Category Archives: Reviews

Audiobook Review: Starfish by Lisa Becker

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Starfish by Lisa Becker
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: December 10th 2019
Length: 8 hours and 33 minutes
Narrated by: Erin Mallon & Sebastian York
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Ambitious graduate Marin Collins accepts a four-month internship at a prestigious public relations firm to work on a tech account, but her plans are derailed when she’s assigned to go on the road with touring rock band Kings Quarters, hailed by Rolling Stone as the next big thing.

Enter Brad Osterhauser, the reluctant rock star who would rather be coding computer games than penning Grammy-nominated songs.

Traveling by bus, city to city with a group of practical joking bandmates and a greedy manager, Marin and Brad forge a friendship and forbidden romance over a shared love of Seinfeld episodes, stolen moments and Red Vines.

But when Marin’s accused of betraying her company and the band, will Brad come to her defense or believe she was disloyal to him for the sake of her career?

I adore rock star romances, but it seems like they’re being published few and far between, which means I don’t read them as often as I used to a few years ago. So when I had the chance to listen to Starfish, I was excited. It’s not really about the glam and glory life of rock stars – it’s a more realistic aspect to it, as the heroine is interning at a PR firm with a rock star band as a client. The book was surprisingly down-to-earth for a rock star romance, but I appreciated a different take on this trope.

When Marin Collins goes on tour with rock band Kings Quarters, she expects the rock star life to be all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It’s… not. It’s non-stop, on the road bus touring, lots of jokes and banter between bandmates, and a really sweet guitarist she can’t not fall for. But obviously as the band’s PR company’s new intern, she can’t exactly get involved with a client without losing her internship. So Marin and Brad try the friends route, which leads to a ton of longing, some back and forth between do we or don’t we, and lots of flirting. The romance is fairly low on drama but the audio was still an entertaining listen. It definitely helps that two of my favorite narrators, Erin Mallon and Sebastian York, narrate Marin and Brad!

If you’re looking for something that’s sweet and slow, Starfish is a great romance to try! I’m really glad I got to try this new-to-me author for the first time. I’m not sure if she’ll be writing any books for the other members of Kings Quarters, but I wouldn’t mind if she does!


lacey

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Review: Winter Tales by Tiffany Reisz

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Winter Tales by Tiffany Reisz
Series: The Original Sinners #8.7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 19th 2019
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Return to USA Today bestseller Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series with Winter Tales, a collection of three fan-favorite Christmas novellas plus a brand-new novella exclusive to this anthology.

In December Wine, the long-awaited story of Nora Sutherlin’s first meeting with Nico can finally be told. Nora enlists her editor (and sometimes lover) Zach Easton on a mission to track down Kingsley’s long-lost son. Nicolas “Nico” Delacroix turns out to be young, strikingly handsome, and very French. He wants nothing to do with his father…but everything to do with Nora.

This special holiday-themed collection also includes the novellas Poinsettia, The Christmas Truce, and The Scent of Winter (previously available only as ebooks). A bonus short story starring Søren rounds out the Winter Tales anthology.

I am always SO happy when Tiffany Reisz writes anything related to my favorite erotica series ever, The Original Sinners. This is one of the few series that I can never get tired of. I adore everything about Nora, Søren, Kingsley, and the rest of this brilliant cast of characters. Any time I pick up a book or story with them, it’s like coming back to old (kinky) friends. And whether it’s a full length book or a holiday themed novella, I’ll take anything and everything from TR. This time, with Winter Tales, we get four novellas plus a bonus short story that all work perfectly with the winter holiday.

December Wine, the new novella in this collection, is probably my favorite of the five, mainly because I just love Nico so, so much. I wish we got more of him and Nora! We finally get to see how these two met for the very first time in France, and we can tell how besotted they become despite being complete strangers. I just want a full length book for them PLEASE! I need to know everything that happened between them meeting to how Nora became his Dom.

We also get novellas featuring Søren and his time with Magdalena in Italy, Søren and Kingsley sharing a cabin in the woods in the winter, and of course one with the dirty trio all together. The bonus short story takes place after the final Original Sinners book, which turns out not to be the final one anymore! God bless, but we are getting more of the OS world, and this short story is a little bridge to the upcoming book, The Priest.

Tiffany Reisz amazes me every time I open up one of her books. Her writing is stunning, the way she’s able to write love, kink, and humor so flawlessly. I cannot get enough of her words and I’m so glad we aren’t done with the Original Sinners series just yet!


lacey

Reading Order: The Original Sinners series


  

 

#1 ~ The Siren: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Angel: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 ~ The Mistress Files: Ebook • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Mistress: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ The Saint: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ The King: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6.3 ~ Michael’s Wings: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ The Virgin: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ The Queen: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.2 ~ The Confessions: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.3 ~ Mischief: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#8.4 ~ The Chateau: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.5 ~ Picture Perfect Cowboy: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.7 ~ Winter Tales: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ The Priest: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Review: Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

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Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
Series: Winston Brothers #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 4th 2019
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Billy Winston’s family is going to see him happy and in love if it’s the last thing they do.

