Author: Tee Harlowe
Genre: Romantasy
Format: Kindle, eARC
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Series: Yes, Moonflower Witches Book 1
Pages: 256

Synopsis {via Goodreads}

Witch hates warlock.

Warlock hates witch.

Warlock falls for witch.

. . . Things get very, very complicated.

Elspeth Moonflower just wants to cast a spell. Unfortunately, that’s impossible due to a curse her grandmother cast that forces every witch in her family to marry before using magic. As a result, Elspeth and her sisters are outcasts, helping their mother run her traveling apothecary shop—while she complains that her daughters are all magicless spinsters.

When their cart breaks down and strands them in the charming village of Thistlegrove, Elspeth’s older sister meets a handsome warlock who’s smitten. If only the warlock’s best friend wasn’t completely insufferable. Draven Darkstone is broody, arrogant, wealthy—a perfect example of why Elspeth never wants to marry. But for the sake of her sister, she needs to be nice.

Which is hard when all Draven does is glower at her. It’s even harder when the glowering turns to longing glances. It’s downright impossible when he kisses her.

Little does Elspeth know, the line between love and hate just got thinner.

The low-stakes fantasy of Legends and Lattes meets the romance of Bridgerton in Potions & Prejudice, a spicy cozy fantasy romance with a grumpy sentient cottage, an anxious miniature dragon, and all the cottagecore vibes.

Review:

 Stay with Me

A best friend’s brother stand-alone from small-town romance author Brooke Montgomery about a girl who falls pregnant by the wrong man and the cowboy who takes her in…

I've crushed on my best friend's brother for years.

He's a six-foot-three, dark-haired cowboy who works on his family's ranch and sends butterflies to my stomach anytime he looks at me. But he's never made a move, so I need to get over it.

Except, when he reads a text message about me liking a mysterious guy, he snaps and demands answers. Little does he know, it's my code name for him.

When he finally confesses he likes me too, I find out I'm pregnant. With my ex-boyfriend's baby.

After spending three weeks together in secret, my world turns upside down when that little white stick reveals a positive sign from the one-night stand I had before him.

Now everything's a mess and my life's spiraling out of control.

I can't expect him to date me anymore, so I insist we return to being friends. The last thing he needs is a girl who's carrying another man's baby and about to be a first-time mom.

But when my apartment gets broken into, and there's a suspected criminal on the loose, he insists I move in with him to keep me safe.

Staying platonic proves to be harder with each passing day as he goes with me to my appointments, takes me baby shopping, and stocks the kitchen with all my weird cravings. He's so involved that everyone assumes he's the father. And I don’t correct them.

But the truth always comes out in a Southern small town.

Review:

🐴 Western Romance
👶🏻 Accidental Pregnancy
❤️ Best Friend's Brother
🏡 Forced Proximity
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Found Family

Whew, I wasn't sure about this one when the book started. Brooke Montgomery's Stay with Me is a romantic suspense about Magnolia and Tripp, the mess they make of their life, and how it comes back together to give them their HEA. If you've read the first book in this series, then you know when this book starts that the book involves an accidental pregnancy, you even have a small inkling about how it happens. This book is about that accidental pregnancy and how it pans out. Since pregnancy tropes are my least favorite tropes, I wasn't sure how this book was going to play for me. Turns out, thanks to Tripp, it played pretty nicely. 

The characters, Tripp and Magnolia are in love and have been for a long time. Neither of them knows that, however, so it takes them a hell of a long time to get together but the book picks up shortly before they finally figure it out. I have to say, Tripp completely makes this book. Yes, Magnolia is the object of his affection, but the way he treats her is everything and I absolutely mean everything. EVERYTHING. Trip is 100% the cowboy every girl wants. The way he handles his girlfriend's accidental pregnancy with another man is completely swoon-worthy. I absolutely fell in love with him from the start. 

The book has a suspense element with Magnolia's ex-boyfriend, but I won't give that away. Let's just say it doesn't end well for Travis (Magnolia's ex). Otherwise, the whole plot revolves around the pregnancy and how Tripp and Magnolia handle it. Something about this book I particularly liked was the well-handled anxiety rep. As a person with severe anxiety, I completely feel for Tripp. Also, this book's plot is perfectly paced. 

