Weekly Wrap Up

 

Before looking at Goodreads, I was prepared to tell you that my reading didn't go as planned last week. I'll just blame those thoughts on being sick for the last handful of days. 🤣 Apparently my brain has turned to mush, and I've forgotten how to count. In reality my reading was quite plentiful.

During the week of December 27 through January 2, I read 5 books. I KNOW! Considering the fact that I haven't touched a book since late on December 30th, this week was unbelievable! (I really want to call it 6 books, as it looks like I left one off my previous update. I'll give that one a mention anyway.)

So what did I read? Obviously the answer is romance books!

First up is my forgotten book from last week. That is Dirty Talk by Lauren Landish. Now I know what you're probably thinking, and your jaw may have hit the ground when reading the book title. It's not really about that though. I mean, yes there is a bit of "dirty talk", but really it's more about the emerging relationship between a radio personality (think of his show as similar to Love Line) and an app programmer. 

Now is this a book for every romance reader? Um, no. If you're more a "behind closed door" or "fade to black" romance reader, then you'll want to bypass this one.  If you're a fan of a steamier romance, then give this one a try. Oh and if you are an Amazon Prime member, Dirty Talk is currently available on Prime Reading! Now should I read the next 3 books in the series? That is the question that I'm still trying to decide the answer to. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Next up was Sleigh Bride by Xavier Neal. This little book is part of a series called Mistletoe Montana that was created by a variety of authors. Now I went into this book knowing nothing except Xavier Neal wrote it, and that was good enough for me. Or at least at the time it was good enough for me. Now looking back, I wish I had more insight.

This book reads a little bit like a Hallmark movie. Granted it's a bit steamy for Hallmark, but still. You can already picture the fake romance between friends in a cutesy little town, can't you? It's easy to do, especially if you're picturing the Hallmark Christmas movies. 🙂 I'm kind of wishing I had read the first 11 books in the series (this is book 12) to really get to know the town, but I wasn't willing to spend the $17 (plus tax) on the entirety when I only know one of the authors. So there's that. Do I recommend the book? Not really. Something was missing for me with this book. Sorry. 

After flying through Sleigh Bride, it was time to revisit the writings of Lauren Landish. This time I was reading The Dare. It's an office slash forbidden romance, and it was good. I can't lie. I enjoyed it. I'm hoping for a followup novel that focuses on Tiffany. The Dare is about the relationship that forms between Colton Wolfe and Elle Stryker, and all the dares they put each other up to along the way.

Elle and Colton work at the same company, but are at opposite ends of the hierarchy. Colton is in the running to lead the second headquarters for Fox Industries, and Elle works as an assistant/admin. Colton essentially ignores Elle until Tiffany dares Elle to do something. That dare kicks things into action. It also causes some friction between Elle and her dad, Daniel Stryker. Daniel is the other candidate to lead the second headquarters. Is Colton just using Elle to get under Daniel's skin, or is there something more to this relationship? I want to say more, but spoilers! Like the other Lauren Landish book I read, The Dare is on the steamier side. So know that going in if you choose to read it. It's also available through Prime Reading if you do want to check it out. 

It's time to move onto hockey, so let's go!

First of all, Samantha Whiskey snuck one by me! Somehow I missed Sterling being released on December 25th! Believe me, I was shocked. I love her sports romance books, and typically read them the day they are released. This time though I was late to the game, but only by a few days so that's okay. 

Sterling is the sixth book in the Carolina Reapers hockey series. In this book Jansen Sterling has just been traded back to the Reapers, and he is beyond happy to be back with his team! That stint up in Maine with the expansion team was not what he wanted, but he survived. There are two things Sterling wasn't expecting upon his return. The first is to meet a beautiful woman while stuck in an elevator, and the other was to see his half brother, Maxim, in the hallway. The half brother he hates, and wants absolutely nothing to do with.  

Can Jansen Sterling get over his issues with his half brother, Maxim? Can they work together on the ice so that the team can all work together, and play their best? Or will the drama between brothers cause an issue? Then there is London! She desperately wants to work with the Reapers, and she wants to stand out with the company on her own, and not for the fact that her brother, Caspian, is one of the players. Add in the fact that she really wants to date Jansen? Well that's just getting a bit messy. I absolutely loved the book, obviously, and cannot wait to see who the next book will be about. My gut says it will be about Maxim or Caspian. Although I did see a few other names mentioned as well. So time will tell. (and now I'm signed up to receive a text when new books are coming out. Another one will not slip by me unnoticed!)

Last week I won an ARC of Only One Night by Natasha Madison! I literally squee'd when I noticed the tag notification on Facebook. I don't know if you fully understand how excited I was. I have been WAITING for Manning's story since he was first introduced to us back in Only One Kiss. That was in September. When I saw that Manning was book THREE? Oh I wasn't happy. (Miller's story still made me swoon, but I wanted Manning!) But that's in the past, because now I have read this man's story, and all the love. It was everything I wanted it to be, and then some.

Now if you've read the previous two books in the series, you already know that Manning's marriage has been over for years. The only reason he's still married is Murielle won't give him a divorce. Last time he asked, Murielle ran away with Jaxon (their child). Manning has all but given up, and believes he will be stuck in loveless marriage for quite a while. One night he's at a business meeting, and he runs into Evelyn. Manning cannot take his eyes off of her. There is just something about Evelyn that speaks to him. Yes, she's beautiful, but it's more than that. Plus Manning likes the fact that Evelyn doesn't care that he's the Captain for the Dallas Oilers. One thing leads to another, and a one night stand happens. 

Side note: I do not condone affairs, I only see people hurting people. So this is the part of the book that I didn't care for, even though it leads to what it does. 

Now that being said, friends, there is DRAMA about to happen between all parties, but honestly it's mainly Murielle's doing. Get your popcorn ready, because you're about to see a show!

  And you already know we are getting our HEA! It's Natasha, it's what she does. 😍

My last read, before succumbing to the exhaustion and body aches for four days, was Charging by Elise Faber. Charging was another new release that I was anticipating as I have been loving the San Francisco Gold hockey team! It just feels like one big family, and I am here for it. It's also the 10th book in the series. So clearly if I'm this far into a series, I'm sticking with it to the end!

At the beginning of Charging we learn that Char and Logan have a history. So right off the bat we know that this is a second chance romance. Love it. One of my favorite tropes. While this is a second chance romance, it's also a workplace romance. It could also be considered a bit of a forbidden romance in a way since Char is the GM for the Gold, and Logan is a hockey player. But as we know by having read other books in the series, the Gold doesn't exactly care about relationships within the company. So maybe it isn't really a forbidden in the true sense of the trope.

What I enjoyed about Charging was learning about their past, and what drove them apart. The reuniting was sweet, but it also was a bit of a miss with me. The story just didn't flow quite right for me. There wasn't the usual "drama" moment that I've come to expect with the Gold series. Or at least it wasn't between Logan and Char. Overall it was a decent story, but definitely not my favorite. There also seemed to be a disconnect with the other seasoned characters. So to add in these two newbies, it just wasn't the best it could have been. Cannot wait to see what book 11, Caged, will bring. Too bad I have to wait until April to find out. 

So that was my week in reading. Most of the books made me smile and swoon, while a couple were just okay. Not complete misses, but just so-so. What did you read last week? Any standouts? 

Have a wonderful week, and happy reading!

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