Summer Nights At The Homestead Inn: While He Was Sleeping (Billionaires In Hiding Family Romance Series Book 2) by Kimberly Krey

 

Two brothers.
One Woman.
And a whole lot of commotion.

They can't let the others know about their romance.
Good thing they have those warm summer nights.

When a set of billionaire twins unwittingly offer Ava a chance to escape her abusive boyfriend, she takes it. Who knew the one-way trip to Costa Rica would lead them to a relocation program in Haven Hills, where the twins' siblings, including their "oldest ornery brother" Richard live in hiding?

As Ava finds her place in their new destination, she also finds herself drawn to none other than the oldest brother, despite obvious advances from one of the twins. Things take a turn when that twin winds up on strict bedrest while attempting a stunt to impress her. Days later, Ava discovers that Richard feels the same undeniable spark between them, and so starts their summer nights rendezvous. In a hiding spot of their very own, Richard and Ava give into sweet romance, passionate kisses, and talk of how they'll eventually tell his family about their love.

Richard knew better than to fall for a woman his brother Maverick had the hots for. But he can't deny his attraction to Ava, a woman who actually loves math as much as he does. Besides, the two weren't dating. Maverick had no right to stake his claim on her.
But that doesn't change the fact that he and Ava's secret romance could start a whole lot of trouble when he finds out.

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I am loving this series so far.  This family of siblings is in the witness protection program- new identities, new life.  It's fun to watch love find them one by one.  

Ava is someone I was invested in and rooting for from the very beginning.  I'm so glad those crazy twins pulled her into their mess because heaven knows Richard needed someone to soften him up!  It was fun watching them fall for each other, stealing kisses and sneaking glances.  I loved the "while you were sleeping" vibe.  This book was a great escape from reality that I really needed this week.

I wonder which sibling is up next?  I'm excited to find out!  This book and this series is on KU if you have that.

Content:  mention of physical abuse.  Kissing. 

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Ace High (Lost Creek Rodeo #6) by Heather B. Moore, Rebecca Connolly, Sophia Summers

 

Sometimes second chances are waiting when you least expect them.

Lars Jackson isn’t purposely hanging around Lost Creek to see Kellie Prosper more. All right, maybe he is. She’s single now, and well, he knows she’s been through a lot. Maybe he can be a listening ear. Something more would be a dream of his, but he’s good at waiting. Before Kellie’s divorce, he’d just kept his focus on his bronc riding career. But now . . .

Kellie Prosper is busier than she’s ever been. Running the Broken Hearts Ranch, bringing on new clients, and balancing all the changes in Lost Creek. At least her brother Ryan is there to help, though when Lars Jackson, one of the Original Six, starts hanging around more, Kellie feels . . . She doesn’t know exactly what she feels. But appreciation is just the beginning.

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I think this book is one of my favorites of the series.  That's probably because I've seen Kellie in action in all books of this series and I've been hoping we would get to see her love story. blossom.

One of the things I loved best about this story was that there was no big blowup or misunderstanding.  It was just Lars and Kellie trying to navigate a new relationship.  Lars is the best kind of supporter- quietly there, helping and taking care of things for Kellie.  He's kind and he is generous with both his words and his actions.  I really loved that.  It's that consistency and dependability that help Kellie know it's safe to move on with him.  The natural progression of this relationship felt good and I just really enjoyed it.

As always, it was good to see all the guys in this book.  The family of cowboys.  What a fun series this has been.  I don't think you have to read these books in order but for this one especially, you might be happier if you do.

Content:  kissing, mild swearing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Silent Partner by Jennifer Peel

He thinks his silence will protect her. She needs to hear what’s in his heart.

When it comes to love and life, Kinsley Kramer knows one thing—she’s always second best. Tired of feeling like she’s never enough, she decides to give up on men and adopt a cat. What Kinsley doesn’t know is that Brant Holland wants nothing more than to tell the world how much he loves her, but he has kept his distance to protect Kinsley from the secrets he keeps and from his ex-fiancée’s family.

But when Kinsley is about to lose her restaurant, Brant can’t help but act. He steps in and becomes her silent partner. Unable to deny the passion that sizzles between them, they must open painful doors to the past, and the secrets Brant has been keeping must be unleashed. Secrets that threaten to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. Kinsley must now decide if she can bear the pain of Brant’s past choices and an uncertain future as everything in the Hollands’ world hangs in the balance.

See how it all unfolds in this heart-tugging final chapter of the Pine Falls series.

