Showing posts with label One-night stand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One-night stand. Show all posts

Monday, July 6, 2026

Book review: TRY AGAIN, BABY, by Julia Wolf

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A warm, emotional second‑chance romance full of heart, family, and one unforgettable little girl! This story gave me big feelings in the best way. It starts with Mazzy, stranded in New Zealand, heartbroken and trying to get home on a cheaper ticket. She’s a mess, she knows it, and she’s honest about it — which is exactly why the cute stranger at the counter laughs with her instead of at her. That tiny moment of kindness turns into something huge when she learns he paid for her ticket and she’s suddenly sitting next to him in business class. Their chemistry is instant, sweet, and a little chaotic, and their one night together feels like two lost people finding comfort in each other.

Six months later, everything changes. Mazzy is pregnant, struggling with bills, trying to continue her studies. When she tries to tell Ben, he rejects her so harshly it breaks something inside her. She moves on, builds a life, and becomes the kind of mother who fights for her child’s health and happiness even when she’s exhausted. I loved her strength — quiet, steady, and so real.


Four years later, fate throws them back together in Denver. They learn that four years ago, she mistook Ben’s twin Roman. And the moment Ben learns he has a daughter? It’s gut‑punch emotional. He’s overwhelmed with joy, grief, and regret all at once. It felt like watching someone’s heart crack open. When he finally meets Katty, he’s done for — completely in love, completely changed. Those scenes made me cry; they were tender and full of longing for the years he missed.


From there, the book becomes a mix of healing, family chaos, and slow rebuilding. Ben is a big‑hearted rugby player with huge emotions and a tendency to leap before thinking. Mazzy is grounded, mature, and protective. Together, they find a rhythm that feels natural and sweet. His brothers fall in love with Katty instantly, and the family moments — the laughter, the teasing, the fierce loyalty — were some of my favorites.


I also loved Mazzy’s support system: Aunt Barb with her prickly love, Kylie with her wild influencer energy, and Shira with her gentle kindness. Katty steals every scene she’s in. She’s adorable, funny, and full of personality, and watching her bond with her dad was beautiful.


There is a lot of sex once Mazzy and Ben reconnect — long, detailed scenes that pop up often. For me, they slowed the story down, but skimming worked fine because the emotional core stayed strong.


My verdict: a heartfelt, funny, emotional romance about second chances, family wounds, and the fierce love between a father and the daughter he never knew he had. Mazzy’s strength and Ben’s huge heart make them easy to root for, and Katty brings all the sunshine. A warm, satisfying four‑star read.


Purchase links


https://mybook.to/TryAgainBaby 

Available in KU



About the author


Julia Wolf writes sexy rockers, grumpy billionaires, 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.


She doesn’t believe in “guilty pleasures”, only pleasure. Reading about a plus size woman who gets absolutely railed by a hot rock star is pleasure. Reading about a damaged college student whose flaws are valued and loved by the grumpy guy next door is pleasure. Reading about love in a small town or big city or on a tour bus is pleasure. Reading romance is pleasure!


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 Wolf:

https://www.instagram.com/authorjuliawolf/


Sunday, September 10, 2023

PERFECT FLING, by Carly Phillips


Serendipity’s Finest #2

Erin & Cole

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 I am loving this series with Serendipity’s Marsden siblings!  Not only a wonderful romantic story but page-turner suspense! Such a great read! I had a great time reading this book which was chockfull of  both the suspense from a stalker but also the suspense of what will happen between Erin and Cole.

Erin Marsden is Mike’s baby sister, and she’s the local ADA.  She’s the sweet, good girl that everyone in town loves and admires.  After Mike’s wedding to Cara, Erin was feeling a little lonely and went to Joe’s Bar.  There she found Cole Sanders, old time childhood friend and with whom she had a crush.  They had a one-night stand, after which Cole went back to his standoffish ways.  That is, until she was shot at the parking lot in front of the DA offices and was rushed to the hospital.  There, Cole learned that she was pregnant with his baby.


Enter Cole the bodyguard, who will live with Erin until the shooter is found.  And we begin with the games!  Erin is invested in her baby and trying to convince Cole to give them a shot.  Cole waffles between being with her and planning to go back to NYC and his undercover work.  He’s at times tender and sexy and others off-putting.


Cole is also dealing with the issues with his father, who was so emotionally abusive, insulting and hateful to Cole that he bruised his soul and forced his mother to divorce him and leave Serendipity with Cole.  Jed continued to be a sour grumpy jerk, and Cole’s mother re-married to a wonderful man who turned Cole around and showed him what a father should be.  Still, Cole yearned to have a relation with his dad.


Always, Carly Phillips’ stories have a strong human issues vibe, full of compassion and reality, mixed with the strong romance and sexy times.  In this case, we also have a stalker threatening Erin, so there’s suspense.  This book was a page turner, way beyond entertaining, going into enthralling.  I loved seeing Mike and Cara, happily married, and Mike such a devoted husband.  We get a very short glimpse into the Barron brothers and their wives, now with children.  


And of course, we see a lot of Sam, the third Marsden sibling, so we start to know him and can look forward to his story.  He’s the most chill of the siblings, and there was something between him and Nicole Farnsworth that I hope goes somewhere in his book!


Purchase links


Kindle: https://amzn.to/3rLZZq0

Apple: https://apple.co/3rIqBYZ

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

Google Play: https://bit.ly/472kSxv

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3OdY05g

 

Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3QeKD7y

BN Print: https://bit.ly/47jMJcC


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: VELELLA, by C.W. Farnsworth

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The opening chapters of this story were excruciatingly slow—and in my opinion, deliberately so. I could feel the narrative holding ...