Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Back to Us {a review}

I FREAKING LOVE A WELL DONE SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE! And reader friends, Back to Us by T.C. Matson fit that bill perfectly.

Back to Us is the second book in the Cameron Falls series, and I am hooked. I will be reading Back to Me, and I will be reading the next two in the series as well. I am falling for this small town, and the people in it.

Dakota and Blake were high school sweethearts. That is until the day after Dakota tells him she's been accepted to a college in California. You see that next day, she found him in bed with another girl. She saw red, and ran. Leaving both of them heartbroken. Now, 11 years later Dakota is returning to town for her Granny's funeral. She is hoping she won't have to see Blake, but since it's a small town and the families are friends, the likelihood of that it miniscule. When the community sees Blake and Dakota in the same area, people start talking. Are they getting back together? Will they forgive each other? Is Dakota moving back to town? And that reunion is exactly what this book is about. It's about forgiveness and finding your way back to the person you're meant to be with. It isn't perfect. It isn't easy. But in the end, there is forever.

When I read the teaser for Back to Us, I was immediately drawn in because of it being set in a small town, and the fact that it is a second chance romance. Those are two of my favorite things in books, and Back to Us did not disappoint. As I was reading the book, it seriously felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie, just with a bit of steam added in. I could picture the scenes playing out, and I LOVED IT. I could feel the tension, the heartache, the longing, the emotions just flowing off of these two. I could see their friends and family watching from the sidelines and watching this reunion happen. Then when the big moment happened, and that pie went flying, I could hear the heartache, the pain, the anger coming from both of them. But then towards the end of the book, when Dakota had to return to California, my heart shattered for Blake and Dakota. I was crushed. After going through all that with the characters, I couldn't see how they would get back together again. Thankfully T.C. Matson had me covered, and I watched it all unfold. When the book ended, my heart was so happy. The HEA I knew I would get happened. It all wrapped up wonderfully.

Loved the story. Loved the characters. Loved the setting. Cannot wait to see who the next book is about. Especially since I'm sure we "met" the main character in Back to Us. Time will tell.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,
Laura

The Trouble with #9 {cover reveal}

Release Date: August 10

Trouble.

One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy.

Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further. I want couch time with her but not the kind she’s used to.

I decide to lie to her just to finish off my therapy so I can do what I really want—date her—even if she says she doesn’t date hockey players. Just when my therapy sessions are up and I’ve made some headway with Paisley, it’s my parents who throw another wrench in my plans.

If I abide by my parent’s wishes to marry the one they’ve chosen, I’ll lose Paisley forever. But if I go against my parents, I’m failing my deceased best friend all over again.

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Meet Piper Rayne

Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found.

They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they're married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they're both chauffeurs to their kids.

Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!

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Tuesday, June 1, 2021

A Real Cowboy Always Protects {a review}

A Real Cowboy Always Protects is the 8th book in the Wyoming Rebels series by Stephanie Rowe. In this book we get to witness Logan Stockton and Skylar Jones fake an engagement, temporarily move to Wyoming, and ultimately fall in love.

Logan and Skylar have been neighbors for about two years now. On this night, they bump into each other in the elevator. Skylar is off to the store across the street for a cup of coffee, and Logan just finished working out at the onsite gym. They begin chatting, and as per usual, Skylar is just drawn to Logan. When Skylar returns to the building, there are two men waiting for the elevator. They hop in with her, and get off at her floor. She doesn't know it yet, but these men are here for Logan, and if they have their way he won't be coming out alive. Skylar knocks on Logan's door, attempts to use some spy lingo, and Logan catches on. Next thing you know, Skylar is locked in Logan's office and hiding under his desk, all while he handles things in the hallway. It is shortly after this point that we find out Skylar and Logan are headed to Wyoming, as Skylar needs to hide out from this assassin.

There is so much that I loved about this book! From the Stockton family, to their friends, to Logan going into protector mode, how Skylar's Mom ended up on the property, the big showdown, the love story, and ultimately the surprise, for the teenager, at the end. My heart soared with that one. Okay fine, a few tears were shed as well. I will say that at the beginning of the book it said this was a slow-burn, but honestly I didn't get that at all. If anything it felt like once they arrived at the ranch, things built rapidly.

This was my first read in the Wyoming Rebels series, and now I really want to go back and read the first seven books. This group just seems amazing. They've overcome so much, and you can just feel the sense of community.

