My Famous Frenemy by Piper Rayne {a review}

My Famous Frenemy by Piper Rayne is the sixth book in the Greene Family series, and it is all about Posey Greene and Gavin Price. This small town, slow burn romance just released on January 25, and I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy. Friends, this book was so good. Now maybe I'm a little biased because I am in love with the Greene family (the Bailey family too), so it takes a bit to find fault. So please keep that in mind as you read my thoughts.

If you are new to the Greene family series, then you may not know that Posey owns the local hair salon, and that is where this story opens. I can't say it's where it begins, because TECHINICALLY, Gavin and Posey's story began at the Greene Family Summer Bash. It was in that novella that Gavin ran Posey off the road. Posey though has known about Gavin Price for years. When she was younger, she had a major crush on him, and she dreamed of having a family like The Carters (which was the tv show he was on). So as this story opens, Posey is busy cutting hair, and the ladies who are in the salon are gossiping all about Gavin Price. All is going well until he walks in the door. Gavin is hoping that Posey can squeeze him in for a quick cut. It is then that the ladies begin working on fixing these two up. Suddenly Posey's schedule opens up. Gavin had plans though for showing up at her shop. He was going to ask her out, but his courage tanked when he saw the crowd. It finally happens though. He asks her out, and she agrees. However it is also that day that he finds out Posey's mom is running for Mayor. He can't ruin their first date by telling Posey he is also running. But that will all come out soon enough, and when it does, this slow burn romance becomes a hate to love romance. Can they put politics aside to get to their happily ever after? What will it take for them to come together? Gavin doesn't want to give up his dreams, and Posey doesn't want her mom to give up hers. So what will happen?

I said it before, and I'll say it again, I love the Greene family. I love Sunrise Bay. I LOVE THIS SERIES.

Gavin and Posey’s story was a bit of slow burn mixed with hate to love, and I’m here for it. There were times throughout the book where my heart cracked a bit. It wasn't a full break, but the cracks were forming. Especially when Gavin had this thought:

Hopefully, one day she'll find a guy who treats her as special as she is. Who worships her body, whispering how amazing she is. Someone to hold her hand as they stroll through downtown, showing her off because he's the lucky bastard who got her.

Too bad that guy won't be me.

Oh Gavin! My heart.

Then when I think these two are finally getting somewhere, Piper Rayne threw another curve ball. They shared this steamy kiss, only to have Posey run! Which then brings on another banter session where Gavin mentions Eli winning her.

"Win me? I had no idea I was like a stuffed animal in one of those claw games. Tell me, am I just hanging out on top or am I wedged between a stuffed pig and a stuffed bear?

Posey had me laughing with that line. But in a way she's right. Still though she KNEW what Gavin meant, she chose to go on the defensive.

Gavin was not backing down though. HE KNEW Posey was his forever person. He just had to wait for her feelings to catch up, or for her to finally stop driving this wedge between them. That wedge was really the mayoral race, and Posey's dedication to her Mom. 

Their story really picks up steam (ahem) while they are at Northern Lights Retirement Center. That's right, they end up with Ethel, Dori, Midge, and the rest of the crew. That entire scene had me laughing out loud. I expected nothing less from that group. They definitely bring the comedic relief. It was that "one bed trope" scene that changed everything with their relationship.

Our gazes lock for a moment, and there's so much emotion between us that I could drown in it. If we don't make it, I'm walking away broken for sure.

Now as Posey and Gavin's relationship grew, Piper Rayne pulled us slightly off course. In the back of my head, I saw this coming. I did. I felt something major was about to occur. And when it did, my emotions were all over the place. On one hand it changed the outcome of a different storyline. On the other my head just went to all these "what if" scenarios. Piper Rayne wrecked me a bit with that side story, and I am still not certain how to process it. I am looking forward to seeing how it is resolved in the next couple of books.

Back to Gavin and Posey though. While that storyline did affect them, it wasn't directly about them. The scene at Truth or Dare Brewery has jealousy making another appearance. Except this time it is Gavin who is jealous, and with the push of the Greene siblings, he finally says enough is enough.

"I'm not sure how much longer I can do this."

"Do what?"