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys western romances and anyone who enjoys a particularly strong MMC. Have I mentioned that Tripp is absolutely everything?

Rating: 

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful... because of Tripp!

Author: Brooke Montgomery
Genre: Cowboy Romance
Format: Audible, Kindle
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Series: Yes, Sugarland Creek Book 1
Pages: 392

Synopsis {via Goodreads}

A forbidden age gap stand-alone from small-town romance author Brooke Montgomery about a daring horse trainer and her off-limits ex-boyfriend’s dad…

When we met at the rodeo, I only knew his first name.

Sparks ignited between us, and we spent an unforgettable night together.

It's not until the morning after when I recognize his last name do I realize who he is.

So I do what any rational woman would and make the walk of shame while he sleeps. It's not like I'll ever see him again or have to explain why I left.

But I'm proven wrong when he shows up at my family's ranch as the new farrier.

We can't be more than friends—for many reasons. 

He's twice my age, workplace relationships are off-limits, and he moved back to rebuild a relationship with his son—the one I used to date. 

Getting involved would ruin everything.

As we struggle between right and wrong, our connection deepens even though his traumatic past makes him doubt he deserves a second chance.

But it doesn't matter when everything's against us, including a rival who's out to get me and my ex who's determined to win me back.

After a riding trick goes wrong on his watch, he insists on taking care of me. Even though the odds are stacked against us, we keep the truth to ourselves.

But secrets don't stay hidden for long in a Southern small town.

Here With Me is book 1 in the Sugarland Creek series. Contains 20+ year age gap, ex-boyfriend's dad, workplace romance, opposites attract, and secret relationship vibes. Each book in this Southern, small town series is a stand-alone and ends in a happily ever after. Please read the content warning before the prologue.

Review:

Here with Me is a cowboy romance with all the energy. This book has a one night stand, a secret relationship, a hot ex-boyfriend's dad, all the cowboy (and cowgirl) vibes you could possibly want, and it's got a sweet age gap romance to boot. Montgomery pulls out all the stops with this one and it is hot! This book starts spicy and stays that way to the end. 

Fisher and Noah are both fun characters in completely different ways. Noah is completely forward, while Fisher is more reserved. She comes on to him first and there's a one night stand that she initiates. While Fisher is an older man with a troubled past, Noah is young and successful with a great big loving family. They're completely different and they completely fall for each other and it is delicious! 

The plot of this book is a perfectly paced age-gap, ex-boyfriend's dad plot with a suspense element. There's a bad guy who does bad things (I won't tell!). It's completely clear why the bad guy is doing the things he's doing and you feel for Noah and the horses through the ordeal with the baddie. I suppose there's also a place where you feel for Fisher, too, but since this story has an HEA that angle doesn't have as much of a bite. 

Overall, the story is spicy and delicious and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys age gap and cowboy romances!

Oh, and if you happen to listen to this book on Audible, the female narrator, Maxine Mitchell is *chef's kiss* while the male narrator, Tor Thom, is *cringe.* While I'm sure Tor Thom is usually fine, his southern accent is absolutely awful. No reflection on the book or the author, but yeah, do yourself and favor and skip the Audible and read this one. 

Rating: 

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful

Author: Susan Renee
Genre: Sports Romance
Format: Kindle
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Series: Yes, Standalone
Pages: 355

Synopsis: {via GoodReads}

For fans of Tessa Bailey, a laugh-out-loud enemies-to-lovers romance about a professional hockey player who finds himself facing off with the team’s new marketing rep, who might just be his new lucky charm.

Good looks and wads of cash usually get me whatever I desire, unless I desire a box of my favorite cereal at the grocery store right before it closes. As if tonight’s loss wasn’t bad enough, I'm now watching said box of cereal, my literal good luck charm, disappear in some woman’s cart.

The brazen woman denies my cash offer along with my proposal for a more intimate payment. How much loss can a man take in one day?

At this point, who cares how rude I am to her? She’s public enemy number one and chances of seeing her again are slim to none. That is, until she appears at the arena the next morning as the newest marketing rep for the Chicago Red Tails hockey team.

Just my luck.

Carissa Smallson is feisty, outspoken, and boldly confident. She's also funny, down to earth, and…ugh, she’s insanely pretty. Everything about her is both unbelievably annoying and terrifyingly attractive.