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I have a confession.  I am a book addict.  I know this and I am at peace with it.  It is books like this that have caused this condition.  See how I blame my addiction on other people?  haha

I read this book quite a bit ago.  I probably read it way to fast because I was so very anxious about it all.  It delivered that one, two (three) punch that author Jennifer Peel is famous for.  You know the kind?  Give you heart, rip the heart out of you and stomp on it (twice for good measure) and then put it together again.  That kind.  After a few weeks, I went back and read it again.  Why?  I thought that the second time around I could just savor it, enjoy it slowly, because I already knew exactly how it all played out.  Are you laughing?  You should be laughing.  Because that was a lie I told myself.  My stomach was a ball of nerves and butterflies the whole second time too.  My heart went through the wringer AGAIN and at the end?  I want to do it all again.  See?  Addiction.

Here's the catch with this book.  You cannot read it until you have read the other two books in this series.  You really, really cannot.  This series is a bit (a lot) of DRAMA.  It's like a soap opera and book three just explodes with secrets and the aftermath of some big decisions that characters make.  It's fantastic.  So, so good.  But start at the beginning.  You won't regret it. 

If ever there were two people to love, it would be Brock and Kinsley.  They are two of the best people ever.  I adore them.  Ugh, okay.  I more than adore them.  Kinsley is SO in the dark throughout the majority of this book.  Almost everyone around Kinsley knows the secrets, I know the secrets and that's where the anxious knot of anticipation came in.  I don't know how my whole body becomes invested in this story and these characters, but it does.  My head, my heart, my gut- all working in sync with the ebbs and flows of this book.  It's nuts.  And I love it.  Clearly.

Content:  mild swearing, talk of intimate relations but nothing detailed in any way.  Kissing.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Only Time Will Tell: A Charles & Company Romance, book 2 by Amy Matayo

 

For newly published author Eliza Sterling, having her first book launch party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a dream come true. Since her book is a modern-day retelling of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and the Met is hosting a display of rarely seen Dickens’ artifacts at the same time, she chalks it up to a case of good timing.

For publicly disgraced, former best-selling author Lew McDonnell, seeing a debut author having her first book launch party at the Met brings up all sorts of resentments. Especially when the book this lady is promoting just happens to be one of his old manuscripts that she’s clearly plagiarized and claimed for herself.

When heated words are exchanged in front of a display case containing an original copy of Great Expectations, both Lew and Eliza are prepared for a fight. But they aren’t prepared for the room to shake, for the display case to shatter, or for the old book to send them both careening toward a new existence entirely.

When Lew wakes up on the floor of the Charles Dickens museum in London to see Eliza working there as a tour guide, he knows something has gone horribly wrong. It’s the same day and time, but suddenly he’s the best-selling author headlining his own book launch again, and Eliza is serving him drinks and working all hours to make ends meet. And the weirdest thing of all?

Lew is the only one who remembers their former lives.

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I had fully intended to post this review on Friday but, well, life.  Something unexpected came up and I just couldn't.  Last week I read two time travel books which was odd for me but luckily they were nothing alike so it was easy to read them without comparison.  (phew!  I was worried about that!)

This book is the second in the series but I think it can stand alone.  You will probably enjoy it more if you read the first book though.  The first book in the series is definitely a time travel book but I would say this one is more of a time shift.  The characters don't travel through time but shift into an alternate reality where things are different for them.

Both Lew and Eliza are great characters.  It was so interesting to see how Eliza was so different in each timeline and how circumstances changed her perspective and her confidence so much.  The author did such a great job with the characters, making them seem vulnerable and relatable.  Lew's growth was so satisfying- at the beginning I pitied him and by the end I admired him.  I felt like I really knew Lew and Eliza both.  Knew them and loved them.  

I think I liked this book better than the first one!  It's a fun series and I can't wait to see what's coming next.

Content:  kissing, talk of substance (alcohol) abuse

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Come Back to Me (Waters of Time #1) by Jody Hedlund

 

The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund is your guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.

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Time travel books are tricky, am I right?  Most of the time, you just can't think too hard or it just doesn't seem plausible but it's still fun.  This author definitely nailed the plausibility with a very in depth, detailed description of the why and how of it all.  Laying the foundation took pretty much half of the book.  We don't actually see the time travel until half way through and honestly?  I was growing impatient.  Sometimes it just felt too wordy and lengthy but I know, laying the foundation is important especially in stories like this and I actually thought the idea of the time travel was interesting.  I just really wanted more time with Will and Marian.  They are awesome together and I just didn't get enough of them.  I adored the second half of the book.  I didn't want to put it down.  Everyone should have a Will in their lives.  😍

I can see that the author set things up for future books and I'm excited to read them!  And hopefully Will and Marian will be in those too because that would make me happy.

