Bookshelf Obsessions

REVIEW: Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden Mills

I absolutely loved this book! The writing drew me in and made me feel like I was part of this little southern town. Jack and Elena were so perfect for each other. It takes Jack a while to trust since he’s been through so much. Even though he struggled with trusting Elena, everything was just so easy with them. Their chemistry was combustible.I would love to see more from this group of amazing characters.

We start off with a lie on Valentine’s Day.

My blind date isn’t the studious guy I expected: he’s a drop-dead gorgeous player with sinful amber eyes. Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.

The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.

But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him?

Is Jack my real Romeo… or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?

Pre-Order for The Devil Wears Black

From USA Today bestselling author L. J. Shen comes a second-chance romance about love, loss, finding yourself, and getting lost in the right person. It’s available for preorder and set to release March 9, 2021!

Synopsis:

Maddie Goldbloom stitched up a plan to ensure everything in her life was perfect—from a career in fashion to a chic NYC apartment to a pediatrician boyfriend.

When her ex, Chase Black, storms back into her life with an outrageous request, her immediate reaction is to refuse him. But he only wants to fulfill his father’s last wish. So even though he’s the man who broke her heart, playing his fiancée shouldn’t be hard, especially if it means she gets to watch the arrogant devil squirm a bit.

What ensues is a chain of events that detonates Maddie’s life—and when Chase’s walls come down, they both are forced to face reality.

They say keep your enemies close. But what if your enemy is also the man you love.

Bloggers and Bookstagrammers can sign up for the promo tour here:
Regular Tour: https://bit.ly/TDWBBlogger
Bookstagram Tour: https://bit.ly/TDWBBookGram

Don’t forget to preorder your copy of this must read romance now!
Amazon US – https://amzn.to/2xrZcyQ
Amazon Universal – mybook.to/TDWBUniversal
Add to your Goodreads TBR – https://bit.ly/2KSYbTj

Review: Make you Mine by Tia Louise

Title: Make You Mine
Author: Tia Louise
Publication Date: December 1, 2018
Genre: Military Romance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A promise written on a coaster.
A lost night in a dark room.
Grayson Cole was my brother’s best friend.
He was all of my firsts.
Then he went away…

Drew Harris was just a kid, a senior in high school, my best friend’s little sister.
They said she was too young to know her feelings.
I was too old to have them, so I left to join the military.

Four years passed.
Loss, injury, angry words I can never take back…
I’m home, but I’m not the same.
Neither is she.

Now she’s a woman with flashing blue eyes, long blonde hair, and gorgeous curves.
Still, she’s the same sweet smile, the same sassy mouth…
I could never say No to her before.

I should for her sake.
She deserves better than what I’ve become, scarred and damaged.

I loved this book! These characters were easy to fall in love with. Drew and Gray loved each other from a young age. Young and innocent love; they had all their firsts together.

This book had me on a roller-coaster of emotions. While I understood Gray joined the military to prove he could be he more he felt drew needed, it left him scarred. But with Drew’s love he found his way out of the darkness and into her arms.

“They told me to stay away from you. I went away to try… God, I tried.
Now everything has changed. I’m back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine…”

This book consumed me and left me feeling all the feels and wanting to read it all over again. I couldn’t get enough.

BUY IT HERE:

Review: Silas by Taryn Plendl

Title: Silas
Author: Taryn Plendl
Publication Date: April 30, 2017
Series: The Sutton Ranch Duet, Book 1
Genre: Western Romance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For four years, Silas Anderson has fought the urge to chase Mirabelle Sutton, knowing his rejection is what caused her to run. She left the ranch, a shy, inexperienced teenager, but the bold, confident woman who’s returned is so much more than his best friend’s little sister. She exceeds his every dream.

But life on a ranch stops for nothing, not even death, and proving to Mirabelle she’s more than enough woman to handle a cowboy is a challenge.

