October A to Z

Back in January I had these grand plans to participate in three reading challenges. I started off strong, and about midway through, it all just stopped. I stopped looking at the prompts. I stopped filling in the blanks on my blog, and honestly I deleted those pages all together. I just gave up as I was overwhelmed with everything. 

Now here it is October, and I'm wanting to participate. So I figured why not just do October A to Z. Fill in each letter whether it is the title of the book, the author's first name, or the author's last name. Let's see how many letters I can complete! We all know Q, U, X, and Z are going to be the troublesome letters, but I have a good feeling. 

Bookstacks and Golden Moms has a specific prompt for October, and I think I'll utilize that for a mini challenge. Looking at my calendar, this should be "easy" to fulfill since I have so many ARCs scheduled.

 

A book written by a new to you author

My "plan" as of right now is to update each week. That way I can visually see my progress, and know which letters are left to fulfill.

If you'd like to join in with me, please do so! You could even double up by working in the title and author, so it would knock out two letters.

Coming Soon from VH Nicolson

 

 Release Date: November 6

Seven years ago my soulmate got married. 

To someone else.

Fraser farmer broke me. Made me incapable of loving again.

Seven years later he’s back, whispering I love you. 

He’s gorgeous, magnetic, successful, an athlete at the peak of his game.  

But behind his picture perfect life and family, lies a precarious path of deceit and anguish and a vicious sports agent on the warpath to destroy him. 

He’s a prisoner in his own life. Held captive. 

He still belongs to someone else.

Can I help set him free? 

And can he be the one to uncage and heal my dying heart? 

I have two options. 

Fight alongside him, or have my heart broken again.

Do I even have a choice, or were we always inevitable?

------

Inevitable Ella is a standalone steamy second chance sports romance full of twists and turns. It features Ella, a feisty ice-blond bombshell dancer and Fraser, a sexy powerhouse pro golfer. It’s an intricate love story involving scandal and extortion. It’s a perfectly blended full-length romance filled with heat, emotion, and a Happy Ever After, with no cliffhanger. 

Inevitable Ella is Book 2 in The Triple Trouble Series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but have cross over characters. 

Pre-Order Your Copy Here!

Meet VH Nicolson

VH Nicolson is an emerging author of contemporary romance and wrote her first book during lockdown, and is now completely smitten with writing love stories with happily ever afters. 

VH Nicolson was born and raised along the breathtaking coastline in North East Fife in Scotland. 

For more than two decades she’s worked throughout the UK and abroad within the creative marketing and design industry, as a branding strategist and stylist, editor of a magazine and sub-editor of a newspaper. 

Married to her high school crush, they have one son. 

She has a weakness for buying too many quirky sparkly jumpers, eating Belgium buns, and walking the endless beaches that surround her beautiful Scottish hometown she’s now moved back to.

Connect with VH Nicolson

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | TikTok

Hosted By

Snipe by Mary Morano {a review}

 

It's that time my friends. Time for yet another new hockey romance book release. You know me, I'm not complaining. I love sports romance, and will read it any chance I can. You may recall me talking about the book Open Lanes. That was the first book in the Mooseheads Hockey series by Mary Morano. I loved it. So to say I have high hopes for Snipe would be an understatement. Let's head back to the college campus in Maine, and see what happens with Justin and Becca.

Oh, if you're wondering about tropes, I have info for you on that. We have surprise pregnancy, as well as found family. Snipe is also a slow burn, so if those are your jam, well then stay tuned.

Becca is from a small religious town a few hours away from campus. Her parents are quite strict, and to say they do not approve of her choice to attend college at Monroe University would be an understatement. They'd prefer that she remain at home where they can keep an eye on her, and convince her that she needs to marry her boyfriend from high school. Becca is an independent woman though, and she's not putting up with it. All is fine in her world, until the day that Justin walks into the classroom, and sits down right next to her. Moments later they find out that they are going to be teamed up all semester, and the info they have to tell each other is a sensitive topic for Becca. These two set up a time to meet, and of course Justin is running late. He may say he likes to be on time, but right now things just are not working in his favor. Thankfully he has a little down time before the hockey season starts, and he needs to focus on his assignments. Yet there is something about Becca that is making that a bit difficult. One thing leads to another, and these two end up spending a night together after a party. Neither remembers much about what happened, but Becca's about to find out that while protection may have been used, it wasn't effective.