"I can't watch a guy flirt with you and do nothing about it. Do you know how badly I wanted to slam you against the wall and kiss the living shit out of you right in front of him?"

"I can't do it. I want to hold your hand in public. I want to kiss you whenever I want. I want Eli f-ing Easton to know you're mine." 

 

After that dialogue took place, I thought things were improving. I thought they were headed the right way, and this relationship wasn't going to be in secret any longer. Yet Posey was still not putting herself first. She wasn't willing to take it public yet. She needed to have a different conversation first, and that was with Mom. But before that conversation could happen, a Greene family meeting had been called, and it was urgent.

Here comes the conflict friends. And hold your hats because it's a doozy. Gavin is hurt beyond belief and makes the choice to leave. He's headed to California to take care of a few things that need attending. That leaves Posey to figure things out. She needs to make some choices that aren't necessarily going to be easy. 

"You're really that mad?"

"Yes, if you hadn't noticed, I am."

"I don't understand why."

"Because you're going to sabotage my happiness. Do you not see that? You know the mayoral race is important to me."

"But my mom..."

Before Gavin leaves town though, he makes a pit stop at Marla and Hank's home. He just wants to make sure Posey has someone in her corner, because she needs a shoulder. Marla's words to Gavin had me feeling the mom mode that she was in.

"I know I'm not your mom, but I'm going to tell you what I would tell my boys. Do not run away. What ever happened is not unfixable."

It was advice he needed to hear, but yet he pushed on, and went with his original plan. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for a resolution to this conflict. And how everything concluded was what needed to happen. Of course this resolution also had Xander present. Xander has changed a lot over the course of the last couple books, and isn't for the better. His story, when it releases, is going take us on an emotional journey. I'm sure of it.

Before we get to Xander though, we get to go on vacation with the entire Greene family. I already know this book is going to be full of shenanigans. Especially if Ethel is in attendance. 

Absolutely loved My Famous Frenemy. I fell hard for Gavin and Posey, and their journey towards their happily ever after. Of course my heart also broke in the story for another reason, and it's still in mending mode. I don't think it will fully heal until Piper Rayne finishes that storyline. Oh, and the fact that a few Bailey's made frequent appearances had me smiling. Love seeing them outside of their series.

If you like small town romances that feature slow burn and hate to love, then you need to read My Famous Frenemy. This book is an easy read with a good amount of steam, and the story just holds your attention.

Go read the book, and come talk to me about it. Thank you for reading my thoughts on My Famous Frenemy.

Laura

Cover Design: Hang Le Cover
Photo: Wander Aguiar Photography

Hollywood heartthrob, Gavin Price invaded our small town, Sunrise Bay, like he owned it.

Gavin was my biggest celebrity crush when I was young. He bears the charisma of an easygoing boy-next-door mixed with a rule-breaker personality both in person and on screen.

For a moment, I thought maybe my fairy godmother sent him to me.

Until he decided to run against my mother for mayor.

Everyone in our town knows my mom’s happiness comes before my own, so I take it as my personal mission to show him who really runs this town.

I just didn’t realize that being my mom’s right-hand woman would put me in such close proximity to him. Very quickly, I question whether he wants to win the mayoral race or me.

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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. 

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Thank you to Piper Rayne, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with a review copy of My Famous Frenemy.

Notes on Love by Naaz Spencer {a review}

Notes on Love is the first book by Naaz Spencer, and it is NOW AVAILABLE! For those who do not know, Naaz Spencer is the pen name of author Zavi James. Zavi typically writes darker romance, whereas Naaz will be a bit more rom-com/traditional romance. Notes on Love is the first book in the Seven Deadly Sinclairs series, and features the story between Seth Sinclair and Kiran Jafri.

I am all for a good workplace romance, and this one was decent. I liked the concept for the book, and Kiran definitely intrigued me. Kiran has been through so much in her life, and she's worked hard to get to where she is. From becoming a single mother five years ago after the loss of her husband, to starting her own business, and relocating to London, she's giving it her all. Then there is Seth. His fiancee broke up with him, and that caused Seth to escape for the last six months. Now though he's back at his family's company, and is ready to resume his life. Except there's a new person at the company, and he can just tell she's going to shake things up. But how much? What impact will this have on his life?

