Tag: Adult (Page 17 of 48)

BOOK REVIEW: The Love Rematch (The Love Match #1) by Kay Marie

October 18, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

The Love Rematch (The Love Match #1)
by Kay Marie
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
She's the new lead of a hit dating show.

He's the producer.

And seven years ago, they were in love.

Let the games begin...

Emily Peters spends her days working at her mother's flower shop and her nights working on her startup jewelry business. She has no time for romance, and she's happy that way. Until one morning she wakes up to find her mother on national television practically begging America to find her a boyfriend.

When the clip goes viral, Emily is swept away in a Hollywood dream, set to become the new lead of the hit dating show, The Love Match. But it all turns to a nightmare when she arrives on set and comes face-to-face with Jake, the man who broke her heart seven years ago-and her new producer.

She's hellbent on revenge. He's determined to secure a promotion. But the more they face-off behind the scenes, the harder it becomes to deny their attraction and ignore the secrets of their past. Jake will soon realize the only thing worse than abandoning the love of his life is finding her a new fiancé.

Love and Other Words meets The Hating Game in this Bachelor-inspired romantic comedy perfect for fans of forced proximity, second chance romance, reality television, revenge, working with an ex, emotional scars, and dual POV!

Review:

The Love Rematch was a second chance romance that was filled with reality tv show fun! This story started off absolutely hilarious and as the pages flew by, we got to see the emotional side too. With a little bit of spice and a lot of heart, this story had the perfect amount of angst.

“Revenge,” Sam repeats. The word emerges like the sun bursting over the horizon of a brand-new day. “Do it, Em. Make him hurt.”

The first chapter pulled me right in and I couldn’t stop laughing. When Emily’s twin called her, and said their mother was on TV with a sign to get Emily a date I was glued to the pages. Her mortification became my own! And she went viral. When she was offered the lead on The Love Match, similar to the Bachelorette, Emily couldn’t say no. It was the publicity she needed for her business to go to the next step. Yet she had no clue that her ex, Jake, worked on the show. Seven years ago Jake left her in the middle of the night. The story unfolded in both Jake and Emily’s POVs, making it so easy to fall in love with their story.

The undercurrent in the air clicks into place.
He finally understands her hidden message.
Game on.

Emily worked at her mom’s flower shop and did her jewelry business on the side. She had hoped that her jewelry business would become her full time job someday. So while she was hesitant about being the lead on The Love Match, her twin sister gave her the nudge she needed. To grow her business. And when she realized that Jake was on the shower, her sister nudged her again. Revenge was what was going to get her through this experience. She got to flirt with 30 different men as her ex-boyfriend watched it all. Emily was strong, witty, quiet and so easy to adore.

“America will love you, if you give them the chance.”
The floorboards creak as he climbs onto the sill.
“Give them that chance, Em. Let them in, and they’ll fall. Trust me. It’s impossible not to.”

Jake’s reaction to Emily being the new lead on the show he was producing was priceless! And as he watched her interact, flirt and even kiss the men, I loved seeing how jealous he was! I wanted him to feel all the pain! Yet as the story unfolded, we got moments into their past when they were younger. Those peaks showed how beautiful their young love was, and it was so easy to fall in love with younger Jake. Then as we got to see what his life was like, my heart towards him continued to soften. Especially when he was kind to Emily in the present. I literally wrote in my notes ‘I don’t want to like him, but he is making it impossible’. If you love tortured heroes, Jake is for you. I understood him inside and out, and even why he did what he did in their past.

She stops and spins on her heels to face him, wrath personified. “My name is Emily. And you know what? You’re right. I didn’t cheer in high school. I wasn’t the type. I couldn’t have cared less about football . My first boyfriend was the school loner. He wanted to be a director, a bit like you actually. And you know what he taught me? Even the nerdy boys can break your heart, so you might as well date the ones with muscles and enjoy yourself.”
He should admit defeat.
He should apologize.
He should relent.
Instead, he puffs up his chest.

