Book review: HIT THE GROUND, by Julia Wolf

Kelly Ranch #3

Caleb & Alice

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in the charming town of Sugar Brush, Missouri, this romance unfolds between two quietly resilient souls—Alice, a librarian with a hidden well of strength, and Caleb, a stoic farmer whose world revolves around his son and his land. Their story is a slow burn, rich with emotional nuance, unexpected tenderness, and the kind of growth that feels earned.

Alice is a woman who’s spent years in the background, juggling two jobs and nursing a quiet crush on a man too busy to notice. But when a moment of danger cracks open the door to possibility, she steps through it with courage and grace. Her transformation—from invisible to radiant—is not just physical, but deeply personal. It’s a journey of reclaiming space, voice, and desire.

Caleb, for all his physical presence, is emotionally guarded. He’s a man shaped by responsibility, loyalty, and a complicated past with the mother of his child. Watching him slowly awaken to Alice’s presence—and to his own blind spots—is one of the story’s most satisfying arcs. He’s not your typical romance hero: scruffy, soft around the middle, and emotionally constipated. But that’s what makes his evolution so compelling. His quiet gestures, like reading aloud at night, speak volumes.

The book doesn’t shy away from darker moments. There’s real danger, trauma, and emotional reckoning. But it’s handled with care, and always in service of the characters’ growth. Alice’s backstory is particularly poignant, revealing layers of sacrifice and estrangement that make her eventual happiness feel deeply earned.

The supporting cast—Caleb’s family, Alice’s few but loyal friends, and especially Jesse, Caleb’s brilliant son—add warmth and texture. The romance builds slowly, with missteps and misunderstandings, but also laughter, sweetness, and a sense of mutual healing.

This is a story about being seen, about choosing love even when it’s messy, and about finding joy in unexpected places. If you’re drawn to emotionally intelligent romance with a strong sense of place and character, this one’s worth savoring.

Purchase links

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: http://bit.ly/4mNTUAn

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/46LMbMV

About the author

Julia Wolf writes sexy rockers, broken bad boys, snarky heroines, and bad ass women. She's a firm believer in happily ever afters, no matter how rocky the road is to get there.

Julia lives in Maryland with her husband and three crazy, beautiful children. When she's not writing romance, she's reading it. Some of her favorite things are, in no particular order: goats, books, coffee, and Target.

 

Connect with Julia

Website: http://juliawolfwrites.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17563191.Julia_Wolf

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Julia-Wolf/author/B078VDJ3Z1

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2086152844974595

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Book review: BAD BISHOP, by L.J. Shen

Society of Villains #1

Tiernan & Lila

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tiernan Callaghan finally gets his own book—and it’s brutal, beautiful, and unforgettable.

If you met Tiernan in Handsome Devil, you know he’s the kind of man who kidnaps fiancés and doesn’t flinch when blood is spilled. In this story, LJ Shen peels back the layers of a character who seems heartless, only to reveal a man capable of fierce, all-consuming love.

🔥 Mafia Romance

🔥 Arranged Marriage

🔥 Scarred Hero

🔥 Hates Everyone But Her

🔥 Dark Romance

🔥 She Tries to Kill Him

🔥 Opposites Attract

Lila Ferrante is unlike any heroine Tiernan has ever encountered. Deaf, brilliant, and underestimated by her world, she’s been hiding in plain sight—until Tiernan sees her. What begins as a strategic marriage quickly morphs into a dangerous, magnetic connection between two people who should never have worked… but somehow do.

This book is darker than Shen’s usual fare, with more grit, more blood, and a hero who’s been through hell and wears the scars to prove it. Yet it still carries her signature wit, emotional depth, and that delicious slow-burn tension. Tiernan’s transformation—from a man ready to die to one who finds purpose in protecting the woman he never expected to love—is both heartbreaking and exhilarating.

Lila and Tiernan’s dynamic is electric. Their banter, their battles, their bedroom searches—it’s all foreplay to a love that’s as violent as it is tender. And when Tiernan finally lets himself feel, the result is poetry: “I’d stop the night from falling if darkness scares you, Lila.”