One thing I wish I had known, before picking up this book, was that Notes on Love is a slow burn. An extreme slow burn at that. For me it was almost over done. It's not even that it's a slow burn, I can deal with that (even if I don't prefer it), but it was that I didn't feel the connection between Seth and Kiran. So here I am reading this romance, but not feeling it. I am not wowed by their relationship, nor was I really all that curious about what their moment of conflict would be. (which, it was what I expected.) So that was a bit of a bummer for me. 

I was confused by the Sinclair family though. Are they famous? Why does the paparazzi care about who they are? Why was Seth's breakup with Anna such major news? I need more of a backstory on the family so I can better understand. I mean it's obvious that they are well off financially since Seth was able to just travel for half a year.

Now don't get me wrong, the story was decent. The side characters captured my attention, and have me a bit fascinated. I enjoyed the connection that Seth had with Maaz and Shah. That warmed my heart a bit. Once that trust was established, that bond grew.  Oh, and Kiran was more interesting than Seth.

Notes on Love is a solid 3 star read for me. Will I continue with the series? I don't know right now. Maybe if Aiden or Noah were to be the next story released. But honestly I'm not 100% certain that this series is for me.

Do I recommend it? Always. A rating is subjective and personalized. No one person is going to have the same feelings or thoughts regarding a book. That's the joy of reading, and talking about books.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts about Notes on Love. If you've read it, or plan on reading it, I'd love to talk about it with you to get your takeaway.

Laura

Seth 

Six months away, nursing heartbreak, and my father plucks a ray of sunshine from the sky and puts her in the office opposite mine.

Kiran Jafri is the one thing I hate - happy.

She’s an explosion of colour in one gorgeous package and I should stay away.

But Kiran’s warmth is all I’ve ever craved and avoiding her isn’t an option.

The more I learn about her, the more complicated it gets.

I’ll figure out a way to prove this is worth it.

Kiran 

Moving to London is a fresh start.

New office. A personal assistant. And a stunning boss who is missing a heart in his chest.

Seth Sinclair is the office grump and fate seems to throw us together.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t stay away.

He’s something I want when I definitely shouldn’t.

It’s too complicated and I can’t trust myself not to mess up.

But Seth’s reminding me of one thing I thought I lost - hope.

Is it really possible for me to have it all?

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Meet Naaz Spencer

Naaz Spencer is the pen name of Zavi James.

Naaz Spencer spends most of her time rushing around a laboratory and trying to make people believe she has her life in order. After a near death experience, she decided to flex her fingers and take a stab at writing as that had always been her childhood dream. Now, she splits her time between experiments and fictional worlds and enjoys getting people to swoon and cry over her creations.

When she’s not writing and working, she can be found traveling across the world in a bid to find inspiration and unleashing her chaos on social media.

For more information about Naaz Spencer, visit:

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Thank you to Naaz Spencer, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advance review copy of Notes on Love.

Rookie by Laramie Briscoe {a review}

 Rookie by Laramie Briscoe is now live! This is the first book in the new Bradford Station series, and if you like firefighter romances, check out Rookie.

As the story begins we find Hayden stranded on the side of the road. She has a flat, and has been struggling to get the lug nuts removed. It just so happens that Danny is driving down this same road, and he spots her vehicle, which then leads him to stop and assist. It is right then and there that Danny learns he's playing with fire. Hayden tells him who her father is, and Danny knows the Chief does not want the guys dating his daughters. Danny rushes to leave, only to reconnect with Hayden a few days later at the bank. It is then that their potential relationship begins to form. A date is had, and they agree to secrecy even though it doesn't 100% mesh with Danny's ideals. Will Danny's busy schedule allow them much time together? Can these two keep their relationship under wraps? What happens if the Chief finds out? How does that affect Danny's career? 

The premise for Rookie sounds so amazing. Small town romance featuring a rookie firefighter and the chief's daughter? What's not to love?! Seriously.

