5⭐️ 3🌶️

Relationship dynamic: MF

Tropes/Microtropes/Vibes/Reps:

💵 Billionaire

🌿 Workplace

⚡️ Age gap

💋 Best friend’s brother

🌤️ Grumpy x sunshine

🤰🏼 Accidental pregnancy

I LOVED this book! I read this cover to cover in one sitting. I don’t often do that anymore with an eyeball read, but this one just sucked me in from the very start. I adore Carys’ free spirited, confident personality and equally love Gannon’s uptight, no-nonsense personality that is completely thrown off kilter by Carys! The banter was A++++ and the chemistry and tension started building immediately and I couldn’t wait for combustion! What took this book to the next level was the vulnerability that each of them showed, and the overall character development we saw throughout. I love where they ended up as individuals and together as a couple. I’m feral for the next book!

4.75⭐️ 3.5🌶️ 4.75🎧

Relationship dynamic: MF

Tropes/Microtropes/Vibes/Reps:

🙅🏽‍♀️ Forbidden

⚡️ Age gap

🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 Forced proximity

💞 Single dad 

🎀 Nanny

Producer: Lyric Audiobooks

Narrators: Audrey Obeyn + Stephen Dexter

Narration type: dual

Writing perspective: first person, dual POV

Standard length: 9:01

Listening speed: 2.2x

Listened via: BookFunnel

ALC provided by: Must Love Audio

📖 I can always count on QB to bring me some 🔥 this time it was in the form of a single dad you want to take a bite out of. And always a little forbidden, because he can’t keep his hands off the nanny. The three kiddos in this are super adorbs and I loved all of their personalities. The slow burn was oh so good, that tension just built between Rowan and Elianna until a breaking point and then we were off to QB spice land, and it’s so nice there 🥵

🎧 This audio was fab! Audrey Obeyn is a new to me narrator and I’m a fan! She was perfect for a young, but mature Elianna, really showing a range of tones and emotions. She also did the CUTEST voice for little Isla! Stephen Dexter’s narration as Daddy Rowan was A+++! His spicy scene  work was extra delish!

5⭐️ 3.5🌶️ 

Writing perspective: first person, dual POV

Length: 404p

Reading format: Kindle

ARC provided by: Maggie Rawdon

Relationship dynamic: MF

Tropes/Microtropes/Vibes/Reps:

🐂 Dark western

⚡️ Age gap

😍 Brother’s best friend

❤️‍🔥 Hate to love

🩶 Morally grey MMC

🔫 Cowboy turned crime boss

🗡️ Touch her and torture

💞 He’s her former guardian

❌ Ms. Independent x Mr. Sit Down

😈 Deal with the Devil: arrangement of inconvenience 

📖 Bull Rush was one of my fav reads of 2024 and Dark Horse is one of my fav reads of 2025 so far! My expectations were pretty high after loving Ramsey and Hazel so much, and Maggie did not disappoint! Grant and Dakota were absolute perfection. Grant is the epitome of hot mafia cowboy who will do anything to protect those he loves. Dakota is a fierce, independent woman who has been doing everything she can to make her own way in the world. When she makes a deal with the devil things only get better for everyone! Holy hell they were absolute fire together, the sexting, the toys, and all the spicy scenes were 🔥🔥🔥 They may have been a little slower burn on the feelings side, but damn they were pretty swoony. I really enjoyed the ongoing plot line from Bull Rush and I’m looking forward to see how that will continue with Levi! This was an absolute banger and a must read!

4.75⭐️ 2🌶️ 

Writing perspective: first person, multi POV

Length: 415p

Reading format: Kindle

Relationship dynamic: why choose, MFMMM

Tropes:

🖤 Dark

❤️‍🔥 Forbidden

👩‍❤️‍👨 Brother’s best friend

🔗 Found family

🫦 Slow burn

💪 Strong heroine

🔎 Criminal investigation 

🦿 Disability rep

📖 I am pretty obsessed with J Rose and everything she writes, and this series is off to the same amazing start as all of her others! 

Long time Anaconda team members, Warner, team leader, and Hyland, team enforcer, get a new addition in the form of their youngest and arguably wildest team member, Axel. The team is on a long mission when their target lands in their lap. Ember was trafficked six years ago and survived as a top fighter for her cartel master, until a surprise rescue lands her safely in the arms of her brother’s best friend, Warner, and his security team. Ember soon finds herself as part of the Anaconda team, navigating her own mental health struggles, living with three men she has developing feelings for, pushing her body to the limit in training, and attempting to untangle what her mystery rescuer is up to. 

The secrets and hidden agendas had me flipping pages SO FAST! I need the next book like yesterday. This is definitely a bit of a slow burn start. The team is established, but the harem is not, if that makes sense. I know J has a lot in store for us in this trilogy! I’m excited for the action and the spice to ramp up in the next book! I’m loving the guys so far, and I can’t wait to learn more about Blaise!

