What I Read Last Week

Hello April!

This last week I had a spectacular week. So many wonderful books read, characters met, settings visited. I swooned, I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw my kindle, and I loved every single moment of it. There were also so many fantastic tropes: enemies to lovers, small town, sports, second chance, age gap, college, single dad, surprise pregnancy, plus so many others. LOVED IT!

Last week I read 9, yes I said 9, books. That's ridiculous I know. I will say that I read two on Saturday, and I regret nothing. Also I had started The Edge of Forgiveness last Sunday, and finished it on Monday, so I had a jump start. Of the nine books that I read, five of them were advanced copies. The other four were either recent purchases due to TikTok, or freebies from the stock your kindle event, or just ones that were already on my kindle. 

Tell me about your week. What did you read? Any favorites? Any that you just didn't vibe with? Any recommendations for me? Have you ever read a book that TikTok recommended? I read two this week, and one I absolutely loved, while the other was just so so.

Happy Reading,
Laura

 The Edge of Forgiveness by Kristin Turnage

I'm not going to say much here as I devoted an entire post to TEOF. Hunter and Courtney's story was wonderful. It was emotional. It was intense at times. There is so much pain and heartache. There is also healing and understanding. There is family found, and a forever beginning. Could not put this book down. *please note there is no preorder for this book yet. I have linked to the author's amazon page.

Guarding Georgia by Anna Brooks

I forgot how much I enjoy books by Anna Brooks. When I started reading Guarding Georgia it all came flooding back. Of course I think the fact that this book takes place in Warrensville plays a part. After all that is where I met, and fell, for the Ryder family. Guarding Georgia was full of romance, and I loved the second chance trope in this book. Now I will be honest I struggled with everything that happened with Georgia's Dad, as well as with Tad. I was not fully prepared for that. Yet I was able to get through that with the relationship between Beau and Georgia. Plus there was Beau's family that I also adored. Also, Georgia's mom and that storyline? YES! I will definitely be returning for more of the Small Town Saviors series.

Made for Us by Natasha Madison

Natasha Madison did it again. She wrote this story that pulled m in, had me falling for the characters, and has me wanting to live in this world. I need the Grant/Horton/Stone+ family to adopt me, or at least befriend me. PLEASE! Abigail and Tristan's story was good. I loved the bond that Abigail has with Penelope, aka Tristan's daughter. That  bond was formed years ago, and it continues to remain strong. The attraction between Tristan and Abigail was good also. It's been building, enhancing, and is difficult to ignore. All it takes is a vacation for things to ramp up, and act upon needs. Of course that one night together lead to so much more. Made For Us was filled with heartache, frustration, longing, desire, and so much reality mixed in. Tristan was replaying things in his past, while Abigail was trying to figure things out and protect herself. She had imagined one thing, while he was imagining forever. Made For Us was a really good story. I loved the family interaction, the family vacation, and the bond that is there. The Grant/Horton/Stone+ family takes their friends under their wings and adds them to the mix. They've essentially adopted those who mean the world to them. I also love how the family isn't afraid to call their other family members out for their behavior/actions. Every time I finish a book, by Natasha, I find myself getting even more excited for the next. Her storytelling and characters are amazing.

Rule Number Five by J Wilder

TikTok made me read it. Seriously. Rule Number Five popped up so many times on my FYP that I downloaded it. I read it that same day, and absolutely LOVED this book. I highlighted so many quotes/scenes, and I regret nothing. This has me wanting to read more from J Wilder. The premise is simple: 2 college students meet at a bar, things are going great until she reveals her rules and he says he's a hockey player, she declines any advances because he's a hockey player, the chase is on as rules are meant to be broken, attraction, proximity, forever. While the premise is simple and standard it is the scenes (and lines) in this book that had me hooked. “You don’t wear anyone’s number but mine.” “If I can’t have forever, please don’t take away right now.” I went into a little more detail over on Goodreads if you'd like to read more of my review.

