Friday, April 23, 2021

Salvation {a review}


Back in March I had read Recovery by Nicole Dykes. This was my introduction to her writing style, and I was immediately drawn into the world. I loved all the characters, and the friendship they had. In my review, on Goodreads, that I posted that "I'm hoping there is a book coming for Charity". Well friends, guess what. THERE IS!

Salvation is all about Charity! (okay, it's about Finn too.) 

If you read Recovery, then you know that at the end of that story Charity called Mya from a hospital. Seeing as how Mya no longer lived in that state, she called Finn and asked that he go find her. Nevermind the fact that Mya had no clue what hospital Charity was in! Talk about a wild goose chase. Obviously Finn locates Charity and is there to help. Except Charity doesn't want his help.

In Salvation we find out why Charity ran all those years ago when she left Christian, her brother, at the foster home. We also find out what she is dealing with now. And it's a lot. It's also why she was admitted to the hospital in the first place. Charity is also dealing with a lot of mental demons from her upbringing, and the last few years. Christian and Charity also got to reconnect, and let's just say there are issues.

Salvation was such a good story. I found myself not wanting to put my kindle down. I wanted to stay with Finn, Charity, and the group. Yes it was hard to read about everything that Charity had to go through, but at the same time I understood her so much more. Then Finn, oh Finn, he was raised by a mother very similar to Charity's, so he understood that history. The ending gave me exactly what I wanted. I love a good HEA.

Oh, and before I even say "I hope Christian gets his story told", that's already happening. I was so happy to read that at the end of Salvation. A release date hasn't been announced, but just know I'm anticipating Retribution.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,


Please scroll a little further to read the teaser for Salvation. There are also links to connect with Nicole Dykes, and should you so desire there are links to purchase the book.


Release Date: April 22

Charity

I’m in trouble. Big trouble. Not that I should be surprised. My entire life has been one huge misfortune.

I have nothing and no one. 

But then . . . Finn comes along. Gorgeous, stubborn, and infuriating. 

And he can’t seem to leave me alone. 

 

Finn

Life hasn’t been a picnic. But finally, I had it all figured out. 

But then . . . Charity comes crashing into my life. Beautiful, unwavering, and aggravating.

And I can’t let her go. 



Grab Your Copy Here:



Meet Nicole Dykes

Nicole Dykes is a wife and professional assistant/mom to two gorgeous girls. 

Currently residing in Kansas, she’s a lover of coffee, Kansas City Chiefs, and all things romance. 

She currently has over 20 published books with her Monroe and Adamson series being the most popular. 

She enjoys cranking up the angst level, making her readers cry, and turning those tears into the coffee the fuels her writing.

Connect with Nicole Dykes
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Caged {a review}

 


If you read my April Anticipated Reads post, then you know I was a bit worried about whether or not I would enjoy Caged by Elise Faber. I was basing that on the fact that Charging, book 10, and I didn't exactly mesh well. Charging just didn't give me the same Gold Hockey feelings that I had come to expect.  So even though the first nine were so good, I was worried because of that one book. Silly I know.

I shouldn't have worried though. Nope. Not at all. You see I FREAKING LOVED Caged. Loved it. I want more of it. I want more of Dani and Ethan.

Gold Hockey is known for their workplace romances, and Caged (Dani/Ethan) just made my heart happy. From the very beginning, Caged felt like coming home to my people. Dani is the video coach for the team. She is responsible for getting the video edited/isolated so the players and coaches can go over everything. Dani is also very tech friendly, and is often looked to for assistance from other members of the organization.  So when Ethan approaches her, Dani automatically assumes he needs some IT help. Nope. Not the case. This professional hockey player is trying to ask her on a date. It's not going well either. Nevermind the fact that Dani has had a crush on Ethan for the past couple of years. There's no way he really wants to go out with her. Plus he'll just leave. Or so she tells herself. Eventually a date happens though, and Ethan is determined to take it slowly.

There is a scene where Dani and Ethan are talking about books, and it just fed right into my bookworm heart. Both of them had visited the local library, and Dani had quite the stack of books.  Days later, Ethan asks Dani to tell him what her favorite book was.  

“Will you tell me about your favorite?” “Favorite book? Or favorite from that stack?” “What? Do I look stupid? Favorite from the stack,” he teased. “It’s impossible for a true bookworm to choose her favorite.”
Oh my book loving heart.

Moving on from all of that...

Here's the thing, both Dani and Ethan have some issues that they need to work through. Both of them often feel less than, and that isn't helping in their relationship. Dani's "issues" stem from a prior relationship and a loss. Ethan's are coming from a conversation he over heard many years ago.

