tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46388924982746567862026-06-29T12:00:00.133+10:00Naomi's Reading PalaceThis is a blog full of book reviews, giveaways and so much more. Naomi Hophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16049789815791387123noreply@blogger.comBlogger2645125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4638892498274656786.post-37676212637816029812026-06-29T12:00:00.001+10:002026-06-29T12:00:00.129+10:00Review ~ The House Guest by Penelope Ward<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239547764-the-house-guest" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The House Guest" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1754305692l/239547764._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239547764-the-house-guest">The House Guest</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7105545.Penelope_Ward">Penelope Ward</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8046842902">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The House Guest was a sweet slow burn type of romance that I enjoyed. I liked the way that Dorian and Primrose came together due to losing people they loved. The downside – Primrose was essentially squatting on a property owned by her late aunt’s husband, and Dorian wants to sell up the property and more on from the loss of his father. <br /><br />This read had great moments as Dorian and Primrose got to know one another. Primrose had dreams and was able to share these with Dorain and she began to break down his walls. As their relationship grew, I could see that Dorian wanted to help Primrose, and the sparks ignited between them. There were a couple of twists thrown in and as the characters realised not all as what it seemed. However, I had hope that these two would find their happiness together.<br /></span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"></div></div></div></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgX8QO87HwxvnACu1kFa-Teqocp0uSTem_RbbEjtSqNFfxnZZUb0IXA4IhLqxBfraw-7lhu9Kj0J1LU8u62AuYOrTZdJkbgxk8o5xQZgsyMj5P1CDCfF34Vw53arsUs5OcLfO6MX7W5ag/s1600/3-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgX8QO87HwxvnACu1kFa-Teqocp0uSTem_RbbEjtSqNFfxnZZUb0IXA4IhLqxBfraw-7lhu9Kj0J1LU8u62AuYOrTZdJkbgxk8o5xQZgsyMj5P1CDCfF34Vw53arsUs5OcLfO6MX7W5ag/s1600/3-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The House Guest
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Penelope Ward</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: August 31, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…
</b><br /><br />
The last thing Dorian Vanderbilt expected was to find me painting in my crop top when he returned to the mansion he hadn’t inhabited in years.<br />
He was understandably surprised I’d turned his living room into an art space.<br />
Life is certainly full of surprises, though, but not always in a good way.<br />
I learned that lesson when my aunt and the billionaire she married died unexpectedly while traveling.<br />
I’d been living with them, and just like that, my life was turned on its axis.<br />
Unsure of what was next, I stayed alone at the barren estate figuring out my next move.<br />
That was when Dorian—the late billionaire’s only son—showed up.<br />
I’d never met Dorian Vanderbilt. He’d been living on the other side of the country.<br />
But now, he was home, left to pick up the pieces of his father’s legacy.<br />
Not only was Dorian devastatingly handsome and mysterious, but he was the sole heir to the Vanderbilt fortune.<br />
He didn’t seem to like me—at first. We were total opposites. But I was grateful that at least he didn’t kick me out.<br />
We stayed out of each other’s way for the most part, save for some late-night kitchen run-ins or unexpected bonding sessions in the home theater.<br />
Over time, though, we grew closer. Turned out, our chemistry was pretty combustible.<br />
I was falling in love with him.<br />
Until everything I thought I knew turned upside down yet again.<br />
And fate left me pining for the one man I’d ever loved.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8232991122">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was a fun quirky read as I got to know Harlow and Andy. Their first few interactions were amusing as Harlow had no idea who Andy was and was the type of girl who said exactly what she was thinking. They crossed paths a few times and were soon spending time together where the connection between them became stronger. Andy liked how Harlow saw him for who he was, not the famous footballer looking for a new team. He was able to be himself and the passion between them ignited. Even going to Harlow’s hometown didn’t deter him and I liked how he was fighting to have a shot with her despite all the reasons she was hesitating.<br /><br />Therse two were really cute, and I liked seeing their relationship grow. Harlow’s over protective father and quirky friends were a bit annoying and took up a fair bit of storyline, but it was still an amusing read. I liked that Andy was like an open book and did all he could to chase all her fears away and convince her to give them a chance. To be honest, this story felt quick as they only met on a few occasions and then the book was over.<br /><br />The narration by Felicity Cross and Alexander Cendese was pretty good, however, they weren’t at the same pace. I felt Felicity Cross was a bit slower and drew things out compared to Alexander Cendese.<br /><br /></span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"></div></div></div></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgX8QO87HwxvnACu1kFa-Teqocp0uSTem_RbbEjtSqNFfxnZZUb0IXA4IhLqxBfraw-7lhu9Kj0J1LU8u62AuYOrTZdJkbgxk8o5xQZgsyMj5P1CDCfF34Vw53arsUs5OcLfO6MX7W5ag/s1600/3-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgX8QO87HwxvnACu1kFa-Teqocp0uSTem_RbbEjtSqNFfxnZZUb0IXA4IhLqxBfraw-7lhu9Kj0J1LU8u62AuYOrTZdJkbgxk8o5xQZgsyMj5P1CDCfF34Vw53arsUs5OcLfO6MX7W5ag/s1600/3-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Not Your Biggest Fan</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Sara Ney</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Not Yours #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: January 28, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>USA Today bestselling author Sara Ney sizzles with a quick-witted, sexy romp about an eager entrepreneur and a cocky football star who couldn’t be more different—or more into each other.
</b><br /><br />
Harlow James is destined to rock the dating world. The creator of Kissmet, the app helping singles find love, she’s in New York to secure advertisers. But the sassy, small-town girl can’t help meddling in other people’s business.
<br /><br />
When she runs into a muscular stranger at her go-to food truck, Harlow doesn’t realize he’s Landon “Andy” Burke, the NFL’s most-wanted free agent, in town to talk contracts. She just sees a hottie about to get burned by undercooked street food. Though she tries to warn him, he shrugs her off, making a little wager instead.
<br /><br />
In a messy twist of fate, Andy finds himself in the same hotel as Harlow. When she collects on their bet, they make a mind-blowing—and bed-rocking—connection. But after the weekend, she goes home to Green Bay to her goofy dad and corgi, ready to focus everything on work again. Kissmet, however, has other ideas, when Andy knocks on her door…</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8031628304">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
When Jewel E. Ann puts a book out, there is a guarantee that I’m going to get it and it comes of no surprise that I loved this one! It had amusing moments, but there were challenging times too. It was a hard book to put down!<br /><br />I loved the idea of the homemaker!! The Morrison’s were quite the interesting to hire someone for this role, but as the story played out it kept the Morrison’s happy. When Murphy comes home, it is quite the shock for both Alice and Murphy, and I knew that they both had deep feelings hidden away.<br /><br />As the story unfolded, we were able to get glimpses of the past and understood how much they went through and I could not put the book down. My heart broke numerous times as I understood what Alice endured and what they both had lost. This book was beautiful and I could not put it down!</span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPRuBDT7PzVr_473AqrAxNeJap-C6E8bQp0WGfs_4umYUm6My0eaw2eUlaZN6ddBgmCMSTdERGrGqiNaYacW2h2m4rFnBoMwoX4BvgjxjgH26kCBqhZyNiFwWQDBdWiyOG0gHtiqF81TY/s1600/5-star-review.png" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Homemaker</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Jewel E. Ann</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: The Chain of Lakes #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: September 30, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>I was hers, but she was never mine.
