Baby Got Pack by Xavier Neal {a review}

Baby Got Pack is the brand new release from Xavier Neal. This small town, opposites attract romantic comedy takes place at a family owned campground, and introduces us to some amazing characters. Be prepared to laugh and swoon, because Torrance and Fynn are going to take you on a wild ride.

If you know me, you know that I have read numerous books by Xavier Neal. Some I have absolutely loved, some that were just okay, and a couple that were just a miss. I went into Baby Got Pack with an open mind, knowing that it was going to be a rom-com. I've enjoyed her Hockey Gods series, and those are rom-coms, so I had high hopes. As I finished up reading Baby Got Pack, I had mixed feelings about the book. I went back and forth in my head about the rating, and ultimately settled upon 3.5 stars. 

Moving on...

Friends we are headed to a campground that is owned and operated by the Harrington family. Their business is struggling a bit, and they have hired Fynn Fischer to turn things around. He will help breathe a fresh breath into the business. Or that is their hope. The Harrington's are also enlisting the help of their daughter Torrance. She'd rather not be there, but she struggles to say no to her family. So that is how she finds herself moving to the campground to help save the business, all while working her full-time job remotely. She was not expecting to meet Fynn, fall for him, and have him flip her world upside down. It isn't all sunshine and rainbows though. There are plenty of ups and downs that these two will have to work through, both from a business perspective and a personal one.

Let's dive into my thoughts...

The beginning of the book felt a bit strange to me, and it took me a bit to get into it. The elder Harrington's were rubbing me the wrong way, and I didn't care for how they were treating their daughter. That being said, once I was invested, I found myself absolutely loving Torrance! She is a character that I can easily relate to, and I found myself captivated by her. Her social awkwardness and her disbelief that a relationship with Fynn was even a possibility drew me in, and had me unable to put the book down. Not to mention her dislike of nature, and feeling like mother nature was out to get her. 🤣

Fynn confused me. Plain and simple. I could not, and cannot, wrap my head around how he's been able to do what he done. This life he's lived just does not seem believable. I was definitely doubting him. As I was reading, I was waiting for the truth to be revealed, and that it was all a dreamworld. I know, I know, this is a work of fiction, so his achievements could absolutely happen. But since it is a contemporary romance, it should be believable. Right?

Then there was Tor and her backpacks. Which is what I'm thinking the title of the book was based upon. (well that and a song lyric) I don't get it. We didn't really "see" that fascination appear all that much. I don't know I guess I had envisioned something similar to Hayley's obsession with kitchen gadgets in Squeeze Play from Aven Ellis. 

As much as I loved Tor, I didn't 100% love her relationship with Fynn. And that's all me. I know it is. Fynn was too far out there for me, and not at all relatable. Don't get me wrong, I loved what he did for Tor, as well as her family business, but relationship wise, it wasn't there. It felt more vacation fling vs long term relationship.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Baby Got Pack. It was an easy read, which is what you tend to expect with rom-coms. All in all I enjoyed the majority of the story. I got a kick out of both Tor and GamGam. Those two made the book for me. Yet I found myself wanting something a bit different in Torrance's love interest, and how their relationship occurred.

Happy Reading,
Laura

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.

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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.

Connect with Xavier

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Thank you to Xavier Neal, and Candi Kane PR, for providing me with an advanced review copy of Baby Got Pack.

Rule by Caitlyn Dare {a review}

Rule is the third, and final installment in River's storyline within the Red Ridge Sinners series from Caitlyn Dare. I'm not ready for it to be over, but thankfully Kat has her story coming soon! The other good news is that River and her guys are finally getting their happily ever after. So that is always something to look forward to!

Rule picks up right where Reap left off. We're jumping right into the action, and nothing is held back. Hold on to your hats, because this book is going to take you on a wild ride. There are going to be twists and turns that you didn't see coming, and you may find your jaw dropping like I did.

Rule was absolutely fantastic. all of the storylines were wrapped up, and there was no lingering questions when it came to this foursome. The journey toward their happily ever after was was something else entirely. Right when you think it's going to happen, here comes the twist. That twist also hits the emotions pretty strongly.