As Captain of the team, I’m always laser focused on my job, but lately I can’t stop thinking about her. I lead my team to victory night after night. Hustle, hit, and never quit.

But if I’m not careful, she could knock me off my game.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy sports romances in general, and hockey romances are always fun, so this book is right up my alley. I started out a little dubious about whether this is a romance novel because the cover doesn't say romance to me, but it is most certainly a romance novel. 

The story has great romantic tension, there's a villain we don't really meet until the last chapters of the book, and the characters have heat. They're attracted to one another almost from the start of the book, even though they start out enemies over a box of cereal! 

I have to say, at the beginning of this book, I was doubtful that I would like Colby. He starts out kind of mean, but when he comes around what you see about him is that he's protecting himself. He's vulnerable and doesn't necessarily want to want Carissa. 

Carissa is strong and likeable from the start. I liked her and her best friend from the beginning pages to the end. There are some great scenes with her, particularly at the end when she's covered in water. 

The pace of the story is a little bit strange because even though there's a villain, and she's mentioned a few times, we don't see her until almost the end of the story. To me, that feels a little bit rushed. But, the story plays itself out completely with no loose ends. 

The book also doesn't have an epilogue, which I suppose isn't required but is something I always look forward to. I want to see what happened to the characters a few months (or years) later. I want to know things worked out for them and they're living their happily ever after. This book is missing that element. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Off Your Game and would definitely recommend it to other hockey romance readers. It was fun, light in most places, and the characters had great chemistry. 

Rating:

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful!!

Falling on a Duke

Author: Stefany Nunes
Genre: Romance
Format: NetGalley eARC
Kindle Unlimited: No
Series: No
Pages: 288
Publication Date: April 28, 2025

Synopsis: {via Goodreads}

9th-century England. Benjamin Gerard Waldorf, the Duke of Waldorf, has resigned himself to a life of duty and responsibility. But when an antique cameo unexpectedly transports him 200 years into the future, his world is turned upside down. Isabella Souza Kato, a struggling writer in London, is grappling with creative block after a painful breakup. Just as she’s ready to give up on love, a chance encounter with a man claiming to be from the 1800s alters her life completely.

As they navigate the complexities of time, culture, and their own hearts, Benjamin and Isabella must confront their fears and insecurities if they want to find a future together.

Will Benjamin find a way back to his rightful place, or will he choose to forge a new path with Isabella?

Review:

Falling on a Duke by Stephany Nunes is a cute time travel romance about Ben and Bella. Ben is a 19th century gentleman, a Duke, while Bella is a 21st century woman and a writer. The story is cute, but it has heart and you can't help falling in love with Ben and Bella's story. Or, at least, I couldn't. I enjoy time travel and the time travel in this book was light and fun, with a lovely happy ending. 

Lost and Lassoed

Synopsis: {via Goodreads}

She thrives in chaos. He prefers routine. The only thing they have in common? How much they hate each other. From the author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the highly anticipated next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance featuring enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

Teddy Andersen doesn't have a plan. She's never needed one before. She's always been more of a go with the flow type of girl, but for some reason, the flow doesn't seem to be going her way this time. Her favorite vintage suede jacket has a hole in it, her sewing machine is broken, and her best friend just got engaged. Suddenly, everything feels like it's starting to change. Teddy's used to being a leader, but now she feels like she's getting left behind, wondering if the life she lives in the small town she loves is enough for her anymore.

Gus Ryder has a lot on his plate. He doesn't know what's taking care of his family's 8,000 acre ranch, or parenting his spunky six-year-old daughter, who is staying with him for the summer. Gus has always been the dependable one, but when his workload starts to overwhelm him, he slips up, and he has to admit that he can't manage everything on his own. He needs help. His little sister's best friend, the woman he can't stand, is not who he had in mind. But when no one else can step in, Teddy's the only option he's got. Teddy decides to use the summer to try and figure out what she wants out of life. Gus, on the other hand, starts to worry that he'll never find what he needs. Tempers flare, tension builds, and for the first time ever, Gus and Teddy start to see each other in a different light. As new feelings start to simmer below the surface, they must decide whether or not to act on them. Can they keep things cool? Or will both of them get burned?

