Damien {a review}

I jumped into a new series by reading the third book first. If you know me, you know this isn't my norm. I always start at the beginning. But you better believe I will be going back to read the first two books in the Perfectly Imperfect series. Especially since I know those are about Drew and Vince. I wonder if Dani has a story. Hmmm. I'll have to go look at Amanda Shelley's backlist titles.

Anyways, late last night I finished reading Damien by Amanda Shelley. It is a new adult, single parent romance, with some insta-love action happening. 

Damien has recently relocated to town, and is working on a construction project at the college. He had discovered a little diner on one of his first days in town, and has been eating breakfast there almost daily. It helps that his usual server is absolutely gorgeous. Vanessa is a nursing student at the college, and she is also a single mom who works her butt off to make all of it happen. Her daughter, Julia, is 5 years old and the bright spot in her world. Vanessa hasn't dated in years, and so when Damien eventually works up the courage to ask her out, she is shocked, and then turns him down. Many days later Damien asks again. Vanessa had already talked to her friends about this, and agrees to a date. And that is how it all starts. 

I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Damien and Vanessa is so good. I love how Vanessa isn't afraid to tell Damien the hard things (single parent, loss of parents, etc). Then there's Damien, who isn't afraid to talk about the hard stuff, and he realizes that Vanessa being a parent comes first. He is willing to do anything in his power to make the relationship work. The chemistry between the two is spectacular. The connection between Vanessa and Julia is top notch. The way Julia and Damien interact is impressive. A bond has definitely been formed. I will say I thought the point of conflict would have been greater or drawn out. But I wasn't disappointed in it. I liked how Damien and Vanessa worked through it, and it allowed Damien to share a bit about his past and what he had been through.

Loved the book. I cannot wait to read more of the series, and also check out other works by the author.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

When I walk into the diner, all I’m looking for is a decent meal. As a civil engineer for the largest project on campus, I just want to eat in peace. I’m happy to find this hidden gem since students are scarce. Don’t get me wrong, co-eds on campus are beautiful, but I was over that scene when I graduated three years ago. I need to finish this job and move onto the next one by the end of the year.

Then Vanessa walks up with a simple smile and takes my breath away. The next thing I know, I’m making every excuse imaginable to dine with this intriguing woman. She’s not only smart and sexy; she’s completely focused on reaching the goals she has set for herself.

The more I get to know her, the more I know she’s the one. I just have to find a way to make her deviate from her perfectly laid plans and take a chance on me.

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Meet Amanda Shelley

Amanda Shelley loves falling into a book to experience new worlds. As an avid reader and writer, sharing worlds of her own creations is a passion that inspired her to become an author. 

She writes contemporary romance with characters who are strong and sexy with a touch of sass. 

When not writing, Amanda enjoys time with her family, playing chauffeur, chef and being an enthusiastic fan for her children. Keeping up with them keeps her alert and grounded in reality. She enjoys long car rides, chai lattes, and popping her SUV into four-wheel drive for adventures anywhere. 

Amanda loves hearing from readers. Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and follow her on social media. Join her reader group: Amanda's Army of Readers to stay up to date on her latest information!

Connect with Amanda Shelley:

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Thank you to Amanda Shelley and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing me with an advanced copy of Damien, the third book in the Perfectly Imperfect series.

Crazy About A Cowboy {a review}

Crazy About a Cowboy is the third book in the Tying the Knot in Texas series by Dylann Crush, and it just released today!

I had the privilege to read an early copy of the book, and it is so good. I absolutely adored this book. I would absolutely love it if Dylann Crush wrote an entire spin-off series based on the Taylor family. I'd read it in a heartbeat, and I'd like to see all the Taylor children get their HEAs.

In Crazy About A Cowboy, we meet Delilah Stone. She is the reigning Miss Lovin' Texas, and she is visiting small towns that are competing to win the title of Most Romantic Small Town. It's been narrowed down to three, and as Delilah is about to head to Swynton she's told they've been disqualified, and she now has to head to the town of Ido. Stella, Delilah's mom and manager, is not happy about this, and does not want her daughter going to that town! Why? Well as we find out, it's Stella's old stomping grounds. She has history there. Anyway, Delilah heads to Ido, and is introduced to Jasper Taylor. Mayor Cherish has tapped him to be the hospitality host, and it is his job to take Delilah around and show her all the reasons why Ido should win the title. Now Jasper isn't too fond of this. He just wants to save his family's pecan farm, and convince his dad to renovate the old barn to use as a wedding venue. After all that would bring additional income to the farm. Delilah and Jasper's introduction doesn't quite go as planned, and Delilah gets soaked by a water hose. There is so much that happens from that point on, but it all is part of the larger story, so I'll stop my recap at the meet-cute.

