Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Mid Year Freakout {book tag}

 


It's time for the 2021 mid year freakout book tag!

That's right my fellow readers, it is that time of year where book bloggers, booktubers, bookstagrammers, and booktok-ers all reflect back on the first half of the year. This tag was originally created by Megan Olivier over on youtube, and 2020 was my first year participating in the tag. If you'd like, you can read my 2020 Mid Year Freakout here.

From the few videos I've watch on youtube (booktube), it looks like people are leaving out the quantity of books read. Which is fine because everyone reads different amounts, but I like to look back and see my mid-way point. So you'll see me include that here in my freakout.

I'd love to know your favorite book of the year, most anticipated for the second half, what book you has a beautiful cover, and anything else book related that you'd like to share! So please comment below.

Thank you for taking time to read my mid year freakout. I greatly appreciate it.
Laura


Now let's get to the Q&A part of the mid year freakout!

1) How many books have you read so far?

As of today (June 30), I have read 154 books! And so many of them have been new releases. It's been wonderful. Can I keep up this pace? I don't know. I guess only time will tell.

Also my 2021 number is right on par with 2020, so that's kind of neat.

Yes, I know 154 books is a lot. I read a lot. It's my only hobby, and my nose is frequently in my kindle. Plus I think I tend to read quickly. Especially if the book captures my attention.

If you'd like to see all of the books that I have read in 2021, head over to my Goodreads!

2) Favorite books of 2021

In no particular order...

Driven by K. Bromberg
Fragile Things by Samantha Lovelock
The Edge of Happiness by Kristin Turnage
Balls to the Wall by April Canavan
Dirt Queen by Nora Blake

3) Favorite Sequels of 2021

Boots on the Ground by April Canavan



Fractured Things by Samantha Lovelock



Southern Heart by Natasha Madison




4) New Releases I haven't read, but want to


   

   


5) Most anticipated releases for the second half of 2021

This list could be extremely long, so I'll just go with these few:

Love Next Door by Helena Hunting (7/27)
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting (9/21)
Pitch to Palace by Aven Ellis (8/25)
Making Spirits Bright by Aven Ellis (December)
Wild Mistake by Kim Loraine (7/26)
Ruthless Noble by Alley Ciz (7/10)
The Defender by Gina Azzi (8/5)

6) Biggest Surprise

Paper Hearts by Brittani Taylor
Saving Us by Wendy Million

7) Biggest Disappointment

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
I had such high hopes for this one, and it just didn't work out.
I'm convinced it was me that was the problem, as so many others have raved about the book.

8) Favorite New Authors

Samantha Lovelock {website | facebook | instagram}
Gina Azzi {website | facebook | instagram}
Lisa Suzanne {website | facebook | instagram}
April Canavan {website | facebook | instagram}


9) New Fictional Crushes

I blame Samantha Lovelock! 🤣

Poe Halliday, Stella Bradford
Sunday Easton, Payne Emerson


10) New Favorite Characters

Poe Halliday, Stella Bradford, Sunday Easton, Payne Emerson from Folkestone Sins

Remy, Parker, Kennedy, Lincoln, Emma, Dominic from the Birch Police Department

11) Book that made you cry

Dirt Queen by Nora Blake.



This book wrecked me, and I was UGLY crying. It's based on a true story, and my heart still has not recovered.


12) Book that made you happy

Decidedly with Wishes by Stina Lindenblatt

It's all because of Nala, and the passions she has for the dresses she is creating for these amazing young ladies, all while taking into account the special care that is needed.



13) Favorite Book to Film adaptation

I haven't read any book to film/tv adaptations yet.

Well I did read Driven by K Bromberg, but I haven't watch the show on Passion Flix yet. So I guess I could technically count that?


