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Intriguing and Relevant: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
May 28, 2020
I

Series: Standalone

Release Date: January 15, 2019

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are canceled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned.

Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?

<strong>Ending</strong>

Bittersweet HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Asian main character
• Black supporting character
• Immigrant supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Mild Violence
• Death
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>

• Teen Pregnancy
• Allusions to an extra-marital affair
• Psychological effects of an airborne virus being loose in your town
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Flirty Yet Aggravating: By A Thread by Lucy Score

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
May 26, 2020
F

Series: Standalone

Release Date: April 23, 2020 

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Dominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to chop me into pieces or pull my hair and French kiss me.

Dominic
I got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. She proves that on her first day of her new job… in my office… after being hired by my mother.

So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue.

But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father.

She’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette.

Ally
Ha. Hold my beer, Grumpy Grump Face.

Author’s Note: A steamy, swoony workplace romantic comedy with a grumpy boss hero determined to save the day and a plucky heroine who is starting to wonder if there might actually be a beating heart just beneath her boss’s sexy vests.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA with Extended Epilogue (Children are grown)
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Allusions to sexual assault
• No OTT sad parts
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have OW and OM
– Heroine goes on a date and flirts with a fashion designer throughout story
– Ex-girlfriend of Hero is on cover of magazine and Hero meets up with her and her house
• Does have the Hero 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.

Format: Kindle Unlimited

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

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Surviving Amber Springs by Siobhan Davis

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
February 28, 2019
S

Series: Standalone

Release Date: December 26, 2018

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone…

I’m the second-most hated person in Amber Springs.

First place honors go to my twin, Ethan; however, hate isn’t a strong enough word to convey how people feel about him.

Not that I blame anyone—some days, I hate him too. Mostly, I’m just lost and afraid, drowning in a sea of betrayal and guilt, wondering how this happened right under my nose.

There’s no choice but to leave. To move clear across the country in a last-ditch attempt to start over.

Transferring to a new school midway through senior year is hellish for most people. For me, it’s a welcome relief—until someone discovers our secret and now everyone knows.

The pointing, whispering, and scathing looks follow me around again, and I’m back to square one. Except, this time, I’m not alone.

Axel, Skeet, and Heath took me under their wing from the minute I arrived here. I’ve no idea why three of the hottest guys in town took any interest in me or why they continue to have my back, but I’m so grateful to have them in my corner.

Because, right now, they’re the only reason I’m not following my brother into an early grave.

This is an upper YA/NA reverse harem STANDALONE contemporary romance. Due to sensitive content, sexual situations, and possible triggers, this book is recommended to readers aged 18+. Full length novel.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Side characters with a disability
• Main character struggles with depression
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Gun violence (School shooting)
• Sexual violence: Gang-rape (Discussed but no flashback)
• Bullying
• Suicidal ideation
• Suicide attempt
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a significant separation (1.5 years) between the Heroine and Heroes (One hero is celibate, and another is also celibate, although he attempted to hook-up with an OW but couldn’t at the last minute. The last hero is NOT celibate, at all.)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

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The Wedding Night by Kati Wilde

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
February 22, 2019
T

Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 5, 2019

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
When an opportunity to take everything from the powerful family who destroyed his mother’s life falls into Caleb Moore’s lap, he needs help from the one person with more power and money than they have — business mogul, Audrey Clarke. The trick is getting her attention. So he approaches the infamous ice queen with an unusual proposition: marriage.

The odds of a snowball surviving in hell are better than the chances of a rich, classy lady like Audrey Clarke marrying a mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks. He only hopes that she might consider a business partnership when she’s finished laughing at his marriage proposal.

He never expects her to say yes — or that the ice queen could burn so hot. Because Audrey Clarke isn’t cold at all. And if Caleb’s not careful, the only thing he’ll give her for Christmas…is a broken heart.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Main character is on the Aspergers spectrum
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• No OTT sad parts
• Heroine was physically abused by her mother when she was a child (off-page, memories)
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> 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 Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

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Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
November 22, 2018
W

Series: Standalone

Release Date: March 14, 2016

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
“That girl isn’t just trouble of the not-a-team-player, not-a-reliable-runner variety. She’s trouble of the devious, manipulative, too-f***ing-hot-for-her-own good variety. She’s the kind of girl who causes trouble merely by existing, and then makes sure to cause more.
And the last thing I need right now is more trouble.”

A failing farm.
His father’s debt.
And a struggling college track team.
Will Langstrom has too many responsibilities, and the last thing he needs is Olivia Finnegan, a beautiful but troubled new transfer student.

A smart mouth.
A strong right hook.
And a secret that could destroy her.
Olivia is her own worst enemy, with a past she can’t seem to escape, and the last person she wants help from is a cocky track coach she can never seem to please.
Refusing to be pushed away, Will is determined to save her.
And determined to resist an attraction that could destroy them both.

<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
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Physical abuse (Memories, flashbacks and on-page)
• Significant PTSD
• Attempted rape (Memories, off-page)
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Not Safe
• No cheating
• Does have OW/OM
– The Hero has a longtime girlfriend for a significant portion of the book
– The Heroine flirts and attempts to hook up with an OM but doesn’t follow through
– The Heroine goes on dates with a different OM throughout the novel
• Does have descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– It’s between the Hero and his girlfriend. There’s only one.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing 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: Kindle

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata

By Sarah
In 1-star, Book Review
August 16, 2018
D

Series: Standalone

Release Date: June 10, 2017

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
Ruby Santos knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she signed up to write a soldier overseas.

