Review: Package Makes Perfect by Lauren Connolly

Package Makes Perfect by Lauren Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own.

I can't tell you how much I appreciated having a veteran female main character!  As a veteran myself, you don't often see women in the military unless it is a sci-fi book.  I really appreciated seeing a disabled veteran as a main character in a romance novel.  Robin was awesome, I loved her so much.  I also really loved Arthur.  He is a grumpy, bear of a mailman who is really a big old softy once you get to know him.  Arthur is a man of few words, but the ones he does say have meaning.  When Robin catches her boyfriend who happens to be Arthur's cousin cheating on her, Arthur is there to comfort her and help her pick up the pieces.  They form a pact to make Robin's now ex jealous by fake dating, but that has its own complications when their fake feelings take a turn into reality.

Robin and Arthur have a bit of a complicated situation-ship as they both navigate feelings, work, and family stuff.  The both have a hard time communicating what they want in general, so when it comes to love, they both fumble a bit.  They have some really cute moments together which are also met with some great spicy scenes and some really great pearls of wisdom.  I really enjoyed getting to know them.

As with all of the books in the series this reads as a complete standalone.  It does feature characters from other books in the series, however you can read them in any order.

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Review: Young Buck by Kilby Blades

Young Buck by Kilby Blades
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own.


This is a cute age gap romance following tenacious Loretta, a part time crime scene investigator by day with the local sheriff's department and a personal investigator by night. Her PI business specializes in scorned women and she keeps their identities and personal well being safe. Loretta knows what it is like to be hurt by an unfaithful husband, so protecting these women and their dignity is very important to her. Enter Green Valley Fire Department's newest Lieutenant, Buck Rodgers and Loretta's new neighbor. Their first meeting is a comedy of errors, but Buck and Loretta have instant chemistry. Loretta isn't interested in a relationship, let alone with a hot fireman 10 years younger than her. Buck is determined to wear her down with his flirting and firehouse cooking skills.


Just as Buck and Loretta begin to grow closer, he finds he needs her PI skills to investigate something strange going on with his own mother. As the two of them look into what she is up to, Buck uncovers a messy family situation that he isn't sure how to handle. As he's processing his own dark family secrets he manages to spoil things with Loretta in the process. She isn't willing to let what appears to be Buck's immaturity ruin her life plans that she has worked so hard to obtain. Will Buck be able to protect Loretta from his family drama and win her back before it is too late?


I enjoyed Buck and Loretta as well as the supporting cast of characters. They both had good character development, and I thought they had good chemistry. This is a bit on the slower burn side as all of the threads of the story come together, but every thing does come together nicely in the end. This tackled some really great topics as well. As with all of the Smartypants Universe books this reads as a complete standalone. View all my reviews

Review: The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This follows Anna, a detective with a secretive backstory that not even she completely remembers. When Anna shoots a perpetrator in the line of duty and is dosed with PCP suppressed memories from her childhood begin to surface. She thought she buried the person she used to be, but with the help of her therapist she is able to piece together her past with what she is experiencing now. This is especially helpful when she finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation that appears to be a copycat of her serial killer father. Unable to detach herself from the case, Anna is determined to use her knowledge of her father's case, and the outdoor skills he taught her to figure out the current case or if her father has returned from the dead to haunt her once more.

I found it hard to believe that Anna was able to hide her identity from so many people for so long. It is one of those plot points where you have to suspend your disbelief for the storyline to work. No one recognizes her and she makes really poor decisions throughout the investigation, yet no one picks up on it.  This might be a spoiler, but this leans heavily on the paranormal aspect, which I didn't mind, I love a good paranormal storyline but I wanted more information on that part. I love a good mythological element, however I appreciate when it is well explained and I felt it was a bit lacking in information on how the connection was made.  As for the thriller aspect, this has plenty of red herrings to keep the reader on their toes and adds in a nice bit of police procedural.

Overall, this was an interesting thriller and a solid debut.

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Review: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ebook and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I mainly listened to the audiobook version, however it was extremely helpful to have the ebook handy while reading this book as there are a lot of characters to keep track of as this story unfolds.  I found myself referring to the print version often to keep track of relationships.  The narrator was good for the most part, however he did a very high pitched voice for one of the female characters.  It was almost whiny, which I didn't enjoy, the other characters were fine.

