Category: Romance

Mini Review: Rifts & Refrains (Devney Perry)

Rifts & Refrains
Series: Hush Note, #2
Author: Devney Perry
Publication Date: September 29, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

From the moment Quinn Montgomery sat behind her first snare and cymbal set, she was destined for fame and glory. As Hush Note’s infamous female drummer, she sets the rhythm for the band’s chart-toppings hits. When people tap their feet to their music, it’s to her pulse.

Quinn is content to live in a world away from her family and the cage of her youth. Her only regret is leaving Graham Hayes behind without a goodbye. No matter how many sold-out stadiums she plays, no matter how many crowds sing her songs, his voice haunts her when the music stops.

When a family tragedy forces her to return home to Montana, she plans to leave the second she’s paid her respects. But seeing Graham again turns her life upside down. As a boy, he wasn’t able to make her stay. As a man, he might be her future.

If they can mend their rifts and find solace in the refrains.

This book was so my thing with its Footloose-like vibes. Perry really did Quinn’s badass rock star character justice by showing what she was hiding behind her walls. I loved returning to her hometown in Montana and finding out how her past shaped her. A big part of that was her relationship with her childhood sweetheart, Griffin. I loved figuring out their past piece by piece and what it meant for their future. It was such a sweet and emotional story — exactly what I would expect from Perry. I loved every bit of it.

Review: The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating (Emma Hart)

The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating
Author: Emma Hart
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

What I wanted for my birthday: Books.
What I got for my birthday: my brother’s best friend playing matchmaker.

Let it be known that I, Kinsley Lane, am one hundred percent against being set up with somebody.
And I’m one thousand percent sure that Josh Carter is not the man to find me a boyfriend.
I mean, if I’m so great, why isn’t he the one dating me? (For the record, I don’t know the answer. That’s just what the guy on the internet asked.)
Still, I’ll humor him. If I go on his little dates, he’ll teach my bookish, introverted self how not to be totally, completely, utterly, unforgivably awkward on every single one of them.
And all I have to do is fall in love with one of the lovely gentlemen he’s serving up for me on a silver platter—all of whom fit my very specific guidelines.
Simple, right?
It would be.
If only I could stop falling for Josh.

Have you seen the title and cover for this book? How can a bookworm NOT want to read it, right? I mean, I enjoy Emma Hart’s romantic comedies, but I HAD to read this one when I saw the title and cover. Add in that it’s a falling for the brother’s best friend trope, and I was sold.

What did I think of The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating? It was cute! I loved the way it was set up. Each chapter starts off strong with a fun rule for dating that is a foreshadow of what’s to come. The way/reason Josh tries to set Kinsley up on dates was adorable. The older brother’s best friend trope here took a unique spin, and I appreciated it. It was refreshing to read this trope where it’s the guy pining away for the younger sister and not vice versa. Plus, there were so many hilariously cute moments between Josh and Kinsley. Their romance was so sweet and they had great chemistry.

One of the things that makes Emma Hart’s books so fun is how they connect through friends and family. Kinsley is obviously a bookworm and so are her best friends. They own a bookstore together and I loved how the store and friendships were used. There was Kinsley’s brother and Josh’s best friend and the bond between all of them. Add in some crazy grandparents and ducks (Yes, ducks!) and it was all sorts of fun!

There were a couple of things that I did sort of wished had been changed up. They didn’t really make me like the book any less, but they did make think a bit. The first was there was quite a bit of Harry Potter related talk. Can we all just agree to move on from the Harry Potter franchise being the hallmark of being a bookworm in books? It’s so overused and overdone. Not to mention, when I see it in a book now I think of the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling. It would be fun to see other franchises get shout outs. So many other book adaptations have come along in recent years. The second thing was that I wanted more time with Josh and Kinsley being sneaky. I just wanted to spend more time with them together because they were so adorable.

Overall, I had a great time reading The Bookworm’s Guide to Dating. It was entertaining in an upbeat way with pretty much no angst.

Add to your TBR → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTD-GR

Purchase Links:

Amazon US → https://amzn.to/2S7zfvM 
Amazon UK → https://amzn.to/379Gesn 
Apple Books → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTDapple 
Nook → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTDnook 
Kobo → https://emmahart.pub/TBGTDkobo 

About Emma Hart:

Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels and has been translated into several different languages. She is a mother, wife, lover of wine, Pink Goddess, and valiant rescuer of wild baby hedgehogs. Emma prides herself on her realistic, snarky smut, with comebacks that would make a PMS-ing teenage girl proud. Yes, really. She’s that sarcastic.

