A solid debut romance that takes on a marriage in trouble plot with great secondary characters and earnest feelings. Gavin and Thea are both frustrating and endearing, their fears and miscommunications making their marriage woes relatable and their path to a HEA hard-won and worthwhile.

I cared not for the catty "WAG" subplot and didn't really need the inclusion of the historical novel story that Gavin was reading. That's my personal preference. I also found the quick resolution to Thea's orgasm "problem" frustrating. I encourage everyone to read [b:Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life|22609341|Come as You Are The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life|Emily Nagoski|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1421037685l/22609341._SY75_.jpg|42099345].

On the flip side, Gavin's stammer was lovingly portrayed as something he lives with and has fears about, and Thea's support of him was beautifully done.

All in all, this was highly readable and I look forward to more books in this series. If only men were able to find emotional connections with each other and talk about their relationships openly and without fear of being belittled or "unmanned." I'll definitely be pressing this book in to the hands of my spouse!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

"...he dropped his mouth into her hair. “I might be younger, but I’m not young. I’m a man and I’m fucking you blind. I’m your man. Say it.”

*fans self*

Sarge Purcell, on a brief break from touring with his increasingly famous band, returns home to New Jersey to visit his sister and the three-year-old niece he's never met. Sarge is notoriously famous for his very erotic songs, songs he wrote about the one woman he can't forget, the one woman who's his sister's best friend, the woman he's determined to show that he's no longer a kid.

Jasmine Taveras had big dreams and wasn't scared to share them with everyone. But, years later she's stuck working in her hometown's factory and can never escape. When Sarge returns home, she can't believe the boy she used to baby-sit is now all man, acting and looking much older than his 22 years. Sarge also seems set on convincing Jasmine she can be his, if only for the short time he's home.

Jasmine agrees, but only if they keep it secret. She's almost thirty and doesn't want to be seen as chasing Sarge to escape her life, especially since she knows that can never happen.

What follows is a deliciously sexy, unrequited love to lovers romance that is just so great. I loved the trope flip, as usually it is a younger heroine falling for the older brother of the best friend.

Can't wait to read the rest!


Holy wow. Sarge Purcell you can be my man!

Sarge Purcell's filthy mouth is MEANT to be on audio. I'm so glad these Tessa Bailey gems are finally available as audiobooks because I love them so very much. What a treat. And holy shit are these stories amazingly sexy and absolutely sinful. Unffffffffff. Highly recommend.

I am at once bereft and joyful having read the final book for for The Ones Who Got Away series. So many emotions and I'm misty eyed that this group of friends have reached their final HEA. For a series based on a friend group brought together for the anniversary of the school shooting they all survived, Loren does an amazing job of keeping things emotional yet never too heavy that you cannot see the light coming. Bravo.

I've been eagerly awaiting Kincaid's story the most, as she is the crux of the group, the one who seems the most okay but kind of really isn't, the one who needs to feel her feelings and find her peace. I adore a childhood friends to lovers to enemies to second chance romance, and this one hits all my sweet spots. Plus the bonus of "my childhood friend is now super hot." Plus the PINING. OMG the pining. Ashton is a sexy, secretly jacked, book nerd who's loved Kincaid for forever, but kept his feelings for her secret as she needed a friend, not a lover, and then his best friend caught her eye first. I loved seeing how Loren played with the complexity of this relationship, never truly vilifying Kincaid's first boyfriend, but showing how our dead one's can be put on a pedestal they don't truly belong on.

On a lighter note, there's a delicious scene involving a bookstore and Ashton's naughty mouth. Oof dah.

CW school shooting, violence, domestic violence, drug use, parental neglect and abuse, gas lighting (none of this between the main couple).

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!

Lady Astrid Everleigh tries to convince the infamous Duke of Beswick to marry her so she can stave off the horrible man trying to wed her young sister, the same man who ruined her during her debut. Lord Nathaniel Harte wants nothing to do with marriage or society, especially since his return from the war and his horrible scarring has made him, in his mind, unfit for either. But Astrid is a tempting conundrum he can't seem to get out of his mind, or heart.

Absolutely delicious and a fabulous Beauty and the Beast inspired romance, this was the perfect vacation read. Astrid is feminist and fierce and fights for what she believes in. There are absolutely sexy love scenes, especially involving the Beast's swimming pool room AND a chaise lounge. Oh yes.

The story arc did meander a bit and there were a few too many break moments between Nathaniel and Astrid, but overall this was a very fun read and I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series!

I won a copy from Bookish First!

My only issue with this book was I didn't want it to end because the mutual pining between Sebastián and Lucy is just the best. I could also read a whole story about their darn pets becoming besties. Kitty Hendrix and Hairy Garcia are adorable and fit their owners' personalities to a T, much like the adorable cover showcases.

I also adored that the film crew was gaga over the sexual tension that was NOT apparent to Lucy and Seb. So good.

More Olivia Dade PLEASE.