As for the plot, I found the first half of the book to be very engaging.  We get the first major plot twist around the halfway point, then the remainder of the book seemed to drag after that major reveal.  The plot is fairly convoluted as one of the main characters is found murdered, and an investigation ensues to find out what really happened.  The investigation takes a round about approach to get to the bottom of what is going on, mainly because the inhabitants of the island can't remember what happened the night before.  With only hours left to save everyone on the island before a deadly fog covers the island, Emory and Clara must solve the murder and uncover the secrets of the island itself.

This is a really hard book to review without giving spoilers.  The twist in the middle of the book was great, then it went down hill for me from there.  The murder investigation itself, was more procedural than suspenseful.  If you have read Turton's previous books you will get that same high concept storytelling that takes a complex path to get to the end.  The author often wants the reader to stay in the dark until the very end to prevent the reveal of whodunit, however I often found myself losing interest as I wasn't connected to the characters or the world.  The concept of this dystopian, science fiction society was really interesting.  As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the first half, but the author lost me in the second half as the investigation lacked action and thrilling moments to keep me engaged.

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Review: One Wrong Move by Olivia Hayle by Olivia Hayle

One Wrong Move by Olivia Hayle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the Connovan Chronicles, however it can be read as a standalone.  Each of the books follows one of the Connovan siblings as they navigate the daily grind of running a successful corporation while finding love.  This installment follows the middle sibling, Nate, who runs the London office and spearheads most of the European business for the company while his siblings head up the New York office.

Nate has been in love with his best friend's girl for 4 years.  He saw her first, but his lack of action that fateful night has lead him to years of misery.  Harper is a delightful art historian, but her former fiancé didn't felt her place was on his arm not in a gallery.  As her wedding date approaches, Harper decides that she doesn't want to be his arm candy and wants to continue to persue her art career and takes a chance on a training program in London to get away from her ex, her family and everything she knows.  

This was a little on the slow side for me.  I love a good slow burn, and while I appreciate Nate giving Harper space, Harper seemed completely out of touch when it came to Nate.  She was oblivious to his feelings for her, even after he put them out there.  Harper spent a bit too much time pushing Nate to maintain his relationship with her ex, a relationship that Nate didn't really put much effort into and wasn't really set on keeping.   Eventually they talk it out, but it takes a long time to get there.  I liked all of the sweet things Nate did for Harper to help her check things off of her list, which helped them get to know each other better and spend quality time together.  When conflict arises Connie, Nate's sister, has great advice for both Nate and Harper and she clearly explains both sides in such a wonderful way.  I really appreciated the author's commentary about agency and independence.

Overall this is a fun age gap (10 years) romance that really made me want to visit London and an art gallery or two.  I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them.  

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Review: Mind Games by Nora Roberts

Mind Games by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an ebook and an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I mainly listened to the audiobook, because January LaVoy is one of my favorite narrators.  As always she does a fantastic job voicing all of the characters in the novel so you always know who is speaking and what they are feeling.  

I actually really enjoyed this book!  This started out as a questionable read for me, as the main character Thea is a child when the villian Ray Riggs enters the storyline.  I don't enjoy thrillers where children are involved, but I really liked what the author did with the interactions between Riggs and Thea.  I thought it was a creative way for them to interact, while still protecting Thea as a child and as she grows up and she is ready to face him in person.  Make no mistake the interactions with Riggs are plenty ugly and at time vulgar, but knowing that he and Thea are never physically in the same space makes for an interesting plotline and easier to stomach when she is younger.  There are several scenes where you are going to want to check trigger warnings for especially when Riggs is in the drivers seat or when Thea is describing crime scenes to the detectives.  While short, they are disturbing.

I thought the pacing was good in this one.  I sometimes find Roberts book to be a tad on the long side and the pace to be slow, but I didn't find that to be the case with this one.  This follow Thea and her brother from childhood when tragedy strikes their family on their annual 2 week trip to their grandmothers Kentucky home.  Grammie becomes their legal guardian and raises them into successful adults.  Both Grammie and Thea have a gift, so this does delve a bit into the paranormal throughout the book as Thea has a connection with the man who killed her parents.  She works hard to keep him out, but he is working just as hard to break down her walls.  As we follow Thea through adulthood, we see her build a successful career and life, and when she least expects it love enters the picture.  I thought all of the characters had good character development and well defined storylines.  I loved all the side characters as well and felt they did a good job to support the story.  I was invested in Thea and Ty's relationship as their romance developed, and thought they had good chemistry.  This is pretty closed door when it comes to the spice, which I prefer.  I also loved all the references to home cooked meals.  This book should come with a supplemental cookbook for all of the yummy things Thea and Grammie cooked, as well as Grammie's secret recipes to her soaps, candles, and lotions.  

