Category: Book Recommendations

Review – Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: October 3, 2023

I picked up this book after seeing it all over my social media. While this was my first book by Kerri Maniscalco, it definitely won’t be my last! Loved the banter and the chemistry between Prince Envy and Camilla!

SYNOPSIS

Sinner. Villain. Wicked.

The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other…

Virtuous. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in Throne of the Fallen
-Historical Romance x Fantasy Romance
-morally gray hero
-independent heroine
-only one night/I’m not catching feelings
-spicy spicy spicy
-mystery

Camilla Antonius loves her life. She’s an accomplished artist in her small town, she has great friends and she doesn’t need much more. When the Prince of Envy happens to need Camilla’s artistic ability she’s not quite sure what game he’s playing. Soon these two are thrust into the Underworld where they’re playing a deadly game and only one person can be victorious.

Throne of the Fallen was my first book by Kerri Maniscalco and I honestly had no idea what to expect. I love the crossover of Historical Romance x Fantasy Romance and I feel like she did such a good job! I love both genres so it’s fun to see this happen.

The Prince of Envy and Camilla were so much fun together. Their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet! I was always left intrigued as to what was going to happen next between the two. And Kerri Maniscalco knows how to bring the spice. The warring emotions between the two – jealousy, envy, lust – were done so well. I was rooting for these two to get together from the beginning! I loved the twists and turns throughout the book.

I read this book as a complete stand alone and I felt like it read fine – I haven’t read any other books by Kerri Maniscalco.

If you’re looking for an adult fantasy romance with a bit of suspense/mystery I would definitely recommend Throne of the Fallen.

**updating my rating to five stars because I can’t stop thinking about this book and recommending it to friends!

ARC Review – Hopeless by Elsie Silver

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Hopeless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Series: Chestnut Springs #5

Release Date: October 13, 2023

I received a complimentary copy of this book/audiobook from the author.

I have loved loved loved this series and I am so sad to see it come to an end! If you’re looking for spicy, swoony and oftentimes hilarious romances I recommend the Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver!

SYNOPSIS

Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past.

I’m the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

He’s thirty-five and all man, and I’m twenty-two and all… virgin.

He’s also my fiancé. Correction: my fake fiancé.

We start out as a bet. He doesn’t believe that anyone holds my last name against me. So he offers me his to prove a point.

It’s win-win. He gets a break from his concerned family’s prying, and I get a chance to shed my family’s reputation while I save up to ditch this small town.

He says all I have to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend I can’t keep my hands off of him in public.

But it’s what happens between us in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines.

It’s what transpires behind closed doors that doesn’t feel like pretending at all.

This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date.

He once told me he’d never fall in love.

And yet here I am, head over heels for my fake fiancé.

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in Hopeless
-fake dating
-playful banter
-slow burn
-age gap (she’s 22 and he’s 35)

Beau is back from deployment and isn’t having the easiest time. His family means well but they are tip-toeing around him. Careful not to say the wrong thing, careful to always include him in the ranching lifestyle. Everyone in Chestnut Springs treats him as a hero and he’s not sure how to feel about it.

Bailey’s life has never been easy. Growing up everyone knew the Jansen’s and what trouble makers they were. Bailey tries to separate herself from her brothers, but they insist on making life a challenge for her.

Beau has always been kind to Bailey and Bailey isn’t afraid to tell him when he’s wrong or overstepped unlike the rest of the community. When Beau proposes a challenge for Bailey she’s not sure what to make of it – Beau proposes (ha!) that Bailey and him pretend to be engaged. That way maybe she’ll get better opportunities in town with his name attached to hers and he gets his family off his back. When the fake engagement starts to feel all too real – there will be some hard decisions for both of them to make, especially since Bailey wants out of the town that seems to make her life miserable.

Okay first of all if there’s a fake dating ploy involved I am going to eat it up! Second of all, this is an Elsie Silver novel so when I think “umm…I’m not sure I’m gonna like an age gap/virgin heroine” she proves me wrong. I loved loved loved Bailey and Beau. They were funny and sweet and I loved the sass that they gave each other. Their slooooooow burn romance was burning up the pages while I was reading Hopeless.

For a book that tackles some sensitive subjects like PTSD, trauma from war, parental abuse and neglect, I feel like Elsie did a good job including them in the book without making the book overtly heavy. I have to admit, I was a bit worried that this would be a heavier book, but it was actually the opposite. Beau was such a golden retriever and I love it!