14) Beautiful Cover

Being someone who reads romance, this is hard. So many of the book covers feature men who are missing their shirts. And while, yes, they can be nice to look at, I wouldn't necessarily call them beautiful. They don't truly stand out. (just my opinion)

The three books that did stand out though are Reel by Kennedy Ryan, Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan, and Unsteady by Ashley Christin. Kennedy Ryan's cover is just elegant, classy, and gorgeous. It gives off the old Hollywood vibe, which fits with the book. Kristen Callihan and Ashley Christin's covers are easy on the eyes, unique, and also beautiful.






15) What book do you need to read before the end of 2021?

Well technically I don't NEED to read any, but are there a lot that I would like to read? Oh absolutely! I would love to clear out my ARCs by the end of the year. Is that 100% possible? I have no clue. But it's going to be my goal.

Decidedly With Wishes {a review}


Decidedly with Wishes is the latest addition to the By the Bay series written by Stina Lindenblatt. Let me just say if you enjoy hockey romances, fake relationships, friends to lovers, and/or forced proximity, then you're going to love this book! Oh wait, maybe that's just me.

In Decidedly with Wishes we meet Nala Johnson. She is a designer for her Grandmother's fashion house, and is slated to eventually take over the company. Nala is preparing to tell her Grandmother that she wants to create a special line for girls who have special needs. After all Nala has been designing and sewing these dresses for a while for a variety of young ladies, and she can see that there is a need in the market. Convincing her Grandmother will be a bit difficult though. When the time for the meeting arrives, Nala delivers her pitch. Her Grandmother says she can move forward BUT she has to complete the bucket list that Nala had written back in college, and she had three months to do so. There's only six items on the list, so it couldn't be too difficult, right? Nala tells her friends about everything, and they are determined to help. In order to cross off "date a hot hockey player" from the list, the girls attend a fundraiser where a date with a player is being auctioned off.  Nala's friends do everything they can to help her win the date. And that is where she meets Eli Lawson for the second time. Eli is a professional hockey player for the San Fransisco Rocks, and he is in need of a date to a wedding back in his hometown. His Mom is determined to set him up, but the woman she's chosen is a bit obsessed with Eli. So in order to effectively shut that down, he tells his Mom he has a girlfriend, and her name is Edith. Now Eli just needs to see if Nala will 1) be in a fake relationship with him, 2) attend the wedding, and 3) pretend her name is Edith. What happens next in the story is their journey from being friends to a fake relationship to lovers, and of course helping Nala complete her bucket list.

When I initially read the teaser for Decidedly with Wishes, I was drawn in by Nala and her passion for creating beautiful clothing for young girls with disabilities. My mama heart just swooned at that alone. Add in the fact her potential romantic partner is a hockey player, and I was just done for.  From their initial meeting (literally bumping into each other), to the auction, to the trip to Montana (and everything that happened there), to the big dramatic moment, to the HEA, I truly loved it all. During the scene in Montana where Nala was helping Abby with her dress, my heart just melted further. Seeing how Nala threw herself into the project, and involved Abby (picking fabric), to the final outcome, I just loved it. It honestly made me fall for the characters all the more. Oh, and how can I not mention Robert and Tony's tv show re-enactment! That had me laughing, and falling for those two. They are amazing. As for the big dramatic moment, that had me wanting to knock some sense into Eli. Yes he was in denial, but COME ON ELI! When his friends called him on his BS, I had to laugh. Eli continued to deny, but everyone knew. Eli just needed to come to the realization on his own. All in all, this book just made my heart happy. I was smiling constantly. I swooned a few times. And at the office scene toward the end, some tears may have fallen.

Decidedly with Wishes was such a fantastic book. It has some fun tropes involved, and it was a book that I could not put down. This may have been my first Stina Lindenblatt book, but it will not be my last. This book was simply amazing, and I loved the entire story.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Laura


Bucket List Rule #1: Be careful who finds your list.

 

Oops.

 

 As the future CEO of my grandmother’s fashion empire, I’m not supposed to want to design a line of fancy dresses for girls with special needs. But when I pull out all the stops and present my vision to my grandmother, she agrees to let me try on one very questionable condition.

