The Gist: Explore my End of Year Book Tag, diving into unread gems on my shelves, and my 2024 TBR priorities!
(more…)The End of Year Book Tag: 2024
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Book Review: Ashes of You by Catherine Cowles
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The Gist: A heartwarming and suspenseful must-read for fans of the single parent x nanny trope and romantic thrillers, Ashes of You expertly blends love, family, and gripping intrigue in a captivating small-town setting.
Series: Lost and Found, #5*
Release Date: February 8, 2024
Synopsis
Five years ago, I nearly lost everything. But there was a glimmer of hope on that darkest night. There was him—a stranger I could never forget.
Now, I’m finally getting the fresh start I’ve longed for. But when I show up to interview for a nanny position in the small mountain town, the single dad has startlingly familiar blue eyes.
Eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past five years.
Lawson Hartley is everything I know I can’t have. Older, handsome, and my boss. Not to mention the shadows in his eyes that tell me he has demons, too.
Still, he seems to understand me better than anyone I’ve ever met. So gentle and careful of my scars, yet somehow making me believe I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.
And when his lips touch mine, I’m lost.
We find what we’ve been missing in each other. But the terrors of my past aren’t done with me yet, and this time, Lawson might not be able to save me…
Ending
HEA with Epilogue. Married and expecting triplets in extended epilogue.
Representation
• Gay side characters
• Achillean side relationship
• Achillean side relationship
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Recounting of child endangerment
• Assault
• Abduction, captivity and torture of Heroine recounted
• Gun violence
• Abduction and captivity (on-page)
• PTSD
• Panic attacks (on-page)
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual assault
• Murder
• Description of murder (what happened to the women)
• Assault
• Abduction, captivity and torture of Heroine recounted
• Gun violence
• Abduction and captivity (on-page)
• PTSD
• Panic attacks (on-page)
• Sexual harassment
• Sexual assault
• Murder
• Description of murder (what happened to the women)
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
– Heroine is insecure the Hero still loves his ex-wife but soon finds out that he hates her
– Heroine is periodically hit on by OM throughout the book, but they’re all rebuffed
• Does have the Hero briefly pushing the Heroine away
• No separation
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM drama
– Heroine is insecure the Hero still loves his ex-wife but soon finds out that he hates her
– Heroine is periodically hit on by OM throughout the book, but they’re all rebuffed
• Does have the Hero briefly pushing the Heroine away
• No separation
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5-stars
*Each book in the series is Standalone
(more…)The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2023
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Quick Take: My Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag explores twelve books, including my favourite 2023 read so far, a book that made me cry, and anticipated new releases. I also have a TBR list to read before 2024!
(more…)11 Holiday Romances to Read this Winter
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Quick Take: Eleven books to read this winter, including four new holiday romances I’ve hauled and some old favourites featuring a few grumpy Heroes.
(more…)Review: Breaking the Speed Limit by Melanie Moreland
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The Gist: A sweet opposites-attract single-parent romance that explores found family and starting over. However, the unrealistic meet-cute was off-putting.
Series: Reynolds Restoration, #2*
Release Date: March 31, 2022
Synopsis
Single, but unsettled, Stefano Borelli, spends his days creating masterpieces loved by his clients. Surrounded by family and friends, his loneliness still plagues him.
Until she bursts into his life. A stubborn woman with too much baggage, too much to say, and a child in tow.
Far too much trouble.
Except, he likes her spark. The way she refuses to listen. How beautiful she is with her son. How right she feels in his arms.
The way she makes him feel whole.
Can he convince her to give love a second chance?
Book set in Reynolds Restoration world
Ending
HEA
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Heroine’s on the run from an abusive relationship. Her ex-boyfriend also attempted to kill their child.
• Threat of gun violence (see above)
• Threat of gun violence (see above)
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• No cheating
• Does have OM drama
– Heroine’s abusive ex-boyfriend (and father of her child) stalks her and attempts to abduct the Heroine and her child
• Does have OW drama
– One of the Heroine’s colleagues hits on the Hero, making the Heroine quite jealous.
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a few days separation (both celibate)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Does have OM drama
– Heroine’s abusive ex-boyfriend (and father of her child) stalks her and attempts to abduct the Heroine and her child
• Does have OW drama
– One of the Heroine’s colleagues hits on the Hero, making the Heroine quite jealous.