The fire and anger between Jake and Emily felt so real. Neither of them seemed to hold back, except when it came to talking about their past. It felt like that was the line that couldn’t be crossed. So as Jake offered Emily peace offerings, helped her out at times, or was thoughtful, she too found herself softening towards him. It didn’t help that she was still attracted to him and that their past love was so beautiful. I was nervous for her and her heart. All the while, we got to see the behind the scenes of the show and it was fascinating! As Emily kissed some of the men, I was smiling while also gasping out loud. Somewhere along the way I was head over heels in love with Jake. And I wanted them together. But there was so much healing that they both needed to do. And they desperately needed to talk about their past too.

A lump forms in the back of her throat. It’s full of the what-ifs— questions she’s never been able to get rid of, even after seven years of wondering, because deep down she wants the other life, the one she thought they were going to have until it all fell apart.
Does he feel the same?

I would love to see The Love Rematch turn into a movie! The writing was so easy to read, the storyline was smile inducing and the characters were multifaceted. When you add to that two plot twists that I didn’t see happening, this book made for a fabulous second chance romance. Now I’ll be patiently waiting for the next book…. by Chapter 16 I was begging for someone to get their own story and I can’t wait to see how that story plays out!

“You were everything, Em,”Jake whispers. The soft confession hits her with the force of a tsunami. She can’t move, can’t run. She’s caught in the wave with no control over her sense.

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

BOOK REVIEW: Better Hate than Never (The Wilmot Sisters #2) by Chloe Liese

October 15, 2023 / Jen / 6 Comments

Better Hate than Never (The Wilmot Sisters #2)
by Chloe Liese
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won’t even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno.

Despite their friends’ and families' pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she’s only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn’t sure she can trust his charming good-guy act.

When Christopher’s persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize “peace” is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.

Review:

Better Hate than Never was an opposites attract, enemies to lovers romance. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Two Wrongs Make a Right, and couldn’t wait to dive into this one. Yet from those first few pages, I was never able to connect to any of the characters. There was fabulous banter. There was representation for mental health and chronic illness. Christopher’s thoughts could be so hilarious whereas Kate’s will tug on your heart. Yet from that first page to the last, I just couldn’t click. And for me to fully love and invest myself emotionally in a book, I have to make that connection. So while this one didn’t work for me, I have a feeling so many others will fall in love with this story!

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

BOOK REVIEW: A Cowboy Country Christmas (Creedence Horse Rescue #6) by Jennie Marts

October 12, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

A Cowboy Country Christmas (Creedence Horse Rescue #6)
by Jennie Marts
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
There's no better time than Christmas to open your heart

Holt Callahan used to love the holidays, but getting dumped on Christmas Eve would turn anyone into a Grinch. Now he hates Christmas and all the holly jolly shenanigans that go with it. When he moves back to his cousin's ranch in Creedence, Colorado, the last thing he expects is to come face to face with the one who got away and all of her holiday cheer.

Lainey McBride is all about Christmas. Now she's running her family's ranch festivities while her grandfather is in rehab, and no matter how many things don't go according to plan, she's determined to bring her holiday spirit. But the holidays have their own way of healing, and a Christmas in Creedence just might be the merry magic that brings these two broken hearts back together again.

Review:

A Cowboy Country Christmas was a heartwarming, second chance romance. With characters that will find their way into your heart and a cast of animals that will make you laugh and smile, I can’t recommend this book enough. With sleigh rides, hot cocoa, snow, mistletoe and so much more, this festive heartfelt book is exactly what you need around the holidays!

Holt snapped the reins and gave Merry a cluck, and the sleigh burst forward, the runners gliding easily along the freshly fallen snow. Lainey laughed with delight, and he knew he would do just about anything, even wear a stupid jingling Santa hat, to hear her laugh like that again.

