BOOK REVIEW: The Red Zone (Summerville Sports #1) by Amie Knight

January 17, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Red Zone by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
They say the red zone is the hardest place to score.
But for me, those last twenty yards were my sweet spot.
They didn't call me Lukas "Last Minute Lucy" Callihan for nothing.
I was at the top of my game...until life sacked me harder than any linebacker ever could.
Losing my mom was devastating and left me as the sole person responsible for my little sister.

Taking care of Ella and juggling my career was like playing the hardest game of my life.
My only saving grace was Scarlett Knox, Ella's sexy, red-headed, no-nonsense teacher.
She loved Ella. She hated me.
She thought I sucked at this parenting thing, and she wasn’t wrong.
But whenever she was around I got the same earth-shattering, heart-stopping feeling I did when I was only twenty yards from the goal line.
She made me feel like I was back in the red zone, a place I’d never fumbled.

Review:

The Red Zone was an adult sports romance that tugged at my heart and made me laugh. I listened to this story and it was so much fun and completely swept me away! I was so hooked, I binged the rest of this series in a matter of days.

Good ole Ms. Lettie and I were on an even playing field and even though the spawn of Satan didn’t know it yet, I always played to win.

Lukas came back home to raise his sister, after their mother passed away. I loved how he would do anything for Ella! So while life on his new football team was a struggle, at least he knew that his sister was being taken care of at school. With Ms. Lettie. Their meet again was one of my favorites ever, I was laughing so hard! She’s still awkward. He’s still forward. And again, sparks fly!

“I’m calling dibs, Scarlett.”
I shook my head back and forth, trying to clear it. “Dibs?” I questioned. “Dibs?”

Scarlett had the hugest heart. I loved her passion for teaching and that we got to see moments of her with her kids in the classroom. Some of those scenes had me laughing so hard. But what I loved most about it, was seeing how much she cared for Ella. And just wanted the best for her. So with Lukas being back in her life, Scarlett wasn’t going to make it easy. There was a past there and I loved learning about it!

The girl with the Skittles. The sassy redhead who was terrible at ballroom dancing. The loving woman with her arms wrapped around my sister. She owned me. Heart. Body. And soul. She just didn’t know it yet and I was done waiting on her to realize it.

Lukas and Scarlett had a little bit of a bumpy road. I loved their hate texts! And that pull that was always there between them. When you mixed that in with emotional moments and watching how they helped each other out, sigh. I loved them! Especially when they crossed the line to more. But within their story, we also got their past.. I loved seeing them in high school, and watching their friendship bloom. Lukas was such a carefree, sweet boy, who had a heart of gold. And Scarlett and her unconditional love for his sister and her heart filled eyes for Lukas was so adorable.

We spent the next two hours eating brownies with ice cream on top and watching old reruns. But really, I spent those two hours learning that family wasn’t always the one God gave you. It was also the one you chose.

On top of everything, there were also side characters that you couldn’t help but love too. Her brother and bestie, and then Mason, one of Lukas’ football teammates was hilarious. I loved how he force wiggled himself into Lukas and Ella’s life! And this book made me sob my eyes out. There’s a beautiful moment that just shows what a perfect found family they have become and I couldn’t stop crying when Ella asked one of them a question. So if you adore adult sports romance, and books that will tug at your heart, definitely put this one on your tbr!

PS The after bar scene had one of my favorite micro tropes ♥!

PPS The skittles and calling dibs, I loved it!

BOOK REVIEW: Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan

January 16, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

Beneath These Cursed Stars by (These Hollow Vows #3)
by Lexi Ryan
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings us the first book in a new romantic fantasy set in the enchanting world of These Hollow Vows. When a human princess armed with death's kiss allies with a fae shifter on the run, their mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

Review:

Beneath These Cursed Stars was a young adult romantasy that was so much fun! While plans were made and political intrigue graced the pages, there was also foreshadowing, secrets, betrayal, friendship and love. I loved being back in this world!