4.75⭐️ 3🌶️ 5🎧

Relationship dynamic: MF

Tropes: 

🏡 Small town

🤝 Forced proximity

💘 Fake dating 

❤️‍🔥 Hate to love

🔑 Neighbors to lovers

🫠 He falls first

🧲 City girl x small town guy

Producer: Lyric Audiobooks

Narrators: Vanessa Edwin + Sean Masters

Narration type: duet

Writing perspective: first person, dual POV

Standard length: 8:36

Listening speed: 2.2x

Listened via: BookFunnel

ALC provided by: VPR + Laura Pavlov

📖 I’m loving this series, which is no surprise since I have loved everything Laura has written! Lulu and Rafe are quite the pair… their meet cute had me cracking up, poor Rafe feared for his safety for a while around her. Fake dating stories are so fun to read! Watching the couple slowly become each other’s person without even realizing it’s happening… having all these rules in place that one by one start to disappear lol. And boom, before they know it, fake schmake 🤣 Rafe was seriously swoony with his desire to protect and care for Lulu in ways she wasn’t used to. Her past relationship and family dynamic was difficult, but he easily stepped up and showed her he could handle anything 😍 And I love that Lulu put herself and her goals first after years of not doing so, but still loved Rafe fiercely. They were wonderful❣️

🎧 This audio was incredible!! I’m so happy that Laura is doing duet now! And I’m a broken record at this point but swwwwwooooonnn…. I love Sean Masters’ voice! He was perfection as Rafe! That deep voice that can get growly or turn more playful, so versatile yet always sexy. And Vanessa Edwin slayed as Lulu! She nailed the sassy, confident, and sophisticated vibe and still had such warmth to her voice, providing the emotional vulnerability needed for the character. This is a must listen!

5⭐️ 3🌶️ 4.75🎧

Relationship dynamic: MF

Tropes: 

🏡 Small town

🔫 Romantic suspense

💰 Billionaire

🏃🏻‍♀️ Heroine in hiding

🐈‍⬛ Black cat FMC

🔗 Found family

🫠 He falls first

🤬 Who hurt you 

Producer: Lyric Audiobooks

Narrators: Samantha Brentmoor + Sebastian York

Narration type: dual

Writing perspective: first person, dual POV

Standard length: 11:43

Listening speed: 2.5x

Listened via: BookFunnel

ARC/ALC provided by: Catherine Cowles

📖 LEAVE ME IN SPARROW FALLS! I’m happily married and I have two dogs I love to the ends of the earth, but… you can drop me off in Sparrow Falls with Linc and Brutus and I’ll be one happy camper 😍 I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s my favorite in the series and one of my top Catherine books of all time! Linc is EVERYTHING! He was so in tune with Arden and met her exactly where she was. He was such a protector and care taker and I just sat here SWOOOOOONING! Let’s not forget our girl… I adore my black cat girls, and Arden was just perfect. Catherine did such a good job developing her character and showing her come out of her shell. I also felt like we really started to see the family dynamic in more meaningful ways in this book, I almost cried during a special moment between Arden and Nora. Of course Lolli was just as fab as ever! And Catherine always has the best pets, Brutus was amazing! A sweet goofball and fierce protector. Lastly, I was 41.8% correct on the baddie, so I’m calling that a win 😂

🎧 Samantha and Sebastian were the perfect Arden and Linc! Sam can do it all, her emotional delivery is always spot on, her cadence is so natural, and she has such a great man voice! I could listen to her forever. And SebYo really sounded amazing in this! He had a softness to his voice during vulnerable moments that made Linc especially swoony, and his delivery of the “who hurt you” moment made me salivate!

4.74⭐️ 3.5🌶️ 4.5🎧

Relationship dynamic: MF

Tropes: 

🏡 Small town

🎀 Single dad

❤️‍🔥 Hate to love

🥺 Traumatic pasts

💖 Second chance

❤️‍🩹 Hurt x comfort

💞 Soul mates

🖤 Emotional scars

🤫 Dark secrets

💔 Broken FMC/MMC

Producer: One Night Stand Studios

Narrators: Savannah Peachwood + Gregory Salinas

Narration type: dual

Writing perspective: first person, dual POV

Standard length: 

Listening speed: 2.4x

Listened via: BookFunnel

ALC provided by: Natasha Madison

📖 I am absolutely loving this grittier series by Natasha! One tragic event years earlier has tied a group of people together and left lasting trauma. There are family feuds, loves lost, and grudges held. This book is my fav in the series yet! Brock has been so moody and grumpy in the other book, really just keeping to himself. Seeing him really just live only for his daughter, and be the cutest girl dad ever was adorable. I love a second chance romance, and the love to hate to love was just so good between him and Everleigh. Their spice and chemistry was 🔥🔥🔥 Anddddd, let me just say that we got a two for special because Maddie and Dr. Oliver!!! I am here for that love story! Dr. Oliver was damn swoony. 

🎧 Savannah and Gregory have been sounding great throughout this series and I really enjoyed them as Everleigh and Brock! Savannah has such a clear and pretty voice that I could listen to for hours. She portrays emotion so well and has a really nice guy voice. Gregory embodied our grumpy Brock nicely and had clear transitions between internal narrator voice and dialogue making for an easy listening experience.