17 Fabulous Reads for May

Can you believe that it's time to talk about the new releases that I'm anticipating for May? I'm in denial. If it's May, then it's almost the end of the school year. End of the school year means my kids will be on summer break, and my life will be chaotic again. Gotta love my kids and the chaos that ensues.

As of right now there are 17 books that have my attention for May. Now there is a rumor of another title, and one of the books on this list may be pushed to June. It's all very flexible, and I'm okay with that. Seven of the books I have mentioned below are sports romance. Are we even surprised by this? Yeah, I didn't think so. At this point in my reading life, it's just best to expect that a handful (or more) are going to be sports related. I'm obsessed.

Speaking of one of the TBD books, January James said late May or sometime in June for Twisted Vines. So I have it on my list, but my gut tells me it will be in June. Therefore there is no cover, no blurb, and no links. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Tell me which new releases are on your list! Any that I should keep an eye out for? Are any of the books I mentioned on your list?

Happy Reading,
Laura

When I Come Home by Maisie Myers

Release Date: May 1
Tropes: Small Town, Second Chance, Enemies to Lovers
Add to TBR

I left a trail of burned bridges, broken trust and shattered hearts behind me when I left my small town of Tupelo six years ago to chase fame and glittering lights in Hollywood.

But now I'm back.

And though the town still looks the same as it always did, everything about my home is different now.

People stare but never speak to me and my old friends don't know what to say anymore.

Then there's him.

Cole Mesaric. The mechanic with oil on his hands and a new girlfriend hanging off his arm. The boy from my past who I haven't stopped thinking about since the day I left.

He hates me most of all.

Can I ever make him forgive me? Or will I only make the same mistakes and tear him apart all over again?

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Release Date: May 2
Tropes: Fantasy, College, Suspense
Add to TBR

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda―because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Iced Out by Veronica Eden

Release Date: May 8
Tropes: Sports Romance, Forced Proximity
Add to TBR

Dancing on bartops means the night is going great. Exiting the bar hauled over the shoulder of Heston University’s infamous hockey captain? Not my idea of a good time.

But my would-be knight would have to do. I needed an escape route from my brother…his biggest rival.

Easton Blake is the perfect reminder of why I avoid hockey players.

Cocky.
Frustratingly sexy.
Accustomed to every girl in his orbit falling for his charm.

With his sultry smile that tells me he knows all the ways to make girls come undone with his touch, I’m almost the next score on his stats. Except I have no time for distractions when I’m focused on graduating early. Gaining Easton’s attention wasn’t part of my plans. Of course, from the moment he catches me shaking my assets on the bar, he decides I’m his next goal.

Instead of sticking to my own rules, I do something I shouldn’t: I dare him to try.

Easton’s never met a challenge he wouldn’t accept. He makes it clear he won’t be iced out without convincing me to give him a chance.

I swore off hockey players for a reason. Can I risk making the same mistake again?

Skating the Blue Line by Jocelyne Soto

Release Date: May 11
Tropes: Sports Romance, Close Proximity, Surprise Pregnancy
Add to TBR

My whole life, I have only dreamt of being one thing.
A ballerina.
From the age of three, I was obsessed with tutus, leotards, pointe shoes and everything that dancing had to offer.
After years of hard work, sweat and tears, I finally was able to make the dreams of the little girl in me come true.
Years later, I’m dancing for one of the most respected companies in the world, leaving out a dream and living the best life that I could have ever imagined.
Everything was going according to how I’d mapped it out.
Except…
I hadn’t mapped out two little blue lines skating into my life after a one night stand.
Now, there’s a possibility of me losing the dream I worked so hard to achieve.
And it’s all thanks to a professional hockey player with pretty eyes and a nice smile.

On The Line by Julia Connors

Release Date: May 12
Tropes: Second Chance, Sports Romance, Single Mom, Single Bed, Enemies to Lovers
Add to TBR

My marriage wasn’t perfect, but my husband’s unexpected death yanks away my sense of security and leaves me floundering.

Enter Jameson Flynn, former NHL star and my late husband’s sports agent, who’s back in my life as the executor of the will. Things between us are as contentious as when we worked together five years ago, except now we’re working together to navigate all of the secrets and deceptions my husband left behind.

I remember Jameson as arrogant, condescending, and heartless. And yet, he repeatedly shows up for me and my daughters – helping me pick up the broken pieces and put my life back together.

Now I’m seeing a side of him he only reveals to people he truly cares about. He’s protective in a way I didn’t know I’d like, caring in a way I didn’t know he was capable of, and still sexy as hell.

