Xavier Neal has a brand new book releasing on April 28, 2022!
BABY GOT PACK is a small town, opposites attract romantic comedy. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!
If it sounds interesting to you, be sure to add it to your Goodreads TBR, and definitely go preorder it!
Cover Designer: Dana L, Designs by Dana
Torrance
I like backpacks, and I cannot lie...
Now, people?
I can deny.
But whenever the consultant walks in with a smile on his face, encouraging me to find my place, I damn near lose a lung.
Ugh.
Asthma.
I swear, if I was an average lady, or if Mother Nature didn't hate me...then I might fit in, in the role I'm in, and the consultant would want more with me.
Fynn
One of my best mates tried to warn me...
That falling in love might be on my journey.
But with the business I'm in and the way I live, falling for a client just isn't my way.
Except I find myself wanting to hold her.
Make her bolder.
Let her lean on my shoulder.
See, she's not the average lady, plus her beautiful soul just drives me crazy.
This should've been a fling, yet now I'm looking at rings.
Because I'm ready to make this a forever thing.
Baby Got Pack is a standalone, opposites-attract, laugh-out-loud rom com from the same author who brought Hike, Hike, Baby and The Hockey Gods Series.
About the Author
Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub genre to sub genre like a game of Hopscotch she can't resist.
In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy's t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).
She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband "Lumberjack" and their two fur babies.
Take Me There is a swoon-worthy romance from USA Today Bestselling Author J.H. Croix! This is the fifth book in the Dare With Me series, and if you love small town romances, you need to read this one!
Skylar's plan was to move to Alaska with her best friend, find a job she enjoys, and just live her best life. Her plan didn't as she wished. Instead she's in Alaska without her best friend, and she's working on healing her broken heart. Thankfully she has a job she loves, and is working with fabulous people. She's found her routine here, and slowly but surely she's finding community. Enter Tucker. Tucker is a pilot, and the company he works with is based on the same lot as the company Skylar works for. So they see each other frequently. All it takes is him offering a helping hand to open the lines of communication, and to start forming a friendship. That friendship though is about to change. Well that is if they can both open up their hearts. Both of them are grieving a loss, and working through their pain. Tucker has no interest in a relationship, not after he lost his first love. What will it take for these two to jump head first into a relationship? Can they get out of their own way so a future can be built?
I adored this book. From the characters to the small town setting, I absolutely adored it. Returning to this remote Alaskan town felt like coming home and reconnecting with friends. I love the way JH Croix brought this area to life, and her characters truly give off that friend vibe. (as in they'd be you're friends)
Tucker has been through a lot, and so I could understand his reservations a bit. Yet at the same time, he was so young when everything happened that it felt like he was cheating himself out of a possibility of something great. He shut himself off for so long, and it was great to see Skylar affect him.
As for Skylar...Oh my heart went out to her. Skylar did not have an easy life growing up, and then to lose her only friend shortly before moving to Alaska? UGH! Watching her build friendships in this new environment was so good. Yes she was cautious. Yes she was on edge. But she pushed through. She persevered.
Together these two were pretty amazing. I loved the chemistry. I could feel the attraction. Sometimes that is missing, but not this time. The passion was there. The love was there. It just all built so wonderfully.
I cannot wait to see what comes next for these characters. Friendships have been formed, and a found family has been built.
You need to read this latest installment in the Dare With Me series from JH Croix. I think you'll fall for the characters, and the setting. Still not sure if it's for you? Take a look at this little tidbit from the author:
Tucker & Skylar’s story is perfect for readers who love: broody military heroes, friends to lovers, slow burn, small town gossip, emotional romance with a dash of angst, tons of swoon, and one smokin’ hot protective hero.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts. Happy reading! Laura
I’m not planning to fall for the hot, broody military hero, thank you very much.
Skylar’s all but wearing a Stay Away sign. She might be tempting, but I can take a hint. Until a single moment leads to one kiss and then another. Before I know it, I’m in deep.
After tragically losing my first love, I never planned to fall in love again. But Skylar gets to me. She doesn’t even believe in love. I want her to believe. I want to slay her dragons. All of them.
I can handle it. My heart won’t get involved. Until Skylar walks away.
USA Today Bestselling Author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs.
Croix writes steamy contemporary romance with sassy women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing.
Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!
Happy Book Release Day to Piper Rayne!Second Shot with #76 is officially available. This is the 5th book in the Hockey Hotties series, and if second chance romances are your jam, go grab this one.
After reading Sneaking Around With #34 I was really curious about Cory and Ande's past. I had not read Tropical Hat Trick, so I didn't know what happened that week. Now though I at least have a general idea, and I will be going back to read that novella.
Witnessing these two go through everything they did to get to their happily ever after was an interesting ride. Especially that situation with York. Everything with York did not sit well with me, and she was definitely the villain in my mind.
I loved the connection that Ande and Cory had. How after that time together on the vacation, they both couldn't stop thinking about the other. Then reconnecting in Florida was just so good!
