 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.Sarah MacLean gave me what I wanted with Detective Inspector Tommy Peck: thick thighs, a nice beard, a strong sense of honor, & a stern & stoic way of presenting himself. Then comes Lady Imogen Loveless like a wreckinggggg ball. She leads him on a merry chase, all while she & the Belles are investigating the series of explosions that have been set at places of refuge / help in the East End. All the while she is captivating Tommy though he is very aware of the class difference between them. The “cat & cat” dynamic between Imogen & Tommy is too good. He sees her as an equal & as someone who is endlessly resourceful & who can find answers. His confidence in her is hot. As is his possessiveness about who can see Imogen in moments of dishevelment following smooching & more. “He doesn’t get to see this.” Freaking swoon. Imogen—like the other Hell’s Belles we’ve met—is a total bada** & I wish I had her bag filled with tricks. Their story has weight & twists & the Belles manipulating events in an attempt to help others. But I think my expectations were a bit off the mark for this one. Based off of impressions from earlier books I thought this one might be more fun, more madcap, & while I enjoyed seeing what lies beneath Imogen’s chaos I also kinda wanted more chaos. More explosions set by Imogen. More like Bringing Up Baby but with explosives ;) . Still, Knockout is hot & sensual & romantic & I really adore the gravity of SM’s writing. It’s provocative but there’s also a seriousness in tone & scope that compels. I don’t know if that makes sense? Either way, this reviewer is looking forward to the next book because this one left off on a real moment. 4⭐️. Out 08/22.CWs: Explosions targeting places of refuge; misogynist remarks; cruel remarks; attempted murder; references to murder; violence.
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 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I’ve long waited for Matthias & Pet’s book & Codename Charming has some great moments that pulled at the ole heartstrings. Starting with the fact that Matthias is a security guard for royals & becomes VERY protective of Pet, their royal assistant, & including the fact that to everyone else, their romance is beauty & the beast but to Pet, he is beauty & strength & dependability. & it didn’t quite pull at my heartstrings that Matthias has chest hair but I liked it, okay? Codename Charming also has a fake dating, opposites attract (but really they have compatible backgrounds) premise, a slooooow burn, some humor, & a story of two people creating this world where they can feel comfortable, together. Add to that an investigation into Pet’s father’s family & a meddling set of Royals & you have a cheery romance that is—as the title says—charming. 4⭐️. Out 08/15.CWs include: an emotionally abusive father; knife attack flashback; attempted knife attack in current book. Death of friend & feelings of responsibility. An unknown father that Pet discovers in book.
 Hi and welcome to my blog stop for Alicia Thompson's With Love, From Cold World! A big thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Summary.Lauren Fox is a glass-half-empty kind of girl who is very content with her life. One could argue maybe too content. She may be the bookkeeper at a theme park, but she doesn’t find her work experience nearly as fun as those around her. She much rather hide in her office then have to socialize with customers—or worse, her co-workers. Specifically, Asa Williamson. Ever optimistic Asa loves finding ways to brighten his days at Cold World—whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or playing Snow Globe Guard. He also happens to be super attractive—something Lauren annoyingly can’t seem to ignore. But as glass-half-full as Asa may appear to Lauren, he has every reason to be jaded—his uber religious family disowned him for being bisexual and he hasn’t spoken to them since. When Cold World’s owner calls Lauren and Asa into a meeting to tell them that the theme park is in trouble, the last thing they want is to work together to come up with a solution. It turns out a winter wonderland in a summer destination is quite niche, and it’s becoming increasingly harder to compete with the major amusement parks down the road. But because the situation is dire, they must put their feelings side and find a way to save Cold World. As these polar opposites work together to save the day, things start to heat up. If Asa thought Lauren didn't know how to enjoy herself, he's surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn't serious about anything, she's surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.  