<br /></b><br />
Alice Yates is the hired “homemaker” for the Morrisons, an affluent couple in Minneapolis. For Alice, it’s a dream job to dress up like a 1950s housewife and read romance novels to Mr. Morrison before his afternoon nap.
<br /><br />
But when the Morrisons’ only daughter returns home for the summer with her fiancé, Alice comes face- to-face with her shattered past—the only threat to her perfect life.
<br /><br />
Eight years earlier, vacation rental owner Murphy Paddon had an impeccable vinyl record collection and did the most irresistible thing before kissing Alice, earning him a five-star rating. Their fortnight love affair was life-altering and ended tragically.
<br /><br />
Murphy doesn’t know if Alice remembers him or whether he should tell his fiancée that the hired-help living in the guesthouse is the woman who irreparably broke his heart. He needs closure, but will the lingering glances and silent yearning lead to the end or just the beginning?
<br /><br /><i>
Grab your copy of The Homemaker, from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Jewel E. Ann, and lose yourself in this forbidden, high-stakes romance.</i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389460294">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book was a lot of fun to listen to! I liked the banter between Nora and Eli and had a feeling on the direction of the book, but it did not slow me down while listening to it. I felt that Ali created a fun world with well fleshed out characters that I could relate to. Ali Rosen and Carly Robins brought this story to life perfectly and kept me hooked to this story right to the very end!
<br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Unlikely Story</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Ali Rosen</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: March 1, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From the bestselling author of Recipe for Second Chances comes a swoonworthy romance bursting with wit about a therapist who falls for the wrong man…but perhaps the right one was hiding in the margins all along.
</b><br /><br />
As a relationship therapist, Nora helps patients explore their feelings honestly. But she’s hiding an embarrassing relationship secret of her own: she’s in love with someone she’s never even met.
<br /><br />
J edits the advice column Nora’s been writing anonymously for the last seven years. He’s in London, she’s in New York, and they communicate solely through shared files. When he confides that his girlfriend’s out of the picture, and her boss asks her to come to London, Nora takes both as a sign.
<br /><br />
But that’s not the only thing on her mind. A client’s ex-boyfriend just moved into her co-op, directly beneath her. Eli blames Nora for his breakup and seems determined to make her life miserable, gleefully planning a noisy renovation.
<br /><br />
Yet despite all his bluster, Nora eventually starts to see the softness behind Eli’s brusque, charming exterior…and after a slipup reveals a startling secret, Nora wonders whether someone can be two things at once.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8028954329">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I found this book to be pretty amusing in the opening chapters as Ruby tried to hire an escort. She’s been quite the timid type of girl and wanted someone to help her overcome her insecurities when it came to the male species. Facing her childhood friend Griffin King was quite the twist and I was soon swept away in their story.<br /><br />I watched the relationship between Ruby and Griffin regenerate slowly. I liked how they didn’t rush into anything and could see that there was more than just friendship between them. It was sad to see that Griffin and his twin Barrett had a falling out, but I loved how Barrett’s kids admired Griffin fiercely. This book had touching moments and altogether was quite the sweet read.<br /></span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Lessons in Heartbreak</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Karla Sorensen</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: The Kings #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: May 20, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>A playboy football player. A shy librarian. When old friends reunite, opposites attract in a witty and lighthearted romance about taking chances and falling in love against the odds.
</b><br /><br />
It’s an unwritten rule small-town librarians shall not commit spontaneous acts, for fear of mortal embarrassment. I’d certainly just proved it true, though hiring an escort was perfectly logical. How else should I overcome my fear of intimacy without risking heartbreak?
<br /><br />
Unfortunately, what came next wasn’t so logical.
<br /><br />
Instead of a dating coach, Griffin King showed up. Yes, that Griffin my childhood neighbor and now, to my dismay, an obscenely handsome pro football player. He’s not actually an escort, but how was I supposed to know that?
<br /><br />
Avoiding him after the mix-up is impossible. The man is everywhere—put in time-out by his agent after a PR snafu. Griffin might be an outrageous flirt determined to torment me until I snap, but he’s also the perfect man to help me.
<br /><br />
The lessons aren’t what I thought they’d be. Neither is Griffin. Every time we touch, every time he shows me a different side to myself—and to him—I can’t help but wonder if we’re about to break another the playboy and the good girl aren’t supposed to fall in love.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a></div>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8232977223">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This is the first book that I have read by Dani Atkins, and I must admit I was swept away with the heartbreakingly sweet storyline. Getting to know all the characters, the history and the connections between them really touched my heart. After Adam passed, Lily had the task of tracking Josh down to get the full truth. It wasn’t easy to track Josh down and he wasn’t exactly welcoming when she finally did, but I could see these two needed to face what happened in their pasts to fully move on.<br /><br />I liked how this story took us to moments in the past as well as what was happening in the present. It was sweet to see how the relationships came about and how much love these men had for Lily. Both Adam and Josh were honourable men, but at the time, lily had to make a choice that would break the others heart. The more I got to know Josh, my heart broke for him a little more. But I had hope that things would work out in the end.<br /><br />Dani Atkins story was one to easily get swept away in and I enjoyed the way that Elizabeth Knowelden told this story. The emotion she put into the characters and how she brought this story to life was done perfectly. <br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Always You and Me</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Dani Atkins</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: April 1, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From the bestselling author of Fractured comes a moving, heart-mending and uplifting novel of love, hope and second chances.
</b><br /><br />
Then…
<br /><br />
On the eve of her wedding to Adam, Lily’s best friend Josh unexpectedly walked out of her life, and she hasn’t seen him since.
<br /><br />
Lily and Adam are blissfully happy, until he falls ill. As she cares for him in his final hours, Adam asks her to make a mysterious promise: to find Josh—and forgive them both.
<br /><br />
This winter…
<br /><br />
Tracking Josh down isn’t easy, but fate seems determined to bring them together. Cut off in his remote Scottish cabin by a fierce snowstorm, Lily and Josh explore their tangled feelings for each other, stretching back over the decades. But when she discovers the shocking reason behind Adam’s unexpected last wish, she’ll need to trust her heart completely…
<br /><br />
Can Lily and Josh choose love—and find forgiveness and lasting happiness together?