 

The condition?

 

I have to complete every item on the bucket list I wrote in college.

 

Challenge accepted.

 

Only, this is the same bucket list that includes going on a date with a hot hockey player, riding a horse, kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower…oh, and finding a husband.

 

The first one is where NHL player Eli Lawson comes in.

 

***

When my matchmaking mother sets me up with a date for my cousin’s wedding, I tell her the only thing I can…that I’m bringing my girlfriend.

 

Except, I don’t have one.

 

And I certainly don’t have someone who will spend a week with me in Copper Creek, Montana for the wedding festivities. 

 

When workaholic Nala Johnson wins a date with me at a charity auction, I think I’ve found the perfect solution to my problem. Even better when she tells me about her bucket list. Because I’m just the man to help her with it.

 

I mean, how difficult can it be to find her a husband?



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Meet Stina Lindenblatt

Born in Brighton England, USA Today bestselling author Stina Lindenblatt has lived in a number of countries, including England, the US, Finland, and Canada. 

This would explain her mixed up accent. 


She has a kinesiology degree and a MSc in sports biological sciences. 


In addition to writing fiction, she loves photography, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband and three kids. 


Connect with Stina Lindenblatt


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Thank you to Stina Lindenblatt and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing me with an advanced copy of Decidedly With Wishes.

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Touchstone {a review}


Touchstone by Karen Stivali is one of the new releases in the Speakeasy Taproom series, and it was so good! If you like small town romances, then this is one to read.

Phoebe, our heroine, recently went through a VERY public breakup with her boyfriend. How public was this breakup? Well someone in the restaurant was live tweeting the entire thing, took pictures, and videos, and it went viral. So now, not only was Phoebe single, she was also with out a job. You see her and her ex were co-owners of a restaurant in New York, and he ousted her from the business as well. Phoebe had worked so hard on everything, and now it was for nothing. She's devastated, and understandably so. The next day, Phoebe finds out from her friend that she's everywhere on social media. Phoebe doesn't know what to do. She has no place to live (lease was in her boyfriend's name), and no job. That is until her friend tells her about an opportunity up in Vermont. A local brewery is looking to launch a gastropub, and Phoebe would be the perfect fit. Not only that, but her friend was able to line up a rental for her as well. When Phoebe arrives at the house in Vermont, she's met by Sam. Sam is staying in the main house, and will be her landlord slash neighbor, her landneighbor. Sam has recently returned to the area and he is still healing from a breakup that happened years ago. He's put up walls, and is determined not to let anyone in. Sam is a jack of all trades, but currently is working at his family's store. Sam is also into crystals, tarot, and pretty much all things new age. Every morning Sam starts his day by drawing two tarot cards, and well this morning he drew two cards that would indicate he's about to meet his soulmate. Sam's not buying it though, the cards must mean something else. But what if they are correct?

Touchstone had such a cute story. I know. I just used cute to describe a romance novel. But really it was. It was very Hallmark Movie-esque. From the small town, to the meet-cute, to just how everything fell into place, to the dramatic moment, to the HEA. Just add in a good bit of steamy moments. Also Sam's grandma and his aunt are awesome. I loved the addition of those two characters. Rose and Iris are just wonderful. I will say reading Touchstone made me hungry. Every time Phoebe would be describing the food she was making, all I could think was "that sounds good". Both Sam and Phoebe are extremely likable characters, and I can picture myself wandering the town with them. As for the big dramatic moment for our couple, I love how that played out. No I didn't like to see either of them hurting, but just how all of it played out. All in all I just adored Touchstone. I want more of the world. More of the characters. More of it all. Thankfully this is part of a multi-author series, so I can revisit the Speakeasy Taproom any time.

If a book that reads like a steamy Hallmark movie is something you'd enjoy, then I recommend you go download Touchstone. If you just like small town romances, then go download Touchstone. Or if you like romance novels that feature a chef, then you know what to do. 

Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Laura



Cover Design by
Elle Maxwell Designs


Sam doesn't think love is in the cards. The cards disagree.

When Phoebe Stevens' life implodes in a spectacularly public fashion, she's desperate to escape Manhattan. So the offer of a job setting up a new Vermont gastropub couldn’t come at a better time. Driving a U-Haul on winding mountain roads is Phoebe's personal version of hell. But when the caretaker of her guesthouse answers the door tousled, shirtless, and baking cinnamon rolls, her first impression of Vermont dramatically improves.

Sam Trembley believes everyone gets one true love, but he’s already blown his chance. He's spent five years avoiding relationships. Now he’s back in Colebury where sunrise tarot draws and moonlit hikes soothe his soul. But why do the tarot cards keep showing him this nonsense about soulmates? Could it have anything to do with the jaded city girl on his doorstep?

Playing tour guide is fun, but taste-testing her culinary creations as she shimmies her luscious hips around his kitchen is downright irresistible. Soon their chemistry burns hotter than the pub's wood-fired oven.

Has fate brought them together for a summer of love...or a lifetime of happiness?

Touchstone contains craving-inducing menu planning, a sassy white witch grandma, seismic sexy times, and tarot cards on a mission to prove soulmates are real.

.

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Check out the Speakeasy Taproom Series HERE!

