One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy.
Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further. I want couch time with her but not the kind she’s used to.
I decide to lie to her just to finish off my therapy so I can do what I really want—date her—even if she says she doesn’t date hockey players. Just when my therapy sessions are up and I’ve made some headway with Paisley, it’s my parents who throw another wrench in my plans.
If I abide by my parent’s wishes to marry the one they’ve chosen, I’ll lose Paisley forever. But if I go against my parents, I’m failing my deceased best friend all over again.
Moving right along with Piper Rayne’s Hockey Hotties series! This time around we have strong, stoic Maksim, and his forbidden romance with team psychologist Paisley.
As the story continues from My Lucky #13, all of the players on the Florida Fury have to meet with Paisley per the team owner’s insistence, to get their minds into mental shape. But Maksim is insisting that he’s just fine, and is more interested in dating Paisley than sitting down on her couch.
So I admittedly wasn’t sure how this story was going to go with the doctor/patient aspect to it and the ethics involved with Paisley dating Maksim. That component of the story is dealt with easily enough, however, and the real obstacles for these two to overcome are Paisley’s insecurities of just being the plain girl who is not enough for the hockey god, his constant “tests” that he puts her through as a result of his own insecurities, and his overwhelming need to be the protector of all those around him.
I really liked how Paisley and Mak’s story unfolded. It had a natural flow to it, he was super charming and sweet when trying to woo her with his 9 original date ideas, and the issues that came up between them happened organically. Plus, there are lots of steamy moments between these two!
Again, Piper Rayne takes us on an entertaining ride as these characters fall in love — and sets the stage for a great story coming up next with Ford!
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!
Seducing a man for the sole purpose of blackmailing him never crossed my mind. Until it was my only option. I thought it would save my family, and all my father worked for. Instead, I found myself running from Bexley Falls to escape what I did.
Broke and alone, I had no choice but to return to my life as a heiress and face my mistake.
Only Malcolm McLane isn’t the forgiving type.
He’s been gathering information on me and launches into a game of cat and mouse that could destroy us both. At first, I thought I could handle him. Now, I find my control slipping in a battle that could swallow me whole. My only way out is with the help of his son, Carter.
I shouldn’t be attracted to Carter.
He’s forbidden.
Dangerous.
Yet as he helps me plot my escape, I feel an undeniable magnetism drawing me to him.
Wow, this book is all kinds of messed up! The triangle between Lydia, Malcolm, and Carter was not what I was expecting. Nothing about this book was what I was expecting! Go into this book blind, because the twists and turns are worth not knowing what is ahead. Lydia’s story is gritty and dark, and this story has some disturbing situations and a possible trigger. But the journey that Lydia goes on had me quickly turning the page to see what comes next.
I absolutely loathed Malcolm — which I’m sure was the author’s intention — and adored the relationship that Lydia and her childhood friend, Carter, rekindled. Their friendship was rocky at the start, but when they realize how much they had in common, they begin to rely on each other in the best of ways. The only way for either of them to escape the situation they are in is to work together against their shared enemy.
This book is tagged as a duet, but I felt that Carter and Lydia’s story was complete. The epilogue features Lydia’s best friend, Carmen, and leaves a cliffhanger for book 2, but I assume that story will focus primarily on her.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BL lives in north Texas with her husband and three children. She enjoys writing different sub genres of romance, and building flawed and broken characters. You can most likely find her mommy-ing, watching her husband cook (because she is a horrible chef), getting tattoos, or walking into the pole you’ve told her to watch out for. She loves interacting with her readers and other authors in the community. Friends and family classify her as fierce, loyal and ditsy at times.
Executive Director of a viral sensation dating app.
To the outside world, her life is an unattainable fantasy of glitz and glamor. Well… the “fantasy” part is true.
Reeling from a nasty break-up with an up-and-coming movie star, Violet is painfully aware that it will tarnish her company’s reputation if she shows up to their annual retreat alone. What’s a girl to do but hire the most devastatingly sexy elite male escort she can find?
Gabriel de Graaf was meant to be nothing more than a dirty little secret as Violet dared to walk on the wild side. But when he awakens a passion within her, Violet soon realizes that one night with this handsome Dutchman won’t be close to enough…
** Author L.B. Alexander delivers a gender-swapped Pretty Woman romance that will leave readers swooning over each sizzling page!