<br /><br /><b><i>
Always You and Me asks: Do you choose love? Or does love choose you?</i></b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8031615883">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
It’s been quite a while since I have read a book by Krista & Becca Ritchie, and when I came across this one, I knew I had to dive in. I had read most of the original books (the parents) but that was a long time ago. Burn Bright was quite the memorable read, as I got to know Ben and Harriet. They both had issues that they were trying to work through. Ben found life to be hard at times, tending to take things personally and would show his feelings constantly. He didn’t feel like he fit in very well but knew he was loved by most of his family. Harriet was a breath of fresh air for him, and someone that he knew from high school. Harriets life wasn’t easy either and she found it hard at college until she met Ben. He was able to see the woman she was, and it was apparent that these two were it for one another.<br /><br />This was quite the moving read, and I loved how when things got hard that the whole family came together to support one another through thick and thin. The story touched on some delicate topics, and I loved the way the authors told the story. I loved this read and cannot wit for more books from the other siblings.<br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPRuBDT7PzVr_473AqrAxNeJap-C6E8bQp0WGfs_4umYUm6My0eaw2eUlaZN6ddBgmCMSTdERGrGqiNaYacW2h2m4rFnBoMwoX4BvgjxjgH26kCBqhZyNiFwWQDBdWiyOG0gHtiqF81TY/s1600/5-star-review.png" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Burn Bright</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Cobalt Empire #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: September 2, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b><i>Love burns hottest when it's blue.
<br /></i></b><br />
Ben Cobalt is number six. Not sixth place—in fact, he’d be considered at least third draft pick for the NHL if he didn’t quit hockey during college. And he’s not sixth-in-line for any throne. Though, most consider his larger-than-life, billionaire family American royalty.
<br /><br />
He is the sixth-born Cobalt.
<br /><br />
Out of a normal family of seven, he might get lost in the shuffle. But being the black sheep of the Cobalt Empire comes with its own intense spotlight. After he hits a major low at college in Philly, his four older brothers convince him to move in with them in New York City. Transferring to Manhattan Valley University—piece of cake.
<br /><br />
Living in an apartment with all of his brothers while harboring a giant secret among a family who’s more tight-knit than a secret society—total effing chaos.
<br /><br />
He has to find a way out of the tense living arrangement, especially as he clashes with his oldest brother Charlie. Ben turns to an unlikely source for help. A grumpy, punk-rock girl with a troubled past who's already pissed off one Cobalt brother.
<br /><br />
So when an undeniable attraction ignites, Harriet Fisher is expecting the flames to die out. Except…what happens when they don’t? Falling for a Cobalt brother with secrets might be a Shakespearean tragedy she can't rewind.
<br /><br /><b><i>
BURN BRIGHT is the first book in the Cobalt Empire series, a new adult romance series about legacy, loyalty, and love.</i></b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389455280">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Tuesday and Ben were such entertaining characters! I liked that they were able to get something from the deal, build a friendship of sorts and a fake relationship that we all knew was going to become more! The secondary characters were great too, and they could see there was more to Tuesday and Ben’s relationship than they could!<br /><br />Erin Mallon told the story perfectly. She did an amazing job of bringing Louise Bay’s story to life.<br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: An American in London
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Louise Bay</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: June 24, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>For a people-pleasing New Yorker and a disagreeable (if seriously hot) Brit, it’s love at fourth sight in a funny and emotional romantic comedy by a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author.
</b><br /><br />
Tuesday Reynolds’s dreamy life in Manhattan has gone belly-up. Ditched by her college sweetheart and with her Wall Street banking job at risk, she’s off to London to prove herself to a new CEO. Plans change when Tuesday meets Ben Kelley, a wealthy, scowly, and movie-star-handsome stranger. He’s just missing one thing to make his professional dreams come true.
<br /><br />
What does Ben need? Oh, just a fake fiancée to impress a duke and duchess. What’s in it for Tuesday? Enough money to put a down payment on an apartment back in New York, a new wardrobe, and a weekend in the country at the stately home of the duke and duchess. The Bridgerton vibes are absolutely off the charts.
<br /><br />
Everything between Ben and Tuesday is completely professional, until the rehearsals for their weekend romance start to feel…almost authentic.
<br /><br />
It’s official. Tuesday’s life has been hijacked by a rom-com scriptwriter. But the best love stories aren’t the ones on the big screen. Maybe they’re the real ones that sneak up on you when you least expect it.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8232962091">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
The Art of Starting Over was such a nice second chance romance! I was quickly pulled into the story as Devorah’s life as she knew it literally fell apart. Having no option but to go back to her hometown was not what she wanted, but after such betrayal from those closest to her, it was the only way for herself and her daughter to get some reprieve from the situation. Living with Devorah’s father was not ideal considering their strained relationship, however I liked how he was trying hard to win her trust back.<br /><br />I loved getting to know Hayden and his son. Both were strong men and came into Devorah and Maren’s life when they needed some support. I liked how sweet and patient Hayden was considering what he had lost recently and knowing that he had strong feelings for Devorah when they were younger. Even when more devastation erupted, he didn’t shy from the challenge and supported them through it all.<br /><br />This story was just what I needed, a slow burn that swept me away. The narration by Kacy Combest and Christian Barillas brought this story to life perfectly and they kept me hooked until the final words. <br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Art of Starting Over</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Heidi McLaughlin</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance / Chick Lit</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: February 1, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>In this journey from first love to second chances, New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin brings a single mom and a widower back home to renew the spark that will light their way forward.
</b><br /><br />
Devorah Campbell’s life falls apart under the pressure of one truth: her husband is having an affair with her best friend. So Devorah packs up her daughter and their shared heartbreak for small-town Oyster Bay, where she grew up. Her relationship with her father is still on the rocks, but Devorah has her brother there—and, unexpectedly, her brother’s best friend.
<br /><br />
Hayden McKenna lost his wife a year ago and has struggled with single fatherhood ever since. Moving back home with his son is a last but best resort, a chance to start fresh, surrounded by family and old friends. But when Hayden runs into Devorah, his childhood crush, sparks fly as bright as ever. If only he could make her see them too…
<br /><br />
Amid a swirl of hurt and healing, Devorah and Hayden grow closer, rekindling what they had all those years ago to discover that, sometimes, a new start means going back to the beginning.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8232927175">2.5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />I was hoping that I could really enjoy Anyone But Rich, but it turned out to only be an ok read for me. The storyline didn’t hook me as much as I hoped and I was a bit annoyed about three grown women holding on so tight to a pact that they made as teenagers. There was obviously a strong connection between Rich and Kira, but as adults Kira and her friends were still avoiding Rich and his brothers like the plague. However, Rich slowly knocked down Kira’s walls and she too managed to get her friends to slowly come around as well. <br /><br />There were a few twists thrown in – fake fiancé and unbearable parents – but I could see that Rich and Kira were good for one another. The feelings that they had were buried, but Rich did everything he could to get Kira to see how good they were together.<br /><br />The narration by Lauren Sweet and Tim Paige was done well; it’s a shame that the storyline bugged me so much. Hopefully with the pact being broken, the following stories are more enjoyable.<br />
</span><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PD1wE5TQJ3sLPyQM5c-QjX-Y01VOdSDZvRnkCgJh7Wlsll4sQKnUwUfZoL9LO1RYmCOwhiOaAlxbDjblW3k2E8g_bGgzm4UBfPvubDsbkGe0V_0Z4MWOO3ZMLu9lm4NMwsXs-H5DAi4/s1600/2.5-Review-Stars-r.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="69" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PD1wE5TQJ3sLPyQM5c-QjX-Y01VOdSDZvRnkCgJh7Wlsll4sQKnUwUfZoL9LO1RYmCOwhiOaAlxbDjblW3k2E8g_bGgzm4UBfPvubDsbkGe0V_0Z4MWOO3ZMLu9lm4NMwsXs-H5DAi4/s1600/2.5-Review-Stars-r.png" /></span></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Anyone But Rich</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Penelope Bloom</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Anyone But... #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: September 3, 2019</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From USA Today bestselling author Penelope Bloom comes the first novel in the romantic, sexy, and hilarious Anyone But… series.
