Blog Tour: The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke

 

 

  

  THE SWEET SPOT by Adriana Locke 

  Release Date: 11/29/2022 

Genre/Tropes: Single Mom, Baseball Pro, Small Town Romance       

  THE SWEET SPOT by USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke is NOW LIVE! 

  Grab this all-new small town romance TODAY!   

  NOW AVAILABLE! FREE IN KU! 

https://geni.us/TSSpot       

      

  Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60806368-the-sweet-spot    

      

  Blurb:   

  She wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.   Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability. Nothing about Cole says forever. So why is he so hard to resist?   Cole is swinging through town to visit his parents when he meets the kind of down-to-earth distraction he’s been looking for since retiring from the majors. True, his long-term relationship score is zero. But even though raising his average with Palmer seems impossible, it’s worth a shot.   As promising as the summer nights are, fate turns small-town dreams upside down, and some lessons are learned the hard way. But having faith in love and choosing hope over fear might get Palmer and Cole to the sweet spot they’re looking for.  

 

       

  About the Author: 

  USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.   She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.

 

  Connect w/Adriana: 

Website: https://adrianalocke.com 

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoralocke 

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Review: The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke

The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. all opinions are my own.  Thank you to Montlake and Candi Kane PR for providing me with an ARC for review.   This comes out tomorrow November 29, 2022

Palmer is a hardworking single mom, who will do anything to protect her 12 year old son and provide him the stable home she never had growing up.  She has an awesome best friend to help her out, but she doesn't have a big support network.  Enter Cole, a retired baseball player who is staying with his parents in small town Ohio while he does some soul searching.  He is immediately drawn to the small town life and when he meets Palmer he can't deny that there is something about her that screams for him to stay and start something a little more permanent.  Not one for long term relationships, Cole doesn't want to mislead Palmer but he wants what she is willing to give him while he sticks around town. 

This got pretty emotional at times.  Palmer had a pretty rough childhood.  Trigger warnings for an alcoholic and abusive parent.  She also had some pretty questionable relationships with men who let her down.  Despite all that she came out the other side a great person and a wonderful mom who raised an awesome kid.  I liked that we got to see many sides of Palmer from the vulnerable mom and woman to the strong employee and boss that was trying to hold everything together for everyone else.  We also get to see her speak up for herself and do what is best for her and her son.  Cole has some stuff he is dealing with, and while it takes him quite a while for the reveal and for him to come to terms with it.  I'm happy with the way the conflict was resolved.  This was relatively low angst, there is some but it is short lived.  There are some steamy parts, but not over the top.

Overall I loved this sweet small town romance.  

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Release Blitz: Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills

 

Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

Princess and the Player, an all-new neighbors-to-lovers romance featuring an NFL football player and a masquerade ball from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills, is now available!

A masquerade ball brings together an NFL player and a penniless princess in this smart and sexy romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.
Levelheaded Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at an exclusive lifestyle club.
There, she meets unknown-to-her NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask—he’s there to celebrate his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.
Unfortunately, Francesca realizes quickly that her masked prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Getting tangled up with a shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs right now, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her (not that she’s his type anyway).
But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve…a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

Fall in love today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KWVJJ6
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About Ilsa Madden-Mills

Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Connect with Ilsa

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nY2pxT

Instagram: http://bit.ly/35xfNfo

Stay up to day with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh

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Website: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com

Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: http://bit.ly/37B6Nay

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Review: Boyfriend Material by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Boyfriend Material by Ilsa Madden-Mills
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This is the second book set in the Hawthorne University universe, but it reads as a standalone. There is some overlap between the characters, but the focus is on a new couple. You do not have to have read book 1 to read book 2, but I do recommend Boyfriend Bargain because Sugar and Z's story is a good one! I will give some trigger warnings for sex, sexual assault (doesn't go to far), hazing, drug and alcohol abuse, and physical violence. It isn't over the top or graphic but it is there.

This follows Julia and Eric who are two unlikely people to couple up. They met in at a prestigious prep school, where Eric was the rich kid who ruled the school and Julia was a scholarship student trying to pave a better way for herself. Eric made Julia feel special, and even though he had a love em and leave em reputation, she thought maybe it would be different this time. She was wrong and left with a broken heart. Fast forward to college where Julia has been through the wringer. She is still down on her luck and trying to make ends meet. Eric has matured some, but he's got baggage of his own and a lot of pressure put on him by his family to keep up appearances. Eric helps Julia out of several tough situations, and they rekindle the friendship they once had. It quickly becomes evident that they still are attracted to each other and both need someone to lean on when things get tough.