The base of the story was good. Danny and Hayden piqued my curiosity, and I did like the secret dating storyline. I loved their meet cute, and even their next meet up after that. When the Chief introduced Danny and Hayden that day, I had to chuckle since these two already had met. They had even had a date or two at that point. But again, that wasn't information that Hayden's dad knew. There were a couple of scenes where Hayden went into protector mode, and I absolutely loved that. I loved seeing her in that role. Danny's devotion to his family was something I appreciated about him. No matter how tired he was from working at the station, he still jumped in at his family's business where he could. Was he burning the candle at both ends? Oh absolutely. But that didn't matter to him. Making sure his family knew they could count on him was what mattered.

Now there were a few aspects that I struggled with. It seemed that bits of the story were just forgotten. Or the parts that I had wanted elaborated on were simply glossed over like they didn't matter. Ultimately I'm left with more questions than I have answers. Knowing that Rookie didn't end on a cliffhanger, and I still have these unanswered storylines, I'm left wanting, and I don't like that. If it were a cliffhanger, then I would understand. But it's not. So...

On Goodreads I hid my questions under the spoiler feature. I'm hesitant to share them here because I don't want to share any spoilers. But I also know knowledge is a good thing. So it's a double edged sword in a way. I'm going to share a few of what I see as unanswered storylines, or why were these parts put into the story.

• What was the purpose of telling us about that "club" that Danny went to? How did that work into the story? That just doesn't make sense to me.
• What is the issue with Danny's last name, and why does the town exactly shun his family?
• What happened with the little old lady who came in to the bank? Did she ever come back?
• Then there was that tidbit about Hayden's mom that was revealed...did she ever talk to the Chief about that?
• What happened at city hall when Hayden said what she did to the person she did? What ever came from that?
• The entire fire scene. That was a major event, and yet it felt so minor in the book. How many days did that take to extinguish? How were the injured rescued? WHAT HAPPENED? Also did the entire city need to evacuate or just selected areas?

So as you can see I have questions. I don't have closure. I feel like the book wasn't complete. In my mind it needs to go back through for finessing.

Did I enjoy the story? For the most part I did. Again, the basics of the story were good. I did give the book 3 stars on Goodreads. My 3 star rating means I enjoyed the book, but it was missing something or it didn't give me what I wanted. There was so much potential for this book. For me though it fell a bit flat.

You know me though, I still recommend the book. Just because my takeaway was less than desired, doesn't mean you'll have the same experience. There are many on Goodreads who opted to give it 5 stars. I just didn't feel the same. So take my thoughts for what they are, but don't let it cloud your thoughts on the book.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Rookie. I appreciate it. Let me know if you end up reading the book. I'd love to talk about it with you.

Laura 

Cover Designer: Cover Couture
Photographer: Jeanne Woodfin

The heat is on.

Situated on the Tennessee and North Carolina border, this town is nothing like you've ever experienced. Hot guys, the women they love, and a town worth saving. Bradford, TN is the epicenter of the next great romance dynasty.

Firefighters, family, and community...

Danny Ramirez

As a Probationary Firefighter, I'm doing everything I can to impress the members of my company. Knowing I'm the first in my family to be educated makes me proud, and gives me hope for the future.

I hold myself to a higher standard than anyone else, especially with a southern small-town breathing down my neck. One night, on a dark mountain road, I help the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life change a flat tire.

What I don't know, is she's the youngest daughter of my Chief. His number one rule? Don't date his daughters.

I try to stay away from her, try like hell, but when a forest fire threatens our town, and the guys in my company. I know I can't let her walk away from me. Not without a fight.

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Meet Laramie Briscoe

Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books, with sales of over half a million copies.

Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Her books have been known to make readers laugh and cry. They are guaranteed to be emotional, steamy reads.

When she's not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband.
 

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Thank you to Laramie Briscoe, and Grey's Promotions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of Rookie.

Thief by S. Massery {a review}

Thief, the first book in the Sterling Falls series, by S. Massery is now available! This dark, gothic, reverse harem romance will grab your attention! You'll find yourself needing to know what happens next. Just a little heads up though, Thief does end with a cliffhanger. So, go preorder Fighter now. Trust me.

Before we even begin talking about this book though, here's a snippet of the note from the author:

Fair warning, my stories run dark (violence, explicit content, etc.). Sterling Falls is no different. Reader discretion is advised.

Now, I've read Thrill. If you don't know, Thrill is the prequel, and it shares the story of Nyx and Saint. It also introduces us to Hades, Apollo, and Ares, as well as sets up what Olympus is. So having read that, I thought I knew what to expect from Thief. After having read Thief, I was wrong. My preconceived notions were completely wrong.

The main characters of Thief are:

• Kora Sinclair
• Wolfe James (aka Ares)
• Jace King (aka Hades)
• Apollo
• Kronos

Thief introduces us to Kora Sinclair. She is a college student who has just moved to Sterling Falls, and one night she finds herself at Olympus. It is there that she witnesses something, and she doesn't know what to do. Hades, Apollo, and Ares obviously spot her, and she is suddenly the invisible girl around town.

Memories pop across my eyes like camera flashes. Here is where I spotted them and stopped, and here is where I removed my heels. And there is where the man was stabbed.

Her life has changed, her plans have changed, and now she's desperate. So she turns to Kronos for assistance. This was a wrong move, but at the time, Kora thought it was for the best. She needed the help that Kronos gave her. Flash forward a bit, and Kronos doles out a punishment for lack of payment. A final chance is offered, but if Kora fails, that's it. Kronos will do what he needs to in order to recoup costs. That is what brings Kora to Olympus this evening. And this task is what ends up with her meeting Apollo, Ares, and Hades.

"You're a curious thing, aren't you? Too innocent for the likes of Hell."

"Trust me, I've been to Hell. This is nothing."

"I look forward to discovering your version of Hell."

Honestly in the beginning of the book, I was pretty meh about the whole thing. Especially with the scenes featuring Marley, and her crew. Marley's group of friends is quite frankly the worst, but I digress.

"You ditching your friends?"

"Only one is my friend. The rest...not so much."

That being said, when the action kicks in? Oh my word, I was so dang curious as to what was going to happen next. How was Kora going to get herself out of this ordeal? How does this situation end up with the the guys coming to her rescue?

"Get her out of here."

"We're not done."

"You're done with her. Got it?"

"Until we meet again, invisible girl. Because we will..." 

Now when the guys arrived? It was then that I knew things were about to pick up, and I was not disappointed. Their interruption of the meeting between Kora and Kronos, set the ball in motion. The action was about to pick up. Kora now has a target on her back, and the guys are going to do whatever they can to keep her safe.

"I tried to save you from Kronos, but he refused. For a myriad of reasons, and none of them are important right now. He wants you back in his possession to sell you and get his investment back. With interest, knowing him. His pockets often dictate the decisions he makes. But we'll figure it out."

When Kora returns to campus after her encounter with Kronos, I was nervous on her behalf. What was going to happen? Would it be possible for her to attend her classes with out the Titans noticing? Without them trying to get her? Would the guys be able to keep her safe? Also, Sheriff Bradshaw is sketchy as hell. 

"Titans are hot on your heels. It's only a matter of time before someone close to you caves and turns you in."

As the story is building to the major scene, we get a glimpse of Wolfe, Kora, Nyx, and Saint at the falls. Nyx and Saint have both jumped, and Wolfe is now taking his turn. That allows Nyx the perfect opportunity to talk with Kora.

"Listen, I don't think I'll have long before Wolfe catches us."

"Oh?"

"They're good guys. On in the inside. Don't feel like you have to pick one." 

"Pick one?"

"I read romance novels. And some of them get quite creative in their dynamic."

"Are you suggesting I create my own little harem? That's crazy."

"It's better than picking and breaking their hearts."

Loved that scene. Also the fact that Nyx saw what was happening between the group was impressive. The truth she spoke to Kora was just what she needed to hear. And it sets up this reverse harem (why choose) storyline wonderfully.

Kora continues to be protected by Ares, Hades, and Apollo. She cannot leave the house without one of them. Which is unfortunately impacting their business as well. So when they get a tip about a location where Kronos holds contracts, and it is also where he is hiding his family, Apollo and Hades take on the mission. Except this mission wasn't what they thought it was. It wasn't so cut and dry. It's about to get messy. This entire scene had me on the edge of my seat. I found myself wondering how Apollo and Hades were going to make it to safety? Would they be able to escape without being recognized by the Titans? Would Ares and Kora find them in time? Is Apollo going to survive? What happened to Hades? It is after this scene that Kronos gets what he wants, but it isn't how he wanted it to go down.