Excerpt
I’d changed into a black tunic swing dress and capri leggings, and a gust of air flared the skirt Marilyn Monroe-style the second I stepped outside.
“Hey.” Sam’s grin was like a beacon luring me toward him. “Did you get a chance to rest from your drive?”
“Nah, but I did get in a shower. Those rainforest showerheads were amazing.”
“Glad you enjoyed them.”
Was it bad that I was hoping I’d just made him picture me naked? What was wrong with me? I was never this flirty, and not just because I’d been in a relationship the past half-decade. I just…wasn’t. “So whatcha cookin’?”
“We’ve got some jerk pork, some cilantro-lime chicken breasts, and some asparagus. There’s potato salad inside and some fiddleheads.”
“Ooh, fiddleheads. I’ve actually never had them. I thought they were only around in early spring.”
Sam shook his head, deftly turning over pork chops with his tongs. “Not up here. All depends on the winter and when the snow melts. This is a little later than usual for them to be around, but we had snow until May this year so…”
“May? Is that typical?”
He laughed. “The only thing typical about New England weather is that you can never tell what to expect.”
“I can’t imagine having snow until mid-spring. I’m used to Manhattan where a few inches slows everything to a crawl. But I do love when it snows at night. Empty New York City snow-covered streets are a thing of beauty.”
“That does sound nice. Did you grow up in the city?” Sam flipped the asparagus and lowered the lid on the grill.
“Yep. Lived there pretty much my whole life. I spent most summers at the beach, with a good friend. And I did an internship one summer during culinary school, in Boston. That’s where I met Audrey.”
“Right. Audrey. Is that how you wound up with the Speakeasy gig?”
“Yup. I needed a job and her family needed someone willing to get the gastropub up and running.”
“Sounds like divine timing.”
I shrugged and stared at my feet. Flashes of the scene that had led to me needing a job bombarded my brain. “Something like that.”
“You want a beer? Or I have soda, juice, wine…”
“Beer sounds great. Thanks.”
Sam jogged back to the house, hair bouncing. I tried to decide if he looked better coming or going. Which made me wonder what he looked like coming.
Phoebe, stop it. You’re here to do a job and make a plan for your fucked-up life, not to fuck it up more with…complications.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and focus on my surroundings. I hadn’t really looked around when we were moving all my shit into the cottage. The space between the main house and the guesthouse was no ordinary, run-of-the-mill back yard. It was surrounded on all sides by hundred-foot trees—a mix of evergreens and probably oaks, based on the acorn remnants I’d seen on the driveway. There were elaborate flower beds all around the house and a rock garden with enormous sparkling rocks—pink, gray, some sort of marble, maybe? I assumed that was a perk of owning a rock shop. And frog statues. Were they…doing yoga?
Sam appeared and handed me a chilled, bright-yellow can. The cheerful label said Sip of Sunshine IPA. “Your official welcome to Vermont.” He clinked my can with his, and we both drank.
It tasted bright and hoppy and instantly refreshed me. “I take it your aunt likes frogs?”
Sam opened the grill and plated the asparagus. “Actually, I’m to blame for the yoga frogs.” He gave the asparagus a quick squeeze of lemon and then set the plate on the wooden picnic table alongside the grill.
“Oh really?” I sipped some more, hoping to quell the fire or whatever it was that tingled through me every time Sam spoke.
“Legend has it that when I was three or four my grandmother took me to the Christmas bazaar at the all-season market, and I saw one of those frogs…” He scanned the yard. “That one, there, in the lotus pose. And decided I had to get Aunt Iris that frog for Christmas.”
“That’s adorable.”
“I was a cute kid. There’s photographic proof in some of the old photos in the house. But apparently Iris made such a huge fuss about how much she loved the frog, I got it in my head she needed another one every year. And now it’s just tradition. Every Christmas I get her some sort of frog. She took most of them with her when she moved into my grandmother’s house. There are salt and pepper shakers, creamers and sugar bowls, a teapot, bookends, a nightlight…”
“Wow. That’s dedication.”
He chuckled. “I’ve been traveling the last few years, and no matter where I was, I bought frogs wherever I saw them. I’m stocked up for a few Christmases now.”
I ran my hand over my beer can, tracing the logo. “It’s great how close you are to them. I’ve never had anything like that. Not with family at least. I’m closer to my best friend’s family than my own, but I don’t even see them much anymore.”
“I get it. Growing up, my best friend spent most of his time at my house. His parents were getting a divorce and my grandmother all but adopted him for a few years while that played out.”
“Does he still live in town?”
“Nope. He moved to Maine a few years ago. You’d probably like him—he runs a small bakery and makes crazy-good desserts.”
“Nice. Too bad he’s not closer. I’d hire him.”
Sam stuck an instant-read thermometer into one of the pork chops. “I’ll let him know in case the bakery doesn’t work out.”
“Can I help you with anything?”
He threw me that heart-stopping smile, and my insides flip-flopped. “Nope. You’re gonna be cooking for half the town soon. Tonight, let me do the cooking. Just don’t get too used to it, because I have a very small repertoire.”
“I can teach you a trick or two.”
He muffled another giggle and let his hair swing forward, but not before I caught the hint of a blush on his cheeks. For someone who rarely flirted I sure was managing to make everything I said sound sexual.





AUTHOR BIO



Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She's also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary straight and LGBTQ romances. She writes novels about love...like real life, only hotter.



Connect with Karen Stivali





Thank you to Karen Stivali, Sarina Bowen, Heart Eyes Press, and Give Me Books PR for providing me with an advanced copy of Touchstone.


Ruined Things {a review}

This is hands down one of my most anticipated reads for the month of June.

If you've been around, then you know that back in January I discovered Fragile Things and Fractured Things by Samantha Lovelock. I was immediately hooked, and could not get enough of the characters. Well then came March, and Restless Things released. The way that book ended? OH MY WORD. That cliffhanger. I can't.

That had me anticipating June 17, 2021. As that was the original release date for Ruined Things. At the beginning of June, Samantha Lovelock announced that she needed to push the date just a smidgen. While I was bummed, I completely understood her reasonings. As I think most people would.

So here we are, June 29, and Ruined Things is officially available for purchase. I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy, but you know I have my orders placed on Amazon for both the kindle copy and the paperback. How can I not? I mean my obsession is there.