I also had an opprotunity to listen to the audiobook of Hopeless and it was narrated so well. Jason Clarke is one of my favorite narrators and he did an amazing job portraying Beau! I really liked Angelina Rocca’s portrayal of Bailey. I could always tell when these narrators wanted us to be happy, excited or sad. If you like audiobooks I highly recommend you listen to Hopeless.

I am super sad that the Chestnut Springs series has come to an end – but what a series it was!!

Chestnut Springs ranking (they are all five star reads).
1. Flawless
2. Hopeless
3. Heartless
4. Reckless
5. Powerless

ARC Review – Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L Armentrout

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L Armentrout

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Series: Awakening #1

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Publisher: Bramble

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

SHE LIVES BY HER INTUITION. HE FEEDS ON HER PLEASURE.

Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian―royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning―and promise. Today he’ll bring her joy. One day he’ll be her doom.

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince’s temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

Calista must follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.

REVIEW

What to expect in Fall of Ruin and Wrath
-fast paced word building
-🌶🌶🌶🌶
-who did this to you?
-found family
-political intrigue
…and an ending that leaves you begging for more

If Jennifer L Armentrout is writing a romantasy book I am first in line to want to read it. Which was exactly the case with Fall of Ruin and Wrath. Calista has a gift that not many know about – the foresight to see in to the future. The current Baron, Claude, realizes what a precious gift that is and is hiding Calista in his court as his courtesan. When Calista inadvertently ends up saving the life of a prince – Thorne – he takes an interest in her and wants her at his side while he is visiting the Baron. But the prince turns out to be far more intriguing and full of secrets. With an imminent danger approaching is he a person that Calista can trust?

While Fall of Ruin and Wrath started a bit slowly for me (as most fantasy romance novels do), I ended up absolutely tearing through the pages. I couldn’t get enough of Calista and Thorne. Their chemistry and banter left me with a grin on my face!

I genuinely cared about all of the characters in Fall of Ruin and Wrath – not just Thorne and Calista, but also Calista’s best friends Grady and Norma and even Claude.

I’m already hooked and can’t wait for the next book in the series!

ARC Review – The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Series: The Hurricane Wars #1

Release Date: October 3, 2023

Publisher: Harper Voyager

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

The heart is a battlefield.

All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.

Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.

Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion–one that could save their world…or destroy it.

An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in The Hurricane Wars
-romantasy
-enemies to lovers
-marriage of convenience
-slow burn
-angst
-she’s sassy
-he falls hard and fast
-diverse characters

Talasyn a lightweaver is fighting as a soldier against the Night Empire in the Hurricane Wars. Prince Alaric is uses his Shadow magic and hasn’t met his equal until he fights Talasyn in the battle field. Soon these two discover that when their magic is combined they create something powerful. With a threat looming in the near distance these two must decide if they are willing to come together to defeat a threat larger than both of their forces.

From the moment I started reading The Hurricane Wars I was intrigued. I will say that it did take me a bit to get into the book as the word building is extensive. But what kept me coming back was the chemistry between Talasyn and Alaric – gah how I love these two! Talasyn is amazing in her own right – she doesn’t take crap from anyone and isn’t afraid to voice her opinions. And Alaric is absolutely gone for her – it was so much fun to watch!

I have to say that the writing by Thea Guanzon is so lyrical and beautiful. I had passages after passage highlighted because of the vivid imagery. And let’s be honest – nothing makes me love a book more than a marriage of convenience trope. The slow burn between Talasyn and Alaric was slooooooow, but the tension and angst was always there which I love in a romantasy.

There were so many twists and turns in this book and I am already dying to read book 2. If you’re looking for a enemies to lovers, fantasy romance with diverse characters I highly highly recommend The Hurricane Wars

ARC Review – Knockout by Sarah MacLean

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Knockout by Sarah MacLean

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Series: Hell’s Belles #3

Release Date: August 22, 2023

Publisher: Avon

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the next Hell’s Belles novel about a chaotic bluestocking and the buttoned-up detective enlisted to keep her out of trouble (spoiler: She is the trouble).

With her headful of wild curls and wilder ideas and an unabashed love of experiments and explosives, society has labeled Lady Imogen Loveless peculiar…and doesn’t know she’s one of the Hell’s Belles—a group of vigilantes operating outside the notice of most of London.

