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BOOK REVIEW: The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter

October 8, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

(The Second Story Bookshop)
by Denise Hunter
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago. Since high school she's helped Gram turn the shop into a community hub for book lovers in the lakeside town of Grandville, NC. When her beloved grandma passes away, Shelby inherits the bookstore. But to her shock, Gram leaves half ownership to Gray Briggs, the man who broke Shelby's heart years ago.

Grandville residents have been vilifying Gray as long as he can remember. After graduating high school he couldn't skip town fast enough, even though it meant leaving the girl he'd fallen deeply in love with and alienating her family once and for all. Now he's back, the beneficiary of his elderly friend's will. Facing the town's animosity is difficult, but seeing Shelby again is sheer torture. No one could ever stir his heart the way she did.

As the adversaries are forced to work together, Gram's beyond-the-grave scheme is working--Shelby's old feelings for Gray begin to resurface. But the problems that destroyed their relationship before still remain, and a new one surfaces--one that threatens Gram's beloved bookshop. Is their love doomed to fail again, or will they find a way to make it work this time around?

Review:

The Second Story Bookshop was a small town, second chance romance, that had a lot of heart. The audiobook was enjoyable to listen to, and I flew through this story so quickly! But the hardships the characters faced, especially the stigma of you deserve to be punished because of who you were related to, hurt to read. With fall vibes and lots of adversity and struggles, I enjoyed watching Shelby and Gray find their way back to friendship. And more. The Second Story Bookshop ending with a wonderful happily ever after and was a sweet romance filled with healing, grief and lots of love.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: How We Are by Poppy Minnix

October 2, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

How We Are by Poppy Minnix
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Five years is a long time to love someone from a distance.

But I’ve finally finished my degree, broken free from my Kentucky momma and her pageant dreams, and moved to Chicago to be with my soulmate.

Step one: move in and make up for lost time with Darius. Intimately.
Step two: land my dream job and start fresh.

Easy enough… until my mom starts scheming to drag me home and slap a crown back on my head.

And then there’s Arlo—Darius’s best friend and frustratingly hot roommate. He’s moody, brash, and impossible to ignore.

When I find out he and Darius have shared women before, everything shifts.

I shouldn’t want both of them.

Good girls don’t get tangled in fantasies that include two men. They don't wonder, what if.

They definitely don’t tempt a man like Arlo…

Right?

Review:

How We Are was a forced proximity, found family, why choose steamy romance that had the most beautiful happily ever after! Set in the city of Chicago, this story whisked me away. With a good girl, a cinnamon roll you’ll want to steal from the pages, and a bad boy that will make your heart beat faster, I quickly flew through this story. If you adore MFM romance, or you’ve been wanting to give one a try, this is your book!

I’m hoping they will learn to at least respect each other, if not more, because I won’t give either of them up. That’s not an option. – Darius

Jolene was a pageant queen who was moving to Chicago to live with her boyfriend, Darius. They had done the long distance thing for the last five years, and their love was strong, unbreakable, and so beautiful too. Living with Darius, was his best friend Arlo. And from the moment Arlo appeared on the pages, I was obsessed. Right from the start, Jolene and Arlo were explosive. The tension between them thrummed with electricity. And even when Arlo was kind to Jolene, it was laced with sexual tension. I loved that he called her Kentucky, and I couldn’t wait for them all to cross the line to more!

I need to re-friend-zone her and fast, but as strong as my will is, I’m struggling. – Arlo

“I don’t want it to stop,” I whisper.
Darius nuzzles his nose against mine. “It doesn’t have to.” – Jolene

One of my favorite things about this book was how they were all open and honest. Not only about what they wanted physically, but about their feelings too. Although…..it took some a little while longer to figure that out. But when they were all together, it was extremely explicit, erotic, and sexy. I loved the steamy games they would play. And I loved even more how much they respected each other. The love between Darius and Arlo was so beautiful *wipes a tear from my eye*. So what unfolded was a story that warmed my heart and had the most fabulous kinky sex!

Our girl. Chills rise on my arms and neck.

If you’re looking for a polyamorous throuple to fall head over heels in love with, Arlo, Jolene and Darius are your people! With all the dirty talk, sexting, vibrators, restraints, and more, How We Are was a sensual and erotic book that will consume you from that first page to the last!

This moment. Them. Everything about them is life now.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: The Primal of Blood and Bone (From Blood and Ash #6) by Jennifer L Armentrout

September 22, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Primal of Blood and Bone (From Blood and Ash #6)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In the shadows and flames, Primals will fall…

And from the blood and ash, new gods will rise.

What was dreamt.

Poppy was never meant to awaken, and the consequences are devastating and far-reaching, stirring ancient powers from their slumber and transforming Casteel and Kieran in ways even the Fates couldn’t have foreseen. But what that means is the least of their concerns. For now.

What was foreseen.

The Blood Crown has fallen, but what has risen is a far greater danger than they’ve ever faced. From flesh and fire, the Great Conspirator has returned to the mortal realm, and he wants only one thing. They must stop the true Primal of Death before he regains his strength, and it won’t be easy. Even weakened, his influence is undeniable. His power, unthinkable.