I really enjoyed Eric and Julia's story. It had a bit of a slow burn feel to it as they started hanging out as friends before their relationship morphed into more. I liked that they started to get to know each other a bit before the romance aspect took off. The steam level in this is pretty decent. The book is well balances with some heavy, darker scenes and topics with lighter, sweeter moments. I also really enjoyed the side characters and hope to see more from them in the future. There are some angsty moments that will make your blood boil, but I'm pretty happy with the resolution. I don't want to spoil too much as this is kind of action packed which you don't usually see in a romance novel. This read pretty quickly as there was always something happening. If you like enemies to lovers, hockey romance, with a little bit of a slow burn feel, I highly recommend this one!

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Review: The Crush

The Crush by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Keep a box of tissues handy, you are going to need them. It is the rare book that brings tears to my eyes but Adaline and Emmett's story almost had me ugly crying before the end of this story. This is also that book that will keep you up until the wee hours of the night because you have to know how it ends. I couldn't put this down once I started it!

If you've read any of the Ward sisters books you may be familiar with Adeline Wilder, she was Molly Ward's assistant and friend in Focused: A hate to love sports romance . She is also Erik's sister from The Plan. Now she has her own successful party planning business and has recently broken up with her long time boyfriend who happened to be a pro-athlete. Emmett is the son of Logan and Paige Ward, who if you have read the other books featuring the Wards, you know who they are, if not don't worry who any of these people are this book reads 100% as a standalone. Emmett and Adeline have always been attracted to one another but the timing was never right as he was making his way into pro football and put all of his focus into the game. Now several years later, after getting a reality check and wanting to reset his priorities Emmett can't stop thinking about Adeline and what could have been if he'd chosen her and football. Adeline is done with atheletes who can't put her first. She's tired of being overlooked and underappreciated. She wants love, respect, and romance. When Emmett walks back into her life she isn't sure what to do, they can't deny the chemistry between them but she doesn't want to get hurt or hurt him.

I loved Adeline and Emmett. There were times you wanted to shake both of them and tell them to do something because they were taking their sweet time to take action, on the other hand you knew that they were both trying to do right by each other and take things slow and not mess up a good thing. The chemistry between them was explosive and the steamy scenes were just right. Emmett never pushed too hard, even when you wanted him to be overbearing, he was patient and gave Adeline what she needed so she didn't run and hide or panic. This is going to take you on an emotional rollercoaster for sure, so be ready, but it is so worth it to watch these two characters grow and come together.

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COVER REVEAL: THE CRUSH by Karla Sorensen

 

Release Date: July 21 

You know that girl from your past that you can’t quite stop thinking about? The one that you pushed away because you had a goal that seemed so much bigger, so much more important than any crush you might have had?

That’s Adaline Wilder for me.

Nothing came before football. Not in college, and not in my five years in the pros. All I wanted was to win games, win a championship, carve my own path out of the illustrious Ward family football legacy. And I’ve done all that. But something is missing.

I’ve never been wrong about what I want. Except with her.

She moved on to someone else, but that baseball playing moron just broke her heart. I don’t blame her for not trusting me, but even Adaline can’t deny the heat when we’re together. 

I have one shot at winning her back. And I intend to take it.

Pre-Order Your Copy Here!

Add to your Goodreads TBR List!

Meet Karla Sorensen

Well, let’s see ... I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone's face, then I've done my job.  

I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob. 

If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies. 

I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I'll love you forever. 

Connect with Karla Sorensen

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | BookBub | Reader Group

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Review: The Plan by Karla Sorensen

The Plan by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This is a companion novel to The Lie, as they can both be read independently. This follows Lydia, younger sister of Faith, and daughters of Allie and Luke who you may know from the Washington Wolves series. Lydia is suffering from a bit of PTSD after a run in with the paparazzi and a car accident that has left her with a broken arm. She has quite the social media following, and while it makes her good money, the accident has left her questioning her goals for the future. Her parents are happy to have her stay at home while she heals and decides her next steps, however they want her to feel safe when she goes outside. Enter Erik Wilder. Erik is a former Wolves player, and perpetual grump. He left football after an injury and to deal with some personal issues, which you have to read the book to learn about. They explain alot about his personality and are worth waiting for. Erik has found himself in the personal security business, so Luke gives him a call and a generous offer to protect his daughter until she feels safe in the world again. The two of them don't initially enjoy each others company, but they begin to grow on one another. Lydia slowly finds herself able to reenter society without being scared she is going to be attacked, and Erik realizes it might be time to let someone in again.

