**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Winging It is the third book in the young adult Corrigan Falls Raiders series by Cate Cameron. I really enjoyed the first two books, Center Ice , and Playing Defense. All of the books in this series are such fun reads. I love the intersection of semi-professional sports and younger characters. The guys are all high school and college aged but they are in a unique situation. They are living both young adult and adult lives with Hockey and school. It is an interesting combination that I never really gave much thought to until this book. Most of the hockey stories I read are professional NHL, so one of the things that I like most about the Corrigan Falls Raiders series is that I get the best of both worlds when I am looking for a young adult read. I get semi-professional hockey and I still get young adult characters.

Winging It is told in dual narrative between Nat and Toby, and it is a fake relationship story. (this seems to be the year of the fake relationship trope...and I am loving it!) Nat has a crush on Toby's cousin, Scott. Toby and Scott are super competitive, so Nat thinks that if she and Toby are "going out", that will catch Scott's eye. You can tell right from the start how totally messed up this plan is. But don't worry- you know what is going to happen in the end, so it will all work out just fine, and it is fun getting there. I loved Nat and Toby. I can't believe how cool his ex-girlfriend/Nat's friend, Dawn was about the whole thing. (and I still don't totally understand why she was so cool. At all.) She even helped Nat and Toby see the light about each other. That is next level ex-girlfriend stuff right there.

Either way, it is clear to anyone with eyes that Nat and Toby are perfect for each other. I loved that they both played hockey. It was great seeing them bond over that again. It also didn't hurt that Scott is a grade A jerk-wad. I loved Winging it. It might have been my favorite book in the series. It is hard to tell because I have enjoyed all of the books so, and each one is a cute and fun read. I loved getting a glimpse of Chris in this book too. His phone-diet was hilarious.

Bottom line: If you like cute and fluffy romances, look no further than Winging It. It has everything you need in a young adult contemporary- great characters, a cute romance, hockey players, and awesome friends.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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The Age of the Hybrid series by Debra Kristi is a three book trilogy called The Moorigad. Now you can get the complete story with all three books-in-one, including additional chapters. I had never heard of the series before I saw the complete all in one collection, and honestly this is the way I would have preferred it. I am not sure I would have kept up with the series one book at a time, but being able to read them all in one, with the extra chapters was great. I really enjoyed this story. It was a cool fantasy with lots of interesting magical elements and creatures. The carnival setting was perfect for the story as well, and it led to some vivid scenes.

The Moorigad series is classified as adult, but I think it is more new adult age group. Either way, I think fans of both age groups will enjoy this series. One of my favorite aspects of this series was the setting. All three of the books are set at the Mystic Carnival, and I completely loved the idea of having magical creatures and dragon shifters at a carnival environment. I don't think I have ever read a book quite like that before. (The closest I can think of is The Weight of Feathers and Circus Summer by Kailin Gow, but this book is really nothing like those two.)

I think this series is the perfect length to read all the books back to back because the whole thing clocks in at just under 500 pages, which to me is like one really long book. I think I would prefer that to three books that are on the shorter end if read individually. Kyra and Sebastian took a little bit of time to gorw on me, but I think that could have been because I was taking in everything about the story for most of the first book. But over time, I really grew to like both of these characters and really like a few of the secondary characters as well.

And can we talk a little bit about the dragon shifter herself. The Moorigad Dragon is half water dragon and half fire dragon. I loved this concept. It reminded me of another dragon hybrid series that is one of my favorites by Chris Cannon- The Going Down in Flames series. If you liked this series, you really need to read that one, because you will love those dragons too!

Bottom line: This series will appeal to fans of the paranormal and fantasy genres. If you like books with lots of paranormal creatures, love dragon shifters this will be a great series for you to try. It has a fun carnival setting, lots of action, secrets and romance. This was a fun read. One I am not sure I would have continued had I just had book one, so I am really happy that I had the complete series and could read it all at once. It gets better as it goes along.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Sweet is a new young adult thriller/horror novel by Emmy Laybourne. When I was finished with sweet, I assumed it was a standalone, but goodreads says it is the first in the Sweet series. Now I am even more intrigued by the book than I was when I finished it, because I cannot wait to see what the author is going to do next with the series. It is going to be freakin' insane.

