Category: Review (Page 2 of 281)

BOOK REVIEW: Running Wild (The Simple Wild #3) by K.A. Tucker

January 30, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

Running Wild (The Simple Wild #3)
by K. A. Tucker
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
From the internationally bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes the story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, struggling between the safe route and the one that will only lead to more heartbreak.

Veterinarian Marie Lehr knows unrequited love all too well after pining for her best friend, only to watch him marry another woman. It's a mistake she will never make again, especially not when she can practically hear the clock ticking on her childbearing years.

The trouble is, she can't seem to find anyone who appeals to her even a fraction as much as that burly bush pilot did. Competitive musher Tyler Brady certainly doesn't, especially not after the heated altercation with the handsome but arrogant, spiteful man.

Or so she thinks.

While volunteering at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Marie discovers that first impressions may have been false, and her attraction to Tyler is very real. But his heart belongs to someone else, leaving him with nothing to offer but friendship. Marie's been down this road before and knows how that ends. Yet, no matter how hard she works to keep from falling for Tyler, it seems she's doomed to follow her own trail once again.

Review:

Running Wild was a beautiful story of hope, friendship, love, and easily became a top favorite! But, I definitely went into this story with skepticism. I wasn’t a fan of Marie in the previous books. I loved Jonah and Calla, and Marie didn’t work for me. Call me petty and bitter, but I held on tightly with Calla’s uneasiness towards her in the beginning. I truly didn’t think I was capable of liking her. And guess what? I ate my words. I loved Marie and this story with my whole heart!

Jonah may have been it for me, but I am never going to be the one for him.

I was floored with the prologue. We were taken back in time to when Marie first met Calla, and got to hear all of her thoughts. Then that next chapter we were in the present, and I was shocked that Marie started to wiggle into my heart. I didn’t want to be sad for her. But her logical, rational side called to me. I understood her, and found myself rooting for her happily ever after too.

I have a heart that aches when dreams are shattered, and emotions that can pull a river of tears when hope proves false.

Marie entered Tyler’s life with a bang. And they got off on the wrong foot that left me glued to the pages. The fact that they were going to see each other during the Iditarod Sled Dog Race had me so giddy! She was volunteering, and he was aiming to win the race. While there was a definite spark there, I loved how they had the ability to just talk to each other, and just be.

I watch the number on the back of his bib fade into the darkness. Maybe Tyler Brady isn’t so bad after all.

With his quiet confidence and integrity to do the right thing, Tyler became my new favorite book boyfriend. I loved that he was able to fluster Marie, who always seemed calm, cool, and collected. I loved watching him be a good guy. Yet my heart shattered into a million pieces for him. His past, I just can’t even. It ate away at him, and he seemed to be punishing himself by not allowing happiness in the future. Tyler was the ultimate of tortured souls.

How did I misread everything so epically… again? I was so sure there was something more between us than friendly banter.

Yet Marie had a way of getting to Tyler. So I couldn’t stop smiling anytime they were near each other. And as I was falling for Tyler, I found myself loving Marie too. Her love for animals earned my respect. Her heart was so big and the lengths she went to, to help them, how could you not like her? I loved that we also got to see her surrounded by her family, and their love and struggles. It truly shown her in such a different light. Plus, I adored her relationship with her dad. So as the story progressed, I felt everything Marie felt. And couldn’t help but cry too.

“Oh, would you look at that,” Dad murmurs as we watch Tyler collect their leashes and give them each a friendly pat. “Dogs know the good ones, Marie. Dogs always know.”

KA Tucker has a knack for creating characters that own pieces of your heart. This beautiful story had so much heart, fabulous steam, and will make you feel a myriad of emotions. I cried all the tears. Again. And we got to see so many of our favorites too, and see what they were up to. This is a must read if you loved Calla and Jonah’s story. And I can’t wait to binge the rest of Tucker’s books!

He leans in to press his forehead against mine, his mouth inches away. “Please don’t give up on me yet.”

PS Can Reed and Mabel get a story, possibly together in the future? Please. *Fingers crossed*!

BOOK REVIEWS: Beneath His Stars & In Her Space (The Stars Duet #1 & #2) by Amie Knight

January 23, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

Beneath His Stars (The Stars Duet #1)
by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I met Adam Nova under the twinkling lights of a nighttime sky.
He was hiding, but that gorgeous boy didn’t belong in the dark.
Nevertheless it was where he lived; a different world than mine.
I was Livingston Montgomery, Southern debutante.
With the world at my fingertips, I was well on my way to being another spoiled socialite.
But I didn’t want money.
I didn’t want social status.
I wanted him; tattoos, sarcastic smirk, bad boy reputation and all.
It didn’t matter that he was from the wrong side of the tracks.
It didn’t matter that my family forbade me from seeing him.
I just wanted to be Beneath His Stars.