This conversation between the two of them was so good:

"You think I’m not attracted to you. To you,” she repeated. “To you!” Yup, less joyful and more irritating. “Yes, sweetheart,” he muttered. “I think I made myself clear, don’t you?” “No.” She tossed up her hands, strode to her car again. “Nothing about this makes sense.” Her words came in a flurry. “You at the library. You asking me out. You thinking that you’re not the absolute most gorgeous man in all the universe, so freaking beautiful and sexy that I’ve f*cking fantasized about you for years. I mean, your tattoos, your butt, your abs—” She clamped a hand over her mouth."
I legit laughed when Dani realized that she said all that out loud.

The scene where Dani had a panic attack, I didn't quite understand where that came from. I feel like I must have glossed over the reasoning for why she took that declaration the way she did. I'm assuming it had to do with her past, but again, I must have missed that. The things that happened after that panic attack frustrated me to no end, and I wanted to knock some sense into Ethan. UGH.

When the story concluded, I was all swoony. These two are just spectacular. I love that these two both have people in their lives that are willing to help them out, and be a sounding board. When Ethan went to his teammates for their help, I ahhh'd. Plus when Fanny talked to Ethan about Dani, I was loving it. Caged gave me everything that I love in a romance. There was the build up, there was the steam, there was the conflict, and then the resolution. I loved it all.

Also, that second epilogue? Um, say what? I am so ready for Crashed to read Fanny and Brandon's story. (and you better believe I have that book preordered! I know what's going on my July anticipated reads list.)

If you are a hockey romance fan, and you haven't read Elise Faber's Gold series, then please go do so. I think you might fall for the characters like I did. 

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,


Please scroll a bit further to read the teaser for Caged. I've also included links to add the book to your Goodreads, as well as purchase on Amazon.


Shy.
God, she was so painfully, awkwardly shy.

Blurting out the wrong thing at the wrong time? Check.

Puking in front of the class when she’d needed to give a speech? Double check.

Critically, embarrassingly unable to summon any semblance of a rational thought when in the presence of an attractive man? Triple check.

And she was surrounded by gorgeous, sexy men on a daily basis.

As video coach for the San Francisco Gold hockey franchise, Dani spent her days wrapped in a technological bubble. She studied tape, prepared clips for the players, and generally avoided other people.

Until Ethan.

She’d thought he was going to ask her to fix his computer.

Instead, he’d asked her out.

On a date. A date! That didn’t compute. It couldn’t be right. No one asked her out—

Ethan had.

And suddenly, Dani thought it might be possible to leave her shy, awkward days behind her. 


Add to Goodreads: Caged
Purchase on Amazon: Caged

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Reluctantly Perfect {a review}

 



Friends, I just finished reading Reluctantly Perfect by S.E. Rose and oh my word did I enjoy this book.

Let's back up for a minute though. Reluctantly Perfect is the fifth book in the Perfectly Imperfect Love series by S.E. Rose. In this book we meet up with Megan and Clark. They had been friends since they were itty bitty. Then when they were in 8th grade things went awry. You see they kissed during a game of spin the bottle, and well, that kiss changed things. Suddenly their friendship slipped away, and they became mortal enemies.

That's right friends, Reluctantly Perfect is a hate to love (or enemies to lovers) story. 

I went into the story knowing what I had read in the teaser. It caught my attention, and I decided to go for it. I'm glad that I did. 

Megan and Clark are fantastic together. They have all this history together, and even though they were enemies for so long, their families still spent time together. Therefore they still spent time together. Now they attend the same college, and are getting ready to graduate. Not only that, they have both applied for an internship, and the company is only taking 6 people. So naturally this is causing a bit of tension. Then there was the scene at the sorority house. No not that steamy one. The other one scene that happened a bit later. I immediately knew who was behind it. But that still didn't stop me from jumping a bit. Yeah. 

There is so much I want to say about the story. Yet I'm afraid I'll say too much, and spoil the story. Just know Megan and Clark get their HEA. Ahh gotta love that the majority of romance novels end with that.  Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and check out the first four books in the series. Oh, and look at that, Amazon is telling me Undeniably Perfect is a freebie. WOO HOO!

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,

Please keep scrolling to read a teaser of Reluctantly Perfect. There are also links to purchase the book and/or add it to your want to read list over on Goodreads. Oh, there are links for S.E. Rose as well. Go follow S.E. on all their socials!