I am loving this series from Mary Morano! I am falling for the characters and the setting. She has hooked me in. In Snipe, I found myself angry on Becca's behalf. Not only with Justin and the BS he put her through, but also with her roommate and her parents. Heck I'm still angry with her parents. UGH. Justin is a sweetheart. This man is compassionate, friendly, outgoing, and not to mention focused. When he loves, he loves hard. How everything played out in this book was interesting to read. From their initial introduction, to the meet up in the library, to what happened at the party, and life after that party, it was all so good. I also really enjoyed how Justin's teammates, and coach, was by his side when he needed them the most. He had that support system, and that was much needed. Loved the book, loved the characters, loved the dramatic moment, all of it. Highly recommend Snipe.

Can I just tell you one nit picky thing that I didn't like? Heck it isn't even about the content of the book. Nope. It's the cover. I'm sorry, but this cover is a big miss for me. I don't know if it is the smile, the back ground, or the tattoos, it just doesn't feel right for this book. Yes, I mean Justin's nickname is Tattoo, and I'm not disliking the tattoos on the model, but they look fake. Ugh, I'm sorry. Like I said, it has nothing to do with the story, but still.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Snipe. If you are a fan of college romances that feature an athlete, then I hope that you'll give the Mooseheads Hockey series a try. 

Laura

Serious relationships are NOT meant for College... At least that’s what Justin believes. As a member of the Mooseheads Hockey Team, Justin is known for three things: Hats, Parties, and giving the best advice around.  As he starts his junior year of college at Monroe University, he knows it will be the best one yet. Life is going great for Justin, until Becca stumbles her way in. When she tells him she’s pregnant after a drunken one night stand that neither can fully remember, he’s left with a choice. Will he step up and be the man they need him to be, or will he run away like his own parents did? 

This story is told from both Justin and Becca’s POV. It involves themed college parties, lots of different hats, and some interesting ideas for baby gifts. 

The Mooseheads Hockey Series is a set of standalone hockey romance books. They can be read separately, but may be better enjoyed in order.

Purchase Snipe here!

Add Snipe to your Goodreads TBR!

Meet Mary Morano

Mary is a single mom who decided to take her own advice and follow her dreams of being an author. She's a New York Islanders Fan and can be often found driving her kids to one of their many sports activities. She enjoys reading, and watching Harry Potter, Avengers Movies, and SVU. You can find her on social media, and she would love to hear from you!

Connect with Mary Morano

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook Reader Group | Amazon Author Page | BookBub | TikTok

Hosted by:

Thank you to Mary Morano, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of Snipe.

Calling all Poisoned Pawn fans!

 

The time has come for the finale of the Poisoned Pawns series by SE Rose. A TRUE KING is coming October 28th, and it is going to be EPIC!

Now don't worry! If you want to read A True King on it's own, you completely can. S.E. Rose has said that this CAN be read as a standalone. So hooray for that! But if you'd like to start from the beginning, I have links for you below.

A FUTURE KING.

A FORBIDDEN ROMANCE.

A CENTURY-OLD SECRET.

WHAT A ROYAL FAMILY IS ABOUT TO FIND OUT MAY DESTROY THEIR MONARCHY AND EVERYONE THAT STANDS IN THE WAY.

The royal staff are off-limits. It was a simple rule, but when Mia Edgewater walked into Prince Christian’s office to interview for a position as his assistant, that rule was all but forgotten. The two fell madly in love until the palace sent away all the staff following a security breach. Angry, but resigned to follow palace orders, Mia left.

That was two long weeks ago. Mia hasn’t responded to a single text or call. Prince Christian decides to take matters into his own hands and show up at Mia’s family home. He’s determined to talk her into giving him second chance. Only when he does, she isn’t there.

Prince Christian starts to look for Mia, but he doesn’t under know he’s about to find a threat greater than any his family has faced. He’s about to unravel a mystery so dark, so insidious that he may soon question who he can trust. And at the heart of this secret, is Mia.

Can he find her before it's too late? Can he even trust her when he does? Or will a hidden enemy kill his one true love and his chance at becoming king?

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

Pre-order now!

