Category: Book Reviews

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Book Review: Letter Late Than Never (Green Valley Heroes Book 3) by Lauren Connolly

Letter Late Than Never
(Green Valley Heroes Book 3)
by Lauren Connolly

Amazon  / B&N  / BB

 

Can a hot paramedic resuscitate this mail woman’s flatlining spirit of adventure?

Gwen Elsmere fell in love with Sebastian Kirkwood when she was sixteen, but a dead frog stole her chance to land the guy of her daydreams. Ten years later, when Gwen makes a desperate 9-1-1 call, Sebastian re-enters her life as the first paramedic on the scene. Unfortunately, she’s smeared in blood, and he’s engaged to another woman. The awkward rescue is far from the passionate reunion she’d secretly hoped for. Still, Gwen’s brief transformation from postal worker to neighborhood hero has her reevaluating her cautious nature.

If she can save a woman’s life, why can’t she change her own?

As Gwen challenges herself with adventures, big and small, she discovers an unlikely sidekick in her former crush. Sebastian reveals glimpses of the goofy teenager who first made her swoon, but there are shadows behind his eyes she wants to shine a light on. When Gwen discovers the sexy EMT is not as spoken for as everyone in Green Valley believes, she dares to hope for a second chance to risk her heart. But even as a chemist cat, drag queens, and glitter beards reward her new outgoing nature, secrets, pain, and fear threaten to snuff out her courageous spirit.

Gwen will have to decide if Sebastian and she are better late than never or better never together.

‘Letter Late Than Never’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sibling love— it’s an odd category, where one moment you want to shove their head in a toilet, and the next, you’re researching how to hide a dead body because someone said the wrong thing to them.

Ryan shifts in his seat, and I wonder if his butt ever goes numb, like mine sometimes does on longer days of driving. When that happens, I usually pull off to the side of the road and do some jumping jacks. Good to keep the blood pumping. Also earns me strange looks from random people driving by.

My Review:

 

This was a fun and amusing read that covered a lot of ground and ticklish issues while slipping in snippets of previously featured Green Valley characters and quirky residents. I adored this couple, their storylines were entertaining as well as insightful, and engaging. This was my introduction to Ms. Connolly’s work as her main genre is not one I am drawn to dabble in, yet I delighted in her word skills and would eagerly pick up more of her rom/coms in the future.

About the Author

Author Logo

Lauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance stories. She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves.

Find Lauren online

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenaliciaCon

FB: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenConnollyRomance/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LaurenConnollyRomance/

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Book Review: Dead and Breakfast (Fox Point Files #1) by Emma Hart @EmmaHartAuthor

Dead and Breakfast
(Fox Point Files #1)
by Emma Hart

 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / BB

I remember the first time I ever saw Detective Inspector Noah George.
We were seven, stupid, and he threw sand in my eye. I’m pretty sure that’s when I fell in love with him. Hey—I did say I was stupid.
Summers in Fox Point, my grandfather’s seaside hometown, were all we had together. Then we turned eighteen, life happened, and he never spoke to me again.
Until my grandfather’s death calls me back to the small town, only for his lawyer to tell me he’s left me my family’s dilapidated bed and breakfast that was home to many things—my first sleepover party, where my grandma taught me to cross-stitch, my first kiss with Noah…
And apparently, my first dead body.

My name is Lottie O’Neil, and I’m on the hook for the murder of a man I’ve barely met.
And the one who’ll have to arrest me is the only man I’ve ever loved.
Unless I find the real killer first.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

There’s an inch of rat shit on the floor, the windows look like they need a gallon of white vinegar per square inch, and there’s so much dust in here that I half-expect a living dust-bunny to appear from under that couch with a relic from Ancient Rome.

He stared at me for a moment, ice building in his gaze. I half expected him to start shooting it out of his fingertips like Elsa.

“Ash, think about this. We can’t solve a murder. I can’t solve a sudoku.” “Nobody can. Sudokus are mini mathematical torture devices. The average person burns their sudoku puzzle books after ninety seconds.”