Has come to be.

While the future of the realms rests upon them, they won’t stand alone. The gods have awakened—each harboring their own blood-soaked secrets. But they must navigate an unbalanced realm, where every choice—past and present—has the potential to not only undo everything they’ve fought for but also destroy the very bonds that have Joined them together.

For the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction has risen.

Review:

The Primal of Blood and Bone was an emotional powerhouse. Dread and happiness swirled together, and shock too. I had no words and didn’t even know how to process some of the things that I read. But watching the way these three series wove together left me in complete awe and gave me chills. And having so many characters we love appear within one book made this story unforgettable. The Primal of Blood and Bone was a dark and gritty tale that will reach into your heart and own every last piece of you!

While I was a complete mess reading this story, the banter and teasing moments were everything. Here are some quick thoughts on some of my favorite characters. If you don’t want to know any of my feelings towards them, then skip this part ♥….

View Spoiler »

There’s many more I want to mention, but I can’t. You’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised, or screaming with joy like me, for who you’ll find within these pages!

As this story unfolded, we got so many answers! Yes, new questions arose, but I loved getting some long awaited insights! Yet……beware. As I was trying to piece together the clues, JLA beautifully placed in some foreshadowing that I didn’t catch until it was right upon me. The twists stole my breath. And we also got to see how decisions from the past affected the present. Plus having knowledge from the Flesh and Fire Series and The Awakening Series allowed us to see a few things coming. Yet this story still made me scream, jump, and left my mouth hanging open in complete shock as horrors happened before our eyes. Hang on, because it’s a wild ride!

With steamy moments, sacrifice, death, secrets, and love, this story unfolded in ways that will leave you on the edge of your seat. It was an emotional one too, I cried all the tears from happiness, relief, pain, loss, and suffering. Yet these characters will lift you up. Their love for one another, the friendship, and how far they will go to protect each other made my heart soar. But prepared, not only to have tissues, but for that ending. The Primal of Blood and Bone left us with the need to grab that next book now, that ending was powerful!

******I’ll be posting quotes in my review once we’re a few days out from release******

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

BOOK REVIEW: Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy #1) by Julie Soto

August 27, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Soto crafts a lush and dark romantic fantasy that’s filled with intrigue, magic, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance.

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, the world as Briony Rosewood knows it is changed forever. Evil has won, and her people face imminent servitude, imprisonment, or death.

Stripped of her Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly sold off to the highest bidders in an auction—and as Evermore's princess, she fetches the highest price. After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven Hearst, scion of a family known for their cruelty.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help—and hope—may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

Review:

Rose in Chains pushed me outside my comfort. This book was gritty, dark, and held me in the palm of its hands. If you’re a fan of enemies to lovers romantasy and books that make the world fall away when you’re reading them, this is your book! I am not so patiently waiting for the next one to be released.

Briony was someone I instantly clicked with, and she easily pulled me into this story from that first page. Her pain, struggles, anger, and fight became mine. And as the past and the present wove together, I thought I understood everything from the beginning. Oh how wrong I was. As we truly started to see characters and their interactions, our world was made larger. So many things came into play, and Soto was a mastermind for how she made this story unfold.

While the plot, storyline and unique magic system were fascinating, the characters made this book for me. They all caused such strong visceral reactions in me. There were ones I loved, hated with every ounce of my soul, and others I was unsure of where they would land leaving my nerves buzzing inside me. But the ones I hated?! Oh. The atrocities that happened in this book were gutting. And as someone who will easily DNF a book that has SA, this one kept me reading. There are quite a few mentions of SA off the pages, one on page to another character, and shockingly I was able to keep reading. That is not normally how it pans out. Usually I throw my kindle or phone away from me, and I am done. But I was too invested in this story to stop, I had to know what happened next and that never happens.

Rose in Chains was a slow burn romance that was beautifully done. Watching that trust form, and then turn into more?! I was hooked. And when forced proximity was thrown into the mix, I was a goner. Also, there was a twist I didn’t see coming, but I should have. The clues were all there, but I was so focused on everything else I missed it. So while this book started out as a struggle for me, because of the mentions of SA, this book refused to be put down. And I will definitely be reading the next one when it releases!

BOOK REVIEW: The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe

August 26, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

Review:

The Gilded Heiress was an Anastasia retelling that swirled with lies, secrets, lust, and revenge. With a morally grey male and a female whose happily ever after will have you rooting for her, this historical romance was a quick read. The sexual tension and development of trust and friendship made this book so easy to devour! For me, it should have been an instant hit. But it didn’t matter how much I tried, I couldn’t ever connect to Josie and Leo. And for me to truly enjoy and fall for a book, I desperately need that connection. My heart was so sad I wasn’t able to. So while this one didn’t work for me, I have a feeling so many others will fall in love with this story!

He seemed almost magical in that moment, a guardian angel who’d dropped out of the sky to help me achieve my dreams. He leaned closer, still holding on to my hand. “You and me, Josie? I guarantee we’ll make headlines together.”

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*