Review: Bloom by EJ Blaise

Book Summary

Caroline Brennan just wants to be good.

A good daughter, a good friend, a good person.

It shouldn't be that hard, right?

Hunter Whitlock doesn't care about being good.

He just wants to be left alone.

Turns out, that's not so easy.

Turns out, when it comes to the pretty girl in the flowery dresses, that's not what he wants at all.

Bloom is a single POV, small town romance following a shy florist and her grumpy cowboy love interest. The Serenity Ranch Series is a spin-off series of The Sun Valley Series. It is not required to read Sun Valley, but it is recommended.

Review

Through the years, I’ve seen readers championing for Blaise to release Bloom, and I am so grateful that she finally did. All in all, I can’t recommend Bloomenough. This is my favorite book by the author.

The story centers on Caroline, a shy florist in a small town, whose life hasn’t been kind to them. She lost her mother at a young age and is constantly being emotionally degraded by her alcoholic father. And not to mention, the place that seems welcoming to her is run by her ex-boyfriend and his family and some of them aren’t exactly welcoming. She meets Hunter, who works at the ranch, and he doesn’t hide his annoyance with her.

I thought maybe the title was referring to the floral shop that Caroline works at; however, looking back, it’s clear that it is a reference to Caroline and her development throughout this story. In the beginning, she’s a pushover and a people pleaser; however, she refuses to stay that way. And watching her become who she is at the end, made me emotional. I really loved her story.

As did I love her relationship with Hunter. It was so sweet and swoony-worthy. Yes, it is a slow burn, though, I didn’t mind because I felt that it works for their dynamic, especially when we learn more about Hunter’s past. It’s safe to say that I have no criticisms of Hunter. Like with Caroline, I loved him. He’s one of the best types of male love interest. The grumpy cowboy who becomes obsessed with his girl.

I just want to quickly shout out her friendship with Lux. I adored their friendship and everything about it. Despite Caroline being her brother’s ex, Lux welcomed Caroline into her life. She was a true friend and supported her, and of course, had a few story beats herself. I’m going to need Lux’s book next. I am going to completely devour that book when it eventually comes out. I’ve only read one book within The Sun Valley Series; however, I don’t quite remember Lux. Now, I’m willing to check the rest out for a glimpse of Lux and Blaise’s other characters.

Final Thoughts

Bloom had so many layers and depth that really made this story shine and made it feel special.

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Review: Off Camera by Chelsea Curto

About the Book

Avery Sinclair is good at her job as the social media manager for the Baltimore Thunderhawks. She’s one of the best in the NFL, in fact. The only thing stopping her from being the account of the year? The DC Titans, run by the mystery man she’s been feuding with for years.

Reid Duncan isn’t the world’s biggest sports fan, but he loves his job. Working for the DC Titans means working on the same team as his best friend… and being constantly annoyed by the woman who works for the rival team up the road.

But when a night with a woman he can’t get out of his head turns out to be the woman who won’t leave him alone on social media, Reid isn’t sure what to do. The only solution? A casual arrangement that goes perfectly with the bet they’ve enacted for the football season.

Online, they exchange sarcasm and snark like it’s their job. In the bedroom, though, it’s a different story. What’s supposed to be one time turns into something more.

Avery and Reid know they aren’t supposed to fall for each other. Feelings aren’t part of their agreement, but neither one of them can stay away.

Can what happens off camera and away from their phones really work in real life? Or are they destined to never get along?

Review

Fifteen pages in, I immediately knew that I was going to love this book. Reid and Avery meet early on in this book, and as I read their first interaction I was immediately hooked. The two of them bounced off each other well and instantly connected. They had such strong chemistry, and I felt Curto did them justice with their romance. I particularly loved the hidden identity aspect of their romance.

For years, the two of them have had a rivalry; however, they only knew each other by their screen names and would aggravate each other. I loved how Curto continued to weave social media into the story even after they discovered each other’s identities. I also loved how the rivalry continued and how playful they were. For example, neither party got upset when they played pranks on each other.