Keep up to date on her releases by following her on Amazon or signing up at http://emmahart.net/newsletter

Follow Emma Hart:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks/
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Review: Crazy Stupid Bromance (Lyssa Kay Adams)

Crazy Stupid Bromance
Series: Bromance Book Club, #3
Author: Lyssa Kay Adams
Publication Date: October 27, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.

Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.

Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.

Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

Here’s the thing about Lyssa Kay Adams’ writing: She takes characters I either didn’t like or just didn’t care that much about from the previous book in a series and makes me fall in love with them. She did it in Undercover Bromance and again in Crazy Stupid Bromance.

Alexis and Noah were both characters that I just didn’t have much attachment to from the last book. Noah, I was slightly interested in based on his job and relationship with Mack, but I thought Alexis was just part of moving the last plot on. I was wrong! These two characters were very deserving of their own book. They made this friendship to relationship story so sweet. Their friendship was so supportive, and their chemistry was off the charts. To be honest, Alexis and Noah already seemed like they were in a relationship prior to actually being in one, so the transition was super smooth. I loved all their ups and downs and the direction the plot took. Crazy Stupid Bromance was another gem in this incredible series.

Review: Kiss My Cupcake (Helena Hunting)

Kiss My Cupcake
Author: Helena Hunting
Publication Date: August 11, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

Blaire Calloway has planned every Instagram-worthy moment of her cupcake and cocktails shop launch down to the tiniest detail. What she didn’t plan on? Ronan Knight and his old-school sports bar next door opening on the very same day. He may be super swoony, but Blaire hasn’t spent years obsessing over buttercream and bourbon to have him ruin her chance at success.

From axe throwing (his place) to frosting contests (hers), Blaire and Ronan are constantly trying to one-up each other in a battle to win new customers. But with every clash, there’s also an undeniable chemistry. When an even bigger threat to their business comes to town, they’re forced to call a temporary time-out on their own war and work together. And the more time Blaire spends getting to know the real Ronan, the more she wonders if it’s possible to have her cupcake and eat it too.

As two neighborhood shop owners battle for business, they prove opposites attract in this outrageously funny romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of Meet Cute.

I hate to admit this, but I am so tired of bakery romances that pit bakers against each other. There’s just SO MANY of them! They have lost their luster for me. Which is why I was SO HAPPY that Kiss My Cupcake had a different type of war/enemies thing going on. Instead of rival bakers, it was rival neighbors with different types of businesses having it out. That changed the dynamic and made this enemies to more romance all the more sweeter.

And sweet was exactly what Kiss My Cupcake was. I wouldn’t say it was true a slow burn romance, but it was probably as close as to one as we’re going to get from Helena Hunting. There was a lot of angry sweet build up and getting to know each other of the characters before anything brought them closer together. I loved the banter and tricks they played on each other. There were also some adorably hilarious side characters to go along with everything. All of that was exactly what I would expect having read Hunting’s previous books and knowing the humor she instills in her novels. It made Kiss My Cupcake so much fun to read!

If you’re looking for a light, fun, foodie contemporary romance, Kiss My Cupcake is one that will bring a smile to your face.

Review: The Enemy (Sarah Adams)

The Enemy
Series: It Happened in Charleston, #2
Author: Sarah Adams
Publication Date: August 20, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

It’s been twelve years since I’ve seen him. Twelve years since he won our war of wits by outsmarting me with a tactic I didn’t even know was allowed. But tonight…I resurrect the battle.

Ryan Henderson is back in town for our best friends’ wedding, and I plan on showing him exactly how much I don’t care about him—or the almost kiss he ruthlessly dangled over me after graduation.

A lot has changed since our feuding days. I’m a successful bakery owner now, and I plan to rub every delicious detail of my life in his ugly face.

Just one problem: his face is gorgeous.

He wasn’t supposed to look like this or pursue me like a sexy guided missile. I must stay strong until the wedding is over and Ryan scurries back into whatever alternate universe he escaped from.

His interest in me is nothing but a continuation of the games we played in high school…right?

But the longer he stays, the more I wonder if I’m wrong and his tender smile and heated attentions are genuine. Maybe it’s not a game.

Ha! Who am I kidding? This is Ryan we’re talking about. Of course it’s a game. A game called war. And this time, I will win.

