What I Read Last Week

Happy Monday!

You may have noticed that there were NO posts last week. That wasn't intentional. Not at all. I had hit a reading slump, and a writing slump. Therefore it was difficult to do anything book related. It's bad enough when one hits, but when they both hit at the same time it's some how worse. Thankfully my minor reading slump has passed. I credit the Salacious Players Club for that. More about that later though.

Tomorrow I am going to share the books I read the week of April 3rd. I thought about combining it all here, but I really want them to be separate. I'm weird I know, and I'm perfectly okay with that. It's only 3 books, but doesn't matter.

Let's talk about the books I read last week though. I started off by starting Beautiful Lies by Paula Dombrowiak. Yet I was struggling to get invested in the story. My reading slump had started around April 6, so every book I was picking up just didn't sound good. I seriously tried 4 books, and was about to call it a lot cause. Yet I knew that I would love Beautiful Lies so I chose to put it aside and try something else. I knew that "something else" couldn't be already on my kindle. I had to find something new, maybe something popular. Prime Reading suggested Give Me More by Sara Cate, and I figured why not. Give Me More was just what I needed to snap out of the slump.

Tell me about the books you read last week! Do you have any suggestions for books similar to the Salacious Players Club? What is your solution to snapping out of a reading slump? Now let's jump into my reviews for the books I read last week.

Happy Reading,
Laura

Beautiful Lies by Paula Dombrowiak

Paula's writing always pulls me in. From the very first book to this one, I am just invested in the stories. The characters are almost always likable, or at least they grow on you. (I'm looking at you Jack.) Beautiful Lies was no different. Lake and Adrian pulled me in, and although it was a slow start I did find myself wondering how this was going to work. I see bits and pieces of myself in Lake, so she was relatable. That whole keeping things close to your chest, and not opening up. Oh, and the independence. Yeah. Adrian was good for her. Yes it was younger. It didn't bother him though. He just wanted to be in her life, and he knew he'd have to wait on her to realize things. I want to call this a slow burn, but considering it starts with a one night stand, can I really say that? This book does have a bit slower of a pace. It felt right though. For everything Lake was having to go through the pace was just right. So if you struggle at the beginning, just keep pushing on. You will get invested, and find yourself wanting to know how their happily ever after occurs.

Salacious Players Club by Sara Cate

Ratings: 4, 4.5, 4.5, 4, 3.5

Yes I'm lumping these all together. Should I do that? Eh, probably not. These books all take place at the same place though, and considering I binged the series it just feels right. Now I didn't read these in order. I started with Give Me More, which is book 3. The books can, thankfully, be read as standalones, so I wasn't overly concerned about reading out of order.

Give Me More features Isabel, Hunter, and Drake. Hunter and Drake are best friends, while Hunter and Isabel are married. They are on a road trip checking out other clubs, and Hunter comes to a realization. He's inviting his best friend into the relationship. That is if he wants to. I could not get enough of Give Me More, or the characters. Their story was good, the steam was intense, and I was rooting for them. 

Praise was my next read (well after reading Beautiful Lies by Paula Dombrowiak), and I could not put this book down. That was actually the case with all the books in the series. I regret nothing. Praise is an age gap relationship where Charlotte falls for Emerson. The thing is Emerson happens to be the dad of Charlotte's ex boyfriend. Emerson and Charlotte captivated me. From the way their relationship started, to how it built, to Charlotte's relationship with her sister, to how they finally arrived at their happily ever after. It was such a good story. The steam was amazing as well.

Eyes On Me might be my favorite. I feel like I shouldn't have been as intrigued by this book as I was. That goes with the forbidden aspect though. Not only is this book a forbidden romance, but it's age gap as well. Mia and Garrett have some steamy times together, but it is more than that. Garrett is finally opening up about his struggles, his desires, his wants and needs, and he's finding that Mia is the person most important to him. There is so much I want to say, but spoilers and all that. 