This is a slow burn, opposites attract, age gap romance. The age gap isn't huge she is 22 and he is 30. Lydia mature for her age and you often forget she is 22. She's a good fit for Erik and since they are both consenting adults the age gap doesn't at all feel taboo in anyway. THeir relationship has the forbidden aspect more because she is the boss' daughter. Lydia's playful side evens out his serious broody side. Erik feels alot of guilt for what happened at the time of his injury and the fallout that occurred within his family. Some of that was self imposed and some of it was not his fault. It takes him quite a bit of time to work through his feelings and guilt over that, all the while Lydia is trying to figure out her life and how to move forward from the accident. I adored Lydia's relationship with her parents. I especially loved her conversations with her dad. The Wilder family was pretty fun too.

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Release Blast: THE PLAN by Karla Sorensen

Release Date: February 9

Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. 

 

Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. 

 

To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be. 

 

He’s suspicious, never talks about his past and has the comfort skills of a cactus. I’m a happily ever after kinda girl who knows exactly what she wants out of life. 

 

Erik’s words might say that the lines have to stay firm between us, but those dark eyes of his? They tell another story when he looks at me. 

 

He’s just as stubborn as I am, but when our fake dating plan starts to feel a lot more real, it's only a matter of time before his professional walls come crashing down.  

I just have to hope my heart doesn't get buried in the rubble.

Grab Your Copy Here!

 

Meet Karla Sorensen

Well, let’s see ... I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone's face, then I've done my job.  

I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob. 

If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies. 

I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I'll love you forever. 

Connect with Karla Sorensen

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | BookBub | Reader Group

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Cover Reveal: The Plan by Karla Sorensen

 THE PLAN

Karla Sorensen

Release Date: February 9

Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. 

Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. 

To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be. 

He’s suspicious, never talks about his past and has the comfort skills of a cactus. I’m a happily ever after kinda girl who knows exactly what she wants out of life. 

Erik’s words might say that the lines have to stay firm between us, but those dark eyes of his? They tell another story when he looks at me. 

He’s just as stubborn as I am, but when our fake dating plan starts to feel a lot more real, it's only a matter of time before his professional walls come crashing down. 

I just have to hope my heart doesn't get buried in the rubble.

Buy Links:

http://mybook.to/ThePlanKS 

Goodreads Link: 

https://bit.ly/3pxsnsA 

Meet Karla Sorensen:

Well, let’s see ... I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write bring a smile to someone's face, then I've done my job.  I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me a literary snob. If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before I had my babies. I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good side, bring me wine and I'll love you forever. 

Connect with Karla Sorensen:

Website: http://www.karlasorensen.com

Newsletter: http://www.karlasorensen.com/newsletter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karlasorensenbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karla_sorensen/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ksorensenbooks

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3fgjzlX

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2P7a3Xy

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/karla-sorensen

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesorensensorority/

Review: Homecoming King by Penny Reid

Homecoming King by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This was the perfect holiday read!  It was funny and just what I needed.  The last few weeks leading up to Christmas have been really stressful for my family, and this heartwarming book helped lift my spirits.

This follows two kind of awkward characters that have known each other since kindergarten.  Rex is a pro football player and Abby is a bartender/artist.  While Rex seems to have it all, what he really wants is a partner who gets him.  Abby has been burned by love in the past and doesn't want to be hurt again.  She's always had a crush on Rex, so when he walks into the bar she works and royally messes up her evening, I knew we were in for something special.  This first encounter turns into the start of a friendship between the two of them, which turns into a business proposition that Abby probably should refuse.  Things kind of take off from there.  There relationship is slow burn as they get to know each other again through phone calls and text messages and the occasional date.  Neither one of them is really good with expressing their feelings, so when they finally admit that their relationship of convenience might be something more it is pretty explosive and quite steamy.

I loved this!  It has the perfect balance of humor, great banter, and steam.  I'm really looking forward to reading the other books in the series.  

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Review: Kiss To Remember by Anna B. Doe

Kiss To Remember by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided and ARC via the author, all opinions are my own.

