Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Make Me Whole, by Marie Johnston

January 18, 2022January 17, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Title: Make Me Whole

Series: Oil Barrons #1

Author: Marie Johnston

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 18, 2022

BLURB

I had a perfect life. Schoolteacher. Married to my high school sweetheart. Little starter house that we called charming but was really just old. All I needed was the two-point-five kids and I’d be living my perfect dream. Then my husband died.

After the funeral, I had a breakdown that lasted for a month…or twelve. But now I’m reemerging, healing, finding my way. It’s time to learn who I am now, and whether or not I can fix a leaky sink. And by my side, the entire time, is my husband’s best friend, Liam. The single dad knows a thing or two about personal struggles, and about how to replace faucets.

With Liam, I feel alive again. Confident. Capable. Liam has become my best friend too. Except if my parents, my in-laws, and the rest of the town had any say, I’d stay far away from him and his bad boy reputation.

How do I admit to them what’s so hard to admit to myself? That I’m starting to look at him like he’s more than a friend. That the heat in his eyes when he looks at me is far beyond friendly. That like it or not, Liam makes me feel whole again.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / APPLE BOOKS

GOOGLE PLAY

EXCERPT

Blinking to adjust to the dimmer light, it wasn’t hard to find Liam. Sparks flew from the far corner, where the light from the open door had the hardest time penetrating.

The torch Liam held went dark. He flipped his face shield up so it rested on top of his head. “Hey. That time already? The afternoon got away from me.”

He set his equipment on the work bench by the hunk of metal he’d been working on. He slapped his thick gloves down and took the face shield off. Then he shrugged out of his well-worn leather apron.

I blinked again, but it had nothing to do with lighting. His long-sleeved blue T-shirt with the logo of a bar and grill in Williston was plastered to his chest and back. A smattering of singe holes gathered around the collar and a few tiny ones on the sleeves where the apron didn’t reach. Liam adjusted his shoulders like he was trying to dislodge the fabric from his skin, but all the move did was make his muscles ripple.

I’d known Liam wasn’t the same lanky kid from high school, but I’d never had proof like this.

He ran a hand through his hair—same effect. Biceps bulging and rippling muscle.

My brain snapped a picture, like someday I might need to reference the type of man that could get my libido going again.

Which I wasn’t looking for. Dating wasn’t on my radar, much less…activities beyond that.

Although recently I’d been thinking… I gave myself a mental shake. My therapist said there was nothing wrong with thinking about dating someday. Nothing wrong with dating itself. Nothing wrong with not being ready. Nothing wrong with dating while still not feeling ready. I hadn’t reached that point yet. And I didn’t have to think about it at Liam’s.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Make Me Whole is the first book I’ve read by Marie Johnston, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, I was blown away! This small town, widow/single dad, best friends, forbidden romance was so full of emotion and tension and family drama, and it had me cheering for Liam and Kennedy from the first page!

Two years after her husband tragically died in a car accident, Kennedy is finally finding her footing after an emotional breakdown that left her emotionally paralyzed. A big part of her recovery has been thanks to her best friend Liam, who was the best friend/cousin of her late husband, Derek. More than that, Liam is the illegitimate son of Cameron Barron, who unofficially runs the rural North Dakota oil and ranching town where they live. Liam has not had an easy life thanks to his father, but he is a good man, and a great dad to his twin boys. He relies on Kenny, as he calls her, just as much as she relies on him.

But lately, both Liam and Kennedy have been looking at each other a little differently. Well, Liam liked Kenny even before Derek did, but kind of lost the girl when his cousin made the first move. When Kennedy finally gives him reason to think she’s ready to move on, Liam takes it slowly with her. So slowly. The guy is a saint. So tender and sweet, and understanding.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Kennedy’s life thinks she should be moving on yet, especially with Liam. Like, I wanted to strangle her in-laws for being so suffocating! Marie Johnston did a GREAT job in writing both sides of this story, describing all of the baggage that each of these characters is carrying around brilliantly. I loved the build-up of Kennedy and Liam’s romance from friends to more, and the pivotal moment where it almost crashed and burned before their relationship turned around was my favorite scene of the book! While this story is certainly about how Liam helps Kennedy heal after Derek’s death and makes her whole again, she plays just as an important role in his life, and how he goes from being persona non grata in town, a young man who holds his head high by the end.

