Notes on Love by Naaz Spencer {cover reveal}

Naaz Spencer has just revealed the cover for Notes on Love! This is the first book that Naaz has released, and it is sure to be a wonderful read. If not a bit emotional at times.  

This book contains topics that some may find triggering. These include discussion of  loss, grief, suicide, infertility, mature language and sexually explicit scenes.

Save the date for January 22 when you will get to meet Seth and Kiran!

Seth

 

Six months away, nursing heartbreak, and my father plucks a ray of sunshine from the sky and puts her in the office opposite mine.

Kiran Jafri is the one thing I hate - happy.

She’s an explosion of colour in one gorgeous package and I should stay away.

But Kiran’s warmth is all I’ve ever craved and avoiding her isn’t an option.

The more I learn about her, the more complicated it gets.

I’ll figure out a way to prove this is worth it.

Kiran

 

Moving to London is a fresh start.

New office. A personal assistant. And a stunning boss who is missing a heart in his chest.

Seth Sinclair is the office grump and fate seems to throw us together.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t stay away.

He’s something I want when I definitely shouldn’t.

It’s too complicated and I can’t trust myself not to mess up.

But Seth’s reminding me of one thing I thought I lost - hope.

Is it really possible for me to have it all?

Preorder Your Copy Here

Meet Naaz Spencer.

Naaz Spencer is the pen name of Zavi James.

Naaz Spencer spends most of her time rushing around a laboratory and trying to make people believe she has her life in order. After a near death experience, she decided to flex her fingers and take a stab at writing as that had always been her childhood dream. Now, she splits her time between experiments and fictional worlds and enjoys getting people to swoon and cry over her creations.

When she’s not writing and working, she can be found traveling across the world in a bid to find inspiration and unleashing her chaos on social media.

For more information about Naaz Spencer, visit:

https://linktr.ee/naazspencer

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Cocky Hotshot by Anne Marsh {a review}

Cocky Hotshot by Anne Marsh is the brand new addition to the Cocky Hero Club! The Cocky Hero Club is original works from various authors whose stories are inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward's New York Times bestselling Cocky Bastard series.

Cocky Hotshot is a forced proximity, opposites attract, hate to love story. In the beginning we met Peony Bloom. She is a programmer who created a unique code that could calculate the probability of a couple staying together. From that code she started a business called The Odds of Us. She ran the business with her boyfriend Chris. They had planned a romantic getaway at a remote cabin in the Klamath moutains in California. As Peony was enroute, Chris called. He wasn't coming. He was ending their relationship. He had moved on. But the real kicker was that he was selling her company! In two days! Peony was on this mountain, and had to get back down. It is then that she notices smoke up the mountain. A fire. Shortly after that, while in a panic, she meets Bane Wilson. A hotshot firefighter who offers to guide her back down the mountain in exchange for her taking him to San Fransisco. The smoke is getting closer so they need to get a move on. These two are destined for a whirlwind romance, but can it survive when reality sets in?

When I read the description for Cocky Hotshot, I was immediately intrigued. A road trip and whirlwind romance with a hotshot firefighter who rescued you from the mountain? Um, yes please.While there was a romance and a road trip after being guided down the mountain, this just didn't feel like what I was being sold on based on the description.

What happened to Bane being a firefighter? Even if he was a firefighter, his crew would have known he was separated from the group. Yet it was no big deal that he just wandered off with this random woman. Since it took a few days for Peony and Bane to make it back down the mountain, how long was she hiking up to the remote cabin? How did she not realize she was so far away from her vehicle. She seems like a smart woman who would have researched the crap out of the location of this "romantic getaway". In regards to Peony's business, and former partner, um what? Can that even happen? My gut tells me no.

The steamy moments between Peony and Bane, were definitely steamy. That being said, I felt no connection, no spark, between them. Peony was high maintenance and annoying. Bane was at least a bit likable, and he definitely had the alpha-hole persona going. I did find myself curious about him though, especially since he was dodging questions regarding his job.