I bought the art store. It’s an art and ceramics store, technically, but I run some classes. It’s booming during the summer. It’s amazing how many parents are happy to pay me twenty quid per kid to amuse them for ninety minutes so they can sit on their phones or pee in peace.

Gwen pressed her hand to her chest and gasped. “Tofu is a majestic king, I’ll have you know.” Ash picked up one last gnome and looked at her. “He has to wear jumpers.” “So does King Charles.” “Yes, but King Charles is not a cat,” she replied. “He looks a bit like an oversized chicken wing,” I said, staring at Tofu. His ears were huge, and his little feline forehead had wrinkles that gave him a somewhat angry disposition. It was an epic resting bitch face.

Small towns like this are weird if you aren’t used to it. Everyone is up everyone else’s arse. Look at us right now. We’re up so many arses we might as well get our faces printed on butt plugs.

“Don’t speak ill of the dead.” “If he didn’t want to be spoken ill of in death, he should have been a better person when he was alive,” she retorted smartly.

My Review:

 

I am totally enamored with Emma Hart! Regardless of the genre she is writing, her wickedly clever and giggle-snort-worthy humor always shines through. This tale was the perfect blend of comedic wit and unpredictable conundrum, with feisty seniors and more than one hateful villain provided for extra fun bonus rounds.

 

About the Author

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Emma Hart, has written more than seventy romance novels in the last decade. She loves writing snarky, swoony romcoms with a side of chaos, occasionally venturing into romantic mysteries. Which are exactly the same as her romcoms, just with a dead body or two. That’s the reason for her questionable Internet history—at least that’s the story she’s sticking to it.

She lives on a smallholding in North Wales with her husband and their two children, a clowder of very fluffy cats, one giant German Shepherd, and an undisclosed number of chickens and ducks. Don’t ask her to count them. She will not, thank you very much.

When she’s not writing or chasing ducks in her pajamas, you can find her creating cozy gaming content for her Youtube channel and live streaming on Twitch.

Find her online:

Amazon: https://emmahart.pub/books 

Youtube: https://emmahart.pub/youtube 

Twitch: https://emmahart.pub/twitch 

Facebook: https://emmahart.pub/Facebook 

Instagram: https://emmahart.pub/Instagram 

Tiktok: https://emmahart.pub/TikTok 

Twitter: https://emmahart.pub/Twitter 

Website: https://emmahart.pub/site 

 

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Book Review: Murder in Manhattan (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #14) by Verity Bright  @BrightVerity  @Bookouture 

Murder in Manhattan
(A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #14)
by Verity Bright

Amazon  / B&N / BB

Glitzy parties, sightseeing at the Statue of Liberty, and strolls through Central Park with Gladstone the bulldog… Lady Eleanor Swift is loving her first trip to the city that never sleeps, until she witnesses a murder!

After crossing from England on the SS Celestiana, Lady Eleanor Swift sets up her home-away-from-home in a lavish apartment in New York City. She is soon the toast of the town, with no high-class soirée complete without her presence. Of course, she drags her butler Clifford and Gladstone the bulldog along to every party too.

But when she witnesses the charming doorman of her building, Marty, knocked down and killed in a hit-and-run, she finds fashionable society suddenly closes rank. The only local detective interested in helping her find the culprit is street-smart beat cop, Officer Balowski.

Resolved to get justice for Marty and his family, Eleanor searches Marty’s tiny apartment and is shocked to find five rolls of banknotes tucked under the floorboards. Money talks, but Marty was struggling to make ends meet, so where did the cash come from?

The next day,  wealthy entrepreneur and flashy philanderer Ogden P. Dellaney – a man Marty used to work for – is found dead downtown, miles away from his swanky Upper East Side mansion. Eleanor and Balowski are sure the deaths are connected, but not even Dellaney’s wife is willing to answer their questions.