As much as I loved Reid, at times I found his internal monologue to be repetitive. It was mentioned several times how he couldn’t believe that Avery would be interested in a guy like him and how “unattractive” he was compared to his friends. That wasn’t true, and Avery often told him why she was interested in him.

Final Thoughts

Off Camera was a great read. Reid and Avery were adorable and delightful. If someone asked me to pick a favorite moment, I would have trouble. There were a lot of moments that stood out to me. I loved watching them try to stay away, and quickly realize that they couldn't.

Reid is a refreshing MMC in a world of alpha men. He was kind and supportive. I do wish that we would have gotten more regarding his and his father’s relationship. It was troubling, and it impacted him negatively. However, I loved his relationship with his friends. They felt like his family, and I think this might be my favorite depiction of male friendships in a book. As for Avery, I loved her just as much. I loved how she wasn’t afraid to ask for what she wanted. Within her career, she faced challenges and revealed her raw and honest feelings. I thought Curto did her character and her struggles justice. I didn’t quite love her friendships as much as I did with Reid. First, I had gotten the vibes that she wasn’t as close to them; however, that was incorrect. I wish Curto had spent more time building and showing her friendship with them.

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Review: The Widow’s Husband Secret Lie by Freida McFadden

About the Book

My husband is dead.

I attended his funeral. I watched his casket be lowered six feet into the ground. (Actually, it may have been only five feet, but that still seems like more than enough.) And then we ate an array of finger sandwiches and deviled eggs and miniature beef wellingtons that cost more than my first car.

My point is, Grant is gone. And so are all his many, many deep, dark secrets which I never really ever bothered to ask him about. He is never coming back.

So why do I still see his face everywhere I go?

The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie is an utterly addictive, unputdownable, nail-biting, absolutely gripping psychological thriller novella with a shocking, breathtaking, heartstopping, spine-chilling twist that you won't see coming, will leave you stunned, and will literally have you picking your jaw up off the floor and bringing it to the nearest hospital for major facial reconstructive surgery.

Review

I had so much fun with The Widow’s Husband’s Secret Lie. I hope the author had a blast writing, it because I was thoroughly entertained. This is my first satirical novella, and I’m kind of disappointed that the author had written more. I know her niche is thrillers; however, I think she should do more of these.

The novella does an outstanding job of poking fun at overly dramatic and predicted thriller novels. And I would include Lifetime movies in the mix too. Every twist and turn is so predicted that when it happened, I commented “Of course that’s happening next” before being sent into a fit of laughter. It was deeply unserious, and I had a marvelous time.

Final Thoughts

The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie should not be taken seriously at all. It’s unhinged and entertaining. I appreciated that the author fully leaned into the absurdity of everything. If anyone is looking for a fun, lighthearted, short thriller, this is for them. 

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Review: A Dawn of Gods & Fury (Fate & Flame Book 4) by K.A. Tucker

About the Book

"Prophecy always finds a way."

The will of the fates has come to pass. Monsters swarm from the depths, while dragons soar overhead. And the throne of Islor lies vacant… but not for long.

Fleeing the merciless sirens, Tyree and Annika find themselves stranded on a distant shore. Forced together to survive, they find old magics and terrifying new enemies.

For Romeria and Zander, the long-held secrets of the casters’ magic reveal a chance to finally master the power that has held all their lives in the balance for too long. But with power comes betrayal. And sacrifices must be made.

The final book in the captivating Fate & Flame series.

Review

Without a doubt in my mind, I can say this is one of my all-time favorite fantasies. It’s sitting strongly at the number two spot. This was my most anticipated read of the year, and before swiping to the first page, I was a ball of nerves. I had no idea how this series was going to end. With every book, the world kept building and the stakes kept getting higher. An epic war was approaching. So, did I enjoy the final book?

Yes; mostly. I loved continuing to explore this amazing world that Tucker had built. I loved seeing more side characters and even getting a new romance—more on that later. This was a fun and exciting read for me. However, this isn’t my favorite book in this series. I think the second one might hold that title.