The guidelines were simple: one letter or email a week for the length of his or her deployment. Care packages were optional.

Been there, done that. She thought she knew what to expect.

What she didn’t count on was falling in love with the guy.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Hispanic main and supporting characters
• Gay side characters
• MM side couple
• Attempts to address fatphobia… but doesn’t do it successfully.
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> No
• No abuse.
• No OTT sad parts.
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• Does have OW/OM drama:
– Hero has had 20+ ex-lovers (so he was very promiscuous in the past)
– Hero and Heroine weren’t a couple ’til the end, so OW would constantly flirt with the Hero and he wouldn’t put a stop to it. The Heroine would get very upset and jealous as a result.
– Heroine was hung up on her brother’s BFF–they had sex but the OM said it was a mistake and to not tell her family the next day. The Heroine, as a result, has not dated or had sex since.
– The Hero convinced the Heroine to date in their letter exchanges. Those dates with OM never went further than a first date and kiss.
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a significant separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

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The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Book Review
August 2, 2018
T

Series: Standalone

Release Date: July 10, 2018

<strong>Synopsis</strong>
April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on GigsforHire since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family’s summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the GigsforHire ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.

Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m the REAL DEAL.

Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He’s this close to finally settling all his debts, and one more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He’s no gigolo. Please. He’s something of an actor, and he knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to be April’s new beau — the bad boy with the heart of gold.

Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny little bed in her parents’ inn. Even if it means spinning tales of a romance that starts to feel all too true. What neither one of them counts on is that amid the egg toss, the arm wrestling, and a fierce game of Lawn Twister that has them tangled up together, they might be feeling the real deal.

She only wanted to show her family once and for all that she had no need to settle down.

He didn’t expect to have the time of his life at her parent’s home.

They didn’t plan on loving every single second of the game.

But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• LGBTQIA+ side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> No
• No abuse.
• No OTT sad parts.
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing 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: Kindle

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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The Raw Touch by Serena Akeroyd

By Sarah
In 2-stars, Book Review
May 3, 2018
T

Series: Standalone

Release Date: January 23rd, 2018

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Touch.

The simplest form of communication.
For some, the most complex.

Undercover cop, Lucia has more secrets than a rat’s nest. She works the beat, works it well, until she infiltrates a gang where she finally finds her place. Jungle justice suits her down to a tee, but the day comes when she has to return to her real life, and brothers in arms suddenly become enemies, as she flounders to find her place in the world once more.

Martinez, a gang boss, one of the most powerful men in the city, has had his eyes on Lucia from the start. His instincts told him she was the rat in his midst, but other, baser, parts of him swayed his judgment. When his brother is sent down thanks to Lucia’s testimony, he can think only of revenge.

When a woman who can’t stand to be touched has to fight for her life in the bed of a man who can kill her in the blink of an eye, everything, even reality, unravels.

On the run, her past as a cop and footsoldier chasing at her heels, Lucia’s safety lies in the hands of the one man who can and will hurt her the most.

Through his raw touch, she has to find a haven where all around her, there is nothing but hell. Can she allow him into the ashes of her life, if it means her survival is at risk?

Find out in The Raw Touch.

Reader Advisory: this full-length novel contains scenes of dubious consent, as well as information that readers might find upsetting.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• BIPOC main and supporting characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• BDSM
• Sexual abuse
• Abduction
• Dubious consent – Although, I hate the term. Either consent is given, or it is not given. However, the author warns of a ‘dubious consent’ scene in the synopsis, so I’ve included it here.
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• 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.

Rating: 2/5 stars

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From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata

By Sarah
In 4-stars, Book Review
March 15, 2018
F

Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 1st, 2018

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.

After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.

But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.

Including Ivan Lukov.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HEA
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Hispanic main and supporting character
• LGBTQIA+ supporting characters
• Main character with learning disability (dyslexia)
• Addresses ageism
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• No OTT sad parts
• No abuse
• The Heroine has a really bad relationship with her father. He undermines her whole career and doesn’t acknowledge her dyslexia.
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No OW
– It’s never clarified if the Hero dated/slept with his last partner.
• Does have OM
– The Heroine’s ex-BF was also her ex-skating partner. He tries to make things right at the end, but the Heroine isn’t having it.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine 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: 4/5 stars

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Pride & Joie: #MyNewLife, A Series by M.E. Carter

By Sarah
In 3-stars, Series Review
February 1, 2018
P

Series: #My New Life

Release Date: December 22nd, 2017

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Joie Stevens put all her dreams on hold the day she became a mom. As a natural caretaker, it never bothered her. But now that her son is grown, she has some new goals in sight and nothing is going to get in her way.
Except maybe an attractive football coach. Who very literally gets in her way.

As assistant football coach for the Flinton State University Vikings, Jack Pride really has nothing to complain about. He has a job he loves and friends he enjoys. Certain he had his one true love in his late wife, the last thing on his mind is dating.

Until he runs into a beautiful non-traditional student. Who he very literally runs into.

This second chance romance reminds us love can be better the second time around. And that it’s not just players in the game…

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Addresses ageism
• BIPOC side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• The Hero’s dead wife plays a big role in the Hero and Heroine’s relationships development.
• Hero’s wife died from cancer
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe
• No cheating
• No OM/OW (but the Hero’s dead wife does strongly influence the Hero and Heroine’s relationship)
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Hero hasn’t dated (or slept) with anyone since his wife died from cancer 3 years ago
• Heroine has been single for 18 years and hasn’t been with anyone sexually for 10 years
• Does have the Hero and Heroine 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: 3.25/5 stars

Note: Initially published as a serial series.

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