Swift and Saddled

She’s the city girl who refuses to be saddled with a man. He’s the cowboy who wants her anyway.

The last thing Ada Hart needs is a man to take care of her. Not anymore. After failing out of her interior design program and the disaster that was her short-lived marriage, Ada clawed her way up from her rock bottom. Now, the only person she trusts is herself, and that has gotten her further than ever before. She has her own business, and one of the largest ranches in Wyoming just hired her for the most important project of her career.

When Ada arrives in Meadowlark, she finds herself in a dive bar where she can’t seem to shake the eyes of a handsome cowboy. When she leads him to the back of the bar, he leaves her with a kiss that most people can only fantasize about. She almost regrets that she’ll never see him again . . . except it turns out he’s her new boss.

Weston Ryder is a happy guy. Even happier now that the mystery woman from the bar is the interior designer for his dream project on his family’s ranch. He feels like he hit the jackpot. It’s too bad she wants absolutely nothing to do with him outside of work. Ada is convinced the pull she feels toward Wes will go away, but Wes can’t stop thinking about her. Even though walls are coming down around Rebel Blue, Ada’s walls are firmly in place.

Can they make it through this project without giving in? Or will they both put their dreams on the line for a chance at love?

Review

I loved this book so much! Wes and Ada are perfect and the interplay between them is everything. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one has been my favorite so far. And as with the all the covers in this series, I love this cover. So nostalgic and comic book-esque in an old western kind of way. If you enjoy gooey romances with a strong happily ever after, this book is probably for you! 

🐎 Cowboys x City Girl

💖 Golden Retriever

🏡 Small Town Romance

💚 Found family

💛 Depression rep

👥 Forced Proximity

🌹He Falls First

The characters in this book are so much fun. Wes is perfect, he's so gentle and treats Ada with so much respect. As a person who has depression, Wes made me feel seen. So the depression rep in this book is strong. The way Wes and Ada relate to one another and share their problems is heart warming. I particularly love how Weston is able to calm Ada down when she's spiraling. Not to give too much away, but again the interplay between these characters is golden.

I particularly like Ada because she's not nicey-nice. She's a vulnerable person with a lot of, well, vulnerabilities. She comes from a bad marriage, where she was ghosted by her husband, so she's insecure. She drives a beat up old car and doesn't have a lot of money, she dropped out of college. All in all, she's flawed and her insecurities come out to play a lot in this book. She's also incredibly relatable.

Unlike the first book, where the romance isn't too rushed, this book has romance from nearly the first pages. The characters are drawn to one another from the beginning. So the pace, as far as the romance goes, starts out very fast and then slows down a bit, rather than the other way around.

Overall, this book had everything I enjoy in a romance novel. Put this one on your TBR!

Rating: 

❤❤❤❤❤ / 🌶️🌶️ - Really wonderful fun!

More painful than love… are the secrets that bind and divide us.

Shadows so Cruel is a full-length dark fantasy romance novel, and book two in the Court of Ravens duet. The two-part story features two morally gray raven shifters, a young woman at the mercy of their shadows, and a HEA. This world contains dark elements, violence, and themes some may find disturbing. Readers can find more detailed information on the author's website. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better. And two do it better than one…

Review: 

Um, I am at a loss for words after finishing this one. There were tears, lots of them, and this book broke my heart. You get an HEA, but it's not the HEA you're expecting, which I should have seen coming after reading the first book in the series, Feathers so Vicious. Liv Zander doesn't always give you what you want, but she does give the characters what they need which is just as good. Just like the first one, this book is dark so check out the author's Trigger Warning page for information before you pick this one up. 

💫 Fantasy

💔 Enemies to Lovers

💋 Reverse Harem

❤ Shadow Daddy

🏰 War

🐦‍⬛ Shapeshifters

💖 HEA

The Characters:

Author: Lyla Sage
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio, Paperback, Kindle
Kindle Unlimited: No
Series: Rebel Blue Ranch #1
Pages: 368 pages

Synopsis: {via GoodReads}

She’s off-limits, but he’s never been good at following the rules.

For the first time in her life, Clementine “Emmy” Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape.

