Category: Books

[New Post] ARC Review: The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann

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Title: The Apple Tree

Author: Jewel E. Ann

Page count: 372

Published: March 23rd, 2025

Publisher: Valentine PR

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5/5

He’s a single dad starting over in a new town. She’s a relentless flirt with a penchant for trouble, ten years younger than him, and the babysitter. What could go wrong?

Eve has just graduated from high school, but she doesn’t know what’s next aside from working at the local motel, spying on Kyle, her neighbor, and stealing apples from his orchard. If she doesn’t figure things out soon, she’ll be stuck at home and treated like a child forever.

Kyle is a single dad and the new football coach who needs a babysitter for his adorable son. When he meets Eve, there’s an instant connection because she reminds him of someone—himself. But Eve is the preacher’s daughter, off-limits, and Kyle has already had his heart trampled by his ex.

After earning his son’s affection with her homemade apple sauce and youthful spirit, Eve asks Kyle to teach her things like driving his fishing boat and shooting his hunting bow. Despite his better judgment, he agrees, but swears Eve to secrecy so no one gets the wrong idea about them.

Their playful banter and innocent flirting crosses a line, and Kyle misses the heartbreaking secret Eve’s hidden in plain sight.

When tragedy strikes, can they find their way back to each other?

This was a lovely age gap with Kyle and Eve. They have a ten-year age gap. Eve isn’t sure what she wants to do with her future battling her personal demons, all she knew was that she was tired of living with her parents. Her parents had set some high expectations being a child to a pastor. She lives in a small town, and nothing really happens until a guy named Kyle buys the farmhouse next door. Kyle needs a change from everything for him and his son. He’s going to be the new teacher/coach at the local high school. When they both see one another there is an instant connection that you instantly want more of. This was emotional that will leave you laughing and crying. I can’t wait to see how Gabby’s story is.

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[New Post] ARC Review: Keep Tuscany by Kelly Kay

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Title: Keep Tuscany

Author: Kelly Kay

Page count: 401

Published: August 26th, 2024

Publisher: Grey’s Promo

Genre: Second Chance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5/5

What if you got a star-crossed Italian do-over?

Single Dad, Second Chance, Soulmates, Friends To Lovers

When life gives you lemons, make limoncello. 

Colt’s eyes are exactly the same—amber-rimmed in green and electric—as they take me like he did fourteen years ago. We share this moment as if it’s before there was heart-shattering honor, duty, doing the right thing and leaving us both broken. Time, distance, and pain all evaporate in this moment. I was beginning to feel like Under The Tuscan Sun and Beach Music lied to me, but Italy might actually be magic. Neither of us should logically be here, but here we are, trapped in each other’s gaze in the middle of Tuscany.

My mother remarked, “Maggie, you’re being ridiculous, a country can’t heal a broken heart.” 

But what’s really messed up is that even though my husband left me for our mixed doubles pickleball partners, my heart’s not broken. It was never whole enough to give it to my ex-husband because it never healed from when Colt had to marry someone else.

Now I’m sitting here in a falling-apart Tuscan villa with a way overabundant lemon grove and a possible mongoose living in the walls, terrified of all I left behind, clutching at the tatters of tomorrow, but I can’t stop smiling. Maybe, finally, I’m allowed to fully open my heart for the first time since he had to marry someone else. Now it’s my turn. Maybe this time, I’ll get to love him forever. Maybe healing a broken heart means getting a second chance. Or maybe I’m meant to remain shattered.  I hope not.

The Boston Brothers: A Second Chance series are interconnected standalone stories featuring the lives and loves of six guys who are either brothers or brothers from another mother and the women they were lucky enough to find, screw it up and then find again.

Colt and Maggie meet in Paris when they are studying abroad, and you can tell they are meant to be. One day they are forced apart by things in life. Some years later they have a second chance meeting on accident, the accident lead them to be able to heal their hearts with one another they were one another’s perfect caretaker. While reading there is a definite roller coaster that you get taken on and I loved every minute of it. Colt and Maggie may be my favourite in the series thus far.

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[New Post] ARC Review: Love You Too by Stacy Travis

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Title: Love You Too

Author: Stacy Travis

Page count: 282

Published: October 15th, 2024

Publisher: Valentine PR

Genre: Sports Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4/5

A small town, surprise pregnancy, hockey romance from bestselling author Stacy Travis

You know what they say—when things start to come together, life throws you a curveball.

Well, in this case…a hockey puck.

Ten years ago, we were college sweethearts. Until Dominick (Ren) Renaldi decided the grass was greener playing pro hockey in Canada.