No one deserves a happily-ever-after quite as much as the second oldest Winston brother and his lady love, Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Cruelty and circumstance tore them apart almost twenty years ago. Secrecy and bitterness kept them separated.

But you know who’s tired of their separation and stubbornness? Everyone. Especially Billy Winston’s family. And now they’re going to do something about it.

Well-meaning interference means the star-crossed lovers can’t stop tripping over each other in the hills of Tuscany, the catacombs of Rome, and the waterways of Venice. Billy and Claire find themselves thrown together and at the mercy of the Winston siblings’ shenanigans.

But will their forced proximity bring them together? Or push them even further apart?

This second-chance romance brings back the entire Winston gang, playing cupid in one last story of love, hi-jinks, and family collusion.

Oh, my heart. I couldn’t be happier for Billy and Claire (aka Scarlet) getting their second chance at an HEA. I loooved all the Winston family shenanigans (hello, Cletus!) and that epilogue made me SO damn happy, my heart was bursting. As bittersweet as this finale is, I couldn’t think of a lovelier ending for the Winston Brothers series, but I am also so thankful we’re getting a Cletus and Jenn series later on!

“But Scarlet,” he said my name reverently, gently, like it was a prayer he repeated often, “I didn’t need to see or touch or taste paradise to know how deeply and irrevocably I am in love with you. That hasn’t changed. That is as constant as my soul, which has been, and will always be, forever yours.”

Billy and Claire’s story has been YEARS in the making, which means years of torturous anticipation for their second chance. Penny Reid wrecked my heart in the best of ways with Beard with Me, so when this final Winston Brothers book landed on my kindle, I dove right in with no hesitation. The beginning was slow and a bit frustrating, I’m not going to lie. I was expecting Billy to be full-on pursing the love of his life, but he chose not to. I felt exactly how the rest of the Winstons did, which was wanting to smoosh Billy and Claire and force them to get back together, because we ALL know how meant to be they are.

Thankfully neither Billy nor Claire spend too much time resisting each other or the love that has always burned between them. It takes a lot communication and patience between them, but once the romance picks back up, I couldn’t put the book down! There’s decades-long worth of tension and longing, and when it explodes, it EXPLODES.

“Make no mistake, what just happened between us was momentous for me. My life and heart have been forever transformed. You are the architect and artist of my own personal paradise. Now, when I close my eyes, I won’t need to imagine what heaven feels like. I’ll know.”

Penny Reid takes us on a gorgeous journey around Italy with all of the Winstons. I loved how determined they were (particularly Cletus) to bring Billy and Claire back together, no matter what scenarios they had to come up with. Having this family all together in the Italian countryside is a total RIOT, and I’m a little devastated that their stories are over for now. But Beard Necessities was absolutely worth the wait, not just for this long-awaited couple, but for the Winston family as a whole. Each one has a love and family of their own, and I’ll be forever grateful to Penny for giving us such a lovely, unforgettable cast of characters!


lacey

Reading Order: Winston Brothers series

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid Grin and Beard It by Penny Reid Beard Science by Penny Reid
   

#1 ~ Truth or Beard: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Grin and Beard It: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beard Science: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beard in Mind: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Dr. Strange Beard: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Beard With Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Beard Necessities: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Review: Outmatched by Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young

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Outmatched by Kristen Callihan and Samantha Young
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: November 19th 2019
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

What happens when a boxer finds chemistry with a geek?

Parker Brown can’t believe she needs to hire a fake boyfriend. When she landed her dream job in renewable energy, she thought she’d be entering a world at the forefront of progressive thinking. But the head boss prefers to promote employees who are “settled.” Thankfully, she’s found the perfect candidate, a fellow intellectual looking for some quick cash. What Parker gets is his protective big brother—Rhys Morgan. The tall, muscled ex-boxer with a foul mouth shows up just as her boss does, and now she’s stuck with the manipulative jerk.

Responsibility weighs heavily on Rhys. Now permanently out of the ring, he’s trying to hold together his late father’s gym and keep his younger brother, Dean, on the straight and narrow. To save Dean from himself, Rhys takes his place, ready to give this society girl a piece of his mind. Instead, he finds an opportunity. Even though they can hardly stand each other, posing as Parker’s boyfriend is a win-win deal. She gets to keep her job, and he’ll charm her star-struck boss into sponsoring his gym.