ID: Jess, a white woman wearing a beach hat and a red vintage-style bathing suit, holds the ebook while standing in front of some palm trees.My review.That exciting moment when you find a new author whose book you love… Alicia Thompson’s With Love, From Cold World masters that mix of components in my favorite reads: emotionally striking, great tension between leads, & (a bit rarer) moments of humor/eccentricity that make the book distinctive. I adored this book for many reasons, including: ❄️the enemies to lovers arc, which felt realistic given how seemingly different each lead is & their various insecurities/challenges/personality habits. ❄️a locked in scene, where both MCs are locked in at their attraction & where things really progress emotionally & physically in their relationship! ❄️ found family rep. Talk about getting to your heart…I love how friendship is portrayed in this book & Lauren’s efforts to put herself out there more. ❄️bisexual rep. I’ve only read a few books where the hero is bisexual & the other lead is a female. Asa has a backstory that I think will be meaningful to many readers. (Please check out trigger warnings). This book has steam and poignancy, & I had such a great time on the journey. Love these characters—do I relate to the self-conscious heroine or do I relate —& the happiness they find with each other. 5⭐️. Out 08/01.CWs: references to foster care experience, parental drug use. Asa’s parents made him leave their home when someone outed him without his consent. He is estranged from his parents for much of the book. Is this one also on your TBR? Are you as much of a fan of found family romances as I am?Let me know what you think and thanks for stopping by!   Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own. Unfortunately, Yours has: golden retriever & cat energy an MC defending another MC him panicking over the possibility of her being in present danger or past Some steam Comfort After not loving Secretly Yours, Tessa Bailey’s upcoming novel UNFORTUNATELY, YOURS out tomorrow, feels like a return to the hotness & the infatuation & the pure goodness of a TB dirty sex, he-will-love-her-to-the-end-of-time story. I adore August Cates. Like in a way as big as the man himself. I love his golden retriever energy, which gives me Brent from Asking for Trouble vibes. I love when Natalie gets pissy with him, how she calls him bonehead, & how he’s basically like “I know but you want me so what does that make you” in return. I love that you just know they will be in each other’s corners forever, defending the other from anyone else. It’s opposites attract, class difference, marriage of convenience, dislike-ish to love, and total wish fulfillment for someone who just wants a fast, low angst, ticks all the boxes, hot read. 4.5⭐️. Out now!CW: Heavy alcohol use. Reference to rehab, which her parents made her go to when she was younger.
 Hi and welcome to my blog stop for Sarah Adler's Mrs. Nash's Ashes! A big thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. Summary.Just in time for summer, MRS. NASH’S ASHES takes us along for two romantic journeys set decades apart: a laugh-out-loud road trip romance and, a moving 1940s-set sapphic love story. In present day, former child-star Millicent Watts-Cohen is on what she believes to be simple a mission: hop on a flight from Washington, D.C. to sunny Key West and deliver the ashes of her elderly best friend to a long-lost lover. But when every flight in the airport is suddenly cancelled, Millie’s only hope at keeping her promise to dear Mrs. Nash is the insufferable—and ridiculously attractive—Hollis Hollenbeck. As the frenemy of Millie’s ex and a perpetual grump, the last thing Hollis wants is to travel all the way to Florida with Miss Ball of Sunshine, Millicent Watts-Cohen. But eventually, Hollis lets Millie hitch a ride with him, and the two embark on the adventure of a lifetime, one which will challenge every belief they’ve ever had about true love. As they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and a deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn’t share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all—maybe it’s about her own. Alongside Millie and Hollis’s hilariously chaotic and deliciously steamy journey—yes, your favorite romance tropes like “there’s only one bed” and “quick, pretend we’re married” are in this one!—Adler takes us back in time to witness the love story that inspired Millie’s mission. Sparks fly in the past and present as two stories of true love weave together into a funny, heartfelt novel that hits the sweet spot between elevated romance and women’s fiction.  