</b><br /><br />
Seven years ago, my best friends and I made a promise: No matter what, we would never date one of the King brothers. Even if they grew up to become megafamous, gorgeous, heart-stopping billionaires. Even if they crawled on their knees and begged for forgiveness.
<br /><br />
But guess who just flew back into our lives in a private jet? And guess who just showed up to my job on my first day? Richard. King. Fortunately, it takes two seconds for Richard to reveal he hasn’t changed. Conceited. Cocky. Rude. Unfortunately, he’s also the kind of gorgeous that’s borderline offensive—with a jawline to make statues self-conscious and a grin that short-circuits my brain.
<br /><br />
He’s spent years taking what he wants. I doubt he’s hungry for anything else—except me, apparently. There’s no way I’ll let him maneuver his way back into my life. My friends would never forgive me. I would never forgive me. But did I mention his jawline?</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8232942955">4.5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />Elle and West were such a fiery duo!! They were like dynamite right from the opening chapters! I enjoyed they way that Elle was taking the time to re-evaluate her life and how West’s request sent her over the edge, sending the best article and called it quits. Crossing paths with Scarlett was quite the coincidence, and I liked how she was the connection that kept the three of them together. Over time, I could see that Elle was breaking down West’s walls and getting to know the beautiful man underneath.<br /><br />It was easy to get lost in this world. I enjoyed meeting all the characters and how well the storyline flowed. I think that Winter Renshaw pieced this story together perfectly and that Aaron Shedlock and Nicola Lambo did a beautiful job at bringing the characters to life. <br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrtI1Auz8gpY5EcJfX-0T-1vg8XliZ2Cwg8oLiUZPL7O09Y39hLvnv3b-sjxz6buaso5HMmxln7mqteFBkBPh6G18fMoUJrofBI2eMIHgwtItZBvxK9TO66rU73wrwb9lnbFGaRqZlnV3/s1600/4.5-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img borsder="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrtI1Auz8gpY5EcJfX-0T-1vg8XliZ2Cwg8oLiUZPL7O09Y39hLvnv3b-sjxz6buaso5HMmxln7mqteFBkBPh6G18fMoUJrofBI2eMIHgwtItZBvxK9TO66rU73wrwb9lnbFGaRqZlnV3/s1600/4.5-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Dirty Truth</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Winter Renshaw</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: June 14, 2022</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw comes an enemies-to-lovers romance about the journey of self-discovery that follows a life-changing event.
</b><br /><br />
After a brush with death, I realize it’s time to make changes in my life. Big changes.
<br /><br />
First, my job. I love being a journalist, but I hate my megawatt magnate boss, West Maxwell. When he demands I rewrite an article on short notice, I turn the tables on him with a scathing new column and quit in a blaze of glory.
<br /><br />
But West isn’t about to let me go that easily, the jerk. He offers me an unexpected new mentor to his rebellious teenage niece. For some reason, I agree—I like helping people, but I’m also admittedly curious to glimpse the man behind the mogul.
<br /><br />
However, I soon discover that my new assignment isn’t what I expected. As I learn about the private side of my enigmatic boss, I start to see the heart he hides behind his icy facade. The old Elle hated West…but maybe—just maybe—the new Elle can tame him.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389440615">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was an interesting start to the Arlington Hall series. I was intrigued by the mysterious Jude and how everything seemed to fall into place for Amelia. A day out with her friends at a fancy resort was just what she needed until she met Jude. There was no denying the chemistry between these two, however it was clear that Jude was withholding information from Amelia, and it was only a question of when their situation would unravel.<br /><br />This was a good start to the duet, and the ending left me wanting more. To be honest I have way more questions and I need to know more about the mysterious Jude. I enjoyed the way that Jodi Ellen Malpas pieced this story together and how Shakira Shute vividly embodied Amelia’s character.</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Invitation</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Arlington Hall #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: July 1, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>An ambitious career woman. An enigmatic billionaire. There’s more to their affair than meets the eye in this scalding romance by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series.
</b><br /><br />
Amelia Lazenby deserves a breather—from work and from the stress of a recent breakup. Courtesy of her best friends, she gets a day of pampering at a posh country spa called Arlington Hall. Instead of finding calm, she finds her pulse racing when she sees flawlessly rugged Jude Harrison. Hand on heart, she’s never laid eyes on such a stunner. And an unexpected steam room meet takes their instant attraction to a whole new level.
<br /><br />
Amelia wasn’t looking for an intense new affair. But the passion Jude ignites is off the charts. Even if he is a little possessive. Even if his temper can be as formidable as the influence he has on her body. He becomes all the more intriguing when Amelia discovers that Jude not only owns Arlington Hall but that their meeting was no accident. It was planned. But to what end?
<br /><br />
That’s a mystery as irresistible as Jude himself. Is he worth the risk? Or is this the man who could break her?</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223808607-the-surrender" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Surrender (Arlington Hall, #2)" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1742862433l/223808607._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223808607-the-surrender">The Surrender</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6576110.Jodi_Ellen_Malpas">Jodi Ellen Malpas</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389442310">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I was excited to get into the sequel of the Arlington Hall series, but I felt it was a bit repetitive to the first book in the series. I felt we were facing the same issues: Amelia had the same insecurities, Jude was still holding back, but there was more danger building through the read. Overall it was a good conclusion to the series, but It won’t deter me from reading more of Jodi Ellen Malpas’ work in the future.</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgX8QO87HwxvnACu1kFa-Teqocp0uSTem_RbbEjtSqNFfxnZZUb0IXA4IhLqxBfraw-7lhu9Kj0J1LU8u62AuYOrTZdJkbgxk8o5xQZgsyMj5P1CDCfF34Vw53arsUs5OcLfO6MX7W5ag/s1600/3-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgX8QO87HwxvnACu1kFa-Teqocp0uSTem_RbbEjtSqNFfxnZZUb0IXA4IhLqxBfraw-7lhu9Kj0J1LU8u62AuYOrTZdJkbgxk8o5xQZgsyMj5P1CDCfF34Vw53arsUs5OcLfO6MX7W5ag/s1600/3-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Surrender</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Jodi Ellen Malpas</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Arlington Hall #2</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: September 2, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>He’s a tantalizing man of mystery. To solve him she could risk everything in a scorching romance by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series and The Invitation.