I really enjoyed Sweet. The idea behind it is scary as all get out...because of how realistic it seems. Solu is a brand new sweetener that is also a weight loss supplement. To celebrate the launch of this innovative new product that is promised to change the weight loss game, Solu pairs up with a luxury cruise line- bringing in celebrities along with normal cruise goers to partake in a luxury weight loss cruise! I love the idea of that, but what happens next is straight out of a horror film.

And I can even count this as a kind of zombie-adjacent book. (which you may know that I hardly ever read.) Because that is what these people seemed like to me, after a few days taking solu.

I loved the idea behind the cruise taking a group weight and and after weight as a cruise theme. And the ship seemed first class, but everything else I want no part of. haha It made for a great read though! It was crazy seeing people trying to get more Solu. I thought it was brilliant the way Emmy Laybourne layered the undercurrent of addiction throughout Sweet.

Sweet is told in dual narrative between Tom and Laurel. Tom is the celebrity host of the cruise and Laurel is dragged along by her friend. Both Laurel and her friend can be called curvy, but Laurel's friend is obsessed with losing weight, and Laurel likes herself the way she is. I love how what a positive body image Laurel has of herself. And I really liked Tom's interactions with Laurel on this topic. Sweet was really interesting because on one hand, you had this crazy Solu epidemic, and on the other hand you have this really sweet budding romance between what seems to be an unlikely pair at first glance. The horror/thriller aspect of the book competed perfectly with the romance. It was a very entertaining pairing.

Sweet took me by total surprise. Once I started reading, and I got my first glimpse at what the solu was going to do, I didn't know how much I would end up enjoying Sweet. But I am so happy to say that this book surpassed all of my expectations. I really liked it and I want to read the short story prequel now. Not to mention that the ending, which I initially thought was a great ending to a standalone in this genre, now has me salivating for the next book.
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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Romancing the Running Back is the fourth book in the Santa Fe Bobcats series. The Santa Fe Bobcats series is an adult sports romance series about a professional football team. I have not read the first three books in the series, but I thought this one was the perfect one for me to jump into the series with, because it was the wedding (planning) for the couple from the first book, Cassie and Trey. We get to see the couple from the first three stories, and it let me decide which ones I wanted to read, but the main focus was on Josiah and Anya, making it totally seamless for a new fan to the series to be able to jump right in and start with their story.

I loved how opposite, at first glance, Josiah and Anya seemed. He is an eco friendly to the extreme conservationist, and she is a purely aesthetic (at least on the surface) person. There is a lot more to Anya, but we don't learn just what that is until later in the story. Anya and Josiah butt heads with each other early on, making for one of my favorite tropes- the bickering and bantering. It was so much freakin' fun just to watch the two of them go at it. Even knowing they were going to end up together, it was fun to watch them forced together to help Cassie and Trey with their wedding. Eventually, the magic started heating up between them and they started to enjoy each others company. It was a slow transition, and it was really well done.

Bottom line: Romancing the Running Back, while being the fourth book in the Santa Fe Bobcats series, it is easy for a new reader to the series to pick up with their story first. It was flirty fun, and a really great story. Whether you start with book 1 or book 4, check out this series if you love sports romances.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Completing the Pass is the fifth book in the Santa Fe Bobcats series. The Santa Fe Bobcats series is an adult sports romance series about a professional football team. I have not read the first three books in the series, but I did read the fourth book, Romancing the Running Back, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I liked Josiah from that book so much that one of the only things I disliked about Completing The Pass was that I hardly got to see him at all in this one. It mostly features Trey, from book one, and because I have not (yet) read his story, I didn't have as much of a connection with him. Although, I have to say he seems like a great guy and after seeing how crazy in love him and Cassie are, I can't wait to read his story.