About a month or so ago, Kayla and I buddy read Sarah Adams’ The Match. We both found it so adorable that we immediately decided we needed to buddy read the next book in the series. I’m so happy we did that because I found The Enemy to be just as charming as The Match. They were both set in the same city and had some favorite side characters tying them together, but the majority of The Enemy felt like a whole new world that was fun to discover. The Enemy one stood strong on its own.

What was so great about The Enemy? An incredibly fun wedding aspect brought crushes sworn enemies June and Ryan back together over and over after over a decade of not seeing each other. The animosity between the two ramped up in the best of ways. There was also some hilarious doughnut shop, restaurant, and friendship stuff that went on. What made this book truly magical was the chemistry between June and Ryan. Everything that went down between them was entertaining. Their relationship was the sweetest of sweetest slow burn romances. That chemistry was always there, but they took on their past and got to know each other better at a believable pace. There was also a TON of humorous moments — especially when it came to our adorably self-conscious heroine. It was all just so charming and adorable. I couldn’t get enough of it and stayed up WAY too late finishing it.

I’m actually sad that I sped through this book the way I did. I couldn’t help myself, but now I want more. I don’t even know if there is more coming because I haven’t seen a third book listed, but I REALLY hope there is. I want more of these delightful It Happened in Charleston books!

Review: The Right Player

The Right Player
Author: Kandi Steiner
Publication Date: September 24, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

I have a three date rule — but it’s not what you think.

See, I’ve been told I’m the “good time girl,” not the one you take home to Mom. And while that label stung at first, I’ve since embraced it — living the wild and free life and sticking to a three date max. That’s just enough time to have some fun and snuff out the possibility of catching feelings. And it’s been working for me for years…

Until Makoa Kumaka.

Sadly, he also has a three date rule — and it’s the exact opposite of mine. From the second I meet him, all I can think about is stripping down that six-foot-five Herculean hunk of a man. But like the gentleman I wish he wasn’t, he’s making me wait.

The more time we spend together, the more I feel those pesky emotions creeping in. I’m even tempted to trust him, but blame it on my past or my instincts, I can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something…

I’ve been playing the game forever, and no man has ever won my heart — which meant they never had the power to break it.

But maybe I just hadn’t met the right player.

Maybe I’ll wish I never did.

Sigh. ADORABLE. The Right Player was so freaking adorable. I knew it would be since it was connected to my favorite Kandi Steiner book, The Wrong Game. I just didn’t know how adorable it would be.

Belle was so vibrant and independent. Mokoa was a sweet, good guy. Their chemistry was perfect. I loved them falling in love. I enjoyed how the tables were turned in this one. Instead of being the guy not wanting a relationship, it was the girl. That spin created such an interesting dynamic. It also created some interesting, low angst drama. Normally, a lack of communication (or lying) doesn’t always work out for me, but it made sense in this case. I might have been cringing waiting for things to go down, but when they did I liked it.

Another great thing about this book was getting to see Gemma and Zach again. Belle and Gemma’s friendship was once again in full swing. I also loved how Zach now played into that friendship. It was just so great to see them all together again. I wish there were more friends for Steiner to write about because I would read another book set in this world.

Obviously, I loved The Right Player. I would highly recommend it. I would also recommend The Wrong Game. You don’t have to read it first, but it might be more fun if you do. 😉

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/33MPHq6
Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/TheRightPlayer
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Q3JJur

Meet Kandi

Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.

Connect with Kandi

Website:  www.kandisteiner.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7319216.Kandi_Steiner
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kandi-Steiner/e/B00JDJOINE/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KandiSteiner/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kandilandks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandisteiner/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KandiSteiner
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kandi-steiner
Book+Main: https://bit.ly/39u1KLs

Review: Love Lettering (Kate Clayborn)

Love Lettering
Author: Kate Clayborn
Publication Date: December 31, 2019
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Meg Mackworth’s hand-lettering skill has made her famous as the Planner of Park Slope, designing beautiful custom journals for New York City’s elite. She has another skill too: reading signs that other people miss. Like the time she sat across from Reid Sutherland and his gorgeous fiancée, and knew their upcoming marriage was doomed to fail. Weaving a secret word into their wedding program was a little unprofessional, but she was sure no one else would spot it. She hadn’t counted on sharp-eyed, pattern-obsessed Reid.