I highly recommend you read Kiss Before Midnight, the prequel novella before you read this. While not required it certainly sets up the events of this book and explains where we meet Grace at the beginning of this book. Grace Shelton has started her freshman year at Blairwood, she is hoping that this is the fresh start she needs after having her heartbroken at 16. Her first love went missing and she's never really recovered from it, she is determined to put Mason and her feelings behind her and start fresh now that she is in college. She is all set to move forward when she literally runs into Mason's doppleganger Trent Remington. Trent looks exactly like Mason, but he doesn't recognize Grace at all. Needless to say, this brings up all of the emotional turmoil Grace wanted to put behind her. When Trent and his girlfriend seem to pop up everywhere Grace and her friends are, she can't seem to move on and put Mason to rest. The more she gets to know Trent, she sees similarities to Mason but he's not Mason.

Trent has no idea who Grace is, however he is drawn to her despite the fact that he has a girlfriend. There is just something familiar about her, plus they are always running into each other. He enlists Grace to help him pass his French class so he can stay on the basketball team. This of course leads to drama with the girlfriend. It is also unfair to Grace as she sees so much of Mason in him, but he's not the boy she used to know. Their relationship is filled with angst as they try to figure out what they want from each other and who they want to be moving forward. They also have to deal with Trent's constant migraine headaches as he navigates the stress of school, his relationships, and basketball.

I really enjoyed this, and had a hard time putting it down. I was really invested in the story. This has some good twists and turns as well. I do have a few pieces of feedback. I did think that Grace's obsession with Mason was a bit over the top. I did appreciate that she started to stand up for herself at some point, she gets her heart broken a lot in this book. I did feel that the reveal and the ending were a bit rushed. I kind of expected some of the events in the reveal, and I thought the way it was executed was good. The ending wrapped up in about the last 100 pages and given the lead up to the ending I felt it could have had a bit more time to resolve.

I do really enjoy this series and I highly recommend it. All of the books are standalones with interconnected characters. You can read the books in any order, but I do recommend reading any connected prequels associated with the full novel and any bonus epilogues to get the full story.
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Cover Reveal: Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Beauty and the Baller, an all-new small-town sports romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is coming March 29th, 2022 and we have the stunning cover!

An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony, passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.

Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.

Fast-forward two years. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where, by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.

The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.

Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?

Reserve your copy today!
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About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Connect with Ilsa
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nY2pxT
Instagram: http://bit.ly/35xfNfo
Stay up to day with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EESfM9
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2GaR6cn
Book+Main: http://bit.ly/2s4j9ci
Website: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com
Join her Unicorn Girls Group on FB, the best way to keep up: http://bit.ly/37B6Nay
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Review: The Lie by Karla Sorensen

The Lie by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Bad boy Dominic Walked has just signed with the Washington Wolves. He's got a reputation for being a bit of an angry and aggressive football player, but Dominic has a softer side that he doesn't let out much. He wants to be a good man and a great player, but he has put up alot of walls. He also doesn't want to screw up his shot playing for Washinton, it has been his dream since he was a little boy. When owner Allie offers him a chance to right his wrongs and start out on the right foot with the team, he begrudgingly takes it and goes through the motions. Enter Faith, Allie's step-daughter who also runs the charitiable organization for the family. Faith, while brought up in a life of priviledge, spends her days trying to help the less fortunate as director of a non-profit. She is genunely kind and always willing to lend a hand. When Dominic is assigned work with her, neither of them is thrilled about it.

As they get to know each other they begin to drop their walls and get over their preconceived notions about each other. They also realize that they are insanely attracted to each other and the chemistry between them was perfect! There was great banter between them and just the right amount of drama and angst. You are going to want to have some tissues nearby, I started tearing up around chapter 28 and the next few chapters are pretty emotional. Dominic has to deal with some heavy burdens that he's been carrying and hte mistakes he's made because of them, and he has to do the hard work himself for her, his team, his parents, and himself. I felt like his transformation was raw and honest. He went from the grumpy, angry, closed off, bad guy, to the thoughtful, romantic, and sometimes emotional, yet still agressive football player, who keeps those he cares about close and love them fiercly. This was such a heartwarming story about two really wonderful characters that found each other in such a unique way.

You can read this completely as a standalone. I have not read The Bombshell Effect yet, which is Luke and Allie's story. I have it and I'll be moving it up on my TBR before The Bet comes out. This takes place quite a while after Forbidden, if you have been keeping up with The Ward Sisters and the other connected books, but you don't need to read any of them to read this book and their backstories aren't relevant to Faith and Dominic. I highly recommend Karla's backlist as I haven't read one of her books that I haven't loved yet.