When I started reading Mercy I wasn't certain what to expect. I knew it was Maggie's story, but I didn't know what her preferences were, or who her love interest was going to be. Well when Beau appeared I was shocked, but then I could see how those two would fit together. Even more so after they had both taken that quiz. I really liked Maggie, and you could see that she was struggling with things from her past that were still affecting her today. Or at least in regards to the business that she runs, and the lifestyle it promotes. Yet when her results were revealed, I wasn't surprised at all. I was a bit more surprised by Beau's, or at least pieces of it. I liked watching these two grow individually, and as a couple. The scene when they were leaving Salacious, OH MY WORD. I was not expecting that. Not at all. My jaw dropped, and my heart broke a bit. Trope wise, this book is reverse age gap, friend's son, and proximity. It is so good, and so steamy. That seems to be the theme for this entire series. Also, I really wish that Maggie had been on the cover instead of Beau. It would have fit more with the owners of the company being on the cover.

Highest Bidder is book 5, and it's all about Ronan. Well Ronan and Daisy. This, large, age gap romance has history to it. Daisy doesn't know the full history, she just knows she found paperwork with Ronan's name on it, and wanted to investigate. Falling for him was not in the plans, but it's what happened. Ronan is still struggling a bit with the tragedy that happened 28 years ago, and so he guards himself a bit. Yet there was something about Daisy that pulled him in, and he just had to pursue this relationship. Now I'll be honest, this one wasn't my favorite. The storyline was still decent, and I enjoyed pieces of it, but there was room for improvement. My biggest struggle with this book was Daisy. Not her age, or the "secret" she was keeping, but just her as a character in general. I didn't feel that connection to her. Ronan was far more intriguing and captivating. Ronan just pulls you into his orbit. My other issue, no that's not the right word- but anyway, was not having the previous characters involved in this story as much. It seemed like they would pop up in the previous books, offer advice or humor, and just have that familiarity.

Thank you Paula Dombrowiak for providing me with an advanced copy of Beautiful Lies.

Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!

My Favorite Quotes from Pucking Around

I recently read Pucking Around by Emily Rath, and I absolutely LOVED IT. It lived up to all the TikTok hype. Hockey romance + MMFM Why Choose = AMAZING. The characters were fabulous. Rachel was a bit bizarre at times, but it just made me love her all the more. Jake is just a golden retriever with his energy, his neediness, his passion, and his love. Caleb appealed to me right away with his quiet demeanor, and I knew hiding beneath all that was something much more. Ilmari caught my attention not just because of his size, or his position, but because he commands that attention. He speaks when it is necessary, and when he does it is impactful.

If you're like me, and love hockey romances then you need to give Pucking Around a try. Yes it's long. Yes it's worth it. Yes it is steamy. Yes there is also a plot involved. I could not put this book down, and I was fully immersed in the world. Cannot wait to return when the next book is released.

These are a few of my favorite quotes.

Thanks for Reading,
Laura

 

I can't fall for a player...let alone three. But if love is a game, these guys are playing to win.

She overwhelms me. I feel out of control. Why did I go to her? Why did I make her sit with me? Why do I dread the idea of her sitting anywhere else?

You really think I could forget my Seattle girl? Baby, you're all I think about.

I don't melt for you, Jake Compton, I burn.

If Caleb is a Rubik's cube, Jake is a bop it.

He's burning hot, then he's ice cold. He's grumpy, he's funny, he's sexy, he's sad. It's like he's a walking mood ring.

Not much can hold my attention outside of hockey or a good book, but she can. And I don't like it.

You're in this, Cay. With Me. With us. Be my devil. Come dance with me in the dark.

You swept into my life like a swirling storm of chaos. You've shattered everything. I'm in a fucking free fall. No parachute. No one to catch me.

Jake is my joy. Caleb is my comfort. Ilmari is my rest. I want them all. Need them all.

We all have a choice in this world. Stay or go. Love or hate. Fight or flee. I get to choose what happens next.

Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!

What I Read in March 2023 {Monthly Wrap Up}

“In March, winter is holding back, and spring is pulling forward. Something holds, and something pulls inside of us too.”

― Jean Hersey

Just like that another chapter has come to a close. I'd say that I'm in disbelief, but that just seems to be the case with all of 2023. Hopefully March was a wonderful month for you. I know that many memories were made for my family.

Let's jump into some updates.

