Book review: THE TRYST, by Sawyer Bennett

Bluegrass Empires #3

Trey & Holland

I have been loving this series a lot! Family feud in a small town that has lasted several generations. Ethan Blackburn had a child with Alina Mardraggon and there was a custody battle, then it turned out Gabe Mardraggon and Kat Blackburn were college sweethearts turned enemies. They had a second chance, so a bridge has been cast between the two feuding families.  

Now enter Holland Rhodes, whose father owns the town printshop. She was a honorary sibling to the Blackburn kids, she spent as much time as she could in their house because her home life was crappy.  Her father was alcoholic, her mother apathetic and didn’t defend her. Eventually, Trey and Holland fall in love and were making plans for the future when Wade confessed to Trey his feelings towards Holland.  Immediately, Trey stepped aside and let the field clear for his brother and what happened is that Holland left town for college and never came back until eleven years later when her father died.

I love second chance, small town romances and this one delivered perfectly.  I loved all the groveling Trey had to do. I loved all the family times with the Blackburn crew, now including Gabe Mardraggon. At the same time we’re getting Trey’s and Holland’s second chance love story, we also get updates of life on the ranch, riding lessons, Trey’s issues with Gabe, Wade and his playing ways, Holland’s issues with her mom.  This author always writes a very well rounded up story that is not just about love and sex but life around the family.  Her stories are so entertaining, I just love to sit and enjoy and forget about my own issues.

Purchase links

Get The Tryst from the Sawyer Bennett Bookstore:

Ebook: https://geni.us/STORE_TrystEbook

Audio: https://geni.us/STORE_TrystAudio

Paperback: https://geni.us/STORE_TrystPB

Get The Tryst from all other retailers:

Amazon: https://geni.us/bI4P5

Nook: https://geni.us/W6fR

Apple: https://geni.us/wZRA

Google: https://geni.us/2YB0ajV

Kobo: https://geni.us/ADWJY8

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:

• Webstore: https://shop.sawyerbennett.com/
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Book review: TEXT APPEAL, by Kylie Scott

Delicious and oh so playful, this was a highly entertaining read! I loved the subtle humor and how humanly imperfect these two characters were!  I also dig the fact that the female character is a romance author and there are frequent references to all the book tropes we love, like second chance, fake relationship, etc.  It’s cute to read an author writing about an author, and get all the difficulties of writing a story that compels readers. 

The start of the book is unique and intriguing.  Riley just moved to this small town, got a new cellphone number and starts receiving messages from someone called Ava directed to Connor, asking for a second chance.  Ava doesn’t believe that Riley doesn’t know Connor and spread the rumor in town that Connor has a new girlfriend.  So by the time Riley makes her first appearance to a coffee shop, she’s the talk of the town and appears in the shop’s dueling jars as “Riley the new girlfriend” versus “Ava the home hero”.

From here and forward, we’re treated to a fun story where Connor finally visits his “new girlfriend” and proposes a fake relationship in order to get the town off his back.  Everyone is rooting for him to get back with Ava and it’s not happening, but he needs help. And the rest is history, as of course fake turns into true.

The humor of the story is great, loved the banter between Connor and Riley and Riley’s witty comebacks. It was super entertaining and fun to read!

Purchase links

Amazon: https://a.co/d/3pO3q2Z

Apple Books: https://apple.co/44XDyxD

Nook: https://bit.ly/3Vhc7M1

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3UW381x

Google Play: https://bit.ly/4f50Mph

Audible: https://adbl.co/450CfxR

Narrated by: Andi Arndt

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3QUH0U0

About the author

Kylie is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling, Audie Award winning author. She has sold over 2,000,000 books and was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year four times by the Australian Romance Reader's Association. Her books have been translated into fifteen different languages and she is based in Queensland, Australia.

 

Connect with Kylie

Website: www.kyliescott.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476625.Kylie_Scott

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/599197093487040

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/KylieScottbooks

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Book review: FINDING HAYES, by Laura Pavlov

Magnolia Falls #5

Hayes & Savannah

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As I read the other books in the series, I always saw Hayes as a grump.  In this story, I got to see his huge heart and huge capacity for loving.  I got to see that his best friend of all times, Savannah, came back after an absence of ten years, in which she blocked him out of her life.  And yet, when she needed help, he didn’t hesitate, he offered himself to help her, no doubts.

I knew immediately that Sav’s absence and anger towards him had to be a misunderstanding, because the feelings between them, that easiness of being together, didn’t allow for any bad actions between them.  They marry so Sav could inherit and help her dad fight his cancer.  And of course, her forced stay in Magnolia Falls and in his house brought the clarification they needed and we needed to know.

In this story and all the stories of the series, there’s a common thread of brotherhood.  These five men have been loyal and supportive to each other, and their group chat is hilarious.  It’s one of the best things I like in the book.  And the other one is little Beefcake.  He’s a little boy, but his old soul gives lessons to the big men in his life, all the time.  He is love personified, the product of a father and four uncles who care and watch out for him.  To me, he is the best part of the series.

I’m sorry this series ends, but I’m already looking forward to the new series and Easton’s story.

Purchase links

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://geni.us/findinghayes

Audible: https://adbl.co/3U4CxzK 

Narrated by: Andi Arndt & Lee Samuels

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3yIXc4S

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: TORE UP, by Abbi Glines

Mississippi Smoke #1

Bane & Halo

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

The author promised angst and heartbreak and wow, did she deliver.  I lost count of how many times I cried because it was so devastating.  Talking about what happened spoils the story so let me just express my feelings during the story.  

Bane starts out as a violent, aggressive man.  Later I saw that he was in the grip of a huge pain, the loss of his little brother.  I saw the hate he felt for Halo, blaming her for his loss.  But then I saw Halo’s beautiful soul, a girl who suffered mistreatment from her family and yet, she kept being a sweet and kind person, her only weakness trying to win the love from the people who were supposed to love her. 

I saw how Bane changed, saw how all the guys in the house accepted Halo as one of them.  The first chapters of this book are harrowing as Halo learns all the circumstances of her new life, the truths of her old life.  I cried many times, but it felt so good!

The story evolves and it all turns good and everything that is sexy and deep.  I loved how Halo won everyone over because she’s just so good. And I loved how Bane found the peace that he had lost, as he cared for her.  

The story felt different because it’s not all mafia business, it’s all about heartbreak and healing.  There’s one gory scene but it’s all tied to the story and I can’t say it wasn’t needed because it was.  All in all, a story of redemption, a love that went wrong, but another that went right.  A girl who only wanted acceptance and love and finally found it, not without first suffering a heavy loss.  Astounding, heartbreaking, cause of a crying fest, but it was absolutely fascinating and wonderful.

Purchase links

https://geni.us/toreup

Add to your Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220223196-tore-up

Find more books by Abbi Glines: https://abbiglinesbooks.com

About the author

Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party, and Existence series. She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She finally moved to New England into a home that is 200 + years old with it's own ghosts. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but alas she being born in Alabama, her life in New England is as close as she will get. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, and/or watching Netflix like the introvert that she is. 

You can connect with Abbi online in several different ways. 

www.abbiglinesbooks.com

TikTok @abbiglines

Twitter: @abbiglines

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