This series started with Romeria. Someone who was thrown into this unknown world is being hunted and accused of something that she did not do. In the course of four books, she completely transforms into this amazing queen, fierce. That is my favorite part of the series—watching her journey. I plan to reread this entire series in the future, and I’m excited to relive it.  

Another component that hooked me to this series was Romeria and Zander. This romance felt pushed into the background once again. I recently watched an interview with the author where she explained that she didn’t want the main romance to feel boring since they were together. I’d imagine that could be why she barely gave them any solo screen time. At every chance they were alone, they were interrupted. I understand it is wartime; however, it felt disappointing that this romance only had a few scenes to shine in the final book. The moments that they did get were lovely and left me wanting more.

In addition, there’s this weird thing with Jarek. It’s clear that he had unrequited feelings for Romeria, and that’s not resolved in this series. With the way his story ends, I would imagine he’s getting a spin-off. I would have much preferred Tucker to leave any romantic feelings out of Jarek and Romeria’s friendship since she’s adamant that Zander is only for her. And it made some of the moments with Jarek and Romeria frustrating.

Last book, Romeria and Zander’s romance took a backseat to the romance between Gracen and Atticus—who I adored—unfortunately, in this book, their relationship was sidelined too. Gracen is barely mentioned in this book and gets no POV chapter. The “main” romance of this book was Annika and Tyree. I did enjoy them. They had an enemies-to-lovers romance going on, and their bickering was fun. However, I wonder if there was a fifth book, would they be neglected too?

Final Thoughts

A Dawn of Gods & Fury keeps up with the excellent worldbuilding that Tucker had established in the previous books. The book itches towards a perfect conclusion; however, often neglects the romantic relationships and key characters. I would have loved more from Zander and Gracen in this book.

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Review: Fall With Me (Playing for Keeps Book 4) by Becka Mack

About the Book

From bestselling author and TikTok sensation Becka Mack comes the next book in her sizzling hockey romance series about a playboy defenseman and the team photographer who reforms him.

The fourth book in the globally popular Playing for Keeps series that New York Times bestselling author Hannah Grace calls “endlessly sexy and funny.”

It was supposed to be a one-night stand. But what if they can’t leave it in the past?

Jaxon Riley is exceptional at three things: starting fights on the ice, picking up women post-game, and going home to fulfill his role as the world’s best cat dad. Relationships, unfortunately, missed the list.

Lennon Hayes is supposed to be on her honeymoon. Instead, she’s alone and single, vacationing next door to a surly tattooed man who ran his date off the resort. When a run-in at the bar results in a night of bickering and cocktails, she finds herself tumbling into bed with the enemy next door, then sneaking out before the sun comes up.

Lennon’s plan to start over in a new city is going great, until she starts her new job. The job? The Vancouver Vipers’ new photographer. And the defenseman scowling at her from across the room? The one-night stand she wasn’t supposed to see again. Good thing neither of them are looking for anything serious… Right?

Jaxon may not be used to falling, but if he’s going to go, he refuses to go alone. If he falls, he wants Lennon to fall with him.

Review

I have a complicated and toxic relationship with this series. I have read all four books, and I keep expecting different results. I rated the first two books poorly; however, I did enjoy the third book- Unravel Me, and many of the problems that I experienced in that book I also experienced with this book. Unfortunately, it feels like those problems multiplied. I’ll scream it a dozen times if I must. There are specific characters within this series that continue to get worse.  Mack struggles with how to balance her characters’ personalities. Many of them come across as immature and corny. The scenes with all the friends together felt repetitive and distractingly annoying.

In fact, Lennon’s friendship with the girls didn’t feel genuine to me. I saw no real connection to them. They forced a friendship upon her. I would have much preferred Mack to highlight the connection between Lennon and Serena. Their friendship felt genuine. I think this is the only friendship that Mack established where her brand of humor wasn’t annoying. She found the perfect balance with them.

While reading Fall with Me, I concluded, that for me to rate this book, I need to omit the group scenes. That would have tanked my rating, and I felt that Lennon and Jaxon didn’t deserve that. I loved their story and I loved almost every aspect of it once I omit the scenes with their friends.

