Book review: CRAZY IN LOVE, by Laura Pavlov

Rosewood River #4

Bridger & Emilia

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the kind of book I love to read. It’s so engaging, so entertaining, that it’s a joy to read. I loved it from start to finish.  Lighthearted in spite of some angsty parts. I actually didn’t know how the author would redeem Bridger Chadwick because he was such a jerk to Emilia throughout all the series.  But she not only made him into a decent man, she made me love him! 

Bridger thinks Emilia is the author of “The Taylor Tea”, which has targeted his family many times, and he’s always rude to her.  In one last episode, he called her out in her own flower shop, caused someone to egg the shop’s walls and windows, and she’s demanding an apology.

The ruckus that forms from this demand is a hoot.  The girlfriends form a boycott from the pickleball tournaments, the brother’s chat runs rife with insults and scolds.  And there’s a very prominent excuse for an apology, a Japanese toilet with all the bells and whistles, that causes a big scandal.  This infamous toilet felt like another character in the book!

Then, as the book evolves, I realized that Bridger is a grump on the outside, and a softie on the inside.  He’s full of good feelings, just hides them in defense.  Once Emilia proves her innocence (read the book to find out how!), Bridger realizes he had a drudge that was not fair, based on lies, and had caused a lot of misery to Emilia.  And our romance is on to a blast!

I loved how they grew to friendship and to love, all Bridger’s attempts to help Emilia with her new business and her relationship with her parents.  She brings light to his darkness, laughter to his grumpiness, and I was delighted with how they were together.  I loved the sex scenes full of laughter and how she opened his heart to love.  

So the story is full of laughter and steam, some hysterical moments (Rafe’s proposal scene), a man who is given lessons on love by his niece Melody and nephew Beefcake, and a mother who finally convinces him he’s her shiniest light.  The book is mostly lighthearted, I smiled a lot through the story, but has a lot of family love, emotions, and anger.  A complete fiesta of tropes and love!

Purchase links

FREE with #kindleunlimited 

Ebook: https://geni.us/crazyinlove

Paperback: https://geni.us/CrazyinLovePB

Hardcover: Coming soon!

Audible: http://bit.ly/4ppqw5Z

Narrated by Jason Clarke & Vanessa Vasquez

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4litbfI

About the author

Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves to hear from readers!

 

Connect with Laura

Website: https://www.laurapavlov.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6569734.Laura_Pavlov

Amazon: http://amzn.to/3c1xKZX

Facebook: http://bit.ly/3eSvEdp

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Bookbub: http://bit.ly/3ii8Vdp

Book review: UNDENIABLY CORRUPT, by J. Saman

Boston’s Irresistible Billionaires #7

Vander & Liora

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved, loved Vander’s father’s book, Irresistibly Dangerous, so it stands to reason I would also love Vander’s book.  They are so very similar in that they are low on social skills but big on loving their friends, being there for them in times of need.  Like Lennox, Vander is a very talented hacker, and he uses his skills to help his friends when they are in a pickle.  So when he meets up again with his high school sweetheart, Liora, and detects there are dark secrets in her past, of course he’s going to use all the tools in his arsenal to help her out!

Liora is more or less on the run from her father.  We know there’s a dark secret in her past and that she hates her father. She hasn’t visited her parents in the eight years she’s been living in California and now in Boston.  Read the book to find out what!

Vander finds her working in a coffee shop during the day, then finds her working in a strip club at night.  Knowing that she comes from money, he sets to find out, and learns her husband fleeced her out of money and escaped the country, leaving her broke and with a baby girl.  So, she’s working hard to make a good living for them both.  He uses his hacking wiles to get her to work for him as his PA.  She resents the maneuvering but she needs the money plus he offers great employee benefits.  And now we’re on to their love/hate bantering.

Both renege on love and relationships, but the joke is on them because in spite of their squabbles, you can tell they never stopped feeling for each other and this is the continuation of a relationship that had an interruption.  They run hot and yummy and kinky!