Thomas Peck is not most of London. The brilliant detective fought his way off the streets and into a promising career through sheer force of will and a keen ability to see things others miss, like the fact that Imogen isn’t peculiar…she’s pandemonium. If you ask him, she requires a keeper. When her powerful family discovers her late-night activities, they couldn’t agree more…and they know just the man for the task.

Thomas wants nothing to do with guarding Imogen. He is a grown man with a proper job and no time for the lady’s incendiary chaos, no matter how lushly it is packaged. But some assignments are too explosive to pass up, and the gruff detective is soon caught up in Imogen’s world, full of her bold smiles and burning secrets…and a fiery passion that threatens to consume them both.

REVIEW

Imogen has been such a fun character and was waiting for her story for quite some time now! Knockout was everything I wanted for Tommy + Imogen. It was fun, funny, sweet and spicy.

If you recall from the previous books in the series Imogen loves to make things go boom and Tommy being a detective inspector doesn’t appreciate the Hell’s Belles always interfering with his crime scenes. So when Tommy feels that Imogen’s life is in danger he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe – he acts as her bodyguard. Can these two try to keep their relationship strictly professional when they’re in such close proximity?

I loved the push and pull of the relationship between Tommy and Imogen. These two were seriously so much fun and their banter was always leaving me with a grin on my face. Not only did I enjoy their relationship but also the relationship that Imogen had with the Belles as well as her relationship with her brother. (I really hope we get a book with him – I loved his character!).

I have been loving this series so much and can’t wait to read about the Duchess next!

My ranking of Hell’s Belles in order of favorite (hint – they’re all amazing)
1. Heartbreaker – 5⭐️
2. Bombshell – 5⭐️
3. Knockout – 4⭐️

ARC Review – You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Publisher: Dial Press

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

Can they stop hating each other long enough to fall in love?

A commitment-phobe and a hopeless romantic clash over and over again–until heartbreak and unexpected chemistry bring them together in this clever enemies-to-friends-to-lovers debut romance.

When Ari and Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They hate each other. Instantly.

A free-spirited, struggling comedian who likes to keep things casual, Ari sublets, takes gigs, and she never sleeps over after hooking up. Born-and-bred Manhattanite Josh has ambitious plans: Take the culinary world by storm, find The One, and make her breakfast in his spotless kitchen. They have absolutely nothing in common . . . except that they happen to be sleeping with the same woman.

Ari and Josh never expect their paths to cross again. But years later, as they’re both reeling from ego-bruising breakups, a chance encounter leads to a surprising connection: friendship. Turns out, spending time with your former nemesis is fun when you’re too sad to hate each other–and too sad for hate sex.

As friends-without-benefits, they find comfort in late-night Netflix binges, swiping through each other’s online dating profiles, and bickering across boroughs. It’s better than romance. Until one night, the unspoken boundaries of their platonic relationship begin to blur. . . .

With sharp observations and sizzling chemistry, You, Again explores the dynamics of co-ed friendship in this sparkling romantic comedy of modern love in all its forms.

REVIEW

I started You, Again without knowing too much about it. A few book friends have been raving about it on social media, so I figured I’d have to move it up on my tbr. Once I started this book I could not stop reading it!

What you can expect to find in You Again
-enemies to friends to lovers
-he’s grumpy, she’s slightly less grumpy
-bi rep
-fated mates (they run into each other every few years)
-disastrous meet cute
-swoony & angsty

When Josh discovers that his grilfriend’s roommate – Ari – is occasionally sometimes a “friend with benefit”- when he comes over to make her dinner he immediately dislikes her. They bicker and fight the entire time Josh is making dinner.

Then starts their unfortunate run-ins with one another every few years. And their run ins eventually become a tentative friendship after both Josh and Ari are coming out of serious relationships. Ari is going through a divorce after her wife dumped her for someone else and Josh feels lost without someone to call his own.

There are so many things I loved about this book. The way Kate Goldbeck can make me laugh while also making my heart race in sweet/sexy/spicy scene. The way I connected with both characters and their group of friends. The fact that I felt the hurt, anger and loneliness in both Ari and Josh and yet I was SCREAMING for them to get together!

I have literal paragraphs highlighted because they resonated with me so profoundly. Obviously I can’t put into words how much I loved this book.