</b><br /><br />
A pawn in a man’s callous game, Amelia Lazenby is trying to heal after being betrayed by the wealthy and scorchingly sexy Jude Harrison. Now he’s saying all the right things, whispering apologies as sincere as his kisses, and refusing to let her walk away. It’s hard for Amelia to resist a force as strong as Jude. Before long, he’s making her pulse pound, her head spin, and giving her the rapture she craves.
<br /><br />
But once she surrenders, Amelia can’t help but fear she’s risking her heart all over again. This time, maybe even more. Jude is every bit as mysterious and possessive as she remembers. His ex-lover is back to wreak havoc on their lives. And Amelia’s own ex has returned from the past, knowing more about Jude than Amelia can imagine. As the secrets and shocking revelations keep coming, Amelia must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to stay with the man she loves and above all else…can’t resist.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
</div>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7964214934">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
On Loverose Lane was such a fun read! From the opening chapter I was hooked on the characters, the banter and the amusing storyline!! I loved the way Beth got under Callan’s skin right from the moment they were reacquainted, and how she won over Callan’s friends Baird and John. He was so irritated by how well they got along every time they interacted. Callan had held such a grudge after how things ended so abruptly when they were teenagers and I liked how Beth was straight to the point early in the read and confessed her reasons for it. It wasn’t long before the dynamic started to shift between them, and things became hot and heavy.<br /><br />This was quite a good book to read, although as it is a spin off from the original series – that I have not read – there was a lot of time spent meeting all the extended family and friends. I did get a little lost trying to piece it all together, but he majority of the book was great. I liked seeing the connection between Beth and Callan grow once again, and how Beth’s family stood up for Callan when he needed it most. It really was a nice read and I would definitely want to continue the series.<br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: On Loverose Lane</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Samantha Young</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Return to Dublin Street #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: February 20, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>A steamy enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, sports romance from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.
</b><br /><br />
It’s always the broody ones you have to watch out for….
<br /><br />
Imagine my surprise when my new neighbor turns out to be Callan Keen, one of Scotland’s most famous (and hottest) professional footballers. I’m even more shocked to discover that the brooding player is still holding a grudge for something that happened between us years ago.
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But I can’t focus on him or his issues with me because I’m too busy trying to take my company to the next level. I don’t have time for this blast from the past, even if the grump upstairs is still the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
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When a huge client opportunity arises, I’m forced to ask Callan for help. I need a fake date and he needs an introduction with my real estate mogul dad. The deal between us should be simple. Except for the blazing chemistry we’ve shared since the moment we met. We can’t deny it, we can’t control it, and soon we’re agreeing to a six week, no-strings-attached, mind-blowing affair.
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I told myself I wouldn't catch feelings for Callan, but the closer we get, the more he reminds me of the guy I once fell for. It just might prove impossible to show my stubborn Scotsman we’re worth the risk, especially when the past continues to haunt us and threaten to wreck any chance of a future together…</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
</div>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7862652755">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
It has been some time since I’ve read a book by L.J. Shen, and I was excited to get into this one. Cal and Row had some history and were brought back together due to Cal’s fathers passing and a promise to her mother to hang around for a while. I was excited to see these two together and to see how they would interact given their history. <br /><br />To be honest, I was annoyed with Row’s sister Dylan, as she was selfish and was really not a good friend to Cal considering the way she reacted when they were children and when they crossed paths in the present. She was still very self-centred, but I could see that she was beginning to make progress with Cal in restoring their friendship.<br /><br />The relationship with Cal and Row was amusing to watch as it was obvious that they both had good chemistry and the banter between them was amusing. I liked seeing them growing as adults, however a lot of drama could have been avoided. There were some secondary storylines that threw me a bit, as I felt that they were a bit far-fetched, but the read was ok considering. It wasn’t my favourite book by L.J. Shen, however it won’t deter me from picking up more of her work.
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</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><i><b>This old flame just might set them on fire.
<br /></b></i><br />
Conceited, unattainable, and downright delicious, renowned Michelin-starred chef Ambrose Casablancas has one passion in life—food.
<br /><br />
Women are a distraction, and he doesn’t do those. Especially Cal Litvin, his baby sister’s best friend. Her entire existence is a complication; she’s awkward, eccentric, infuriating…
<br /><br />
And, much to his chagrin, hotter than his kitchen.
<br /><br />
Ambrose has a lot on his a new restaurant to open, a multimillion-dollar property deal to execute, and a violent stalker to tame.
<br /><br />
Then Cal shows up at his doorstep, looking for both a job and salvation after their messy goodbye. His resolve, like his patience, is ebbing each day she works at his restaurant.
<br /><br />
Because Cal is no longer a doe-eyed girl.
<br /><br />
Now? She’s the woman he’ll do anything to conquer.
<br /><br />
***
<br /><br />
Quirky, compassionate ball of sunshine Calla Litvin can’t catch a break, and not just because she swore off running.
<br /><br />
Back in her hometown to nurse her mother’s broken heart after losing her father, she finds herself jobless, hopeless, and penniless. She hopes to rekindle her friendship with her former BFF, but Dylan is attached at the hip to her cruel brother—the one Cal’s been secretly crushing on since middle school.
<br /><br />
Falling for the bad boy the second time around would be a mistake of gargantuan proportions.
<br /><br />
Too bad she’s always been clumsy.
<br /><br /><b>
Truly, Madly, Deeply, is a grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers romance. It is the first in the Forbidden Love series, but can be read as a standalone.</b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7904015735">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Jamie and Elliott’s story was quite the moving read. In the first part we can see these two had amazing chemistry, but Elliott was holding back. It was the perfect night for her considering what she was about to go through. Fast forward to the future and they cross paths again, although this time Jamie has a girlfriend who happened to be the one who saved Elliotts life. <br /><br />This journey wasn’t easy, and I liked seeing them navigate their feelings and Carly’s too. I felt this story was pieced together carefully and I had hope that they would be able to find a way to be together once more. I liked how the narrators told the story and how they brough them to life with feelings and passion.<br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: If Tomorrow Never Comes</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Allison Ashley</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: January 28, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>Fate connects two people in life-changing ways in a deeply romantic and emotional novel about hope and second chances by the author of Would You Rather and The Roommate Pact.
</b><br /><br />
Uncertain of what tomorrow brings, Elliott Holland decides to live it up—on the eve of a stem cell transplant to treat her leukemia. It’s destiny when she crosses paths with handsome and charming Jamie Sullivan. The chemistry is magic. So is a beautiful evening that ends with a bittersweet kiss goodbye and no expectations of ever seeing each other again.