I want to say something about the moment with the Night Crawlers and The Sinners, but I can't. It would spoil things. But there is something that happens that just has you questioning everything. It was at this point where I was trying to solve the mystery by taking a look at all the possible suspects. Even The Sinners were not escaping my scrutiny. Once things were revealed though, it all made sense. That's all I can say on that without ruining your reading experience.

We get to meet Zach's mom in this book too. Prepare yourself for that, because she had me laughing. She wasn't afraid to ask the questions that many people probably wonder, and I loved her for that. It was the perfect comedic moment that this emotional story needed.

Now I've said since the first book that River's age was an issue for me. That holds true. I can't deny it. She consented though to everything, so I need to look at it from that point of view. Here's the thing though, I can't lie about the fact that I did enjoy the relationships that River found herself in. Each of those men brought out a different side of her, and in a way she brought out a different side of them. She helped these men to be vulnerable.

As for the suspense of the book? Hands down loved it. Caitlyn Dare has drawn me in with these MC romances, and I find myself gravitating toward them. I am excited to read Kat's story, especially knowing what I do about her love interests at this point. I'm curious to see how it all plays out, and what Diesel's reaction/response is to it all. 

Oh, and if you're wondering, Diesel is my favorite. Daddy D has had my attention from the beginning.

One last tidbit I want to touch on is the fact that there are content warnings for this book. The majority pertain to Jax. We all know that man has been through some very rough times in his childhood that have scarred him to this day. If you need to know the specific content warnings, send a message on Instagram, Facebook, or through email and I will fill you in. 

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Rule. This MC romance trilogy was absolutely fabulous. Caitlyn Dare has created an amazing group of characters, and the storytelling is top notch. These books are hard to put down, and they just grab ahold of your attention. Everything is just background noise while reading these stories.

Happy Reading,
Laura

The truth is out—I’m in love with three Sinners. 

Zach, Jax, and Diesel might want to make me theirs but there’s still too many secrets between us, ones that could ruin everything.

Ones that could break us.

They might rule my body.

Own my heart.

But ultimately, they have the power to break me.

Only it isn’t our future we have to worry about, because the past is about to catch up with us. And when it does…

Nothing will ever be the same again. 

RULE is a full length dark enemies-to-lovers/bully romance. This is a why choose novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. It is book three in the series.

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Meet Caitlyn Dare

Caitlyn Dare is a Top 50 Amazon bestselling author of dark romance.  

She writes angsty, gritty stories about alphaholes you’ll love to hate and the feisty girls who bring them to their knees.

Her bestselling series include: Savage Falls Sinners MC, a dark high school reverse harem romance; and Rebels at Sterling Prep, a dark bully high school romance.

To learn more about Caitlyn Dare & her books, visit here! 

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Thank you to Caitlyn Dare, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of Rule.

Fool Me Thrice by Lizzie Morton {a review}

Fool Me Thrice by Lizzie Morton was just released. This romantic suspense book will have you on the edge of your seat at all the best moments. Put on your detective hats, it's time to figure out who is under that hoodie, and causing all the chaos for the Becket family.

Fool Me Thrice is the third, and final, book in the Fool Me trilogy. In the first two books we were following Michael Becket, and seeing how the hooded figure affected his life. That person also was affecting the life of his mom and sister. It was what caused them to be separated. Now in Fool Me Thrice, we are checking in with Josie. Because if you read Fool Me Twice, then you know how that book ended. It was intense. That scene will appear in this book as well, but first we need backstory. Not only that but we need to see how Josie and Evan meet, and all that ensues until the big suspenseful moment occurs. As this is an ongoing story, I can't say much more than what I have. 

Let's dive into my thoughts...

OH MY WORD! This story grabbed ahold of me, and did not let go. From the very first chapter to the very last page, I was all in.

Simply put, Josie and Evan are amazing.

Josie is simply trying to live her life and make it as real as possible. Which being hid away, and having to use a fake identity, makes it a bit more difficult. She has her eyes set on college though, and she's going to do amazing things. Yet you can always see her holding herself back a little bit. She's guarded herself, and that is to be expected. It's hard to form attachments when you might have to run again. 