Overall I thought this was really entertaining.  Sometimes the author's work can feel a bit formulaic, and while that might have been true for this book that formula worked really well for me here.  If you are a Nora Roberts fan and like a thriller with a paranormal twist this, I recommend this one!

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Review: Muffin But Trouble by Talia Hunter

Muffin But Trouble by Talia Hunter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own.

This as with all of the other books in the Smartypants universe reads as a complete standalone. It features other characters from the Pennyverse and other books in the Donner Bakery world, but you don't have to read them to follow along with Mags and Cy's story.

It pains me to say this, because I love what Smartypants puts out, but I didn't love this one. I had a hard time connecting with Mags. She was pretty insulting to the town and the people, yet Cy pretty instantly falls in love with her because she is pretty and all is forgiven. Mags does eventually get brownie points for helping rescue Cy's reputation with the townsfolk. This is pretty insta-love heavy, which is not my favorite trope. I don't feel that the two main characters ever really developed the love and trust they really needed to sell their relationship as believable. On the other hand, Cy was a wonderful character! The way he tried to earn the trust of his niece and make his house a home for her while she stayed with him was amazing! I think that is why I was so disappointed in Cy and Mags' relationship. The relationship between Gemma (the niece) and Cy was so well developed and flushed out. The author did a great job being respectful of the horrors Cy and his sister Ruth faced as children, and the depression they both suffered as adults because of it. Cy openly but respectfully discusses his struggles with mental health with Mags and Gemma, and only wants to protect those he cares about from being harmed physically and verbally by others.

Overall, this was just an OK romance for me. It was lacking some of relationship building elements that I personally like to see in an opposites attract romance.

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Review: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is told from three different perspectives, by three different narrators.  That was a nice touch from the audio perspective as each of the characters is very different and plays a unique role in this fantasy novella.  I always appreciate a multicast narration when there are multiple perspectives.  I enjoyed each of the narrators and how they brought this little book alive.

This book isn't very long, the audiobook was about 4 and a half hours long, but it kept me engaged the entire time and told a full story.  We follow along with three characters Dymitr, Ala, and Niko as they try to find the Baba Jaga to break a curse.  This is filled with Slavic/Polish myths, lore, and magic, while being set a modern Chicago.  Each one of our characters has secrets and trauma they have to sort through before the curse can be broken.  They face monsters and creatures from the mythology that are well described so that the reader or listener can picture them.  Our trio must quickly come to terms with their individual pain, fear, guilt, and mistrust of one another before the curse can be broken.  They have to work together to unravel the puzzles placed before them before the Baba Jaga will grant them an audience and solve the riddles of the curse as well and find their own salvation

This is a fast paced, quick read.  I didn't want to put it down, I always wanted to know what came next.  I love anything steeped in myth and lore and this is no exception.  I'm not well versed in Slavic lore, but Roth does a great job using the lore as allegory for other topics.  

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Review: Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I opted to listen to the final publication version of the audiobook. As always all opinions are my own.

This picks up where book one leaves off, Remy and his vampire companions Malekh and Xioadan are pitted against the Night Empress and are working to broker peace between the vampires and the human realms. Strange abominations are still plaguing the realm, and the trio must ally with the other vampire courts to defeat the Night Empress and her growing contingent. Remy's romantic relationship continues to deepen with the vampire pair as learns more about the vampire court and their customs. He also learns more about his mother and how his parents met.

There was alot going on in this book. I loved Silver Under Nightfall, but this fell a bit short. As with book 1 it was far too long, but unlike book 1 it lacked the engaging pacing and action to keep the reader interested. This keeps up with the court politics, but it was lacking the character development I was expecting from Remy and his partners. It mainly focused on the physical aspects of their relationship, which is fine, but I wanted to see more of their emotional connection develop on the page. I was expecting a bit more of a complex plot with the various court leaders, the Night Empress, and the human contingent. Things kind of resolve conveniently without the action we saw in the first book. There are too many characters to keep track of, and I feel that took away from the tension and suspense we felt in book 1.

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Release Blast: Promise Me This by Karla Sorensen

 

PROMISE ME THIS

Karla Sorensen

Release Date: May 9

FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Imagine this: an author with a raging case of writer’s block finds an unexpected source of inspiration in her grumpy, gorgeous new roommate. Sounds amazing, right? Except that new roommate is my childhood best friend. And Ian Wilder has been off-limits since I was five.