💕💕HOT NEW RELEASE💕💕 

RELUCTANTLY PERFECT by S.E. Rose is LIVE!


 
   

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Clark Moore has his sight set on a coveted internship as he finishes college. The only problem is…Megan Lennox.

Megan Lennox once had the world’s biggest crush on the boy across the street. But somewhere between middle school and college, Clark Moore became her greatest rival.

Now, the two competitive former friends are about to be forced to work together if they want a chance at one of the most exclusive job opportunities in their field.

And they are about to find out that their arch enemy may just be their heart’s perfect match. Will they be able to see past their differences, or will they let their chance at happily ever after slip away?


Add to Goodreads: Reluctantly Perfect



About the Author
 
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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Diesel {a review}



You may recall that Driven by K. Bromberg was my favorite read of March. So when I discovered Diesel by Lyssa Cole was set in the Driven world, I knew I had to read it. 

Diesel follows Luca and Neveah. Neveah works for Walker Tires, and is in charge of driver sponsorships. Luca is a NASCAR driver who happens to be the resident bad boy. Neveah is determined to sign him, as she think he will bring a boost of revenue to the struggling Walker Tires. She also sees the good in Luca, the man she knows he really is. The problem? Well for one, Neveah needs to convince her dad that this is a smart plan, as he is seriously doubting it. After all he's seen everything that has been said/published about Luca. The other? That would be getting Luca to change his image. First though, she needs Luca to accept the sponsorship.

It was so nice to be back in car racing/race track setting. I'm finding that this is an area of sports romance that I want to read more of. So I'm thinking I'll stick around the Driven world for a while.

Overall, I truly enjoyed Diesel. Seeing how Luca and Neveah started this relationship. Back when they absolutely despised each other, yet there was that spark that neither could truly deny. Then witnessing the relationship progress, but neither wanting to admit to it. Even their inevitable fight. I was here for all of it.

I did find myself wondering when the dramatic moment would happen. I was anticipating it, as I knew there had to be THAT moment. When it did happen, I can't say I'm surprised about how it played out. Naturally my heart broke a little bit, as that's just who I am. I felt crushed for Neveah. I was worried about Luca. I was curious about how Neveah's family would react. Then my mind wandered to what happens next? What does this mean for Luca's career? What will happen to Walker Tires? What will happen with Luca and Neveah? Thankfully all of that was covered, so I didn't have to wait long.

One thing I would have liked to see more of within the book, was more about Luca and Neveah's business relationship. I wanted to see them working together, and see how Neveah was changing things for Luca. But we didn't get that. (and that's okay! I fully understand not everything can be included in a book.)

When it's all said and done, I enjoyed the book. I fell for the characters, as well as the setting. Now I'm finding myself wanting to check out other books by Lyssa Cole. So I will need to do that.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,


Please scroll a bit further to read the teaser for Diesel. There are also links to purchase the book, as well as a link to add it to your want to read list on Goodreads. Oh, and of course links to connect with Lyssa Cole.


Release Date: April 22

Luca DeMello- I hate him, he's sex, arrogance, and trouble rolled up in a race suit. My dad warns me to stay away... but I sign him anyways. So why does my heart pound and my skin prickle every time he looks at me?
 
Neveah Walker- She gets on my nerves. She's a woman in a man's world. Who cares if she has curves for days, smells like heaven, and is bossy as hell?
 
He’s the latest and greatest in the motorsports world. Killer driver, makes a ton of cash, and everyone wants to sponsor him. Too bad he’s got a bad reputation and an even worse attitude.
 
She’s the one trying to help her family business. Hell bent on not letting anything come between her and her career.
 
But when Luca performs less and demands more of Neveah, will she be the one that loses? Or will he be without one of his biggest sponsors? 

Lyssa Cole’s Diesel is a sexy, angsty, enemies to lovers contemporary romance in K. Bromberg’s Driven World. It features cameos from Colton and Rylee, with Luca being a part of Colton’s race team at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. 

Grab Your Copy Here!


Meet Lyssa Cole

Lyssa Cole has been in love with books for as long as she can remember. Escaping into a story is her favorite pastime. Wanting to be a writer for a couple years now, she is now crafting her own stories. 

 She loves to write angsty, sexy romance with lots of heat and some suspense to keep you guessing and wanting to turn that page! 

She lives in Southeastern Mass with her two kids and two dogs. Lover of coffee, all things chocolate, & always the avid reader, you can keep up with Lyssa Cole by subscribing to her newsletter below. 

 You'll also find her on all social media and if you'd like to say hello, email her at lyssacole@lyssacolebooks.com.

