I honestly didn't think that Morgan Elizabeth could outdo herself after the first book in this series but oh, did she ever. I LOVED this book. It's such a swoony and steamy summer book that I couldn't put down. I loved Cami and Zach together! This is an age gap romance, and he's down BAD for her from the very beginning, like the second he meets her. I also loved that there was healthy communication and no third act breakup! Zach enjoys his home movies, and the lengths he goes to in order to make Cami feel loved and comfortable and worthy and wanted is amazing. The revenge is this book was so perfect and so deserved. I loved the Damien cameo because hello, we love him. This just has everything you could ever want and I LOVED it! 

This was my very first A.L. Jackson book but it will definitely not be my last. I was captivated by this small town suspenseful romance. Caleb was the perfect grumpy hero who had dangerous secrets but ended up being brought to his knees by our heroine Paisley who was a delightful mix of sunshine and sass. AL Jackson really brought the banter and the chemistry for these characters that made it such a fun read. Paisley and Caleb do not get off on the right foot but through their proximity and getting to know each other more, they end up not being able to resist their attraction to each other. My favorite part of this book was Evelyn, who is the little girl that Paisley is hired to teach to ride horses. She went through so much in her very short life, and was scared and shy because of it but that changes when she meets Paisley. Their relationship is so heartwarming and I loved seeing how well the three of them fit together like a family. The more Evelyn got comfortable, the more of her absolutely adorable personality came out and I loved every part of it. I am looking forward to more from this small town. I loved the side characters that were introduced and am already intrigued by their possible stories! 

This was a very beautifully written story about people who are fated to meet each other, and a story of people just trying to figure themselves out, while going on a journey of self discovery and finding out they're worthy of love. There's a lot of plot twists in this book, but they all made sense and kept me very engaged and wanting to know how it would all end up. I love Blake, because even though he's mean and grumpy and mad at the world, he isn't *toxic* - he's just hurting. Audrey helps him find his way and they all help each other, along with the wonderful Jake, who is just such a pure soul. I can't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but this was really good and a story that will stick with me. The epilogue really got me too! 

This was such a beautiful book from start to finish. I loved that this is an MM, older MC, sexuality discovery romance with so much heart and I am amazed by Tal Bauer's way of telling a story. I loved Landon and Luke and of course, Bowen and Emmet and their family. I think the author did so well in covering such difficult topics such as drug use, accidental overdose, discovering your sexuality (especially at an older age), the Mormon faith and religion in general, homophobia and bigotry in Texas, father/son relationships, divorce, single parent struggles, and so much more. I can't even begin to express just how wonderful I think this book is and I seriously want to tell everyone about it because it's just SO GOOD. 

Stinger is inspired by the Scorpio sign, and is broken into three parts. The first 40% covers two days in Las Vegas, where we see Grace and Carson meet. At first, the law student and the porn star don't exactly like each other, but then a feak occurrence forces them together. They get to know each other and discover they actually have a really strong connection and want to make the most of their weekend before they go their separate ways.

The next section of the book was a growth period for the couple as they transition through several years separate from each other. Both of them are now working in their chosen careers, and both have lived very different lives and one of them has even moved on and is with someone else. There are some time jumps, but I really liked those because we get to see some significant life events happen for them and see how the last several years apart has shaped them and how they've grown. 

While the final section of the book brings them together, through a freaky circumstance, everything isn't roses for these two. Years have gone by, and they don't really know anything about each other anymore. Can they find their way back to each other and find love again, or has too much changed? Was there one weekend years ago enough to purusue a future or just a memory they've both moved on from?

This is a second chance romance but beware of the triggers, such as human trafficking and sexual assault. The story was beautiful and gutwrenching, one that kept me hooked from start to finish! 