It’s been over a decade since I’ve seen him, but when I return to my hometown after years away, Ian’s exactly the man I remembered. The same guy who gave me his coat on a playground when we were kids and promised he’d take care of me forever. I need a quiet place to work with this deadline looming. I need a place where my daughter can unwind. Enter Ian with an offer I can’t refuse: his spare bedroom.

It’s an easy yes. Except now the problem is I can’t stop thinking about him, and these thoughts? They’re wandering out of the friend zone. I keep imagining very creative ways to rip off his clothes. And Ian starts giving me looks of his own, the kind that make my heart race.

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Meet Karla Sorensen:

 Karla Sorensen is an Amazon top 20 bestselling author who refuses to read or write anything without a happily ever after. When she's not devouring historical romance or avoiding the laundry, you can find her watching football (British AND American), HGTV or listening to Enneagram podcasts so she can psychoanalyze everyone in her life, in no particular order of importance. With a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from Grand Valley State University, she made her living in senior healthcare prior to writing full-time. Karla lives in Michigan with her husband, two boys and a big, shaggy rescue dog named Bear.

 

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RELEASE BLAST: Skies Over Caledonia by Samantha Young

 

Skies Over Caledonia by Samantha Young is now live! 

He’s a down-to-earth highland farmer. She’s the rebellious daughter of Hollywood royalty. They might seem like they’re from different worlds, but that won’t stop them from engaging in a marriage of convenience…

It’s been five years since Jared McCulloch’s grandfather Collum passed away and he inherited his farm in the Scottish Highlands. After his grandad saved him from his past life, Jared is determined to honor Collum’s legacy. But not only has a series of bad luck put him in danger of losing the farm, his estranged father is disputing the will. In a desperate situation, Jared realizes he’ll do just about anything to save the land.

Even marrying Allegra Howard, a woman he’s avoided at all costs.

A woman who tempts him beyond reason.

There’s only one place that makes Allegra Howard feel safe; one place that feeds her artist’s soul. Allegra wants to settle down in Scotland and expand her business. But there’s a hitch: immigration intends to return her to US soil.

Panicked, Allegra finds the one person just as desperate as she is. The same person she’s lusted after for years. In exchange for marrying her, she’ll invest financially in Jared McCulloch’s farm.

However, living together only forces them to acknowledge their searing mutual attraction. And with it comes an undeniable emotional connection Jared’s not sure he’s ready for.

Yet, blurring the lines of their arrangement is the least of his concerns when someone begins terrorizing the farm.

Allegra and Jared came together to save what matters most and now that might just be each other. And unless they can figure out which of their pasts has returned to torment them, they could lose their chance at a real future together...

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

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Meet Samantha

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She's been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries.
She resides in Scotland.

 

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Review: Promise Me This by Karla Sorensen

Promise Me This by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, all opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the Wilder Family series, however it does read as a standalone.  It does reference other members of Ian's family and events that occurred in other books, but they are not pivotal to Ian and Harlow's story.  I do highly recommend reading them if you want to get to know the rest of the family.  They are awesome!

Friends to lovers might be my favorite trope when it comes to romance, and this one was excellent.  This is pretty slow burn, and is more sweet than spicy which actually fit the storyline well.  Harlow and Ian have been friends forever.  They drifted apart after high school, but life has brought them back together in their hometown once again.  They both need someone to lean on, with Ian still processing his father's passing and Harlow's writing career suffering from a debilitating case of writer's block.  Even after years apart they quickly settle back into their old routines of being each other's support person and knowing what each other needs.  Their friendship is solid, but they both start to notice an attraction that hasn't been here before.

This will take you through all of the emotions.  Chapter 29 had me in tears, so have some tissues ready.   This deals with the loss of a loved one, family drama, insecurity, and so much more.  This has a wonderful supporting cast of characters while our two main characters work through their big feelings.  While this is a slow burn, I felt the pacing of the book was well done as the characters figure out what they are doing with their lives, how they fit together as friends, if there is more than friendship to their arrangement, and how to deal with the other stressors in their lives.  They had good character development both with each other and with their families.  

I love this series, this might be my favorite book to date!  I'm looking forward to reading Poppy's book this fall, but you can't go wrong with any of the books in the series.  

