Practice Makes Perfect

      

Title: Practice Makes Perfect

Author: Sarah Adams

Publisher: Dell, May 2, 2023

Pages: 338

Genre: Contemporary Romance

A small-town sweetheart and an emotionally unavailable bad boy try to find some common ground in this chemistry-filled romance from the author of The Cheat Sheet and When in Rome.

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match—someone who complements her happy, quiet life running the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. But finding her dream man may be harder than Annie imagined. Everyone knows everyone in her hometown, and the dating prospects are getting fewer by the day. After she overhears her latest date say she is “so unbelievably boring,” Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will—the sexy , tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard—is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie Walker and any other possible attachments to this sleepy town. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will finds himself tasked with helping Annie find the love of her life by becoming the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky. Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie. He knows for a fact that some stuffy, straitlaced guy won’t make her happy, but he doesn’t have the heart to say no.

Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational” tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. As the lines of their friendship become dangerously blurred, Annie reconsiders her dream guy. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be real.

**ARC REVIEW**

I love Rome, Kentucky. I would love to live in Rome, Kentucky. Do we think there are towns that exist that are like Rome, Kentucky??? 

Annie is a sweet girl who wants desperately to be seen by the people she loves. To be seen for who she actually is and not for they think she is. Will is an executive protection agent who's way too ready to get out of Rome, Kentucky. He's in town protecting Annie's soon-to-be sister-in-law, and on his time off, he's providing sweet Annie dating lessons. 

Dating lessons, kissing lessons, plenty of confusion and more passion than Annie's ever known in her life. That's what Will Griffin is providing while he's in town. But he's chomping at the bit to get out, and Annie needs dating lessons so that she can settle down and get hitched. So she can have what she's always wanted. The husband and the family and the being settled.

Except the more she learns from Will, the more she realizes that settling down is maybe not exactly what she wants. Because she's quite enjoying the passion. And she might be more adventurous than she realizes. 

This is a fade to black, pirate-adjacent, small-town romance. It has all of the heart-swelling that you could possibly want. Well, all that I could want. The character growth is profound and very satisfying. I cried, but in a good way. A few times. And I'm very much looking forward to seeing how Madison and Emily, the two remaining Walker siblings, get their happily ever afters.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 1/5

A Week to be Wicked

          

Title: A Week to be Wicked

Series: Spindle Cove #2

Author: Tessa Dare

Published: Avon, March 27, 2012

Pages: 389

Genre: Historical Romance

Unexpected lovers find themselves together in Spindle Cove with A Week to be Wicked —the second book in Tessa Dare’s utterly delectable historical romance series. This Regency Era delight finds a restless British lord desperate to escape the quaint and too quiet small seaside resort he’s trapped in…and he gets much more than he expected when he eagerly agrees to escort a beautiful, brilliant, socially awkward lady scientist to Scotland. 

She's a geologist!! I love that she's a geologist! And I am so very very pleased that I live now and not then. For plenty of reasons. But for the fear of ruination and the being turned away from plenty of places for lack of balls. *eye roll*

Historical is not usually my jam. For plenty of reasons, but the geology here made it good. And Minerva and Colin certainly helped. They were top tier. Angst is acceptable under the guise of reforming a rake and an unchaperoned spinster traveling along the English countryside. 

I could definitely see myself getting lost in Spindle Cove. I'd like to read book 1 to see if they show us the night that Colin and Minerva keep referring to throughout this story. Their first night. I'd also love to see Kate Taylor and Captain Thorne. You know, maybe I will have to visit Spindle Cove again later this year.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 3/5

Love on the Brain

         

Title: Love on the Brain

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Published: Berkley, August 23, 2022

Pages: 363

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
 
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
 
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

I tell you what. Ali Hazelwood is a very talented woman. The science is cool, the men are huge and loyal to a fault, the women are hot headed and infuriating. And the books are not easy to put down!!

That's not entirely fair. The women are also tiny and birdlike and adorable and quirky. They're also brilliant and funny and very likable. EXCEPT when they downright refuse to acknowledge what's right in front of them. 

Specifically, Bee is a very cool, very smart and jumps to more conclusions than me when I'm reading a book and trying to figure out all of the little twists and turns. For a woman of science, she disregards way too much evidence. She won't let a single person finish a sentence and it makes me so MAD. 