Piper Rayne has created a wonderful hockey romance series, and I am loving all the characters. I am looking forward to Offside with #55 when that releases! It is my hope that Piper Rayne continues writing hockey romance. Whether that's with the Fury or another team I just want more!
Hockey romance + second chance romance + a villain you'll love to hate = one fabulous read!
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Second Shot with #76. I do hope you'll go pick up a copy.
Laura
My mom always said you don't get a second shot at making a first impression. I've remembered that my entire career. Especially since I'm one of the few black men who play professional hockey.
I'm calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I've never taken a risk... until her.
I could blame it on the fact that for once I pushed away the pressure of my career for the ocean waves, the sand, and good times with my new teammates. But those are excuses because the minute I saw her at the airport, something lit up inside me and the best week of my life was spent with her in my bed.
After our week in paradise, we said goodbye, exchanged phone numbers and both assumed that unless one of us was flying through the other's city on the opposite side of the country, our vacation fling was over.
Then one night after practice I see her. She's here. In my city. Telling me she moved here for a job. If that's not fate tell me what is.
I've never wanted a second shot more than I do this time, but she's determined to leave what we were on the island we left behind.
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!
Broken Boys Crave Chaos, by JB Heller, is book four in a sexy, new adult romance series that can be read in order or as standalones. If you love books with strong, independent, female leads and swoon-worthy, cinnamon roll heroes that know how to please their partners, then you should definitely one-click Kass and Ariel's story today.
I have read all the books in the Broken Boys (formerly Moments) series, and have been eagerly anticipating Kass as a main character. Seeing how he was as a side character, and the nerdiness that he exhibits, had me falling. Whoever he was going to be paired with was going to need to be strong, be able to hold their ground, and willing to fight for their relationship.
In Broken Boys Crave Chaos we have Kass who is willing to just remain single. He doesn't need a partner in his life right now, so it's not an issue. Now if he could just get his career in order, that would be great. Flash forward a bit to when Kass is at his condo, and he watches a woman kick ass in the lobby. Ariel is a bounty hunter, and she just caught her man. Of course her actions also ignited a spark in Kass, and he had to know who this woman is! Turns out this is the same woman who had commented about his appearance earlier when he had been at lunch with Chance. After a conversation with his friends, it is discovered that Trick knows exactly who this woman is, and sets up a plan for Kass to run into her. That encounter at the gym, plus the events that happened right after lead to a conversation. In that conversation, Kass was placed firmly in the friend zone. He's going to do what he can to get out of it, and turn this friendship into a true relationship.
Let's start with my rating...I gave Broken Boys Crave Chaos 3.5 stars over on Goodreads. I loved the meet cute. Loved the premise of the story. Love the characters. This book had potential. That being said, it wasn't my favorite of the series. It was still a good read, it just missed the mark a bit.
Ariel is a strong, badass woman who takes no crap from anyone. She also goes after what she wants. She's confident in who she is, and she doesn't want a relationship. She's perfectly content with how things have been going. The way she loves her family, and the heartache of the past, have her keeping her circle tight, and outsiders do not get in easily. Ariel is a fantastic partner for Kass.
If you're not familiar with Kass, he is you quintessential cinnamon roll hero. He's sweet, he's loving, he's passionate, he has alpha tendencies, and he'll have you falling in no time. Kass is a writer. He could easily take advantage of his family's business, and go that route, but he wants to write. Now if the paper he works for would just give him the chance. Earlier I mentioned about his nerdiness. He is extremely intelligent, and he also happens to enjoy the "nerdy/geeky" fandoms. Which those don't always appeal to the masses, but he is who he is.
While I loved certain parts of the story, something was missing. Or at least from my perspective.
Part of me feels that Ariel and Kass wanting different things, relationship wise, steered the book in an unexpected way. And perhaps it wasn't fully flushed out. We had this budding relationship that went from introduction to steamy to the emergency brake being pulled.
In the beginning I wasn't rooting for them. Not at all. I could not see these two getting together for a happily ever after. For me there just wasn't the believability that these two would make it. And that's all on me, not on the author. Did that opinion change through the course of the book? Slightly. I never found myself getting emotionally invested. Which if you know me, that isn't how it usually is. Usually the characters draw me in, hold me hostage with their story, and I am 100% invested. That didn't happen with Kass and Ariel.
When it came to the moment of conflict, it was decent. Not over the top, and it didn't blow me out the water. I understand the reasoning behind it all of it. Really though that conflict was just fear based. It was getting in the characters head, and them needing to work out their issues.
Part of me wishes that Kass and Ariel's careers had intertwined a bit more. I know they briefly did, but then that storyline disappeared, and nothing (but jealousy) came from it. I think that if Kass had been doing more of an investigative type story on Ariel's family business, it would be have been more intriguing. Plus then it could have brought in the forced proximity trope. Also it may have added the element of suspense. Not knowing what was going to happen as she "hunted" for these people, and the how each take down would go. But that's just me, and what I wish had happened.