If you are a fan of neighbors to lovers, small town romance, fake engagements, and/or romantic suspense, then go read this book. I think you'll like it. I know I did.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Laura

Southern Heat {a review}

Today is release day for Southern Heat, which is the sixth book in the Southern series by Natasha Madison. Southern Heat tells us the story of Quinn and Willow. If you read Southern Heart, you may recall getting a small glimpse of their introduction. It was quite the first impression.

In Southern Heat, we go back to the night that Chelsea is rescued, Mayson's dad is dead, and Quinn finds a woman hidden beneath a bed. This woman is barely alive. The moment Quinn picks her up to bring her to the ambulance, he feels a connection with her. Jane Doe is brought to the hospital, and all of her wounds are discovered. From broken bones, to fractured ribs, to bruises galore, this woman has it all. Days later it is also discovered that she has a broken clavicle. We then learn that her name is Willow, and she had been through hell with Benjamin for the last 8 years. This is her story of healing, growing, and finding love in this small southern town.

My recap of the book doesn't really do it justice. It just doesn't. How can I put into words everything that happened in Willow and Quinn's story, without spoiling it. I love that this book was insta-love. I love that it is small town romance. I love that Quinn sat by Willow's hospital bed around the clock. I cannot even begin to imagine all that Willow had been through in her life. Some of it was pretty difficult to read about, but she is a survivor. I love how these two fell into love without even realizing it. Witnessing these two fall for each other, go through the moment of conflict, and come back out of it stronger than ever just warms my heart. I just loved this book through and through.

I cannot get enough of the Southern series by Natasha Madison. I love her hockey series, I loved her Hollywood series, but this Southern series is a whole different ball game. There's only two books left in the series, and I don't want it to be over.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Laura

Willow

After being left for dead, I was given a fresh start by my knight in shining armor.

My protector.

I never had a family before they took me in.

But I don’t know how to stay or trust.

I always had a bag packed and ready just in case I needed to escape again.

Like they say, old habits die hard.

Being in the shadows is lonely, but lonely is safe.

Quinn

I was the quiet one, the one who stood in the back and watched things unfold. The cowboy who only cared about his horses instead of the glory.

Until I found her fighting for her life. Something inside me shifted, and I couldn’t stop it.

I couldn’t stop protecting her.

I fell in love with her with one look because she was my soul mate.

Even though I knew I couldn't make her stay.

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Meet Natasha Madison

When her nose isn't buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she's in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It's a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn't listen to her...

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Thank you to Natasha Madison and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for providing me with an advanced copy of Southern Heat.

Monday, May 31, 2021

A Kiss for a Kiss {a review}

Have you ever read a book, and thought "I'd love it if the author wrote about these two characters?" Well that was the case for me, and a lot of other fans of the All In series by Helena Hunting. She heard our request, and A Kiss for a Kiss was born. Jake and Hanna were getting their story told!

If you've read A Secret for a Secret, then you know who Jake and Hanna are. If you haven't read it, well I suggest you do. If anything it will give you a bit of backstory. Jake is the GM for the Seattle hockey team, and he is Queenie's dad. Queenie is getting married to Kingston. Kingston is the son of Hanna, but he wasn't raised by her. Hanna had given up her parental rights when Kingston was born, and they were actually raised as siblings. Unusual I know, but it is what it is. Anyways, as we lead up to the wedding, Hanna and Jake are spending a lot of time together. They are in constant communication, and a friendship is forming. You see where this is headed I'm sure. Eventually that friendship turns into more. And not too long later, Hanna finds herself pregnant. At 46.

I LOVED A KISS FOR A KISS! I don't think I can scream it loud enough. I love the immediate attraction between Jake and Hanna. I love the age of our characters. I love getting to see all the characters from previous books (both All In and Pucked). I love that our characters went to The Knight Cap! I love the relationship that Hanna has with Kingston. Just all of it. I loved it. Their relationship. The pregnancy. Explaining the relationship, and revealing the pregnancy, to Kingston and Queenie. The fact that others could see the relationship happening just based on their initial meeting. It was just all so good. Oh and that blow up Hanna had with her Mom? THE BEST! (as in long overdue)

If you've read the All In series, I highly suggest you continue with A Kiss for a Kiss. If you haven't read the series? I highly suggest that you do. I gave A Kiss for a Kiss 4.5 stars, and am so freaking happy this book happened. If this was the end of the series, it was a fantastic conclusion.