Life was fairly quiet. We did have spring break this month, and we opted to stay at home to do a staycation. Normally we would head to Wisconsin Dells, but price wise it just didn't make sense this year. That being said we did hit up a trampoline park, an indoor playground, and went bowling. We also went out to eat a couple of times, which of course the kids loved. The only downside to spring break was that a mystery bug hit my house. Whenever there is a vacation day it seems that my kids come down with an illness. It's part of life.

Spotify was playing constantly once again. I don't like to sit in silence, so music is a must. I alternated between my little bit of everything playlist, all of One Direction's discography, and Midnights {3 AM edition}. When I wasn't listening to Spotify, KQQL was on the radio. I just love listening to the music of my childhood, and teenage years. 

When it comes to television, I watched Picard and The Masked Singer. The Flash just hasn't been doing it for me, and I'm thankful this is the last season. I also watched, but didn't really watch, whatever my husband had on the History channel. It's one of my husband's favorite channels, and he was watching while I was reading. Every once in a while my head would pop up to see what was happening, but I couldn't tell you what was going on. 

My book total for March was wild. Not as high as February, but it was still a lot. Seriously.  In March I read 25 books. TWENTY FIVE! You better believe that all of the books were romance this month. It's just how I do things around here. I had a lot of ARCs this month. So of those 25 books that I read, 18 were ARCs. I am so thankful to receive these advanced copies, and I definitely prioritize them above backlog books. 

As for my blog, I was very successful this month with posting. I did miss two days of posting, but that's okay. My content could have been a bit more diverse, and that is something I will work on in April. One of my favorite posts was These Books Were Almost 5 Star Reads. That was a post I've never done before, but I thought it would be interesting to share my thoughts as to why a book was 4.5 stars versus 5 stars.

Book stats for March are as follows:
Books Read: 25
Pages Read: 7,378 approximately
Average Page Count:295 approximately
5 Star Reads: 3
Physical Books: 0 
E-Books: 25

What was my favorite book of the month? Ooh this is rough. There were so many fantastic books that I read, so selecting a favorite is difficult. My logical answer would be one of my 5 star reads. Honestly I think I'm going to go with The Sky At Night by Samantha Lovelock. I have a full post dedicated to this book, but when it is all said and done, Samantha Lovelock had me falling for a former antagonist. That redemption arc smacked me in the face, and I wasn't expecting it at all. 

My favorite cover of the month goes to Jagged Thorns by January James. I just love the design, and the colors used. The Third Baseman by Lulu Moore is a close second. That bokeh effect, the baseballs, and the fence just appeals to me.

I liked how I did things last month when it came to listing the books I read. So I'm going to carry that forward. Here is the breakdown by the week, and if there is a dedicated post to a title that will be linked.

Week One

Bent by Rue Lennox

Every Last Piece by JS Wood
The Front Runner by Elsie Silver
Flyball by Lisa Suzanne
The Wrong Pitch by Brittany Taylor

Week Two

Devious Obsession by S Massery
Jagged Thorns by January James
The Sky At Night by Samantha Lovelock
Cross Check My Heart by Mikayla Christy

Week Three

Yours to Take by Emily Silver

A False Start by Elsie Silver
Batter Up by Hallie Bennett
Captive of the Night by K Loraine & Meg Anne
Almost Goodbye by Nola Marie
The Third Baseman by Lulu Moore

Week Four

Groundball by Lisa Suzanne
Coast to Coast by Cali Melle
Hello Billionaire by Kelsie Hoss
Never Too Late by Rue Lennox
Over My Brother's Dead Body, Chase Andrews by Piper Rayne

Week Five

The Edge of Forgiveness by Kristin Turnage
Guarding Georgia by Anna Brooks
Made for Us by Natasha Madison
Rule Number Five by J Wilder
Kellan by Anna Blakely

Please tell me about the books you read in March! Any favorites? Any misses? Any recommendations? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, tell me your thoughts on the various stories.

Happy Reading,
Laura

Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!

Thank you to the authors who provided me with advanced copies of their books.

What I Read Last Week

Hello April!

This last week I had a spectacular week. So many wonderful books read, characters met, settings visited. I swooned, I laughed, I cried, I wanted to throw my kindle, and I loved every single moment of it. There were also so many fantastic tropes: enemies to lovers, small town, sports, second chance, age gap, college, single dad, surprise pregnancy, plus so many others. LOVED IT!