Final Thoughts

Fall with Me is a victim of Mack’s inability to write characters normally. Ninety-nine percent of characters within this book should not act like immature teenagers when they are pushing thirty years old. Especially, when she has few straight-laced characters to balance it all out.

Everyone is on level one thousand in their corniness when they are together. The dialogue often feels like Mack is reminding readers how attractive and devoted the male characters are to their female love interests. So devoted that they can’t function if the female character looks away from them for a second thus causing them to demand their attention in a child-like manner. As for the female friendship, that falls extremely short. Most of their conversations are centered on how “hot” their hockey player love interests are. There’s no real depth to it. This causes their friendship to feel ingenuine and repetitive. The same can be said about the male friendships.

Mack wants to write “golden retriever” male love interests; however, struggles with how to effectively do that. Previous male characters are still annoying four books later and somehow continue to act more childish than before. Adam Lockwood (Unravel Me, Book 3) might be the only male love interest that outshines the rest. Compared to the others, he just worked. Jaxon is a close runner-up. He had his moments of being over the top, but he’s light years ahead of the other two. Out of the female characters, Lennon by far is my favorite. I enjoyed that she let Jaxon have it right back.

Unfortunately, the supporting characters hinder the reading experience for Lennon and Jaxon’s story. This couple works best when they are away from their friends.

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Review: Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver

A rugged mountain town seemed like the perfect escape from a life in shambles. But on day one I ran full tilt into the world’s hottest single dad and now all my plans are ruined.

As a chart-topping country singer with a recent streak of bad press it’s hard to find any peace. But I find it in Rose Hill. With a little boy and a little girl who steal my heart just as thoroughly as their dad.

Weston Belmont.

The man is a shameless flirt. He oozes confidence and masculinity in a way that’s downright distracting. And in bed? He’s addictive.

Everything with him is wild and impulsive and I’m desperate to regain some control.

But no one has supported me like West does. And no one has ever made me feel as loved as he does either.

So, while my brain says settling down with a small-town horse trainer is impossible… my heart says I’m right where I belong.

Still, my life as a celebrity haunts me. It has the power to pull us apart.

I can see in his eyes that wants me to stay. And I want that too.

But I know better than anyone that we don’t always get what we want.

Review

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year. For most of the book, I had fun. When I think about my experience with this book—having finished it a few days ago, the favorite scenes that come to mind involve West. I enjoyed him as a main character, and I absolutely adored his kids—Ollie and Emmy. Kudos to Silver for giving readers this amazing guy who had a great and silly relationship with his kids.

Moreover, he had a great relationship with their mother. Bonus points. It gets extremely old reading stories where the mother is villainized or absent and the single dad is made to be the hero. That isn’t the case here. Sure, West and his ex-wife didn’t work out; however, they can efficiently co-parent and be in the same room together without screaming at each other. And not to applaud a fish for swimming, but it was refreshing that West didn’t blame his ex-wife for their marriage ending and did not hate her. West and his family elevated the book for me and stole the show.

I was a little weary of Skylar in the beginning. She isn’t my favorite Silver’s FMC, and honestly, I think I would rank her low. She felt out of touch with reality to me. Yes, she grew up privileged; however, I would assume that she should know how to make her bed. My feelings of her did improve. She was dealing with some personal struggles and attempting to rebuild her life after being controlled by her family. I did enjoy the soccer game scene with her and the gang. I thought that was fun, and I craved more. I also loved how the kids immediately were taken by her. And that West was a secret fan. That was adorable.

As the story approached the third half, my rating of the book significantly decreased. I would have preferred if Silver took a different approach this half. The drama didn’t add anything, instead caused me to be ignored. What was the purpose if there wasn’t going to be an emotional deep dive or revelation regarding one of them?

Final Thoughts

Wild Eyes was an underwhelming follow-up to Wild Love. Especially with the characterization of Skylar. With more time and consideration, I think there could have been a far more interesting story than what readers were presented.