My Review.Opposites attract road trip romance = love for me & Sarah Adler’s Mrs. Nash’s Ashes did not disappoint. This author is so funny, you all. I was cracking up reading some of the heroine’s lines & the banter is a grumpy & the sunshine delight. The book opens with Millie beginning a trip to Florida to bury part of her elderly best friend’s remains. Her flight plans fall through but luckily for her, Hollis Hollenbeck, who she vaguely knows through her ex, allows her to ride with him. Hollis is by turns exasperated, bewildered, & turned on by Millie or Millicent, as he calls her. That is my favorite combo . I adore Millie, whose heart is wide open. & then I adored Hollis for adoring this about her in a confused, curmudgeonly, & fiercely protective way. This book will grab hold of your heart & the dual storylines, telling Millie & Hollis’s story & Mrs. Nash & her lover’s, are done so well, pacing-wise. The only thing that bothered me a bit about the book is the conflict, which really does go for the jugular, as Millie describes that type of fight. But I love how it wraps up & how they got there, & this is one of those books that gives all the feelings a la The Dead Romantics. A lovely & celebratory portrayal of weirdness & love. 5⭐️. Out tomorrow, 05/23!Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.  Are you planning on checking this one out? Let me know what you think and thanks for stopping by!   Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary hardcopy & the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.In my opinion Diana Biller’s Hotel of Secrets is a perfect historical & the couple in it is now one of my faves & imagine every other superlative you can think of attached to the end of this sentence because the book is that good. The lovely & formidable Maria Wallner is doing everything she can to bring her family hotel back to its glory days. But someone is also trying to kill her, a fact which really arouses US Treasury Secret Service Agent Eli Whittaker’s ire…& he really doesn’t know why that would be, he is not one to form emotional attachments & he is in Vienna for a job etc etc. This book. The Vienna setting is richly rendered—I can picture the sounds & the sights even now—& it’s even more striking with the epigraph journal entries at the beginning of chapters, each written by the fierce Wallner women. Biller makes it easy to see that this couple belongs together, despite their surface differences. He comes across as uptight & reserved & she’s a dynamo & a charming & also extremely driven when it comes to her hotel but they have similar characters & values, not to mention incendiary chemistry that’s also communication-focused. I love love when a FMC in a historical romance is experienced & it’s just not a big deal & we get that here, along with a celibate MMC who decides not to be that anymore. Dear readers, he actually goes to an illicit bookstore to educate himself about female pleasure!!! If I haven’t convinced you yet, I will note that one of my fave things about this book is the subtlety & the power of the increasingly frequent moments when Eli has “urges” or “impulses” to actively show support or kindness to the people he is bewilderingly coming to care for… This book is an act of magic & I adored it. 5 BIG ⭐️. Out now![ID: Jess, a white woman, wears a dark green dress & stands against a yellow wall holding the book.]
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own. If you are a member of the Thick Books Love Club you might want to check out Lucy Score’s romances. She has a keen eye for voice, her secondary characters are often endearingly eccentric (Mrs. Tweedy ), the steam is gooood, & there’s a nice bit of sweetness to magnify that lusty spice. With that being said, Lucy Score’s recent release--Things We Hide From the Light, out now—is uneven for me. Likes—all of the things I mentioned earlier. Plus a badass heroine named Lina who’s basically a bouncer hunter + treasure seeker + adrenaline enjoyer & a hero—Nash Morgan— who’s a well-respected police chief with a great butt. Dislikes, or maybe it’s more accurate to say discomforts—this book reveals Nash’s depression after surviving being shot & losing the memory of what happened & the inclusion of mental health challenges is always something I respect & love. But I find myself uncomfortable with how Nash pressures Lina into actions & situations by using his emotional/mental state (even if his intentions aren’t malicious, even if she is also drawn to him). Not that Lina can’t be that important to him & to his happiness…it’s more of a concern for me that he hasn’t tried to find & regularly actively pursue other resources in addition to his relationship with Lina. This book is angsty if angst is your jam, it’s got plenty of tension between leads, & then there’s a nice payoff at the end with a double epilogue (!). The more I think about this one the less I know what to rate it. 3.5 stars️? Either way, the bottom line is: there are some things I really liked about it, some things I didn’t like, & I’m looking forward to the next one (second chance with Sloane and Lucian, anyone?!) 