First there was light, love, and laughter. But then, the darkness struck, and there was no escape. I was trapped, lost in a world of loneliness and despair.
And my best friend walked away, sealing my pain and suffering.
I was only fifteen years old.
But now, I’m ready for a new start, a fresh beginning, and college is the answer to finally finding that light again.
Of all the campuses in the world, my best friend, my closest confidant, the boy who could’ve saved me all those years ago is on mine.
ALEX
My graduation night was the worst night of my life and quite possibly the best. My best friend closed herself off and shut me out of her life. When we were just kids, young, fun, and carefree.
On the night of my graduation, she was there.
And I owe her everything.
For her strength.
Her courage.
And her persistence.
But now, seeing her on campus, I know there’s a reason our paths crossed again. We were never meant to be apart.
Can I convince her to open up, and share her heart once again?
I have mixed feelings about this story. The premise was good, and the story held a lot of promise, but I felt like the execution fell short.
Alex and Chelsea were close friends when they were younger, and while he remained best friends with her twin brother, Travis, the two of them drifted apart. Both characters have trauma in their pasts. Chelsea has kept her SA to herself all these years, but she was witness to Alex’s — and that made him shut down around her. But then they run into each other a few months later at college, and Alex takes the opportunity to apologize to Chelsea and prove to her that she can depend on him.
However, while I liked the characters, their reconnection, and the healing journey that they go on together, I felt disconnected. The writing was choppy, the dialogue was clunky at times, parts of the story seemed to jump around, and the ending was rushed.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
AUTHOR BIO
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author S. Moose writes emotional stories with a HEA. She’s a lover of anything and everything romantic, from music to quotes.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Contact Stephanie with SBR media for rights information: Stephanie@SBRmedia.com
To keep up with the latest from S. Moose be sure to visit her social media sites.
They tormented me and made my life a living nightmare when all I had ever wanted was to be left alone.
And five years ago, after a lifetime of being bullied and harassed, of enduring more pain and trauma than any man could handle, that’s exactly what I set out to do.
I left the only home I’d ever known to lock myself behind the cemetery gates and care for the only people who have ever given me the peace I craved—the dead.
But just as I’d started to feel comfortable, an unexpected stranger broke into my house and fell into my web of reclusive safety, and somehow, opened my eyes to love and the possibility that I just might have the strength to weather the storm after all …
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Oh my goodness… Charlie Corbin. Poor, sweet, tormented, loner Charlie Corbin, aka Spider.
The Spider & The Storm absolutely gutted me. Like, big, ugly tears, reading in bed at midnight. Charlie has endured so much devastation in his life, when he only wanted to be around his family. Then one day, he crosses paths with the raincloud (aka Stormy) who is destined to change his life forever. Stormy has been through her own trauma, and together these two broken souls find a way to heal one another despite the pain they are both drowning in. They are the missing puzzle pieces in the other’s life, complementing each other so well.
This book is quite hefty, but Charlie and Stormy’s story moves along at a great pace. This story is a masterpiece. Kelsey Kingsley crafted a wonderfully inspirational story of grief, heartbreak, loss, and redemption. Not only is it a love story between Stormy and Spider, but it is also a love story between Charlie and his older brother, Luke. The relationship between the brothers is just as important to Charlie’s growth (and eventually finding peace in his life) as is his romance with Stormy.
I absolutely loved how Kelsey Kingsley tied in her other moody, broody heroes Blake (Warrior Blue) and Soldier (Saving Rain) with Charlie’s story — Stormy is Ray/Rain’s sister, and works for Blake at Salem Skin. You don’t have to have read those books to enjoy Spider and Stormy’s story, but you should go read them anyway because they are just as fantastic.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
He’s commitment phobic. She believes in happy endings. The twist of fate that binds them is a surprise they never saw coming in a bittersweet romance about instant family—and not-so-instant love.
A decade-old animosity is the only thing Liam Davies and Zoe Valentine have in common. Until their mutual best friends pass away and they’re appointed co-guardians of the trusting couple’s precocious toddler, Mira.
Liam is committed only to professional football. Relationship-wise, he’s even better at defense. Still wrestling with a tough childhood, he’s not cut out to be a father. Why his late best buddy believed in him, Liam has no idea.
An optimistic romantic, Zoe has always dreamed of a fairy-tale life. But even though Liam’s biceps make her dizzy and she can’t stop thinking about his lips on hers, he’s not exactly Prince Charming. With or without that brooding Brit, she is determined to make good on her friends’ last wish.