The problem is, he broke my heart a long time ago. But the closer I get to Jameson, the more I see that the only thing easier than hating him might actually be loving him.

 

The Sneak Peak by Victoria Wilder

Release Date: May 12
Tropes: Small Town, Single Dad, Age Gap, Forced Proximity, Nanny
Add to TBR

My Best Friend. Young. Tempting.

She bid on me at my company’s charity auction and won. Back then, she was too young, with hearts in her eyes and her whole life ahead of her. That’s how we started, and after all this time, she’s become my best friend.

Being a single dad of twins and running Colorado's most successful summer sports company requires control and focus. Both of which are slipping through my fingers.

I just crashed her date and watched her kiss another man. The whole time her eyes were on me.

Now, she’s living in my house, nannying my kids for the summer, and saying she wants to “explore” things that drip with the kind of filthy curiosity that I crave.

I don’t want her to have anyone else, but I know it'll change us if I take what I want. And, if we destroy our friendship it’ll ruin me. Or worse, end up breaking my kid’s hearts and hers.

The Problem with Second Chances by Piper Rayne

Release Date: May 16
Tropes: Second Chance, Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Childhood Sweethearts
Add to TBR

For Rylan Greene and me, it was simple. Love only got us so far.

I’ve known him since we were six, long before he became the professional soccer star he is now. We’ve weaved in and out of one another’s lives as rivals, teammates, friends, and lovers. Until three years ago, when my life took a hit and I ran back to my small Alaskan town, Lake Starlight, away from anything or anyone that could hurt me.

He’s never far from my mind, a constant pining ache in my heart, but I’ve convinced myself I’m better off. But now, my best friend announces her engagement and that means Rylan will return home to stand as best man to her fiancé.

He’ll be back in my orbit for three whole weeks… but I can easily keep my distance. Sure, we’ll have to walk arm in arm down the aisle together, he’ll hold me close during the bridal party dance and we’ll stand for pictures next to each other. Nothing I can’t handle.

I’m so naïve though because he’s not in town for more than twenty-four hours before he knocks on my door. I should know by now, that the two of us will never be finished business.

Throne of Sin by Emily Bowie

Release Date: May 16
Tropes: Mafia, Dark, Single Mom, Second Chance
Add to TBR

When I walked into a gentlemen's club looking for a job, the last man I expected to see was the boy next door, whose heart I broke all those years ago.

Dante Mancini is all grown up.
He’s changed.
Dangerous.
Hardened.
Mafia.

He’s so handsome I’ll never be able to trust myself near him. Dante is and always has been my kryptonite. One look, one touch is all it will take for me to spill my deepest secrets and that will only break us more.
Desperate times call for desperate action and now he owns me.
I can't run from my past. A single kiss has me craving things I can’t have. It causes a tiny flame of hope in my chest, fueling our inferno of chemistry.
But our past is waiting.
Dante might be a made-man but I’m the true villain in our story.

Don't Say Goodbye by Nola Marie

Release Date: May 17
Tropes: Age Gap, Second Chance, Small Town, Forbidden
Add to TBR

Blurb to come

Lost to the Moon by Meg Anne and K Loraine

Release Date: May 22
Tropes: Paranormal, Why Choose
Add to TBR

It’s the end of the world as you know it…

At least it will be, if my dear despicable mum gets her way. I, however, happen to be quite fond of some of the toys I’ve discovered on this plane. Ma petite monstre, for starters.

But the plague is spreading, taking no prisoners, and I’m trapped and at the mercy of a deal I made with Rosie. If Pestilence succeeds, I’ll lose everything I’ve rightfully stolen.

What a waste that would be.

Then I’d be left in the cold and my mate would end up with them.

Her vampire duke.
Her over-protective wolf.
Her cocky shifter.
Her human hybrid.

That just won’t do. Not without her delectable demon topping the list. That’s right. Topping.

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to redeem myself in her eyes, not after everything I’ve done. I am the villain of this story, after all. What? I did warn you. It’s not my fault you didn’t believe me.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret about villains: They’re a whole lot of fun, and if you’re not willing to lie, possess, or steal for the things you want, well can you even say you deserve them?

Unfortunately, if mummy wins, none of that matters and we all lose.

So, I suppose I’ll have to do what I can to stop the Apocalypse if I want to enjoy the prize I worked so hard to claim.

You don’t have to thank me.

I’m not doing it for you.

Crushed by Elise Faber

Release Date: May 23
Tropes: Sports Romance, Forbidden, Workplace
Add to TBR

She was everything he shouldn’t want.
He was going to take her anyway.

