Showing posts with label Small Town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Small Town. Show all posts

Review // Flawless by Elsie Silver

November 14, 2023

Flawless by Elsie Silver

"You were out there, wanting me. And all it took was one meeting with you for me to want you too. A few weeks for me to know that I'd do anything to support you too." He shakes his head and peers out the window. "You were out there this whole time, and now I know you exist, and I can never go back. Wouldn't want to if I could."


Flawless by Elsie Silver

Flawless by Elsie Silver


Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Chestnut Springs #1
Release - June 4, 2022
Genre and Trope - Small Town Enemies-to-Lovers Contemporary Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - several explicit scenes
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 424 pages

I’m the face of professional bull riding—the golden boy. Or at least I was, until it all blew up in my face. Now my agent says I have to clean up my image, so I’m stuck with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as my “full-time supervision.”

But I don’t need a goddamn babysitter, especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can’t stop running.

A mouth I can’t stop thinking about.

Because Summer isn’t just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn’t run—she pulls me closer, even when she shouldn’t.

She says this means nothing.

I say this means everything.

She says there are boundaries we shouldn’t cross. That my reputation can’t take any more hits—and neither can her damaged heart.

I say I’m going to steal it anyway.

Flawless by Elsie Silver

My Two Cents

I thought, with how much I loved Reckless, I should start the Chestnut Springs series from the beginning. It's good to know that so far, this author is consistent. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters from other perspectives. It was kind of surreal to dislike Winter so much here when I absolutely adored her in book four!

This is Rhett and Summer's story and it started off rough. He'd messed up his public appeal and she was assigned to fix his image. She didn't really know what she was doing and he was irritated by having a babysitter. Their negative feelings soon turned into something else and I only wanted more.

While I didn't love this story as much as Reckless and while I didn't love Summer as much as I thought I would, I was definitely entertained by this book. I want more of Rhett and his family. Their bond is something so special that I'm going to read the next book just to get another dose.

The Author

Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys–especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.

Visit www.elsiesilver.com for more information

Review // Reckless by Elsie Silver

July 10, 2023


Hot. Wet. Hungry.
Just the way I like her.


Reckless by Elsie Silver


My Rating - ★★★★½
Release - June 9, 2023
Standalone - Chestnut Springs #4
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / small town / secret baby
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 404 pages

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.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

Thank you Renee @ Addicted to Romance for recommending a secret baby romance that I could love! Seriously, if you read any secret baby book EVER, read this one!

Theo Silva can definitely get it. He was fun, charming, hot AF, sweet, and sexy. Then watch him bond with his baby girl… absolutely swoon-worthy. He made most of this story for me. For a lot of it, no lie, if it weren’t for him, I probably would have stopped reading.

Because… Winter.

She was a tough nut to crack. It took Theo’s patience and kindness to see beneath her layers. When she finally opened up, allowed him in, made herself feel and be vulnerable and care… I finally started to love her too. She’s no competition for Theo, but she had me rooting for her and him and their happily ever after by the end.

A Little Note: I fell in love with everyone in this book. The small town charm, the fact that they’re in Canada (yes, I’m patriotic), the bits and pieces of backstory, all of this makes me want to go back to the beginning. I want to witness Summer + Rhett, Sloane + Jasper, Willa + Cade falling in love for myself. Especially because I understand Winter now, so any bad parts of her I see in those stories won’t bother me as much. And then there’s Beau. He’s the broken, battle-worn, war hero who seems to be struggling. I’d love to see him find his happiness too.

The Author

Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys–especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.

Visit www.elsiesilver.com for more information

Review // Home Tears by Tijan

March 10, 2022

Home Tears by Tijan

"You're not responsible for me."
"Yes. I am."
"No—"
He softened his tone. "Let me be responsible. Let one person care for you."
"I didn't tell you that stuff to make you feel like this."
He shrugged. "You tell that person something, trust them, and they have your back. You do it back. Friendship. It's part of the package."