And yet. I love this book. It's a conundrum. But here we are. And I am impatiently waiting for the next release.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 3/5

The STEMinist Novellas #1-3

Title: Under One Roof

Series: The STEMinist Novellas #1

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Published: Berkley, May 3, 2022

Pages: 112

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…
 
As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.
 
The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.

Short and sweet. Mara's mentor has died and left her a house. Well...half a house. And the other half is owned by a very attractive and very infuriating lawyer. This is a hilarious, and eventually hot, enemies to lovers.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 2/5

Title: Stuck with You

Series: The STEMinist Novellas #2

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Published: Berkley, June 7, 2022

Pages: 127

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart, you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader—she’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.
 
Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie’s superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik’s steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can’t help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed….

Is it too soon to say that I think Ali Hazelwood may be the queen of enemies to lovers. She's definitely the queen of miscommunication. Because I HATE miscommunication. And yet. These novellas are SO GOOD. Don't get me wrong, I do HATE the miscommunication. But the way that it's done is objectively really good. So I hate it in a good way? Definitely an unputdownable way. UGH so good.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 2/5

Title: Below Zero

Series: The STEMinist Novellas #3

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Published: Berkley, July 5, 2022

Pages: 139

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.
 
Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?

I'm obsessed with Hannah's guilt free fuckboi status. This woman is busy. She has science to do and papers to read and codes to code. She does not have time for *dinner* or *feelings*. Come on. She does want sex though, and I love that for her. I also love that Ian is like, "Nah, I want dinner and feelings, I deserve dinner and feelings, and when you're ready for dinner and feelings, hit me up." They're perfect. And this, in no way, dimmed my desire to go to Norway. I will ~probably~ not go in mid-winter. But I'm going. 

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 2/5

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a collection of steamy, STEMinist novellas featuring a trio of engineers and their loves in loathing—with a special bonus chapter!

I read them in their individual novella formats. But maybe one day I'll get my hands on this bonus chapter!!!

Hot Button Issue

        

Title: Hot Button Issue

Series: Roller Derby Witches #0.5

Author: Catrina Bell

Published: March 20, 2023

Pages: 130

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Good Blanca is a high-profile lawyer with a brilliant legal mind. She's everything her parents hoped she would be - impressive and successful. Bad Blanca is a beautiful mess. She dresses in fishnet tights, flirts with sexy werewolves, and just made the Hel Stars roller derby team. Oh, and she’s secretly a witch.

Thorin is her opposite in every way. The happy-go-lucky flirt struggles with supernatural aggression he can’t quite control. His attraction to Blanca makes things even more complicated.

When Blanca’s powerful client, a state senator, proposes new legislation restricting reproductive rights, the line separating the good and bad in her life becomes blurry. Derby is chaos, and soon everything goes off the rails. She has to decide, once and for all, how far she'll go to defend her values and the people she loves.

Always love a roller derby book. There aren't very many, or at least I haven't found them all. But it's still exciting when I do find one. 

Blanca is a lawyer and she's just made the human roller derby team in her town in Texas. She wants to keep the two parts of her life separate. Good Blanca is the lawyer. Bad Blanca is the roller derby girl. And while I sort of understand keeping the derby girl out of her professional life, it truly didn't make any sense to me why she was so concerned about the derby community finding out she's a lawyer. Roller derby, in my experience, is one of the most inclusive communities out there. 

Thorin is a classic millennial with a million jobs. One of which is at a bakery where he meets Good Blanca. It's only when Blanca accepts a date with Thorin that her worlds begin to collide. I do love that Thorin helps Blanca explore her adventurous side. And I'm absolutely on board with any book that wants to protest forced births. "Not the church. Not the state. Women must decide their fate."

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 2/5

Ravensong

        

Title: Ravensong

Series: Green Creek #2

Author: TJ Klune

Published: Bowker, July 31, 2018

Pages: 512

Genre: LGBTQ Fantasy Romance

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves. It should have been enough. And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them. But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within. Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken.

I love the way this series is being written. The stream of conscious and split time is so well done and compelling. 

Gordo felt like a much older man in Wolfsong than he does in Ravensong. Being face to face with his immaturity and abandonment issues make it hard to reconcile him with a grown man. I mean, this is a man in his mid to late 30s who is still clinging to grudges that were started when he was a teenager. But watching him grow through it was awesome. 