There is also a great cast of supporting players in this book. Kennedy goes from being only friends with Liam in the beginning to having a great circle of girlfriends by the end of the book, and there is a really nice growth in Liam’s relationship with some of the Barron cousins by the end as well.

The epilogue ends on a whopper of a tease for the next book in this series, and I can’t wait to see what happens for the next Barron cousin! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

COMING SOON

Releasing May 17

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

APPLE BOOKS

AUTHOR BIO

Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary
romance. She also works as a medical laboratory scientist and has worked as a
public health microbiologist. Depending on the
situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly
phobic. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security
guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall.
All fodder for a writer!! She has a husband, four kids, and even more cats.

AUTHOR LINKS

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

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AMAZON

GOODREADS

Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Decker, by Kayley Loring & Connor Crais

January 17, 2022January 18, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

🏈❤️ 𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 ❤️🏈

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿: 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆, 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟭 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝗺𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬!!! 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀!

#𝟭-𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆

🎧 AUDIOBOOK 🎧

Audiobook will release in March!

Audiobook will be duet-style, performed by Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright, featuring Ava Lucas and Ron Butler.

BLURB

#12 Johnny Decker. Star quarterback for the Boston Tomcats. Two-time Super Bowl MVP…a decade ago. Nickname: Decker the Panty Wrecker.

I get tackled for a living by men who are built like rhinos. I could take the wings off a fly with a football from 30 yards away. (I wouldn’t, but I could.) Being a veteran quarterback means I’m a mentally alert, fine-tuned athletic machine who can make split-second decisions.

It’s my job to anticipate what’s going to happen next and adapt. But I couldn’t have anticipated the death of our beloved team owner.

His estranged daughter Hannah Strong is a finance nerd from New York. She knows less than nothing about football. Know what she didn’t anticipate? Inheriting the Boston Tomcats.

She’s stubborn, uptight, infuriating, and wrong about absolutely everything—from pizza to how to run my team. And I don’t want to talk about how good she looks in a skirt. Or daydream about how good she’d look out of it.

Really, I don’t.

I’m not Decker the Panty Wrecker anymore—I’ve changed.

I can’t stop arguing with her.

Or thinking about her.

I thought I had a winning play.

But Hannah Strong changed everything.

𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗧𝗕𝗥 ➜ https://bit.ly/Decker-GR

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon Universal ➜ mybook.to/DECKERebook

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Decker and Hannah’s story was the kind of entertaining, laugh-out-loud workplace romance that I did not want to end. I wanted to savor it, yet fly through each chapter needing more at the same time. I knew what I was getting from Kayley Loring as an author, and I figured Connor Crais has narrated enough romance audiobooks that he knows his stuff, right? Well, I was not disappointed!

These characters were so well written. I felt every emotion Hannah went through as she tried to manage the team of football players who were like sons to her father, guys she felt had taken her place in her dad’s life. And then there is Decker, approaching the end of his career, a great player on an okay team, wondering if he will go out as a champion or not.

Decker and Hannah hilariously get off on the wrong foot, and there is lots of angsty buildup before they eventually get together. There is a steamy locker room hookup that you don’t want to miss, and then a hilarious sashay down a hotel hallway to the ice machine that leads to hot hotel sex.

There are some bumps along the way that Decker and a Hannah have to work through, but it’s a wonderful journey as they build up their own team of two.

Decker was a fantastic debut collaboration from these two authors, and I can’t wait to see what they present next! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

ABOUT KAYLEY LORING

Before writing steamy romantic comedy novels, Kayley Loring got a BFA in creative writing and had a fifteen-year career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles (under a different name). She mostly wrote PG-13 family comedies that studios would pay her lots of money for and then never make into movies. In 2017 she decided to move to the Pacific Northwest and write about all the fun stuff that she wasn’t allowed to write about in those PG-13 scripts. Now she’s an Amazon Top 25 bestselling author who is breathing cleaner air and writing dirtier words. It’s an adjustment she’s happily getting used to.

Rest assured that her funny sexy sweet romances have no cheating or cliffhangers, and always have HEAs!

CONNECT WITH KAYLEY LORING

ABOUT CONNOR CRAIS

Connor Crais is a classically trained actor living in the Midwest with his wife, two kids, and rescue greyhound. He has been both a stage and television actor, and before plunging into the romance genre, he had been narrating commercials, audiobooks, and explainers for well over a decade from his home studio. From alphas to bosses to cocky sports stars (a particular favorite), he loves sparring with beautiful, sassy heroines (and their talented narrators) but also loves winning them over and reaching that happily ever after. He is excited to now create those stories as an author.