3.5⭐️. Out now!CWs: Depression. Shot in previous book. Op she was in charge of resulted in injury. Previous heart issues. Panic attack. Flippant reference to assault. Racist cop incident with another cop. Discussion of child with cancer. Assault, attempted sexual assault. Addict father.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Secret admirer letters usually have me waving a banner that says YES, I LOVE, but while there are aspects of Tessa Bailey’s Secretly Yours that I really enjoy, the letters & the lead combo just don’t totally work for me. Landscape artist and business owner Hallie Welch has had feelings for Julian Vos for years & his reappearance on his family vineyard makes them forefront in her mind. Julian is bewildered by his immediate attraction to Hallie, to everything about her (especially her breasts), except for her total spontaneity. He’s a big fan of schedules & planning. I don’t know what to say about how opposites attract functions in this book except just to say that I didn’t buy them as a couple. But with that being said, the physical chemistry between Hallie and Julian is hot and I responded very well to the body positivity . The plot is a bit muddled to me as well—the letters feel superfluous to me. If you’re a Tessa Bailey fan &/or you’re looking for a quick-ish read with heat & some heart, you might really enjoy this one. But for me it was a somewhat superficial reading experience. 3⭐️. Out now!CWs: Grief over grandmother. Reference to mental breakdown of colleague. Anxiety rep.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.I was impressed by Mazey Eddings’s adult romance debut A Brush with Love but for me her voice shines even more in this adorable & also emotionally striking YA contemporary romance, Tilly in Technicolor. Mazey captures so well the feeling of not belonging / not feeling free to be oneself & how critical putting yourself into new experiences, putting yourself out there, being yourself, can be to your own happiness…& maybe it will allow you to find and appreciate happiness with someone else too. The neurodivergence rep, the story of recent high school graduates, Tilly and Oliver—the former trying to figure out her path forward—, the leads’ bad initial impression of each other, & some adventures in different European cities results in a book that really had me smiling on the inside & also feeling so happy by the end. There’s one moment in particular where Oliver realizes that unlike other people, Tilly is actually into his interests, like the color of a door, that is particularly lovely. Though I wanted more in regards to Tilly’s relationship with her overbearing, often toxic mom—the resolution is a bit hasty for me—everything else is basically pitch perfect. I’m really glad this book was written! 5⭐️. Out 08/15.CWs: Overbearing, overmanaging, dismissive mom; lack of understanding & even cruelty from others regarding neurodivergence.
 Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC and the publisher for the complimentary hard copy. All opinions provided are my own.I just wondered what it would be like if someone like Kate Clayborn—who writes so gorgeously & so completely from the heart—hadn’t written books & they weren’t published… Especially when her books make me feel so full. So expansive (read the book to get this reference ;) ). Georgie, All Along is another exquisite portrayal of the best of people & of love. I think it’s also probably the funniest book of Kate Clayborn’s that I’ve read. Not only is Levi totally amazing—I want to hug him & go to his Bday party & drunkenly tell him how much I love him & also write embarrassing wishes regarding him up & down my arms in Sharpie —but Georgie—& her heart & her confusion & friendship—is also beloved to me. Have I ever been uncertain about what I want? About my future? Um yes. This is my favorite kind of romance in that not only is the central love story so wonderful & well-developed, the secondary characters & those relationships are too. Kate Clayborn is one of my fave writers of friendship & I absolutely love how she captures the one between Georgie & Bel, another opposites attract pairing that’s done so well. This book satisfies on every level & made me feel as if I were truly watching/observing/enjoying love in all forms. So if you haven’t read Kate Clayborn yet, please do. She is an author I recommend without reservation & her books are lovely & like Georgie says about Levi, “what I want, but better.” 5⭐️. Out now!CWs: Parental estrangement; parental neglect; parental “cruelty.” References to drug use & emotional abuse at alternative school.
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