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Review: Band Together by Piper Sheldon

Band Together by Piper Sheldon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own.

As with all of the books in the Smartypants universe, this reads as a complete standalone. We first meet Mari and Leo in Passing Notes, which I highly recommend, but that follows a completely different couple.

I love a good found family story and this really delves deeply into that. Sometimes the family you choose is better for you than the family your were born with, and Mari discovers that in this book. While her family isn't necessarily terrible to her, they don't respect her and often treat her as if she is an afterthought. I really loved that she had a support system in her cousin Clara and found one in Leo. No one wanted to change her, they only wanted to help her and be there for her. On the flip side Leo had some internal struggles as well, he had to deal with returning home home after being on tour with a successful rock band. Green Valley is the last place he wanted to come back to, but he has some healing and soul searching to do. When Mari asks Leo to tutor one of his students, it forces him to face alot of his feelings about his band, his music, and himself in general. There are quite a few emotional moments in the book, but they are well balanced with humorous and tender moments as well.

I hope we get more from this series. I loved so many of the side characters and I hope we get to see more of them in the future This has great banter and chemistry between the characters. When the communication between our main love interests starts to slip, they either talk about it or one of their support people is there to give them a nudge to talk to their partner about what is going on instead of jumping to conclusions and letting things fester. I loved the resolution that Mari's student Cath came to about her future, it was perfect! I thought I knew how that was going to end but I was pleasantly surprised, I also loved Leo's grand gesture at the end.

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Review: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the publisher and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was originally supposed to release in April, however the publication date has moved to August. Not sure if that will impact the contents of the book, but I loved it! This novella is roughly 200 pages of action packed sci-fi/fantasy. Each one if Clark's books mixes a bit of steampunk, science fiction, and fantasy into a unique story that you don't want to put down. The world building is excellent, and even in a short time you come to love the characters!

Eveen is a member of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins', they are a guild of undead assassins governed by contracts and godling laws. When presented with what appears to be a proper contract, Eveen finds herself unable to fulfil the contract which could bring down the wrath of Aeril, the goddess her kind serves on not only herself bur her entire guild.

Eveen and her mark, set out on a mission to figure out how to undo the contract through time and space without destroying the entire city before the sun comes up. Eveen and Sky offset each other like night and day, while using everything at hand to figure out how to circumvent the contract and set things to rights. This had everything I would want from a great story, good humor, engaging plot, interesting characters, and it was a lot of fun!

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Review: Skies Over Caledonia by Samantha Young

Skies Over Caledonia by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both an audio and ebook ARC of this book via the author and Valentine PR, all opinions are my own.

The audiobook is narrated by Shane East and Stella Hunter, who are absolutely fabulous as Allegra and Jared. East really captures the grumpy farmer who just wants to be left alone to tend to the land and do what he loves. Hunter in turn captures the artistic Allegra, who is happy in the peaceful highlands of Scotland who wants so badly to settle down, make her art, and put her past behind her. Keep some earbuds handy as parts of this are NSFW.

As with the other books in the series, this reads as a standalone, but if you want to get to know the other couples mentioned in the book they each have their own stories. Allegra is the younger sister of Ardnoch manager Aria, who we got to know in Among the Heather. Allegra loves Scotland and being near her older sister, who is more of a mother to her than their mother. But pesky immigration laws spoil her plans to settle in Scotland and expand her art business. Allegra is desperate to find a way to stay in Scotland on more than a tourist visa. Jared is equally desperate to keep his farm in the family and make it successful. The last few years have been hard to make ends meet and he his determined to figure out a way to make things work. When Allegra approaches him with a crazy idea to benefit both of them, he is skeptical, but it just might work.

They agree on a marriage of convenience with no emotional strings attached, the only problem is they are attracted to one another. The more time they spend with each other, the more they begin to genuinely like each other and care about one another. They truly being to trust one another and confide in each other about their pasts and their futures. As things begin to threaten their peaceful bubble on the farm, doubt creeps in and they have to face their past and make decisions about their future.

I really liked Jared and Allegra together. They had good character development and the pacing of the story was good. They had good chemistry. They had good push and pull, and weren't afraid to challenge each other as they got to know one another. I really liked that Allegra trusted Jared with her past and he saw her for her true self, not the girl he thought she was. My favorite part was when he stood up to her parents on her behalf. Their characters offset each other nicely. The mystery didn't overpower the romance, but still added the suspense element that is common throughout the series.

I love this series and can't wait for the next installment!
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