Luke Brooks is Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fifth member of the Ryder family. As Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It’s been years since he’s seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can’t take his eyes off her. Despite his better judgment, he wants to do a whole lot more than just look at her.

Emmy’s got too much on her mind to think about romance. And Luke knows he should stay away from his best friend’s younger sister. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?

Review: 

This book was such a great read! First, let me say I love the covers for this series. They're so nostalgic and fun. The colors and simplicity of the image is perfect, very comic book-esque. Just perfect for how fun this book was! If you're looking for a fun read for spring and you enjoy romances with a definite HEA, put this book on your TBR. 

🐎 Cowboys (and a Cowgirl!)

💖 Brothers Best Friend

🏡 Small Town Romance

💋 Enemies to Lovers

💚Found Family

🌹He Falls First

Lets talk about Emmy first. Emmy is fantastic, but not without her difficulties as any good character should be. She struggles with something she's loved her whole life after an accident that leaves her afraid to get back on the horse. She's just the right amount of vulnerable for the story and as a character with ADHD and sensory struggles, she's incredibly relatable. 

Luke is the all around charming reformed bad boy bar owner and he is hot, hot, hot! What I liked best about Luke is that he's not perfect, he comes from difficult circumstances, but he's made something of himself. He owns the bar in town, works on the Rebel Blue Ranch, and wears those backward baseball caps just right.

The plot moves along at a great pace and the romance between Luke and Emmy isn't rushed. There are some steamy scenes, so this one is definitely not closed door. As the story progresses, you feel for Emmy as she struggles to get back in the saddle and make decisions about her life. She can't do the thing she's been working toward her whole life and the reader really feels her struggle to figure out what that means for her, all while trying to figure out her relationship with Luke Brooks. 

I really enjoyed the ambiance of this story. The small town felt alive and I could really feel how this setting looked. I also enjoyed the way the relationship progresses in somewhat secret by Emmy's choice. It's not Luke keeping them a secret. Emmy gets to call the shots! Overall, this one was a great read and, since it's the first in a series, I'm really looking forward to jumping in and reading the rest. 

Rating:

❤❤❤❤❤ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Really wonderful! Romance readers, put this one on your TBR!!

Sunday Post is a weekly blog meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and is a place to share weekly goings on. I'd love to share my week with you!

I mentioned last week I was sick and... I'm still sick. Upper respiratory infection can go away already, I'm pretty sick of being sick. Otherwise, my work as an online English instructor has kept me busy with grading this week, but I still managed to read two books, so I feel good about that. I also got some writing time in, which always makes me feel good. All in all, it's been a good week! 

My current read is Shadows so Cruel by Liv Zander. It's the second book in the Court of Ravens Duology and so far, I'm enjoying it almost as much as I did the first book. Zander has a way with words, the book is dark and the characters are multifaceted. Great story telling with this series. 

Shadows so Cruel is a full-length dark fantasy romance novel, and book two in the Court of Ravens duet. The two-part story features two morally gray raven shifters, a young woman at the mercy of their shadows, and a HEA. This world contains dark elements, violence, and themes some may find disturbing. Readers can find more detailed information on the author's website. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better. And two do it better than one…

On the blog this week

🍓 Cover Feature, No. 1 - Dishonestly Yours

🪝 Review: Ruthless Bonds by Dani Antoinette

💕 Can't-Wait Wednesday: Wild and Wrangled

🐦‍⬛ Review: Feathers so Vicious by Liv Zander

In the mail this week

I got just one book this week, but it's so cute, I can't wait to read it! I've been seeing this series all over social because a new book just came out, so I got this first in the series and it's sitting right on top of my TBR! 

That's it for this week. I hope you've had a great week and that next week is too! 

More treacherous than war... are the battles within a heart.

Feathers so Vicious is a full-length dark fantasy romance novel, and book one in the Court of Ravens duet. The two-part story features two morally gray raven shifters, a young woman at the mercy of their shadows, and a HEA. This world contains dark elements, violence, and themes some may find disturbing. Readers can find more detailed information on the author's website. What this book doesn't contain is a hero - because villains do it better. And two do it better than one…

Review: 

⚠️May contain Spoilers⚠️

This one has it all and I am here for it. Feathers so Vicious is the first of two in a series/duology. As such, it's left on a cliffhanger--a wild cliffhanger I did not see coming! I almost always hate cliffhangers, but thankfully book #2 is already available on Kindle Unlimited to pick up right where I left off. Otherwise, there's some chatter on Goodreads about this book being maybe too dark, but I enjoyed it. It is dark, so if you enjoy that kind of thing this might be for you but I feel inclined to say there should be a mountain of trigger warnings on this book. Check out the author's Trigger Warning page for information before you pick this one up. 

