When I first met Abigail and Tristan as side characters in Made for Me, I knew that they were going to be a couple I looked forward to. And their story in Made for Us did not disappoint!
Made for Us takes place about four years after Made For Me. Tristan has done a wonderful job raising Penelope as a single dad, and Abigail still has a special connection with the little girl she bonded with back when she was a nursing student. And they are both hopelessly, secretly in love with the other. Right after Abigail graduates from nursing school, the Cooper-Stone family is off on another family vacation… and Tristan and Penelope are invited along. Maybe it is the tropical air, maybe it was the island drinks, but on the last night of vacation, Tristan and Abigail finally give into whatever has been brewing between them.
And she freaks out.
And then freaks out some more when she discovers several weeks later that she is pregnant.
While I hate when the heroine keeps her pregnancy from the hero, I get why it happened that way in this story. When he finally puts two and two together and realizes that he is the father, it brings to the surface all of his guilt about not having been there for Penelope as a newborn. And he is rightfully angry that he is missing out on the experience yet again because Abigail neglected to tell him the truth.
But this man steps up, because of course he does, and finally these two get on the same page. There’s not really a courtship and their make-up is kinda uneventful, but it comes after one of my favorite scenes in the book, when Tristan stands up and takes his place as the father.
I am loving this series, and Made For Us was another great book for this hockey dynasty family!
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…
He’s mine … don’t ever forget that. Milo lives in the barn, a cowboy through and through. I live in a castle, but I’m not a princess. When the only person who loves me dies, Milo’s there. As I get older, I no longer look at Milo like a big brother. I look at him like the man God made just for me. With the first glimpse of freedom from my pathetic excuse for a father, I imagine a future with Milo. I dream of the day when we won’t have to hide our feelings. But Milo has a secret. He is not free. The man I love is marrying the woman I hate.
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So much angst! If you are looking for an emotional, angsty romance between two characters that are meant to be together but are kept apart by circumstances beyond their control, then look no further than If This Is Love!
Indie and Milo’s story was tragic and full of so many twists and turns. I cried for these two, because life (well, one particular puppet master controlling this lives!) was just working against them constantly. Indie’s family is just plain cruel to her over and over again, and Milo is her saving grace every time. And she is his as well, because while he is living his life in a figurative prison and she is the only thing that keeps them going.
I read this book in a day; I could not get enough of these two. Even when he is married to her cousin, Jolene; it’s Indie that his heart beats for. That said… I felt the ending was rushed. I loved where it ultimately ended up, but the last two chapters just lost that *wow* that the rest of this book had. I wanted to see things unfold on the page that the reader instead was told happened, and that felt like a bit of a let down after how invested I was in Indie and Milo clawing their way to be together. That won’t stop me from rereading this book, but that was the difference in this being a 5-star read for me.
All. the. Angst!
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.
Over My Brother’s Dead Body, Chase Andrews by Piper Rayne is now live!
Chase Andrews. The Kingsmen’s top tight end. My brother’s friend and teammate. My new neighbor. The grumpy to my sunshine. But underneath that grumpy exterior, there’s so much more. Chase likes to pretend nothing affects him, but I’ve seen glimpses of his other side in the time we’ve spent together. And the more we get to know each other, the more I’m falling for him. Under normal circumstances, this would be great. Except my hyper-protective big brother thinks no man is good enough for me, and my ex-fiancé is trying to win me back. One charming, seemingly good man already broke my heart. Am I stupid to give a self-confessed relationship-adverse football player a chance to break it a second time?
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Oh my heart! I know that we are only three books into the Kingsmen series, but Chase and Twyla are my favorites!!! This story was wonderful!
I loved that Chase has always been attracted to Twyla over the years, but kept a respectful distance since she had a boyfriend/was engaged. Now that her engagement is off, Twyla has moved to San Francisco for a period of time to get away from the memories of her wedding that wasn’t. And she ends up cat-sitting for the guy who lives in the condo across the hall from Chase. A wonderful friendship develops between these two as they bond over *book club* and American Horror Story, and I was shipping them hard before they gave in to their lust.