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a few days separation (both celibate)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: eARC
Rating: 3.5-stars
*Each book in the series is Standalone
(more…)Indulgently Sweet: Loved by Liam by Melanie Moreland
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The Gist: An indulgently sweet companion romance to Finding Ronan’s Heart about the power of family and love yet fails to refresh its plot.
Series: ABC Corp, #3*
Release Date: July 29, 2021
Synopsis
Liam Callaghan is happy with the way things are.
He has a successful business, a family he loves, and a life he thinks is fulfilling and complete.
Until a favor for his brother brings him to her.
She sparks something inside him. Something he had no idea he was missing.
One touch and he knows Paige Winters is the woman he wants.
She and her daughter become his focus. His world.
He only has to convince her to believe in them.
He has a successful business, a family he loves, and a life he thinks is fulfilling and complete.
Until a favor for his brother brings him to her.
She sparks something inside him. Something he had no idea he was missing.
One touch and he knows Paige Winters is the woman he wants.
She and her daughter become his focus. His world.
He only has to convince her to believe in them.
Liam entered Paige’s life quietly, but from the moment he took her hand, her world exploded.
Larger-than-life, he stepped in, brightening her days and filling her with happiness.
But she has more than her own heart on the line.
Her daughter, Lucy, has to come first.
As much as her soul yearns for him, can she trust his words?
Can the seeds love plants take root and bloom, growing over the past?
If Liam has anything to do with it, they will.
Author Note: You have read their story as told through Ronan and Beth in FINDING RONAN’S HEART. But readers have asked to see it through the character’s eyes – and my characters agreed. This is a companion novel to be enjoyed with Vested Interest: ABC Corp Book 2.
Ending
HEA
Representation
• Supporting character with a congenital amputation of one of her arms (her right arm is only partially formed)
• Side character with a mobility disability
• Side character with a mobility disability
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Heroine’s ex-husband was verbally abusive and ableist
• Reference to bullying and ableism
• Hero’s university girlfriend died in a tragic skiing accident
• Reference to bullying and ableism
• Hero’s university girlfriend died in a tragic skiing accident
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
– The MCs run into the Heroine’s ex-husband who is very rude and verbally abusive towards the Heroine
• Does have the Heroine briefly pushing the Hero away
• No separation
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama
– The MCs run into the Heroine’s ex-husband who is very rude and verbally abusive towards the Heroine
• Does have the Heroine briefly pushing the Hero away
• No separation
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: eARC
Rating: 3.75-stars
*Each book in the series is Standalone
Note: I received Loved by Liam through Melanie Moreland’s team in exchange for an honest review.
(more…)Delightful and Loving: Finding Ronan’s Heart by Melanie Moreland
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The Gist: A delightful and loving sweet contemporary romance that explores independence, family and meaningful connection suffered from repetitive and cliche scenes.
Series: ABC Corp, #2*
Release Date: June 24, 2021
Synopsis
“The boys.”
“The Callaghan Triplets.”
“Three of a kind.”
“The Callaghan Triplets.”
“Three of a kind.”
All his life, Ronan Callaghan has been part of a group. Always looking out for his brothers. Never seen as an individual or judged on his own merits.
When his brothers veer onto their own path, he finds himself alone. Restless.
Then he meets her.
Beth.
A waitress who sees him just for himself. None of the trappings of his wealth or family.
A woman who only wants to know him—Ronan.
She captures his heart, but how will she feel when she discovers the truth he’s holding back?
Can he show her the man he really is?
That he would be rather be hers than anything else?
Ending
HEA with epilogue and a bonus Epilogue from Evan’s (Beth’s younger brother) POV 😭 so sweet
Representation
• Side character with Congenital Amputation of one of her arms (she was born without a complete right arm)
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Sexual harassment
• Discussion/mentions of ableism (btw – the MCs and their family members are not ableist)
• Infidelity
• Hero was victim to a con operation between his ex-girlfriend and his at the time best friend
• Bullying
• Death of parents
• Discussion/mentions of ableism (btw – the MCs and their family members are not ableist)
• Infidelity
• Hero was victim to a con operation between his ex-girlfriend and his at the time best friend
• Bullying
• Death of parents
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Heroine pushing the Hero away
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: eARC
Rating: 4.75-stars
*Each book in the series is Standalone
Note: I received Finding Ronan’s Heart through Melanie Moreland’s team in exchange for an honest review.