Then Eleanor is served with an eviction notice and Balowski is fired from the NYPD. It becomes clear that something is rotten in the Big Apple and Eleanor is determined to get to the core of the mystery before the murderer strikes again…

Murder in Manhattan is a fun, fast-paced, and twisty Golden Age cozy mystery set in New York. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and Lee Strauss will be glued to the pages.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I won’t tell ya some of the things I’ve heard over the years. Make your wig spin if I did.

Ogden was all mustard and no steak.

My Review:

 

Another lively, cleverly witty, and pleasantly amusing conundrum that the little pea in my brain was far from solving on its own. Lady Swift finds herself in serious peril more than once in this active and smartly paced adventure. I missed the involvement of her ever-patient policeman beau but the Lady has unwittingly assembled a rather surprising and diverse crew to pick up the slack, and she was in dire need of every one of them. Thankfully, Clifford, one of my favorite characters of all time, continued to be brilliant and always several steps ahead of everyone else.

About the Author

.
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
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Book Review: One Hundred Desires (An Aspen Cove Romance Book 23) by Kelly Collins  @kcollinsauthor

 

One Hundred Desires
(An Aspen Cove Romance Book 23) 
by Kelly Collins

 

Amazon /   BB

 

She’s all work.

He’s all play.

Can they meet in the middle for love?

Vivian Armstrong has taken control of Vortex, her family’s security business, and she’s determined to prove her worth. She may be the youngest of seven and the only woman bodyguard on the team, but she’s every bit as tough as her older brothers. On a trip to Aspen Cove, she finds herself working for famous bass player Red Blakely, the personification of everything she detests in a man: arrogant, entitled, and too handsome for his own good. How can she protect him when all she wants to do is kill him?

Red is used to getting what he wants when he wants it. He likes his women here tonight and gone by morning. But when a fan becomes a fanatic, he finds himself in need of Vivian’s assistance. Forced to stay together, they discover an attraction they never expected, but can love really blossom between a workaholic and a playboy?

Welcome to Aspen Cove, the tiny Colorado town where fire and gasoline combine to create red-hot love…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

All in black, you look like a cat burglar on a coffee break.

There’s more to life than one-night stands and an unlimited supply of penicillin from Doc,

The last real action she’d seen between the sheets was when she was on assignment in Australia and woke to find a snake in her bed.

“Why do they call coffee Joe?” Maisey set the pot on the table and touched her chin. “I have no idea. Since it’s a man’s name, I imagine he had to be bold and bitter.”

I’m not looking for a wedding just yet. Besides, my mom was not in the ‘why should he buy the cow if he gets the milk free’ camp. She always told me to try it before you buy it and make sure your bull is hung the way you like. Doesn’t matter how many cows he can milk if he doesn’t satisfy you.

My Review:

 

Yet another entertaining and engaging tale from Aspen Cove, I adore this series. I will never tire of these witty and quirky small-town residents. The storylines are always easy to follow, packed with humor, snarky banter, observant insights, and picturesque descriptions that have me wanting to hop on a plane and visit. Ms. Collins’s tales are so well depicted and familiar, I feel I know these people and could recognize them on the street without a formal introduction.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

 

  Goodreads  / Website  / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Bookbub

International bestselling author of over 30 novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

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Book Review: Strictly For Now (The Salinger Brothers #3) by Carrie Elks  @CarrieElks

Strictly For Now
The Salinger Brothers #3
by Carrie Elks

 

 

Amazon / BB

 

She hates hockey. He hates everything else. And now they have to work together…

Falling flat on my back in a sweaty locker room isn’t how I planned to introduce myself to my grandpa’s hockey team. Especially when I’m there to turn the business around financially; something nobody else in the stadium seems to want.

But that’s how I first meet Eli Salinger, the team’s aggravatingly smooth player-turned-coach.

And from the moment I introduce myself to him, he makes it clear he doesn’t want me there.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out why. Eli’s only interested in one thing – turning the team into a winning side, no matter what it takes.

And he’s determined to fight every change I try to make.