This book was so fun to read. It was sweet. It had romantic moments. It had a bit of steam. It had a little suspense. I loved the small town setting. Loved the forced proximity trope that was playing out. Loved how Jasper, and the town, showed Delilah all of these amazing things. Loved how the town came together when there was work to be done.And I really loved how things played out at the ceremony to announce the winner. I wasn't as fond of the side story with Colin Taylor, but I understand why it was there. Also, Stella was a bit much and in my mind Delilah really needed to tell her to back off. All in all though, I loved the book. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads, and I really want to go back and read the first two books in the series. 

If small towns, cowboys, pageant queens, forced proximity, family drama, and contests are things you're interested in, then you'll definitely want to grab Crazy About A Cowboy. I highly recommend the book.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Match Made in Paradise {a review}

image source: author's facebook page

Match Made in Paradise is the brand new book by Barbara Dunlop! Match Made in Paradise is also kicking off a brand new series called Paradise, Alaska. After reading the book, I am positive this series will be quite interesting.

When I initially read the description for the book, my mind immediately went to The Simple Wild by KA Tucker. It was giving me similar vibes. I mean the hero works as a bush pilot, the heroine is a fish out of water, the heroine has to leave luggage behind at the airport, it's a bit of hate to love, it's small town romance, and of course there is a HEA. But really that's where the similarities end.

After the death of her husband, Mia is heading to Paradise to stay with her cousin Raven. Mia is heading there at the request of her lawyer, as back home she's in a legal battle with her step-children regarding the fashion empire, and she's receiving death threats from fanatics who think she is to blame for her husband's death. Upon arriving in Alaska, Mia has to hop aboard a smaller plane to get to her final destination. Silas happens to be the pilot who is handling this trip, and he has to break the news to her that she cannot take all her luggage. The plane is already full, and there just isn't space (physical or due to weight restrictions). When Silas drives Mia to Raven's home, Mia doesn't know what to think. This strange man has just taken her to this remote home that is in desperate need of repairs, and Mia's first thought is to run for her life. That right there is just the start of it all. There is so much that happens in this book, and I cannot even begin to recap it all.

I went into Match Made in Paradise with high hopes. The teaser had my full attention, and I could not wait to pick up the book. If I'm being completely honest, this book had potential to be fantastic. Instead, it was just middle of the road. I found myself skimming through the filler, and only truly paid attention when it was about the relationship, the side stories, or the big scene at the air strip. I mean I get it, a world needs to be built, we need the background, especially since this is the start of a new series. But there was some that could have been cut. Maybe that's just me though as I don't care about fashion, yet at the same time I can understand why it was put in as Mia is about to be the head of a fashion empire. Also, the description says that this is a rom-com. I didn't get that from the book. For me it was really more of a standard contemporary.

Now I say all that about the book, but there were parts that I liked. I loved how the relationship between Silas and Mia developed. I enjoyed how Mia took charge at the radio during the air strip scene. I was curious about the dating app Mia was going to implement (with help of course). And I was curious about what was going on with the side characters. It is all of this that will have me continuing with the series. After all there are a few who I want to see get their HEAs, and how their partners will fit into Paradise, Alaska.

Let's talk about my star rating. As you know on every site, you only have the option to leave full ratings, there are no half stars. So on Goodreads, I marked this as 3 stars, but then wrote in my review that it was a 3.5 star. I stand by that. I don't feel like it was a 4 star, and I really think it deserves higher than a 3 star. So 3.5 it is.  

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

The Spy in 3B {a review}

Hi Friends,

I have a fun book recommendation for you today! 

The Spy in 3B is the brand new book by Nana Malone, and it is the start of the Covert Affairs duet.

This is a "spy vs spy" book mixed with romance, a little slow burn, a little neighbors to lovers, and eventually we have a whole lot of steam.  And since it is a duet, the book does end in a cliffhanger.