If there’s one book you need to add to your fall tbr, please let it be You, Again! I can’t wait to read whatever Kate Goldbeck writes next.

Divine Rivals Review

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Young Adult Historical Fantasy Romance

Series: Letters of Enchantment #1

Heat Level: 🔥 (closed door)

I have been seeing Divine Rivals all across my social media. One of my closest bookish friends has been recommending it to me for quite a while now and I kept waiting to pick it up. If you’re like me and are hesitant about picking up hyped books – I assure you that this book is worth all the hype. I adored every single thing about this book. And the prose by Rebecca Ross was so beautiful. I have so many wonderful passages highlighted that I keep going back to.

If you’re a fan of epistolary romances (think You’ve Got Mail) you will love Divine Rivals. I feel like this is a trope that is so hard to get right and Rebecca Ross clearly had no difficulty with it. If you’ve read Divine Rivals or plan on reading it – please let me know! I’m so excited for the release of the second book in this duet – Ruthless Vows – releasing at the end of the year!

SYNOPSIS

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Shadow and Bone meets Lore in Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals, an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

REVIEW

What you can expect in Divine Rivals
-enemies to lovers
-workplace romance
-epistolary elements
-*magic*
-mythology

“A girl who writes letters to her missing brother, and the boy who reads them” – Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals acknowledgments

That right about there sums up this historical fantasy romance. I loved this book so much and I’m not quite sure how to put it into words. I have been seeing Divine Rivals all over my social media feeds and I’m not quite sure why I didn’t pick it up sooner. The magical, mythical, epistolary elements all combined together made this a read that I didn’t want to put down.

The writing by Rebecca Ross was truly beautiful. I have so many passages highlighted that I want to go back and read. She doesn’t shy away from tough topics and at the same time I was often feeling giddy over conversations that Iris and Roman were having. I was so immersed in the book that I felt like I was right there with Iris and Roman.

And that ending(!!!!) – I can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released!

ARC Review – Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy of this book/audiobook from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

REVIEW

What I loved about Love, Theoretically
-classic Ali Hazelwood humor
-the banter (gah the banter)
-the way I related so much to Elsie
-angsty in a way that I loved

Elsie Hannaway lives a double life…she’s an adjunct physics professor by day and offers herself as a “fake girlfriend” in the evenings. The extra gig in the evenings helps pay for some of Elsie’s bills; teaching alone definitely isn’t making all her ends meet. When Elsie’s most recent fake boyfriend ends up having a brooding older brother, Elsie doesn’t make much of it. She tries to avoid Jack Smith at all costs. Except Jack Smith ends up being on the hiring committee of a job that Elsie interviews for. Things get complicated when Elsie has to reconcile her two personalities while simultaneously trying to compete for her dream job.

Love, Theoretically was angsty, swoony, a bit taboo and messy (in the best way) and I absolutely loved this book. The romance between Jack and Elsie was slow burning, sexy and so damn sweet. I think my current boyfriend is whoever was in Ali’s most recent book and then she writes another hero who I can’t help but fall for. I loved how Jack saw through Elsie and didn’t let her be anyone but herself with him. Being vulnerable for your partner is scary and I felt all of these scary thoughts with Elsie while she slowly let go of her inhibitions with Jack.

But what I loved most about Love, Theoretically, was Elsie’s self discovery. I feel that so many of us deal with imposter syndrome. I know that I do – whether that’s in my field of work, at home or even on social media. It’s easy to fit ourselves into a slot to appease those of us around us. But what about what we want or what we truly believe. Sometimes those important parts of ourselves get pushed to the side and after that’s been happening for so long you forget about what really matters to you. I loved loved loved that Jack saw through this with Elsie. He was observant and sweet and never judging her – he only wanted to see her and want her to be her true self around him…swoon.

I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of Love, Theoretically and really enjoyed it! Thérèse Plummer did an amazing job bringing Elsie’s character to life! I could always tell when she was excited, nervous, angry or happy! If you’re a fan of audiobooks I highly recommend Love, Theoretically.

Love, Theoretically definitely moved its way up there as one of my favorite Ali Hazelwood romances.

Ranking Ali Hazelwood books (they’re all 5 stars)
1. The Love Hypotehsis
2. Love, Theoretically
3. Love on the Brain

Highly recommend preordering Love, Theoretically. I can’t wait to have a physical copy for my shelf 🥰

ARC Review Reckless by Elsie Silver

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Reckless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary/Cowboy Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Series: Chestnut Springs #4

Release Date: June 9, 2023

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

SYNOPSIS

Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies’ man. Scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package.