Heartbreak had driven her away. Tragedy brings her home. And before she runs again, Silas needs to figure out how to convince her the only way she’ll be riding off into the sunset is with him by her side

Holy Hot Cowboy!

Silas is book one in the Sutton Ranch series by Taryn Plendl. This was also the first book I have read by this author and it will not be the last! I am absolutely in love with this book! These characters broke my heart and mended it back together with all the squishy moments littered throughout.

Mirabelle Sutton has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember. After Silas Anderson rejected her, she ran. She did everything in her power to stay gone when she went off to college, but some feelings you can’t outrun and some outcomes you can’t control.

Silas regrets not telling Mirabelle how he really felt before he ended up driving her away. Now, Mirabelle is back home after her brother’s tragic death and she is nothing like the shy girl that left four long years ago. This time around, Silas will fight for what he wants. If only she wasn’t so stubborn.

The tension crackled between Silas and Mira like burning embers ready to combust. There was a whole lot of miscommunication in this book. At times, I just want to shake these two.

“Listen to me, little girl. If you think for a minute you can waltz right back here and put your spoiled princess tiara back on, you’re mistaken….”

I loved the bond between Silas, Ryke and Nate. I’m sure they not only worked hard, but played harder. I can’t wait to read Nate and Ryke’s books. I highly recommend this book! Although I wish there was a little more angst and a lot more pages, I’m sure you will fall for these sweet alpha cowboys just as hard as I did.

GET IT HERE:

Review: Pour Judgment by Heather M. Orgeron

Title: Pour Judgment
Author: Heather M. Orgeron
Publication Date: October 8, 2019
Genre: Romantic Comedy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“A week of tits, booze, and fun in the sun? Where do I sign up?”

Korie Potter’s got goals. Goals that do not include following in her mother’s footsteps. Rock stars and the life of the rich and famous? Yeah… not interested. She likes her heart in one piece, thank you very much.

Until a weekend of booze and bad decisions at camp Pour Judgment finds her fake-engaged to country music’s most notorious bad boy, Rhett Taylor, and completely at his mercy.

You see, Korie Potter’s also got a dream, and her new “fiancé” just may have the connections to make it come true.

Pour Judgment is a standalone romantic comedy featuring a sexy country-star hero, sassy skater-girl heroine, a summer camp with booze, and a fake engagement. No cheating, no cliffhanger. Expect non-stop laughs, swoon that will melt your heart, and all the shenanigans. Grab it today!

★ NOW A TOP 15 AMAZON BESTSELLER ★

Holy Crap! This book was amazing! I loved this sexy rock star/skater girl read. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I can’t recommend it enough.

Rhett and Korie were a perfect mesh of combustible and fun. I also loved the secondary characters and would love to see these characters get their own books. This was just one of those books I didn’t want to leave their world and won’t forget anytime soon.

6 Great Summer Reads

Summer is almost here and it’s time to stock up on those great poolside reads! I have read so many amazing books it’s hard to only list six, but this list will not only get you started, it will get you geared up for some fun in the sun.

#1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.

This is out now and I am squealing to finally get this book in my hands! The prequel to The Hunger Games is one of my most anticipated summer reads.

Grab it here:

#2 Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner.

I am a HUGE fan of this author and this book is just what I need when relaxing by the pool. This book is about a second chance at friendship between a plus-size Instagram influencer and her ex best friend.

Grab it here:

#3 Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.

This is a hilarious book you won’t want to put down. Girl meets boy and falls in love. Boy wants girl to meet his family. His crazy rich family that is not so keen on letting outsiders in their inner circle. Get ready to laugh out loud at this crazy summer read.

Grab it here:

#4 The Bride Test by Helen Hoang.

If you’ve read The Kiss Quotient you will fall in love with this sequel where Khai meets his match!

Khai Diep thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. His mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

Grab it here:

#5 The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

This is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

This book intrigued me and is right up my alley and I can’t wait to dive in!