That shower scene was HOT! And listening to Jason Clarke and Savannah Peachwood in duet made this book all the more sinfully delicious. I binged listening to most of this book at once because I could not press pause on those two narrators!
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!
Sutter Mason is sick and tired of ballplayers. And pitchers? The worst!
She’s over their inflated egos. Done with their magnetic charm. And as far as she’s concerned, the broken promise the last ace left her with was her final strike in the game of love.
The problem? Her dad is the coach of the hometown minor league team. And the hot new lefty who just joined the squad? He’s her brother’s new roommate. This time around, instead of falling for the player, she’s going to use him to get what she wants—the perfect case study for her psychology thesis.
No dates. No feelings. Zero extra innings. Simply a business relationship that ends when the season is done or Jensen Hawke is pulled up for prime time.
Arizona Monsoon rookie Jensen Hawke is laser-focused—on proving he’s more than just hype, on breaking the league’s strikeout record, and on getting called up to the big leagues.
Jensen doesn’t do relationships. He doesn’t even really do friends. But his stubborn attitude is getting him in trouble on the mound. His control comes and goes. His curveball is a mess. And every time his roommate’s cute sister points out that it’s probably all in his head, he wants to scream.
But when a single conversation with her seems to up his game, Jensen decides maybe he’s got time for one relationship while he chases his dream. Just a little positive mental coaching. Nothing but two people working toward shared goals.
So what if Sutter Mason gets him more than anyone ever has. Believes in him in a way that makes him believe too. Looks at him like he’s actually special. And so what if he’s starting to feel things he swore off for good.
In baseball, sometimes all it takes is one spectacular play to change the game. And Jensen Hawke and Sutter Mason didn’t see each other coming. With love on the line, everything is riding on this next pitch. * Southpaw is a standalone, new adult, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy-sunshine baseball romance full of angst, steam and swoon.
Southpaw is a spicy enemies-to-lovers romance between a lefty pitcher with a mental block and the coach’s daughter/his roommate’s sister. Jensen needs help getting out of his own way, and Sutter needs to redo her mater’s thesis paper as a psychology student. She reluctantly convinces him to give her a week to work with him on “mental training” — when all is said and done, will he be able to score big on the field and with the girl?
I loved how Sutter was always just *there* in Jensen’s apartment because she used to live there and how her constant appearances aggravated him. “I have a key” becomes a running joke between them — and in the end, Sutter’s key opened up a lot more than just the apartment door. Jensen is a really relatable hero — I loved the vulnerability he showed. I thought that Sutter was a bit bratty and entitled at times, but I did warm up to her eventually. (It just took me a bit! HA!)
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
ABOUT GINGER SCOTT
Ginger Scott is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon-bestselling author from Peoria, Arizona. She was also nominated for both the Goodreads Choice and Rita Awards. She is the author of several young and new adult romances, including recent bestsellers The Fuel Series, The Varsity Series, The Hard Count, A Boy Like You, A Girl Like Me, Cry Baby, This Is Falling and Wild Reckless.
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. She has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for a hella long time. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.
When she’s not writing, the odds are high that she’s somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork ’em, Devils).
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A Cotton comes a brother’s best friend sports romance. Lakeshore U, where hockey is religion, and the players are gods. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker?
When Aurora Hart moves in with her brother and his two teammates, it’s only supposed to be a temporary fix.
Enter Noah Holden.
Cocky. Heartbreaker. With enough game to have every girl on campus falling at his feet.
When Noah’s best friend asks him to look out for his sister, he doesn’t expect to find her so resistant to his charm.
Or find himself so interested in his new housemate.
He’s Lakeshore U’s biggest player.
She’s quirky, shy, and one hundred percent not his type.
Can Noah help Rory let go of the insecurities holding her back from embracing life?
Or will he be unable to break the ice around her heart?