The first half of the book gets 3.5 stars from me.  The second half, 5.

Content:  peril, mild violence, kissing (some thoughts about a husband wanting his wife physically, but nothing descriptive)

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Rescue a Stubborn Heart (Hudson Brothers Romance, Book 2) by Cindy Roland Anderson

 

She doesn’t believe true love is real.
He thinks he’s too broken for love.
Everything changes when two stubborn hearts meet.

On the run from her ex-husband’s twisted family, Finley seeks help from Jaxon Hudson, the Navy SEAL who rescued her three years ago. Even though she only knew him for a few hours, it was long enough for her to fall in love. But Jaxon’s imminent deployment squashed any hope of a relationship, and he walked away, taking a piece of her heart with him.

Now Finley is older and wiser and not looking for love. So when Jaxon proposes a marriage of convenience and offers the protection of his name, but not his heart, Finley accepts the terms.

There’s only one problem, the spark they had three years ago never died out...placing her in danger of falling for him all over again.

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Woot!  It's a new book by Cindy Roland Anderson!  This feels like a good reason to celebrate today!

Finley and Jaxon have a lot going on and a lot to unpack personally.  While there were some heavy issues facing them, I never felt bogged down myself and I am grateful for that.  For me, right now, I appreciate having depth to characters and knowing they are real people with real problems but I don't want to dwell there.  I'm looking for an escape in reading- romance and hope and happily ever afters.  This book gave me that.

There was an initial spark for both Finley and Jaxon upon first meeting.  Years later Finley is desperate for help and turns to one person she hopes can help her.   Then, lots of sparks!  I loved the added layer of light suspense in this book- it was perfect for this story.  It really helped drive the feelings between Finley and Jaxon forward quickly.  It's swoony and exciting.  I loved the feelings of family and I loved having a little baby in the mix.  It all just felt wonderful around my heart.  I am really drawn to these romantic, light suspense books.  It's one of my favorite genres and this book was perfect for me to read this week.  I loved it.

This book is on KU if you have that.  Also, it is technically the second book in this Hudson family of brothers, but each book can stand on it's own.

Content:  mild peril, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Genevieve of Dragon Ridge (Eldentimber #6) by Shari L. Tapscott

Genevieve is no stranger to heartache, but ever since the dragons saved her ten years ago, she’s been content. Though it’s unheard of for a human girl to live in a dragon flight, Genevieve doesn’t mind. She has a family, scaled though they may be, and she enjoys her quiet, simple existence.
However, her routine is abruptly disturbed the day a half-dead prince is dropped into her life.

Lionel of Vernow committed a crime against the dragons, and in order to keep peace in the kingdoms, he must pay. Genevieve would rather execute the man and be done with it, but instead, she’s tasked with his care.

Genevieve quickly learns Lionel is as prickly as a hedgehog, as surly as a mountain cat, and as stubborn as any dragon. She also discovers Lionel’s injuries aren’t limited to those of flesh and bone. There’s pain in the disgraced prince’s past—pain that calls to her own broken heart.

In saving him, she just might save herself. But how can a wounded girl heal a wounded prince?

 * Amazon * Goodreads *

I am SO happy to have a new book to add to one of my favorite series by author Shari L. Tapscott.   The Eldentimber series is full of adventure, fantasy and romance.  They are so fun and suitable for teenagers on up.  You probably don't HAVE to read all the books in this series in order, but you will be much happier if you do.  This story in particular has all the past characters mentioned throughout and together toward the end.  It would just mean more if you had their backstory.  Plus, Lionel makes his first appearance at the beginning of the series so if you want to know more about him you really should read this whole series.

Lionel.  Lionel.  If you love a bad boy turned good, this is your story.  Poor Lionel has had a rough go of life with a father who is more monster than human and doesn't even deserve the title of father.  It's no wonder Lionel is messed up but then enters Genevieve and everything turns upside down.  I loved Genevieve and her dragons.  I loved Lionel too.  I just loved this book.  The whole thing.  Gah.  It was so endearing.  These two deserved the happiest of endings if any two people ever did.  It was a long time coming but well worth the wait.

Have I mentioned that this series is one of my favorites?  This author is also one of my favorites.  If you haven't read anything by her, you are really missing out.  She has books in so many genres, you are sure to find something you will like.  Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retellings, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Romance (sweet).  I love them all.

Content:  mention of abuse, kissing, mild peril, mild violence.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.