So let's recap the book a bit. We have Lyra who is an agent for The Firm, and one of the rules the organization has is that the agents must be in relationships. Now of course they cannot tell their partner what they really do for work, so to the average person, Lyra works for a PR company. She's signed up on a dating app, and she's been matched with a man she's not so certain of. But he also happens to live across the hall. Meanwhile Marcus is an agent for Exodus, but most people think he is a video game developer, and Exodus has a similar rule regarding agents being in relationships. Which makes sense as we learn these two organizations used to be one. Anyways these two start dating, but with each date a situation arises where the date has to come to an abrupt end. Flash forward a little bit, and while Lyra and Marcus are on "date" they are also both working. They both hear from their respective teams that the other organization is onsite and to be aware of the situation. Lyra and Marcus have no clue that they work for opposing companies. That is until a later mission.

I freaking LOVED The Spy in 3B. I did. I kept wondering when Lyra and Marcus would figure out the other's true job, and how that would all play out. Since there was some slow burn going on, I also was wondering when the steam would kick in. But once it did, it didn't really stop. Marcus and Lyra are both fantastic characters. I am intrigued by them, and I'd love to know more about their history with the companies. But I highly doubt I'll get a prequel, so I'll just have to make up the backstory. I am finding myself curious about Rhodes, Addie, Roz, and Tyler too. So I wonder if any of them will ever get their stories told. Or maybe I should peruse Nana Malone's backlist to see if there is something about these fabulous side characters.

I cannot wait to see what happens in The Assassin in 5F. I have a feeling it is going to be epic. I did a quick search, and it looks like The Assassin in 5F is coming in July. So my wait won't be too long.

I highly recommend The Spy in 3B! It's so good. Please go purchase it from Kobo. I really think you'll enjoy it. (and yes, this is a Kobo original, so that is the only place you'll find it.) 

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Anything For This Love {a review}

 

Today is the day that Anything For This Love is available! This is the third book in the Wild Hearts series by Ashley Cade. It is also the third book in Abby and Jacob's story.

If you've been following along, then you'll know that I recently read the first two books in the Wild Hearts series. I could not put them down. There was something about Abby and Jacob's story that kept pulling me in, and I was just enjoying being a part of their world. After finishing those books, I was so thankful to have an advanced copy of Anything for this Love. That way I could stay in that setting, stay with these characters that I've come to love, and find out how things wrap up for Abby and Jacob.

If you've read Something That Could Last and Everything We Left Unsaid, then you'll know that both of those books ended in a cliffhanger. No, that's not the right word, as a cliffhanger makes it sound dramatic. We were left at a break in the story. And now in Anything For This Love, we are picking up right where we left off.  So I need to be careful with my description of the story, as well as my review, so that I do not say more than I should.

In Anything For This Love, we find Abby and Jacob separated because of the actions of Jacob's mother. Her finally coming clean about what she had done years prior made Abby really uneasy, and as we know, Abby ran. And now she's been avoiding Jacob. There are a few surprises in the book that affect Abby, and it's a lot. We also witness Jacob stepping in to save the day once again. And I'm here for him being a hero. Anything For This Love is all about these two finding their way back together once again. It's also about forgiveness, healing, and their future.

This book gave me just what I wanted for Abby and Jacob's story. It gave me the HEA I was hoping would happen, and quite frankly it was time for them to have it. These two had been through so much in this trilogy, and I think they're stronger for it. There is so much I loved about Anything For This Love. Obviously the continuation of the story is a huge part butt I also loved that we were able to witness these two reconnect, we got to reconnect with Luke, and we find out what is happening with Ethan and Tiff, and we get to see Jacob's Mom getting the help she needs to process the grief of losing Peyton all those years ago. Then there is the setting. I love the small town that Abby lives in. Yes we see bits and pieces of Arlington, where Jacob lives, but my heart is back in that small town with Abby's family. This entire series has been fantastic, and I cannot wait to see how Ashley Cade continues it with Ethan's story. You already know I'll be reading it whenever it is announced.

Curious about my star rating for Anything For This Love? I gave it 4 stars.

If you like the small town, opposites attract, insta-love, or the accidental pregnancy trope, then go grab the Wild Hearts series. Just remember, you need to start with Something That Could Last!

Thank you for reading my thoughts,