Aurora is a self-conscious girl with a lot of secrets. Noah is a cocky college hockey superstar. When she first moves into the house he shares with her brother, it seems as if Rory and Noah have nothing in common, but they turn out to be exactly what the other needs.
I really enjoyed this story. Especially since Aurora didn’t want to give Noah the time of day at first and he was the one who fell first. Although they got off on the wrong foot, a genuine friendship formed between these two broken characters as they realized they shared the common bond of a traumatic childhood. They were both really good at hiding their pain and putting on a facade to the rest of the world, but found that they didn’t have to when they were around each other, and I appreciated how that genuine connection was explored by the characters — and how the reader got to go along for the ride.
Ah, but when the going gets to be too good, Noah freaks out. Especially after a chat with Rory’s brother, Austin. They were so good together, and so miserable apart — and the reunion was delicious.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet L.A. Cotton
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty mature young adult and new adult novels, LA COTTON is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.
Home is a small town in the middle of England where she currently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find LA immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.
To learn more about L.A. and her books, visit here!
Tarryn King has always been a thorn in Connor Jacobs’ side. Ever since the moment his disabled little sister became best friends with the snooty brat, Connor was left with no other purpose than to be the grumpy big brother, wishing for their falling out.
And he learned to live with that—until the day he gave her the shirt off his back … and discovered it’s possible to be jealous of an inanimate object.
For two decades, that embedded thorn has been the object of his desires. But that’s a secret he’ll never tell. She’ll always see him as her BFF’s mean older brother.
Besides, she isn’t just his sister’s best friend anymore. She’s THE Tarryn King. And what could a famous actress who has everything see in him? A single dad who collects garbage for a living.
But when her very attractive—and very available—costar enters the picture, Connor knows he has to make his move … or live with regret forever.
When I read The Girl in the Front Row, I really, really hoped that Kelsey Kingsley would write Tarryn and Connor’s story. Sibling’s best friend stories are one of my favorites, and everything about Tarryn and Connor’s story checked off all the boxes for me.
This book starts off as enemies-to-lovers, but what is really simmering underneath is hate fueled by years of unrequited love. It’s obvious to Connor’s teen daughter, Sammy, that they are head over heels for one another way before it’s obvious to Connor and Tarryn.
The Hero in Her Story is a beautiful slow burn, friends-to-lovers, celebrity/average Joe romance. KK really took the time to develop the friendship between Connor and Tarryn as they shifted from antagonizing one another to becoming so much more.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
ABOUT KELSEY KINGSLEY
Kelsey Kingsley is a romance author living in New York with her husband, son, and a cat named Ethel, who once upon a time wanted to write horror novels but quickly learned she wasn’t scary enough. She loves music, tattoos, makeup, and Edgar Allan Poe. Kelsey is a Slytherin, a hater of cheese, and a fluent speaker of curse words.
Six summers. Six chances. One week spent pretending.
Ever since her younger sister’s engagement was announced, Harper Williams has been dreading the wedding. What should be a joyous, sun-drenched affair is sure to be filled with plenty of awkward moments, thanks to Harper’s strained relationship with her only sibling. Awkwardness enhanced by the wedding’s location—a lake in Maine swimming with painful memories of their late father.
Running into Drew Halifax—her childhood crush who grew up to be the golden boy of hockey—is a surprise. Not nearly as shocking as his offer to be her plus-one is, though.
She expects him to back out. He shows up. She’s looking for a distraction from the past. He’s killing time until his season starts and he can chase the championship. She’s guarded yet outgoing. He’s easygoing yet focused.
They hardly know each other. Until one week of sharing secrets, pretending to be in love, and sleeping in the same bed changes everything. Feelings that were supposed to be fake start to feel very real.
Problem is, neither of them are looking for a relationship. At most, they’re meant to be a summer fling. Definitely not a happy ever after.
But when it comes to falling? You have no control. Once you start, it’s impossible to stop. And sometimes…it takes six summers.