Last week I read 9, yes I said 9, books. That's ridiculous I know. I will say that I read two on Saturday, and I regret nothing. Also I had started The Edge of Forgiveness last Sunday, and finished it on Monday, so I had a jump start. Of the nine books that I read, five of them were advanced copies. The other four were either recent purchases due to TikTok, or freebies from the stock your kindle event, or just ones that were already on my kindle. 

Tell me about your week. What did you read? Any favorites? Any that you just didn't vibe with? Any recommendations for me? Have you ever read a book that TikTok recommended? I read two this week, and one I absolutely loved, while the other was just so so.

Happy Reading,
Laura

 The Edge of Forgiveness by Kristin Turnage

I'm not going to say much here as I devoted an entire post to TEOF. Hunter and Courtney's story was wonderful. It was emotional. It was intense at times. There is so much pain and heartache. There is also healing and understanding. There is family found, and a forever beginning. Could not put this book down. *please note there is no preorder for this book yet. I have linked to the author's amazon page.

Guarding Georgia by Anna Brooks

I forgot how much I enjoy books by Anna Brooks. When I started reading Guarding Georgia it all came flooding back. Of course I think the fact that this book takes place in Warrensville plays a part. After all that is where I met, and fell, for the Ryder family. Guarding Georgia was full of romance, and I loved the second chance trope in this book. Now I will be honest I struggled with everything that happened with Georgia's Dad, as well as with Tad. I was not fully prepared for that. Yet I was able to get through that with the relationship between Beau and Georgia. Plus there was Beau's family that I also adored. Also, Georgia's mom and that storyline? YES! I will definitely be returning for more of the Small Town Saviors series.

Made for Us by Natasha Madison

Natasha Madison did it again. She wrote this story that pulled m in, had me falling for the characters, and has me wanting to live in this world. I need the Grant/Horton/Stone+ family to adopt me, or at least befriend me. PLEASE! Abigail and Tristan's story was good. I loved the bond that Abigail has with Penelope, aka Tristan's daughter. That  bond was formed years ago, and it continues to remain strong. The attraction between Tristan and Abigail was good also. It's been building, enhancing, and is difficult to ignore. All it takes is a vacation for things to ramp up, and act upon needs. Of course that one night together lead to so much more. Made For Us was filled with heartache, frustration, longing, desire, and so much reality mixed in. Tristan was replaying things in his past, while Abigail was trying to figure things out and protect herself. She had imagined one thing, while he was imagining forever. Made For Us was a really good story. I loved the family interaction, the family vacation, and the bond that is there. The Grant/Horton/Stone+ family takes their friends under their wings and adds them to the mix. They've essentially adopted those who mean the world to them. I also love how the family isn't afraid to call their other family members out for their behavior/actions. Every time I finish a book, by Natasha, I find myself getting even more excited for the next. Her storytelling and characters are amazing.

Rule Number Five by J Wilder

TikTok made me read it. Seriously. Rule Number Five popped up so many times on my FYP that I downloaded it. I read it that same day, and absolutely LOVED this book. I highlighted so many quotes/scenes, and I regret nothing. This has me wanting to read more from J Wilder. The premise is simple: 2 college students meet at a bar, things are going great until she reveals her rules and he says he's a hockey player, she declines any advances because he's a hockey player, the chase is on as rules are meant to be broken, attraction, proximity, forever. While the premise is simple and standard it is the scenes (and lines) in this book that had me hooked. “You don’t wear anyone’s number but mine.” “If I can’t have forever, please don’t take away right now.” I went into a little more detail over on Goodreads if you'd like to read more of my review.

Kellan by Anna Blakely

This book took me by surprise. It had been sitting on my kindle for a while now, and I decided to give it a go. First things first, this book should have had a trigger/content warning. The prologue, what happened between Mia and her husband, I wasn't ready for it. If I'm going to be reading a book that kicks off with violence against a spouse, I want to be notified of that first so that I can prepare myself for what is going to play out.  Now obviously I continued reading, and I worked through those tough scenes that occurred. When Mia met Kellan that was when things really picked up suspense/action wise. That suspenseful storyline was what kept me reading the book. The relationship between Mia and Kellan it was good, but it was way too insta-love. Them falling was at warp speed. I get that forced proximity might have played a part, but it was too quick (for me). I went back and forth on my rating. My initial thought was 4 stars because of the suspense/action. Then as I sat with it a bit more I realized that it's more of a 3. The rapid instalove and lack of content/trigger warning is what pushed me back. I do want to continue with this series though.

