I didn’t have the best reading month, but it doesn’t look so bad when it’s all wrapped up in one place! It was feast or famine for me, with many DNFs and less than stellar experiences, combined with some really great reads. I definitely struggled throughout the course of the month, though part of that was because of some major book hangovers from excellent reads, and part was because of a busy personal life. It was also partly the books, let’s be honest, lol. The interesting thing is that I ALWAYS seem to have the same issue in February/March, no matter how good the new releases look. It just seems to be the time of year when reading disappointments happen, and that’s okay. The spring is traditionally a VERY good time of year for new books, and we are quickly approaching that.
If you missed my March Release Calendar, you can find it here!
If you missed any of this month’s reviews, I’ve got the blurb and rating for each below. There’s also a link to all of this month’s recommendation lists and the new release list.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely loved it
RYAN
She’s a distraction, that’s what she is.
I’m the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago’s NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister’s best friend, to move into my apartment. She’s messy, emotional, and way too tempting.
But when the team’s General Manager vocalizes his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can’t think of a better way to convince him otherwise than pretending to date my outgoing roommate.
The only problem? Faking it feels far too natural.
Having a fake girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be messy but having Indy under my roof and in my bed is complicated, especially when she wants all the romantic parts of life that I could never give her.
INDY
I never imagined I’d be living with my best friend’s brother, NBA superstar Ryan Shay. Even more unbelievable? He needs me to act as his loving girlfriend who’s suddenly changed him into a friendly and approachable guy.
Because, well…he’s not. He’s controlling of his space and untrusting of others.
Our arrangement isn’t one-sided, though. I’m in a wedding coming up, one where every one of my childhood friends, including my ex-boyfriend, will be in attendance, and there’s no better date than my ex’s celebrity hero.
Blurred lines make it almost impossible to separate real from fake. Falling for my roommate was never part of the deal, especially when Ryan is quick to remind me that he doesn’t believe in love.
I’m a romantic and can’t help fantasizing that he’ll change, but soon enough, I find myself questioning if sharing a roof with my best friend’s brother was the right move after all.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XtnLlz
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved it
Bestselling author Lucy Score returns to Knockemout, Virginia, following fan-favorite Things We Never Got Over with Knox’s brother Nash’s story.
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PFRkxl
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Light and sexy
Never tell a lie. Especially not to a cocky CEO who knows exactly how to seduce you. They always come back to bite.
I should have remembered that before I spent the night with Liam Salinger.
In my defense, he’s stupidly attractive and knows it. He also willingly admitted to me that he never sleeps with the same woman twice.
So I shouldn’t feel too bad about lying to him the next morning. We can forget about each other and get on with our lives, right?
Wrong.
We’ve both been chosen as godparents to my best friend’s gorgeous newborn. Which means we’ll be spending a lot of time together, much to our mutual disgust.
And yes, he looks great cradling a tiny baby against his expensively attired chest. Plus he’s funny, irreverent, and weirdly protective toward me.
But I’m not going to fall for his charm. Not a second time.
I just have to keep telling myself that.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hdqnnJ
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ So good
If you’ve ever been told you’re too much…
Samantha Canton feels your pain. She knows she is, well, a lot. It’s been a rough year, to put it mildly, so she is overjoyed to find out she gets to go on her dream work trip to Europe. But she’s not going alone. She’ll be crossing the pond with the company’s CFO, Emerson Clark.
Icy Emerson, as the industry calls him, is logical, serious and quiet. He likes solitude, the color gray, rain and hot tea – he is British, after all.
And he cannot stand Samantha in all her extra, southern, chatty, upbeat, neon-dress-wearing glory.
No problem, she’s never met someone she couldn’t befriend.
Until Now.
Commence nervous verbal diarrhea.
And commence the ultimate Grumpy/Sunshine, Billionaire, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn Boss Romance with rich characters and a payoff that will leave you absolutely giddy.