As with all J. Saman books, this was a page turner, there’s a low thrum of suspense because some things don’t feel right, and Vander is on the hunt, hacker style.  Liora tries to keep him at arms length but she’s tired of fending for herself and he offers a safe solace.  It’s really a yummy read and Vander is so delicious.  I truly loved all their back and forth and loved how Vander starts to feel whole.  His initial interactions with Hazel, Liora’s baby girl, are funny, as he tries on the role of parent.

Wonderful, emotional, intriguing, and very sexy, it’s an “oh heck yes, you gotta read this”.

Purchase links

FREE with #kindleunlimited 

Amazon: http://geni.us/UndeniablyCorrupt

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3GlQ8iw

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

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jsamanbooks

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jsamanbooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/j-saman

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jsamanbooks/

Book review: IN MY HOCKEY ERA, by Kendall Ryan

I haven’t read books by this author for some time, and realize I’ve missed a lot.  This book was delightful and entertaining.  It was like one trope on top of another, a hockey romance about a hockey team’s romance book club!  And it was a hoot!

Lucy has been a fierce fan of the Stampede Hockey team for years, she has a podcast, blog, social media, all about the team, where she discusses games, players, statistics.  When she hears that the head of PR wants to start a book club hosted by the team, and using their center player Bennett Wilder, she raises doubts that he even reads books.  

Bennett, an easygoing guy, accepted immediately the assignment of the book club because he has two sisters and has read a lot of romance books, so this is not new to him.  However, when he sees Lucy, so fierce in her podcast, he’s smitten, and decided to win her over.

Usually, the trope grumpy vs sunshine applies to a grumpy MMC and sunshiny MFC, but in this case it’s the other way around.  Lucy is not so much grumpy but sassy, and she doesn’t give an inch.  She gives Bennett a hard time from the get go and he’s completely beguiled and coming back for more all the time.  In time, this turns into their foreplay and their preferred method of banter.  It truly is hilarious and perfect for them.

Of course, not everything is so easy and straightforward, the author likes to torture us by giving roadblocks to their HEA.  Lucy is beautiful but doesn’t know it, she thinks she’s a regular girl and wonders how she could have bagged such a famous guy.  Her bestie Mia (who gets an F in my book) and her own family also cast doubts on their being able to last.  So, turmoil ahead, before we get our deserved HEA.  It was all wonderful angst, wonderfully emotional, and in the end, two smitten characters who perfect their banter.  Lovely!

Purchase links

https://amzn.to/42DcH9Y

About the author 

Kendall Ryan writes contemporary romance. Her books have been featured on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists a combined total of more than 100 times. 

Connect with Kendall:

➜ WEBSITE www.kendallryanbooks.com

➜ NEWSLETTER www.kendallryanbooks.com/newsletter

➜ FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/kendallryanbooks

➜ INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/kendallryan1

➜ TWITTER www.twitter.com/kendallryan1

Book review: BOSS OF THE YEAR, by Nicole French

Belmont Billionaires

Marie & Lucas

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Delicious! I saw a very strong influence from the movie Sabrina, this author wrote a magical love story that bewitched me, kept me enthralled all book long.  Wonderful characters! From the get go, I saw Lucas, knew who he was.  I didn’t recognize the sadness within until later, but I did see the decency, the goodness, the considerate man that he was.  He knew everyone’s names, had deference and courtesy to all the persons who worked in his house. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, while his stepmother and half-brother only lived to enjoy the trappings of wealth, none of the responsibilities, and his father was no longer able to work.  

Marie used to be a wallflower, dressed in black, covered from neck to ankle, shying from life and suffering from social anxiety.  It took a year in Paris, studying to be a chef, to start (only start, mind you) to get out of her cocoon, and sort of take a mini step into enjoying life.  She had big longings and little bravery.  She had a ten year crush on the younger Lyons brother, Daniel, who was a relentless playboy, useless, and alcoholic.  But all she saw was the brightness of his smile, the sunshine of his hair, and the electric blue in his eyes.