<br /><br />
One year later, Elliott’s future looks good. Her cancer is in remission. Her career in graphic design is taking off. And she’s finally met Carly, the young woman whose stem cell donation gave Elliott a second chance at life. Then, in a twist of fate both blissful and unfair, she meets Carly’s boyfriend. It’s Jamie, the man Elliott kissed like it was her last day on earth. Neither of them has ever forgotten it.
<br /><br />
Now, the most difficult decisions of all lie ahead. Whatever risks there are to the heart, one need wins to grab hold of everything that can make someone feel alive again.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
</div>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389450143">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Grayson and Reid’s story had all the feels! My heart was aching for Reid as she found out what Grayson was hiding and that they almost lost one another. Giving into their feelings was bittersweet and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. There was something nagging at Grayson and watching his paths chase after that was heartbreaking for all parties involved. I liked how the worlds crossed into a delicate area, and I enjoyed the way that Heidi McLaughlin wove this story and how all narrators delivered it. (Narrators: Christian Barillas, Kacy Combest, Jeremy York & Sarah Mollo-Christensen)<br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Heartbreak Hill
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Heidi McLaughlin</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: October 1, 2024</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From the author of Before I’m Gone comes an intensely affecting romance about love, loss, and second chances, sure to elicit a good ugly cry.
</b><br /><br />
Grayson Caballero sees the glass half-empty. Born with a life-threatening heart defect, he’s been living on borrowed time. The uncertainty of tomorrow makes him push people away, helping Grayson to avoid any real commitment.
<br /><br />
Then he meets Reid Sullivan and falls madly in love. The two work together at the Wold Collective, Grayson as a project manager and Reid in HR. They even live in the same apartment complex. But Grayson continues to keep his distance, despite their obvious attraction. And Reid’s not interested in waiting around.
<br /><br />
When Grayson collapses at a basketball game, Reid learns he’s been keeping secrets from her. Now his life hangs in the balance…and a stranger from Boston holds the key to his survival.
<br /><br />
Nadia Karlsson makes a life-changing decision after her husband, Rafe, is involved in a tragic accident near Harvard Square. Her choice will unwittingly alter the course of Grayson’s future—and tie his fate unexpectedly to her own.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
</div>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7903512894">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
There was so much in this book! I could see it was building and I was excited about the journey. A lot of the characters came back together, and I could see how strong Orlaith wanted to be. She outsmarted some people and landed herself in hot water several times. She forged on through and showed that her heart was big repeatedly. <br /><br />I was thoroughly enjoying this read and the closer I got to the end I realised that this story is far from over. We managed to get some answers, but there are a lot of threads still open. It has been two years since this book was published and am sad that I cannot continue this journey today. I hope that the next book comes soon!!
<br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPRuBDT7PzVr_473AqrAxNeJap-C6E8bQp0WGfs_4umYUm6My0eaw2eUlaZN6ddBgmCMSTdERGrGqiNaYacW2h2m4rFnBoMwoX4BvgjxjgH26kCBqhZyNiFwWQDBdWiyOG0gHtiqF81TY/s1600/5-star-review.png" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: To Flame a Wild Flower</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Sarah A. Parker</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Crystal Bloom #3</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Fantasy Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: March 30, 2023</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">It’s not in my nature to beg, but I’ll stay on my knees until I feel that flame sputter out.<br />
And then …<br />
I’ll rip the world to shreds.
<br /><br />
I’ve tumbled into a darkness so deep it’s hard to see the light, my petals curling inward as I tip my face from the sun. Hide from my monstrous actions.
<br /><br />
Traitor. Murderer.<br />
High Mistress.
<br /><br />
My mistakes hunt me down, and I’m pulled into a political tug-of-war, balancing Ocruth’s welfare on the edge of a bloody blade. The moon is swelling, the weight on my shoulders compacting, and my unfailing curiosity keeps weaving its roots in the wrong direction.
<br /><br />
Horrible truths unravel, casting explosive light on everything I thought I knew. I’ll have no choice but to shed my morals, my withering self-preservation, and sow the seed of a plan set to bloom beneath a bloated moon.
<br /><br />
One wrong move could destroy everything.<br />
Destroy me.
<br /><br />
Lines will blur, blood will spill, and I’ll learn how fragile I really am—at a cost far greater than I could have imagined.
<br /><br />
Fate is a ravenous beast, and there’s only so far I can run.
<br /><br />
To Flame a Wild Flower is the third book in the Crystal Bloom series—a dark fantasy romance full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7868303571">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I picked up To Snap a Silver Stem as soon as I completed the first book as I am addicted to this series. I needed to know what happened next for Orlaith and to see more of this world. She had definitely grown a lot from the timid girl I first met, and I wanted to see how she would go past the safety barrier that she has lived in. This book took us on quite the journey, and we saw some new perspectives, but I could tell that Orlaith wasn’t getting the whole truth. She was trying to make choices, but she was easily led astray.<br /><br />This was quite the eyeopener and there were moments my heart ached for Orlaith. She made choices that may have been different if she was given more information. She was quite inquisitive and saw a lot more of the new city she was in and was able to make choices for herself, even if her heart broke in the process. I’m excited to see here the next book takes me!<br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPRuBDT7PzVr_473AqrAxNeJap-C6E8bQp0WGfs_4umYUm6My0eaw2eUlaZN6ddBgmCMSTdERGrGqiNaYacW2h2m4rFnBoMwoX4BvgjxjgH26kCBqhZyNiFwWQDBdWiyOG0gHtiqF81TY/s1600/5-star-review.png" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: To Snap a Silver Stem</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Sarah A. Parker</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Crystal Bloom #2</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Fantasy Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: August 8, 2022</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">I want him to hurt. To bleed.
I want him to snap, just like he snapped me.<br /><br />
Once upon a time, my world was small and sheltered. Everything changed the moment I stepped over my Safety Line, barreling towards a coupling with a man I hardly know.
<br /><br />
He wants me. All of me.
<br /><br />
Dunked in a charged political pit, I must secure the ships needed to quell the spill of murderous beasts still flooding the continent. But one wrong move could spur the war I’ve worked so hard to avoid.
<br /><br />
I’ll wear the dress and the cupla and the shoes. I’ll do it all with a smile on my face. Because everyone's watching.<br />
He’s watching—hunting a fissure in my frosty shield, trying to scrape back the layers and see my ugly insides.
<br /><br />
He’s unyielding. Unguarded.<br />
Changed.
<br /><br />
Why is he looking now when I’ve got everything to hide?
<br /><br />
Secrets sprout, truths bloom, and more than one of us will snap.<br />
Crowned in the crippling weight of my mistakes, I must atone. Even if it costs me my life.
<br /><br />
Fear was my overlord. Now, it’s my prisoner.