Still though the story was decent. We briefly were able to catch up with former characters. I do wish we had seen more of Chance and Carter, or even more of Scout, but it is what it is. Mase was in it plenty. Quite honestly this was a launching point for the new Hunter Sisters series that is coming sometime in 2022. That is really the only reason that I can see Ariel and Kass being together. I know. I know.
Don't get me wrong, I did like the story. I loved the characters. Separately. I loved the bounty hunter aspect. Putting it all together just missed for me. Do I still think you should read it? Absolutely. What is the saying..."No two persons ever read the same book". (Edmund Wilson) So just because this is how I felt about the book, doesn't mean you will feel that way.
A 3.5 star rating, is still a pretty fabulous rating if I do say so myself. I mean on my rating chart I say "I enjoyed this book, but it was missing something, or didn't give me what I wanted." I stand by that.
Go give Broken Boys Crave Chaos a read for yourself, and let me know your thoughts. I bet we will differ. Which is awesome. Because that leads to conversation, and understanding the other readers perspective.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts. I greatly appreciate it.
Laura
Cover Design: Tall Story Designs Photographer: Miguelanxo
Is there anything worse than the friend zone? I think not...
I'd just given up on relationships when a pocket-sized Lara Croft came storming into my lobby and knocked me on my ass.
We're opposites in nearly every way, but there's something about her that calls to the most primal parts of me.
Problem is, she's planted me firmly in the friend zone. At first, I thought I could deal with it. However, the better I get to know the badass bounty hunter, the more certain I am that friendship can go screw itself...
JB Heller is an average Aussie housewife and Momma in her early 30's with a wicked sexy imagination. She's also the owner of a randy Eclectus parrot with boundary issues.
These days she writes mostly contemporary romance and romantic comedies, drawing inspiration from her everyday life.
Monday to Friday you can find JB glued to her laptop weaving words or trolling Pinterest for her next potential muse. Come the weekend, it's family time. (And of course lots of reading and Netflix binges.)
If you know me, then you know that a little over a year ago I read a book called Blood and Bone. It is a rockstar romance that reads more along the lines of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with a little Daisy Jones & the Six mixed in. We learn about Jack's life, and relationships, through an interview he is doing with Erin. I absolutely adored that book. Then when I heard Breath to Bear was being released and it was also about Jack and Erin, I had to read it. That book was also fantastic. Which brings me to today. Today Paula Dombrowiak has released Bonds We Break. Bonds We Break is Mia's story. If you've read the previous two books in the series, then you know how Mia's story ends. Bonds We Break takes us through her time with Mogo, fills us in on what happened with Cash and Jack, and answers a lot of questions. We also learn more about her final moments.
Having already known how Mia's story ends, I was a bit hesitant to go into Bonds We Break. Yet I felt the need to know what happened between Mia and Cash, as well as more about the relationship between Mia and Jack. I knew it was going to be intense. I knew it was going to be dramatic. I knew it was going to be a bit emotional. Paula Dombrowiak did not disappoint in her storytelling.
Throughout the story I found myself fully captivated by everything that happened. I have a better understanding of who Mia Stone was, and the impact that she had on those around her. Not just Jack and Cash, but those who she worked with during her writing career.
Mia was a creative woman who was passionate about music. She loved with everything she had. While she thought she would ruin everyone, it was actually quite the opposite. She left a mark on everyone she met. All of whom would remember her for years to come.
As for her relationship with Cash, while it was meant to be, it was also doomed from the start. There was love, friendship, and desire there, but trust was missing. In a way it was as though a true respect was also missing. I wonder if that doesn't come back to Mia thinking she'd ruin everyone.
Nothing new was really shed about Mia and Jack's relationship, but what I am now curious about is Wade and Adam. Part of me wants their origin story, and to see how that time at Berkeley affected their relationship. Of course I am also anticipating Cash's story so that I can see things from his perspective when it comes to Mia, Jack, and the band.
Mia was fortunate to find love twice in her life. These relationships were all encompassing. They were intense. They were passionate. They were life altering. One was similar to an addiction, the other had the potential for forever. Life events affected both of them, and that lead to their demise. Of course Mia also had her love of music, and that truly was her lifeline. It was her blessing. It was her passion. Music was her outlet for all the pent up anger, frustration, heartache, and love.
Books like Bonds We Break can be a bit difficult to read. Especially knowing how the story ends, and not getting to see this person grow into something more. Into the person they had the potential to become.
This book was absolutely wonderful. Paula's storytelling drew me in, and had me craving more of the characters. I cannot wait to see how she tells Cash's story in Bound to Burn. Based on the blurb on her website, it is sounding like a character from Breath to Bear is going to be a love interest. Bring it on!
I gave Bonds We Break 4 stars over on Goodreads. The storytelling is fantastic, the characters draw you in, and the entire book is so filled with passion.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on the book. If you enjoyed Seven Husbands or Daisy Jones, I highly suggest you pick up the entire Blood and Bone series from Paula Dombrowiak.
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