Once Lily had fit the role of an annoying little sister.
But then she’d gone and grown up—become all woman and one he shouldn’t want.
She was off-limits, or should be, anyway. She worked for the San Francisco Gold, worked for the same team he played for. But that wasn’t the only reason she was off-limits.
Lily was the daughter of the man who had been more of a father than his own.
So Will couldn’t have her, couldn’t risk taking her.
Except…his body and heart weren’t listening to reason.
Because Lily had become the woman he wanted more than anything else.

Never Say Never by Rue Lennox

Release Date: May 23
Tropes: Small Town, Police, 
Add to TBR

It’s almost impossible to resist a bad boy that’s a good man… and that’s exactly what Travis Masterson is.

Scoring the Player by Rebecca Jenshak

Release Date: May 23
Tropes: Sports Romance, College, Opposites Attract
Add to TBR

Valley U’s hottest QB has heard in detail how I want to climb him like a tree.
One viral video and my life as a wallflower is over.
Felix Walters knows exactly how I feel about him—so does everyone else on campus.
It was supposed to be a private conversation between friends.
Now I’m the butt of every joke and everywhere I turn all eyes are on me.
It’s every shy girl’s nightmare.
Except now the hottest guy on campus wants to be my fake boyfriend.
Six weeks. Just pretend.
I’m a wallflower fake dating Valley U's hottest player.

Off Ice Collision by Cali Melle

Release Date: May 25
Tropes: Sports Romance, College, Grumpy/Sunshine
Add to TBR

Vaughn
One moment in time, one freak accident, and my entire hockey career was over.

Two years had passed since my injury and I am still mentally struggling with this loss.

Mad at the world and everyone in it, I sought solace at my parents' lake house for the summer.

It was supposed to be somewhere for me to be alone and heal.

But when London Hayes walks back into my life, the universe has different plans.

And I need to find a way to derail them because I refuse to drag her down with me.

London
It had been over two years since I'd last seen Vaughn Carter.

And he feels like a stranger.

Cold and distant, abrasive and angry.

He’s a shell of a person compared to the version I used to know, but I know he’s still in there.

Somewhere deep inside is the boy I used to love, but he needs help finding himself again.

And I won’t be the one to give up on him, even if it costs me my own heart in the end.

Hate You Always by Jennifer Sucevic

Release Date: May 26
Tropes: Sports Romance, College, Friends to Lovers
Add to TBR

It all starts with a bucket list and a romance novel…
I’ve known Ryder McAdams my entire life. We’re neighbors and our families are besties. He’s also friends and teammates with my younger brother, Maverick.
But Ryder and me?
We’ve never been close. In fact, I’ve always gotten the distinct impression he doesn’t like me very much. He goes out of his way to ignore me.
Know what makes it worse?
The electricity that hums in the air every time our gazes collide. It sizzles through my body until I feel it in the tips of my fingers and toes. Whoever said that you can’t control who you’re attracted to was, unfortunately, right.
I’ve done my best to stomp it out.
We’ve been at Western for three years and only come in contact when forced to interact. He’s busy partying it up and getting it on with his fangirl club. I’ve spent most of my college experience studying at the library so I can apply to the med school of my choice.
One drunken night changes everything when Ryder takes me home and finds the bucket list I wrote before freshman year.
Know how many things I’ve ticked off since then?
Zero. Zilch. Nada.
For some strange reason, Ryder decides he’ll be the one to help tackle each item before graduation.
That would be all fine and good, except there’s some pretty schmexy stuff on there…
Like the big O.

Wounded Things by Samantha Lovelock

Release Date: TBD
Tropes: New Adult, Opposites Attract
Add to TBR

A single kiss, a deadly mistake, and a shocking secret that might be the only thing that can save us all.

Gorgeous, ridiculously wealthy, and too smart for my own good—that's how people describe me. To the outside world, I'm the total package. Girls want me, and guys want to be me.

If they only knew the truth.

Like a fancy hood ornament on an expensive car, the sole purpose of my existence has been to increase my parents' status. As long as I go to the college they choose, only date girls they approve of, and don't embarrass them, they completely ignore me. To them I'm not a person, I'm an accessory. Over the years I learned to play my part without complaint, believing my future was already written.

Until I met her.

Beautiful and driven, the girl my parents would definitely deem unacceptable wants nothing to do with me and I have no idea why. I'm used to getting what I want, and I want her. In this game of wills, she's already lost.

She just doesn't know it yet.