CONNECT WITH CONNOR CRAIS

Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Website | TikTok

🏈❤️ 𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 ❤️🏈

#𝟭-𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆

🎧 AUDIOBOOK 🎧

Audiobook will release in March!

Audiobook will be duet-style, performed by Connor Crais and Mackenzie Cartwright, featuring Ava Lucas and Ron Butler.

BLURB

#12 Johnny Decker. Star quarterback for the Boston Tomcats. Two-time Super Bowl MVP…a decade ago. Nickname: Decker the Panty Wrecker.

It’s my job to anticipate what’s going to happen next and adapt. But I couldn’t have anticipated the death of our beloved team owner.

His estranged daughter Hannah Strong is a finance nerd from New York. She knows less than nothing about football. Know what she didn’t anticipate? Inheriting the Boston Tomcats.

Really, I don’t.

I’m not Decker the Panty Wrecker anymore—I’ve changed.

I can’t stop arguing with her.

Or thinking about her.

I thought I had a winning play.

But Hannah Strong changed everything.

𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗧𝗕𝗥 ➜ https://bit.ly/Decker-GR

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon Universal ➜ mybook.to/DECKERebook

ABOUT KAYLEY LORING

Rest assured that her funny sexy sweet romances have no cheating or cliffhangers, and always have HEAs!

CONNECT WITH KAYLEY LORING

ABOUT CONNOR CRAIS

CONNECT WITH CONNOR CRAIS

Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Website | TikTok

Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: One Spring Break by Sophie Stephens

January 16, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

One Spring Break
Sophie Stevens
Publication date: January 10th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Flat-ass. Chubby cheeks. Whore.

Pre-med student, Rosie Magee, has been called every slur imaginable by her obnoxious roommate, a foul-tempered fellow who drops food on the floor and poops wherever he pleases. If the insult thrower didn’t have scarlet feathers and a beak capable of shearing fingers, she’d happily kick him out. But her roommate, a macaw named Baby, belongs to her snotty sister Maria, and according to their mother, if the siblings want room and board, they’re stuck together until graduation. After scrimping and saving, Rosie has finally tucked away enough money to escape from her boyfriend-stealing sister and her evil, yellow-eyed minion for one spring break.

Wholesome. Good guy. Boy next door.

Engineering student, Erik Snider, never believed good guys finish last until his girlfriend has a one-night-stand with a local thespian, Tulsa Lester. She wants to reconcile, but Erik can’t forgive a betrayal so deep. When he learns she’s moved on while he’s still mourning their relationship, his roommate hatches a plan for revenge—ask out the prettiest girl on campus, Maria Magee, and take her to the spring formal his ex will be attending. Though not the vengeful type, Erik is desperate enough to agree in hopes a date with a gorgeous girl will help him heal, but pretty girls have agendas of their own. If he wants an evening with Maria, he’ll have to take care of her demanding macaw for one spring break.

When Baby escapes Erik’s care, Rosie ditches her vacation to help him find her sister’s macaw. As they fight off parrot hungry hawks and navigate trees with flimsy branches, they form a bond that might just verge on love. But nothing comes easily for Rosie. With a man-stealing sister who lives to torment her, and a best friend Tulsa who tore apart Erik’s relationship, happily-ever-after will be anything but smooth sailing.

One spring break brought them together.

An insolent bird…

A hateful sister…

A best friend with secrets…

Will tear them apart.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

One Spring Break is the first book I’ve read by Sophie Stevens. It is part of a series, but I didn’t feel like I was missing out on any of the backstory by not having read the previous books.

So One Spring Break had a root-worthy couple, a sister I loved to hate, an obnoxious pet bird, and some nice plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I thought that SS wrote these characters nicely — not just Erik and Rosie as the H/h, but the supporting players as well. I was so upset by the relationship between Rosie and her sister Maria, and when we first met Tulsa as Rosie’s friend, I was dying to know how he’d played a part in Erik’s breakup with his girlfriend in the prologue. Well, you don’t know people as well as you think you do, sometimes!