Mark could have made some better choices, but his love for Gordo was always there. Even when he decided to date someone else, it was always Gordo. (but dang does the man have TERRIBLE taste!)

I've read the blurbs for Heartsong and Brothersong. The stage has been set by the end of this book. All of the players are on the board. And I CAN NOT WAIT to see how the Bennett pack is about to kick some a**!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 2/5

Muffin to Lose

       

Title: Muffin to Lose

Series: The Mysteries of Cozy Cove #3

Author: Virginia K. Bennett

Published: March 30, 2023

Pages: 88

Genre: Cozy Mystery

AMATEUR SLEUTHS TAKE CALCULATED WHISKS.

Mackenzie has been baking records the past month with all her side gigs; she has been rolling out and bringing in the dough. Arthur has been her right and left-hand man some days with Brian still in the mix. Everyone is ready for things to slow down at Top O’ the Muffin to Ya.

When Mackenzie’s recently widowed neighbor begs her to investigate his late wife’s death, will she be able to sift through the clues to determine who caused the untimely end? As it turns out, many of the vendors at the Farmers’ Market and Food Truck Festival were not fans of the deceased, but speaking ill of the dead is a grave mistake.

Mackenzie and Arthur will need to whip up a miracle in order to solve a mystery that starts without a crumb of evidence.

Things in Cozy Cove sure are going sideways.

I think this got an entire star because it was released on my birthday. (I know I didn't read it on my birthday, but STILL!) 

Cozy Cove, where I will move when I retire, has had another murder. And who better to investigate than the town baker and her retired veteran sidekick! It's so wild when you think about it like that. But I LOVE Arthur and Mac. Their chemistry is adorable and I'm so glad we got some more of them together this time. As always, the puns were prolific, the cove was cozy, and the food descriptions made me ravenous. But don't worry!!! There's a bonus recipe at the end of the book! 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

It's All or Muffin

      

Title: It's All or Muffin

Series: The Mysteries of Cozy Cove #2

Author: Virginia K. Bennett

Published: February 22, 2023

Pages: 112

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Mackenzie’s bakery in Cozy Cove, Maine, wasn’t an overnight success; she had to whisk it for the biscuit. Having an assistant like Arthur bakes it all worthwhile, but could the new photographer in town be the secret ingredient?

The death of a prominent yet ornery senior citizen of Cozy Cove stirs up a new investigation. As one of only two witnesses, Mackenzie kneads to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding his demise. Does it have something to do with one of the most sought-after properties on the coast, and does one of the ‘Seafood Kings of Southern Maine’ have a connection to this accident… or was it murder?

With the help of a few friends, Mackenzie will need to rise to the occasion and prove she’s a legend in the baking.

Things are going down in Cozy Cove.

Another cozy crime in the cutest town around. Well, the crime wasn't cozy. But everything else definitely is!

This is really quick, really cute, and really punny. Seriously, I can't count the total number of puns but there's a lot! And I chuckled every time. I did miss some of Arthur and Mac's chemistry in this one. But a tiny bite of romance helped it. I want to move to a town like Cozy Cove! Not Cozy Cove exactly. 2 murders in less than a week is too many, thank you. But everything else sounds pretty perfect. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

A Home in You

      

Title: A Home in You 

Author: Courtney W. Dixon

Published: February 24, 2023

Pages: 362

Genre: LGBTQ Romance

Dillon

At first, when Cade and his dad came to the farm to live, I didn’t want a brother or a new father. Mom and I were doing just fine on our own, but when Cade walked into my house for the first time, I was instantly drawn to him. How was that possible? I never had a crush on anyone before, let alone a boy.

Cade

I have a secret. Two really. I’m gay and I have a huge crush on my step-brother. It’s all wrong but I want him more than breathing. Dillon is quiet and stoic, but sweet and caring. We do everything together and are as close as two brothers could be. How long can I fight my need for him?

How did we feel so right, yet also so wrong? We became stepbrothers at fourteen years old, keeping our love a secret for three years until we were finally discovered and torn apart. It took over a year to find each other again in college. But reuniting wasn’t so simple.

I read this specifically for a reading challenge that I'm doing, and it fulfilled the taboo prompt for sure. The content warnings and author's note at the beginning of the novel clearly prepare you for what this book is. And it does not deviate. This is a book about two young boys becoming step-brothers and falling in love. 