Evan is 100% devoted to his job. This Becket case that he's been working on has taken a lot of his energy, but he's determined to see it through to the end. Yet once he meets Josie, he finds himself drawn to her. Which he should be avoiding at all costs! First she's his job (forbidden!), and second she's a decade younger than him (age gap!). Not to mention that his job can be dangerous, so it makes relationships tricky.

Their introduction though once the hooded figure make an appearance begins to change everything though. I loved how their connection built throughout the story. You could see Evan fighting this the best he could. Yet there was Josie fighting back, and going after what she wanted. I also loved how Evan would listen to everything Josie said. It was as though he was soaking it all in for his memories while trying not to fall.

I kept waiting for the "cat" to appear and make their presence known. Once they did, I kept looking for signs another appearance was about to happen. I was trying to figure out who it was, and how they always knew where Josie was. How was she always found?

How everything played out in the cat and mouse game was intense. It is romantic suspense perfection. I honestly did not figure out who was behind it all until closer to the end. There were plenty of candidates swirling around in my mind though.

Go start this series with Fool Me Once, and be prepared to fall for Lizzie Morton's writing, and her characters. Absolutely fabulous!

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts about Fool Me Thrice. This was a 5 star read for me, and the story absolutely captivated me. If you enjoy romantic suspense books that feature an age gap with a little bit of a forbidden relationship as well, then you need to check this one out.

Happy Reading,
Laura

Run, Josie, Run. Those are the words he wrote to me and that's exactly what I'm doing.

I thought I was saving all of us, I thought I'd fooled him thrice. The only person I fooled was myself. Trapped in the darkness, I wondered if losing would be the easy way out.

Until Evan.

Off limits. Dangerous. Everything I should stay away from.

The end was coming, I could feel it. But just when the odds were in my favour, the tables turned, taking me right back to where it all began, wondering who I could trust.

If any one.

Only one thing is certain in this game of cat and mouse: there can only be one winner.

I'm determined to make sure it's me.

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Meet Lizzie Morton

Author Lizzie Morton is an author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in the U.K with her partner and three children.

Previously she has worked as a Personal Trainer and Back Pain Specialist and trained as a Chef at Leeds City College.

Her first novel was originally just a note in her phone but became a full manuscript, ready for release in August 2020.

When she isn’t reading or writing, her favourite things include running, snaffling and changing nappies.

Connect with Lizzie Morton

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Thank you Lizzie Morton for providing me with an advanced review copy of Fool Me Thrice.

Reason to Believe by Rebecca Yarros {a review}

Are you ready to visit the small town of Legacy? Well prepare yourself for Reason to Believe by Rebecca Yarros. In this small town romance you'll find the brother's best friend trope, a bit of forced proximity, some found family, and a whole lot of emotions going around. Oh if you happen to enjoy firefighters....well then you'll definitely want to pick this one up.

Now if you've read other books by Rebecca Yarros you might be thinking "Laura, I've been to Legacy before, so this isn't anything new". You'd be correct there are NOVELLAS out there that are set in Legacy. Reason to Believe is the first FULL LENGTH novel set in that small town. Those two novellas are called Point of Origin and Ignite. Do you need to read them first to enjoy Reason to Believe? Absolutely not. Will they enhance your experience? Maybe. If anything you'll get to know the characters who have already found their happily ever after. There are also a couple of short stories that you can access through Rebecca's newsletter. So be sure to sign up for that!

Is it any surprise that I adored this book? Is it any surprise that I found myself tearing up a few times while reading? The answer to both of those is no it isn't surprising. First of all Reason to Believe features one of my favorite tropes. This trope is almost a guarantee that I am going to fall head over heels. The other part that had me falling hard was that I could relate to Harper a bit. I have older brothers, and while I don't know if they ever said anything to their buddies about me being hands off, it kind of felt that way at times. This young woman loves with everything she has, and she longs to take care of those she holds in her heart. So whether that was the boys that she welcomed into her life, her brother, all of the Legacy fire crew, or just her friends. She loved them with everything she had.