A slow-burn, simmering friends-to-lovers tale spanning decades, with our lovers first hooking up on New Years Even, then again and again on this holiday of hopes and expectations. Candace and Ezra's friendship is tested by both their fear of telling the other how they really feel and their diverging paths, as one goes on to become a billionaire and the other tries to chase their dream but finds themselves having to pick a different career once life gets a bit too real.

I adored how Jackson danced back and forth in Candace and Ezra's courtship timeline, giving the reader hot peeks in to their New Years' eves, but also moving us along to their well deserved happily ever after. The forced proximity of Candace and Ezra on the airplane and the glimpse into the career of a flight attendant was also fascinating, adding a great element to this story. I also very much enjoyed Ezra's non-asshole billionaire vibes and his gumption with learning everything about what Candace liked in bed. Super sexy.

So pleased I got to read an advance copy of the story! Thank you to the author.

I'm having a really hard time trying to write my official review, I'm still getting over the sheer amount of times Nina slapped Clinton. At least four times? Plus I'm pretty sure her sister slapped Clinton, Nina slapped her ex. There's a lot of slapping and I have a hard time with that.

Overall I felt the promise of the beginning of the story, Nina's sports journalism career being jeapordized by her anger and reaction to a sexist comment never panned out. Instead there's a wild ride for our heroine as she has conflict with her ex, worries about Clinton trying to scam her family's business, and even more I won't spoil here.

I was also looking forward to seeing Clinton's character explored, as he's described as a bookish not at all into sports guy with daddy issues, but despite this description we never really get to see his work as a marketing genius for the B&B nor do we get to really see his nerd come out except for a fun scene where they watch classic 70s blaxploitation films. He and Nina's insta-attraction subsumes their romance, so there's a lot of amazing banging but not so much emotional relationship building, plus they are constantly ALL IN and then ALL OUT as small conflicts are blown out of proportion, a slap is thrown, and someone storms out.

What does absolutley work is the relationship between Nina and her sisters and their father. I wanted more of their scenes because they sparkled.

Thank you to Library Journal for providing the advance copy for review. I'll try to remember to post the link once it is live.

I'm having a difficult time giving this story a star rating because something about Jimenez's writing grabs me by the throat, tosses me into a tornado, and doesn't let me go until I've reached the end surrounded by the destruction of my feelings. So, if that's what you are looking for, hold on for the ride Dorothy.

I gobbled up The Happy Ever After Playlist, happy to see Sloan recovering from her grief over the events in The Friend Zone (a book which filled me with similar feelings), and being wooed by the deliciously sexy musician's dog leaps through her sunroof and into her life. Sloan deserves the best in life and I'll cape for her till the end.

The first portion of the book with the texts and flirting between Sloan and Jason is delightful and super fun, full of Jimenez's wit and perfection with dialogue.

I wasn't always quite as enchanted with Sloan's friends (the couple from TFZ) or Jason after he reveals his stardom to Sloan. He's immediately entranced by Sloan because she is physically beautiful and funny, and makes some comments about needing to lock her down before anyone else can realize she's ready to date again which made me cringe a little and I was glad Sloan wasn't privy to those thoughts. Sloan's friends also seem to be on #TeamJason a few more times than I felt like he deserved, but to each their own. I'm just firmly #TeamSloan and wanted to punch Jason in the teeth a few times.

There was also a subplot involving Jason and a pop star ex with mental health issues that thankfully wrapped up in a respectful way but also made me grit my teeth a few times. See behind spoiler for more thoughts

Spoiler

She and Jason had a night of sex after working together then break up because she's "got issues" and seems to be on drugs and "crazy." Jason lies by ommission to Sloan about not wanting to take Sloan on their joint tour, which Sloan finds out and causes their first breakup. Plus, it turns out Jason's record label's been putting Lola in to these situations and manipulating her, which is terrible, and she and Jason ultimately reconcile their working relationship. I hope she gets her own story.

So, overall there were a lot of things that worked for me and other things that didn't BUT I devoured the entire story in about a day because that's how much I wanted to know what happened. A perfect follow-up for fans of the first book and who want to take on this angst filled romance with a cute as heck dog.

Thank you to Forever for the advance copy!

Holy wow that was h-o-t. A quick and deliciously dirty erotic take about a new submissive bringing the alpha she's always wanted to heel in life while he brings her satisfaction in bed. There were a few moments I glossed over, particularly involving the love interest's need to discuss his desire for a relationship first with her brother and NOT her, but if you are looking for a sinful brother's best friend romance, this is a great one to pick up!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

A Duke who believes he is sterile keeps on the pregnant Irish woman who he finds out was married to him by proxy. He's insistent he'll never touch her but their blazing chemistry land them in bed and the Duke discovers Katy is definitely into his sadistic nature.

An erotic historical with a lot of steam, but please see the CW below for more info if needed.




CW: Katy has a miscarriage on page. The Duke finds out he is not sterile and they go on to have many children.