Forced into a predicament they never expected, Zoe and Liam are discovering things about each other that could scorch through boundaries, warm hearts, and change minds. And best of all, with their shared love for a pint-size surprise like Mira, they might just turn a house into a home.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Oh my goodness, Liam is my new favorite Karla Sorensen hero! That growly, grumpy commitaphobe turned out to be such a softie with a huge heart, and I just wanted to hug him!
With The Best of All, KS delivers a masterpiece. While Liam and Zoe’s story has a HEA, there is A LOT that these two have to go through before they get there. This captivating story is a super slow burn — like seriously, it all builds up to the last 15% of the book. But once Liam and Zoe get there, it is on! That said, the journey that these two characters go on in is quite the emotional rollercoaster.
Both Liam and Zoe are grieving the tragic death of their best friends, which leads to them needing to raise little Mira together. But on top of that, we get some very heavy stuff from both characters as Zoe attempts to piece herself back together after a divorce and Liam is running from his troubled childhood. It takes a lot for Liam to face his fears and take a chance on the hope of a relationship with Zoe. Without even realizing it, he’s become a fierce protector of both Zoe and Mira, despite his insistence that he wants nothing to do with having a family. I absolutely loved that Liam didn’t know what to do with all those big feelings. Watching him transform from the growly guy in the beginning to the guy he is by the epilogue was heartwarming.
“It was always her.”
Gah, I was so happy that Liam found the love and life he deserved with Zoe and Mira!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
He met me on my worst day. He’s the cop that saved my daughter and me.
My daughter somehow managed to pull this magnetic man into our lives. I vowed to stay away from men after the disaster that was my marriage, but every little thing he does wears me down. He’s there for us when things go wrong and then starts promising to always be there. Not just for me, but my daughter, too.
Caleb:
For years, I’ve said I would never be in a relationship. I have too much baggage. Then Bailey and her daughter entered my life and everything changed. They flip my world on its axis, and my protective instincts kick in. It doesn’t take long before I decide that I’m going to make them both mine.
Will Bailey and I be able to get over our hang-ups about relationships? Will her ex push us apart or only cause our relationship to grow?
Domestic Abuse (not between the MCs)
Discussions of PTSD & on page nightmares
On page gun violence
On page death (through a flashback)
Mentions of feelings of inadequacies
Mentions of parental neglect (not by the MCs)
Mentions of car accident & drunk driving
Discussions of sexual assault (not experienced by either MC)
This story was so emotional. This is the first book I’ve read by Alex Taylor, and I enjoyed Caleb and Bailey’s story so much.
From the onset, Caleb quite literally saves Bailey when he is the cop on duty responding to a 911 call at her home, where there is a domestic violence situation happening between her and her ex-husband. After that, Bailey’s sweet little girl, Charlie, wants to bake Officer Sutton cookies as a thank you, and a lovely friendship is born between the two main characters. I also loved how patient and kind and loving Caleb was with Charlie, who did not get that kind of affection from her own father.
The “saving” in Saving You goes both ways, however, as Bailey ends up saving Caleb from the ghosts of his past. He’s a military vet, and has been suffering from PTSD nightmares for years. Through their relationship, these two characters save each other, and Caleb really goes above and beyond to prove to Bailey how much he *wants* to be the guy she can rely on when things get crazy with her ex-husband.
Saving You is the second book in a series; I did not read the first story, but I had zero issues following along and didn’t feel that there were holes in my understanding of the relationships between the group of friends.
This was a lovely story, with some great spice, and I want to check out the rest of the series now!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Alex Taylor
Living in the Vancouver area of British Columbia with her husband, Alex enjoys spending her free time reading, watching Hockey (go Canucks), watching Disney movies and crime TV shows, and spending time outdoors. She started writing in 2023 when her first story just wouldn’t leave her mind. From there, the ideas of a series formed and she’s never looked back.
She enjoys talking to other authors and romance lovers. Her TBR is never-ending, but that doesn’t stop her from adding at least one new book every day. Alex looks forward to experiencing more in the indie author community and can’t wait to share her books with the world.
Lennon Harding, heir to his father’s billionaire law firm, could have had anyone. But he chose me. Well. . . not quite.
On my nineteenth birthday, he whispered sweet nothings into my ear. Six years later, while his family tried to screw over mine, he’d looked at me as if we’d never met. Now, at his father’s funeral, Lennon learns inheriting the Harding legacy won’t come without a price.
