are close in age. Travis never made a move on his feelings for Cass, and instead dated everyone else in town. The book opens on his birthday, when instead of going forward with a one-night stand, they instead make a pact to marry each other if they are both still single in ten years.

Flash forward 10 years later, and just as Travis, having realized that he has bona fide feelings for Cass, is about to propose, her current boyfriend pops the question. And that spurs Travis into action to try to win her over. At first, Cass is convinced he only wants her because of their pact — despite all of their friends and family telling her otherwise.

The chemistry between them is intense, and Travis is a swoony boyfriend. It’s a bumpy road for these two, and Cassidy goes through some major events along the way. But Travis never falters in his faith in their relationship or his assurance that he wants to spend his life with her. I loved that dedication, and how he wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable and show his feelings to her.

Always Heated is a standalone, but there are lots of references to Ingrid and Caleb’s story, Never Yours (Cassidy’s best friend and brother). I felt a little lost at times because I didn’t know the details, which was a minor inconvenience. I didn’t think that Travis’ guilt over losing his dog Blaze was explored enough, or *why* he was so depressed that night of his birthday when they made the marriage pact — so I was kind of surprised when those plot points came back into play at the end of the book. I appreciate the mental health rep portrayed by both characters, but I thought that Travis’ could have been explored better. And I’m still not sure how Ashlyn fits into the friend group.

Overall, this is the first book I’ve read by Irene Bahrd and I enjoyed it! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Irene Bahrd:

Irene Bahrd is a Gryffindor Capricorn and one of the most avid readers you will ever meet.

She started her writing journey as a dare from a friend, after recounting dating stories from her early twenties. They inspired her to write spicy parody and romantic comedy novels that feature a variety of book boyfriends—from growly alpha heroes to cinnamon roll golden retrievers.

Her favorite genres to read include fantasy romance, romantic comedies, and contemporary dark romance. You’ll find some of her favorite books and authors referenced by main characters in her own books.

Irene can be found on Instagram and TikTok under @irenebahrdauthor

Connect with Irene Bahrd:

https://linktr.ee/irenebahrd

𝐼’𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝐵𝑙𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒.

TWICE IN A LIFETIME by Jessica Prince is AVAILABLE NOW

When I moved away from Hope Valley at eighteen years old, I told myself it was for good. There were too many unpleasant memories, too much history, and too many reminders of the boy who had broken my heart.

Years passed and I built a life and a family with a man I loved. Then, in the blink of an eye, that life was ripped away from me, and the secrets he’d kept from me refused to follow him into his grave.

Now I’m back in my hometown, a shell of my former self, trying to pick up the pieces of my shattered life and fit them back together. My heart has been broken for the second time in my life, but I have to put on a brave face and fake it for the sake of my kids and the people I love.

I thought I was doing a pretty good job of hiding the pain, but there is one person I’ve never been able to fool. One person who was always able to see through the masks I tried to wear, and he is determined to chase my shadows away.

Rhodes Bradbury is all grown up now. The boy who had been my first love is now all man. And to make matters worse, my body still reacts to him the same way it did all those years ago. My heart still races in his presence, and a single look from those deep, dark eyes is enough to make my skin tingle. The voice in the back of my head is screaming at me to steer clear, but there’s just one problem.

The boy he was might have broken my heart, but the man he is now wants a second chance. He isn’t afraid of my baggage. In fact, he wants nothing more than to carry it for me.

I’m trying my hardest not to repeat the mistakes of the past. But he’s doing everything in his power to convince me that most people aren’t lucky enough to have what we had even once, let alone twice in a lifetime.

𝑭𝑹𝑬𝑬 𝒊𝒏 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅

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Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Having read the OG Hope Valley series made me love Rhodes and Blythe even more because I’d seen them as younger characters in his sister Gypsy’s book and her mom Nona’s book.

This story was full of second-chance goodness between two characters with a long history between them. After Blythe’s husband passed away and she discovered her entire life was a lie, she headed home to Hope Valley and tried to avoid Rhodes, the first guy who broke her heart. But when she needs assistance from the Alpha Omega guys — to investigate her late husband — she is shocked to see that Rhodes is Lincoln’s new partner.

Twenty years ago, a much-younger Rhodes threw their relationship away — but now he is determined to make things up to Blythe and make up for lost time. I loved these two together. The symbolism of the angel wings tattoo, how sweet he is with her kids, how it has always been her… this story checked off all the boxes that I want to see in a second-chance romance.

I am really enjoying this next-generation of Hope Valley books, and love that the kids are just as much of a tight-knit bunch as their parents are! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.