Twisted Vines by January James

Release Date: TBD
Tropes: Billionaire, Gothic
Add to TBR

Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!

I'm So Excited For These Books!

A new month means new releases! 

These are the TEN books that are releasing in February, and I cannot wait to read them. As I was compiling this list, I realized that 9 out of the 10 books are sports romance. I'm not complaining one bit, it's just a tad excessive. I'll have to be sure to read some non-sports romance books this month to balance it out. Maybe.

Let's jump into my list.

December Anticipated Reads

“In the winter she curls up around a good book and dreams away the cold.”

–Ben Aaronovitch

The last month of the year is almost upon us! Can you believe that? I'm a little shocked. It feels as though I was just returning to my blog, catching up on things, and getting used to my kids being in school again. Then I blinked, and here we are. 

December brings a lot of fun happenings for my family, as well as Christmas and New Years Eve. I'm looking forward to it all.

What I'm also looking forward to are these new releases! I have 16 books on my anticipated reads list, and my goal is to read them all. You'll have to wait for my monthly wrap up (to be posted in January) to see what I actually read. Don't want to wait? Follow me on Goodreads!

Let's jump into the books.

November Anticipated Reads

Fear not November’s challenge bold

We’ve books and friends,

And hearths that never can grow cold:

These make amends!

Alexander Louis Fraser, November

Can you believe November is only days away? As per usual I am in denial about this. November brings election day, my oldest daughter's birthday, and of course Thanksgiving. This month will be filled with family, friends, and memories. I can't wait!

November also means a new month of anticipated reads! I have a long list, and I am giddy.

What's on my anticipated list? Allow me to share with you!

May Anticipated Releases

Can you believe it's already time to talk about books releasing in May? 

I know! I mean it seems as though I was just sharing my anticipated reads for April. Yet some how, here we are.

So I have ELEVEN books on my anticipated reads list. I know. You want to know what's not funny? They're all in the second half of the month.  And I really want to read them all on their release dates. (well unless I can some how score an ARC, and then there is the chance of reading in advance) Yes I want to read them on their release dates because I want to read these books, but also because I want to share my thoughts here on the blog. Oh and all the books are continuations of series, or spin-offs. Sorry, not sorry.

What are the ELEVEN books? Well, I'm glad you asked.

Weekly Wrap Up

It's that time again my friends! It's time to talk about the books that I read last week.

Last week was a quiet week here in our household. The only major happening was my oldest turned 14! I'm in denial about this, as well as the fact that he's starting high school in the fall. Time, you need to slow down. Please.

As for this week, well it's my birthday week! And I kicked it off by being selected as a random winner in Xavier Neal's Facebook group. So yay me. I'll be getting some sort of goodie bag from her. As for celebrating, well I did try to convince my husband to take my birthday off from work, but I don't think it's happening. My husband is going to pick up a cake, and it sounds like he's taking the kids out tonight to grab a present.

Okay back to talking about books. What a week it was! OH MY WORD. It was nothing short of phenomenal. I mean on Sunday alone I read 3 books. THREE! Okay yes, one was a novella, but still. Oofta.

Let's talk about my stats. Last week, I read

8 Books

6 were ARCs

1, 848 Pages

My favorite book of the week was Savage Queen by Alley Ciz. This book was so dang good. The fact that it ended on a cliffhanger made me want to throw my kindle. Now I'll just be eagerly anticipating Ruthless Noble which is rumored to be releasing sometime in June 2021.

Now that you know my favorite read, let's go through the books I read. (and yes, they are posted in order.)

1) Bad Crush

by Rebecca Jenshak
Rating: 4 Stars

Bad Crush is the second book in the Campus Nights series by Rebecca Jenshak. It is is a new adult romance, and features many tropes that I love. Such as friends to lovers, fake engagement, and best friend's sibling. Oh, Ethan is also a hockey player, so Bad Crush is a sports romance as well. I loved the setting, loved the characters, I felt a range of emotions while reading, and was not ready for it to be over.

Bad Crush is releasing on April 27, 2021.  Add it to your Goodreads, or preorder on Amazon.

2) Caged

by Elise Faber
Rating: 4 Stars

Caged by Elise Faber is the 11th book in the Gold Hockey series, and I seriously think this might be my favorite. I know. I know. Simply put, Caged gave me everything I want in a romance novel. Add in the fact that it is hockey romance, and that just adds to my love. I want more of Dani and Ethan.

Caged released on April 12, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, or purchase it on Amazon.