Holt Callahan hated Christmas after having his heart ripped out on Christmas Eve. He currently found himself living on his cousin’s ranch, in the adorable small town of Creedence, Colorado. Yet one day on the ranch, Holt came face to face with the woman from his past. Her name was Lainey McBride and her grandparents owned the ranch next to his cousin’s. Colt had been in love with Lainey since he was 10 years old. He thought she had left for good when they were teenagers. So he was shocked to see her back, and dressed as one of Santa’s elves. When Lainey asked Colt to help her out with some Christmas festivities, he couldn’t say no to her. It had felt like no time had passed since he had been around the woman he loved. And from that one moment, it led them on a path to a beautiful second chance!

She’d shredded his emotions and pretty much wrecked him for years. Maybe still. But she was here now, smiling up at him, and that was all that mattered.

I adored Holt! He was a grumpy, sexy, cowboy who was such a good man and had the biggest heart. He worked around his cousin’s ranch and loved the animals he spent his time with. So I couldn’t understand what happened to make Lainey stand him up at the dance when they were younger. She had shattered his heart. But even with his heart hurt, and with questions about the past, Holt found himself smiling more when he was around Lainey. I loved that he messed with her. His banter and teasing was smile inducing and made me laugh. And I loved even more that he helped Lainey out every time she needed it.

A little flicker of something that felt like hope bloomed in her chest, and she couldn’t keep the smile from broadening across her face. It had been a lot of years since she’d flirted with Holt Callahan, but it still felt as easy as falling into a mountain lake on a hot summer day.

Lainey found herself back in Creedence at her Grandparents ranch. Every year they put on Christmas celebrations that countless people came to and helped fund their ranch for half of the year. Yet with her Grandma’s passing and her Grandpa’s broken hip, Lainey stepped up to pull off the Christmas magic! I liked Lainey right away, yet I paused when we got to listen to her thoughts too. I didn’t understand why she thought Holt had abandoned her. So as I was waiting for the past to meet the present, I loved how strong and brave Lainey was. How she had the biggest heart too. And that Lainey seemed to be falling back in love with Holt all over again, while also helping him fall in love with Christmas.

He let go of her hair, and his fingers trailed softly over her neck and along her jawline. Her lips parted, and she sucked in a quick breath as his thumb grazed across her bottom lip.

It was beautiful to watch how Lainey and Holt’s friendship rekindle so quickly. It was like they never were apart. Except for the fact that there was a huge elephant in the room about why they parted ways to begin with. But with touches, glances and kisses under the mistletoe, I loved watching their love for one another come back and continue to grow. On top of Lainey and Holt we also got to see so many characters from the previous book and even the other series too. Do you need to read the previous books in this series or the one before it? Nope! But I can’t recommend them enough! Aunt Sassy was hilarious as ever! I loved seeing someone all the way back from Caught Up in a Cowboy! And getting to see HEA’s for characters in the Creedence Horse Rescue previous books was so beautiful! I had happy tears over getting to see how their stories played out! But there was also moments of laughter with the animal antics. With a dog rescue, a fainting goat and even a camel, along with our favorite tiny horse, pig and goat this book had it all! Ohhhh and my favorite moment was the nativity scene. I was laughing so hard that I had tears pouring down my face.

He closed his eyes and dropped his chin as if her touch caused him physical pain. She started to pull her hand away, but he caught it in his and held her fingers to his lips, pressing a hard kiss against them. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered against her palm, his voice husky and raw with emotion.

A Cowboy Country Christmas ended with the most wonderful happily ever after! And with baking cookies, ugly Christmas sweaters and trees, this book was filled with all the Christmas cheer! Plus a Christmas miracle that will bring tears to your eyes! I absolutely adored this story and I love that whenever I pick up a book by Jennie Marts, it is always filled with so much heart and love! I can’t wait to read whatever she releases next!

PS They talked about hot cocoa with crushed-up candy canes stirred in and then sprinkled on top of the marshmallows and OH MY GOSH! This sounds amazing! Why I’ve never had that before is beyond me but I’m making this for me and my little boys ♥!

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

BOOK REVIEW: Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey

October 7, 2023 / Jen / 2 Comments

Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Laurel Grant is playing house for the holidays—complete with a fake husband and kids—in this delightful, charming rom-com by Kerry Winfrey.