This steamy reverse-gender take on the Pretty Woman story was hot! And it was not what I was expecting. There was so much more to Violet and Gabriel, and I adored these two very complex characters and what they ultimately found in one another.
Violet is at the top of her game professionally, but a horribly abusive relationship left her broken and damaged, and afraid of romantic entanglements. Gabriel is a former model and photographer with a dark past that, through a series of very unfortunate events, led him to become a male escort. Their paths cross when Violet hires Gabe for an industry event, and she ends up being a repeat client.
But there is so much more to their relationship than Gabe’s duties as her escort. My heart broke for them both, and I loved how they raised each other up and healed all of the broken pieces.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
I’m an American author based in perpetually sunny Southern California. I’ve spent my entire life enraptured by the sheer transformative power of the written word, and in December 2018, I published my first romance novel, Swan Lake, a contemporary reimagining of the beloved ballet. In addition to writing, I am a professional marketeer, a baker, an animal-lover, a tree-hugger, a perpetual wanderluster, and a massive art history nerd. An optimist at heart, aficionada of luxury, and true believer in happily ever afters, I strive to tell memorable, passionate stories that can intrigue, challenge, arouse, and most importantly, inspire.
He lived next door. I cheered him on at football games. I gave him advice on girls. He was my brother’s best friend and the three of us were always together.
I didn’t realize I’d already fallen for Jace until the hot summer night when we kissed for the first time.
Our magical season felt like destiny.
And then came the disaster that tore us all to shreds.
I lost Jace. I lost my brother. In many ways I lost myself.
Ten years later, Jace is untouchable in a world of pro athlete fame and glory.
I never wanted to see him again and I’d definitely never pick him to be my hero.
Not even when I’m broke and terrified and running away from ruin.
But it seems I have no choice.
Somehow we’re both back in the same place where we started.
I have nowhere else to go and Jace refuses to leave.
We’re on this collision course together.
Fated to repeat our own turbulent history.
Both the parts that felt the best.
And the parts that hurt the most.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
I’ve had some Cora Brent book on my TBR list for a while now, and Till It Hurts is the first book of hers that I’ve read. And wow! What a story! I loved everything about Jace and Tori’s relationship, how they found their way back to one another despite years and years of hurt and heartbreak between them.
The story is told in dual POV, and it weaves “Then” chapters with “Now” chapters, so we really get the backstory and history of Jace and Tori’s relationship, along with her brother Colt. Together, they were the three amigos, but when Jace and Tori’s relationship imploded, the connection between the three amigos was lost as well.
Now, ten years later, Jace and Tori come face to face once again. He’s carrying around all kinds of anger and hurt, and she is running from her recent past, back to a place she never thought she’d return to again. She has nowhere else to go, and he’s basically trying to drive her away, but as they reluctantly spend time together, it’s clear that they’ve missed each other and never stopped loving each other.
Their reunion doesn’t come easy, however. There are a lot of obstacles for them to overcome: addiction, family drama, her last job, their troubled past and the lies that led to their breakup. But despite all the heartbreak that has hurt them both, Jace and Tori fight so hard to make things work the second time around.
The *only* thing that I would have liked to have seen more of is the drift between young Colt and Tori, and his leaving town and staying away. But overall, this story had a great concept and was well-executed. I really hope that there’s a book ahead for Colt, because I want to see him find his happy ending too!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author:
Cora Brent was born in a cold climate and escaped as soon as it was legally possible. Now, she lives in the desert with her husband, two kids and a prickly pear cactus she has affectionately named ‘Spot’. Cora’s closet is filled with boxes of unfinished stories that date back her 1980’s childhood and all her life she has dreamed of being an author. Amazingly, she is now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling writer of contemporary romance and begs not to be awakened from this dream.
The Right Side of Wrong is a modern-day Cinderella story between single mom Paige and billionaire Slade. But… I just didn’t love it. I’ve read and enjoyed many books by this author before, but I just felt like TRSoW didn’t meet the high bar I’d had set. The big “secrets” that could have destroyed Paige and Slade didn’t, of course, because then there wouldn’t be a romance here. But I totally predicted what hers was going to be, and I felt like his secret was brushed under the rug.