Review:

Beneath His Stars was a young adult, star-crossed romance that so sweet. I loved watching the tentative friendship blossom between Adam and Liv. But they were from different areas of life. No one from her world would accept him, even if those in his would. So as they grow closer, under the stars, I loved how their beautiful moments together were hidden away. For just the two of them. And watching this slow burn, first love blossom was so captivating. But make sure you have the next book in the duology on hand, because that ending was brutal.

A star was realized.
A dream was born.
But even stars and dreams die.

In Her Space (The Stars Duet #2)
by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
I was reunited with Livingston Montgomery in the broad sunshine of a Carolina morning, right where she belonged; in the light.
It’d been too long since I’d seen her face.
She had changed, but so had I.
I was Adam Nova, reformed bad boy. Now, successful business man.
I had it all, except for the one person I’d always wanted, and now I was back to claim her.
She was living in the shadows, just a shell of the former girl I knew.
But it didn’t matter that she tried to hide from me in the dark.
I’d follow her into the deepest depths of hell.
I just wanted to be In Her Space.

Review:

In Her Space took us ten years into the future, and the emotions within these pages was intense. This was the final book in The Stars Duet, and it definitely can’t be read as a standalone. I loved watching Adam and Liv fight for their happily ever after. They hit so many road bumps along the way. Not only because of those that surrounded them, but also by keeping stuff from one another. Adam could be his own worst enemy at times. But with heartfelt tattoos, secrets, all of the drama, and a climatic ending, this book was a lot of fun to listen too. Especially since we got a look at the happily ever after down the road that was so beautiful!

“Close your eyes, Nova,” I whispered to her.
She looked over at me and grinned. “Why?”
“Because you can’t dream with your eyes open.”

BOOK REVIEWS: The First Score & The Final Play (The Summerville Sports Series #2 & #3) by Amie Knight

January 22, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The First Score (The Summerville Sports Series #2)
by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
There was something about that first score, and not just on the football field.

I loved all of life's firsts, which was why I’d been saving mine for one girl, my older sister’s best friend—Hazel Jones.

She was tough and sarcastic with walls around her heart as tall as a football stadium, but I knew she was the one for me.

Desperate times called for desperate measures and I’d have done anything to make her mine.

Like create a fake online persona.
Lie about my age.
Pretend I wasn’t some naive virgin.

And catfish the hell out of the love of my life.

Review:

The First Score was an older sister’s best friend’s sports romance. With the virgin trope and slow burn wrapped together, I loved how this story played out! Oliver and Hazel were emotional, steamy, and made my heart so happy. Especially since the angst was done fabulously. Plus, if you adore nicknames, they were some of my favorites!

I’d wait for her as long as she needed. Time was measured in such a small number compared to the sheer volume of my love for Hazel.

We were given little snippets of their past when they were younger, and it added so much depth to their story. And I loved that this book had one of my favorite micro tropes ever……when the guys takes care of the girl in a certain situation, swoon! So with a fabulous happily ever after, The First Score was a fun and flirty book to listen to! Also, if you’ve read The Red Zone, know that this story starts out before that one, catches up to the end of that book and explains why he was hiding haha, and then proceeds to go into the future from there. This could be read as a standalone, but I loved the previous book, and can’t recommend it enough too!

The Final Play (The Summerville Sports Series #3)
by Amie Knight
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The Final Play isn’t always the end. Sometimes, it’s the beginning of something far more beautiful.

As a professional linebacker, I lived and breathed football.

The only thing I loved as much as the game was my twin brother, Max, who kept me almost as busy cleaning up his messes.

The most recent of which landed him behind bars.

So, it shouldn’t have surprised me when a beautiful woman showed up on my doorstep, claiming to be pregnant with Max’s baby.

Glory was unexpected, infuriating, and flat-out crazy most of the time.

But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, that tiny spitfire slammed into my boring life with the strength of a Category 5 hurricane, blowing through my defenses until she’d carved her name in my heart—permanently.

I feared we would never work. She was a single mom, my brother’s ex, and one more chance for me to fail yet another person I loved.

But if football was my church, then Glory was my heaven.

Review:

The Final Play was an age gap, forced proximity, sports romance that will tug at your heart. With pregnancy and a twin thrown into the mix, this book took us on an emotional journey with a sprinkling of forbidden love. Mason and Glory together were a beautiful thing to watch unfold. They were both so independent, but at the same time needed one another too. And I loved their steamy moments together, especially that bathroom scene! With nicknames that I loved again, Tink is the cutest! And a look into the future with the most wonderful happily ever for all, I adored this book! This was another fun one to listen to, that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I felt like this might be the final punch and it was a knockout. Because I had a feeling that Mason Stark was my person. And I couldn’t even have him.

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

January 17, 2025 / Jen / 0 Comments

The Red Zone (The Summerville Sports Series #1)
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.”