What he doesn’t know is that I’ve never taken on a project that hasn’t succeeded. And I’m not about to let this be the first.

I don’t care if he’s grumpy and adorable in equal measure. Or that every time he looks at me it sends me all a flutter.

This is a game of wits. And there can be only one winner.

I’m determined it will be me.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I’ve seen Isabella when she wants revenge. The day I picked her up from Danny Hart’s apartment, when everything between them imploded, she poked a hole in all of his condoms and soaked them in chili juice for an hour, before drying them all off and sliding them back into the box in the bathroom cabinet. I have no idea if he used them or not, but the thought of it makes me wince.

How is it that you can get everything you want and it still feels like you’re missing something?

My Review:

 

Another delectable treat from the talented pen of Carrie Elks. I have giggled and gasped through every missive of hers I’ve been lucky enough to pick up. She always seems to perfectly score that magical formula of humor, sass, steam, and amusing family drama that keeps me smirking and highly entertained.

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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Book Review: The Murder Affair (A Beth Haldane Mystery #9) by Alice Castle @bookouture @AliceMCastle

The Murder Affair
A Beth Haldane Mystery #9
by Alice Castle

Amazon  / B&N  / BB

In a quiet little village, mourners gather for a church funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake – and Beth Haldane suspects foul play…

On a rainy afternoon, Beth Haldane accompanies her elderly mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend and local councillor Len . But as they gather in the church, Beth can’t help but notice how many women are there who look just like her mother.

As the service begins it soon becomes clear that all of the women thought they were Len’s special someone – and one of them even claims to be his distraught wife. Wendy suspects foul play and immediately asks Beth to investigate.

As Beth begins to speak to the women she has to ask, was one of Len’s many disgruntled girlfriends out for revenge? Why was Len borrowing money from the ladies he romanced? And why did his work for the local council seem so suspicious?

Then, Len’s secretary Bella is found dead amongst the dahlias in a planter. Beth starts to suspect Len was involved in something far more dangerous than she’d assumed but what did Bella know about his business that led to her unfortunate end?

With the village rumor mill in full swing, fingers start to point at Wendy. After all, distraught Wendy is telling everyone who lends her an ear that Len was murdered – and she saw Len the very evening he was found dead. The clock is ticking for Beth to clear her mother’s name before it’s too late!

A deliciously cozy and gripping murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and The Thursday Murder Club .

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Beth’s relationship with her mother had never been an easy one. She didn’t want to judge Wendy too harshly, but she did sometimes wonder whether she had cooked her father to death, presenting him with huge fry-ups every morning and massive steamed puddings every night, until he succumbed to a heart attack far too early. What was more, the family diet changed radically the day after her father’s demise, and Wendy had been picking at muesli and salad ever since.

‘He promised me he wasn’t seeing anyone else. But I’m beginning to wonder if he wasn’t telling me an incy bit of a lie,’ quavered Wendy, holding the damp tissue up to her welling eyes… Judging by the number of disgruntled well-preserved women in widow’s weeds packing out the church, yes, Len had been telling a thumping great whopper.

‘What actually is polyamory?’ Beth was silent for a second, then plunged in. ‘I think it must just be the latest modern way of saying everyone’s sleeping around and monogamy’s for old farts.’

It took a lot to get the better of Belinda McKenzie. As Beth knew only too well. She’d been trying for years and never managed it. Julie-Ann was clearly a ninja-level practitioner of dark arts Beth could only dream of.

My Review:

 

I adore this amusing and cleverly penned series, the wily author has populated her tales with realistic and uniquely composed yet recognizable quirkiness, and combined that with the humorous observations and witty inner musings of the main character. Nina’s malapropism is rather brilliant.

I remain enamored with the pixie-booted Beth, she is far from perfect and haphazard about observing her work hours and attending to her own personal appearance yet tenacious in following her insatiable curiosity. I would enjoy knowing her in the real world but must settle with following her exploits on my Kindle.