The Boyfriend Candidate takes us back into the world of Fool Me Once. Our FMC Alexis Stone, is the sister of state senator Lee Stone. It was so much fun to not only get to know Alexis and Logan, but to see so many appearance from Lee, Ben, Zoey and Annie. I have really become a fan of the fake dating/forced proximity trope and loved the way it was used here to create that angsty dynamic between these two total opposites. Logan is a dreamboat, although he doesn't always appear that way but that's because he's trying to maintain a certain image in order to win his election. Alexis is such a relatable character, as is Logan once you get to know him more. Of course, midway through I found myself hardcore rooting for them to have some sort of happy ending because you could just feel the chemistry and you knew just how far gone Logan was for Alexis. This felt so timely to me, especially the inclusion of the book banning happening not just in Texas, but nationwide. It also discusses the lack of funding for our schools which is another very important issue facing our country. I do love politics in my romance, but few can do it as well as Ashley Winstead does. I love how it ended, and how we see the characters pivot from things they thought they wanted to things they actually do want, together. I loved the politics, romance, forced proximity, fake dating tropes and highly recommend this book! 

Sigh. 

Gone are the days where we get a great book from Devney Perry. It's one mediocre book after another and this is no exception. I wouldn't say it's horrible, but it's definitely not good either. I feel like she is really leaning into the whole reuse and recycle storylines, because this book feels eerily similar to her others, like The Bribe or Indigo Ridge. Like, it's basically the exact same story, just switch some details around and invent new characters and bam, you've got a book that feels like borderline plagiarism of her other stuff. Of course, she can do whatever she wants - it's her series. But we can definitely pick up on it and I'm not feeling it. It doesn't wow me, and it just feels like a chore to read at this point. Vance is Devney Perry's typical MMC, a gruff guy with absolutely no personality and the missing ability to communicate. Lyla is supposed to be an empowered, independent woman but just comes off as a doormat and also lacking personality. Together, there is no chemistry and it's all just so dull. They also hook up and barely talk and it's just your typical instalust, in and out and leave sort of thing. Even the suspense part was just not living up to the hype it is supposed to. I just wanted so much more, but it fell flat for me. Can we also move on from having cops as love interests? It's 2023. I know this is a small town, but please do better. Are there ANY other careers you could choose from? I was excited about Mateo's book but then it's this secret baby, accidental baby, single parent sort of thing and then you throw in the weirdness of his love interest and I just don't know. I'll be reading it and finishing the series solely for continuity's sake and out of spite, but I sincerely hope it's better than whatever the last three books have been.

I liked this book, although not more than Archer's Voice, which is one of my favorite books and a solid five star read. Travis getting a redemption arc was a little nervewracking for me, because he did so many awful things and I wasn't so sure he was deserving of a happy ending. In the end, I decided to read this and see if Travis could and had truly changed. I'm happy to report that he did, and he made amends and took accountability for his actions. The reason for my rating is that I just found it all so boring and lacking and no chemistry whatsoever between Travis and Haven. I felt more emotions when Haven met the kids than I did with anything involving Travis and Haven, so... it just didn't do much for me and definitely wasn't the masterpiece that Archer's Voice is. I did enjoy getting to see Archer and Bree and their children throughout this book, but I can confidently say that was the only real highlight for me. 

This is my favorite Ali Hazelwood novel yet, and that is saying quite a lot because I absolutely loved both The Love Hypothesis and Love On The Brain. I'm a big fan of her books because she combines two things I love: romance and STEM. I know some people aren't familiar with the latter and might find her books not for them, but I always eat them up and look forward to them because I really relate to them as someone who has spent a significant amount of time in science academia. I LOVE all of the very intricate words and nods to science and women in STEM and academia. I love the way the author is able to weave a beautiful but real and raw love story into this world. I thought the concept she said she wanted to touch open, which is the politics of academia, was great and I enjoyed seeing how she had her characters navigate it. I thought Jack was a wonderful main male character and probably my favorite she's ever written (I still love you though, Dr. Adam Carlsen). He was a complex but goodhearted person and I just adored how he felt about Elsie and how he treated her, as well as his relationship with his brother. I always give so much kudos to Ali Hazelwood because she writes the MOST REAL sex scenes of any author I know. A lot of authors can make them seem too... porn like, I guess? When we all know real sex can be messy and complicated and awkward and fumbling, so I always appreciate that she makes her scenes so realistic. I just love Jack and Elsie SO MUCH, and this cover was to die for. I literally screamed when *those two* characters made their appearance, and it felt like one big family. I look forward to the next amazing book by Ali Hazelwood! 

Well, get ready for some serious prose and poetry. It's intense but it is beautiful. Think of this as Killing Eve, but if they were time traveling pen pals. It just wasn't really my vibe but I know it's something others would like.