3) The Best Man

by Lydia Michaels
Rating: 4 Stars

The Best Man by Lydia Michaels is the second book in the Jasper Falls series, and it was fabulous. I know above I said I gave it 4 stars, but in my comments on Goodreads I said 4.5 stars. There was just something about Patrick and Julie that captured my attention. Maybe it was everything Julie went through. Maybe it was the fact that Patrick had loved her for the majority of their lives, and he finally told her. The Best Man was very close to getting five stars from me. So why didn't I? Honestly I just wanted a bit more from the story. At times it felt rushed. So that held me back.

The Best Man releases on April 27, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, or purchase on Amazon.

4) Anchored Hearts

by Priscilla Oliveras
Rating: 3 Stars

Anchored Hearts by Priscilla Oliveras is the second book in the Keys to Love series. Above I said 3 stars, and that is what I marked it as on Goodreads, but really I feel it is more of a 3.5 star book. The story was good. Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, so I was looking forward to that. Loved the setting, and was intrigued by the characters. That being said, in my mind the focus of the story wasn't so much on the romance between Alejandro and Anamaria, but more so on the strained relationships and the families. I guess I went into the book expecting one thing, and left a bit let down.

Anchored Hearts is releasing on April 27, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, or purchase on Amazon.

5) Smolder

by Emma Renshaw
Rating: 4 Stars

Smolder by Emma Renshaw is the fourth, and final, book in the Burn series. This book had me crying in the prologue. Oh that opening gutted me. My heart hasn't quite recovered yet. If you like romance books with a little suspense, then GRAB THIS BOOK! Just prepare yourself to feel all the feelings, and to go on this ride with Makenna and Colt.

Smolder is releasing on April 27, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, or purchase on Amazon.

6) Savage Queen

by Alley Ciz
Rating: 4 Stars

Hey look, it's my favorite book of the week! Savage Queen by Alley Ciz is the first book in the Royalty Crew duet, and OH MY WORD. I actually am giving this book 4.5 stars, but you know Goodreads and not being allowed to give half stars. Now, if you've been around, you know that I am a it obsessed with the Folkestone Sins series by Samantha Lovelock. Well, Savage Queen gave me major Folkestone vibes. Just on the east coast. Seriously, if you like the enemies to lovers trope , then go grab this one. Just trust me. Oh, but prepare yourself for the cliffhanger. 

Savage Queen releases on April 29, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, or purchase on Amazon.

7) Mason

by Megan O'Brien
Rating: 4 Stars

Mason by Megan O'Brien is a spin off of her Ride MC series That being said, Mason is not a member of the club, instead Mason is a professional football player, and he immediately fell for Ellie. The moment she walked into his room, he had to know this woman. This story was so good. I can't even fully put it into words. If you like instalove, then give Mason a try. If you like alpha males in your stories, then read this one. The book also has a bit of suspense and that is when you get to see Mason go into protector mode. It was so good. 

Mason is releasing on May 3, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, and purchase on Amazon.

8) Countdown to a Kiss

by Piper Rayne
Rating: 4 Stars

Countdown to a Kiss is the prequel to the Hockey Hotties series by Piper Rayne. This novella sets the stage so to speak. It is here that we meet Aiden, Maksim, and Ford. They all play for the Florida Fury and are at the New Years Eve party hosted by the owner of the team. It is at this party that the guys meet Saige, Paisley, and Lena. Well to be fair, Ford already knows Lena, but still. She had to show up at the party to drag his butt back to New York to meet with his dad. Is it June yet so I can read My Lucky #13? I am beyond ready for Aiden's story.

Countdown to a Kiss was released on April 15, 2021. Add it to your Goodreads, or purchase on Amazon. (psst, as of today this is a free download! so go grab it!)

Weekly Wrap Up

Happy Monday my book loving friends!

Hoping you all had a wonderful weekend, and were able to enjoy some time outside. Here in Minnesota, it was a cool weekend, and pretty much overcast the entire time. Or as I like to call it "Eeyore-ish" weather.  This weekend we celebrated my youngest child. She turned 5 on Saturday, and had a blast playing with her neighborhood friends. Then it was dinner and cake with the grandparents. So much fun was had.

I read SO MANY BOOKS last week. I also wrote quite a few reviews. I love what I do, that is true. I've found that it is also helpful to write reviews for the books that don't really mesh with you as well as for the books you love. It just goes to show that not every book will be a favorite.

Let's go over my stats for the week:

• Books Read: 6
• Kindle Books: 6
• ARCs: 5
• Pages Read: 1,778

My average rating was 3.83 stars. That's pretty decent.