I moved on—made my mark as a designer. I run two restaurants and an inn at our family winery, Buttercup Hill.

Nothing is missing. Nothing at all.

Then Ren struts into my small town, a reminder of a broken heart I locked in the past.

Okay, yes, this responsible, type A girl could really use a wild night of scorchin’ hot fun, and Ren, with his penetrating eyes and easy charm, is all too happy to deliver—grownup style.

Imagine my surprise when I see a little pink plus sign a few weeks later.

I’m not looking for love, especially with a guy who’s walked away once. And Ren’s serious about his career, so he will walk away. Besides, I’m not the kind of woman who traps a man with a surprise baby.

But when our shared history and a certain little growing bean brings us close again, I discover the real reason Ren left—and why he’s back.

I find myself starting to like my baby daddy and the man he became.

But what if I love him, too?

Back in Collage Ren and Trix were collage sweethearts, until Ren broke her heart when he left to play pro hockey. Now that it’s been ten years Trix has a wonderful career, she’s a workaholic so her assistant tells her that she needs to take come breaks. This one time she goes for a walk and happened to cross paths with her collage sweetheart Ren, and they share a wild night together and the rest is history. The emotion, banter, friendships and second chances with a great family dynamic.

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[New Post] ARC Review: Loving the Liar by Lola King

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Title: Loving the Liar

Author: Lola King

Page count: 572

Published: September 12th, 2024

Publisher: Valentine PR

Genre: Dark Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5/5

An angsty, secret society, dark romance from best-selling author, Lola King
Welcome to Silver Falls University, where the elite comes to thrive.

My life as a queen bee was always traced for me. I’m rich, I come from an influential family, and I constructed my personality to become the girl everyone wants to be. I rule Silver Falls University with bright smiles and the pretense of being everyone’s friend.

But in a place where toxic rich kids love to see others fall, no one is safe.
Especially when my family loses its power and someone threatens to spill all my secrets.
In the blink of an eye, my life as I knew it crumbles, and to save the people I love, I’m forced to initiate into the one place I thought I’d never be—the same Secret Society who betrayed my family.

Powerless, I’m thrown into a world of men who want nothing but to use and break me, and only one person can save me.

My ex.

He wants to take care of me even though I hate him.
He wants to protect me when he’s not allowed.
And he wants to make me his even if it puts us both at risk.

I have no hope of surviving a secret society.

But if Christopher Murray makes me his…I have no hope of surviving him.

Loving The Liar is a dark romance intended for readers over 18. Please, read the CW in the book.
This is the first book in a series of 3 interconnected standalones.
He lost her once. Now he will do anything to have her back. Anything.

While reading I felt like my head was on a swivel with everything that was going on, I didn’t know which way to turn. This was a fantastically dark with so much spice it was delish. Ella is the sweet and popular girl having it all but, on the inside, she is also insecure. I just wanted to hug her so many times. Chris is the ‘golden’ boy, when you get behind closed doors, he’s all I’m going to say is HOLY! I was shocked at some points due to his obsessive behavior. Ella and Chris do have a toxic relationship at some points I thought they were not going to get there HEA and they did. Out of all the other books that I have read by King I think this one is the spiciest, steamy books that I have read by her and loved it. I didn’t want it to end. With how this book is I would honestly check the trigger warnings because this book is intense. This was a top 2024 read for me

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[New Post] ARC Review: Rule Breakers Fall Hardest by Micalea Smeltzer

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Title: Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

Author: Micalea Smeltzer

Page count: 552

Published: June 27th, 2024

Publisher: Valentine PR

Genre: Sports Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4/5

Once upon a time, Daire Hendricks was my childhood crush. He was always there, saving me from his annoying brothers. He was my rock, my safe place from my overbearing family.

Until he wasn’t.

Imagine my annoyance when we end up at the same university and I have to see his smug, too-handsome-for-his-own-good face all over campus.

Every time we cross paths, we spew hateful words at each other, so imagine my surprise when he seeks me out and utters the most surprising question.

“Marry me?”

He needs my help, and his solution is marriage. It’s a pretty big ask, but somehow, I find myself saying yes. We might hate each other now, but the benefits of this arrangement are worth it.

But what neither of us expects, is when playing house starts to feel a little too real.

Falling for each other was never part of the plan, but you know what they say about the best laid plans?

They often go awry.

Books that have enemies to lovers with marriage of convenience seems to be a new trope that I’m obsessed with adding that they have known one another since they were kids is my favourite tropes in one book. (chef kiss) Daire finds out that he needs to get married to get custody of his son so he asks his friend Rosie for help, but will she say yes to helping him out? Will they be able to get past their miscommunication?.

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