A year later, Reid has tracked Meg down to find out—before he leaves New York for good—how she knew that his meticulously planned future was about to implode. But with a looming deadline, a fractured friendship, and a bad case of creative block, Meg doesn’t have time for Reid’s questions—unless he can help her find her missing inspiration. As they gradually open up to each other about their lives, work, and regrets, both try to ignore the fact that their unlikely connection is growing deeper. But the signs are there—irresistible, indisputable, urging Meg to heed the messages Reid is sending her, before it’s too late.

Love Lettering was an utterly charming read. It’s my first book by Kate Clayborn and I was SO impressed. I went into this one blind, and I was addicted from the first word, first paragraph, first chapter. It was one of those types of reads.

The whole concept of letters and codes was fascinating. The way Meg saw letters and words was very cool. It’s hard to imagine a whole book being written around that concept, but it worked well. I’m going to be thinking about letters every time I look at a hand painted sign or wedding invitation now.

At the heart of Love Lettering was a sweet slow burn romance. I was completely sold on the idea of a relationship between Meg and Reid from the minute he walked into the store. His slightly awkward, buttoned up personality was perfect. It made me curious about him in ways I wouldn’t have been if I had his POV. Normally, I like a dual POV. Surprisingly, this one was probably better without due to the curiosity thing. Anyway. I liked the way Meg and Reid’s personalities and abilities fit together.

Meg also had several other relationships that were important. Her friendships with four different women stood out. The one I was most fascinated by was with Sibby. I was just as frustrated as Meg was with what was happening in that relationship. My favorite was probably Meg’s relationship with Lark and how it played out. There was just a lot of great friendship stuff that didn’t overwhelm the romance, but coexisted in a good way.

There was even a shocking twist in this book. There was some foreshadowing, but not enough to ruin the surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting things to go down the way they did, and I loved it.

So, yeah. I loved Love Lettering. I was so impressed with Kate Clayborn’s writing. I can’t wait to discover more of hers books. If anyone has a suggestion on which to read next, drop it in the comments.

Review: Lies and Lullabies (Sarina Bowen)

Lies and Lullabies
Series: Hush Notes, #1
Author: Sarina Bowen
Publication Date: September 22, 2020
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.

Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.

I didn’t know he was a rock star.

I didn’t know his real name.

Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.

And I sure never expected to see him again.

Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.

Lies and Lullabies was a sweet second chance romance. The whole rock star and secret baby tropes melded perfectly. I loved Kira and Jonas’ characters. It was easy to understand why Kira kept Vivi a secret and for why Jonas would want to come back to her five years later. Their chemistry was on point, and it didn’t feel weird for them to reconnect quickly. I’m normally not a fan of flashbacks, but they were few, woven well into the story, and didn’t distract from the present but added to it.

Like in all of Bowen’s books, the side characters helped make the story. Kira and Jonas’ daughter Vivi was adorable. There were so many sweet moments due to her. Kira’s brother Adam also had a big part. I loved his character. I’m wondering if we’re getting a book for him because his part in the story felt like it wasn’t resolved. I hope so! And then there was the rest of Jonas’ band. I liked the introductions to Nixon and Quinn. I’m so interested to see where Rebecca Yarros and Devney Perry take those characters.

There were a few things that felt a little too unresolved to me. One was teh whole Luke storyline. The second was Adam’s story, as I pointed out earlier. The third was that I wanted a little more time with Kira and Jonas at the end. There was a perfect epilogue, but the story felt like it ended a little abruptly. I can’t exactly explain why it felt that way. I guess I needed a little more clarification on how everything worked out for them with Jonas’ tour, etc.

Overall, this was a great second chance romance. It was filled with sweet moments and rock star fun. I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!

PURCHASE LINKS:
SERIES PAGE https://www.subscribepage.com/hushnote
All links in one spot → https://shor.by/hush-note
Audible → https://geni.us/Audible-LandL
Paperback → https://geni.us/Paperback-Land…
Amazon → https://geni.us/Amazon-LandL
Apple → https://geni.us/apple-LandL
Kobo → https://geni.us/kobo-LandL
Nook → https://geni.us/Nook-LandL
Google → https://geni.us/Google-LandL

Lies & Lullabies is book one in the Hush Note series. This can be read as a complete standalone. Book two, Rifts & Refrains is by Devney Perry, and book three, Muses & Melodies is by Rebecca Yarros.

Review: Yours to Keep (Lauren Layne)

Yours to Keep
Series: Man of the Year, #2
Author: Lauren Layne
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

An irresistible baseball star and a resistant hometown girl stumble into love in a flirty romance by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne.