After reading two of the books in the middle of the series, I can now confidently say three things. 1) These books really can be read as standalones. You will have no problem whatsoever picking up on the story and following along. There is not much story line overlap at all. 2) I can pretty easily tell that all of the books in this series are going to be good. Jeanette Murray is a very solid writer, the romances are all wonderful, and I enjoyed this one more than Romancing the Running Back! If you like one of them, you will probably like all of them. and 3) I need to read the first three books in the series. I must read where trey and Cassie's story started, since they are the couple I have seen the most of in the two books I have read. (I don't even know who books 2 and 3 are about. That is how little they are in books 4 and 5.) This is a series that is right up my alley.

Josh and Carington are great. I loved that they have known each other their wholes lives and that their mom's have been constantly plotting to get them together. They have a really great bickering back and forth thing, and even though they both say they dislike each other, I never felt true hate or contempt in their words. They know each other better than anyone else, and I think they always cared about one another on some level. What I loved most of all was how Josh wanted someone to keep him grounded. He thought that when he stepped up to be a starting QB that all of the attention would go to his head, so he wanted Cari around to knock him back down a few pegs, which is really her specialty. I don't think Josh would have really needed that because he is such a supportive and grounded guy himself. He was always there for Cari. She was the meaner one, in my opinion. I really loved both of them, but she got on my nerves the way she was consonantly fighting Josh just because it was what her mother wanted. I mean, as far as excuses go, that is a pretty lame one! But overall, I loved the lifelong bond the two of them had, and watching them together was always sweet and fun.

Bottom line: Completing the Pass, while being the fifth book in the Santa Fe Bobcats series, it is easy for a new reader to the series to pick up with their story first. It was bantering, bickering fun, and a really great story. Whether you start with book 1 or book 5, check out this series if you love sports romances.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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At Any Cost is the fourth book in the adult romantic suspense/thriller series called the U.S. Marshals,by Mandy Baxter. I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the first three books, but after reading At Any Cost I know that is something I must change immediately. I really enjoyed this book. And can I first start with something unconventional that I enjoyed? I really appreciate the fact that the guy on the front cover of this book has a shirt on. I know, I know...just hear me out. I love a shirtless guy as much as the next lady (or guy) but I am getting sick of seeing them all the time on the cover of books. I think it sends the wrong message. Like the book doesn't have much substance. And so many times, I think that is sad and just plain wrong. I might be in the minority on this one, but I much prefer a cover with the cover models clothed. Because the focus of the story is not about a shirtless guy. There is a lot going on in At Any Cost. There is a big crime ring, a mystery, tons of action, and yes a romance. But the romance is not the only thing there is. Ok, shirtless guy rant over. (Go ahead and shame me in the comments...I can take it, I promise. ;p )

At Any Cost is a book that I particularly enjoyed. I have been reading a few books along the men in some kind of service lately, and I have been loving them this year, but this one felt different. Nick is set on hating, or even exposing and turning in, this criminal's ex-girlfriend that he has been searching for forever, so it was certainly a slow build between the two of them. Nick had a lot of preconceived notions about Olivia that he was not too quick to let go of. And strangely enough, I loved that. I really liked watching their exchanges evolve and grow.

I really, really loved Olivia. Lately, I have been enjoying the guy characters more than the female characters in the stories I have been reading, but here Olivia took the cake. She is just so real and cool. I loved that she was an Olympic level skier when she was younger. And I loved how sweet she is. She took Nick, and me, by surprise. The plot of At Any Cost is a fast paced one. There is always something going on. Nick kept driving things forward until they all came to a head, because he just cannot sit back and follow orders. I found that to be both funny and infuriating about him.