And he’s looking at me like I might be his next meal.

But I’m almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look back is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak.

The man is hard to trust—and even harder to resist.

Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard I try to freeze him out, he melts my icy exterior and pulls apart all my defenses.

Over a drink in a small town bar, I blurt out my deepest, darkest secrets. Then I spend the singular hottest night of my life with him.

He worships my body. He makes me blush. I come alive beneath his hands.

Then I tell him to forget it ever happened. I want simple, and with him it all feels complicated.

It was supposed to be a one-time thing.

A secret.

But that little plus sign is going to make this secret impossible to keep.

REVIEW

In Reckless expect to find:
-grumpy/sunshine (she’s the grump)
-one night stand
-secret pregnancy
-hilarious laugh out loud moments
-🌶🌶🌶
-family/found family
-small town shenanigans

We were first introduced to Winter in Flawless when it was mentioned that she was Summer’s sister. They’ve had a strained relationship and have never really been able to mend it, despite both of them wanting each other in their lives. When Winter’s marriage is starting to crumble, she decides to start spending more time at the hospital in Chestnut Springs and thereby also giving her a chance to get closer to her sister. Winter definitely does not anticipate the force that is Theo Silva.

I’ll admit – I wasn’t the biggest fan of Winter in previous books, but I loved how her storyline developed. Her relationship with everyone from Rhett and Harvey to Sloane and especially Summer was so special. I love this group of family and friends!

And okay I totally wasn’t expecting to love Theo Silva as much as I did. He is the most cinnamon rolliest cinnamon roll (is that even a word), but totally brings all the heat! These two were so sweet and I loved their relationship.

I also had an opportunity to read an ALC of Reckless and I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an audiobook narrated by Joe Arden – but he was the perfect male narrator for Theo!! I loved how emotive his voice was. Savannah Peachwood did an amazing job portraying Winter. I switched back and forth between the audio and the ebook of Reckless but a majority of it was spent listening to the audiobook because these narrators were perfect!

If you’re looking for a romance that will make you swoon and laugh – I highly recommend Reckless by Elsie Silver!

ARC Review – Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Series: A Vine Mess

Release Date: June 6, 2023

Publisher: Avon

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand… only to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.

After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she’s sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she’s ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him–and kiss him, in equal measure.

August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn’t know jack about making wine. He’s determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy’s legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around… and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.

Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways–assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There’s just one thing they didn’t account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.

REVIEW

In Unfortunately Yours expect to find:
-forced proximity
-small town romance
-marriage of convenience
-“my wife” moments
-complicated family dynamics
-🔥🔥

Natalie Vos has returned to Napa after losing her job and fiancée. She’s a smart and successful business woman, but it seems like no one – including her family – wants to hear her ideas or her input. Natalie is enjoying her time in Napa, but longs for the hustle and bustle of New York. She can’t make it back unless she has enough income to back up her ideas. The only way to access money and access it quickly is through her trust fund and the only way to access that is to get married.

Ex-marine August Cates is determined to make his vineyard a success. He just doesn’t know exactly how to do this since the wine tastes like crap and no one will drink it. August has put in all of his money into his vineyard and doesn’t have anything left. When sexy Natalie makes August an offer he can’t refuse he doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into. If Natalie and August enter a marriage of convenience solely for the purposes of getting money (Natalie’s trust & a loan for August) – they both get what they want. But what they don’t anticipate is their hearts getting in the way. Will their farce of a marriage turn into something more like an actual marriage? And the bigger question – where does that leave them if Natalie is still wanting to go to NY and August planning to stick with his winery in Napa?

I liked the previous book in the series – Secretly Yours, but Unfortunately Yours was so much better! August and Natalie had the best banter and so much tension between them. I constantly had a grin on my face reading scenes between these two.

I loved how independent Natalie was. She didn’t take shit from anyone and yet at the same time she had so many vulnerabilities. On the flip side, I loved what a goof ball August was. Yes, he was this manly man ex-marine, but he was also so cute and protective of Natalie. The way these two had each others back made me love them even more.

If you’re looking for a spicy rom-com that will make you laugh and swoon – add Unfortunately Yours to your tbr!