Most of all, I really loved how Rosie wasn’t the typical pretty college girl, but still got the great guy in the end. I wanted more out of the epilogue, and maybe those unanswered questions will be addressed in future books, but I felt a bit let down by the epilogue. But overall, Erik and Rosie’s story was enjoyable.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:

Author of contemporary romance, young adult and urban fantasy.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Come a Little Closer, by Kait Nolan

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Release Date: January 14

Griffin Powell has avoided his hometown since he left it in the rearview years ago. But the former Marine understands duty and promises, and that means dragging himself back home as part of his brother’s wedding party. Which gets him thinking about a promise he made to a woman, after the best night of his life. When she, too, shows up as part of the wedding, it feels like a sign.

Always a bridesmaid, professor Samantha Ferguson is dreading this bachelorette weekend. She’s the one of the lone single ladies, and the matron of honor is her high school nemesis. Sam figures she can suck it up and deal, until she comes face-to-face with the big, sexy ginger mistake from her past. Can this trip home get any worse?

Turns out it can. Not only are she and Griff paired up for all the bridal party bonding activities, forcing her to relive high school hell, but Sam’s best friend goes missing. When no one takes her concerns seriously, she starts a search herself–and ends up with an unwanted bodyguard whose very presence reminds her of a hot Vegas night she’s tried hard to forget.

Grab Your Copy Here:

Amazon | Apple | Google Play | Kobo | Nook

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Come A Little Closer is a charming second-chance romance. There is a free prequel novella (Until We Meet Again) that tells Griffin and Samantha’s backstory — I did not read that beforehand, but wish I had so I could have gotten the full scope of Griff and Sam’s relationship.

This story is set 8 years after they get married in Vegas and he leaves her to reenlist in the Marines. They’ve known each other since they were kids, so there is a lot of history involved, and Kait Nolan does a nice job of playing that angle when Griffin and Sam meet again during the wedding festivities of her best friend to his brother. The spark between them is reignited when one of the bridesmaids goes missing and Griff helps Sam track down her friend. It’s also the perfect opportunity for Griffin to try to win her back.

While I wish Sam would have made Griffin grovel a bit more, this book was overall an enjoyable read with a nice HEA. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Kait Nolan

Kait Nolan is a RITA® Award-winning Mississippi author who calls everyone sugar, honey, or darlin’, and can wield a ‘Bless your heart’ like a Snuggie or a saber, depending on requirements.

She believes in love, laughter, and that tacos are the world’s most perfect food.

When she’s not writing, reading, working the evil day job, or wrangling family (both the two-legged and the four-), you can find her obsessively watching The Great British Bake Off.

Connect with Kait Nolan

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Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Put Me In Detention, by Meghan Quinn

January 12, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

PUT ME IN DETENTION by Meghan Quinn

PUT ME IN DETENTION by Meghan Quinn

Release Date: January 11th

AVAILABLE NOW!!! FREE IN KU!!!

Amazon: http://mybook.to/PutMeInDetention

Audio: https://adbl.co/3qvSShb

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56522163-put-me-in-detention

Blurb:

“You got married on your divorce-cation?”

That would unfortunately be correct.

I was hanging with the girls, celebrating my divorce when I saw him, my crush, sitting in the corner of the bar all alone. Being single and looking for a wild night, I asked him if he wanted to join me. To my delight, he said yes.

Drinks were consumed, fun was had and then . . . one drunken conversation with a cranky gondolier in Las Vegas led to an Uber lift through a drive-thru wedding chapel with the incredibly hot, British bad boy, Pike Greyson.

On paper, it seemed like I hit the jackpot. And if I wasn’t fresh from a toxic marriage, I would have absolutely noticed the finer things about him.

But I wanted nothing to do with being married, so when I arrived back home from my eventful weekend in Vegas, the last thing I expected to see was a new doting husband already moved in.

I asked for an annulment, he pulled a Ross Geller and said no.

That’s right, he said NO! Instead, he asked for three months to prove we could be good together.

Insanity clearly knocked him in the head and the only way I could convince him to give up on our sham of a marriage was to show him just how wrong we were for each other. Only problem with that was, he saw right through my every prank, every trick, and every yearning emotion I attempted to mask.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I did not want Put Me In Detention to end! Cora and Pike’s story gave me ALL THE FEELS!!

This book is part of Meghan Quinn’s teacher’s series, and Cora is Arlo’s sister on her Divorce-cation in Vegas with the girls when they run into hot, tattooed British history teacher Pike. Cora wants a hot one night stand to celebrate her divorce… and ends up marrying Pike kind of on a date. She figures they’ll get divorced when they get back to Chicago, but Pike has other plans.