About the Author

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph. Alice is an avid reader of crime fiction, her favorite stories are cozy crimes with a strong sense of place. When she couldn’t find a series about her beloved south London, she decided to write her own – and single mum amateur sleuth Beth Haldane was born. Alice also writes twisty psychological thrillers for HQ Digital under the name A.M. Castle. The Perfect Widow was a top-selling audiobook in 2019 and The Invitation hit the top 50 on Amazon UK in 2021. Alice lives with her two children and two cats and, if she isn’t writing or reading a whodunit, she’ll be watching one on telly.

Alice is also a blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceMCastle

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Book Review: The Problem With Pretending by Emma Hart @EmmaHartAuthor

 

 

The Problem With Pretending
by Emma Hart

Amazon  / BB

From New York Times bestselling author Emma Hart comes a swoony, hilarious rom-com about what happens when you find yourself snowed in at a Scottish castle… with only one bed to share with your aristocratic fake boyfriend…

Literally, colliding with the hottest guy in the world and agreeing to be his date to his sister’s wedding? Done… for some reason.
Finding out he’s actually an aristocrat and will one day inherit an ancient Scottish dukedom and castle? Yep, that’s a surprise.
Sharing a bed with him at said castle because his family thinks I’m his girlfriend? Okay, I’m sure I’ll survive. Even if he does make my heart pitter-patter and my lady bits— uh, never mind.
Dealing with his family feud, his bridezilla sister, and his grandma’s gobby cockatiel who fancies himself the castle alarm system? It’s… well, it’s… something.
Oh, and a snowstorm, keeping my real identity a secret, trying to figure out where the heck I know the Glenroch family from, and why his mum keeps looking at me weirdly?
Yeah, that I’ll need some help with…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Amber slowly dragged her gaze from her phone screen to meet mine, and she was so stony-faced that if she stayed there much longer, she’d end up turning into a gargoyle and catapulting herself to live on the side of my father’s house.

“You’d be even more fabulous if you brought your mascara out of the spider-leg craze of two-thousand-and-seven, though.” She batted those spider-leg eyelashes at me. “I’m holding onto my youth.” “You’re seventy-six. I think your grip is slipping.”

“You’re not helping.” Grace prodded me in the shoulder. “Ah, see, you’ve mistaken me for someone who was trying to.”

When Granny heard it, she scoffed and said Gramps might have had her heart, but she also had a clitoris, and he was never very good at finding it. She had needs, and now he was dead, she could fulfil them without hurting his feelings.

“Granny,” Grace said. “There is no relationship.” “You say that, but you’re over here sucking his face like you’re in a desert and he’s the only cactus with any water around.”

“You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive. I’m just test-driving potential boyfriends by taking them for a spin around the bedroom, that’s all.” I grinned. “A very effective way of weeding out the weak.”

My Review:

 

Picking up an Emma Hart book has become one of my favorite indulgences, her tales generally result in multiple instances of giggle-snorting during perusal. Her vividly drawn, vibrant, and quirky characters enamor, delight, and entertain me like no other and never fail to include razor-sharp banter, clever wit, and ridiculous discussions. I adored this couple and enjoyed their conundrums and navigation of each other as well as their complicated family issues.

 

About the Author

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Emma Hart, has written more than seventy romance novels in the last decade. She loves writing snarky, swoony romcoms with a side of chaos, occasionally venturing into romantic mysteries. Which are exactly the same as her romcoms, just with a dead body or two. That’s the reason for her questionable Internet history—at least that’s the story she’s sticking to.

She lives on a smallholding in North Wales with her husband and their two children, a clowder of very fluffy cats, one giant German Shepherd, and an undisclosed number of chickens and ducks. Don’t ask her to count them. She will not, thank you very much.

When she’s not writing or chasing ducks in her pajamas, you can find her creating cozy gaming content for her Youtube channel and live streaming on Twitch.