Tropes:

💫 Fantasy

💔 Enemies to Lovers

💋 Reverse Harem

❤ Shadow Daddy

🏰 Forced Proximity

🐦‍⬛ Shapeshifters

🥀 Betrayal

⛰️ Cliffhanger

The Characters:

The characters in this book are all intense in their own ways. The FMC, Galantia, and two MMCs Malyr and Sebian, are all broken in ways it's hard to come back from. Each of them are unique, they've each suffered, sometimes at one another's hands, and the men in this book are a bit more than morally grey... Malyr, at least, tips the scale into full on morally black. The things they've suffered, sometimes as children, are unthinkable, so as adults they're all spectacularly broken. The way they continue to break one another, even as adults, is sad but also befitting the darkness of the story.

The most interesting thing I found about the shifters in this book was the description of them shifting into an unkindness. As Ravens, they don't just turn into one bird, they turn into a whole unkindness, complete with birds that do specific things, like harbor their magical gifts. It's unique and beautiful. The descriptions of their society are very well done. The way they nest in pillows in their human forms, how they collect things like glass, ribbons, and nails. The way they bond for life and care for their mates. The ravens are a lovely touch.

And, maybe it's a spoiler, but seriously watch out for Cici! 💔🗡️

The Plot:

Wow, the plot in this book is, well... dark. There's a war happening because of course there is. The raven's are at war with the humans, or perhaps vice versa. While I won't give away more than that, the war plays a backdrop role in this book. There're not huge battle scenes, no battle scenes at all, but you do see the effects of war. The ravens look pretty bad as this book starts, but you come to understand them a bit better as the book goes on. The setting is also appropriately dark and the book is paced perfectly. It's never too slow or too fast, and you're never wondering why you're learning about this character or that's past. Everything plays into the story. Every little detail is important.

The relationships between Sebian and Galantia, and Malyr and Galantia are, for the most part, also perfectly paced. There's a point when you wonder at Malyr's sudden niceness, but otherwise the reverse harem is in full effect for most of this book. 

At the end, there's a cliffhanger I did not see coming... at all. Zander got me and, I would imagine, a lot of other people with this cliffhanger ending. You're left feeling raw for the characters, but also... rooting for Galantia? The second book seems to pick up right where this one leaves off, but I haven't finished that one yet so I don't have much to add there.

Rating:

❤❤❤❤❤/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Wonderfully Spicy!! This one is appropriately dark, if you like that sort of thing, but seriously check out the trigger warnings before you decide. 

Author: Elise Sax
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Format: Kindle
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Series: Yes

Synopsis: {via Amazon}

Love sucks.

Every time Beatrice Hammersmith falls for a guy, he breaks her heart and steals her appliances. It’s no fun sleeping alone and waking up without a coffeemaker.

Fed up, Beatrice hatches a plan with two other women to find true love and marry billionaires. First on their agenda is to capture the heart of hottie billionaire, Cole Stevens. Cole is handsome, brilliant, and he owns his own appliances.

Operation Billionaire sends the three new friends (and one of their mothers and a passel of children) to Cole’s ranch to make him fall in love with Beatrice. But their plans run into some trouble.

It’s not so easy to bag a billionaire. Will Beatrice find love with Cole?

Will she marry the billionaire of her dreams? How to Marry a Billionaire is the first book in the hot and hilarious new trilogy by the author of the Matchmaker books.

This is a full-length, hot and hilarious novel, perfect for fans of billionaire romance, beach reads, and romantic comedy.

Review 

I usually break these reviews down into characters and plot, but I'm not going to do that with this book because it was absolutely ridiculous. But, lets be clear, it was ridiculous in the best way possible. I laughed my behind off reading this book, it was literally laugh out loud funny. The dialogue between characters was hilarious. Beatrice, Olivia, and Rosalind are hilarious. You couldn't find three more different women than these unlikely friends, but circumstances collude to bring them together when their chips are down and the resulting mayhem is, well, hilarious. 