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Review: Kiss To Defy by Anna B Doe

Kiss To Defy by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Figure staking and women's gymnastics were my favorite sports to watch during the Olympics.  I also love hockey!  I can barely skate forward myself, but I always appreciated those who could make it look so effortless on the ice.  This book combined two unlikely characters from two very different worlds and brought them together.

Rei has decided to attend Blairwood as she trains for the Winter Games in an attempt to shake things up and find some normalcy in her life that is anything but normal.  She has been skating since before she could walk and has won every figure skating title there is except at the Winter Games.  Her dad and coach think college is a bad idea and will distract her from her training.  Zane come crashing into her life, and because he is a hockey player their paths cross pretty regularly at the ice rink.  They also have mutual friends as her roommate is his roommate's sister.  After a rocker start to their friendship, Rei and Zane realize that they have chemistry between them.  It starts out slow but builds into something so much more.

This will get your emotions going for sure.  You want to shake Rei when she's being unreasonable and stubborn.  You want to punch Zane in the arm then give him a hug and tell him "it's not your fault" & " it will be OK".  You just want to punch Alex.  Jade and Grace are great friends that keep Rei grounded and help her have the college experience she was longing for.  The banter between all of the friends in this is great!  I love good banter.  This tackles some heavy issues such as poverty, substance abuse, physical abuse, and racism.  It gets pretty angsty.  To balance out the seriousness of the heavy topics, it also has some pretty steamy parts.    Anna really puts Rei and Zane through their paces in this one.  

You can tell that Anna did a ton of research to write this book.  I loved the combination of a hockey player and an ice skater.  Have you seen The Cutting Edge?  I love that movie.  Every time I read toe pick when Rei was going up for a jump in this I heard Moira Kelly's character saying "Toe pick" to DB Sweeney's character when he falls down.  

I really enjoyed this sports romance.  It has all of the things I want in a romance book: good banter, chemistry between the characters, angst and conflict resolution, great side characters for support, and a happy ending.  I also recommend you check out the bonus epilogue.  The book didn't feel 100% complete until I read it.  Don't miss out on that!

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Review: The Anabel and William Duet: A Football Romance by Anna B. Doe

The Anabel and William Duet: A Football Romance by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a bind up of books 1 and 3 in the New York Knights series. These books were originally released as Lost & Found: Anabel & William #1 and Forever: Anabel & William #2 in 2017 and 2018 respectively. If you don't want spoilers for what happens in book 2 read that before finishing up book 3, but you can read book 3 without having read book 2 as it follows a different couple. This duet tells the story of Anabel, a young woman from Croatia who is trying to find herself. She has just completed college and like most twenty-somethings isn't sure what to do next. When a job opportunity as an au pair in the United States presents itself, she decides to take it. This gives her the chance to travel a bit and decide what comes next. What she didn't expect was William Price to crash into her word and shake up her plans. She didn't come to the US to find love, and because she is only there for a year she isn't interested in a relationship. Will isn't going to give up that easily and he is willing to wait for Anabel to come to her senses and give him a chance.

I'll admit it took me a long time to warm up to Anabel. She was very stubborn and inflexible for a good part of the first book with regards to her relationship with Will. She slowly came around though and we watch her go through an emotional transformation. Will on the other hand is super patient with her an willing to wait while she figures out what she wants. He likes that she doesn't care about his fame, status, or money. Because it takes Anabel so long to figure out her own feelings, this is a very slow burn romance and the pacing of the story a little on the slow side for me. It does pick up toward the end of Lost & Found and the pacing of Forever is much faster. By the time I got to the 2nd book I was completely invested in the couple and where their relationship was headed. In the 2nd book we get a taste of what it is like to be in a long distance relationship and how much stress that puts on a relationship. This has great side characters as well.

Overall, I enjoyed exploring this title from Anna's backlist. This is a solid slow burn romance and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 and exploring JD and Sienna's characters. They were great side characters, but I'd like to get to know more about their backstories and delve a little deeper into who they are.

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RELEASE BLITZ: Brentwood Boys Boxset by Meghan Quinn

   

THE BRENTWOOD BOYS by Meghan Quinn

Box Set of The Locker Room, The Dugout, and The Lineup

Release Date: May 6th

ON SALE- $3.99- FOR A LIMITED TIME!