(more…)Book Review: One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
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The Gist: A bachelorette-style romance that delves into the pervasive fatphobia in the US while serving a dramatic yet sweet romance that falters a bit with its distant narrative and rushed ending.
Series: Standalone
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Synopsis
Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers–and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television?
Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition–under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful anti-fat beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it.
But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale.
Ending
HEA
Representation
• Fat Heroine
• Lesbian supporting character
• Fat supporting characters
• Asian-American Jewish supporting character
• Black supporting character
• Gender expansive side character
• Asexual and romantic supporting character
• Lesbian supporting character
• Fat supporting characters
• Asian-American Jewish supporting character
• Black supporting character
• Gender expansive side character
• Asexual and romantic supporting character
Possible Triggers
• Emotional abuse, including fatphobic hate speech
• Threat of r@pe (comments on social media posts)
• Death threats (comments on social media posts)
• Threat of r@pe (comments on social media posts)
• Death threats (comments on social media posts)
Safety Rating: Safe with Exception
• Does have cheating
– Heroine sleeps with her best friend and long-time unrequited crush while he’s engaged
– While there was no discussion about monogamy, the Heroine assumed each of the men she was dating on the show was monogamous. One of the men, however, had been sleeping with people throughout the show.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama (she is dating 25 men at once (to start), so jealous does arise.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
– Heroine sleeps with her best friend and long-time unrequited crush while he’s engaged
– While there was no discussion about monogamy, the Heroine assumed each of the men she was dating on the show was monogamous. One of the men, however, had been sleeping with people throughout the show.
• No OW drama
• Does have OM drama (she is dating 25 men at once (to start), so jealous does arise.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle
Rating: 4-stars
(more…)Ride Wild (Raven Riders, #3) by Laura Kaye
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Series: Raven Riders*
Release Date: October 31st, 2017
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Insert Here
<strong>Ending</strong>
HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Rape (off-page: the Heroine recounts her rape to the hero)
• The Heroine’s father raped her–there was no flashback but it is described
• PTSD
• Allusions to death by cancer
• Gun violence
• Dogfighting (off-page; the hurt dogs are on-page)
• The Heroine’s father raped her–there was no flashback but it is described
• PTSD
• Allusions to death by cancer
• Gun violence
• Dogfighting (off-page; the hurt dogs are on-page)
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– The Hero is still dealing with the death of his wife (who died from cancer)
• Does have the Hero pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– The Hero is still dealing with the death of his wife (who died from cancer)
• Does have the Hero pushing away
• Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 5/5 stars
*Each novel in the series is Standalone
(more…)Taste (Take It Off, #9) by Cambria Hebert
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Series: Take It Off*
Release Date: July 25th, 2014
Synopsis
One taste is never enough …
Spencer Waller’s main purpose in life is to protect and serve. After spending years in the military, he gets a coveted spot on the Secret Service detail protecting the president. Spence doesn’t have time for women or all the work having a relationship with one requires. But just because he isn’t looking for a lady doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate a beautiful one when he sees her.
And he makes it a point to see one, in particular, every single day.
Elle Bond has literally chopped and fried her way to the top of the food chain. Earning a coveted position in the White House as the president’s personal chef, she figures her professional life can only get better. her personal life, on the other hand, could use a little bit of an overhaul, and because of that, she tries to ignore the charm-dripping cookie thief every time he comes into her kitchen. After all, she knows better than anyone that just one taste of something good is never enough.
One night after work, Elle is assaulted, threatened, and given an ultimatum. She can’t go to the police, and she sure as hell can’t do what she was ordered.
But she has to. Or else.
Pale, shaken, and scared to death, Elle confides in Spence, and his protective instincts take over. Together, Elle and Spencer have to uncover a sinister plot and stop it before someone ends up dead.
Ending
HEA
Representation
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
Possible Triggers
• Heroine is assaulted and threatened (on page)
• Someone is threatening the life of the Heroine and her son
• Near death situations
• Someone is threatening the life of the Heroine and her son
• Near death situations
Safety Rating: Safe
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Heroine and Hero
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Rating: 3.25/5 stars
*Each novel in the series is Standalone
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