This book is hilarious. Right off the bat, I was hysterically laughing at these two. There is some serious chemistry between them, and she refuses to give in. The game they play of her trying to push him away while he’s trying to get to know her — and all the pranks involves — were awesome. Disappearing bathing suit?? Where did that come from, Meghan? Loved it!

But as funny as this romcom is, MQ, as always, does a fantastic job of showing a vulnerability to the characters. Like Pike’s family issues with his dad, and his reasons for wanting to stay married. Like Cora’s insecurities based on her last marriage, and her troubled past. It all leads to a beautiful payoff once Cora agrees to stop fighting it and date her fake husband. There are some really tender scenes and Pike is a super sweet guy even when he’s trying to be a jerk just to please his wife.

Should he have kept the truth from her? No. But then we wouldn’t have had that wonderful plot twist, the awkwardly painful scenario that ultimately brings these two back together!

As much as this book is Cora’s story, it is also Keiko’s story. In a lovely subplot, the Female Sheldon of this girl group gets her own HEA with Kelvin, and I couldn’t have been happier.

Thanks for another fantastic escape, Meghan! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About Meghan:

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.

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

Website: http://authormeghanquinn.com

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/meghan-quinn

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LitE4x

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Sunny Shelly’s Review: Just a Kiss, by Samantha Lind

January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Release Date: January 6

It all started with just a kiss.

The first was ten years ago in high school.

Our second was in a bar on the dance floor.

We agreed to keep things casual.

But we were like a fire burning behind closed doors.

Those sparks had me wanting more.

When I took a shot in the dark and asked for more, it brought us to the ultimate crossroads.

Do we do things right, with just a kiss goodbye?

Or do we do things right, with a kiss goodnight?

Grab Your Copy Here!

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 2 Stars

Ugh. This book started off great with a prologue set in high school when Lee and Allison share their first kiss at a school dance. Flash forward 10 years later and they are still living in the same town, still socializing in the same circle of friends, and are still attracted to one another. So they have a one-night stand that leads to a friends with benefits relationship. Which works for a while until Allison wants more. Then it all went downhill.

I hate to say it, but I felt like this book was just all sex and no substance. And by no means am I a prude when it comes to contemporary romance! But this book is only 16 chapters, and Lee and Allison are cashing in on the FWB in every other chapter.

I had way too many unanswered questions after finishing this book. (Which I read in the parking lot while my daughter was at dance class, so it is a fast and easy read!) Why did it take them 10 years to hook up? What happened after their kiss in school when they were each other’s prom dates that it never led to anything else? And why was Lee so anti-relationship? He says he can only offer casual sex because of his past… but did I miss the explanation?? The dude was in a relationship with Allison for weeks, didn’t seem to mind it and even admitted to himself that he could see himself in the future with her, yet totally freaked out when she brought it up. It didn’t add up for me.

There were too many plot holes in this book that I felt were covered up by gratuitous sex for me to really want to say this book is a must-read. I have read several books by Samantha Lind that I really loved… but Just A Kiss was a clunker in my opinion.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Samantha Lind

Samantha Lind is a contemporary romance author. Having spent the first 27 years of her life in Alaska, she now calls Iowa home where she lives with her husband and two sons.

She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, watching hockey (Go Knights Go!), and listening to country music.

Connect with Samantha Lind

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Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Beg You To Trust Me, by B. Celeste

January 5, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Beg You to Trust Me by B. Celeste is now live!

When I decided to move across the country for college, I thought it’d be the perfect chance to reinvent myself.

But then one party changed the course of my entire freshman year.

And just when I think I’m about to drown in the foggy memories of my night spent partying at the football house, Daniel Bridges walks into my life.

Lindon University’s wide receiver.

A total flirt. And a total threat.

Because he can help take away the memories I do remember from that night.

What I don’t anticipate from the witty football player is the friendship we form as the months go on.

Or how easy it is to fall for him as he teaches me how to trust again…and so much more.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
US: https://amzn.to/3A3gPPG
WW: https://geni.us/BYTTM

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3mrNlGx

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Reading this book was like walking through an emotional minefield. Skylar and Danny’s romance itself was a sweet slow burn with a hero who was so incredibly patient with the broken girl he wanted more than anything to let him in. But in the background is a messy tale of bullying, harassment, and sexual assault on a college campus. This book definitely has some triggers that readers need to be aware of, but Danny and Skylar’s story is a beautiful one to read.