I really admired Paige as a heroine, though. She had been through so much in her childhood, and yet kept going and had such a positive attitude. I loved how she was determined to do what she needed to do to protect Finn and provide him with a better life than she was given. And when she met Slade, her world changed. They had a nice connection as characters and lovers, but I felt like there was something lacking with the secrets that were supposed to “destroy” them. It just fell a bit flat for me.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Prescott Lane
Prescott Lane is the USA TODAY best-selling author of ALL MY LIFE. She’s written several other romance books with strong heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and holds a degree in sociology and an MSW from Tulane University. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.
Love Next Door, an all-new sweet and endearing romance from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is now live!
When Dillion Stitch left her hometown, she had no intention of going back. But when her brother gets into trouble, Dillion reluctantly agrees to return home to take her place at the family business.
Being back in Pearl Lake after all these years feels familiar, but also brings a few surprises. She’s quick to notice that someone new has shown up at the cottage next door. Dillion gets more than an eyeful when she goes to check out the newcomer and meets Donovan “Van” Firestone—her beloved neighbor’s grandson—in all his unclothed glory.
Having gotten off to a rocky start, it’s not long before they begin bickering with each other all over town. All that back and forth inevitably sparks an undeniable attraction. But Dillion’s family has issues, Van’s family resents him, and neither Dillion nor Van feels truly at ease in the small town. For these Pearl Lake exiles, home isn’t just where the heart is—it’s where things get complicated.
I turn on the flashlight and trudge through the brush and past the campfire, which incidentally has been left unattended. It’s down to a smolder, but Van has left out hot dog sticks and a bag of buns.
I keep going, toward Bee’s front porch and the blinding spotlight. Standing in front of the cottage is Van. Shirtless. Sweaty and shirtless. The bright light shines directly on him, accenting the dips and ridges, the smooth planes of muscle.
Van is ripped. Probably because he spends a lot of time at the gym, staring at his own reflection in the mirror. He lifts his ball cap from his head and runs a hand through his deliciously sweaty dark hair before he flips his cap around and replaces it, backward this time.
I roll my eyes at myself. What the hell is wrong with me? Deliciously sweaty. “Hey!” I bark.
He startles and the hammer in his hand goes flying, but he was on the back swing, so it heads in my direction. I sidestep it, and it manages to miss me by about six inches. He spins around, eyes wide as they land on me. “What the fuck?”
“Do you realize what time it is?”
“Do you realize that you scared the living shit out of me and I could’ve hurt you, or myself?” He motions to the hammer lying on the ground next to me.
“Wouldn’t that have been a pity,” I snap.
“What the hell is your damn problem?”
“You.” I point a finger at him. “You are the problem. It’s after ten. There’s a bylaw in place around here that stipulates all construction takes place between the hours of seven a.m. and nine p.m. from June to August, and you’re violating that. And for what? It’s not like whatever you’re doing is going to matter when your damn plan is to parcel out the property!” I’m yelling now, and heaving. And my nipples are peaking under the white tank I wore to bed. I hug myself to hide them.
“This is the second time you’ve said that. What the hell are you talking about?”
“What do you mean, what am I talking about?” I flail for a second and then cross my arms again. “You called me about it. Bee wasn’t gone a couple of weeks, and you were already asking about acreage and subdividing. It doesn’t take a genius to know what your plans are!”
“I don’t even know what you mean by subdividing, and I never called you.”
“Yes, you did!” He’s just so infuriating.
“No. I didn’t. Believe me, I’d remember dealing with someone as hostile as you.”
“I am not hostile.”
“Really?” Van props a fist on his hip. His narrow hip.
I follow the movement, which leads my eyes to his waist, that enticing V of muscle dragging my gaze down farther. Of course, because my brain is a jerk, the image of him naked pops back into my brain.
As if he’s reading my mind, his brow arches. “You’re picturing me naked right now. Aren’t you?”
“What? No!” My eyes snap back up to his.
“Yeah. You are.” His lip curls, somewhere between a smirk and sneer, his tone needling. “You were staring at my crotch, probably thinking about the last time you visually molested my junk. Is that why you stopped by? To check me out again? This whole fake phone call thing is an excuse for you to come back over here and get a look at the goods again.” He runs a hand down his chest.