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for Buckeye State of Mind, an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She most definitely does not run a farm . . . but one tiny misunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twin sister Holly’s farm just outside of Columbus. Laurel only handles the social media for the farm, but she’s happy to keep her little white lie going if it means not getting fired—she cannot be jobless again.

And keep it going she must when Gilbert, recently dumped by his wife, invites himself over for the farm’s big Christmas Eve Eve dinner (as advertised on Meadow Rise Farm’s Instagram, thanks to Laurel herself). Laurel immediately goes into panic mode to figure out how she can trick Gilbert into thinking she’s basically the Martha Stewart of rural Ohio and keep her job in the process.

Laurel and Holly come up with the perfect plan—all Laurel has to do is pretend to own the farm for one dinner. But Laurel shows up at the farm to find an unwelcome guest is waiting: Max Beckett, her nemesis since Holly’s wedding. The annoyingly attractive man she hates will be posing as Laurel’s husband just for the evening, but when a snowstorm traps them all for the entire weekend, Laurel is going to have to figure out how to survive with her job and dignity intact. Whatever the case, this promises to be the most eventful Christmas in ages. . . .

Review:

Faking Christmas was a fake dating romance that had a sprinkling of enemies to lovers. If you’re looking for a holiday book that is set on a farm, with snow falling in the background, yummy food filling the pages, and adorable kids that add so much heart to a story, then this book is for you!

“Did you come out here to yell at me about how I’m doing everything wrong?”
“No, I came out here to help you, but I don’t know why I bothered.”

Laurel never corrected her boss’ assumption about living on a farm, which ultimately led to her also being married and having kids. She desperately wanted to keep her job, so she lied about living her twin sister’s life. So when her boss mistook her words again as an invitation for Christmas eve eve dinner, how could she back paddle from that when her boss was a crying, blubbering mess?! Thankfully with the help of her sister’s family and her brother-in-law’s best friend Max Beckett as her pretend husband, she was going to try her best to live out her lie for one night. And I couldn’t wait to watch everything unfold!

I know this is a game he’s playing, one that I asked him to play, but what am I supposed to think when he’s saying these words? That I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen? What the hell?

Laurel told us all the reasons she hated Max, but I loved Max from the moment we met him! He tried his best pretending to be her husband, his past will break your heart, I loved watching how helpful he was, and kindness radiated out of him. Yet he wasn’t a fan of Christmas, which I could overlook. All the while, Laurel was rude and short with him. The hate she held on to stemmed from words Max spoke years ago. And while I usually don’t mind the miscommunication trope, I did struggle here. Max wanted to talk about the issue between them, yet Laurel shut him down time and again. So while I adored Max, I struggled with Laurel. I never connected with her and had issues with her lying and how she treated situations and people around her. The romance between them was slow burn and ended with happiness for all ♥.

I try to avoid looking at Max, focusing on the food or the twins, but when I can’t stop myself from glancing at him, I catch him looking right at me. And when he gives me a smile—one of the big ones, one of the smiles I never thought would be directed toward me— I can’t help smiling back.

With Christmas music playing and festivities in the air, the book had so much Christmas spirit! My absolute favorite moment was the speech at the end which had me laughing way too hard! I will be trying another book from this author, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s a better fit for me. So if you pick this one up, good luck trying not to be caught humming or singing Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’ long after you close this book! The twins loved that song!

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

BOOK REVIEW: Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart

September 25, 2023 / Jen / 4 Comments

Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Fate doesn’t play fair in this hilarious and sexy comedy of errors from the author of Planes, Trains, and All the Feels.

If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine.

Imagine her horror when it turns out that Alex is also the hot-shot new boss her dad can’t stop complaining about—the Forbes 30-under-30 company fixer of his nightmares. Worse, their respective best friends are dating. Mia and Alex are constantly thrown together, whether it’s for corporate volunteer hours at the animal rescue, squaring off at the company picnic, or literally trapped in an escape room. It’s one nightmare after another...no matter how sexy the company is.