Bottom line: At Any Cost is a high action suspense, that is a gripping read. I could not put this book down. I loved watching Nick and Olivia together, mostly because of how surprised Nick was about the whole thing. Olivia turned his world upside down, and for a guy as stubborn as Nick, I really liked that. Fans of action/thrillers and slow burn romances will enjoy the U.S. Marshall's series. Please excuse me while I run and grab books 1-3 to read.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Hunted by the Dragon is the fourth book in the adult paranormal (sci fi?) series, Captured by a Dragon-Shifter by Michelle M. Pillow. I have only read one book by Michelle in the past- Love Potions, and it was a very different kind of story. So while I didn't love Hunted by the Dragon as much as I loved Love Potions (which had hot scottish warlocks...umm hello?!) I did really enjoy it. It is about a race of dragon shifters that are from another planet. They have to come to earth to find their mates in human women, because their race doesn't have very many women. I came into this series a little late, and while I had no problem following the storyline, I do think I would have benefited from reading the first three books in the series. I think it would have given me some more context into the history of the dragon shifters and their world. Hunted by the Dragon takes place primarily on earth, so I still don't know a ton about their culture, and ways, etc.

I really, really loved Sean or Seanan. I thought he was considerate and, patient, and very determined. In the end I liked him so much more than I liked Jules. She was so frustrating! Always trying to run away, even though Sean had done nothing but help her at every turn. It grew to be very tiresome for me, so I can only imagine how frustrated Sean must have been. But he is a bounty hunter, so it wasn't anything new to him.

Hunted by the Dragon is quick read that I am sure fans of the series will really enjoy. If you are new to the series, I would probably recommend starting with book one to get a feel for the world. I would imagine that the first book had a lot more development and background on the dragon shifters as a race. And then if you enjoy the book, you can jump around and pick up book 4 next. What I liked most about this book was the unique premise. I have never read a shifters series were the shifters were from another planet. It added an interesting twist to the story. Though Sean did not like to be called an Alien, it is sometimes hard not to draw that comparison. I also found it interesting that they do not shift into a full dragon, so they cannot fly. They are more like a human/dragon hybrid when they shift. Still fierce, for sure, but I found this to be delightfully different.

Bottom line: Hunted by the Dragon is a very solid read, and is just as well written as the prior book by Michelle M. Pillow that I have read. I liked the premise, setting and characters of Love Potions more so that is still my favorite series of hers, but if I get the chance to read more of the Captured by a Dragon Shifter series, and can learn more about the race as a whole, I think I will enjoy this one more. If you are new to this series, and the unique premise intrigues you, grab a copy of book one and check it out. It is pretty cool.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a young adult standalone contemporary romance by Jenn P. Nguyen. It is a swoon reads romance, so I knew that it was going to be a hit with me. And it was. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a cute read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is told in dual narrative between good girl, Taylor, and notorious bad boy, Evan. A rumor gets started about the two of them, and Taylor decides that instead of letting people think the worst about her, she would work the situation to her advantage. I love the title of this book, because that is what she tries to do. She tries to game the situation into something she would like.

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a fake relationship book. (I have said it before and I will say it again...2016 is the year of the fake relationship trope. I have read a ton of them, and it is a story line that I have really been enjoying.) Taylor decides that if people think she hooked up with Evan, it would be better for her reputation to let people think that Evan was serious about her. I was a little surprised that she got him to go along with it all so easily, because I honestly didn't see what was in it for him. Nonetheless, it was pretty cute seeing how protective of Taylor he was. Evan is a good guy. And Taylor is great. I loved her brand of quirkiness. I mean, come on, she drew up a contract for the fake relationship. That is my kind of girl. ;)

Bottom line: if you are looking for a cute and light read that will put a smile on your face, The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a great addition to the Swoon reads line of romances. I loved it. And if you are like me, and you cannot get enough of the fake relationship plot line, The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is a great one. You will love Taylor and Evan.

Side note: This is a minor stylistic thing, but I really liked that not only were the chapters were clearly labeled with whose point of view the chapter was gong to be told from, but also that they were styled a bit different. Taylor's chapters had brackets around her name, and Evan's chapters had dashes on either side of his name. I know that may be a small thing, but I appreciated the little differences between the two and the consistency throughout the story. Am I the only one that notices or cares about things like that while reading?