"Why do the Hell Hounds want you? What value do you bring to them?"

"I wonder. Do you think they care enough to arrive quickly? Do you think they'll hurry if they know you're in danger? They might even rush in here to save you --or maybe not. If you take one thing with you to the grave, let it be this: you can't trust a dog."

 

I cannot with how this book ended?! My jaw was firmly on the ground, and I found myself needing to know what happened next? How does Kora get out of THIS situation? Where are the guys? WHAT IS HAPPENING? UGH!!! I need to read Fighter now! Is it April yet?

Listen, if you like mc romances or mafia romances, or anything like that, you NEED to pick up Thief. You just need to. This series is going to take us on one hell of a ride, and I am a willing passenger. The guys have my attention. Kora has my attention. I am needing to know what happens next, and I can guarantee you, I will be saying the same thing when I finish reading Fighter. 

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on the book. I know I was a bit all over the place at times, and I left out a lot of key scenes. That part was intentional. After all I cannot tell you EVERYTHING about the book. That would just be rude. Please go grab this book. I promise that it's worth it.

Laura

    

Cover Design: Qamber Designs
Cover Photo: Wander Aguiar

I wasn’t supposed to be at Olympus that night.

And I definitely wasn’t supposed to witness a murder – or be caught by the killers.

Hades, Apollo, and Ares run the mysterious, masked fight club, and they wield more power in this town than I could dream of holding. They destroy my life with one decree: Kora Sinclair doesn’t exist.

Sterling Falls was my chance to start over, but one night derails everything.

My scholarship, my job – gone.

I could run home, but giving up my dreams isn’t an option.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

When I can’t repay my debt to an unforgiving man, he gives me a choice. I can steal Hades’ mask, or he can take what I owe from my flesh.

But if I do, there’s no turning back. More than the fear of his threats, revenge drives my decision. I need to steal the mask.

After all, who better to become a thief than the girl they tried to erase?

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April 2022

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Are you wanting to visit Sterling Falls early?

If you said yes, visit S. Massery's website, and download the prequel, THRILL, now!

About the Author

S. Massery, AKA Sara, is a dark romance author from Massachusetts. She enjoys twisting, suspenseful tales with dark anti-heroes and sassy heroines.​

Her journey started when she was a little girl, dreaming of stories and frantically trying to capture her dreams on paper. She completed her first novel, Something Special, in 2018, and she has been unstoppable ever since.

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Thank you to S Massery, and Candi Kane PR, for providing me with a review copy of Theif.

Ignited by SE Rose & Sierra Hill {a review}

Reader friends, I don't know if you're ready for Ignited. SE Rose and Sierra Hill have created this beautiful book that is filled with love, loss, heartache, and trauma.

Ignited takes you on Nick's journey from what happened overseas, to leaving the military and coming home, to his struggle with PTSD. Now this book isn't only about Nick. He does have a love interest. Becca is a pediatric nurse who has a huge heart. She is full of love, compassion, and understanding. Becca also has the ability to see Nick for who he is. She sees the pain, the heartache, the trauma, and longs to walk him through that battlefield. These two start off as friends, but eventually their story takes a turn, and these friends become lovers. But of course a love story is never that simple. Our characters can not simply have their happily ever after without a bit of hardship thrown in. It is in that moment that my heart really went out to Nick. Oh who am I kidding, throughout the book his story tugged at my heartstrings.

My heart and head aren't really here with me --I left them overseas. It's been hell, and I have a long road ahead of me.

Maybe it was everything Nick had been through. Maybe it was the trauma he was still dealing with. Maybe it was just him in general. Nick drew me in, and had my attention throughout the book. It's as though I was waiting for the moment when it was all going to go up in flames (so to speak). Nick's PTSD was going to get to that point, unless he reached out for help. Quite frankly I wanted to see how he was going to deal with it all. What steps was he going to take to work towards healing, and what coping skills he was going to find to work through future events.

Half the time, I feel like a bomb ready to detonate, but the second I'm in Becca's presence, I'm better.