For a borderline YA/New Adult, this was good. The hardest part for me was to get over their voices. They are so young and they really were living in their teenage insecurities for most of this book. Especially Cade. And while it makes total sense for this book, it isn't my favorite thing to read anymore. 

There's tons more I could talk about. I DID love that even though there is a lot of miscommunication/pure lack of communication. It's not really the MCs faults. And once they are really able to communicate again, they are open and honest with each other. And I would love to live on Evelyn's farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It sounds idyllic as hell.

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 2/5

The Searcher

       

Title: The Searcher

Author: Tana French

Publisher: Penguin Audio, October 6, 2020

Pages: 451

Genre: Suspense

Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After 25 years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets.

I tried to listen to this when it came out. One of my favorite things about Tana French's novels are the hard-boiled Irish cops. So when this started out with a cop from Chicago, I put it away. I should not have had such little faith. There was plenty of Irish accent to be heard, and plenty of hard-boiledness in that Chicago cop. I'm glad I gave it another shot! 

Cal Hooper has retired from the police force in Chicago, been through a divorce, and bought a plot of land in a small village in Ireland. He fully intends to spend his days fixing up the old house, making friends with the rooks that live in a big oak nearby, and taking rambling walks around the countryside. Then he catches some kid watching him through his windows. Eventually the kid works up the nerve and confronts him in person. Cal starts showing Trey how to fix up some old furniture. And the kid finally gets around to what they were after all along, asking for help to find out what happened to their older brother.

I love the way that Tana French doesn't give you all of the details in these novels. You don't get the exposition of the detectives making connections and such in their narration. You get the firsthand accounts, and it's up to you to follow along properly. If you can. It makes the twists and surprises very satisfying!! All this has done is given me the itch for some more Dublin Murder Squad books! And it's moved The Witch Elm MUCH further up the TBR than it was. And there's a Dublin Murder show??? Sign me right up!!!

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Babel

        

Title: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

Author: R.F. Kuang

Publisher: Harper Voyager, August 23, 2022

Pages: 557

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? 

This book was so beautifully written. I'm learning that I love a footnote. And the audio production of this was SO well done. I loved that the footnotes had their own narrator. It helped to distinguish them as completely separate, without detracting too much from the flow of the story. 

In this book, we follow Robin Swift. A young Chinese boy, born in Canton, and then brought to England after his mother dies. He is taught classical languages and trained to become a translation scholar at Babel in Oxford. When he finally arrives in Oxford, he runs into a man, just a little older than he is, who could be his twin. He helps this man and his friends with their heist, and then he finds out that they're members of a secret society that is dedicated to making silver-working more accessible to all. Robin becomes caught up in their web, and his life is forever changed.

While Robin is sneaking around and helping the Hermes Society with their dealings, he is thriving at Oxford. He has 3 best friends in his cohort at Babel. Rami, Victoire, and Lettie help Robin, and each other, get through their studies and social obligations throughout 3 years of study. Rami and Victoire came to Oxford under similar circumstances to Robin. Rami is an Indian man whose family worked in the home of a rich English man. When he showed a talent for languages, the English man invited him to travel with him to England and train to go to Babel. Victoire is a young Haitian woman whose absorption into slavery in France is terrifying. It is only when she arrived at Oxford that she was a free woman again. If you call her experience freedom... And Lettie. Lettie is an English girl, who was only allowed to go to Oxford when her brother died and was unable to carry on the family name. More to get out of her father's hair than anything. 

This book shows you all of the dirty ways that colonialism creeps up on the world. The ways in which the colonizers truly feel they have every right to whatever they want. How even when you have 3 people, from 3 vastly different places telling you to your face that stealing land and wealth from a people just because they're different from you is wrong, you can write it off as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. How personal slights can lead to tragic consequences. And how a lifetime of loss can warp an innocent mind. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

If Only You

        

Title: If Only You

Series: Bergman Brothers #6

Author: Chloe Liese

Publisher: April 11, 2023

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary Sport Romance

Ziggy

I’m the youngest player on the National Soccer team, the baby of my family, and thoroughly sick of being underestimated, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Which is where my brother’s best friend and teammate, the infamous Sebastian Gauthier, comes in.