This hate to love, opposites attract, forced proximity story had so much potential. Yet at the end of the day, it was a miss for me. Were there parts that I enjoyed? Yeah, there were. I enjoyed their banter on the mountain. I enjoyed how Bane pushed her out of her comfort zones. On Goodreads I gave this book a rating of 2 stars.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on Cocky Hotshot.

Laura

What do you do when your cheating business partner/boyfriend (bad, bad idea) announces he’s selling your software company on Thursday to fund his new life with his other girlfriend?

You hurry back to stop him, of course. He’s not getting rich on my dime! Or that would be the plan, but I’m currently lost in the Klamath Mountains, access to my car cut off by a California wildfire, and there’s no way I make it back in time.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I come up with a backup plan: putting the six-plus feet of hot, sexy, mountain man who crash-lands at my feet to good use (no, no that).

Bane Wilson is a very cocky hotshot firefighter with a dirty attitude. He never shuts up and he always jumps in feet-first. We clash over life choices, the value of having a good plan, and who’s the boss of who, but it turns out we both sing loudly when no one’s listening, love junk food, and have really lousy exes.

We make a deal. He’ll be my guide down the trail, and I’ll be his chauffeur back to San Francisco. Traveling together disrupts all my carefully laid plans—and no matter how many times I tell myself I don’t even like this guy, the California wilderness isn’t the only thing on fire. Bane and I have serious chemistry. He’s not Mr. Forever. He’s just Mr. Fun. There’s no future for us and we’re supposed to part ways as soon as we reach San Francisco, exactly as I planned. We’ve both been scarred by our pasts and I don’t take chances. Turns out, I never should have let him into my car, let alone my life—or my heart

Cocky Hotshot is a road trip/forced proximity romantic comedy inspired by Cocky Bastard.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO

DECEMBER RELEASES

Visit the Cocky Hero Club Website

AUTHOR BIO

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Anne Marsh writes funny, sexy romantic comedies and paranormal romance.

AUTHOR LINKS

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

COCKY HERO CLUB

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK PAGE | FACEBOOK GROUP | MAILING LIST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | AMAZON | AUDIBLE

Thank you to Anne Marsh, and Give Me Books PR, for providing me with an advanced copy of Cocky Hotshot.

The Joker by Ashley Munoz {cover reveal}

🖤🖤 𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟 🖤🖤

The Joker is the third, and final, book in the Rake Forge trilogy from Ashley Munoz!

You will not want to miss this friends to lovers to enemies romance.

Save the date for January 28!

Kyle James cashed in my V card and then disappeared like I was the finishing act in a magic show.

I vowed to hate my best friend, turn the longing and secret obsession with him into toxic hate and maybe a poorly chosen tattoo.

But as the years passed, I let go of any notions I'd ever see him again...until he sauntered on campus my senior year as a new transfer student.

All of Rake Forge was obsessed with his inked skin and that darkness that seemed to seep out of every methodical step he took.

I wasn't.

I knew the boy underneath, and while I wanted to know where he'd been...I would never ask.

Until my dad needed a favor.

His team required a way in with my ex-best friend and his contacts.

I knew Kyle would see through it...but I went anyway.

Suddenly, my world, made of black and white was bleeding color...and he was at the center, daring me to trust him.

My heart, blind and foolish chose to not only trust but to love him too.

I really should have known better.

I was merely a way in for my father, and for the man, I loved...I was just a way out.

Pre-Order Here!

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

Meet Ashley Munoz

Ashley was born in Nebraska, but raised in Oregon where she lives with her four children and husband. If she's not helping her husband with DIY projects around the house, she's writing or sneaking off to a corner to read.