Grab it here:

#6 The Guest List by Lucy Foley.

What’s more fun than being invited to an island wedding, right? Wrong. Get ready for mischief and mayhem of epic proportions. In this drama filled book you will get more than you bargained for, including death.

Grab it here:

BONUS SIX! Now, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t also list my 6 summer read for indie reads.

#1 Hard to Handle by K. Bromberg.

I cannot wait for this! I was honored to work with Kristy on the book trailer for this crazy anticipated read and it just got me even more excited!

This is the start to a brand new series staring four sisters set out to try to save their family business. In Book 1, Hard to Handle, by-the-book, Dekker Kincade, sets out to win back the reining bad boy of hockey, Hunter Maddox. Getting him to sign with the agency is one thing but resisting the urge to slide between the sheets with him is a whole other matter.

Release Date: June 30
Pre-Order it here:

#2 Hooking Him by Aurora Rose Reynolds.

It goes without saying that I am a huge AAR fan. I own all her books on kindle and audio and am slowly working on grading all the paperbacks!

Hooking Him, book 3 in the How to Catch an Alpha series, is at the top of my list to read this summer. A woman on a mission of self-discovery finds it hard to resist a persistent detective. Get ready for some insta-love, drama and murder in this quest to find their happily-ever-after.

Release Date: June 16
Pre-Order it here:

#3 Ruthless Princess by Rachel Van Dyken.

RVD is the queen of mafia reads! Ruthless Princess is a mafia romance about best friends turned enemies and a spin off of her Eagle Elite series featuring the second generation Elites.

Grab it here:

#4 Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan.

Kimba is a strong independent woman who has everything except the one thing she truly wants, Ezra Stern. Best friends from a young age, everyone knew there was something special between these two, right up until Ezra and his family moved away. Years later, these two will find their way back to each other and learn to master the turbulence.

Grab it here:

#5 Little Hoodlum by K. Webster.

Get ready for all the angst in book 2 of the Hood River Hoodlum series. This is a high school friends to lovers read involving falling for your best friend’s sister. This is a four book series that will need to be read in order. Book 1, Hood River Rat, is an M/M story.

Grab Books 1 and 2 here:
Hood River Rat, Book 1:

Little Hoodlum, Book 2:

#6 We Were Once by S.L. Scott.

I adore everything this woman has written and I can’t wait to get my hands on this second change romance.

Her plan is to graduate from Ivy League university and get into med school to follow in her father’s footsteps. Then she meets Joshua, the bad boy with a sexy smirk and a good heart. They had it all and were madly in love until one tragic night changed everything.

Grab it here:

So there you have it! My recommended summer reading list. I hope you found some great reads to add to your list. Drop me a comment to let me know what’s on your list!

Review: The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan

Title: The Kingmaker
Author: Kennedy Ryan
Publication Date: October 28, 2019
Series: All The King’s Men Duet, Book 1
Genre: Multicultural, Contemporary Romance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧. 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙡.

𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔® 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗲𝘁.

Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition. In a world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.

My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and would do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐.

WOW! This book was beyond epic! Ms. Ryan did an amazing job making these characters seem so very real. The amount of research that must have gone into writing this book is astonishing and I applaud the author for this.

This incredible story was chalked full of love, angst and hot as hell sexy times. Lennix and Maxim were a classic case of meeting the right person, dare I say THE ONE, at the wrong time. The wait was worth it to see these two finally get where they needed to be, but that cliffhanger!!!! I need the next book!

GRAB IT HERE:

Review: All About The D by Lex Martin and Leslie McAdam

Title: All About the D
Author: Lex Martin
Published: May 2, 2017
Series: Book 1
Genre: Romantic Comedy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Temptation has never come in a hotter package.

You know how people say you can never believe what you read on the interwebs? That a hot guy online is probably a creeper with a beer gut and a shoe fetish, not the sexy beast he pretends to be?