**This is a steamy, full-length standalone adult contemporary romance. Prepare for Manhattan, London, Paris, surprise twists, laugh-out-loud banter, a happily ever after, and a sisters group text thread you’ll wish you could join. This is the second Heartlanders book but can be read on its own.**
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kWzISD
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Soft and quiet
Sheyanne Shaw hates nothing more than she hates her hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Except maybe being forced to return to it. After escaping her estranged relationship with her father, leaving behind her brother and her best friends, she returns after four years away. All to help her father in sorting out the house and the stables she grew up on. But she is not just greeted by him and the demons she tried so hard to leave behind.
Liam Landon never thought he’d step foot in such a small town.
Raised in the city of Vegas, the small town was not what he expected. Hired to help Mr. Shaw manage his finances, he can’t turn down the opportunity to help out his grandparents and start building a life for himself. While traveling for the job isn’t unheard of as a freelancer, it’s a bit different to be expected to stay for three months. Liam is open to it—only to be met with the absolute spitfire of his boss’s daughter.
Sheyanne is forced to confront her demons and her past relationships that have faded into nothing in the years she’s been gone. And she is forced to confront Liam. A man here on limited time, who seems to see straight through her defenses. He is cool, calm, and collected, and there for her every step of the way.
When faced with her worst fear and her own thoughts, will Sheyanne decide to leave like before?
Or will she stay?
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FOLJAg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Solid addition to the series
Sometimes, the best rides are unexpected.
Orson Mackenzie didn’t want a relationship. Perfect. Neither did I.
But what started as a fun ride with no commitment turned into hitching our cars to the same train. Orson needed my insurance. I needed his tax break. So we signed a piece of paper to make me his not-so blushing bride.
Forever was never the destination. Until Orson unexpectedly changed course, and we found ourselves on different tracks.
Now, it’s seven months later, I’ve lost my apartment and, luckily for me, my husband still has a heart of gold. And a spare bedroom.
I can move in with my fake husband, right? How hard can it be?
Except I’m having a hard time overlooking how his eyes undress me and the way his voice rasps when he calls me sweetheart. And the more time we spend together, the more I see through his happy-go-lucky exterior. He needs someone in his corner, and for once, maybe I need someone in mine too.
I shouldn’t fall in love with my husband. But my heart might be thumping to the bumpy tune of forever.
Our Ride To Forever is a romantic comedy featuring a secret marriage of convenience and lots of roommate shenanigans in a house with only one shower and very, very thin walls. Enjoy the comforts of a small town theme park, filled with lots of love and even more steamy, sizzling spice!
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3voOx2b
Blurb:
When I woke up this morning, I became aware of two things:
One, I felt hungover, and I knew I hadn’t had a drop of liquor.
And two, I was pretty sure I had accidentally married someone.
I, Olivia Sutton, have a Ten Year Plan. It’s air-tight and written in permanent ink. You know what’s not on the plan? Getting married to the man I used to love to hate. But when my sister’s pre-wedding trip goes horribly wrong, I find myself legally bound to my old nemesis, tech sensation Lachlan Hayes. Lachlan pitches a plan to temporarily stay married. Is it absolutely insane? Yes. But it has the potential to fix so many problems for both of us—and create even bigger ones.
As secrets unravel between us, I discover there’s more to my nerd husband than arrogance and a party-boy reputation. Falling for this guy is definitely not on the Ten Year Plan, but living in the same house? Acting like I’ve given my heart to my husband? Public kisses that make me forget my name? When our fake marriage becomes all too real, Lachlan and I find ourselves crossing lines we swore we wouldn’t. It has me wondering if I can walk away from Lachlan when our time is up.
Or if I’ll be the first the fall.
Grab the second book in the hilariously swoony A Lost Story Bookshop series. Perfect for fans of closed-door romantic comedy.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IoWhY4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mixed feelings 🎧
From Emma Barry comes a clever romance about a hot veterinarian and a chicken-loving influencer who can’t help but ruffle each other’s feathers.