Mia’s life is now a romantic-comedy of errors, complete with her kinda, sorta, accidentally sleeping with the enemy. And she’s not sure which is worse: that Alex could ruin her dad’s career, or that she might actually like him.

Review:

Some Kind of Blunderful was an opposites attract romance that was laugh out loud hilarious! With the most fabulous banter, this smile inducing book was so much fun! And I loved that the writing was seamless and so easy to devour. After finishing this book, I went and added Livy Hart’s other books to my tbr. This book was easily my top favorite steamy romantic comedy for 2023!

Our laughter falls away all at once. My thumbs slide over the warm flesh of her healing palms, landing in the center. I trace circles over her skin, waiting to see if she’ll pull away. One of us should.”

Mia Madden was trying her best to get back into the dating world, after being left at the alter by her high school sweetheart. I was so happy she had her bestie Josie in her life, she had her back and was so positive. When Mia found herself going on a date with Alex, who she met through a dating app, she definitely needed her bestie’s support. Mia’s date with Alex was a horrific, awkward disaster. From their first few moments together, I couldn’t help laughing out loud. They were the polar opposites from each other and were fumbling towards being the worst date ever. Yet after they parted ways, they would soon discover that wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. Not only were their best friends dating, but Alex was the new boss Josie’s father loathed and ranted about. As the pages unfolded, we got to watch as they couldn’t seem to escape from each other.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mia. Look at you. Your bar for men needs to be in fucking space.”
My heart vaults into my throat.

Alex had the cards stacked against him. Not only did he get the job Mia’s dad wanted, but he came across as a shark. I wasn’t sure I would like him, yet it wasn’t long until I was proved wrong. As Alex blundered around Mia, Fancy Nancy disaster lol, I felt bad for him. Especially since he seemed so alone, except for his best friend Ezra. Since we also got this story from Alex’s point of view, it was impossible not to fall in love with him. As we watched him spend more time around Mia, he couldn’t seem to escape thoughts of her afterwards. And it wasn’t that far into the story that I was already saying out loud oh my gosh I love him so much! Alex was thoughtful, kind, patient, protective and had a way with words that were sigh worthy. I loved that he knew what he wanted in life, but Mia definitely was struggling in that area.

I believe every last promise his eyes are making me right now, and he hasn’t even kissed me yet. I’m already antsy at the faintest of touches outside my clothes.

Mia was so easy to adore and someone you would want to be friends with. I loved her oversharing. I absolutory loved her close knit family and the time she spent with her sisters! So as the story progressed, my heart felt for Mia. Disliking Alex was what she should do, in solidarity of her dad’s feelings. Yet the more time she spent around the man, the more she saw into who he was. It was impossible for her not to having conflicted feelings when Alex was concerned. She saw a fun, caring side of Alex that others didn’t. And she also couldn’t ignore the sexual tension that was like electricity between the two of them.

My eyes fall shut as my hand drifts down her spine. I may be confused as to what comes next for us, but not about the fact that I want her . That part is out of my control, and it’s terrifying.

This story had so many memorable scenes, and I fell in love with Mia and Alex each step of the way. One of the things I loved most about them was that they acted like adults and were able to realize the mistakes they made, and own up to them. Plus their banter was phenomenal! I couldn’t stop smiling when they were together! So as their story went from sexual tension to more, their moments together were hot and so steamy! Yet, it was hard to not be nervous for them. What would happen when her dad found out that Mia wasn’t feeling hate towards Alex anymore? Or that their relationship had moved to more? The only thing I’m going to say about this is that I loved seeing how Mia’s family could struggle but still love each other at the end of the day. It was such a beautiful and healthy portrayal of families that made me so happy.

I think about what he told me on the boat, his gaze cast down . I’ve never been anything to anyone, let alone everything to someone.

“You’re something to me, Alex.”

Some Kind of Blunderful brimmed with humor and romance! If you’re looking for an adult romance story to read, definitely pick this one up! This story made me fall in love and cry twice. I closed this book with a smile on my face and I can’t wait to see what Livy releases next!

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