I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season! I cannot believe that Christmas is over, and that we are about to start a new year. I'm ready though. So ready. Yes, 2020 had it's not so good moments, but I sincerely hope that there was some good for you as well.
Last week I read some decent books. I discovered a new to me author in
Katie Graykowski, and have now devoured her Lone Stars series. Yes it is romance, and yes it is sports romance. More specifically football romance.
First up I read
Perfect Summer, which is obviously the first book in the series. Now these are standalone books, so you don't have to read them in order, but I personally think it's best to do so. After all it gives you a back story on other characters, and you may be seeing those characters in future books. Also, I think Perfect Summer could qualify as enemies to lovers. So if that's your trope, this book might be for you!
Perfect Summer introduces us to Summer Ames. She is a high school teacher who just won Teacher of the Year! How awesome is that! Oh except the prize that's given every year isn't the prize that Summer will be receiving. Instead she gets professional football player Clint Grayson as a mentor for her classroom. Say what? Oh and Clint is there to help his image. There was a news story about him that was 100% false, but of course that retraction never came. So there's that.
In Perfect Summer we also get to know Summer's mother, Lillian. They do not have the best relationship and that's putting it lightly. Lillian has a secret or two that she's keeping, and well Summer (and us) find out what they are! So be prepared as the storyline goes back and forth between telling the two stories.
Next up was Saving Grace. I consider this to be a workplace romance. So if that's your thing, then happy reading!
Grace Kelley is well known for a wardrobe malfunction on a popular TV show. She may have singing talent, but that wardrobe malfunction took away her chance for a broader success. So here she is singing on a street corner trying to earn money to pay for the assisted living place her Uncle is currently at. Then fate steps in. A young girl is in a not so good situation, Grace helps out, and drives her home. That little encounter leads to a nanny job for Grace. This job is a blessing, as she will definitely be able to afford her Uncle's living arrangement now! What Grace wasn't expecting though was to fall for Chord Robbins. Chord is the coach for the Austin Lone Stars, and it is his 3 kids that she is nannying.
Can Chord work through his issues to trust Grace? Will Grace ever learn to ask for help? Or better yet, accept it? Also, what is the story with Clementine (the dog)? I can't imagine what that poor pup has been through in his life.
Changing Lanes was my third book for the week, and it is a second chance romance.
Imagine meeting your soul mate as a teenager, only to then lose touch with them for 14 years. You wonder if you'll ever run into them again. After all it happened at summer camp, and you only knew each others initials (DJ & EJ), so how could you keep in touch? Well in
Changing Lanes will will see how Devon and Laney end up meeting once again. We also see if they can get to know each other again, and maybe just maybe fall in love.
Oh and there's a good chance you'll fall in love with the Lone Stars, as well as Sweet Louise. They are just amazing people, and I know I'd love to have them in my corner.
(also, if you're an emotional person like I am, consider having tissues on hand for when it comes to the parts about Lara.)The
Debra Dilemma is another second chance romance. If you've read the any of the first three books, you may recognize Debra. You may also think you know the kind of woman that Debra is. And if you read
Changing Lanes, you know that there is history between Debra and Warren. In the
Debra Dilemma we find out what happened, and see if they can make their way back to each other.
Side note: If you are a person who has gone through child loss, I want to put a trigger warning on this book for you.Many years ago Debra and Warren had been a romance that wasn't suppose to be. Debra's family was quite wealthy, and well Warren was the pool boy! Gasp! Something happened though, and Warren accepted a substantial amount of money from Debra's father. Accepting that money meant he had to walk away from Debra.
Flash forward many years, and Debra is a frequent sight on the arms of many Lone Star players. She is trying to become this woman that she isn't, and it's only hurting herself. Meanwhile, Warren owns the team and so he has to see his ex (aka the woman he loved) date his players. It's killing him each and every time.
Can Debra get over the hurt from the past? Can she forgive Warren? Will Warren find out the secret that Debra has been keeping all these years? Also, what is Debra's dad hiding in that safe in his office?
The fifth book in the Lone Stars series is
Charming Coco! When I saw that
Coco had her own story, I was so excited! I had high expectations as Coco Robbins seems like an awesome young lady.
(We first met Coco in Saving Grace. Coco is the daughter of Chord Robbins, and is ultimately the reason why Chord and Grace met.) After finishing
The Debra Dilemma, I had a feeling who the love interest would be for Coco, and I was correct.
In
Charming Coco, we've flashed forward quite a few years, and Coco is an orthopedic surgeon who has just returned from working with Doctors without Borders. She's nervous about returning home though as she can't get a certain NFL quarterback off her mind. After all, he's why she felt the need to leave for college, and eventually go overseas. How do you face the person that you kissed, said you loved, and had them shut you down?
Seth Charming is keeping a secret or two of his own. He's known where Coco has been this entire time, and he would do (and has been) anything he could to keep her safe. What Seth wasn't ready for was competition for Coco's heart. Turns out Coco met someone while overseas, and that man could be her perfect match. How can Seth compete with a Royal? Can Coco and Seth reconnect to get their HEA? Or is Coco meant to be with the Prince?
I was so excited for Coco's love story, but ultimately something was missing. Honestly the story felt "off" from the moment Coco arrived to her parents house. I stuck with it, and while I'm happy with the ending, this book was just missing the mark.
It's time for, what I presume is, the final book in the Lone Stars series.
Sage Advice introduces us to Chloe Caldwell. She is a child psychologist, relationship advice blogger/podcaster, and a soon to be published author! Except no one knows she is behind the
Sage Advice blog and podcast. Chloe has chosen to keep that private. However with her upcoming book release, that little tidbit will be made known. Oh and there's one slight issue regarding her book release. Chloe told her publicist that she has a fiancee. So naturally he needs to be at her book release! Now the hunt is on for someone to become her fake fiancee.
Chloe makes the call to Sweet Louise, and asks Sweet Louise to set her up on a blind date. Sweet Louise chooses Pierce Rogan. He is the tight end for the Austin Lone Stars, and Sweet Louise thinks he'll be perfect for Chloe. Now Pierce is a bit of a player, and often "dates" women who look like models. When he picks up Chloe for their date, he isn't interested at all. But something happens on their date, and the world now believes that Chloe is his sister. After all, there is no way he could have been on a date with her! How will Pierce react when he learns that Chloe is the person behind
Sage Advice? He has disliked the romance blogger/podcaster since his ex-fiancee had sent her a message for advice. That advice was the reason he was single!
So those are the books that I read this week. Yes, I devoured an entire book series. It was worth it. Part of me wants to ask Katie Graykowski if Noah and Lucy are going to get their story! I really feel that they had a connection, but maybe I was just reading into it and prepping myself for another story. Also, what ever happened with Lily and Davis from Perfect Summer? I need an update on them! One more thing, where does one find a mentor like Sweet Louise?
What did you read this week? Anything you'd recommend?
Happy Reading my fellow book lovers,
*What Laura's Reading is part of the Amazon Affiliates program. I may earn a small commission from purchases made through the links provided in this post.