Time to recap, but I need to be careful because this is a continuation of an existing story. So if you haven't read the first three books, um, exit now.

If you've read Restless Things, then you know the "villain" that was mentioned. Well that person is BACK, and they are causing issues. You also know that at the end of the book, Payne was involved in a major car wreck. Could that villain be at fault for Payne's crash? Also, that whole event that happened at the party? WHAT WAS THAT? Egads. Anyways after Payne's crash, the trio rushes to the hospital, because you know where else would someone be taken?!? Well that's about to be revealed. Also, Sunday and Payne are on the outs. Throughout this book we witness them trying to repair their relationship, and try to understand that they are destined to be together. While their relationship stuff is going on, there is also that bomb that Hali dropped. Add that with what Sunday thought she had noticed at the compound, and well I have questions! Then there was the backstory on Stella's car, and we discover the connection to the past that the car has. Oofta I didn't see that little tidbit coming, but I can see it now, and how it all ties in. Last thing I want to mention is that ending. THE ENDING! Oh Samantha Lovelock, you're trying to kill me.

Do I even need to say that I loved this book? Do I? Because it should be pretty dang obvious at this point. I am freaking obsessed with this series, the setting, the characters, all of it. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am hoping for an origins story. If not an origins story, at least a story of the parents adventures when they became the Heirs. Loved Sunday and Stella together. Loved Poe and Stella together. Payne and Sunday, well that should be obvious. I loved them, and am so glad that things are headed in the right direction. Also, the fact that we got to see Raff and Heller? They've been seriously missed. The only thing that had me a bit bummed was that I didn't get answers. In my head I imagined that Ruined Things would be the "end" of Sunday and Payne's story, and everything would wrap up nicely. Instead I'm left wanting and waiting. Rude. Also, ahem, what's up with Sunday's parents? {whispers quietly: where'd they run off to, and why?}

Obviously I'm going to tell you to read Ruined Things. If you haven't read this series yet, what are you waiting for? GO READ IT! Go get sucked into the world of Folkestone. Also, I could totally see Folkestone Sins being a TV series. And I would watch it. 

Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Laura


How do you say goodbye to the one who holds your heart?

Payne Emerson should never have been behind the wheel, or on that stretch of road. It’s all my fault. The nightmare I feared most has come true and the boy I love is paying for my mistakes.

No matter how loud my screams or how deafening the sound of my heartbreak, he can’t hear me.

I am alone in this fight.

But I am fierce in my love.

And I will find out who did this.

My name is Sunday Grace Easton, and it’s time to make them regret the day they decided to take him from me.

Ruined Things is the fourth book in the suspense-filled Folkestone Sins series. While it is possible to be read along with the third book as a duet, to have the best reader experience it’s recommended to begin the series with book one, Fragile Things, where the characters and their world are introduced. As it is part of an ongoing series, this book does end on a cliffhanger.

This is a friends to lovers, angsty, mature new adult high school romance with a twist. It contains situations and flashbacks that may trigger some readers, including drug use, mental health issues, foul language, and scenes of a sexual nature.


One Click Ruined Things HERE!
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Other books in the series


Fragile Things
Amazon
Goodreads

Fractured Things
Restless Things
Amazon
Goodreads



Meet Samantha Lovelock

Samantha Lovelock is a sarcastic individual with a decent sense of humour, darknesses hidden in mind-closets that occasionally Jack-in-The-Box her unsuspecting ass, and a love and loyalty for her friends and family that runs deeper than any ocean. Her guy means the world to her, and so does her cat; sometimes even in that order. Her Mum is her hero, hands down. She proudly wears the crown of a Queen of Innuendo, and of Name That Tune, and has never met a cliffhanger she didn’t like. She lives in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies with her British cowboy and their Norwegian Forest Cat, Winston Churchill.