The book opens with Skylar doing the walk of shame after a party at the football house. But she can’t remember who she was with because she was drugged and drunk. There are rumors going around campus about her, and Sky has zero support from her suitemates. Especially her bitchy roommate. The only person she can count on is her friend Olive, until Danny pushes his way into her life.

I loved how these two connected with one another. There were misconceived notions on both of their parts at first, but once they became friends, they just really clicked. There are some really heartbreaking moments where Danny tries to help Skylar work through what happened to her — like the scene where he is on his knees literally begging her to trust him! So well written!

There is a lot of growth for both characters, especially Skylar. I loved her story arc and how she ultimately reclaims her life after being victimized. When it came down to things that really matter, Danny stood up and did the right thing, despite what it did to his reputation as a member of the football team.

I would have loved to have seen a HEA for this couple instead of the happy-for-now ending that we got, and the book ends on a jaw-dropping tease for the next installment in this series.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet B. Celeste

B. Celeste’s obsession with all things forbidden and taboo enabled her to pave a path into a new world of raw, real, emotional romance.

Her debut novel is The Truth about Heartbreak

Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Only One Mistake by Natasha Madison

January 4, 2022January 4, 2022 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Release Date: January 4

A one-night stand gone wrong?

Michael

Being traded after fighting with your coach on air isn’t exactly a good look.

With one mistake under my belt, I knew I needed to focus on the game and nothing else.

But everything changed when I went to pick up my niece and came face-to-face with my very pregnant one-night stand from six months ago.

Jillian

Two pink lines changed all my plans.

So did the guy I had a one-night stand with, a man who made me laugh and smile, a guy who I called to share my unexpected news with, only to find out his number was no longer in service.

Once more letdown by the opposite sex, I figured I was doing this on my own.

Then one day, I was staring into the eyes of the man I hated, the father of my baby.

Grab Your Copy Here!

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Only One Mistake is a super cute one-night-stand/accidental pregnancy romance in Natasha Madison’s Only One series. The hero, Michael, is the son of Max and Allie from the Something So series, and his cousin is Cooper from Only One Regret.

The first day that Michael arrives in Dallas after being traded to the Oilers, he’s out incognito for a bite to eat and comes to the rescue of Jillian, who has been stood up by her blind date. She has no clue who he is, which he finds refreshing, and they have tons of chemistry. Their one-night stand is full of steam, and I thought they connected so well — so how was Michael going to blow her off when she called him to tell him about the baby when he was so smitten with her?

Okay, I bought into Michael’s explanation about having lost his phone/got a new number. Even if Jillian didn’t buy it — again, not knowing who he really is. I thought it was sweet how involved his parents wanted to be from the start, even though I expected them to question the surprise pregnancy A LITTLE considering who they are as a family. But they welcomed Jillian, Julia, and their mom into the family with open arms, making this a very hunky-dory, feel-good, no-angst romance.

I can’t wait to see what happens between Alex (Michael’s sister) and Dylan (his best friend/adopted cousin) in their book! And I would love to see Julia (Jillian’s twin) get an Oiler herself! 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…

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Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: The Love Square, by Jessica Calla

December 28, 2021December 27, 2021 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Happy Release Day to Jessica Calla!
THE LOVE SQUARE is NOW LIVE!

Read today: https://mybook.to/TheLoveSquare
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/32jINvS

On the west coast…

…Nebraskan Clare Davis hates her new life managing a bookstore in LA—until she meets up-and-coming movie star Dylan Barnes. Dylan’s always been a city guy, but can’t resist Clare’s midwestern charm as he shows her the wonders of California.

On the east coast…

…Alex Popovich loves being a carefree bachelor and a minor league ballplayer in his hometown Brooklyn. But things get complicated when gorgeous ballroom dancer-slash-office worker Jenna Stecco asks him to take that leap with her from best friend to something more, and he bunts and lets her go.

When Jenna and Dylan stir up the dynamic with a night of passion, the four friends must decide whether to accept the new normal, or fight their way out of the wrong corners of their love square and journey to their happily ever afters.