New to the Poisoned Pawns series?
Start here! ↓

Amazon | Goodreads

Amazon | Goodreads

Amazon | Goodreads

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

Website | Newsletter | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads | Youtube

Hosted by:

Jock Reign by Sara Ney {a review}

Have you heard of the Jock Hard series from Sara Ney? If you are a sports romance fan, then I highly suggest you check it out. Especially if you enjoy new adult romances that are set at college. I've now read two books in the series, and am definitely enjoying it.

In Jock Reign, we meet Jack Dryden-Jones. He is new to the states, new to the university, has joined the rugby team, and is living in the same house his brother Ashley did. Basically he's mimicking Ashley's time here at the school. One night at a party, Jack meets Kaylee. She is instantly taken with him, and Jack walks her home. Kaylee invites him in, he stays for a bit, meets her roommate Eliza, and watches a tv show, and then heads home. Kaylee has her sights set on Jack, and is determined to be in a relationship with him. But Jack has no interest. He just sees Kaylee as a friend. Enter Eliza. She and Jack hit it off at their initial meeting. So when they bump into each other at a coffee shop (Jack is there for the scones), it leads to sharing a meal, and a nice little conversation. Eliza and Jack slowly become friends, and these two friends start spending more time together. Just without Kaylee knowing. Which is making Eliza uncomfortable, because Girl Code! Can these two remain strictly friends? Will Jack ever let Kaylee down? What about Jack's role on the rugby team? Will he ever tell coach that he wants to be done?

Jock Reign was pretty darn good. I enjoyed the majority of the characters, loved returning to the familiar setting, and enjoyed the storyline. I will say that the slow burn was a bit heavy at times, and I did find myself screaming at my kindle for Eliza and Jack to just kiss already! When the kiss did happen I was happy for our characters. Then Eliza had to put a stop to things, and I wanted to scream at her! Thankfully that was short lived. I did not like Kaylee one bit. She rubbed me the wrong way from the initial introduction, and every time she made an appearance in the book I was annoyed. She'a a great villain. She is the character that you love to hate. When the reveal scene happened, I was shocked at Kaylee's reaction. I knew there would be drama surrounding it, but she just took it too far. Yet at the same time it worked because things definitely shifted between Jack and Eliza. So I can see why Sara Ney wrote that how she did. There were two things that I would have loved to have read in this book. The first being Jack's family meeting Eliza. I can practically hear Georgia screaming in excitement, and Mama Dryden-Jones groaning in displeasure. The other thing I would have loved to have read was when Jack finally approached the coach about his (Jack's) role on the rugby team. I would have loved to know the coach's reaction/response, as well as how the other rugby players took the information. But that didn't happen, so I'll just picture it all in my head, and approve of how the scenes are playing out. 

The set up for Jock Romeo was wonderful, and I cannot wait to read that story. Rome has me curious, and I am intrigued as to how things are going to go with him and Lilly. Of course I'm also curious if Kaylee will make an appearance, and try to mess things up.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on Jock Reign. I hope that you will give this "rugby" romance a read. May you feel a connection to Jack and Eliza like I did. Love those two nerdy characters.

Laura

IT’S NOT EASY LIVING IN YOUR BROTHERS SHADOW.

 

Jack Dryden-Jones is easily the worst rugby player on the field—when he moves to The States to follow in his brothers footsteps, he has no idea how he’d hate the game. He’s so horrible he considers faking an injury to take himself out of the game. 

Jack is a quick-witted, comic book loving gentleman—not an athlete. 

 

DO NOT DATE YOUR ROOMMATES CRUSH.

 

When her roommate brings home a random stranger, Eliza is shocked when he makes himself at home; he’s strapping, strong and watching a movie at the end of her couch as if he belongs there.

 

It makes her uncomfortable in the best way possible.

 

But if there is one thing she believes in, it’s GIRL CODE: No girl may date her friend's ex, past crush, or guys who have humiliated/used her. And she most certainly may not date any guy her friend currently fancies... 

 

DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

 

Jack and Eliza are two of the good ones—it’s going to take a miracle to keep them apart.

Grab Your Copy Here:

Amazon US | CA | UK | AU 

Free in KU 

Meet Sara Ney

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. 

Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced lattes, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British. 

Connect with Sara Ney

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Book+Main | Pinterest | Goodreads | BookBub | Ney's Little Lattes

Hosted By: 

Thank you to Sara Ney, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of Jock Reign.