Seb needs to rehab his reputation. I want to give mine an edge. So I propose a fake friendship with real benefits: spending time in the public eye, my good-girl image and his bad-boy notoriety rubbing off on each other. He’s my devious, dark-haired fantasy come to life, but his destructive ways make it easy to keep him in the (fake) friend zone. Or so I thought, until I start to see the heart of gold he’s been hiding beneath that sinister surface…

Sebastian

Like any self-respecting reprobate, I’ve been spiraling downward, and finally I’ve hit rock bottom. My hockey career and sponsorships are in jeopardy, and while I’m not ready to actually reform my ways, I’m happy to pretend that I have, to secure the life I’m on the brink of losing.

So when my best friend’s sister, Ziggy Bergman, proposes a public “friendship” to revamp our reputations, it’s an offer I can’t refuse. Up till now, I’ve stayed away from Ren’s sweet, shy little sister to avoid any risk of ruining my one good friendship. But I reassure myself there’s no risk in our scheme. I’ll fake a friendship with Ziggy, fix my reputation, and get back to hockey, the one and only thing I love. At least, it was, until what began as a transactional arrangement became the most loving relationship I’ve ever known.

If Only You is a brother’s best friend, (fake) friends with benefits to friends to lovers romance about a bighearted, quietly fierce soccer star on the autism spectrum, and a thoroughly unprincipled, almost irredeemable hockey player who has celiac disease. Complete with an absurd level of mutual pining, meddling family and friends, and a spicy slow burn, this standalone is the sixth in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.

When I found out that we were getting Ziggy's book before Viggo's, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Ziggy and I am SO glad that we got her book. And she absolutely could never have disappointed in the actual content. I mean, she's a total badass and has been since we first met her through Ryder and Willa. But I am drooling for Viggo's story. I DON'T WANT TO WAIT AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE OVER!!! I have a lot of feelings about it. But for now, I will give Ziggy her due.

Watching Ziggy own her perception and personality was a joy. This young woman is thriving and wants people to know it. She wants people to see the woman she is now and not the kid she was a few years ago. Which really helped me read about her falling in love because I was absolutely going into this still picturing the 17 year old kid described in previous books. She's grown up, folks! 

Sebastian is going through it. He has dug himself into this hate spiral of a life out of spite. The people who were supposed to love and care for him no matter what, flaked and failed miserably at it. So he chose to get back at them. Can't say I blame him. But as delightful as it was to watch Ziggy come into her own, watching Sebastian dig himself out of his pit of despair was even more satisfying. 

This book is so emotionally mature. Way more emotionally mature than me. It's so romantic and absolutely will get you all up in your feelings for these two. But honestly my favorite part was watching Seb's journey to his celiac diagnosis. My mom was diagnosed with celiac just a few years ago. And it really did turn her whole life upside down. Most of her social life revolved around food. Where she was going to eat, who was going to be there. Finding new restaurants and recipes to try for various gatherings and parties. And then she was told that food was the thing making her sick, it was the reason she had stopped attending events and parties. It changed her whole world and it took our whole family a long time to figure out how to function around the new restrictions. Watching the Bergmans navigate through that with Seb was really beautiful. 

I have to put a tiny disclaimer out there that this baby is a SLOOOOOOWWWWW burn. But what it doesn't have in spice, it makes up for in feelings. Like this thing is ROM.AN.TIC. All of the heart swelling and tear making and throat closing big feelings of twue love.

And now I'm back to very (im)patiently waiting for Viggo's happy ending. <3

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 2/5

Foolish Puckboy

       

Title: Foolish Puckboy

Series: Puckboys #4

Author: Eden Finley & Saxon James

Publisher: April 13, 2023

Pages: 271

Genre: MM Hockey Romance

ALEKS

After my divorce, I’m ready to have fun, date around, and not get into anything serious. Then I meet Gabe Crosby, superhero firefighter and a disgrace to the Crosby name. He doesn’t even like hockey!

Yet, there’s a draw to him I can’t deny—something I haven’t felt since my teens. But that’s the problem. I have no idea what dating is like, let alone how to do it with another man. He makes me flakey and nervous, and I’ve never been that guy.

Gabe turns me inside out and upside down in the best possible ways. I only recently became single, but if I continue to chase after him, I might not stay that way for long.

GABE

When I meet Aleksander Emerson during an emergency call-out, there are three things that catch my attention: his sexy tattoos, his kind eyes, and his drunken offer to have my babies.