<br /><br /><b>
To Snap a Silver Stem is the explosive sequel of To Bleed a Crystal Bloom—a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst. A unique fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, guaranteed to grip you from the very first page.</b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7862699743">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
It has been a while since I’ve read a fantasy book, and I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I was swept away with To Bleed a Crystal Bloom. I was intrigued by the storyline and fell in love with all the characters. Orlaith’s story was heartbreaking, and she has lived a quiet secluded life in the tower of the castle. She has had a good upbringing, but she is quite the timid girl and there are a number of times where she withdrew into herself. I liked meeting the secondary characters and how they fit into her world, they are all very important and I can see they are all part of the bigger picture as we start getting their perspectives too.<br /><br />This was a fabulous start to the series, and to be honest I was hooked and reading every moment I could. I’m intrigued by the prophecy and the direction the story is heading. I liked seeing how calculated Orlaith was and the growth in her character even though she still struggled with her demons.<br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPRuBDT7PzVr_473AqrAxNeJap-C6E8bQp0WGfs_4umYUm6My0eaw2eUlaZN6ddBgmCMSTdERGrGqiNaYacW2h2m4rFnBoMwoX4BvgjxjgH26kCBqhZyNiFwWQDBdWiyOG0gHtiqF81TY/s1600/5-star-review.png" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: To Bleed a Crystal Bloom</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Sarah A. Parker</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Crystal Bloom #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Fantasy Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: July 24, 2021</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><i>"What a pretty flower to keep locked in a big, rocky tower."
<br /></i><br />
Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else.
<br /><br />
Small. Fragile.<br />
An enigma.
<br /><br />
Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds.
Stay within. Never leave.<br />
Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe ... though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily.<br />
Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable.
<br /><br />
My savior. My protector.<br />
My almost executioner.<br />
<br />
I can't help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground.
<br /><br />
When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I've kept from myself.
<br /><br />
No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds.
<br /><br /><b>
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst. A unique new fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, guaranteed to grip you from the very first page.</b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389433522">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book was amusing right from the beginning, and I found it hilarious the way that Margot dismissed Dex right away. Even when her daughter Wyatt stepped in to help Dex and wove such an unbelievable story, I knew these two would be a hysterical couple to get to know! Although neither were looking for anything truly serious, I could see them both falling, and Dex having to win Margot over.<br /><br />These two were so cute together! Margot was quite hesitant as Dex was younger, but I could see that he truly wanted Margot. This was quite the sweet read with a good amount of spice blended throughout the pages. Felicity Cross and Alexander Cendese did an incredible job of bringing the characters to life and conveying Sara Ney’s story.</span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Biggest Player</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Sara Ney</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Not Yours #2</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: July 29, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>Bestselling author Sara Ney scores with a fiery romance about online dating, where a single mom and a football pro ignite sparks when they swipe right—even though they know it’s all wrong.
</b><br /><br />
Margot’s a busy single mom juggling teaching, parenting, and trying not to die alone. Dating apps? Total nightmare. But desperate times call for desperate swipes, even if they make her break out in stress hives. When she matches with a guy who looks too good to be true, she’s convinced he’s a walking red flag—or worse—a catfish.
<br /><br />
Dex is hot, and he knows it. A quarterback with a killer smile and looks to spare, he’s a good guy looking for a long-term relationship. He wants what his friends someone to come home to…and if they’re naked when he gets there, even better. When he logs on for a casual scroll, he’s not expecting to meet her. One swipe, and suddenly he’s hooked.
<br /><br />
Margot’s convinced he’s a catfish. Dex has zero dad bod and no dad energy. But their sizzling back-and-forth leaves them both thinking “what if.” After a surprise run-in leads to a mind-blowing (and soggy AF) kiss, their opposites-attract energy skyrockets. Can they find a way to make it last?</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7904014267">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Buck Wild and getting to know James and Sophie! Their first interaction was a bit rocky, but I loved how the Bennett boys were ruled by their mother, and she put James back in line! It was amusing to see him grovel and to win over Sophie and his mother! From there the sparks grew and I was along for a fun journey, and I knew these two would be perfect! <br /><br />Lauren Landish created a fabulous story, and I was hooked right to the end. The narrators portrayed the characters perfectly and I know I will want more form this world!! <br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Buck Wild</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Lauren Landish</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Bennett Boys Ranch #1</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: September 25, 2018</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">From Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Landish comes a hard-riding romance of cowboys who run wild—and the women who tame them…
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Bull rider James Bennett lives for those eight seconds of exhilaration. A rodeo cowboy in his prime, all he wants out of life is something to straddle. That’s why James is feeling a little restless, spending his summer off working his family’s ranch. That is, until a spirited and gorgeous veterinarian-in-training shows up and puts the cocky wild boy—and his ego—in place. Though she’s a feisty one, James is always up for a challenge.
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Sophie Stone has to admit James Bennett is a checklist of cowboy hotness—ruggedly handsome with piercing blue eyes, a hard-muscled body, and just enough swagger to make her toes curl. She thought she was done with her bad-boy phase, but exceptions must be made.
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How can Sophie possibly say no to a man who makes her heart buck like a bronco? And when their summer fling comes to an end, how can she possibly say goodbye?</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2942104622">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was quite the sweet second chance romance, that neither character expected. I liked how Ravin and Gavin had a connection in their younger days, where Gavin would go out of his way to spend time with Ravin. I could see the sparks between them but knew that if Gavin’s mother found out it would all fall apart. <br /><br />Ten years later, Gavin was back as his father was unwell, and to his surprise Ravin is his carer. I enjoyed seeing them together once again and seeing that the spark was still there. A lot had happened in the time that Gavin was away, and it was nice to see him try to get to know Ravin once again. Gavin was still harbouring a few secrets, and I was sad for Ravin when she learned more about them. <br /><br />This was a good read, and I liked seeing some serious elements through this read that happens in everyday life. I enjoyed Gavin and Ravin back together again and seeing their journey, as difficult as it was at times. <br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Day He Came Back</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Penelope Ward</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: August 17, 2019</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">It was the summer of my life.<br />
I’d met the guy of my dreams.<br />
Unfortunately, he was the son of my uppity employer—and very much off-limits.<br />
But Gavin was a rebel. He knew his mother would disown him if she found out about us; in his eyes, we just had to be careful.<br />
He never treated me as his mother did—like hired help.<br />
Instead, Gavin put me on a pedestal and loved me harder than I’d ever been loved in my life.<br />
<br />
What a summer it was.<br />
Until it all ended—badly.
<br /><br />
I was never supposed to see Gavin again.<br />
That didn’t stop me from thinking about him every day for ten years.<br />
I knew little about his life now, just that he was an entrepreneur living an ocean away.