This small town romance was absolutely fantastic. Harper and Knox had undeniable chemistry, and you could feel all the emotions. Not to mention you could see how much they loved those two little boys, and would do anything and everything for them. Watching Harper and Knox come together to make the life changing decisions that they did, drew me in. Harper knew that Knox would say yes to whatever she wanted without thinking about how it would affect his life. So she purposefully worded things the way that she did, so that he would make his own decision. 

I found my heart breaking a few times during the story. Obviously with the devastating event that happened in Legacy, that kind of set the stage to begin with. Then you add in those two little boys who just had their lives flipped upside down. It was just a lot. Of course the "relationship" between Knox and Harper also added to the emotional parts. 

Let's talk about Ryker for a moment. Ryker drove me bonkers with his big brother act, and trying to keep these two apart. I get it. I do. Knox is his best friend. He knows Knox better than anyone else. Except for the fact that Ryker's determination to keep Harper and Knox apart has been going on for way too many years now. Ryker got in the way of happiness. Not just for Knox, but also for his little sister. Therefore that just ticked me off!

I'm don't really want to touch on the foster care slash emergency placement part of the storyline. Except to say those boys were loved dearly, and in the end their happiness was worth it all. Also, I was on pins and needles the entire time. I can't lie about that. My mama heart was nervous.

With the history of the Legacy Hot Shot crew, and everything that played out there. That was just emotions piled upon more emotions. Witnessing the family members step up to get this going again was amazing. Seeing the passion and the determination to get this all going again, was fantastic. It wasn't easy by any means, but they came together when the local government was setting them up for failure. The next hurdle was getting reinstated as a Hot Shot crew.

That big dramatic moment between Harper and Knox just pulled the rug out from under my feet. My jaw hit the ground. I felt the pain radiating off of Harper. I felt the heartbreak that Knox was dealing with. Everything that happened in that situation was emotion driven. It was two people who were trying a way to survive the devastation that they just endured. Rather than gravitating toward each other, division occurred instead. They both ran the opposite direction. That broke my heart through and through. All that though got us to the reconciliation, and that was beautiful. 

I could not put this book down, and I cannot wait to see who will be the next main character. I just know it's going to be amazing. These characters, and their small town, have grabbed my attention, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Kudos Rebecca Yarros on a fabulous book. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on Reasons to Believe. This was a definite 5 star read for me. I was fully invested in the storyline, and the lives of our characters. Go pick up this book. It's simply amazing.

Happy Reading,
Laura

Cover by RBA Designs

“I’ll take them!”

That’s what I tell the social worker when my pre-k student and his baby brother need an emergency foster placement. I’ll do anything to keep the brothers from being split up. But my apartment’s flooded and there’s only one house I can take them to on such short notice…his.

Knox Daniels, my older brother’s best friend, offers his new place without hesitation. He’s not moving back to our tiny town until next month—that’s when all our hotshot firefighters are returning for their one and only chance to rebuild our fathers’ fallen, iconic crew.

It doesn’t matter that I’ve been silently in love with Knox since we were kids. It can’t matter that we pretend that reckless prom night kiss never happened. It won’t matter that my feelings for him could destroy his lifelong friendship with my brother and threaten the certification of their hotshot crew. Because I’ll be out of his house long before he gets back.

Except Knox just walked in…a month early. And the icing on this awkward cake? He’s gorgeous as always and I’m covered in baby puke. He takes one look at the boys and tells me we can make this work—

We can temporarily fake a relationship to keep them from being separated by the system.

Suddenly, everything matters.

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Meet Rebecca

Rebecca Yarros is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen novels, including Great and Precious Things and The Last Letter. “A gifted storyteller” (Kirkus), she is also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.

Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for almost twenty years. She’s the mother of six children, ranging from kindergarten to law school, and is currently surviving the teenage years with three of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time while guzzling coffee. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and a Maine Coon kitten named Artemis, who rules them all.

Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter who is nonverbal and on the autism spectrum, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October, which she co-founded with her husband in 2019. To learn more about their mission to better the lives of kids in foster care, visit www.oneoctober.org.