“You’re an egotistical asshole. I realize that this might be some kind of fun holiday for you, and that you’re probably sleeping until noon every day, but some of us have to be up at the crack of dawn. Bylaw hours are seven a.m. to nine p.m. Next time you break them, expect to get a visit from the sheriff.” I spin around and stomp over to the extension cord, find the place where it’s joined to the lamp, and break the connection, submerging us in darkness. “Next time I won’t be so nice about it.”
“Hate to break it to you, but you weren’t very nice about it this time,” he calls after me.
It drives me crazy how easy it is for him to push my buttons.
A few seconds later I hear an oof and a clatter, which means he’s tripped over something in the dark. I smile to myself. Hopefully this time he’ll get the message.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Oh my goodness! Love Next Door is a perfect small-town romance with all the Hallmark feels! I think this book had a different vibe than other Helena Hunting books, and I was all in for it!
The snark that flies between Dillion and Van from the get-go was hysterical, and I couldn’t wait for their interactions to see what they would snipe about next! And because there’s a fine line between love and hate, each one of their interactions were supercharged with sizzling chemistry!
In between the romance that blossomed between the main characters, there was a mystery surrounding an embezzlement scandal with Van’s family foundation, as well as some issues with Dillion’s brother, Billy, that had me very intrigued.
I thought that this story was a fantastic start to a new series and I can’t wait to see what comes next in Pearl Lake! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Helena Hunting
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.
The doting fiancé. The expensive wedding. The happily-ever-after resting just at the tips of her fingers.
Then in an explosion of glass, in a splintering of metal, everything had been taken from her.
She’d shattered herself, had broken into a million tiny pieces.
But eventually, she’d patched herself together, had hauled herself back into life, had built something she was content in.
Content, but not happy. Never quite inching into happy again.
Still, she had her friends, her job as a skating coach for the Gold, and she had her life. That was enough.
And it had been enough.
Until he knocked on her door.
Until he came back and changed everything.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Crashed was a wonderful second-chance romance story — but not the typical story I’ve read in this trope before! Brandon and Stephanie (Fannie) have such a tangled, sad history, and I loved the journey that they went on in finding their way back to one another. After a brain tumor took all of his memories of their relationship, Brandon has finally remembered her — but will she be able to forget the pain and heartbreak that his illness caused in the past and move forward in the here and now?
I usually don’t connect well with 3rd person POV stories — it’s a personal preference of mine — but I connected with these two characters right away, and loved reading both of their POVs. I thought both sides were so well-written. I got all the feels as Fannie waffled about whether or not she could allow her heart to let Brandon back in, and he made it his mission to let Fannie know that while he may have forgotten who she was 10 years ago, he now remembered every detail about their relationship and there was no doubt in his mind that she was the one he wanted.
Crashed is part of the Gold Hockey series, and it reads as a standalone. There are interconnected characters on the periphery who have had (or will have) other books, but I didn’t feel as if I was missing pieces of Fannie’s story by not having read those books.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team—the Sharks!—are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise changes her hair color more often than some people change their socks, loves sparkly things, and is the mom to two exuberant boys.
She lives in Northern California. Connect with her in her Facebook group, the Fabinators or email her at elisefaberauthor@gmail.com. Connect with Elise!
This Greene Family novella packed a whopping punch! We got to check in with some of the siblings and their significant others we’ve already met, Nikki & Logan, Cade & Presley, Adam & Lucy. And we also got to know some of the other brothers and sisters better. Piper Rayne dropped plenty of breadcrumbs that have me wanting more, especially for Fisher and Xavier! But I think the book I want the most is teenagers Rylan Greene and Calista Bailey!
And in case you are missing those wacky grandmas Ethel and Dori, we see plenty of them in this novella, too! They are up to their old matchmaking tricks, and I can’t wait to see what they do next!
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!
Author: Kaci Rose Genre: Small Town Military Romance
Release Date: July 22, 2021
BLURB
Can love free the heart of a former prisoner of war?
Easton
My time as a POW left emotional scars that cut far deeper than any physical ones. I can’t stand to be touched. I am plagued by horrid nightmares. I knew therapy was my only option, but I didn’t realize it was fate leading me there… until I saw Paisley. As the sister of my best friend, I’ve had a crush on her for years. If anything can crack through the darkness rooted within me, it’s the warmth of her beauty.