My favorite book of the week was End Game by Lisa Suzanne. The review for End Game (Vegas Aces #5) will be up later this week. I had been anticipating End Game for a while now as I had to know how Luke and Ellie's story ended. Anyways, we'll talk more about that later this week.

Now that we've discussed my stats, let's move on to the books I read. By the way, if I've already written the review for the book, it will be linked.

Weekly Wrap Up

 

Hoping you all had a wonderful weekend. Here in Minnesota it was GORGEOUS outside. I was out pretty much all day yesterday.  It was perfection. I will welcome these temps with open arms. Yet in the back of my head I'm not foolish enough to believe winter won't try to make a small comeback.

Last week was a busy week of reading, and reviewing. Really though I can't complain. Reading is my hobby, and I am passionate about it. Writing reviews, and this blog, well that's just for fun.

Let's talk stats for last week.

• Books Read: 5
• Kindle Books: 5
• ARCs: 3
• Pages Read: 1,869

My average rating was 4 stars. Not too shabby.

My favorite book of the week was Southern Heart by Natasha Madison. My review for that will be posted tomorrow. Seriously, so good. Then again I think I say that about every Natasha Madison book I read. (and I'm perfectly okay with that. There's a reason she's one of my favorites.)

With all that being said, let's move onto the books!

(if I've already posted the review, it is linked in the book title.)

1) Brightly Burning Bridges

by Ivy Wild

Rating: 4 Stars

Oh this book! Brightly Burning Bridges was SO GOOD! It was frustrating at times, which had me wanting to throw my kindle. But this story line, it sucked me in and held me hostage until the very last page. I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF IT!

2) Royally Pucked

by Pippa Grant

Rating: 4 Stars

Royally Pucked is the second book in Pippa Grant's Copper Valley Thrusters hockey series.  This book brought together two of my favorites: Royal romance and hockey romance. And Royally Pucked did not disappoint. I loved seeing Manning and Gracie together. Then add in Loki, and it was just so good.

3) Southern Heart

by Natasha Madison

Rating: 5 Stars

Do I really need to say much about Southern Heart? I mean, if you've read the Southern series by Natasha Madison, then you know what you're going to get. But I suppose not everyone has read the first four books, so there is that. If you like romance with a little suspense, then ooh you'll like this one. I mean the suspense starts pretty much right away. Chelsea has just returned to town to start a new job, and has decided to watch her niece and nephew for the night. A storm rolls through, and it sounds like someone is hitting the door. Chelsea eventually opens the door, and a man (who has been beaten to a pulp) falls inside. Chelsea doesn't recognize him, she just sees the injuries. Before the man passes out, he says "Ethan". (Ethan is Chelsea's brother)

And that's all I'm going to say. Just trust me on this. You'll want to read it.

4) Ruthless Monarch

by Ava Harrison

Rating: 4 Stars

Calling all mafia romance fans! Ava Harrison has a new one for you to read. I was torn with Ruthless Monarch. On one hand I enjoyed the story. The concept was fabulous. On the other hand, I think it could have been executed a little better. 

5) Beauty and the Beefcake

by Pippa Grant

Rating: 3 Stars

I was so excited for Beauty and the Beefcake! No, not because of the title as I'm not a fan of it. I was excited because it was Ares's story. I had such high hopes. Especially since I was coming off of Royally Pucked. Beauty and the Beefcake though was underwhelming. Well until about the last 25% of the book. It was that last quarter that I was saying YES, THIS IS WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR. It was just a little too much slow burn and filler for my liking. 

Amazon First Reads {April 2021}

 

Happy April 1st everyone!

If you've been around my blog this year, you know that I like to share the Amazon First Reads options for each month. So since it's a new month, that means we have new book options!

Not familiar with Amazon First Reads? Each month Amazon selects a handful of books and then offers them to Prime members as a free kindle download. The idea is that you'll read the book, and then write a review. Obviously that review is not required, but it's the right thing to do. The other thing to know is that these books that are offered, they're technically not even released yet. That's right. The books that are offered are all May 2021 releases!  

(side note: I'm not certain if First Reads is available outside the US. So please keep that in mind.)

So what books are available and how many do we get to choose? Let's find out.

Okay it's looking like we get to select ONE book for the month of April, and there are NINE options.

Looking at the covers, and the genres, I automatically know which book I am selecting. I'm sure you can figure it out too. I'm nothing if not predictable when it comes to my selections.

Suspense

The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda

There is no limit to the lies, suspicion, and secrets that can poison the perfect marriage in this twisting novel of suspense by USA Today bestselling author Kaira Rouda.