So I had no clue that the anonymous blogger who contacted my law firm about his naughty website would be droolworthy in real life. Not that I’m interested in him in that way.

Attorneys can’t go around sleeping with their clients. Not even if he is the most beautiful man I’ve ever met and so ridiculously smart he makes my nerdy-girl heart sigh.

Besides, he has too much on the line to risk taking a chance on the insane chemistry building between us. We both do.

I’ve always followed the rules. Too bad he makes me want to break each and every one of them.

All About the D is a romantic comedy and a full-length standalone. Due to adult situations and sexual content, it’s recommended for readers over the age of 18.

All About the D is a hilarious book about finding love in the strangest of ways and why you shouldn’t make a bet with your scandalous best friend. Definitely a 5 Star read!

Speaking of said best friend, I was not a fan of Drew. In fact, I kinda wish Josh would have either staged an intervention or kicked him to the curb. And because I totally read these out of order, I know he does redeem himself in his book (Surprise, Baby!) and made me completely fall in love with him. But enough about Drew, this is Evie and Josh’s story and I was completely enamored with them!

There were parts that were laugh out loud funny, sexy times that made me need a cold shower and I couldn’t get enough of the banter between the two of them! Then there were parts that broke my heart. This story had it all. A whole roller-coaster of emotion. I loved every minute of getting to know these amazing characters and I can’t wait to see what these ladies have in store for us in the future.

Check Out My Dirty Find!

Have you discovered a new to you author lately? I recently came across this book and with my total love of rock star romances, I 1-clicked it and I was not disappointed! Dirty Like Me is book 1 in this series and I can’t put it down!

SYNOPSIS:

A gorgeous rock star. An indecent proposal. How can a girl resist?
Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video. But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.
Love maker. Heartbreaker.
Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and soon the steamy video is blazing up the charts.
Then, Jesse makes Katie an irresistible offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.
Which is fine with Katie, since she’s not about to trust her heart to rock’s most legendary lover. Her body? Maybe….

Dirty Like Me is the first full-length novel in the Dirty series – a rockstar romance series about the members of the rock band Dirty and the women and men who love them.

REVIEW: To The Rude Guy in Apartment 5

Title: To The Rude Guy In Apartment Five
Author: J.S. Cooper
Publication Date: March 30, 2020
Series: The Inappropriate Bachelors, Book 1
Genre: Romantic Comedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To The Rude Guy in Apartment Five,

I’m glad you’re happy to have moved into a new apartment, but no:

I do not want to have a beer with you.
I do not want to have a nude sleepover.
I do not want to make you breakfast, lunch or dinner, no matter how many lap dances you promise to give me.
I do not need you to serenade me through the walls at 1am.
And no, I have no interest in letting you take me on a date.

Sincerely,

Magnolia Allen

P.S. And no, I do not want to know how many accents you can growl in during
intimate moments. How is that even a thing?

P. P. S. Also, you will never find me standing naked in your living room ever
again, so please stop leaving lingerie packages on my welcome mat.

I was intrigued by the blurb, but the story couldn’t keep my attention. I hate giving low ratings. This book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I first downloaded a sample of this since this is a new to me author and I looooooved the banter between the H and h. There was obviously more going on with these two than meets the eye and I was engrossed. I loved Jagger’s playfulness and equally loved Magnolia’s quirkiness.

After purchasing the book, it took on a slightly different vibe. The hilarity of Jagger faded into a “grow the eff up” attitude and Magnolia was just annoying. The storyline quickly deteriorated for me finding out that both the MC’s were in relationships with the others sibling right before ***t hit the fan. I also did not find Magnolia’s new job believable, but maybe it’s possible for someone to get a job through an agency that lies to their applicants to place people in a career they know nothing about unbeknownst to the owner of said company they were hired to work for.

While I do not discourage others from reading this book, I probably won’t be reading this author in the future.