Book review: JUST ONE SUMMER, by Carly Phillips

Dirty Dares novella, Kingston Family # 9.5

Maddox & Gabriella

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gabriella Davenport belongs to a new rich family.  They are more snobbish than even generational wealthy families.  And now they’re expecting her to marry a douche in order to improve their financial situation. During a party at their Hamptons house, the guy tried to force himself on Gabby and she kneed him, then escaped the house. 

She ended up that night drunk in the Back Door bar, which belongs to Zach Dare and Remy Sterling, managed by Maddox James.  Since she didn’t want to go back home, Maddox took her to his home and we get an enchanting story with these two lovely characters.

Gabby is twenty-two, innocent and virginal, but she’s sweet, mature and decided to make her way apart from her parents. Maddox is ten years older and unable to resist this bright and sweet girl. His past history makes him leery of falling in love again but she’s irresistible and so sweet!

“If you’re going to stay here, it’s hands off.”  “Lips too?” she asked.

This story was short and sweet and just perfect. I wanted more!

Purchase links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OkicTo

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/JonesummerCP

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3ZD6xEh

 

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3OyVPe9

About the author

Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and three crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. Way back in 2002, Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa and was the first romance on a nationally televised book club. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!

 

https://www.carlyphillips.com/subscribe-newsletter/

 

To learn more about Carly Phillips & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Carly Phillips:

https://www.carlyphillips.com/

Book review: JUST A LITTLE PROMISE, by Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde

Dare Crossover #3

Tripp and Skye

Carly Phillips is my comfort author, I only have to read one of her books to get into instant good mood.  Also, this is a second chance romance, which is my favorite, so I was in heaven as I read.

Skye and Tripp used to date several years ago, it was supposed to be casual but she caught feelings.  When she asked for commitment, Tripp didn’t have the time nor the headspace due to his studies and residency in pediatric surgery.  So, with broken hearts, they broke up and Skye married a year later, with horrible results.  Her husband was abusive and she divorced him, not without going through the wringer of stalking, harassment, having to move away.  She’s now living in New York City and working at the Meridian hotel, owned by the Dare family.

A chance encounter with Tripp at a night club brings back all the memories and the feelings of “the one who got away”.  Tripp is determined to win her back, she’s determined to keep her independence and never put her faith on a man again.  Except she wants to have a baby….

I loved both Tripp and Skye, loved how their story developed and love how it was Tripp the relentless one on having a second chance.  Since he was the one who broke them up the first time, it was just and fair he had to work hard at winning Skye back.  Their chemistry is still off the charts, and it’s one of those moments when you know they never fell out of love, they just moved on out of necessity.  Getting back together was fun and steamy, more so when it involved baby-making!

One comment made by Tripp made me laugh and agree whole-heartedly, the Kingstons and Dare families are hard to figure them out since they have so many interconnections.  It’s confusing but I love the family feeling and that it feels like you trip over a Dare or a Kingston or a Daniels or a Sterling anywhere you go in New York City.  Can’t wait for the next books!

Purchase link

Kindle: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPKindle

Apple: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPApple

Nook: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPNook

Kobo: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPKobo

Googleplay: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPGoogleplay

Print:

Amazon Print: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPAmzPrint

BN Print: https://www.carlyphillips.com/JALPBNPrint

About the authors

Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and three crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. Way back in 2002, Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa and was the first romance on a nationally televised book club. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!

 

https://www.carlyphillips.com/subscribe-newsletter/

 

To learn more about Carly Phillips & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Carly Phillips:

https://www.carlyphillips.com/

 

Erika Wilde is a bestselling author and is best known for her super sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series, and has also co-written multiple series with Carly Phillips, her best friend and writing buddy for the past twenty years. She lives in Oregon with her husband, and when she's not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. For more information on her upcoming releases, please sign up for her newsletter (below).

 

Newsletter: https://erikawilde.com/

 

To learn more about Erika Wilde & her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Erika Wilde:

http://www.erikawilde.comcontact@erikawilde.com

 

Book review: DAMAGED GOODS, by L.J. Shen

All Saints High #4

Lev & Bailey

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I finished this book, I had to take a moment to sort through my thoughts and feelings.  This book really affected me so much, it was heartbreaking and beautiful!

Bailey and Lev were childhood sweethearts until their goals and dreams took them apart. Bailey wanted to attend Juilliard, Lev wanted to attend the Air Force Academy. Both were bound by the love they had for their parents, and were living a reality that didn’t really fit their innermost dreams.

The story of Bailey as she suffers through her addiction was so heartbreaking and it was causing so much suffering to all her family and Lev, and most of all, herself.  I felt for her, because she knew what she was doing but she was prisoner to her cravings and her desire to be good was overcome by the addiction.  The author did an excellent job as she depicts Bailey’s struggles to overcome her addiction and her pain as she disappoints her loved ones when she fails.  It broke my heart to see Lev try to hard to help her, to see his frustration at not being successful, his yearning to have his girl back with him, the old Bailey.

