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/

Book review: FOREVER UNDONE, by J. Saman

Forever Boston #1

Ashton & Skylar

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A deliciously messy, emotionally rich, slow‑burn‑turned‑wildfire romance, this book grabbed me from page one and never let go. Ashton and Skylar are the perfect storm of unresolved tension, old wounds, and that brand of snark that’s basically foreplay in disguise. Their history is chaotic, their present is complicated, and their chemistry is undeniable. I loved every second of watching them circle each other, clash, retreat, and collide again.

What really sold me is how much heart sits beneath all the banter and snark. Ashton’s journey as a single dad rebuilding his life, Skylar’s healing after an abusive relationship, and the way Zoey fits into both of their worlds—it all feels tender, grounded, and deeply earned. The found family threads, the hospital setting, the forced proximity, the “we’re married but not like that (until we very much are)” dynamic… it’s delicious.

Despite the heavy topics, the story balances humor, vulnerability, and heat beautifully. The emotional payoff is huge, the character growth is satisfying, and the romance is the kind that makes you root for them with your whole chest. And it has just an itty bitty feeling of suspense!

The author takes us again to the Boston Fritz’s world, now joined with the Hughes family, powerful and rich, although not like the Fritz royalty.  I think this new series will include the younger generation of grandkids of Octavia Fritz, the matriarch of the empire, and I’m all for it!

If you love grumpy‑meets‑sunshine energy, protective heroes, resilient heroines, and a slow burn that eventually erupts, this one is a must‑read. I devoured it.

Purchase links

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

http://geni.us/ForeverUndone

Audible: https://bit.ly/3MbCWPW

Narrated by: CJ Bloom and JF Harding

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/43WmxVs

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: PETTY IN PINK, by LJ Shen

This novella completely swept me off my feet. LJ Shen flipped her usual dynamic on its head, giving me a hero who is not a jerk, but is pure devotion wrapped in a doctor coat, and a heroine who’s all heart, humor, and hard‑won resilience. Layla and Grant’s story was tender, sexy, fun, and hit every one of my favorite romance buttons.

It starts with a pink dress in a Valentine’s day wedding, Layla objecting to the marriage based on her past trauma from the groom, and a wild chase out of the hotel.  Then meeting up with Grant, her friends with benefits of almost a decade.  From that wild, pink‑drenched wedding objection to the soft, steady unraveling of Layla’s trauma, the book balances chaos and healing so beautifully. Grant is the kind of hero who makes you believe in safe love — patient, protective, quietly pining for almost a decade — and Layla’s journey toward trusting him (and herself). It was so lovely to read their story!  Their chemistry was off the charts, the surprise pregnancy just what Grant needed to get his chance with Layla.

I loved seeing old friends Maddie and Chase (The Devil Wears Black) as an established couple, with one little boy and another one in the way.  Maddy continues to be the best bestie, and Chase continues to be the jerk we all love and who loves his wife madly.  It was perfection!

Even as a novella, it felt complete, rich, and emotionally full. I turned the last page grinning like an idiot, wishing only that Jessica had gotten the karmic smackdown she deserved. Otherwise, this was everything I adore about LJ Shen: messy beginnings, deep wounds, big feelings, subtle humor, and a couple who earns their joy. I loved it.

Purchase links

eBook: https://amzn.to/4qVjeqT

Audio (narrated by Erin Mallon and Christian Fox, in dual-narration style): https://amzn.to/3NUy8Pt

**Please note there is no paperback due to its length.

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: ANTI HERO, by C.W. Farnsworth

Kensingtons: The Next Generation #2

Kit & Collins

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the first book I read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last.  I loved this author’s writing, the characters, the plot.  It was hugely entertaining!

Kit Kensington is heir to a legend of a family.  They’re not only incredibly wealthy, they have an empire that they manage with dignity and respect for their employees. Instead of an entitled, snotty  family, they are family-oriented, the parents present and loving in their kids’ life. They are aware of what all their name represents, and even though the kids are a little wild and get involved in lots of pranks, they are good hearted within.

Kit has had a crush on his sister’s college roommate, Collins Tate, but she has always treated him with disdain.  When she arrived in New York looking for a job, he offers her one as his assistant, she takes the job, and the plot runs from here.  

I loved Kit, he appears like a smirking cocky guy but he has depths and integrity. Collins saw Kit, not his last name, as she falls in love with him. I loved the characters and their banter, the subtle humor in their conversations, the emotional interactions between family members, the love between family and friends. The pace is a bit slow but full of information and movement, so it’s never boring.  And now that I’m finished with this book, I’m going hunting for another of this author’s books!

Purchase links

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4aRlzM8

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/42TaB6X

About the author

C.W. Farnsworth is the author of numerous adult and young adult romance novels featuring sports, strong female leads, and happy endings.

Charlotte lives in Rhode Island and when she isn't writing spends her free time reading, at the beach, or snuggling with her Australian Shepherd.

 

Connect with Charlotte

Website: https://authorcwfarnsworth.com  

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/485RndP 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4agSCsy 

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

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcwfarnsworth/     

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

Book review: WHEN LOVE FOUND US, by Claudia Burgoa

Timberbridge Brothers # 3

Atlas & Blythe

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Instead of calling this book a page turner, I should call it a nail biter, because it had me on the edge of the seat, anxious as I read about the menace of an abusive husband in search of the wife who escaped his clutches.

The book starts with a chilling escape scene, then goes into the moment where Blythe meets Atlas and connects with his ice-cold blue eyes, and I was done for.  I was incredibly curious about Atlas since the other Timberbridge brothers hate him so much, and it all comes clear in this book.  He’s not just a tattoo artist, he’s so much more.  A brooding artist who hides a tender heart, who wants to protect and save people who are in situations like he was as a child, powerless and without protection.

When he meets Blythe, the same protection instinct comes to life, except this time there’s also chemistry and an intense sense of wanting.  It’s a yummy story and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Atlas deep down inside.  Blythe initially irritated with her stubbornness that came out of self-preservation, but once she accepted that this small town was special, she accepted the help.

I liked that there’s a potential danger to the town, known by the sheriff, unknown to the residents, and this issue is used as a common theme in the series, and it’s this issue that is bringing the brothers together, in agreement or disagreement.  And of course, the power of women, as in, the partners of the Timberbridge brothers who are the ones forcing the reunion, as they themselves are forming such a strong group of supporting women. 

There’s a strong thrum of suspense through the book, like a waiting in suspense feeling, and a great pace that made the book such a page turner.  I enjoyed this book a lot, especially seeing Atlas and Blythe finally getting to stop running, stay, and just be.  Finally finding a home with each other.  Great story!

Purchase links

🎧 Audiobook available on all audio retailers ➝ https://geni.us/WLFUAudio

📚  ➝  https://geni.us/WLFUzon

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/