Drew and Harper knew each other growing up, and unbeknownst to each other, were crushing on one another hard back. The summer of her sister’s wedding, they embark on a no-strings fake relationship… but of course, feelings get involved and two people who didn’t want a commitment find themselves in a very real relationship and they aren’t sure what to do about it.
This book was cute, and a quick read. But I wish there was more backstory, especially considering the title. It took six summers for Drew and Harper to fall in love, but we barely got to see their relationship evolve over those years. I felt a bit let down by that because I thought the concept was great when I first read the title. I think I would have been shipping Harper and Drew more had I seen that progress of their relationship rather than the rush of that last summer.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
ABOUT C.W. FARNSWORTH
C.W. Farnsworth is the author of numerous adult and young adult romance novels featuring sports, strong female leads, and happy endings.
Charlotte lives in Rhode Island and when she isn’t writing spends her free time reading, at the beach, or snuggling with her Australian Shepard.
I couldn’t possibly have been more wrong the night I’d tackled Hunter Moore to the ground in the middle of the night.
To be fair, the street was pitch-black, the wheel to my suitcase had popped off, and I found myself face to face with a stranger charging at me.
My instincts had kicked in, and instead, I’d landed him straight on his back with my knee pressed to his chest. Turns out, the stranger I’d tackled to the ground was my brother’s roommate… which meant he was also mine.
With my dreams coming to a screeching halt, I was left with no other choice than to move in with my brother and his roommates.
Hunter Moore was star pitcher for the Northeast Rebels. Although I’d found his incessant talk of baseball obnoxious, I couldn’t help but relate to how deep his passion ran. Even if our dreams were completely different.
With a shared bathroom and a single wall between our bedrooms, we couldn’t resist pushing the boundaries.
Potent green eyes.
Perfectly sculpted muscle.
I was inevitably drawn in.
But the closer we became, the more I learned just how dedicated Hunter was to his dream, no matter the cost.
Only I was unaware, he’d already traded mine for his.
The Wrong Pitch is a spicy roommates, enemies to lovers college sports romance. It is a complete standalone.
Well, the first meeting between Hunter and Ophelia is definitely one to remember — she thinks he’s about to attack her on the street in the middle of the night and clocks him.
The chemistry between the characters grows from there, and I enjoyed this brother’s best friend story very much. Hunter and Ophelia are both very focused on their careers. He is finally free from his family business and can focus on playing baseball after college; she is trying to pick up her life again after losing her job with a fashion house and gets a second chance by designing clothes for a small boutique. Hunter and Ophelia start out as friends and then become more, supporting each other along the way as they fall in love. But when Ophelia finds out that Hunter being able to live out his dream came at the expense of hers, will she be able to forgive him?
While I thought that Ophelia drew a hard line with Hunter during The Conflict over something that wasn’t totally his fault, I was glad that it was resolved rather quickly, and these two got a HEA after all.
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.
I wish I could say it was love at first sight. But I can’t.
Snarky.
Impatient.
Demanding.
Everything about the woman standing next to me was complicated, from her designer clothes to her coffee order. I don’t do complicated unless it comes with a good time. And then it’s only for a night or two, max.
I was more than happy to leave the coffee shop, and her, behind, but neither of us saw what was coming . . .
Tuesday
I wish I could say I remember him. But I can’t.
Patient.
Generous.
Handsome.
The same stranger who saved me steps in again when I have nowhere to go and no memory of who I am. He’s broody and rigid, but I see a different side of this gorgeous man and start to realize I’m not the only one who needs saving.
Falling for him wasn’t in my plans, but as I search for answers to my past, I realize that I don’t worry about getting my memory back. My fear is losing my life twice.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Loch and Tuesday’s story was a doozy! Their first meeting was… well, not so great. She was rude, mean, and entitled. But Tuesday’s life literally changed in a flash when she was mugged just minutes after exchanging barbs with Loch in a coffee shop. She fell, hit her head, and woke up not remembering anything about who she was.