Author Links

FB Author Page | ReaderGroup | Instagram | BB | GR | AMZ Author Page | Newsletter Sign up | TikTok

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting {a review}

Back in 2019 I read my first Helena Hunting book. It was Pucked, and I absolutely loved it. I immediately fell for Helena's writing, her characters, and these stories she was creating. I could not get enough. Soon enough I read 2 additional books in the Pucked series, her Shacking Up series, her Clipped Wings series, her All In series, as well as her standalones that were out at that time. Have I worked my way through all of her titles? No. Absolutely not. Am I working on it? You betcha.

I had heard about When Sparks Fly earlier this year when Helena was starting to do promo for it, and I was intrigued. It's by Helena so, naturally, I have to read it. It's friends to lovers! I really enjoy friends to lovers, so hand it over. Then my schedule became a bit busy, and I delayed reading the book. It is now December, and I put When Sparks Fly on my list of books I want to read before the end of 2021. Well I can officially cross it off my list, as I've read it!

Avery Spark works with her sisters at the family business, Spark House. It is an event hotel, and it takes up ALL of her time. It is her sole focus. One morning she is driving to a meeting, it happens to be raining outside, and she's a nervous wreck. Ever since her parents died in a vehicle accident, she gets on edge while driving in these conditions. Declan, her roommate, calls her while on the road, and he's apologizing because he was supposed to drive her to this meeting. As he's talking on the phone with her, she begins mentioning another vehicle driving recklessly. Next thing we know there's a loud noise, and Avery isn't responding to Declan's voice. Declan stays on the line, manages to get ahold of Avery's sisters to relay what's happening, and is able to relay information to the first responders about Avery. From this point on it is all about Avery's healing. Declan is determined to do WHATEVER he can to assist her. So much so that he's working from home until she's good to be on her own. Eventually this friendship begins to turn into more. Will this work? Can these friends become lovers? Can trust be built when a person from the past reappears?

I loved witnessing Declan and Avery realize they had feelings for each other. I loved watching their relationship progress. Declan caring for Avery. Avery caring for Declan. Neither wanting to ruin what they had, just making it more. I'll admit that when the car crash happened, I gasped. Legit gasped. Pretty sure my hand flew to my mouth too. Yet, if I'm completely honest, I struggled with this book. I didn't feel the connection between the characters. It wasn't there. Yes they were friends, but I didn't feel the chemistry. Was it still enjoyable to witness them catching feelings? Absolutely.  Then there's Avery's business. What even is the Spark House? I mean I get that it's a hotel and event center, but it was odd. I was really confused by the events they were hosting, and their clientele. What is the deal with the fountain that they are trying to save money for it? Why does it need to be done before Grandma returns?  I'm just so confused, and I feel a bit lost regarding bits and pieces of the story.

I wanted to love this book. I did. I went in thinking it would be a 4 star, or even perhaps a 5, but at the end of the day it was a 3. It was still decent, but it was lacking at the same time. I'm sorry to all my fellow Helena Hunting fans out there. I don't like not giving her books 4 or 5 stars, but I just couldn't. 

Also, I'm noticing that this is going to be a series/trilogy. It's looking like the next book is going to be about London. I can't lie, I'm curious about it. Her character rubbed me a bit wrong in this book, but I'm guessing there is a reason for that. So yes, I will be reading Starry-Eyed Love.

Did you read When Sparks Fly? If so, what were your thoughts?

Laura

Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals.

Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker.

Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.
 

Purchase When Sparks Fly

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My Five Star Reads of 2021

I know 2021 isn't over yet, so making this list is a bit tentative. After all I could still add a book or two to the list. Believe me when I say I will update this list if I do.

Now for me, a 5 star read is absolutely mind blowing. I find myself falling head over heels for the characters, the setting, and the storyline. Often times it will have me wanting to dive into other books by the author. A 5 star read also means I am recommending that book frequently. 

At this point in 2021 I have had seventeen 5 star reads. I would say that the majority of them I have spoken about A LOT. Maybe a bit over the top with my recommendations. But that's just it, that is the pull of a 5 star read. You want to recommend it. You want others to fall in love like you did.

So what are my 5 star reads? Let's dive in.