The friendships in this book are so much fun, but the romance is completely and utterly implausible. Beatrice is in love with Cole, who she hasn't met by the way, and is going to be in the same place as him for a week. In response to their proximity and while completely drunk, she and her new friends cook up Operation Billionaire in order to snag Cole. Okay, maybe, but the speed at which this romance moves is completely not possible. Even if she had known him before hand, the romance in this book goes from zero to 100 in just under two days. No one falls in love that fast. Later, when Cole finds out about Operation Billionaire he gets mad and gets over it so fast I got whiplash. This book's plot is simply not possible, all the way through.

But, the magic of this book is that it doesn't need to make sense. It's a fairytale sort of romance situation that every most women knows isn't possible, but come on, who wouldn't want a billionaire cowboy to just happen to fall in love with them in under a week? I mean, that sounds dreamy to me (don't tell my husband!). It's a book, not real life, it doesn't have to be possible! It is okay, once in a while, for a book not to take itself too seriously.

While, normally, I do prefer my romcoms to be a bit more realistic, this book was a light, fun read that helped cleanse my palate from all the heavy dark romance I tend to indulge in. Much fun was hand reading this one. 

Rating

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful. I recommend this one for fun with the caveat that I told you it was utterly ridiculous and completely unrealistic. But, I still liked it! 

Author: Willow Winters
Genre: Romance, Dark Romance
Format: Kindle (also comes in paperback and hardcover)
Kindle Unlimited: No
Series: Yes, Book 1 of 2
Price: $5.99 (Kindle)

Synopsis: {via Amazon}

There are two things I’ve always known:

Magic is real.

The Gods have no mercy for women like me.

I was born into power although what little I have is dying. Nonetheless, I’ve been protected all my life. There are myths and tales that say one day I will come to a fork in a long, long path. Either the light will take me or the dark. I never paid any mind to the whispers and warnings…

Until he crept into my window late at night.

Cloaked in darkness, silent as death. Every inch of me felt terror and yet I also felt something else. Something I’d never known.

He tasted like sin … and I loved it.

In a single moment, my entire world went dark and I was nothing more than a captive in the Underworld.

Nothing but his and suddenly all the lore brought a chill to my bones… even if he did light a fire in the most secret depths of me.

Prepare for a dark retelling of Hades and Persephone with spells and war and a love story that would change our world forevermore.

Review:

Wow, I'm not completely sure where to start with this one. I picked it up after seeing it advertised on my Facebook pretty much non-stop. I'm a sucker for good dark romance, so this book seemed like it fit my fancy. And, it might have done so a bit more if it was a modern retelling. Unfortunately, it's not and the book is so, soooooo slow. Everything happens so slowly with so much description that it's a little exhausting. I usually read a book in a day, maybe two, but this book took me three because the writing was so stiff that I couldn't stay interested.

Tropes:

🏺Greek Mythology

👑Hades & Persephone

🗡️Touch her and 💀

❤️‍🔥Slow burn

🖤Dark Romance

⛰️Cliffhanger

The Characters:

Hades is exactly as you would expect. Dark, broody, and hot. He's also a little bit cruel in a "it's for her own good" kind of way. Persephone is beautiful, curious, and self-absorbed, but also weak (not really her fault). There's not much more to say about either of them. 

The Plot:

This story is your standard Hades and Persephone retelling in most ways. It's set in ancient Greece, a small problem for me as you will see here in a minute. This book certainly has one thing going for it and that's the spice. This book's steamy and the sex scenes are hot. Otherwise, it's your standard Hades steals Persephone to the underworld and doesn't want to return her. Except in this case, she's facing a pretty serious betrayal that she doesn't know about because Hades never trusts her enough to tell her. This is a reoccurring theme throughout the story. He constantly tells her he can help her, but never actually does (maybe that's coming in book 2?). She falls in love with him in a sort of cringy captive falls for her captor kind of way, they even bond, and he still doesn't trust her to come back to him if he lets her go. He'd rather the whole damn universe be torn apart than, heaven forbid, trust her. 