He’s new to Seattle and recently divorced, so I take him under my wing–and under my sheets. I’m showing him what the world of hookups is like, only those hookups turn into sleepovers and dates and public displays of jealousy.

Aleks is in his casual era, and I’m working my way toward settling down and starting a family. What the two of us have is fun, but not a good idea permanently.

Too bad Aleks has already set my life on fire.

I love this microcosm of out, queer sports stars that Eden Finley and Saxon James have created. I love meeting new guys, and I love that the cameos are so abundant. They're all absolute idiots with hearts of gold. Or in Asher Dalton's case.....ya know...have a heart. 

Aleks is divorced and just wants to thrive in his ho phase! Oskar has crowned him the newest "puckboy" of the NHL, and Aleks is absolutely going to get out there. Eventually. When he's ready. And just go HAM on the singles scene... He will! Except that this dude is the demiest of demisexuals. Maybe not precisely, but he doesn't want random hookups. He wants to suck on Gabe's Adam's apple.

Gabe is a fire fighter looking to settle down. Not necessarily with anyone, though that would be a plus, he's just striking out and making a home for himself. He gets called to a rowdy Collective party, and our boys are really in their element. And by element, I mean they're all barely coherent and mostly a danger to themselves and others if they don't pass out soon. Just by sheer lack of inhibition. And one of them wants to have his babies! 

Once Aleks is sober, and Gabe sees him play hockey, and Aleks ghosts mid-make out and then tracks Gabe down again, they decide that Gabe is going to help Aleks get through his "firsts." Specifically, the "firsts" with a man. Aleks is newly out as pan and has only ever been with one person, his ex-wife, his whole life. So he's convinced all he needs is to break the seal, essentially, before he can live up to his true puckboy ways. 

Hilarity, horniness, and full on romance ensues. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 5/5

Yes & I Love You

      

Title: Yes & I Love You

Series: Say Everything #1

Author: Roni Loren

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, March 2, 2021

Pages: 386

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn Tate, the real face behind the media star...or the anxiety that keeps her isolated. All her life, Hollyn's tried to hide her true self behind an online façade, but when her boss tells her she needs to reveal the truth to the world or lose her job, she's forced to rely on an unexpected source to help face her fears.

Enter Jasper Deares: actor, improve star, and way, way out of her league.

Hollyn thinks Jasper must be joking when he offers private lessons to help overcome her fears. Getting up on a stage? Hello, worst nightmare. But Jasper's infectious charm has her saying yes despite herself. They're only supposed to be playing a few improv games, but as the lessons run longer and the lines grow blurrier, Hollyn can't help but wonder if she's acting at all...or if a relationship with Jasper might help give her the confidence she needs to say yes to every imperfect part of herself.

This is my new favorite trope. Blatant honesty!!! That's a lie, it's not a new favorite. It's always been my favorite, but it's so rare to find that it feels brand new! Miscommunication? That's running rampant throughout the industry of romance novels. It drives me batty!!! But unfiltered honesty? It's SO HOT! That's what Hollyn and Jasper have with one another though. And I'm telling you. It is SO HOT! If you're a writer, listen well, having your main characters own their feelings and attraction up front without subterfuge can still make a GREAT book! I think this book will ruin my already low tolerance for books with heavy miscommunication for the foreseeable future. 

Hollyn is a writer who rents an office at co-op type place in New Orleans. She also has Tourette's and a serious case of social anxiety. I think she also has clinical anxiety, but the way that she talks about her therapist and her journey with that is so refreshing. Therapy is a part of her life and that's that. 

Jasper is an actor who bombed an audition in L.A. and moved back to New Orleans. He's working at the co-op as a barista while also performing with his Improv Troupe. They're both hot and hot for each other. Eventually. 

Jasper does some nearly unforgivable things in this book. And it's his raw honesty every time that saves his ass. But the whole time Jasper is trying to get it together, Hollyn is out here THRIVING! She is learning how to be more confident, and most importantly, how to get through tough social situations even when she's not feeling her most confident. Watching her blossom is SO good.

I have to mention Cal. Hollyn's best friend for forever, who also has Tourette's, and is also in love with her. UGH. Ok, I mentioned him. All done! 

One of my favorite parts of this book were the review entries from Miz Poppy. I loved how they lined up with what was going on in the book. You could see where Hollyn was at in her head without a ton of exposition or existential waffling. *Chef's Kiss*

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 3/5