So, when he proposes the idea of me becoming his wife, I’m quick to turn him down. I’m no stranger to being used, and Lennon’s proposal is no different, but when tragic news hits my family, I’m suddenly sprinting to meet him at the altar.
Because I desperately need him now, almost as much as he needs me.
But the more we settle into our roles of husband and wife, the harder I find it to ignore the feelings of our past reigniting. The way his lips feel against mine. The way his hands easily wander without thought. And before long, I’m starting to wonder if his whispers of sweet nothings have always meant as much to him as they have to me. But with a heart as dark as his, that isn’t possible . . . is it?
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Tortured, broody billionaire hero who is secretly harboring feelings for a one-night stand from six years ago who he now is being forced into a marriage of convenience? Yes, please!
I adored Laurel and Lennon. Despite the drama in her family, Laurel was feisty and fun. And Lennon — my heart just broke for him! He had such a hardened exterior but was yet so vulnerable in so many ways. I thought these two had great chemistry, and I really loved that they quickly went from being together only due to a marriage contract to really living as husband and wife.
I also loved the snippets we got of Jude and Victoria and their little baby girl. I’m looking forward to seeing more from the Harding brothers in Micah’s story!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Brittany Taylor
Brittany is a New Adult, Contemporary romance author best known for writing steamy, heart-clenching love stories, pulling out all the feels. She resides in Maine with her two sons and husband. She loves reading and writing spicy romances and is a Starbucks addict.
𝑷𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕: 𝑨 𝑯𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒚 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 (𝑷𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 3) by USA Today bestselling author Ivy Fox is LIVE! Don’t miss this all new angsty hockey romance!
I care deeply for all my patients, but falling in love with one was never a risk.
My heart had closed up shop years ago.
As the Boston Guardians’ in-house therapist, I was perfectly content helping athletes deal with their pain and trauma, happy to see others thrive and overcome life’s obstacles.
I was content…until I wasn’t.
Everything changed when a devastating accident shattered the life of the club’s star goalie—Caleb Donovan.
I was tasked with saving him from his self-sabotaging ways and told to become his beacon of hope and savior in the darkness.
How could I have ever predicted that as I delved deeper into the tangled mess of his fractured emotions, I’d find that his broken spirit mirrored mine?
That his heart would call out my name in the dark, pulling me in?
On the hard, paved road to healing, Caleb changed courses on me, preferring my ruin over his salvation.
And now…my career, my reputation, and my very sanity are all in jeopardy.
In a world where love can be the ultimate downfall, do I have the courage to risk it all for a glimpse of happiness, or will I succumb to the shadows of guilt and fear that threaten to consume us both?
This is the third standalone novel in the interconnected Puckered Hearts series.
Oh wow, Penalty To The Heart was intense! Caleb and Roxanne’s story was an emotional rollercoaster!
The story opens the night that Caleb and his brother Jack — both players for the Guardians — get into a horrible car accident. As the older brother, Jack has his stuff together; he’s married with a family, steady and responsible. Caleb, meanwhile, is 23 and has yet to grow out of the party boy phase, and his brother often bails him out of trouble. That is how the story opens, with a car accident that changes their lives forever. (I missed #2 in this series, so I missed the lead-up to the car accident, and I wish I had that background.)
A few months later, Caleb is a hot mess as he’s dealing with survivor’s grief. He blames himself for the accident, and as a result of his downward spiral, he’s become a liability for the team. So GM Trent sends him to see the team’s in-house therapist, Roxanne. (The same lovely woman who helped Nate break thought his barriers in #1.)
Most of this book is about Caleb’s struggle in therapy, but there’s a definite spark between him and Roxanne from the very start. Their romance is a super slow burn, and it borders on unprofessional and forbidden since Roxie is technically still his doctor when they begin a personal relationship. That didn’t bother me, however, since I felt that these characters were so well matched and understood each other on such a deep level.
Caleb goes through such a huge change in this book! Ivy Fox really did a great job in showing his progression and growth. He’s not afraid to be vulnerable, then fight for what he wants when it comes to Roxie. And her backstory is equally as sad, since she is living with a ghost. Caleb is so patient with her, proving that he will take the bits of her heart that she’s willing to share with him.
Things work out for the best all around by the end of this story, and I was so happy with the way things turned out!
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
ABOUT IVY FOX
Ivy Fox is a USA Today bestselling author of angst-filled, contemporary romances, some of them with an unconventional #whychoose twist.
So don’t be surprised if you pick up a book of hers and find out that her heroine ends up with more than one guy.
Wink wink.
