Review: Lush by Tinia Montford

About the Book

Laurene King had it all: beauty, wealth, and a sexy secret affair with Reese Ashbourne— the brooding heir of her family’s sworn enemy.

But one reckless night shattered everything.

Tragedy struck. Laurene disappeared. And Reese was left with betrayal, unanswered questions, and scars he’ll never forget.

Now, Laurene is back, forced to return to the life she fled, but her homecoming comes with a cruel twist. Their families, teetering on the edge of ruin, have resurrected an old deal to save themselves: an Ashbourne and a King must marry—or lose everything.

Only this time, Reese is the groom. Not his brother.

Haunted by the past, Reese craves revenge as much as he still craves her. Trapped in a forced proximity neither can escape, their chemistry ignites—and so do their secrets.

But someone knows the truth about that night. The lies that tore them apart are unraveling, and the shadowy danger lurking in their luxurious world could destroy them both.

With their second chance at love and their families’ legacies hanging by a thread, Laurene and Reese must choose: bury the past or watch everything crumble to ashes.

The clock is ticking, and some truths are better left buried…

Review

Lush was marketed as a mystery book with themes found in an 80s soap opera. That was the perfect way to sell this book. It was precisely that. I must applaud the author for recognizing that and leaning into that genre. There wasn’t a second where I was not entertained.  

Years ago, Reese Ashbourne and Laurene King were lovers and hid their relationship from their families—two prominent families within the city. The Ashbournes and the Kings are enemies; however, they are willing to plot for the sake of their legacies. Their plot involved having Laurene marry Reese’s other brother. Of course, Reese and Laurene were distraught and plotted together in secret. However, tragedy struck, and Laurene flees, and Reese mourns. After being summoned by her mother, Laurene returns to the city, and a new plan is established— now Laurene and Reese must marry.

This book was rich people drama. Excellent rich people drama. It’s soapy, yet it doesn’t feel corny or making fun of the genre. Montford does a great job setting the scene and building this rich, dangerous world. There were layers upon layers of material here. Reese and Laurene are the main characters; however, every character felt fully fleshed out and had their own story and motive. I’m excited to see where this series goes and what happens with the other characters.

Reese and Laurene were the perfect characters to kick off this series. Both have been victims of their families’ legacies and puppets. And when they attempted to break free from it all, it all went horribly wrong. Reese lost a brother and felt betrayed by Laurene. He’s always felt like the last option and screw-up in his family, and he thought Laurene really saw him. Laurene was alone and missing her voice. They are still healing from the results of what happened six years ago while dealing with their parents. When they see each other after so many years, they have a lot of hurt feelings that they have to work through. Also, they have to deal with someone blackmailing them. A lot is going on in their life as they rediscover their love for each other.

Besides Reese and Laurene, everyone in this book is a suspect. I wasn’t sure who I could trust and who was blackmailing Reese and Laurene. I made at least three different final guesses before it was eventually revealed. My first guess was correct, but with how everyone was acting, I kept second-guessing myself.

Final Thoughts:

Lush is a great 80s soapy romance book. It contains a lot of blackmail, lies, and twists and turns. It’s an entertaining ride that almost feels like a television show. The mystery is strong and engaging.

Buy on Amazon

Review: Unloved by Peyton Corinne

About the Book

The USA TODAY bestselling follow-up to Peyton Corinne’s “unputdownable and unforgettable” (Bal Khabra, author of Collide) TikTok sensation Unsteady follows hopeless romantic Ro and player—on and off the ice—Freddy as they forge an unexpected bond that slowly turns into a life lesson in self-worth and the healing quality of love.

Matt “Freddy” Fredderic is all smiles—at least on the surface. On the ice, he’s the star left winger for the Waterfell Wolves with a stellar reputation in bed and a potential future in the NHL. But in the classroom, he’s barely scraping by on a 2.0 GPA, retaking failed classes and struggling with a rough mix of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Now tied to an NHL contract upon graduation, Freddy needs help to pass biology with a professor he has a tumultuous past with.

Ro Shariff is a hopeless romantic with terrible luck in love—and now, Freddy’s newly assigned tutor. Trying to convince herself that she’s very happy with her on again/off again boyfriend, Ro is desperate for real affection. As her tutoring sessions with Freddy lead to late-night phone calls and a deep understanding of each other’s hidden pains, a real friendship strikes up between them.

And, inevitably, a wistful secret pining hidden by them both. Ro can’t stop thinking about her first kiss her freshman year with Freddy—a spine-tingling moment that Freddy doesn’t seem to remember. Meanwhile, Freddy can’t let go of Ro’s drunken heartfelt confessions from the night she doesn’t remember.