<br /><br />
When a twist of fate had me working again in the very place our love affair started a decade earlier, I knew it was only a matter of time before I might see him again.<br />
But I wasn’t prepared.<br />
What if he hated me?<br />
What if he loved someone else now?<br />
I wasn’t prepared for all the unknowns.<br />
<br />
And most of all, I wasn’t prepared for today to be the day he came back.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7842310879">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Dream On was a heartbreaking, but beautiful read. My heart ached for the young Lexington; moving to a new town away from the spotlight, trying to fight his demons and finding a connection with a girl from the small town. Stevie could see past the confident Lex, to the fragile boy beneath who just wanted to be normal. They built a strong connection together, but circumstances tore them apart. <br /><br />In the current day, Lex is a famous star who just finished a series that portrayed Stevie and Lex’s life. It was heartbreaking for Stevie as she fell for the boy that he was and couldn’t believe that he brought their story to life. After Lex’s manager interferes, Lex presents Stevie with a proposition which Stevie cannot pass up. Watching these two together again was so good. Stevie could see that he was still not healed and Lex came to realise the impact that he left on her. These two had some serious issues to work through together.<br /><br />I thoroughly loved this read and my heart broke for all the characters. All Lex wanted was love and Stevie was just the right person for him. I was mad at Lex’s parents and could not believe how blasé and selfish they were. Jennifer Hartmann pieced this story together perfectly and I was consumed until the final page.<br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPRuBDT7PzVr_473AqrAxNeJap-C6E8bQp0WGfs_4umYUm6My0eaw2eUlaZN6ddBgmCMSTdERGrGqiNaYacW2h2m4rFnBoMwoX4BvgjxjgH26kCBqhZyNiFwWQDBdWiyOG0gHtiqF81TY/s1600/5-star-review.png" /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Dream On</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Jennifer Hartmann</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: August 12, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>He was her first love—and her first heartbreak. Now he's back, and the world is watching.
<br /><br />
From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Hartmann comes an all-new standalone new adult crossover romance filled with heartache and dreams.
</b><br /><br />
Lexington Hall and I were never supposed to collide—he, the golden boy of Hollywood, and me, a small-town dreamer with stars in my eyes. But when we shared the stage in our high school musical, something ignited.
<br /><br />
Then, just as quickly, it all fell apart, leaving my dreams in pieces.
<br /><br />
Now, four years later, Lex is a household name, turning our past into a television sensation. He's spun our story for the world to see, while I'm still haunted by what we lost.
<br /><br />
With millions obsessed over the "real" Stevie St. James, Lex reappears with an offer too tempting to turn a fake romance to keep the buzz alive, in exchange for the financial freedom I desperately need.
<br /><br />
I convince myself I can play the part. But as old feelings resurface and new risks emerge, the line between fiction and reality begins to blur.
<br /><br />
Dreams are easy to chase—but falling for the guy who shattered mine could cost me everything.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8389427692">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I’ve read the first two books in this series previously and each one has been quite the adventure. Bob and Marlowe’s book was full of action from beginning to end as Marlowe is busted from a Thailand prison and the spend quite a potion of the book fleeing across the country. They need to get past some obstacles on the way but these two were drawn to one another quite quickly and I knew that they would protect each other fiercely. Even when they return to the states, the passion remains along with the underlying danger that came with the whole ordeal.<br /><br />Once again, I was caught up in the talented storytelling of Susan Stoker. It was good to see the original characters again and how they still support one another. I felt that Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock narrated the story flawlessly and I thoroughly enjoyed being swept away with their voices.<br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: The Hero</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Susan Stoker</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Series: Game of Chance #3</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: Susan Stoker</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>In this thrilling romance, an ex-military man is on a mission to rescue a wrongfully imprisoned archaeologist—and to make her rightfully his.
</b><br /><br />
Any soldier who gets out of the service with his life should be happy to leave danger behind. Though his army brothers are content running their new business in Maine, Kendric “Bob” Evans isn’t ready to give up the fight. He’s been supplementing his hours with covert rescue missions organized by the FBI. But his latest charge may be more than he bargained for.
<br /><br />
Marlowe Kennedy is on a routine archaeology dig in Thailand when she’s arrested for drug trafficking. She has suspicions about the true culprit, but even when she’s rescued from prison, there’s nothing she can do about it without proof. Her protective bodyguard’s only objective is to keep her safe until they cross the border into friendly territory.
<br /><br />
The best way to do that? Travel as man and wife.
<br /><br />
After returning to Maine, as Bob and Marlowe navigate this treacherous terrain with the help of their friends, they face vengeful authorities, a vindictive frame job, and perhaps most important of all—turning their fake marriage into something real.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7822601221">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This book had me smiling right from Brock and February’s first interaction. February certainly was quite the character, escaping a wellness clinic to go to the local bar. What she didn’t expect was the banter between her and the bar manager Brock. The more time these two spent together, the more the chemistry grew and it was only a matter of time before they ignited.<br /><br />It was only a matter of time before February had to go back to her real life, but the twist… oh my heart! These two had some serious decisions to make and to find a way to get their lives to work, as they were perfect for one another. <br /><br />Ward and Keeland told this story perfectly and threw in the twist to take the story in a new direction. This story had a good mix of fun, seriousness and chemistry that hooked me to the end. Brock and February’s story wasn’t easy, but I enjoyed how it all came together.<br /><br /></span><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCg9hr6WmXYxbsbaWsCy8SSOM6MBSKhNgvLGdDUD5dw_ebVtZutNqNwkOvv4uvQdjoRu5-rrib5-eZMqCkWqYWvpqfTjvzv97Os1r5Io_7Q6ZceumuoO1vGlh5UPDaZ1nZ98HzyuTItSpn/s1600/4-Review-Stars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Title: Denim & Diamonds</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Author: Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;">Genre: Contemporary Romance</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;">Published: July 27, 2025</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 13pt;"><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 19.9333px;"><b><br />
</b></span></div></div></div><div id="blurb" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><b>From New York Times bestselling authors Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland comes a new standalone romance.
</b><br /><br />
When the board of directors of my company mandated that I go to a wellness facility in small-town Maine to recharge, that shouldn’t have a ladder to sneak out of the bedroom window at night and going to the local bar.Getting so drunk that the bar owner brought me upstairs to sleep it off in his bed.Waking up staring at the taxidermy moose head on said bar owner’s wall.Falling for said bar owner who was the most drop-dead gorgeous man I’ve ever seen.But Brock Hawkins was so much more than just the hot bar owner. He owned half the town, built log cabins with his bare hands, and was apparently the most eligible man in all of Meadowbrook.
He was also a cinnamon roll despite his seemingly rock-hard exterior.<br />
And the last man I should’ve been falling for—because my time in this small town was limited.<br />
I had to head back to my life in New York City, one that was the complete opposite from the kind Brock lived.<br />
He was denim. I was diamonds.<br />
The problem was, the sexy lumberjack wasn’t the type of man who was easy to walk away from. Hell, I couldn’t even part with his plaid shirt that had become a constant fixture wrapped around my shoulders most days, let alone think about erasing him from my life.<br />
A life with Brock, though, would have to be all or nothing.<br />
Go big or go home.<br />
I just didn’t realize that choosing to go big might also mean getting my heart broken when Brock’s life took a turn neither of us saw coming.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="margin: 0cm;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0cm; text-align: start;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 13pt;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7993053-naomi">View all my reviews</a>
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