Kate Nelson had it all. A flourishing company founded with her husband, John; a happy marriage; and a daughter, Ashlyn. The picture-perfect family. Until John left for another woman. Tish is half his age. Ambitious. She’s cultivated a friendship with Ashlyn. Tish believes she’s won.

She’s wrong.

Tish Nelson has it all. Youth, influence, a life of luxury, and a new husband. But the truth is, there’s a lot of baggage. Namely, his first wife—and suspicions of his infidelity. After all, that’s how she got John. Maybe it’s time for a romantic getaway, far from his vindictive ex. If Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her.

She thinks.

But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love—and revenge.

Oh, if I weren't already sold on what book I was choosing, this would be at the top of my list. That teaser just makes the book sound intense.

Book Club Fiction

Take What You Can Carry by Gian Sarder

An aspiring photographer follows her dreams and faces her fears in a poignant novel about finding beauty, promise, and love amid the chaos of war-torn Kurdistan.

It’s 1979. Olivia Murray, a secretary at a Los Angeles newspaper, is determined to become a photojournalist and make a difference with her work. When opportunity arrives, she seizes it, accompanying her Kurdish boyfriend, Delan, to northern Iraq for a family wedding, hoping to capture an image that lands her a job in the photo department. More important, though, the trip is a chance to understand Delan’s childhood and bridge the differences of their pasts. Yet when the return home proves less safe than Delan believed, Olivia is confronted with a reality she had not expected, and is awakened to the dangers of a town patrolled by Iraqi military under curfew and constant threat.

But in this world torn apart by war, there are intoxicating sights and scents, Delan’s loving family, innocence not yet compromised, and small acts of kindness that flourish unexpectedly. All of it will be tested when Olivia captures a shattering, tragic moment on film, one that upends all their lives and proves that true bravery begins with an open heart.

Hmmm, I don't know about this one. It has potential, but isn't really grabbing my attention.

Contemporary Fiction

I Thought You Said This Would Work by Ann Garvin

A road trip can drive anyone over the edge—especially two former best friends—in bestselling author Ann Garvin’s funny and poignant novel about broken bonds, messy histories, and the power of forgiveness.

Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.

It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah rescue, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.

Samantha and Holly are following every new turn—toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery—and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together—for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.

I have a feeling this book would have me needing tissues. It sounds like an emotional rollercoaster! (which I love those types of books)

Domestic Suspense

The Watcher Girl by Minka Kent

A woman’s suspicions about her ex-boyfriend become a dangerous obsession in a twisting novel of psychological suspense by Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Minka Kent.

Eight years ago, Grace McMullen broke Sutton Whitlock’s heart when she walked away. But it was only to save him from the baggage of her own troubled past. Now all she wants is to make sure he’s okay.

Only everything she learns about him online says otherwise. According to his social media accounts, he placed roots in her hometown, married a look-alike, and even named his daughter Grace. He clearly hasn’t moved on. In fact, it’s creepy. So Grace does what any concerned ex-girlfriend would do: she moves home…and watches him.

But when Grace crosses paths with Sutton’s wife, Campbell, an unexpected friendship develops. Campbell has no idea whom she’s inviting into her life. As the women grow closer, it becomes clear to Grace that Sutton is not the sentimental man she once knew. He seems controlling, unstable, and threatening. And what a broken man like Sutton is capable of, Grace can only imagine. It’s up to her to save Campbell and her baby now—but while she’s been watching them, who’s been watching her?

Oh my word does this book sound INTENSE! I'm sitting on the edge of my seat just reading this teaser. Ooo-eee.

Women's Fiction

An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart

An endearing novel of friendship, forgiveness, and second chances by New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart.

It was a lifetime ago that recently widowed Maggie Flynn was in Wyndham Beach. Now, on the occasion of her fortieth high school reunion, she returns to her hometown on the Massachusetts coast, picking up right where she left off with dear friends Lydia and Emma. But seeing Brett Crawford again stirs other emotions. Once, they were the town’s golden couple destined for one another. He shared Maggie’s dreams—and eventually, a shattering secret that drove them apart.

Buying her old family home and resettling in Wyndham Beach means a chance to start over for Maggie and her two daughters, but it also means facing her rekindled feelings for her first love and finally confronting—and embracing—the past in ways she never thought possible. Maggie won’t be alone. With her family and friends around her, she can weather this stormy turning point in her life and open her heart to the future. As for that dream shared and lost years ago? If Maggie can forgive herself, it still might come true.

Oh if this book doesn't scream my name! Adding this to my reading list.