The story was tumultuous and passionate, full of recriminations and guilt, and in the end redemption.  The love Bailey and Lev had for each other was so strong and forever, it was beautiful to witness.  Through all their travails, they love was front and center, even when they were at odds with each other.  

All of the Saints families are involved in this drama with various levels of involvement.  But through it all, the support of this made family is strong and present.  I loved seeing the Totholes  with their own kids, loved the little side plot of Dean and Dixie.  The author called it right and it evolved exactly as it should. Another detail I love about this author is that she includes this little moments of humorous comments that give just the perfect balance to the angst as we’re reading it.  In my case, the story was so intense that it felt like a little moment of relief amidst the angst.  Superb! I couldn’t wish for a more perfect end to this group of beloved characters!

Purchase links

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/damagedgoods

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/47NYlUe

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).

Book review: LOVING ROMEO, by Laura Pavlov

Magnolia Fields #1

Romeo & Demi

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m so glad I found this author because I love her small town stories!  The first series I read by this author was Cottonwood Cove and I loved each story, and was looking forward to this connected new series, Magnolia Falls.

Romeo is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, Demi is the good girl from the richest family in town.  Since Demi is very independent, she used her trust fund and purchased a building downtown and started her own coffee shop, called Magnolia Beans.  Romeo is the owner of the gym next door, and so far has rejected all her neighborly offers of free drink.  When her shop is assaulted, he jumps in to help her and thus starts their friendship, mostly initiated and forced by Demi.

Romeo is training for a big fight with an obnoxious boxer who constantly harasses him in public media, his workouts are killing him, and Demi offers to make him nutritious shakes to help him with his nutritional needs.  We know there are other needs she wants to address but her approach is useful and innovative!  When he finds how the shakes are helping him, he offers her self-defense classes with one of his boxers.  And now he can’t kick her out of his sphere!

I loved the mix of angst, suspense, and passion in this story!  Demi is sweet, Romeo is broody, his sister Tia is everything fun in a young adult, Romeo’s half-brother and sister-in-law are close and supportive.  Lincoln and Brinkley are from the Cottonwood Cove series, and we learn about Romeo and Tia in On The Shore, #3 in the series.  Romeo has four close friends who are his ride or die and they all have to tattoos to prove it: Nash, River, Hayes, and Kingston.  I’m sure the next books will be about these guys and I can’t wait!  Nash has a little boy, Cutler, six years going on twenty; he has more swagger than all his uncles together, dresses very cool, and offers to marry Demi if Romeo doesn’t act fast.  He’s super cute and a sweet aspect in the story!  There’s also suspense coming from dark forces around Demi and Romeo who want to derail Romeo’s success and their budding romance.  It made the story so much more delicious and the spice is very yummy too!

Purchase links

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://geni.us/lovingromeo

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3sGaNqq

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

Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2OKU6T5

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2TKf5Zs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurapavlov2

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

BOONE, by Sawyer Bennett

Pittsburgh Titans # 11

Boone & Lilly

Heartbreaking and just beautiful! Boone is a wonderful man who enjoys visiting sick children at the hospital and bring some joy into their lives. He got specially attached to young Aiden, who just had a bone marrow transplant in hopes to cure his leukemia. When he later meets Aiden’s big sister Lilly, he acquires another reason to visit Aiden, now more frequently than before.

Reading this book, we witness a big sister who had to turn into mother and father for her little brother. We witness this woman who is near the end of her wits, but still strives to fulfill all her responsibilities. No wonder Boone falls for her!

Most of the story centers around Aiden and his fight to survive. Within this story, we get to see how strong and resilient Lilly is, how compassionate and supportive Boone is, and how ineffectual Lily’s father is as he battles alcoholism.  There’s a lot of love and sadness in this story, and that is what made it so impactful. I cried buckets but also rejoiced at the miracles of love.

I didn’t feel the connection between Lilly and Boone at first, but did understand how compatible they were and how inevitable it was that they would get close. I did feel the love Boone developed for young Aiden. His fight against the disease that was ravaging his young body was for me center and heart of the story. I was right beside them in all the ups and downs, rejoicing and crying. Sawyer Bennett has written such a beautiful story here!

Purchase links

➜ Amazon: https://bit.ly/42oOdP8

➜ Nook: https://bit.ly/3PSM1vX

➜ Apple: https://apple.co/42piMnC

➜ Google: https://bit.ly/43GQeHl

➜ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3MQJkZe

About the author

 

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.  A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her 

newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup)

Connect with Sawyer:

➜ Facebook: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_FB

➜ Reader group: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_NEP

➜ TikTok: https://bit.ly/Sawyer_TOK 

➜ Instagram: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_IG

➜ Goodreads: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_GR 

➜ BookBub: http://bit.ly/Sawyer_BB

➜ Newsletter: http://sawyerbennett.com/signup