Paisley
I didn’t know Easton joined the military until the day he walked into Oakside where I work. With therapy dogs and a delicate touch, I’ve helped countless veterans. Never one this close to my heart. Easton isn’t the boy I once knew anymore. All he’s endured has made him retreat inside himself. Can I help him coax him back out into the light? Or will some part of him forever be a prisoner to his pain?
This is a Steamy, Brother’s Best Friend, Small Town, Military Romance. No Cliffhangers.
This is Book 2 in the Oakside Military Heroes Series.
As always there is a satisfying Happy Ever After.
If you love steamy romances with a scarred hero, hot love scenes, military men, and small towns, then this one is for you.
Saving Easton is the first book I’ve read by Kaci Rose, and I enjoyed it — but there were a few things about the story that I felt were lacking, and that made the difference in this being a 3-star versus a 4-star read for me.
The good: I really liked the development of the friendship between Easton and Paisley and how that evolved into them both yearning for each other and eventually crossing from friends to more. Their childhood past played into the story nicely: how they both had crushes on each other as teenagers, but his being her older brother’s best friend prevented him from ever approaching her for a date. But since Easton and her brother lost touch when he was in the military, and Easton was now developing a true friendship with Paisley all on his own, there was nothing stopping Easton from pursuing her except Easton himself.
Easton’s struggles as a POW adapting to life were nicely written. I liked how he pushed his own boundaries when he saw that he had a chance to really be with Paisley, and I was rooting for them.
What I didn’t like: I started out this book feeling like I was missing a big piece of Easton’s introduction. Surely there was a backstory before Saving Easton began. This book is pegged as a standalone, and for the most part, it is, but I felt like I was missing something big right up front. Well, when I got to the epilogue — which sets up Teddy’s story next — the epilogue is actually Teddy’s introduction for the next book. So I can only assume that Book #1 had introduced Easton in the epilogue? Maybe repeating that epilogue as Saving Easton’s prologue would have prevented my confusion. I’ve seen several authors do that with interconnected books.
Also, when was Easton teaching Paisley self-defense? She mentioned using the “moves he taught her” and I’m fine if it happened off-page, but there was no mention of it until she had to use the maneuvers. I also thought the drama with her brother’s girlfriend felt forced, but I get why that was used as an obstacle for Paisley and Easton’s relationship to overcome.
And this book could really use a good proofread. There are unnecessary commas all over the place, often to the point where they interrupted my mind’s flow in comprehending the scene.
Still, I enjoyed Saving Easton. The wounded military vet who shut everyone ends up with the girl he’s always had feelings for? Yes, please! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
A dusty old journal led me to a forgotten town full of drowned love, sunken promises, and a stranger with familiar eyes and a rumbly voice that made my soul beg for more.
Drew’s dark eyes and warm, soft lips were like a memory of a place I’d never visited. They made me believe that our meeting had been set in the stars, as if Fate had schemed with Destiny and devised this elaborate plot to bring us together.
With each day I spent at Black Bird Resort, I learned more of Drew’s history. And the more I learned, the more I questioned.
Until I realized just how much the past could tear us apart.
I may not have been prepared for the journey fate had led me on, but no one was prepared for the reason why.
A Crowe’s Song was a wonderfully angsty modern take on the Hatfield vs McCoy legend. Told in dual POV as well as in the past and present at a failing lakeside resort, this story is full of family drama, longing, betrayal, secrets, fate and hope between a girl who can’t stay and a guy who can’t leave.
Drew and McKenna (Kenny) were immediately drawn to one another, and there were sparks of magic between them and a sense of knowing each other that neither of them could explain. In flashbacks, we learn what happened in the past, and as those pieces begin to collide with the present, it threatens to descant chance Drew and Kenny have at a future.
If you believe in soulmates and destiny, then A Crowe’s Song is definitely a book to check out!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Leddy Harper
At the age of fourteen, Leddy Harper wrote her first book and never stopped. She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters. She published her first book to teach her children to go after what they want, love what they do and do it well, and to show them what it means to overcome their fears.
Sunny Shelly Reads 