While Freddy is determined to protect Ro from his reputation and prove to her how worthy of love she is, Ro wants to show Freddy that despite what others have led him to believe, he’s worth more than just his body. Together, with gentle affection and true admiration, they will show each other how easy it is to love the right person, no matter their flaws.

Review

Peyton Corrinne knows how to make a girl cry. I’d say that I was close to tears for probably eighty-five percent of Unloved. Ro and Matty’s story is just so beautiful. Both had been manipulated by someone close to them and broken. They want to survive and maybe put the pieces back together. There are heavy topics in this, ranging from grief to cheating. The author does a great job of letting her characters feel and be vulnerable.  

Ro has a highly gentle soul and is compassionate. She’s been told in the past that she’s a burden and struggles with standing up for herself. Matty feeds into his playboy and party boy reputation while inside he’s struggling with family issues, asking for help, and having insecurities. Both respect each other’s boundaries and develop this beautiful friendship. Their friendship is built on kindness and trust. Not only do they learn that they are capable of being loved, but they also realize that they are much stronger than they give themselves credit for and go on a personal journey.  

Final Thoughts

Unloved is the story of two people who have been mistreated by others, finding their worth and love. The characters and romance felt authentic and special. I hold them and this story dear to my heart.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback | Bookshop.org

Review: Roomie, Lover, Friend: A New Hope Novel by Shon

About the Book

BLAIR BELLAMY’s luck for the past year has been tenuous, at best. Nothing is going right. She lost her job, her relationship and now, her housing.

She needs something—just one thing—to go right. And when she downloads the Roomie app, she thinks she’s headed in the right direction. That’s until…

ELIJAH CUNNINGHAM’s life is simple. He has a job that doesn’t drain him, a workout routine he’s perfected, and favors his own company over anybody else’s. Teased all his life for being a homebody, imagine his surprise when the woman of his dreams shows up on his doorstep. He’s not looking for a roommate, but something about Blair won’t let him leave her alone…

Review

Roomie, Lover, Friend certainly isn’t my favorite by this author. Though, I don’t have many complaints. It’s a cute, quick story about friends-to-lovers. There are a dozen unforgettable romantic moments in this one. I especially loved them binge-watching Eli's favorite anime. I thought that was so sweet. And Blair and Eli were a great couple. After one meeting, Eli was fully prepared to give everything he had to Blair. It was attraction at first, but it turned into something more.

Blair was the standout character within this one. The small plot involving her and her mom carried the book's emotional weight. Although small, that plot line gave a lot of context to Blair's character and helped elevate her character growth. Eli’s not a bad character. He’s likable, and there was a scene involving him and his sister that I think really showcased him as a character. And, of course, all his scenes with Blair showed what a caring soul he is. He wanted nothing but the best for her. However, this is very much a story about Blair, and most of his character development concerns her.

Final Thoughts

Roomie, Lover, Friend features a cute romance with an MMC who would do anything for his leading lady. Often, his story would be non-existent without her; however, I have no complaints. Blair’s plot was the emotional weight of the story and provided a realistic deception of how mother and daughter’s relationships can develop.

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Paperback

Review: Storm Cloud by J.S. Jasper

About the Book

Even if it’s difficult sometimes, Sophie loves the winter.

The bright sunny days that are few and far between, the crisp morning air and the blush on people’s cheeks. It’s her favourite time of year. On the tough days, the days when the sky is so dark she wonders if she’s stuck in perpetual night time- all she really needs to see is the sun.

Though she’ll never tell anyone that.

Not until he walks into her bookstore.

And Sophie decides he looks like sunshine.

Review

Storm Cloud felt like a cozy Hallmark, low-stakes novella. It was cute, charming, and sometimes predictable. I enjoyed myself while reading. The author does a very good job of establishing Sophie as a character. Right from the beginning, it’s very clear who Sophie is as a character, and her reasoning for being hesitant about Lukas is obvious. Most novellas try to skip out on character development and focus on getting to the romance. This would not operate that way. I’m thankful. I enjoyed Sophie as a character.

Unfortunately, Lukas does not get as much development as Sophie. He felt very much like the “perfect book boyfriend” and didn’t feel quite as fleshed out as Sophie. Despite that, I did enjoy him and their romance.

Final Thoughts

Storm Cloud is a cozy, refreshing read—fitting since it mainly takes place within a bookstore. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Paperback

Review: Rival Romeo by Tyla Walker

What do you do when you have to choose between love or family?