Becca was a breath of fresh air. She wasn't this perfect character who never had any issues. But while she dealt with her stuff, she was also noticing things with Nick. She could see him for who he was, and what he was struggling with. I had to laugh when Becca said this:

"Stop making fun of me. You're not being very nice. And you just ruined the whole Captain America vibe you had going on."

That little line showed had me smiling, and it showed another side to Becca. In addition to all that was happening with Nick, she also had her career. We saw her go through the emotional aspects of her job, and the highs and lows she experienced each and every day. Then we also witnessed her jumping in when needed later on. Becca isn't a woman who will sit on the sidelines and let others perform a task she is capable of. She is an amazing woman who loves hard.

Nick, I know whatever you went through must have been really hard. I'm sure I can't imagine it. But I wanted to bring you here, to see this, because even when you're in a really dark head space, there is still beauty you can see in the world, if you are just willing to look around you.

The scene that hit me hardest though was when Nick and Bianca spoke on the phone. That caused tears to fall. The emotions were strong in that scene, and I felt them all.

"Remember how you and Juan wanted to take that hike and watch the sunrise? You were going to have a guys' trip, remember?" 

 

"Yes, I remember. Sunrise Cliffs; its name is Sunrise Cliffs." 

 

"Go do it."

After that scene, when Nick was talking to Tyler and Liam about everything, the emotions were still strong. Here was Nick talking to his siblings, and they made it known they were by his side. They would take this journey with him. It wasn't just them though, it was Callie and Becca speaking up too. With everything Nick had been through, he had found a support system here at home. He found his team that would walk beside him, and support him however they could. Yes, Liam and Tyler are his brothers, but that doesn't diminish the bond that they have. And in that moment, that bond was extremely strong. 

Nick, no matter what happened to you. Let yourself be happy; let yourself be loved.

Absolutely loved this book, and I look forward to reading more in this series. These characters, that SE Rose and Sierra Hill have created, have won a spot in my heart, and I'm not ready to let them go. Now that being said, I need to go back and read Burned. I need to see how Ty and Callie's relationship started, and the hurdles they faced in their path toward forever.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Ignited. Hopefully I haven't spoiled anything for you. I think I've been fairly vague about the happenings of the story. If you are someone who enjoys reading firefighter romances, or stories of past military members, then I hope you'll  give Ignited a read. This small town, friends to lovers romance will grab your heart. Or at least that was the case for me.

Laura 

Cover Design: Y'all That Graphic

My world was dark and cold...until she ignited a spark.

When I left to serve in the military, I had a plan for my life. I saw a future with a wife and kids and all the things my parents have together. But that was before I saw the horrors of combat.

Now I’m back in my small-town working alongside my brother as a firefighter. I’m slowly learning to live again with one very big complication. It comes in the form of a small, feisty, attractive woman who just happens to be the best friend of my brother’s girlfriend. And as fate would have it, she’s also my new neighbor.

Becca Carmichael drives me crazy with her absolute perfection. She’s all I ever wanted before I left to serve. And now, she’s everything I can’t allow myself to have.I’ve tried to keep my distance, because I know I’m not what she needs.

But a spark ignited between us the moment we met and it turned into a burning desire that is getting harder to douse each day.

She needs to stay away from me, but I’m not sure I can stay away from her.

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About the Authors

USA Today & International Bestselling romance author, S.E. Rose lives near Washington D.C. with her family. When she's not wrangling her cats or keeping up with her kids, she's plotting her next story. She loves all things wine, coffee, and cats. In her non-existent free time, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts, binging on her favorite shows, and reading, especially if it's a good mystery or comedy.

Connect with S.E. Rose

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SIERRA HILL wrote and published her first contemporary new adult romance in 2014 and has since published over thirty novels. She is a 2020 RONE Award-Winning author of Game Changer, as well as award-winning college sports series, Courting Love, and the twice award-finalist erotic ménage serial, Reckless – The Smoky Mountain Trio.

Sierra lives in the Seattle area with her husband of twenty-five years and their rescued German Shepherd. When not writing, she enjoys baking, reading, and traveling to see her favorite alternative rock band, Pearl Jam.

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Thank you to Sierra Hill, SE Rose, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with a review copy of Ignited.