────── ♔ ──────


Home Tears by Tijan

Home Tears by Tijan


Standalone
Release - December 1, 2016
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Heroine POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 2 out of 5 / very tame, nearly fade to black
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 309 pages


Dani's survived a lot of sh*t storms.
Her mother died. Her two sisters loathed her. One aunt hated her. The other was strangely distant, but the worst storm--being dumped by her childhood best friend/high school boyfriend/first love for her younger sister.
There went the one person who was hers and with that, the main reason she stuck around. So, she left for ten years. But now she's back, and nothing's the same.
With help from Jonah Bannon, a reformed--kind of--bad boy she remembers from high school, Dani uncovers family secrets that have spanned generations. And along with those, she's about to face the biggest sh*t storm of her life.
Only this time, she may not survive.

My Two Cents

3 "That's a lot of angst for nothing" stars

I can't deny that Tijan writes beautifully because the words... beautiful. I'm in love with the way this author writes.

I can't deny that this story had potential. Girl leaves home after being rejected by her long-time bestfriend/boyfriend for her sister... yeah, that sounds like an interesting read. Don't even get me started on how he's now with another one of her sisters. Messed. Up.

"You screwed me for years, screwed Erica after that, and now you got Julia. You don't want to play, you should date outside the O'Hara pool."


Throw in the mystery of her family history, the drama of her coming back home, old hurts resurfacing, and new and old loves colliding... sounds yummy.

But I wasn't wowed. Somehow, despite all of these scrumptious ingredients, the recipe missed the mark with me.

I didn't much like Dani, I probably would have liked Jonah more if I got his side of the story, Jake was very gross (see him dating all three sisters!), and Julia was terrible. I think the only person in this story who really deserved a break was Dani's fiance for a day. Seriously, even that relationship was messed up.

"I didn't know you were a Quandry until you showed up in my cabin the other night."


Soooo... you were with this man, living with this man, became engaged to this man, and you didn't know his last name? How????

Everything felt vague to me. The intended mystery of the O'Hara family was no mystery. It sounded like a messed up family and the secrets weren't that deep. Honestly, it was all pretty lame and I was left disappointed after every reveal. However, I can say that the ridiculousness of this story kept me entertained. The sisters... immature. The cop/ex-best friend/ex-boyfriend... absurd. Everyone else (but the fiance for the day guy whose name I've already forgotten)... like blurry images in the background.

It's sad because there was such beauty in the writing.

Excerpt

“Why’d you push me earlier?”
“It’s not important.”
But it was. She felt it in her chest. It was so important, and she needed him to say it again. She was salivating for the chance. She wanted to reassure him, and this time she felt it in her heart. She knew she wasn’t going anywhere. She wanted him to see it in her eyes, that she meant every single word.
She whispered now, “Ask me. Ask me again.”
His eyes met hers, narrowing slightly. He was looking into her, reading her.
She was letting him. There was no wall, no hesitation this time. She wanted him to know her, not just her body. All of her. A second passed. He was still searching in her. Another second. More. He waited a full thirty before asking, his voice so soft and tender, “What would you do if you found out another person cared about you? If you mattered to one more person?”
“Nothing.” She was trying to convey her feelings through her eyes. She wanted him to know so badly. “I wouldn’t run. I wouldn’t walk. I wouldn’t hide. I’d do nothing except stand and embrace it.”
His eyes darkened, an emotion passed in them, one that had her heart beating so fast again. “Yeah?” He let go of her hand, but touched the side of her face. He held her in the palm of his hand, and his thumb rubbed over her cheek. It was like he was smoothing away any lingering worries she might have. “What if I was that person?”
She leaned toward him, her eyes going from his lips back to his gaze. Both were pulling her in, making her yearn for more. “Then I’d say, I feel the same.” Her breath held in her throat. They were talking in code, but it was out now. She was telling him how she felt, and a second later, his lips were on hers.
This. She turned, wound her arms around his neck. This was everything.

About the Author

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing after college and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Fallen Crest series, Ryan's Bed, Enemies and others.

She is currently writing many new books and series with an English Cocker she adores.

Check out http://www.tijansbooks.com/ for more information

Hissy Fit by Lani Lynn Vale // Review

April 26, 2021


Ezra was my unicorn. The man that I wanted above all others, and I knew nothing else would ever do.