Just like her, Ivy lives a pretty chill life, surrounded by her two most important men—her husband and son. The only thing that keeps her up at night are the fictional characters in her head that can’t seem to shut up until she writes their story.
But she’s gotten used to them running the show and is all too happy to oblige.
Books and romance are her passion.
A strong believer in happy endings and that love will always prevail in the end, both in life and in fiction.
Things only an idiot would do: 1. Develop an obsession for his best friend’s sister. 2. Agree to let her be his new roommate. 3. Kiss her.
Hello I’m Emerson Knight and I’m an idiot.
I try to stay away from Gianna Damiano I really do. But between crop tops and fiery glares I can’t get her off my mind. One fake date changes everything and I cannot deny I want my hands on every one of my new roommates delicious curves. One night keeps turning into one more. And suddenly I’m lying to my best friend.
I’m the man known for his fake out, but I’m only kidding myself because the way she’s stealing my heart feels very real.
After Gianna’s boyfriend cheats on her, she moves into her brother’s apartment since he is rarely there and finds herself roommates with his best friend, Emerson. Emerson has always had a crush on Gianna, and he takes the opportunity handed to him to be her support system. Gianna is hesitant to trust him because she’s been burned in the past, but Emerson is a total golden retriever and proves other just how beautiful and worthy she is.
This couple had great banter and sizzling chemistry, but I also really liked the softer side of them. Especially the vulnerable side of Emerson. He is a swoony book boyfriend, and despite trying to lift Gianna’s self-worth, he’s kind of down on himself a lot of the time and is quite insecure. They complemented each other well, and I was really rooting for them.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Jenni Bara:
Even as a young child Jenni Bara would conjure up all kinds of tales with her endless imagination. She’s improved her skills since the days of scaring her younger cousins with ghost stories, but her love for books and stories has never changed.
In her everyday life, she is a paralegal for family law writing unhappily ever afters for people every day. So in turn she spends her free time with anything that keeps her laughing including life with her kids!
All joking aside she is blessed to have not only very amazing kids but super supportive parents as well as a loving extended family always happy to share their opinions!
Her favorite spots all have the best views of the sunsets and she loves to share the views through photos.
She just began her career as a romance author writing books full of life, love, and laughter.
Ricky Dunn is the equivalent to a splinter under my fingernail.
Romantic?
Right.
He’s the older brother of my best friend, and no matter how hard either of us try, we can’t seem to avoid each other. The problem started on the night my best friend and I graduated from high school. The party was joyous, a celebration.
That night, I willingly gave Ricky a part of me—more than the kiss we told others about.
Our deal was simple.
No strings.
Ricky kept his side of the bargain.
Years have passed.
Being from the same small town and crossing paths, I haven’t noticed how handsome he’s become or the way he’s filled out.
If you ask me, he hasn’t noticed me either.
Until he calls.
I’m working for a finance company, one he’s now interviewing for.
“Marilyn, will you be my date for the dinner with the partners? It’s only for one date and no strings.”
The problem is my heart hasn’t kept my side of our bargain.
I want at least one string.
Do I agree to his proposal, or do I turn him down flat?
It’s been a really long time since I’ve read anything by Aleatha Romig, and I really enjoyed Ricky and Marilyn’s story in One String.
Years ago, when Marilyn and her best friend Devan graduated high school, she slept with Devan’s older brother, Ricky, whom she always had a crush on. There is a 10-year age difference between Marilyn and Ricky, and it seemed so huge when she was 18 and he was 28. They agreed to one night with no strings… but Marilyn still had her feelings hurt when Ricky ghosted her afterwards. In the years since, she’s given him snarky attitude when she’s seen him. The book starts at Devan’s wedding, where Marilyn is the maid of honor and Ricky is the best man. They put aside their differences for the night, and come to a truce of sorts.
A year and a half later, Ricky (who has since gone on to college as a later-in-life student) is up for a job at Marilyn’s firm and asks her to be his plus-one at a recruiting dinner. She reluctantly agrees, and during a catch-up dinner with Ricky before the dinner party, she finds out that she actually quite enjoys spending time with him. A stupid mistake from Ricky’s past derails their renewed friendship, but he does some major groveling and Marilyn agrees to give him yet another chance.
But just as Marilyn and Ricky are finding their footing as a couple, another tragedy threatens to tear them apart again.
I liked the connection between these two characters, and the larger group of family and friends surrounding them. I thought the journey of Marilyn and Ricky’s relationship was well-paced, and he did prove himself in the end after making numerous mistakes when it came to breaking her trust.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Aleatha Romig:
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her high-school sweetheart and husband of over thirty years, they’ve raised three children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns or her new lighter side, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!