The thing that bothered me more than anything was that at one point they celebrate Samhain. Samhain is a Gaelic holiday and wasn't celebrated in ancient Greece. Also, whenever she'd cast a spell she'd say "So Mote it Be" which is something modern wiccans use, but the origins for this phrase come from the Regius Manuscript, a Free Mason document dating to around 1390 AD . This is not something ancient Greeks would have said since ancient Greece dates from about 9000 BCE to 30 BCE.

I digress. Even though I found the writing a little bit stiff, the way Winters puts words together is beautiful. The story's pace is extremely slow. And... it ends on a cliffhanger with the next book expected next year.

The things I liked about this story include the mythology and the fact that she recognizes Hecate as a titan and not just a goddess. The mythology is almost spot on other than one place where she calls Hermes the god of war, which isn't accurate, but perhaps I misunderstood it? Otherwise, I always enjoy mythology and this was no exception. I also really liked some of the secondary characters such as Beatrice and Minox. Oh, and I liked that you saw a softer side of Hades with his dog, Cerberus. 

Rating: ❤❤❤ - Overall, this one was just okay. I might recommend it, if you enjoy Hades and Persephone retellings. Otherwise, skip this one. Or maybe just skip it until book 2 is out. 

Author: Navessa Allen
Genre: Dark Romance
Kindle Unlimited: No
Published: August 2024
Publisher: Zando--Slowburn
Series: Into Darkness #1

Synopsis: {via Amazon]

The viral TikTok stalker dark romance, burning with high heat, hilarious banter, and a love story like you’ve never seen before. Can you handle the ride?

I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it.

Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality.

I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love.

Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer.

Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally gray male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book.

Review: 

*May include spoilers*

I really enjoyed this book. With that said, I'm not sure what I expected from the book. It got such good reviews all around, I think I expected something shocking or spectacular. While it was a good book, I wouldn't call it spectacular and perhaps that's on me because my hopes were way up after all the booktok reviewers said things like: "I wasn't prepared." The plot includes mask kink, stalking, accidental murder, and the mob. There's a lot going on here and there are places where it's slow or drags. Still, I would recommend it, if for no other reason than that I loved Josh. He's as close to being everything as any book boyfriend I've had in a long time. 

The Characters: 

Josh and Aly both come complete with background quirks that make them interesting characters. Josh has a deep, dark family secret while Aly carries guilt over something that happened in her past. They have baggage, like everyone else, but where they diverge from normalcy is in their actions. Both of them have dark thoughts and both of them are willing to act on those dark thoughts. They both accept things most people wouldn't, like stalking/being stalked. They share some unusual kinks and come together to commit an accidental crime, which they're both a little bit disturbed by but seem to get over it pretty quickly. 

Josh, the MMC, is quirky. He's warm when he needs to be and dark when it's called for. Josh is a hacker with a compulsive need to watch those he cares about and a pretty strange social media pass time. Even though he stalks Aly, he doesn't mean her any harm, which is something he seems to have trouble differentiating. Stalking is usually bad behavior, but inside this book's confines, Josh's stalking Aly isn't so much bad behavior as it is simply compulsive behavior.

Aly, the FMC, is a nurse with a compulsive need to help everyone. Unlike Josh, she's not so much quirky as she is unphased by a lot of the darker things happening in this book. She learns she's being stalked and while she has a momentary freak out, she's not phased by being stalked. They commit an accidental crime and Aly is nearly unmoved by the situation. 

Together, they're a solidly matched pair.

The Plot:

Aly and Josh meet online, through their shared social media kink, and soon come together to wreak a little unintended havoc when a bad, bad man breaks into Aly's house with the intention of raping and killing her. When all hell breaks lose, they turn to her family for help but that's not without it's pitfalls as they need Josh's hacking skills to help clean up the mess.

I feel like the beginning of this book is a slow burn. While there are some semi-sexual scenes early on, the characters spend almost half the book really getting together and there is a lot of discussion about the Faceless Man and whether or not she knows who he is. The plot with the bad guy breaking in to Aly's house comes relatively late in the book. It seemed to take a long time to get to the point and then the end drags on for what feels like forever. However, as mentioned above I still enjoyed the book overall and would definitely recommend it for those who enjoy dark romance. 

Rating:

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. I probably won't read book two, but book one was a fun read.