Kellan by Anna Blakely

This book took me by surprise. It had been sitting on my kindle for a while now, and I decided to give it a go. First things first, this book should have had a trigger/content warning. The prologue, what happened between Mia and her husband, I wasn't ready for it. If I'm going to be reading a book that kicks off with violence against a spouse, I want to be notified of that first so that I can prepare myself for what is going to play out.  Now obviously I continued reading, and I worked through those tough scenes that occurred. When Mia met Kellan that was when things really picked up suspense/action wise. That suspenseful storyline was what kept me reading the book. The relationship between Mia and Kellan it was good, but it was way too insta-love. Them falling was at warp speed. I get that forced proximity might have played a part, but it was too quick (for me). I went back and forth on my rating. My initial thought was 4 stars because of the suspense/action. Then as I sat with it a bit more I realized that it's more of a 3. The rapid instalove and lack of content/trigger warning is what pushed me back. I do want to continue with this series though.

Hardball by Lisa Suzanne

It's over. Cooper and Gabby's story is complete. I don't know how to move on quite yet. There was so much that happened in this book, and I adored the majority of it. I wanted to smack Troy. I wanted to shake Cooper. I wanted to hug Gabby. I found myself wanting to yell. There was so much pain and heartache in this final installment. UGH! Yet at the end of the day the right thing was done, a forever was put into the works, and the family was growing. I was proud of Cooper when he said what he said. Loved this entire series. I do still have questions though as I feel like a couple of storylines were not wrapped up, but it is what it is. I did like the setup for the next season though! Also I would love it if we could get a separate book about Troy and Joanie.

Playboy Playmaker by Maren Moore

It's the final book in the Totally Pucked series! I'm not okay with this. Not at all. Hudson's story just felt full circle in a way. Especially with Chaney being, well, Chaney. Plus all the guys being around. It was a good way to wrap things up. I fully admit that I binge read this book. The moment it arrived on my kindle, I was fully invested. I've been tortured with teasers for a bit now, and so to finally be able to dive into the book was just needed. I'm all for this secret, forbidden, age gap romance. Caroline could not be a better partner for Hudson. Add in that bit of proximity, and it just gave their relationship (that wasn't a relationship) that much more room to build. Playboy Playmaker is HOT. Hudson has a mouth on him, and oofta! I may have blushed once or twice. When their relationship (that wasn't a relationship) became public I was worried for them both. I wasn't certain how other parties would handle this news. Heck I wasn't certain how our characters would handle the news. Thankfully it all worked out in the end.  There was another relationship starting in this book though too. With the volunteer position that Hudson took on, he met Wren. This young man needed someone in his corner, and Hudson stepped up. Hudson stepped into that parent role easily, and let Wren know that this was a safe space to land. That he would be there for him any time. Wren found a family like atmosphere with Hudson and Caroline (and I'm sure with the entire Avalanche team). While I'm not ready to say goodbye to this cast of characters, I am ready to see what Maren has planned. Maren has a way with words, characters, and always brings the steam. I love escaping into her books, and look forward to the future.

Flawless by Elsie Silver

I wanted to love this book. Especially since I adored the Gold Rush Ranch series. Yet something was missing from Flawless. That same spark wasn't there. I found myself annoyed by Kip, and did not like any scene that he appeared in. I loved the protectiveness that Rhett offered. Sidney I didn't really "bond" with. She was a missed opportunity in a way. I did like the relationship and how that built. Honestly there were times that I was more interested in the bull riding scenes than the rest of the book. I am ready to return to Chestnut Springs though, especially since the other brothers have caught my attention.

That One Night by Emily Rath

I had recently purchased Pucking Around by Emily Rath, and I noticed it said to read That One Night first. So I did. There is very little plot to this story. It's mostly steam. Plus it ends on a cliffhanger. You had better believe I'm jumping into Pucking Around asap! TikTok has been recommending this book constantly, and I need to see what happens after this novella. I'll be honest, the female main character isn't my favorite, but I'm still intrigued.

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Thank you!

Thank you to the authors who provided me with advanced copies of their books.
(Kristin Turnage, Maren Moore, Anna Brooks, Natasha Madison, Lisa Suzanne)