Despite the awful first impression, Loch played white knight for Tuesday, caring for her and helping her figure out her life when she had nothing and no one else. Loch came to rescue his damsel in distress, but in many ways, Tuesday saved him as well with her sudden immersion in his life. A workaholic attorney, he learned to laugh and relax with her around, enjoy the simple pleasures, and think about what his personal life looked like in the future for once.
But when they discover who Tuesday really is, will it make their glass bubble burst?
I really enjoyed this story. Most of it is Loch and Tuesday getting to know each other and falling in love. The revelation about her past doesn’t come into play until the last 25% or so — and I confess that my suspicions were dead wrong! I also enjoyed the friendship Tuesday and Lark (Swear On My Life) built, and loved catching up with Lark and Harbor. I look forward to seeing what comes next for the other Wescott siblings!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet S.L. Scott:
Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling, avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She’s obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist.
Scott writes character driven, heart-racing, and swoony romances to suspense that will leave you glued to the page. Her stories are regarded as emotion-filled and soulful. With stories ranging from light and witty beach reads to heart wrenching and heart healing, Scott has a story for all readers. Her books are more than escapes for the voracious readers of today. They are journeys of the heart that always come with a happily ever after reward at the end.
Nora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants.
Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door.
Tattoo artist Dex St. James has enough trouble on his hands without the distractingly beautiful woman next door. Being a single dad to a teenage girl is no joke. The last thing he needs is a flirtatious new neighbor who makes his blood run hot.
He’ll just avoid her. She’s not his type anyway.
But Nora and Dex can’t seem to stay out of each other’s way. Between a pesky nocturnal visitor, Nora’s blossoming friendship with Dex’s daughter, and their undeniable chemistry, that up-against-the-wall, brain-melting kiss was probably inevitable.
Nora has rules when it comes to men, and she has her reasons. Dex threatens to break every last one of them. She doesn’t want forever. He won’t settle for anything less. But when these two collide, the result is fire.
And maybe even forever.
Author’s Note: opposites attract in this fun, swoony, single-dad romcom. A smart, sassy woman meets a rough-around-the-edges tattoo artist with a heart of gold. Daddy/daughter moments, all the banter, neighborly shenanigans, a meddling family, badass lady friendships, and a hero who’s determined to fight the heat between them—until he falls first.
Flirting with Forever can be read as a stand-alone.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Claire Kingsley wraps up the Dirty Martini Running Club with Nora’s story, and it was well worth the wait!
Dex is a single dad with a surly tween who doesn’t have much free time between raising his daughter, Riley, and running his tattoo shop. But the broody hulk of a man may be just what sex columnist Nora needs in her life, now that she’s living in suburbia and her besties have all married off. Since neither one of them are interested in a committed relationship, a no-strings fling lets them both scratch those sexy itches. Naturally, Nora and Dex fall into a relationship before either of them realizes it. And suddenly, the woman who didn’t want a commitment and the man with zero free time find themselves flirting with the idea of spending forever with the other.
Dex and Nora’s relationship was certainly HOT (especially thanks to awesome narrators Stephen Dexter and Vanessa Edwin). Who knew that chaperoning a middle school dance was such great foreplay??? However, I also really loved the friendship that developed between Dex’s daughter, Riley, and Nora. It felt genuine and stood on its own so that Riley was a full character herself and not just a prop to make Dex the sexy single dad next door.
Some of my favorite highlights: The bounce house at Dex’s family BBQ was hilarious… the friendship between Nora/Everly/Hazel/Sophie is wonderful and the husband gang makes me smile every time they pop up… Riley and Nora’s friendship was adorable and so true and honest. It made me happy to see that Riley had Nora step up for her in ways that her mom never did!
I always want to smack whichever character storms off during a miscommunication without letting the other one explain… but the grovel/reunion was a wonderful, swoon-worthy payoff!
Well done, Claire! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Sunny Shelly Reads 