To catch up on Rebecca’s latest releases and upcoming novels, including The Things We Leave Unfinished, which just received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, visit www.RebeccaYarros.com.

 

Connect with Rebecca

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Thank you to Rebecca Yarros, and Candi Kane PR, for providing me with an advanced review copy of Reason to Believe.

The Secrets to Heartbreak by Brittany Taylor {a review}

Are you like me, and loved The Rules of Heartbreak by Brittany Taylor? Did the tension between Colton and Vada catch your attention? If they piqued your curiosity, then you need to pick up The Secrets to Heartbreak. This latest installment of the Heartbreak series will fill you in on everything you need to know regarding Vada and Colton's relationship. Plus it's the brother's best friend trope, so you know that sold me!

Going into The Secrets to Heartbreak I was a bit nervous. I LOVED The Rules of Heartbreak, and I wasn't sure how Colton and Vada's story would go. As nervous as I was, I was also excited to dive in, and find out everything that happened. I had to know what these secrets were!

The Secrets to Heartbreak did not disappoint. Colton and Vada's story was fabulous. Every single moment of it I enjoyed. Even the part where I wanted to smack some sense into Colton's parents. I honestly cannot think of a single moment that rubbed me the wrong way or had me not enjoying the book. I mean was Colton's dad the literal worst? Yes, but we have to love to hate someone!

This book had steamy moments. It had emotional moments. It had me wondering what was going to happen next! Basically I fell hard for these characters, and their story. Of course I also loved that we were able to reconnect with Dallas and Sloan as well.

Ryan's storyline tugged on the heartstrings quite a bit. Even more so when things were revealed down the line. Honestly I'd love to have a short story about what happened between Ryan and his love interest, and why that was kept so hush hush.

Back to the dads for a moment. I do find myself wondering about them. Colton dad is problematic to say the least. Whereas Vada's just doesn't seem to exist. And so they piqued my curiosity a bit. I can't help but think of Colton's dad and what his end game was with that big dramatic moment. It just doesn't make sense in my mind. Again though it gave me a character that I loved to hate. So there's that. I was hoping for Vada and Dallas's dad to make an appearance so we could see first hand the relationship (or lack there of) that he has with his kids.

Like I said above, I loved this story and the characters. From the small town setting, to my favorite trope being front and center, to the familial issues, it just all was so good. Now that Colton and Vada's story has wrapped, I am beyond ready for Cassidy's story! I feel like it is going to be a doozy. 

Highly suggest you read The Secrets to Heartbreak. It is a good story featuring my favorite trope, and there is plenty of drama happening throughout the book. Plus who doesn't like to be let in on secrets?

Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on The Secrets to Heartbreak. I hope you'll check out this latest addition to Brittany Taylor's library.

Happy Reading,
Laura

 Secrets aren't meant to be kept forever.

Colton Adler was one hundred percent off limits up until the night we shared together nearly two years ago. Both of us forged a deal between illicit touches and unrelenting kisses.

A secret.

A promise. 

A vow made to one another that we would never be anything more than the one night.

Regardless of the feelings I still harbored for him, I understood Colton could never truly be mine.

Since then, we’ve kept our secret buried deep, pretending as if it never happened at all.

But now, after attending my brother’s wedding, Colton was a flashing wave of hot and cold. One minute he was teetering on the edge of giving in to false promises of a forever with me; the next he retreated, reminding me once again that I would never truly be his.

Secrets aren’t meant to be kept forever and it didn’t take long for me to learn I wasn’t Colton’s only one.

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Meet Brittany Taylor

Brittany Taylor grew up all over the world including places such as California, England and Texas. Today she resides in Connecticut with her husband, son and two cats. She loves reading, but loves writing even more. 

Her favorite things in life are her family, binge watching Netflix, and tacos. 

Brittany Taylor has been obsessed with reading since kindergarten. She followed her lifelong dream in 2017 when she published her first novel, Without You. Ever since, she's been hooked and can't write the stories in her head fast enough. 

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Thank you to Brittany Taylor, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced review copy of The Secrets to Heartbreak.