Kendrick huffs out a breath and shakes his head. “What happened to that timid little girl from the dungeons?”
I know he means to be flippant, but I hold his gaze as I answer, “She didn’t make it.”

This story is set a few years in the future and alternated between Jasalyn, who we met in the two previous books and was the Queen’s sister, and Felicity. Felicity was a shapeshifter who took on Jas’ shape so she could stand in for her life. While the real Jas hunted down and killed Mordeus, since there was talk that he had come back from the dead.

“You’re next in line to the throne, sister.” Never was there a smile so sad when someone spoke of another inheriting such power. “Mordeus will come for me, and if he’s successful, the people of this court will depend on you.”

Jas and her past were more horrific than I ever realized. I knew that she had been held captive by Mordeus, but each time Felicity took Jas’ shape, she was given a memory from her past. And what we learned shattered my heart. I now understood why she was so withdrawn. I got her hatred for everything fae. And why her dreams haunted her. So as someone from Jas’ past stepped into her present, I had all of the hope for her. That she could find peace, happiness and even love. Yet dread kept pooling in my stomach, and it felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My name rests on the tip of my tongue. Felicity. Call me Felicity. But I swallow it back like the painful truth that it is.

So, confession time, when this book started I only wanted to spend the chapters with Jas. I didn’t have any interest in spending time with Felicity, but she became my top favorite! As she pretended to be Jas hiding away at Misha’s, I fell for them. I loved watching how their friendship evolved. I loved how he pushed her to be a better person. I loved the tension between them so much too. And my heart hurt for her, because while Misha seemed to be falling for Felicity, she was in Jas’ body. It couldn’t be real. And it couldn’t last.

He steps back as if maybe he likes touching me too much.
Me or Jas? I need to stop trying to figure that out. At the end of the day, it won’t matter.

With death, lies, secrets, only one horse, and some fabulous twists and turns, Beneath These Cursed Stars was a mesmerizing read! I loved that we were given clues, yet it wasn’t clear how it was going to be put together. And while I did guess quite a few things correctly, there was still some twists I didn’t see coming. Plus, we got to see those from the previous two books in this one too! So, with an ending that has me desperately wanting that next book now, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

She frowns up at her uncle. “You’ll break her heart,” she whispers. “Be gentle. She’s scared, and she wouldn’t do this if she had a choice.”

BOOK REVIEWS: Deadly Obsession, Lethal Redemption, Fatal Deception (Steele Ops #1, #2, #3) by April Hunt

January 2, 2025 / Jen / 1 Comment

Deadly Obsession (Steele Ops #1)
by April Hunt
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
After a lifetime spent in and out of hospitals, Zoey Wright is tired of playing it safe. She's ready to take charge of her own life and get out of her comfort zone, starting with a new job as a CSI agent. But when her childhood crush Knox Steele gets pulled onto her case, Zoey needs to put her feelings for him aside or more women will die at the hands of the serial killer preying on her hometown.

Former Army Ranger Knox Steele is back in Washington to help his brothers open an elite private security firm. He never expected to stumble onto a crime scene, or see his best friend's little sister working it. Zoey is all grown up now, and the attraction between them is electric, despite his best efforts to resist it. But all that changes for Knox when he realizes the victims have one thing in common . . . and Zoey might be next.

Review:

Deadly Obsession was an older brother’s best friend romantic suspense that I devoured. I absolutely fell in love with this group of characters and the story-line was so easy to listen to. Knox was a brooding, grumpy, protective man that was so easy to fall for. And Zoey was someone you’d want to be besties with. It hurt that she struggled with her heart, I was so nervous for her at times. While this story revolved around a romance, there was also a serial killer on the loose which made this book impossible to put down! This one kept me guessing, and I should have gone with my gut. If you’re looking for a steamy, romantic suspense, definitely add this one to your tbr!