Problem is, they can barely keep their hands off each other. And what started as an easy deal isn’t so easy anymore. Because what future can a rough ex-boxer, afraid to open his heart, and a polished society geek, who has sworn off real relationships, possibly have?

They say opposites attract. These opposites are about to combust on impact.

When Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan announced that they would be writing a book together, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! I had no idea these two authors had ever even though about collaborating but I’m so glad they did. Their writing meshed together well – they know how to write relatable characters and humor, both of which made me fall in love with Parker, Rhys, and their enemies to lovers romance. If you’re a fan of either of the authors (which I am), you will more than likely adore Outmatched!

Parker Brown needs a fake boyfriend to impress her sexist boss and keep her job. Rhys Morgan needs money to keep his gym running and out of the red. So it would be a perfect setup for them to come to an agreement wouldn’t it? Except that to say that these two get on each others’ nerves would be an understatement. It’s a bit difficult for them to pretend to be head over heels in love, but they make it work. The one thing that goes right though, is the insane chemistry between them. They hate each other, but they can’t get enough of each other. This is the perfect case of ‘opposites attract,’ with Rhys being a huge, grumpy ex-boxer and Parker being a tiny, adorable nerd. She comes from wealth, he does not. I loved the way they genuinely come to slowly understand the other better, their background and where they come from, and ultimately fall for each other.

I love a smol, dorky, nerdy heroine and a big, gruff, grumpy hero. Parker and Rhys make the sweetest couple in this fake-relationship romance, with lots of great banter and tension. Samantha Young and Kristen Callihan did a fantastic job with this collaboration and I hope they write more together! I absolutely wouldn’t mind a book for Dean, Rhys’ brother!


lacey

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Audiobook Review: Make Me Yours by Tia Louise

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Make Me Yours by Tia Louise
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: October 23rd 2019
Length: 7 hours and 48 minutes
Narrated by: Lucy Rivers & Teddy Hamilton
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

He’s a billionaire single dad who needs help.
She’s a sassy single gal who needs work.
Live-in nanny? What could go wrong?

Remington Key: I left the Navy, scored a billion in tech, got married, and had a baby. I did everything by the book. Happily ever after, right?

Fast-forward four years, and I’m alone, raising my daughter, caring for my mother-in-law, and trying to keep my stuff together. How did this happen?

I was clearly drunk the night I offered a gorgeous girl in a bar $500 a day to be my live-in nanny. Or maybe it was my dick talking.

So what if I’ve been alone since forever? I’m focused on launching my new business, not bedding the sexy siren who sleeps down the hall.

At least that’s what I keep reminding myself…

Ruby Banks: Remington Key is distant, brooding, and drop-dead sexy. And when he scoops up his adorable four-year-old daughter Lillie and blows raspberries on her tummy while she squeals with delight, I totally swoon.

Bumping into him at our local pub that night slightly drunk and overly frustrated was a total accident. He needed help, and he offered me a ridiculous salary. I couldn’t say no. Right?

Now he’s given me the chance to pay off my debts and take control of my life. I can’t screw up this job. But as bad as I want to be good, I’m not sure I can fake it…

The way he watches me sends heat sizzling through my insides.
Our hands touch, our eyes meet, and I want to do very naughty things with my new boss.

Make Me Yours was such a sweet audiobook! This is actually my first Tia Louise book and now I’m thinking I need to read/listen to her others, especially Make You Mine. Obviously I went into this as a standalone, but it has characters that interconnect with MYM, so I’m sure if you enjoyed that read, you’ll enjoy this one too!

I was so looking forward to listening to this story because 1) it’s a single dad romance 2) it’s a falling-for-the-nanny romance and 3) it has Teddy Hamilton narrating the hero’s POV. These three things made the perfect combination and I just adored listening to Remi and Ruby’s story! We have a widowed hero and single dad who has been celibate since his wife passed, but when he meets the heroine, he feels a connection that he wants to pursue, something I LOVE in my heroes. Of course, it’s a little touchy when they make a deal – Ruby is hired to be Remi’s live-in nanny so she can pay her debts and he can get some space from his overbearing mother-in-law – but it’s clear from the get-go how meant to be they are. The chemistry is on fire and I so enjoyed seeing these two fall for each other!

Also, how can I not enjoy an audiobook that’s narrated by the lovely Teddy Hamilton? I first listened to his narration in Him/Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy and he has never disappointed me since. He did a fantastic job at narrating Remi’s voice. Lucy Rivers was new to me and she did a great job with Ruby’s voice. I would definitely listen to another audiobook of hers.

If you’re looking for a sweet audiobook that’s low on drama, Make Me Yours is the perfect choice. I already can’t wait to get to Make You Mine and I hope this isn’t the last time we see all of these characters.


lacey

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