Hissy Fit by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - The Southern Gentleman #1
Release - March 19, 2019
Genre - Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/a few scenes
Format/Source - Kindle Amazon purchase
Length - 240 pages
Publisher - Indie

He is the one that never looks her way.
He is handsome and strong.
He is rough around the edges and mean.
He is everything she’s ever wanted.
He doesn’t even know she exists.
Her life is a joke.

She doesn’t step on cracks in the sidewalk.
She laughs at inappropriate times.
She talks when she shouldn’t.
She is clumsy and trips on air.
She is finally on his radar.
God help her now.

I wasn't reading for long before I realized that I loved this story. The characters, their chemistry, the subplots... I loved this book!!

Like the ninny I am, I read this series out of order, but it didn't even matter in the grand scheme of things. These books truly do read as standalones. I did find this one to be a more well-rounded and developed story than the ones that followed it, which only made me enjoy it more.

This is the story of Raleigh and Ezra. She's crushed on him for most of her life. He didn't even know she existed until recently. She hero-worshipped him and he didn't know how much weight his kind words and actions carried with her. While she was mooning over the most popular guy in school, the football star, he vaguely knew she was there. Nothing she did got his attention until she was a grown woman who embarrassed herself in front of the man of her dreams. And he could never look away from her again.

I loved how the author illustrated the growth of these characters. Raleigh may still have been the awkward, accident-prone, hot mess of a person as she was growing up, but she had evolved into an incredible woman with so much heart. However, it was Ezra whose strength of character shined the most. He went from being an oblivious jock to an amazing, intuitive, compassionate man. The ways in which he cared for Raleigh had me swooning all over the place. She owned him every bit as much as he owned her!

And again, with this story, Lani Lynn Vale has proven why I will be one of her staunchest supporters. She gave me a story full of heart, heat and humor that I was only sad because it ended. Luckily there are still tons of her books I have yet to read and I'm going to happily make my way through them. Who knows? Maybe I'll even get to see these charming characters again 😊😊

“Jesus,” she breathed. “The things you do to me.”


The things I did to her? What about the things she did to me?


Kind of like right now.


She was pressing that small, soft palm of hers against my length and stroking it. She was unskilled, clumsy, and it felt like the best thing that had ever happened to me.


Her forehead was resting on mine, and the only thing separating us at this point was a thin sheen of sweat that had collected on my body the moment that she came near me.


The woman had the power to bring me to my knees.


“The things you do to me have no comparison,” I told her honestly. “You may not like hearing this but…you are the best I’ve ever had, hands down.”


She stiffened.


“And that’s because what I feel for you isn’t the same as what I felt for other people,” I told her bluntly. “You make me want forever.”


Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

You can find out more about her and her amazing books on her website: https://lanilynnvale.com/

Truth, Lies and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson

September 05, 2020


Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is a sweet and sassy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.

Disorderly Conduct by Rebecca Zanetti

August 18, 2020

"Moments define us," Aiden said softly. "Anna and I shared one. An important one that probably shaped us both in ways you can't imagine. Years later, here we are."

Disorderly Conduct by Rebecca Zanetti

Disorderly Conduct by Rebecca Zanetti


Bullets and Kisses Can Burn

The last person Anna Albertini expects to see in an orange jumpsuit in District Court—a place she SO doesn't belong as a new prosecuting attorney—is Aiden Devlin, the man who’d saved her life when they were kids. For years, she has dreamed about him. Now here he is—his eyes blue, his chest wide, and his hands in cuffs.

Sure, Aiden says he doesn’t want her help, and his ties to a deadly motorcycle club should give her warning. Yes, her new boss is a sexy Italian bad boy who might be using the case to climb to the top. Plus, the detective assigned to the case, with his green eyes and broad shoulders, wants her to stay out of his way.

With so much testosterone surrounding her all of a sudden, most women would find it hard to concentrate. This might be why the case leads Anna to yelp during a spa appointment, fall out of a tree, and chase a naked old man around the courtroom. It’s a good thing Anna learned a long time ago to be her own hero, no matter how fast the bullets fly or the kisses consume.

Burnout by Tee O'Fallon

April 03, 2020

Burnout by Tee O'Fallon

This cop might be too hot to handle...