The One I Stood Beside by Piper Rayne is now live!
It’s the classic story—best friends since childhood agree to a fake marriage, thinking they can pretend to love each other without their relationship changing.
Jude would do anything for me. He’s stood by my side since we were six, and I’ve done the same for him.
When my father dies, leaving our family farm drowning in debt and on the brink of being auctioned, I’m not surprised Jude steps in to help. I just never dreamed he’d fall to bended knee and devise a plan for us to fool everyone into thinking there’s more than a lifelong friendship between us.
Soon, I’m moving into his house, we’re planning a wedding on his family’s ranch, and we discover a new side to our relationship. I keep reminding myself it’s not real—it’s only to secure a loan to save the farm.
I’ve secretly loved Jude all my life, and now that I know how good we are together, I’m not sure we can return to being just friends.
Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!
When I read The One I Left Behind, I was itching for Sadie and Jude’s story. And despite a few things I shook my head over, Piper Rayne delivered a satisfying best friends/secretly-in-love-with-each-other/fake marriage romance in The One I Stood Beside.
To help Sadie save her family farm, Jude offers to marry his best friend. Except that he’s been in love with her forever, and she’s been in love with him forever, and they both really wish their marriage was the real deal. I was glad that Sadie and Jude ‘fessed up to their real feelings for one another shortly after their fake wedding and it wasn’t dragged out. Because I was already shipping these two characters hard, and I wanted to see how they acted as a couple.
But I kind of got tripped up on the fact that these two characters are in their 30s and never told each other how they feel. There were so many missed opportunities. Both of them have some hangups, and I feel like we really got a look into Jude’s head and how he always compared himself to his successful pro-athlete brother, Ben. Therefore, always feeling that he was never good enough. I just wished there weren’t so many missed opportunities between Jude and Sadie, because I really loved how well they complemented one another.
Troy Duran and Rose Dioro did a great job with the duet narration in telling Sadie and Jude’s story, and I look forward to more from the Naughton family!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Piper Rayne
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
Hold Me Until Morning by A.L. Jackson is now live!
I should have known I’d be playing with fire when I found the sexy as hell woman moving in next door…
It was pouring rain, so I figured the neighborly thing to do would be to lend a hand.
I nearly dropped to my knees when I realized who she was.
Hailey Wagner.
It’s been six years since I’ve seen her, and she’s always been the one person on earth who is off limits.
My past sins I’ve kept like an ugly secret made sure of that.
Too bad this single mom with the soulful eyes still makes my pulse speed the way it did back then, and I soon find our chemistry is just as strong.
When I find her ex threatening her, I insist on staying with Hailey and her little girl until I’m sure they’re safe.
I thought I could handle being under her roof. Only the tension between us strains, and with one forbidden kiss, all restraint is lost. We collide in a lightning bolt of greed, the two of us locked behind her door night after night.
Falling so hard I know there will be no coming back from it.
But being with Hailey exposes the past I’ve been trying to hide, and I’ll do anything to protect her from it. Because if I don’t? We’re both going to pay the consequences…
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Hold Me Until Morning was a great wrap-up to the Time River series. It’s not a second-chance romance in the traditional sense since Cody and Hailey never technically dated, but there were strong feelings between them that grew that summer six years ago, and that spark is still there today, as strong as ever!
Recently separated from her husband, Hailey moves back to the area after several years away, living with her young daughter Maddie and grandmother Lolly in the house next door to Cody. As it turns out, Cody is also the landscaper working on a big project at the horse ranch where Hailey recently got a new job. Although they try to keep out of each other’s way, they are drawn to one another like magnets.
But Cody is keeping a huge secret from Hailey from what went down that summer six years ago, and Hailey has a possessive ex who is determined to not let her go so easily. Will their pasts ruin any chance they have a present and future? I loved the twists and turns that this story took, and it was a joy to listen to narrators Stephen Dexter and Erin Mallon as Cody and Hailey.
Grandma Lolly was a hoot, and I adored the sweet relationship that Maddie and Cody developed. I especially loved that AL Jackson gave an extended bonus scene from the perspective of all four guys, so we got to see where Caleb, Ryder, Ezra and Cody are a few years in the future with their loves. Well done!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet A.L. Jackson
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
AVAILABLE NOW
Broken, tattooed, gravedigging hero
Strong AF, body piercing leading lady
Strangers to lovers
Spooky vibes
Found family
Sunny Shelly Reads 