Pro baseball shortstop Carter Ramsey is about to be Citizen magazine’s Man of the Year, but the only title that matters to him is out of reach: World Series MVP. Benched by a recent injury, Carter retreats to his hometown to recover. His ten-year class reunion and a potential reconciliation with the sweetheart he left behind could be perfect distractions. Until another old acquaintance throws Carter a curveball.

Olive Dunn admits that her former high school science partner is still a handsome charmer. But she wasn’t swayed then, and she won’t be swayed now. Because Olive remembers Carter’s little shortcoming: he tends to bail the moment it suits him, without a backward glance. Best to keep her feelings strictly platonic while he’s in town.


Except the entitled boy she knew is a changed man: solid, reflective, and generous. As they ease back in to their familiar friendship, things take a surprising turn, and Carter and Olive must decide if what they have is a passing flirtation or a real shot at love.

Lauren Layne is back! Well, she didn’t really leave, but… I hate to admit that the first Man of the Year book wasn’t my cup of tea. That didn’t stop me from wanting to read Yours to Keep because it is very rare that I don’t fall in love with an LL book. I totally fell in love with this book. What made it so great, you ask?

  • Yours to Keep is one of those books that made me smile the entire time I was reading it. The words feel like they’re wrapped in this upbeat, happy bubble wrap no matter what’s going down.
  • The characters were lovable, each in their own way. Carter because he was a professional athlete trying to figure out who he was without baseball (a great guy). Olive because she wasn’t about to let anyone decide who she was without her input. They weren’t perfect, but they were good people.
  • The chemistry was undeniable, but I loved that they started off by developing a friendship.
  • The side characters were great and added some fun moments to the story. I especially loved Carter’s twin and parents.
  • Just have to say that I loved the ending and epilogue for this book.
  • This is a weird one, but I loved that the whole “Man of the Year” article was what tied this book to the first one and not the political aspect from the first book. They almost didn’t even feel related, and that was a good thing for me.

Was there anything I disliked? Not really. The only thing I could probably point out was that I would have preferred it be in first person instead of third, but this LL so the third worked for me. Yours to Keep was another great addition to her contemporary romance catalog, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Can it hurry up and get here, please?

Mini Reviews: Engagement and Espionage & Batter of Wits

Engagement and Espionage
Series: Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries, #1
Author: Penny Reid
Publication Date: July 14, 2020
Publisher: Cipher-Naught
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!

But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most “fowl” need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.
Sabotage!

Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?

‘Engagement and Espionage’ is the first book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series, is a full-length cozy mystery, and is a spin-off of Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers series. This novel is best read after ‘Beard Science,’ Winston Brothers #3.

My thoughts:

If you’re a fan of Cletus Winston and his baker love Jenn Donner, you will most likely enjoy Engagement and Espionage. It’s a fun cozy mystery filled with antics that can only be attributed to Cletus. Plus, getting more of Cletus and Jenn’s relationship was so fulfilling. They are a couple of favorite characters of mine and I’m so glad there are more books in this series to come.

Batter of Wits
Series: Donner Bakery, #5
Author: Karla Sorensen
Publication Date: April 21, 2020
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Hate at first sight couldn’t possibly exist, right?

That’s what Grace Buchanan thought, before her useless car stranded her on the side of a deserted road just inside the Green Valley city limits.

When Tucker Haywood—tall and handsome and full of southern charm— shows up to help, her reaction to him is the strongest thing she’s ever felt in her life, and it makes no freaking sense.

It doesn’t make much sense to Tucker either. Not why she hates him, or why he finds her so intriguing. He knows well enough that Grace is moving to Green Valley for a fresh start, not to distract him when he’s got no room for something like her in his life.

The complications between them are endless, but that doesn’t stop her definitely not love-at-first-sight feelings from changing into something else entirely.

Grace and Tucker are about to learn the hard way that in Green Valley, hating someone has never tasted so sweet.

My thoughts:

I’m always a little hesitant to read a book by one author set in a world created by another author. I’m afraid that it just won’t have the right “feel” to it. Penny Reid’s writing style, settings, and characters are one of a kind. Her Green Valley, home of the Winston brothers, has a special place in my heart. I have read a couple books in this world now, and neither of them quite reflected the setting or style I expected. This is all a big build up to say that Karla Sorensen is the first author who has managed to write her own unique characters and do Green Valley justice. Batter of Wits felt like coming home to Green Valley, and that’s a good thing. I loved Grace and Tucker. Their love story had some uncomfortable bumps, but it was fun.