Connect with Lyssa Cole


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Wednesday, April 21, 2021

The Faker {a review}


Back in January I was scrolling through Instagram, and noticed a post about a new hockey romance series. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. I immediately found myself on Amazon, and soon had the first three books in the series ordered.

That series was The Boston Hawks by Gina Azzi. I read The Sweet Talker, and was captivated. Then The Risk Taker came out, and and I fell further for these characters. Well now, now it's time for The Faker. Now I get Torsten and Rielle's story. Torsten grabbed my attention back in The Sweet Talker, and I couldn't get him off my mind. Rielle has been there since the beginning as well, but we didn't see a ton of her. Obviously in The Faker, it's all about these two.

I absolutely loved The Faker. From the beginning to the end, I did not want to put it down. There was a time, at the beginning of the book, where I was cringing (and literally saying eww no). Everything that happened after that altercation had me saying 'more please'. Torsten and Rielle are amazing together. The chemistry between them is undeniable. Should we talk about the steam? Oh friends, it is STEAMY. 

A little over midway through the book, I found myself wanting to throttle Torsten and Rielle. Oh they were frustrating me. But in the end it was worth it. It just was.

Oh and yes, I totally had tears running down my cheeks a few times. I can't help it, I am an emotional person, and the feelings just hit hard sometimes. I won't tell you which scenes hit me, but there were a few. And that's all I will say about that.

If age gap romances are your thing, then read The Faker! (He's 37, she's 24)
If marriage of convenience is your trope, then read The Faker!
If millionaire/billionaire romances are your thing, then read The Faker!
Obviously if sports romance is a favorite, then read The Boston Hawks series.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,


Please keep scrolling for a teaser of The Faker, an excerpt from the books, as well as links to add the series to your Goodreads and/or purchase the books.


Title: The Faker
Series: Boston Hawks Hockey #3
Author: Gina Azzi
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Release Date: April 21, 2021


BLURB

NHL hotshot Torsten Hansen is a lot of things. My husband shouldn't be one of them.

One emotional night slinging tequila shots and singing karaoke with the Hawks defenseman turns into more than I bargained for. A wicked hangover, an eviction notice, and a marriage proposal.

If Torsten and I wed, he can fulfill a promise to his grandmother and the debt I'm drowning in will be paid by his trust fund. It's a win-win, an easy and straightforward arrangement between friends.

So what if my friend has piercing blue eyes, a sensual smirk, and a body that occupies my dreams? It shouldn't matter that Torsten understands my past and makes me feel safe.

Except it does. Because if I give my heart to my husband, how will I survive our eventual divorce?





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EXCERPT

I walk beside her, wondering if I’ve lost my damn mind.
What the hell was I thinking? Did I seriously just propose marriage to a woman I’ve spent a total of fifteen hours with, in group settings, over blueberry pancakes?
Yes, yes I did.
We’re quiet as we walk, both of us lost in our thoughts. Except mine swing from angry to needy to frustrated. I hate that Rielle questioned our friendship, as if I don’t give a shit about her. I know we aren’t close and don’t really know each other but does she seriously think I treat her the same way I treat puck bunnies? Her accusation stung and it shouldn’t have because it’s the perception I’ve spent years cultivating.
I just don’t like that it worked on her.
Then, there’s the fact that she’s obviously in some kind of trouble. Four hundred and seventy thousand dollars? Really? That’s not normal credit card or student loan debt. That’s serious, life-altering, damaging debt. Is someone trying to shake her down? Is that why she has bruises on her arm?
Jesus. I scrape a hand over my face, glancing at Rielle from the corner of my eye. She keeps her head straight ahead, her footsteps even, her shoulders pulled back. I couldn’t get a read on her if I was a fucking mind reader.
But marriage? No, I didn’t propose marriage. I proposed something different. A transaction. And she knows it.






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COMING SOON


Releasing June 23

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Releasing August 5

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Releasing September 27

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AUTHOR BIO

Gina Azzi writes emotional and captivating contemporary romance novels with heart-warming happily-ever-afters. She is the author of Second Chance Chicago Series, The Kane Brothers Series, Finding Love in Scotland Series, The College Pact Series, and Corner of Ocean and Bay. All of her books can be read as stand-alones. 

A Jersey girl at heart, Gina has spent her twenties traveling the world, living and working abroad, before settling down in Ontario, Canada with her husband and three children. She's a voracious reader, daydreamer, and coffee enthusiast who loves meeting new people. Say hey to her on social media or through www.ginaazzi.com.


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