Nicole Jones needs a fresh start. “Chick Nic” to millions of internet fans, the social media star and her flock of chickens bask in the spotlight—until she’s publicly dumped by a YouTuber for clout. She has no choice but to round up her birds and move on.
But when one of her hens has an emergency, Nic gets her first taste of her new stomping grounds—and it isn’t good. Veterinarian Will Lund is wildly attractive, yes, but he’s also surly. In fact, he comes right out and calls her a menace for parading her chickens on social media.
As neighbors, Nic and Will can’t exactly avoid each other. Then again, maybe they don’t want to. The two can’t deny their smoldering attraction, and it isn’t long before late-night confessions lead to backyard shenanigans.
Is this the start of a neighborly relationship—or could something more be hatching?
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Ff5gJP
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spicy and unique 🎧
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST • A gangster hiding from his past. A single mom fighting for her future. Can she show this bad boy the man he’s meant to be?
“A powerful, honest look at love as both a motivation and a risk.”—The Washington Post
“Heartrending, raw and beautiful.”—USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog
My name is Salvador Rosas. Back in the barrio, my past is written on the walls: ESHB. Short for East Side Hollenbeck, my father’s gang—my gang. Hell, it’s a family tradition, one that sent both my brothers away. They used to call me “Ghost” because I haunted people’s dreams. Now I’ve got nothing going for me except a hipster gringo mentoring me in a new career. An ex-con making craft beer? No mames.
Still, people in this neighborhood look out for one another. That’s how I became Vanessa Velasco’s unwelcome tenant. Chiquita pero picosa. She’s little, but with curves so sweet they’re dangerous. I remember Vanessa from the old days, the straight-A student with big plans. Plans that were derailed by another kid stupid enough to think he was bulletproof. Now Vanessa knows better than to believe in empty promises. There’s fire in her . . . and if I touch her, I might get burned.
I’m trying everything I can to go straight. But when East Side Hollenbeck comes calling, I might have to risk it all to find out if there’s a future for Vanessa and me. Because she’s the only one who can quench my thirst for something real.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RA6Onr
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Retro review
Get ready for an emotional ride filled with laughter, longing, and a sweet slow-burn in this sports romance about love’s power not in spite of difference, but because of it.
Ren
The moment I met her, I knew Frankie Zeferino was someone worth waiting for. Deadpan delivery, secret heart of gold, and a rare one-dimpled smile that makes my knees weak, Frankie has been forbidden since the day she and I became coworkers, meaning waiting has been the name of my game—besides, hockey, that is.
I’m a player on the team, she’s on staff, and as long as we work together, dating is off-limits. But patience has always been my virtue. Frankie won’t be here forever—she’s headed for bigger, better things. I just hope that when she leaves the team and I tell her how I feel, she won’t want to leave me behind, too.
Frankie
I’ve had a problem at work since the day Ren Bergman joined the team: a six foot three hunk of happy with a sunshine smile. I’m a grumbly grump and his ridiculously good nature drives me nuts, but even I can’t entirely ignore that hot tamale of a ginger with icy eyes, the perfect playoff beard, and a body built for sin that he’s annoyingly modest about.
Before I got wise, I would have tripped over myself to get a guy like Ren, but with my diagnosis, I’ve learned what I am to most people in my life—a problem, not a person. Now, opening my heart to anyone, no matter how sweet, is the last thing I’m prepared to do.
Always Only You is an opposites-attract, forbidden love sports romance about a nerdy, late-blooming hockey star, and his tough cookie coworker who keeps both her soft side and her autism diagnosis to herself. Complete with a meddling secretary, tantric yoga torture, and a scorching slow burn, this standalone is the second in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.
Read the retro review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3k5Yb7W
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Retro Review
When my husband died, he left my broken heart behind.