TAMING MY WHISKEY by Melissa Foster

October 17, 2019

TAMING MY WHISKEY by Melissa Foster
Buckle up for a wild ride as Dixie Whiskey finds forever love in TAMING MY WHISKEY, a funny, sexy, and emotionally riveting standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.

RESURRECTING PHOENIX by Isabel Lucero

June 12, 2019

Resurrecting Phoenix by Isabel LuceroAnniversaries are usually occasions worth celebrating, but when your fourth wedding anniversary is also the first anniversary of your husband’s death, you’ll only want to drink your sorrows away. And that’s exactly what Phoenix Nightingale does.
In the small town of Breckshire Wyoming, everybody knows everybody, so when Evan Tyler walks into the same bar she’s drowning her grief in, Phoenix knows that he’s new in town. What she doesn’t know is that he’s just moved in a few houses down from her and is about to try his hardest to break through the wall she’s had up for a year.
Phoenix has experienced a tragedy that nobody ever wants to experience. In the year following her husband’s death, she’s had what her parent’s considered embarrassing public meltdowns, and lost some friends along with her career. Just as she feels she’s at her very lowest, Evan barges into her life, forcing her to get out of the house and look at life a little differently.
He vows to help her, encouraging her to rise from the ashes and live once again. Evan doesn’t know that just by being in her life, he’s bound to send her into a tailspin, because both of them are keeping things from each other, and Phoenix may not be strong enough to handle what she finds out.
Will she pull him into the dark with her, or will he be able to resurrect Phoenix, freeing her from the depths of her depression, and show her that surviving isn’t the same as living?

ARC Review: Unleashed by L.A. Fiore & Anthony Dwayne

December 04, 2018

Unleashed by LA Fiore and Anthony Dwayne
The quaint town of Ogg’s Point rests on the rocky coasts of Maine.
Native Rutledge Raines left home with no plans of returning, but years later he is drawn back to sell his late grandmother’s house. He never imagined the mundane task would drop the annoying but sexy Peyton Morgan into his life. Being home forces him to remember why he left in the first place because even small towns have secrets lurking in the shadows.
When those demons are unleashed, Rut, Peyton and Ogg’s Point will never be the same.

Goodreads * Amazon
ONLY 99 cents & FREE in Kindle Unlimited

ARC Review: WHEN WE KISS by Tia Louise

September 05, 2018

When We Kiss by Tia Louise
“Kiss me…
You’re too law-abiding for me.
What makes you say that?
That uniform. Those handcuffs.
Maybe I should put you in handcuffs.
Maybe I’d like to see you try…”

Tabby Green:
Preacher’s niece.
Website designer.
Bad Girl.

Chad Tucker:
Retired military.
Deputy sheriff.
Hero.

ARC Review: GET YOU SOME by Lani Lynn Vale

May 29, 2018

Get You Some by Lani Lynn Vale
You want some?

She snarls those words at him with barely concealed hostility the moment he arrives at her window to ask for her license and registration.

After a few choice words, he lets her go with not one ticket, but three.

Next time she should check the attitude at the door and realize that he’s a cop, and just doing his job.

Come get some.

Fast forward a week, and he’s still unable to think about anything else but her and her bad attitude—oh, and those sexy lips, angry eyes, and her promise to make his life hell.

Knowing he should stay away, he takes a step back and tries not to think about anything that has to do with those long legs, and that mouth that could be used for much better things than spewing venom.
Then she makes a mistake.

At an interview, she rattles off a random number to use as a reference for a job that she desperately needs, and that number just happens to be Johnny’s.

She’ll regret being so rude, and one day she’ll think twice when she decides to throw attitude toward a man like him.

Vowing to make her life hell, he decides to have a little fun.

Never get enough.

What he doesn’t expect is to fall for her.

The more Johnny learns about June, the deeper he digs his hole. Soon, he doesn’t know which way is up, and he’s just fine with that.

Over time, he learns that not everyone bothers to dig past her prickly demeanor and get to the woman that lives deeper.

When one too many citizens of Hostel, Texas tries to back her against the wall, he’s had enough.

After all, you don’t mess with what’s his.