★Facebook ★Instagram ★Reader Group ★BookBub ★Newsletter ★Website ★Goodreads ★TikTok ★Twitter ★Spotify ★Amazon


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Thank you to Samantha Lovelock and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing me with an advanced copy of Ruined Things.


My Lucky #13 {a review}


My name is Laura, and I am obsessed with hockey romance. It all started back in October of 2019, and I've been going strong ever since. I also happen to be a big fan of the amazing writing duo, Piper Rayne. So when they announced that they were in the process of writing a hockey romance series, I was ALL IN. All three books were immediately pre-ordered. Then they announced the novella {countdown to a kiss}, and I immediately downloaded that, read it, and posted a mini review.

Well today is the day, and My Lucky #13 is available for purchase. If you are a hockey romance fan like I am, then go read this book.

Let's recap a bit shall we. If you read Countdown to a Kiss, then you know how Aiden and Saige met. If you haven't read it, they meet at a NYE party that is hosted by the owner of the Florida Fury. Saige is attending with Joran, and Joran happens to be Aiden's agent. Joran is telling Aiden that management isn't happy with his performance lately, and there are rumors of a trade happening. Aiden needs to fix whatever is wrong, and fast. Aiden doesn't believe in superstitions though, he fully believes that in time everything will work itself out. Flash forward to the party Saige is being ignored by Joran. Aiden and Saige begin to talk, are hitting it off, and then Saige throws a wine in Aiden's face. At the next game, Aiden is back on track. Even though he doesn't believe in superstitions, Aiden is wondering if there isn't some validity to them, and he tracks down Saige to have her douse him in wine again. Turns out it works. And then Aiden comes up with a plan that will benefit Saige's company, and allow him to continue having success on the ice. What happens next is a friendship that turns into a slow burn romance, that then turns into an HEA for the couple.

Honestly there's more to the story than wine and travel. I left out the part where Aiden wants nothing to do with social media, and it's all due to something that happened years ago. Meanwhile for Saige it's her job. She handles the social media for many athletes, and she is working on rebuilding Aiden's social media presence while also increasing exposure for her company. Aiden, being the good guy that he is, is hesitant to advance the relationship beyond friendship. After all Saige is dating Joran. Or is she. 

I fully enjoyed My Lucky #13, and am excited to see where this story goes. I fell hard for the characters, and so help me, Piper Rayne had better give Tedi her HEA. That woman is a riot, and I have a feeling her book would be full of humorous moments. Loved the characters, loved the setting, management is irritating me, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. In Lucky #13, I loved the connection that Aiden has with his family. That just warmed my heart. I loved the steamy moments, the dates, the friendship, all of it. Really the only thing I had issue with was management, and the fact that Saige never told Aiden that she wasn't with Joran any longer. That's it. Those are my two issues. One last thing, at the end of the book when Saige did what she did for Aiden, I cheered. Legit shouted YAY! 

Hockey romance + slow burn + Piper Rayne + new series = success

Cannot wait to see where this series goes, and I recommend that you read it.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Laura



Lucky.

The one adjective used to describe my entire hockey career. I prefer to call it hard work, at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games and my team owner is talking about trading me. 

 

I’ve never believed in superstitions. 


Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate. I’d wear the same socks for an entire year just to be the high-scoring center I used to be. 

 

Imagine my surprise when after spending New Year’s Eve with a woman, I score a hat trick in the next game—that’s three goals in one game for you non-hockey lovers. 


Now, I have to track  her down and bribe her to do it again before every game. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not talking about it.

 

I find her and when I get to know her better, I end up spending more time thinking about her than my game, but she’s made it clear she wants no part of me. She’s going to learn that I didn’t become a professional hockey player without having to fight for what I want.



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Meet Piper Rayne: 
Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we're not one author, we're two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have "Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle" (okay...you caught us, that's our tagline). 

 A little about us.... We both have kindle's full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too. 

 Connect with Piper Rayne:
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Thank you to Piper Rayne and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing me with an advanced copy of My Lucky #13.


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