Hardball by Lisa Suzanne

It's over. Cooper and Gabby's story is complete. I don't know how to move on quite yet. There was so much that happened in this book, and I adored the majority of it. I wanted to smack Troy. I wanted to shake Cooper. I wanted to hug Gabby. I found myself wanting to yell. There was so much pain and heartache in this final installment. UGH! Yet at the end of the day the right thing was done, a forever was put into the works, and the family was growing. I was proud of Cooper when he said what he said. Loved this entire series. I do still have questions though as I feel like a couple of storylines were not wrapped up, but it is what it is. I did like the setup for the next season though! Also I would love it if we could get a separate book about Troy and Joanie.

Playboy Playmaker by Maren Moore

It's the final book in the Totally Pucked series! I'm not okay with this. Not at all. Hudson's story just felt full circle in a way. Especially with Chaney being, well, Chaney. Plus all the guys being around. It was a good way to wrap things up. I fully admit that I binge read this book. The moment it arrived on my kindle, I was fully invested. I've been tortured with teasers for a bit now, and so to finally be able to dive into the book was just needed. I'm all for this secret, forbidden, age gap romance. Caroline could not be a better partner for Hudson. Add in that bit of proximity, and it just gave their relationship (that wasn't a relationship) that much more room to build. Playboy Playmaker is HOT. Hudson has a mouth on him, and oofta! I may have blushed once or twice. When their relationship (that wasn't a relationship) became public I was worried for them both. I wasn't certain how other parties would handle this news. Heck I wasn't certain how our characters would handle the news. Thankfully it all worked out in the end.  There was another relationship starting in this book though too. With the volunteer position that Hudson took on, he met Wren. This young man needed someone in his corner, and Hudson stepped up. Hudson stepped into that parent role easily, and let Wren know that this was a safe space to land. That he would be there for him any time. Wren found a family like atmosphere with Hudson and Caroline (and I'm sure with the entire Avalanche team). While I'm not ready to say goodbye to this cast of characters, I am ready to see what Maren has planned. Maren has a way with words, characters, and always brings the steam. I love escaping into her books, and look forward to the future.

Flawless by Elsie Silver

I wanted to love this book. Especially since I adored the Gold Rush Ranch series. Yet something was missing from Flawless. That same spark wasn't there. I found myself annoyed by Kip, and did not like any scene that he appeared in. I loved the protectiveness that Rhett offered. Sidney I didn't really "bond" with. She was a missed opportunity in a way. I did like the relationship and how that built. Honestly there were times that I was more interested in the bull riding scenes than the rest of the book. I am ready to return to Chestnut Springs though, especially since the other brothers have caught my attention.

That One Night by Emily Rath

I had recently purchased Pucking Around by Emily Rath, and I noticed it said to read That One Night first. So I did. There is very little plot to this story. It's mostly steam. Plus it ends on a cliffhanger. You had better believe I'm jumping into Pucking Around asap! TikTok has been recommending this book constantly, and I need to see what happens after this novella. I'll be honest, the female main character isn't my favorite, but I'm still intrigued.

Please note:

I participate in the Amazon Affiliates program.

Purchases made through links above allow me to earn a small commission.

Thank you!

Thank you to the authors who provided me with advanced copies of their books.
(Kristin Turnage, Maren Moore, Anna Brooks, Natasha Madison, Lisa Suzanne)

A to Z Reading Challenge 2023 {March Update}

March is over, and so it's time for another A to Z challenge update! Things slowed down this month for progress on my open letters. I knew this would happen, but I wasn't fully expecting it to this extent. Yet I chose what to read, and didn't pay any attention to my open letters. 

I still made progress though, even if it was minor. Were you able to complete any letters this month? How many do you have left to go? Also are you doing the title challenge, the author challenge, or are you doing both?

See you back here at the end of April for another update!

Happy Reading,
Laura