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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All the Feels is a young adult standalone by Danika Stone. I think this is a book that fandom lovers, of any fandom, will love completely. All The Feels just made me squirmy with happiness. I really, really loved this one. If you like cons, if you like fanfiction- if you know what terms like AU and shipping and OTP are, this is the perfect book for you. It is a whole lot of fun. It is about a girl that completely loves Starveil, and in particular one character from it. And when they kill that character off in the movie, she takes it pretty hard. And yes, I do know that she takes it a little to the extreme, but if you are going to sit there and tell me that a death in your favorite series or movie or show didn't make you unreasonably upset...ever. I am going to call you a liar. (you might want to check your pants, because I think they are on fire.)

I loved Liv. I loved the lengths she went to, to start a revolution online about bringing her character back. And she didn't go about it in the conventional ways. She tried to turn it into cannon that he never died. The geek in me just loves that idea. She is quirky, and adorable and so, so much fun. And Xander is just as quirky and adorable as her. I really, really liked him. He is different than Liv, but they are just so perfect together. I loved their friendship. Xander is always there for Liv. All the Feels is light on the romance, but what romance is there, I completely adored.

Another one of my favorite things about All The Feels is that each of the chapters starts off with a quote or tidbit from some kind of fandom. And then it tells you what book or show or comic it was from. I played a game with myself where I tried to guess them all before I looked at the answer. I am proud to admit I got almost all of them right. (That darn Dr. Who stumps me again...I should be shunned for never watching that.)

All the Feels is a great book. It is about a college freshman, so it bridges the gap between young adult and new adult. I think it will easily appeal to both age groups. I would classify this as upper young adult, even though it takes place in college. I liked that we got to see Liv balance her internet life with her blooming real life. It was really great. All the Feels is a book that is bound to put a smile on your face. It will make you laugh and giggle like a maniac. And it will live up to its' name. It will give you All the Feels. You can tell that Danika Stone knows her way around the things she was talking about in the book. She is a shipper and a fan too. And I love that about her. All the Feels makes me want to go back and read some of my go-to favorites Harry Potter fanfiction again. (Dramione, anyone??)

Bottom line: Read All The Feels. Just do it. You will love it.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Everywhere and Every Way is the first book in the new Billionaire Builders series by Jennifer Probst. The series is a based on a group of three brothers, modeled after the Property Brothers. I love the property brothers, so I was super excited to read Everywhere and Every Way. And I am happy to say that I completely loved this story. I loved (almost) everything about it. I love the cover, I love the characters, I love the HGTV references, I love that there are going to be at least 2 more books, I loved the dogs, and I really loved the romance. In fact, the only thing I didn't completely love about it was the title of the series. I have never really jumped on the whole Billionaire train, but for this series, I guess I just don't get the title. Because I wasn't under the impression that the brothers were billionaires. I know their family has a lot of money and the business could be worth a lot, but I was under the impression that the brothers themselves were not rolling in the dough. It just seemed off to me. But that is a minor point.

Everything about the story Everywhere and Every Way was a hit for me. One of my favorite books of 2016. I think this is my first book by Jennifer Probst, and I am completely kicking myself for not reading her books in the past, but all of that is going to change now. She has made a big fan out of me. I love the way she writes her characters. I loved Cal and Morgan. Morgan is so strong willed that she is a great match for Cal, who is also more than a little stubborn. Watching them go head to head was a lot of fun.

Cal and his brothers have a lot of issues between them, which is why I am super happy that I started this series in book one. I think that readers will really benefit from reading this series in order, because there is a lot of backstory and history between this family and if you jump into book 2 or 3 you might miss out on some of it. I loved that while this was Cal and Morgan's story, we really started to get to know about the other brothers. I can't wait to read theirs. I already have some ideas of where they are going to go, and I want to see if I am right or not!

Plus, I want to know what is up with Raven- from the bar. There is more to her abrupt change in demeanor when they mentioned their name.

Bottom line: If you love HGTV and the Property Brothers, you are going to fall in love with the slightly gruffer and less PC version of them Jennifer Probst has created in the Pierce brothers. Even if you have not watch, and swooned, over Johnathan and Drew, you will love the characters and romance (and dogs!) in Everywhere and Every Way. It is one of my favorite reads of the year!

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs