#BookReview ~ Dare by Chelle Bliss ~ #MenofInkedHeatwave

 

About the Book:

Austin Moore found his purpose in the military, but there was always something missing. He wanted what everyone in his family had...someone to call his own. But his life didn't make it easy to find a soul mate, someone to be his forever.

Sage Hill enlisted to follow in the footsteps of her father, but never wanted to be in his shadow. And when her friend ditches her at a dive bar, she catches the eye of a handsome stranger. But Sage doesn't have time for relationships, nor does she want the complication.

When Sage is stuck, Austin tries to be her saving grace and a challenge leads to a lip lock neither one of them can forget. She swore she'd never fall for a strong and bossy man like her father, but she soon learns there's more than meets the eye underneath that sexy exterior.

My Review:

Dare is book 14 in the Men of Inked: Heatwave series by Chelle Bliss. Dare is also the second book I’ve read in the series. As someone who doesn’t usually start a series in the middle, or skip around, I was pulled in by the description of the book and knew I had to read it despite how far in the series Dare falls. I was not disappointed nor was I lost. I might not know the backstory of the characters from previous books, but the author did an amazing job with a book that will be enjoyable for a long-time fan or a newly discovered one.

I enjoyed Sage and Austin’s story. Their childhoods are so different, yet they related to each other on other levels. Sage and Austin were magnets to one another. I was pulled into their story and captivated by their personalities, drama, romance, and complications. Their chemistry sizzles, the passion is raw, and emotions permeate the pages. I had a hard time putting the book down.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Amazon

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Website: menofinked.com 

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#BookReview ~ Wrath by Cala Riley ~ #MCRomance #CalaRiley #LotusMCSeries

 Wrath by Cala Riley

About the Book:

Wrath
All I have in life is my brothers and my club.
It's all I ever needed.
Until Tara.
Seeing her broken and bruised called to a part of me I thought was long dead.
She can't handle my brand of crazy though.
So I'll offer her the only thing I can.
My claim, but in name only.

Tara
Being a sweetbutt, I never let myself imagine finding my happy ever after within the walls of the Lotus MC.
It just wasn't done.
Until Wrath.
His claim was meant to save me, but it only left me feeling isolated.
He thinks I can't handle him, but he's wrong.
Underneath this damaged girl is a woman dying to burst free.
If only, I could break down his walls enough to explore it with him.

With danger lurking around every corner, will Wrath and Tara ever be able to overcome their insecurities and find solace within one another?

Check trigger warnings.

My Review:

Wrath is the excellent second book in the Lotus MC Series.

Wrath has never needed a steady woman in his life...until Tara. When she is attacked, Wrath claims her to protect and save her. Neither expected for their union to be the beginning of anything, let alone the breaking down of walls.

Wrath is a beautiful and gritty MC romance, filled with suspense, action, and realism. The authors created a novel with all the feels. I laughed and I cried. I worried and then felt immense relief. I was anxious and on the edge of my seat. The description of the book pulled me in but the character-driven plot, outstanding character development and world-building, and writing style kept me engaged. I couldn't put the book down.

For the record - I hate needles just as Tara does, but I have four tattoos. Medical needles and tattooing are 2 completely different animals. I could get tattooed everyday, but shots and getting blood drawn freak me out.

I can't wait for the next book about Colt.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Amazon

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#BookReview ~D is for Dogs by Greg Paprocki ~ #BabyLit #AlphabetBoard #Toddlers #Children #Dogs #GibbsSmith

 

Book Information:

$12.99 U.S. • Board Book

6 3/8 x 8 3/8 in, 32 Pages

Full-Color Illustrations

Ages 0 to 3

On Sale: 9/3/2024

9781423667551

Rights: Worldwide

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

Learn with your toddler from A to Z all about different kinds of dogs and their funny doggy behaviors.

A fun collection of illustrations for young readers featuring a variety of dog breeds―ranging from large to tiny―that toddlers might see in their neighborhoods or on TV. These cute-as-can-be dogs―athletic dogs playing in the park, wet dogs shaking off water, sleepy dogs taking naps, hungry dogs having a snack, and more antics―will make toddlers laugh and smile. Another delightful BabyLit alphabet board book featuring Greg Paprocki’s classically retro mid-century art style that’s proven to be a hit with both young children and adults.

My Review:

D is for Dogs is a fun alphabet book perfect for toddlers and younger children. The illustrations are amazing. I love the retro vibe.

The pages are wonderfully designed. The top of each page features a large letter. The bottom of each page features a corresponding action pertaining to dogs.

A perfect gift for dog lovers with toddlers and young children in their lives.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Meet the Author:

GREG PAPROCKI works full-time as an illustrator and book designer.

He has illustrated several Curious George books, the Little

Leonardo series, and the BabyLit alphabet board books including

S Is for Santa, B Is for Boo, E Is for Easter, and C Is for Camping.

Greg’s Gibbs Smith titles have sold 820,000 copies. He lives in

Omaha, Nebraska.

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#Review ~ Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery) by Joyce Tremel ~ #CozyMysteryReview #CozyMystery

Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery) by Joyce Tremel

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Setting - Pennsylvania

Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024)

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 250 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639105433

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639105434

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C2P4QB9T

 

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey, when Kate Mulligan inherits her great uncle’s fruit orchard, she quickly realizes that apples aren’t the only thing that can have rotten cores.

After losing her husband in a terrible car crash, thirty-five-year-old Kate is left to pick up the pieces of her life alone. Although she has physically recovered, she worries her spirit never will. But when she learns that she has inherited a fruit orchard in a small town just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from her great uncle Stan, she takes this as an opportunity ripe for the picking. Kate knew immediately what to do with it: open a cider house. Her hopeful plans fall far from the tree when she finds the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph, leaving her to figure out who is at the core of this murder.

She had been in correspondence with Carl, who had agreed with her brilliant idea of opening a cider house. But not everyone is so quick to buy what she was selling—Uncle Stan’s lawyer, Robert Larabee, paints a less rosy financial outlook of the orchard’s past, present, and future.

Kate discovers that Carl had large, unexplained deposits to his bank account and it becomes clear that either he was blackmailing someone, or someone was paying him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Kate and her neighbors receive offers to buy their property from a mysterious buyer. And there’s more than meets the eye with the neighboring orchard owner, Daniel Martinez, although Kate can’t quite put her finger on if it’s sweet or sour.

Will she be able to pick out the bad apple among the bunch before it’s too late?

My Review:

Deadly to the Core is the first book in the Cider House Mystery series.

Kate Mulligan is back in Orchardville, PA after inheriting an orchard from her late great uncle Stan. Having lost her husband previously, this change comes at a time when Kate is ready to get out of Dodge and start a new chapter in her life. The pain of loss is still at the surface but a new venture running an orchard and cider house will keep her busy, both mind and body. Things really heat up in the orchard when Kate finds the body of her orchard manager, Carl, dead in his cottage.

I really enjoyed Deadly to the Core. I was able to sympathize and empathize with Kate as she navigated the start of this new life with the pain of past events. She's a strong character and the author created and developed her well. I enjoyed the descriptive content and world building. The book begins a little slowly as the author builds up the story, at first books in a series tend to do, but really takes off after the death of Carl.

I'm excited to see where the author takes Kate next.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Visit Joyce Tremel:

Website www.joycetremel.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/JoyceTremel

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Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13746162.Joyce_Tremel

Purchase Link:

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#BookReview ~ A Bean to Die For (A Coffee Lover's Mystery) by Tara Lush #CozyMystery #TaraLush #ABeanToDieFor

 A Bean to Die For (A Coffee Lover's Mystery) by Tara Lush

Cozy Mystery

4th in Series

Setting - Florida

Publisher: ‎ Crooked Lane Books (January 9, 2024)

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 163910545X 

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1639105458 

Digital ASIN: ‎ B0C1YBSBXZ

About A Bean to Die For:

Perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is back on the case when a body is dug up in the community garden.

Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.

Jack, an environmental activist, had been banned from the garden previously, because of his many fights with Darla about organic produce. Lana promises her boyfriend, police chief Noah, that she’s going to stay out of this case, having been too involved in previous cases. But when she learns that Jack died from an accidental overdose, and Darla is the top suspect because of her shady past, Lana can't help but poke around in an attempt to clear Darla's name.

As Lana dives deeper into the case, she learns that Jack had more enemies than she realized. When Darla turns up dead, Lana has to turn up the heat on her investigation. With Lana on the case, it won’t be long before someone spills the beans to crack this case wide open. But will she able to find the killer before they strike again?

My Review:

We are back in Devil's Beach, Florida with A Bean to Die For, book four in the Coffee Lover's Mystery series! 

A Bean to Die For is a wonderful fourth book in this series. Lana is moving into harvesting her own Florida-grown coffee beans, and she knows the perfect place. The community garden is a strictly enforced farmer's market type growing area. Lana manages to secure a plot with the help of her father and the garden president, Darla. Upon arrival to view and assess her plot, the body of Jack Daggett, local citizen and fight instigator, is found dead among the previous tenant's tomato plants. Darla is the number one suspect due to a past that still haunts her. Lana gets involved to help keep Darla from going to prison. What Lana finds is a laundry list of people with grievances against Jack. 

I really enjoyed A Bean to Die For. The set-up of the mystery was carefully planned out, the number of suspects kept me guessing, and the sleuthing done in a way I would expect a former journalist to be able execute. Lana is a wonderful heroine, her father quirky, and the rest of characters well-developed. I loved the setting and the way the author described everything from the inside of the coffeeshop to the beach. Being able to envision the story as I read along is paramount to my total enjoyment and A Bean to Die For by Tara Lush knocked it out of the park.

I was provided a copy of this book. 

My Rating:

Visit Tara Lush:

WEBSITE: https://taralush.com

Purchase Link: 

Amazon

 

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#BookReview ~ Something Like Lust by Piper Rayne #SportsRomance #Romance #Football

About the Book:

Do it.

Don’t do it.

Never in my life did I think I’d wager in my head whether to sleep with Chicago Grizzlies wide receiver, Damon Siska.

He’s the perfect package—hot body, killer smile, and flirts like he earned a doctorate in it. But anyone who reads gossip blogs knows he is looking for one amazing night and nothing more.

I’m not the usual type of woman he beds. I’m a middle school teacher who cherishes her quiet nights in, drinking wine, and watching romantic comedies, dreaming I’m the heroine. I’m not embarrassed to admit—I want the fairy tale.

But Damon caught me at a weak moment. Fresh off a break-up and feeling lousy about myself, I gave into temptation and left the next morning like every other woman he’d slept with.

Except I walked away with more than just the memories when three weeks later the little white stick glowed with two pink lines.

My Review:

Something Like Lust is the second book in the new Chicago Grizzlies series by Piper Rayne. I enjoyed Adeline and Damon's story. I'm glad to get to see Damon and Adeline's relationship evolve from one-night-stand to co-parents to friends to much, much more. The authors did an excellent job penning this book with emotion and realism.

I loved the interactions between Adeline and Damon. This book is emotionally rich with well-written characters. I loved everything about the story, the characters, the new setting, and the romance. I love how the authors created a story that flows well, pulls you in, and keeps you engaged. The writing style and story took my breath away.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Add to Goodreads

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Visit Piper Rayne:

Website: www.PiperRayne.com

#BookReview ~ Inherited Holiday by M. Robinson ~ #mrobinson #nowavailable #nowlive #newrelease #grumpysunshine #smalltown #holidayromance #newbookalert

Inherited Holiday

M. Robinson

Release Date: November 21

About the Book:

Bah freaking humbug.

I hate Christmas—always have, always will. From the gaudy trees to the over-the-top decorations and the traditions everyone clings to like they’re sacred.

Particularly my family.

They own Mistletoe Town—a Hallmark movie come to life and a place most people only dream about. Thanks to an unexpected inheritance from my great-grandfather, it’s my personal nightmare.

I’m stuck running this Christmas-obsessed town with an avalanche of memories I’ve spent thirteen years trying to forget.

But it’s not just the town I abandoned… it’s her.

And no matter how much I play the Scrooge, I’m about to find out some ghosts from the past can’t be ignored—or outrun.

Especially now that she’s my sweet new employee, baking spirits merry and bright.

If I want to stay off the naughty list, I have to learn how to play nice.

And let go of the past.

My Review:

Inherited Holiday is a steamy, second chance, holiday romance.

Noelle Woods moved to Mistletoe Town when she was fourteen. Her very first friend was Nicholas Saint Clair, grandson of the town's owner. They were best friends, right up until he left Mistletoe Town and didn't look back. Now that his grandfather has willed Mistletoe Town to him, Nicholas returns to take over running a town that lives for the very holiday he hates - Christmas.

The first thing Nicholas wants to do when he returns is rekindle his friendship with Noelle. However, Noelle is resistant. He hurt her when he left and didn't keep in touch. I love their second chance at love, which they both are in but deny it through much of the story. 

Noelle and Nicholas are wonderful characters. I love their banter, flirting, and ever so electric interactions. Their chemistry is off the charts and so evident from the first second of their reconnection. The author created a magical setting, likable characters, and a plot that pulls the reader in and keeps them engaged. This book is a unique spin on Christmas.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Grab Your Copy:

Amazon

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#BookReview ~ Santa Maybe by Carla Luna ~ @casacullen @rararesources ~ #HolidayRomance #SantaMaybe #Santa #Christmas #Fauxmance

Santa Maybe

About the Book:

Have yourself a merry little fauxmance—with a dashing Santa who just might make it real.

Rosie Gonzalez isn’t having a wonderful Christmas time. Not when she’s at risk of losing her job as assistant manager of the Duchess—Victoria’s oldest boutique hotel. If she and her team can’t bring in more guests by the end of December, she’ll be let go. Adding to her stress is a calendar filled with family gatherings where her mom will inevitably nag her for still being single.

Drew Richardson isn’t faring much better. As if working alongside his ex at Northlife Fitness wasn’t bad enough, now she’s invited him to her December wedding. And since all his coworkers will be there, bailing isn’t an option. To get through it, he’ll need a plus-one for moral support.

So, when Rosie recruits him to play Santa for her hotel’s activities, he also proposes a fake-dating scheme to benefit them both. Just for the holidays—nothing more. But as things between them turn from nice to naughty, they’ll have to decide whether a real relationship could be the best Christmas gift of all.

My Review:

Santa Maybe is a cute and fun holiday fauxmance. Rosie and Drew are fantastic characters. Her job is on the line unless she can increase occupancy at her boutique hotel by Christmas. He's been invited to his ex's wedding and doesn't want to show up without a date. 

Part of Rosie's plan to increase hotel numbers involves family activities including events with Santa. Drew makes a great Santa and he's totally in but has a request of his own. Rosie is going to be his plus-one to his ex's wedding. There has been a connection between Rosie and Drew since their first meeting, Unfortunately, any potential relationship is waylaid when Drew started dating a co-worker. When they come back together, we get a spectacular story about friendship, support, and love.

Drew, Rosie, and her friends, family, and coworkers are fantastic, well-developed, and written well. The world was well crafted and I was able to visualize the story. There are other themes threaded throughout the book providing an additional layer of realism. I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Visit the Author's Website:

https://www.carlalunabooks.com/

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#BookReview ~ Merry Kissmas by Piper Rayne ~ Close Proximity, Holiday Romance, Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance Romance @PiperRayneRocks

About the Book:

Six years ago, he was her one-night stand, and now they’re sharing a villa for the holidays.

I thought I was over him. That his good looks and British accent couldn’t affect me anymore. But the minute our eyes lock across the elevator, all those feelings come roaring back to life.

Then I find out we’re competing for the same job.

Next comes the realization that we have to spend a week together on a ski vacation because of some six-degree-of-separation nonsense.

The real kicker is when I find out the two of us have to share a villa. A very small, very cozy villa.

Needless to say, this Christmas getaway is starting off rockier than the mountains we’ll be skiing down.

I’ve stayed away for years, what’s one week? But I forgot how much easier it is to ignore him with an ocean separating us—especially when he’s determined to win me back.

My Review:

Her one-night-stand  reappears in her life after six long and lonely years.

Merry Kissmas reunites two lovers who were never the same after their one-night-stand. During her semester abroad, Brynn connects with a stranger and she spends a glorious weekend with him. When she shows up to class the following Monday, Pierce is also in the same class as Brynn. To both of their surprises though, she's the student and he's the TA. 

Six years later they meet again by happenstance and it seems like fate has things all planned out. They are competing for the same job, which is uncomfortable and highly unlikely. Especially since Pierce is British, Brynn is from Oregon, and the job is in New York. What are the odds?! Then comes the vacation destination and Pierce's previously unknown ties to Brynn's family.

I really enjoyed this close proximity, second chance romance. Brynn and Pierce are terrific characters. They were perfect for each other from their first interaction. Brynn was understandably hurt by Pierce's actions six years ago, but Pierce has made it known that he wants to right the wrong and get her back. He blends perfectly into her family, who nudge Brynn into making really thinking about her happiness and if Pierce fits.

Merry Kissmas is cute, cozy, Christmasy, competitive, and a bit steamy! I could not put the book down, and enjoyed this holiday novel. Brynn and Pierce are fun to get to know. I love seeing Brynn loosen up while celebrating Christmas with her family and Pierce. The chemistry between Brynn and Pierce is off the charts and I loved watching their relationship blossom.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Download today on Amazon

Meet Piper Rayne:

Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write "heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle" about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they're married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they're both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!

Connect with Piper Rayne:

Website: www.PiperRayne.com

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