Pretty soon she started to compare brothers and recognize that Lucas had more depth, strength, made her fell safe and seen.  I loved how she evolved from a shrinking violet into a woman who knows what she wants.  

Their story is tortuous, full of uncertainty. Marie doesn’t see her beauty, she only shines when food is involved. Lucas was enthralled but entrapped by duty.  I kept pining, and biting my nails, sometimes I wanted to slap Marie for still thinking of Daniel when magnificent Lucas was in front of her begging for attention.  The pitfalls made me despair, the siblings interventions made me hope.  It was a wonderful, epic read, full of many interactions that made the book lively and entertaining. I loved seeing all the siblings make their appearances, sad at seeing Lea lost and sad.  

Purchase links

https://amzn.to/4mWXTeO

About the author

Nicole French is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She's also a hopeless romantic, Springsteen fanatic, and total bookworm. When not writing, she is hanging out with her family, playing soccer with the rest of the thirty-plus crowd in Seattle, or going on dates with her husband. In her spare time, she likes to go running or practice the piano, but never seems to do either one of these things as much as she should.

 

Keep up with Nicole French and receive your FREE copy of one of her books when you subscribe to her newsletter here

 

For more information on Nicole French and her books visit: https://www.nicolefrenchromance.com/

 

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https://www.nicolefrenchromance.com/links

Book review: THE LAST CALL HOME, by Blaudia Burgoa

Timberbridge Boys #5

Malerick & Delilah & Cassian

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The single most important emotion I felt throughout this book is “want”.  Cassian arrives at Birchwood Springs, buys a bar, and prepares to settle for some time on his assignation.  The CSQ, who are working on taking down the Hollow Syndicate, want him there to help on the operation.  He didn’t know that Malerick was in town, also on assignment with the FBI, posing as the town sheriff, and with the same purpose.  When Cass arrives at Delilah’s coffee shop, finds Mal there, there’s a complete scene all full of emotions, want, lust, longing, guilt, resentment, and a very heavy sexual tension, very little words.  That scene was intense!

What came out of that scene and other meet ups, is that Mal and Cass used to work together in the FBI, had a relation that blew up disastrously and left them both full of many regrets and broken feelings.  There’s a sense of wanting to belong, wanting love and family, and wanting to be home. As their work progresses, so does the courtship between Delilah, Malerick, and Cassian, all abetted and supported by Rosalinda, Delilah’s mother. She’s anxious to find a spouse for her daughter, wants grandkids.  She’s a force to be reckoned in this town; even Cassian, experienced operator that he is, is scared of her.

There’s suspense and there’s sex, in equal amounts.  There’s a lot of tension, as Delilah makes her demands and waits for her men to deliver: the truth or nothing.  It’s very interesting that Atlas and Keir’s stories happen during the course of this book, so this one takes several months to happen.  There seems to be a lot of waiting, and a lot of playing for our throuple.  They wanted each other, and they were doing the work, lead by Delilah.

I loved to see them coming home to each other, was biting my nails in the final part of the book where things were coming to a conclusion in unexpected ways.  There’s surprises in the book, very intriguing.  I actually wanted more of the three as they settle into domestic bliss, so sorry to see them all go.

Purchase links

👉 Read FREE in KU

https://geni.us/TheLastCallHome

👉 LISTEN on audio🎧

https://geni.us/AudioTLCH

About the author

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. 

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breaths away. Her books are the perfect blend of steamy and heartfelt, filled with emotional characters and explosive chemistry. Her writing takes readers to new heights, providing a variety of tears, laughs, and shocking moments that leave fans on the edge of their seats.

She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, her youngest two children, and three fluffy dogs.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At nights, she likes to binge watches shows or movies with her equally geeky husband.

Connect with Claudia Burgoa:

https://claudiayburgoa.com/wp/links/