Find her online:

Amazon: https://emmahart.pub/books 

Youtube: https://emmahart.pub/youtube 

Twitch: https://emmahart.pub/twitch 

Facebook: https://emmahart.pub/Facebook 

Instagram: https://emmahart.pub/Instagram 

Tiktok: https://emmahart.pub/TikTok 

Twitter: https://emmahart.pub/Twitter 

Website: https://emmahart.pub/site 

 

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Book Review: Can’t Fight It (Lessons Learned #3) by Allie Winters @SmartyPantsRom

 

 Can’t Fight It
(Lessons Learned #3)
by Allie Winters

Amazon  / B&N / BB

Can’t Fight It, an all-new friends-to-lovers college romance from Allie Winters, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

Mousy bookworm. Psychology nerd. The kind of girl who constantly sticks her foot in her mouth.

The last thing I am is the type to attract the intimidating, motorcycle-riding guy in the apartment next door. Especially when that mouth of mine gets me in trouble and he overhears me talk smack about him…

So no one’s more surprised than me when he shows up as a participant in the psych study I’m running on campus. Or when he generously offers me some much-needed self-defense lessons. Or when we grow closer than I thought possible. It turns out some people aren’t at all what they seem at first glance. They can actually be everything you never knew you wanted in a man.

The thing is, Austin Langford is so far out of my league, it’s laughable. Muscled boxers don’t go for nobodies like me. I need to forget about this one-sided attraction.

Even when it feels like I can’t fight it.

‘Can’t Fight It’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Lessons Learned series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

She gives me a look like I’ve got about two working brain cells and one just gave out.

My Review:

 

I enjoyed this sweet and sexy romance, it was a slow burn until their chemistry sparked a volcanic eruption and they became a fire hazard. I adored this couple, a clever case of looks can be deceiving and never assume.

 

About the Author

Allie is the author of the Suncoast University series, the Bishop Brothers series, and the Lessons Learned series. She lives in sunny Florida with her husband, daughter, and two cats. A librarian by day, she spends her nights writing happily ever afters. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and all things Disney.

Find Allie Winters online

Website: http://bit.ly/357VYOr

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/389mnNO

Facebook: http://bit.ly/3b5KJdk

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3pOJNhB

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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Book Review: The Vinyl Frontier (Lessons Learned Book 4) by Lola West @romance_lola @SmartyPantsRom

The Vinyl Frontier
(Lessons Learned Book 4)
by Lola West

 

The Vinyl Frontier, all-new opposites attract college romance from USA Today bestselling author Lola West, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

What happens when an uptight preppy frat boy sets his sights on a punk rock princess? #superherolevelchaos

Zack Worthington’s life is a carefully curated performance. Controlled by his politician father, he stands on his mark and recites his lines. There’s no room for deviation, no time for comic books, and no patience for obscure Trekkie facts. He’s all business, polished to a shine–the sparkling jewel in his father’s crown.

Then one night, Zack lays eyes on a girl he can’t unsee…

Open-minded, self-sufficient, Deaf drummer, Molly Mills is working hard to find her rhythm in a competitive college music program. She’s driven to prove herself to nearly everyone, even while living off of packaged noodles and thrift-store clothing.

Watching her alone on the dance floor, punky, free, and wild, Zack told himself that opposites attract was totally not a real thing. But a couple days later when he realizes he’s the teaching assistant in her research methodologies class, he can’t ignore his instincts. He has to know her.

Only Molly isn’t interested in his platitudes and superficial chit-chat.

Suddenly, all bets are off because this buttoned-up, rule-following rich guy actually wants to be more than meets the eye…

‘The Vinyl Frontier’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #4 in the Lessons Learned series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She shook hands like she owned the earth. I envied the technique and shook hands with her any chance I got, trying to commit the feeling to memory.

This was not the kind of girl who stood next to you on the podium as you swore to uphold the law. This was the kind of girl who went with you to the county fair, screamed something profane from the top of the Ferris wheel, and licked the cotton candy off her fingers.

Sure, it might end in a blaze of heartbreak— but maybe every girl should date at least one totally inappropriate guy.