The Brentwood Boys have come together in a three book box series, WITH an extended epilogue!! Over 300,000 words of delicious baseball players with a mouth-watering epilogue of where they are now. Marriage? Maybe. Babies? Possibly. Abs? Oh yes, they still have abs.

          

THE BRENTWOOD BOYS IS NOW AVAILABLE IN BOTH EBOOK AND AUDIO!

Universal Link: mybook.to/TheBrentwoodBoys

The Brentwood Boys have come together in a three-book audio collection for the first time ever! More than 30 hours of delicious baseball players brought to you by your favorite narrators including Sebastian York, Savannah Peachwood, Stephen Dexter, Rock Engle, Felicity Monroe, and Maxine Mitchell.

Audio Universal Link: https://amzn.to/33gWpEM

AVAILABLE NOW FOR ONLY $3.99! FREE in KU!

On sale for a LIMITED TIME!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3vItcis

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3dZDVip

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2R76f9s

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2Pwkpk1

Audio Universal Link: https://amzn.to/33gWpEM

(Narrators included are Sebastian York, Savannah Peachwood, Stephen Dexter, Rock Engle, Felicity Monroe, and Maxine Mitchell.)

BLURB:

The Locker Room

Have you heard the rumor around campus about the locker room?

Legend has it if you bring a girl into the sacred after-game domain of the baseball locker room, it will end with a walk down the aisle.

So when the girl I've fallen for brushes me off, I start to question if I need to switch my way of thinking. Maybe it's time I finally hand out a coveted invitation to the locker room.

The only question is, will she accept?

The Dugout

Let me ask you a question:

If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose?

Word around campus is . . . it was no accident.

That injury has cost me everything. Now, I’m a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into The Baseball Whisperer, Milly Potter.

Little do we both know, she’s about to become more than just my fairy ballmother.

The Lineup

Want to know a secret?

That boy over there, the one with the spectacular backside, yeah, I first saw him in college, talking to his friends. Tall, broad, sculpted by his many hours in the weight room. His personality was larger than life and I was too shy to approach him.

Now he’s a professional baseball player, I’m a confident CEO, but my crush is still strong. yup, massive crush.

I have a chance at winning a date with him.

Should I enter?

The Brentwood Boys have come together in a three-book audio collection for the first time ever! More than 30 hours of delicious baseball players brought to you by your favorite narrators including Sebastian York, Savannah Peachwood, Stephen Dexter, Rock Engle, Felicity Monroe, and Maxine Mitchell.

Audio Universal Link: https://amzn.to/33gWpEM

     

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Connect with Meghan:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormeghanquinn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

Website: http://authormeghanquinn.com

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/meghan-quinn

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LitE4x

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormeghanquinn

 

Review: Kiss Me First by Anna B. Doe

Kiss Me First by Anna B. Doe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This comes out on March 12, 2021.

I really enjoyed this. It is a prequel to the other Blairwood University books and features Emmet and Kate who are a side couple in Kiss To Conquer and Kiss To Forget. They are the established couple mentioned in the friend group from the other books. This is the story of how they met and fell in love. This takes place during their junior year in high school and it is fairly tame when it comes to adult content. There are some mature themes, and there are a few sex scenes but it isn't overly graphic. I would still consider it New Adult/Adult as far as the intended audience.

I really loved the character development in this. Kate is the overprotective big sister, who has not had a good example set for her when it comes to relationships in general. Having moved around alot for her mom's career and selfish whims, Kate was never really able to develop lasting friendships. Her mother never had a stable relationship so Kate and her younger sister Penny never had a male role model to show them what a healthy relationship looks like between a man and a woman, so when Kate meets Emmett on her first day of school after moving in with her Aunt Mabel, she isn't sure what to do with him. Kate doesn't want friends or a boyfriend, she just wants to start fresh and take care of Penny. Fortunately for Kate, Emmett and Becky know what is best for her and immediately take her in and befriend her. I loved that Emmett was willing to wait for Kate to be ready for a relationship and just be friends Kate and Penny have been through a lot and seeing them come through all of that into lovely young women, it definitely made me choke up a few times.

I really loved this! I read most of it in one sitting and just couldn't put it down. It was such a wonderful experience watching Kate and Emmett's relationship develop. If you like more mature high school romances, sports romances (there is a little football in here), and friends to lovers this is the story for you.
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