Literary Fiction

The Secret Talker by Geling Yan

(translated from Chinese by Jeremy Tiang)

A woman reclaims her own story in this taut and wholly original psychological tale from one of China’s literary superstars. 

Hongmei is the perfect Chinese wife: beautiful, diligent, passive. Glen is the perfect American husband: intelligent, caring, well-off. From the outside, Hongmei and Glen's life in the San Francisco Bay Area seems perfect. But at home, their marriage is falling apart. Post-its left on the fridge are their primary form of communication.  

When Hongmei receives a beguiling email from a secret admirer, naturally she’s intrigued. But what starts out as harmless flirting with an internet stranger quickly turns into an all-consuming emotional affair. As Hongmei spills more and more about her dark past as a military intelligence officer-in-training in China, she falls deeper and deeper into a tense cat-and-mouse game. Desperate and self-destructive, she embarks on an investigation into her emailer’s secret history…one that may tear her life and marriage apart forever.

A domestic suspense turned on its head,  The Secret Talker elegantly examines how repressed desire and simmering silence can upend even the most idyllic marriage. As Hongmei pursues her stalker, her identity and agency come into question, and the chase curveballs into a captivating journey of self-actualization. Yan Geling pierces the human psyche to reveal devastating and emotional truths – and an ending that will leave readers speechless.

 

Huh. Interesting. Not at all what I thought the book would be. Could be a good read!

YA Romance

Only the Pretty Lies by Rebekah Crane

A young love story about breaking painful legacies by the author of The Upside of Falling Down.

Convention doesn’t carry much weight in Alder Creek. It doesn’t in Amoris Westmore’s family either. Daughter of a massage therapist and a pothead artist, inheritor of her grandmother’s vinyl collection, and blissfully entering her senior year in high school, Amoris never wants to leave her progressive hometown. Why should she?

Everything changes when Jamison Rush moves in next door. Jamison was Amoris’s first crush, and their last goodbye still stings. But Jamison stirs more than bittersweet memories. One of the few Black students in Alder Creek, Jamison sees Amoris’s idyllic town through different eyes. He encourages Amoris to look a little closer, too. When Jamison discovers a racist mural at Alder Creek High, Amoris’s worldview is turned upside down.

Now Amoris must decide where she stands and whom she stands by, threatening her love for the boy who stole her heart years ago. Maybe Alder Creek isn’t the town Amoris thinks it is. She’s certainly no longer the girl she used to be.

Ooooh, not only is this a romance, but it is sounding like it has the potential to be hard hitting. Yes please.

Children's Picture Book

Hudson and Tallulah Take Sides by Anna Kang; illustrated by Christopher Weyant

From an award-winning team, a tale about a cat and a dog who discover that even though they don’t look at things the same way, they can still be friends.

Hudson and Tallulah may be neighbors, but the fence between their yards isn’t the only thing that divides them. They can’t see eye to eye on anything. One day they venture out, and after nonstop disagreement, they realize something surprising: they don’t always have to agree to be on each other’s side.

Inspired by a story their daughter Lily wrote in the second grade, the author and illustrator of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small have created a tale of finding common ground when you least expect it—and using it as a stepping-stone to friendship.

My kids would adore this book. Might have to grab a physical copy to add to their library.

Historical Fiction

Tears of Amber by Sofia Segovia

With war looming dangerously close, Ilse’s school days soon turn to lessons of survival. In the harshness of winter, her family must join the largest exodus in human history to survive. As battle lines are drawn and East Prussia’s borders vanish beneath them, they leave their farm and all they know behind for an uncertain future.

But Ilse also has Janusz, her family’s young Polish laborer, by her side. As they flee from the Soviet army, his enchanting folktales keep her mind off the cold, the hunger, and the horrors unfolding around them. He tells her of a besieged kingdom in the Baltic Sea from which spill the amber tears of a heartbroken queen.

Neither of them realizes his stories will prove crucial and prophetic.

Not far away, trying and failing to flee from a vengeful army, Arno and his mother hide in the ruins of a Königsberg mansion, hoping that once the war ends they can reunite their dispersed family. But their stay in the walled city proves untenable when they find themselves dodging bombs and scavenging in the rubble. Soon they’ll become pawns caught between two powerful enemies, on a journey with an unknown destination.

Hope carries these children caught in the crosshairs of war on an extraordinary pilgrimage in which the gift of an amber teardrop is at once a valuable form of currency and a symbol of resilience, one that draws them together against insurmountable odds.

Have you looked at what's available through the First Reads program? If so, what did you choose? Which book do you think I chose?

Happy Reading,