Lethal Redemption (Steele Ops #2)
by April Hunt
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Top FBI profiler Grace Steele was just a girl when she escaped the Order of the New Dawn, and she's spent the last seventeen years trying to forget her time there. But when private security firm Steele Ops needs her help extracting a young woman from the secretive cult's clutches, she's all in. Even though the mission requires posing as the fiancée of the only man who's ever broken her heart.

It's been nine years since Cade Wright turned his back on his childhood sweetheart, and he's never stopped regretting it. Now that they're forced to work together, he knows this is his opportunity to show Grace how much he's changed. But the deeper they get pulled into New Dawn, the clearer it becomes that the demons still haunting Grace are very real, and Cade will have to risk everything to keep her safe . . . including his own life.

Review:

Lethal Redemption was a second chance romantic suspense that had us diving right into a cult. This book was unlike anything I’ve read before and I was glued to the pages. Cade Wright and Grace Steele had been childhood sweethearts until everything got twisted up. I loved watching them go undercover together while trying to ignore the sparks that flew between them! My heart hurt for both of them, and I loved watching them both grow from their struggles and the past. This one ended with another happy ending, but it was a bumpy road to get there. I can’t recommend this series enough!

Fatal Deception (Steele Ops #3)
by April Hunt
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Roman Steele learned a hard lesson about trusting others. While serving his country, he put his faith in the wrong person and lost a leg for his loyalty. So far, civilian life suits him -- as long as he doesn't have to deal with anyone. But when he's called in to investigate a break-in at a high-security lab, he finds himself butting heads with the lead virologist, a woman as infuriating as she is beautiful.

When criminals break into Isabel Santiago's lab and steal a deadly virus, she's desperate to find the culprits before they turn her research into a weapon. But first, she must put her trust in the brooding security expert who sees danger around every corner. As she and Roman race to track down the culprits, these two unlikely partners find there's more at stake for them than they ever imagined possible -- but only if they stop the enemy in time.

Review:

Fatal Deception took us a wild ride! I had already fallen for Roman Steele in the previous books. He was the quiet yet steadfast brother whose past haunted him. And when he came into a mission with Isabel Santiago, I loved how the tension was so beautifully done. They both had a job to do. They both took their jobs seriously. And Isabel’s past haunted her too. The two of them together had obstacles stacked against them and I loved watching love defy all the odds! This was another huge hit in the series and I can’t recommend this romantic suspense series enough!

BOOK REVIEW: A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

January 1, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. And it’s been foretold that such magic will unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she has sworn to protect.

Review:

It was the wanting that made my life hard. If I could only stop wanting, perhaps I might find some happiness in what I had.

A Fate Inked in Blood was a Viking romantasy that was so effortless to love. With a forbidden relationship, a world that was so easy to get lost in, and characters that you’ll be rooting for or against, I adored this book. If you’re looking for a romantasy that has some action, twists, and a slow burn romance, definitely put this one on your tbr.

“Not all scars we earn are skin- deep, Freya Born- in- Fire.” He loosened his grip, my hand sliding through his. Though my scarred palm was numb, I swore I felt his fingers trail across it, and the sensation caused me to shiver. “There is no less honor in them.”

From the moment Bjorn showed up on the page I was a goner. I already liked Freya, she was fierce and I loved how she wouldn’t give up. Even if I did struggle when she let those who were supposed to love her, walk over her. But the connection between Bjorn and Frey was everything. There was definitely some insta-lust, but I loved how it was forced into a slow burn. Their forbidden relationship was done beautifully. And I have so many thoughts on how the story unfolded, but I think it’s best to discover it for yourself!

“It is hard to keep one’s wits when faced with a woman as beautiful as the sight of shore to a man who has been lost at sea.”