If you love morally gray heroes, heroines who bite back, and stories that walk the line between vengeance and devotion, this one’s for you.

Purchase links

eBook: https://shor.by/4470

Paperback: https://shor.by/0CJ8

UK/Commonwealth: https://shor.by/jbE1

About the author

L.J. Shen is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of contemporary, new adult, and young adult romance. Her books have been sold in twenty different countries, and she hopes to visit all of them.

She lives in Florida with her husband, three rowdy sons, and rowdier pets and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows, and reading to her heart’s content. Connect with her on her website at www.authorljshen.com or on Instagram (@authorljshen), or join her Facebook group at http://goo.gl/QZJ0NC. Sign up for her newsletter at https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb, and text SHEN to 313131 to get new release alerts (United States only).

Connect with L.J. Shen:

https://www.authorljshen.com 

Book review: BOSSING MY HOLIDAY, by J. Saman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were lovely—Tristan especially stood out with his transformation from grumpy, stern boss to emotionally open partner. Waverly’s strength and vulnerability made her easy to root for, and Braxton added warmth and tension to the trio’s dynamic.

The Paris setting, the humor (one scene had me laughing out loud), and the emotional pacing were all beautifully done. The romance is intense and graphic, but also tender and respectful as the story progresses.

That said, I had mixed feelings about the relationship dynamic. Tristan and Braxton both clearly love Waverly, and she loves them back—but the men aren’t in love with each other. Their connection felt more like a long-standing habit of sharing women that evolved into something deeper. While I eventually saw mutual respect and care, it didn’t quite feel like a true throuple to me. More of a ménage, where the emotional weight is centered on Waverly’s individual relationships with each man.

Still, it’s a compelling, emotionally rich romance with a lot to love—and a dynamic that invites reflection and conversation.

Purchase links

FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

http://geni.us/BossingMyHoliday

About the author

J. Saman is a USA Today and Amazon top 40 bestselling author who writes sassy, swoony, and scorching contemporary romances. She is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).

J. is an admitted lover of second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing funny and emotional romances filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side—especially for their women.

Connect with J. Saman

Website: https://www.jsamanbooks.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14923699.J_Saman

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Saman/author/B01FOIUR46

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jsamanbooks

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jsamansradtasticreaders

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Book review: THE DEVIL, by Michelle Heard

 

Mafia Empire #5

Enzo Oliveira & Jenna Dotson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What I love about Michelle Heard’s books is how she crafts these intense, dangerous men—Mafia bosses, lethal killers—who seem untouchable… until they meet the right woman. Suddenly, the cold-hearted enforcer becomes utterly devoted, protective to the extreme, and hopelessly in love. Sure, they’re possessive, jealous, and have a “touch her and die” attitude—but once they fall, they fall hard. And they live for her.

That’s exactly what happens with Enzo Oliveira. Orphaned as a child and raised on the unforgiving streets of Lisbon, he grows into the ruthless boss of the Portuguese mafia—a killer for hire, a loner who trusts no one. The Alliance—Sebastian, Dominik, Cassia, and Leo—have tried to bring him into their fold, to make him feel like family, but Enzo’s walls are high and impenetrable. Until now.

When he travels to Aurora to resolve a conflict between his factory and a hostile MC club, he meets Jenna. And everything changes. He falls for her, faces off against the MC, and realizes—for the first time—he needs help. That’s when he calls in his army of friends. What follows is gritty, high-stakes action with a pulse-pounding edge.

Jenna, like Enzo, is a loner with deep scars. A traumatic secret has left her selectively mute, and she’s built her own fortress of solitude. Watching these two broken souls find each other, slowly open up, and learn to trust is just beautiful.

Throughout the book, we witness Enzo’s transformation—falling in love, learning to trust, embracing the Alliance as his chosen family, and ultimately avenging Jenna’s past. The ending is tender and emotional, a soft landing after all the grit and violence. I adored the contrast—it made the romance and the found-family theme even more powerful.

Purchase links

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMR8TKPW

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FMR8TKPW

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FMR8TKPW

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FMR8TKPW

About the author

Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she's always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

 

Connect w/Michelle:

Website: https://michelleheardauthor.com

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

FB Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/118971435201074

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