Thing was, I didn’t want dick pics. They weren’t sexy. Mostly they made me want to laugh. Penises, just hanging out without abs or heads, or personalities, looked kinda like the alien cousins of mole rats.

My Review:

 

I’m an old lady so I don’t often find myself reading New Adult stories, but since this is Smartypants I was all in. I am delighted to advise that this was an amusing, thoughtful, and perceptively written tale that informed of the differences between the non-hearing and hearing perspectives, and I loved that. I enjoyed the careful texturing and multi-layering of the characters as well as their snarky inner musings.

This was my introduction to the clever and insightful arrangements of words of Lola West, and I was an instant fan. I look forward to delving into more of her scribblings.

 

About the Author

Lola West writes short, sweet, smart, silly, sexy romances. With a Ph.D. in women’s studies and a flair for the dramatic, Lola likes to keep it real. Her loves are cotton candy, astronomy, kitten heels, and small-town hunks. Lola’s heroes make you swoon and her heroines talk back. Also, she believes that consent is always sexy, even in books.

You can learn more about Lola by visiting lolawestromance.com and find a FREE READ or you can find her hanging out all over the internet.

Find Lola online

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Book Review: Bear With Me Now by Katie Shepard @YTCShepard @BerkleyRomance

Bear With Me Now
by Katie Shepard

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP / BB

After being hospitalized for panic attacks two years after his mother’s death, charitable foundation executive Teagan van Zijl is dragged by his sister to a wilderness therapy retreat in Montana. Lost in the woods, Teagan nearly gets eaten by a bear but is saved by an angel in muddy hiking boots—the program’s handywoman, Darcy Albano, that is. After spending the summer with Darcy, Teagan realizes he doesn’t want to return to New York without her. He hires Darcy as his sober companion—a position he doesn’t actually need filled and for which Darcy is completely unqualified—hoping she can help him figure out how to move forward. But once they get to the city, all Teagan can think of is how to confess the truth while keeping her in his life.

Darcy Albano thought she was going to work as a wilderness guide when she was hired on the camp staff, but ended up a handywoman instead—only the latest screwing-over she’s endured since her ex stole her car and her parents ruined her credit score. But Teagan van Zijl is the silver lining she didn’t expect to appear—clearly going through something but willing to commit to Darcy’s unique brand of wilderness education as the cure for what ails him. They form an unlikely bond based on the unexpected support they provide each other. Darcy never imagined staying in the city, but with Teagan’s unshakeable belief in her abilities, anything seems possible.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He had a dimple in his left cheek, and the lopsidedness of his mouth made it appear that he was holding half a smile in reserve rather than fully committing to the expression.

Teagan is not a horny mistake. I am not going to lay his pipe, even though I totally could, and that would probably fix all his substance abuse issues, add five years to his life, and show him the very face of God. No. I’m helping him. Therapeutically.

She should have said something, Darcy decided. Next time she’d make a scene. She didn’t really mind making a scene, and she sensed that the women at this event would consider it a tragedy if the entire evening passed and nobody made a scene. It might as well be Darcy.

So she twined her arms around his neck and turned her face up to his. “If this is talking, I can’t wait to see you argue,” she said.

You’re that first cup of coffee that gets me out of bed in the morning. You’re the song on my playlist for the drive home. You’re every good thing that I promise myself to get through the day.

My Review:

 

I enjoyed this tale, the characters were all of the total mess variety, yet authentically complicated while tickling my gray matter to know more about them. The storylines and writing style were lively and humorous with perceptive descriptions and situations that put vivid images behind my eyes and a frequent grin on my face.

 

I write love stories. I write about people whose jagged edges happen to match up with someone else’s. I write love stories because I wanted to make happy endings for people who are afraid they won’t get them.

I studied Soviet history and worked in human rights law before burning way, way out and achieving professional tranquility as a simple country bankruptcy lawyer. It’s just as exciting as it sounds!

I live in Texas with my husband, kids, and elderly rescue cat, but am often found hiking in the mountains of Montana or the virtual woods of Thedas.