With secrets, friendship, battles, traitors, angst, and love, A Fate Inked in Blood was mesmerizing. This story kept me hooked while I alternated between listening and reading on my Kindle. I’m glad I did that because I would have pronounced so many of the names wrong lol. The only hiccup I had was towards the end of the book there was a lot of steam. Usually I want all the steam, but it felt like it kept going on when I just wanted to get back to the story. But with that ending, I’m counting down till the next book releases. We’re left struggling a little, but at the same time it’s the perfect waiting spot. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I liked him. Liked how he was both terrifyingly ruthless and heartbreakingly kind. Liked how he made me laugh and how his wit kept me on my toes. Liked the way I felt not just safe in his presence, but strong. I wanted to be close to him, and I was terrified of how my feelings might grow if I kept feeding that want.
Talk to him.

BOOK REVIEWS: The Stars are Dying (Nytefall #1) by Chloe C. Peñaranda & Saddle Up Cowboy (Coldbank Cowboys #1) by Sade Rena

December 31, 2024 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Stars are Dying (Nytefall #1)
by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
"The brightest star needs the darkest night."

Astraea is a prisoner of her own mind, the past sliding from her grasp like water. But she knows she must escape the tyrannical king who holds her captive and find her clouded memories once again. This quest leads her to the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark.

But even winning the Libertatum will not keep Astraea safe from vampires. She’s made a bargain with Nyte, the beautiful, deadly vampire who stalks her dreams and haunts her waking hours. He promises to keep her safe, but she knows she cannot trust him, cannot trust his lies, even as she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into his seductive embrace.

Caught between Nyte and her own mysteries, Astraea must decide if winning the Libertatem for her kingdom is worth her life, or if protection―and the answers to her past―really are her strongest desires.

Review:

The Stars are Dying was a star-crossed romantsay that was fascinating, but at the same time it gave me vibes of some of my favorite books. And when I end up comparing new books to others I love, that never ends well for me. With whisperings of From Blood and Ash, Spark of the Everflame and a few others, I struggled to connect with this book. I also struggled to connect with Astraea, because I didn’t always understand some of her decisions. There were some fabulous twists in this story, but I guessed quite a few of them. And I liked that the pace was quick, so it kept me turning those 400+ pages. I do think if you haven’t read a lot of romantasy books, this one may completely enrapture you. There were so many elements that I loved. But at the end of the day, this book never pulled me in, so I won’t be continuing on with this series.

“How are you here?” I aired the question, not really expecting an answer as I scanned the room for the satchel I’d arrived with.
“I have always been here,” he said, so quietly I almost missed it.

Saddle Up Cowboy by Sade Rena
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
He's eight years too young for me, but I can't seem to stay away.

Parker was the last thing I expected when I packed my bags and moved to small-town Texas after learning my then-ex cheated two months before our wedding. All I knew is that I wanted to be far away.

With my savings and a broken heart, I purchased a fixer-upper and took the next plane to a place where only one person knew my name. It was supposed to be my perfect opportunity to start over and scrub the male species from my mind. And it would have worked had Parker not smiled at me from the other end of the bar with eyes so blue they'd make a nun swoon.

I should have stayed away because the last thing my heart needs is another failed relationship. But before I knew it, that smile turned into drinks, and eventually, his mouth on mine. Our fling was supposed to start and end that night, so imagine my surprise when he showed up at my door, determined to fix my house and broken heart.

What's the problem? I gave up on love the moment my ex stepped all over mine, and Parker's about to learn that some things aren't fixed so easily.

Saddle Up Cowboy, book one in the Coldbank Cowboy series, is a small-town reverse age gap romance that stands alone with a happy ever after guaranteed.

Review:

With the most mortifyingly embarrassing yet hilarious meet cute and hook up, Saddle Up Cowboy was a lot of fun! I listened to this story and was completely swept away. The characters were easy to like, the story-line was enjoyable, and the ending was heartwarming! Parker and Renee made me so happy. From when they met up again, to their exchange agreement, I absolutely adored them! Plus the friendships in this story added a beautiful layer. If you’re looking for a steamy, adult, age gap, cowboy romance, this one was so entertaining!

He inches closer. “yousaid my first time should be with someone who means somethin’. So, I’ll make this mean somethin’,”