One-Click: https://mybook.to/TheLoveSquare
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/32jINvS

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

The Love Square definitely puts a twist on the love triangle trope as it tells the dual story of best friends Dylan and Clare in Los Angeles, and then Dylan’s childhood pal Alex and Jenna in NYC. In both pairs, they each have feelings for one another, but there are some complications and nobody really acts on this feelings. But then Dylan meets Jenna while visiting Alex one weekend, and a steamy long-distance relationship takes off. But how true are they to each other when they both can’t stop thinking about someone else? Especially when an unforeseen complication makes things messier?

Like I said, this story puts a unique twist on the trope. There is some mild cheating (kissing) and while there are sexual scenes, they are not graphic. A lot of the heartache would be avoided if these four just were open about their feelings. So much miscommunication. And I really detested Jenna’s initial decision before her mind was swayed.

But that aside, I enjoyed this story. I knew who I was rooting for, and everyone in this quarter gets a HEA — even if it is an unconventional one, in a way!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jessica Calla is a contemporary romance and women’s fiction author who leaves her Christmas lights up and glowing on her porch all year long. Although Jessica’s passion is reading and writing about love and relationships deep into the night hours, she moonlights during the day as an attorney. If she’s not writing, lawyering, or parenting, you’ll most likely find her scrolling through her Twitter feed, binge-watching Netflix, or gulping down way too much caffeine (sometimes all three at once). A Jersey girl through and through, she resides in the central part of the state with her handsome husband, two charming sons, and a princess dog.

WEBSITE: https://www.jessicacalla.com
NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/32jayVn
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaCallaAuthor
FACEBOOK READERS GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1192783561184995
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jess_calla/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jess_calla
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Calla/e/B0195YOTB2
GOODREADS: https://bit.ly/3sycLGZ
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jessica-calla

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Book Review

Sunny Shelly’s Review: Ripple Effect, by J. Bengtsson

December 28, 2021December 26, 2021 sunnyshellyreadsLeave a comment

Ripple Effect by J. Bengtsson is now live!

Enemies to lovers tale with an earth-shaking twist!

International pop star RJ Contreras finds himself at a crossroads when his mega famous boy band, AnyDayNow, breaks up. After his solo career fails to take off, RJ retreats to a no-frills apartment where he can hide out from the world and lick his festering wounds.

But when the girl next door starts slipping ‘good neighbor’ contracts under his door and complaining about his behavior through strategically placed Post-it-Notes, RJ snaps out of his self-absorbed melancholy to wage war.

Nothing short of an act of nature could repair the relationship between these two strong-willed enemies. But guess what Fate has in store?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
http://mybook.to/ripplee

Listen to the audiobook narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Stella Hunter!
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Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ljKvnw

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Ripple Effect full-blown blew me away! I was not expecting this enemies-to-lovers neighbors romance to be so intense, but once I got sucked in, I could not put it down and binged it in a night.

I’ve read just about all of the Cake series, as well as some of J. Bengtsson’s other standalones, including Bodhi’s story Like The Wind. But still, nothing prepared me for the intensity that was RJ and Dani, and the literal earthquake that brings these two together.

There is so much to love about these two. Slow burn. A broody rockstar in hiding. A sassy schoolteacher. Incredible banter as these two just want to strangle each other. And then once the world literally collapses around them, there is so much vulnerability, love, emotion and sweetness.

RJ’s history is not a pretty one, and that childhood hurt leads him to hide out from the rest of the world after his attempt at a solo career bombs. Dani makes him want to be better, do better, fight for something. He’d spent his whole life feeling unwanted and unloved, and the tragedy that brings RJ and Dani together makes him want to stop being a victim and take matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, while RJ comes out of the earthquake with newfound confidence, Dani is suffering from some major survivor’s guilt. No matter how much RJ wants to build a life with her afterward, Dani needs to figure out how she can move forward.

JB wrote a brilliant story of true love and resilience in Ripple Effect.

BTW, I kinda fell in love with Dani’s family of sperm siblings. I would love to see a spinoff series with some of those side characters!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet J. Bengtsson

J. (Jill) Bengtsson is the bestselling author of the Cake Series. She writes contemporary novels focused on love, humor, passion, and family. Her heroines are strong, nurturing, and quirky while her heroes are what dreams are made of – gorgeous, committed, and in need of a little saving. A native Californian, Jill’s novels are set under the glittering lights of the West Coast entertainment industry.
They are for the dreamer in all of us.
Jill resides in Ventura County, California. She’s married to the Swedish boy she met as an exchange student her junior year in college and they have three children, a golden retriever, and two ragdoll cats.