He left another heart behind, too—his.
I know it’s wrong. I shouldn’t be contacting the recipient of my husband’s heart. I don’t even expect him to reply…
But there’s a desperate, twisted part of me that hopes he will.
No names.
No personal details.
Just a conversation.
The only thing I have left of my husband is inside him.
WARNING: This book contains heavy themes, such as loss of a loved one and suicide. Please read responsibly.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XyJ3Vi
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pros and cons
Life is never black and white.
One minute you’re a struggling graphic designer in LA that’s finally coming to terms with being single forever, and the next you’re flying to New York in a private jet to get engaged to your ex-boyfriend’s older brother.
At least…that’s what everyone thinks.
Forced to clean up his playboy image in order to protect his company, Beckham Sinclair, the city’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, wants me to be his fake fiancée and personal assistant.
Now I’m spending every spare second with a man I thought I’d never see again.
My freshly mended heart has barely recovered from the first time a Sinclair broke it. But with each passing day, Beck’s dirty mouth and lingering stares make me question his motives—and mine.
As the line blurs between real and pretend, only one thing is certain: there are secrets hiding in this city full of black ties and white lies.
Black Ties and White Lies is a billionaire, fake relationship, forced proximity, and ex’s older brother novel and a complete standalone by Kat Singleton.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3llN6ja
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Disappointing
Dear Past Me,
Future You here, coming to offer a little advice: hang on for dear life. This summer is going to be a wild one. I know what you’re thinking: Life’s going so well! I don’t have a care in the world! Wrong. That culinary career you love so much? It’s about to go up in smoke, and your boyfriend? Yeah…he’s a goner too. If only love were as simple as, say, actually adding yourself to the lease agreement so you don’t suddenly find yourself loveless, jobless, and homeless!
Did your five-year plan include moving back in with your family and sharing a bed with your Nonna? No? Well, hate to break it to you…it’s exactly as traumatizing as it sounds.
Have you had enough? Too bad. Buckle up—it gets worse. Your new boss is a professional baseball player, and he’s hot, like really hot, but you’ll pretend not to notice because he’s a single dad and it feels wrong to ogle him in front of his innocent child. Unfortunately, he thinks you’re sexy as hell too. Unrequited love is one thing; mutual off-limits pining destined to explode in the worst of ways? What could go wrong…wrong…wrong… (That’s me fading out because you have to take it from here, kid. Good luck! Don’t screw this up for me.)
Sincerely,
Your future (wiser) self
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZlTCoZ
⭐️⭐️ A miss for me 🎧
From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Devney Perry comes a small town, fake relationship romance.
Eloise Eden’s pride and joy is her family’s hotel in Quincy, Montana. Her lifelong dream is to own The Eloise Inn. All she has to do is prove to her parents that she’s the epitome of responsible. That her days of being duped and making reckless decisions are history. She’s so close she can taste it.
Until after one weekend in Las Vegas, she comes home married to a stranger.
Jasper must have put her under a spell with those soul-deep eyes because after a single night together, they woke up husband and wife. Her only hope is to keep this marriage a secret until it’s annulled. Then she’ll pretend it never happened.
Except Jasper begs her to stay married. To fake it for three months so she can accompany him to a wedding. Maybe she’s lost her mind to agree. But her brooding husband seems desperate. It’s only three months, right? Then she’ll say goodbye to Jasper Vale, and with any luck, hello to her new hotel.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YgcTIv
Mini Review
A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.
My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.
Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.
When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.
A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.
But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.
Read the mini review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3lEt03L
Tossed Off the TBR: The DNF Report
THIS MONTH’S RECOMMENDATION LISTS
15 Golden Retriever/Black Cat Energy Romance Books
15 Grumpy Boss Romantic Comedy Books
15 Spicy Sports Romance Books
JEEVES DISCUSSES: The Top 100 Romances of the Last 3 Years
Check out this week’s new releases here.
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