All Geneva wants to do is continue her grandfather’s vision of giving unconditional love to animals who don’t get it from anyone else. Their animal shelter has become a home to both of them that she’s determined to continue for the rest of her life. She wants to rescue as many animals as possible.

All Oswald Stork wants to do is make his family proud and show them that their sacrifices have made him successful. And he gets a chance with the deal of a lifetime that will cement his family’s real estate company as the most successful firm in the city. All it means to him is ensuring that Geneva and her grandfather and all her animals move out.

You can already tell these two are gonna lock horns.

But are they gonna do more than that afterwards? Because each of them is so focused on bringing pride to their family, they may not see they’re falling in love with each other.

Will they continue the fight for their family? Or will they abandon their family’s dreams in the name of love?

Review

The synopsis of Rival Romeo promises a different book than what occurs.  Geneva and Oswald didn’t feel like rivals. Nor were there any grand conflicted feelings of going against their families. Instead, what happened was Oswald followed the orders of his parents. He doesn’t question their orders. Geneva gets upset with the Stork family; however, she doesn’t truly put up a fight. Her emotions regarding the animals felt stronger than her desire to fight for her family. There is an emotional moment that occurs with a few dogs that she is close with. I think that was the strongest moment within the story. The author spends a lot of time “telling,” and with that scene, they “showed.”

There’s a much better version of this book that focuses entirely on Geneva and her crusade against Oswald’s family. I would have much preferred that rather than having them fall in love. The two of them lacked chemistry, and their story felt stiff.

Final Thoughts

Rival Romeo was a disappointing romance novella without excitement and chemistry between the leads.

Review: Wide Side by Elsie Silver

About the Book

She's always dreamed of her wedding day. And those dreams never included saying "I do" to a man she hates.

But when Tabitha's nephew's guardianship is contested, she decides she'll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy.

Rhys Dupris.

A man who is secretive, broody, and completely infuriating. A man whose work takes him away for weeks on end and brings him back covered in mysterious bruises―ones he won't talk about. In fact, Tabitha and Rhys barely talk at all.

Which would be fine, except when he's not talking, he's staring. And the way he looks at her is borderline indecent.

The tension between them has always been palpable. But living under the same roof is a dangerous temptation.

Tabitha swore she would never forgive him. But that was before she knew the man behind the mask. The one who's fierce and protective. The one who's gentle and patient. The one who shows up for her and her nephew when they need him most.

He's not at all who she thought he was.

And that makes hating her husband so much harder…and loving him just a little too easy.

Review

It’s been a few days since I’ve finished this book and it’s been circling my thoughts since I finished it. Wild Side is the best book within the Rose Hill series, and it’s tied at the top for my favorite Elsie Silver book. Words cannot describe how much I loved this one. It might be a bold statement since it’s still early in the year, but this is my favorite read of the year. I give this one infinite stars.

I would love to thank Elsie Silver personally for creating Rhys and Tabby. I’ll admit that they were not my most anticipated couple within this series. But boy, did they surprise me. In the previous books, readers only know that Tabby dislikes Rhys. We don’t know the extent of their relationship until their book. Tabby’s older sister was Rhys’ tenant, and after she passed, he became the legal guardian of her adorable son, Milo. Tabby is livid about that. Rightfully so, she believes that Rhys evicted her sister and played a part in her death. There’s more to the story, and Rhys and Tabby put aside their differences to ensure that Milo is cared for. With that comes fun, witty banter, to-die-for chemistry, and several heartfelt moments.

Tabby’s still dealing with the emotions of losing her sister to addiction and the complicated relationship that her sister had with their parents. It took her a while to cry, and when she finally did cry, it was a dagger to the heart. She’d do anything for those she loves and is fierce and strong. She had no problem standing up to Rhys—for instance, getting Milo a cat when Rhys had lied and said he was allergic. She’s by far my favorite FMC within this series. I would pay Elsie to give me more of Tabby. I would pay triple for more of Tabby, Rhys, AND Milo. I loved this family so much.

Rhys is the perfect companion for Tabby. Outwardly, he’s a quiet, tough guy. But on the inside, such a softie. He and Milo have such an adorable relationship, and it was very clear he’d do anything for that little boy—like Tabby would. Rhys didn’t have a perfect childhood, and as an adult, he worked hard to have a private life and excel at his craft. It was beautiful how everyone welcomed him to their lives at Rose Hill and how supportive they were of him. Yes, I did cry, especially during a scene when Rhys discovers they all had gathered to watch him on television. This was my first time reading a wrestler romance story, and I’m completely sold. Of course, that could only be because of Rhys Dupris. Regardless, I enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Final Thoughts

I’d give Wild Side infinite stars if I could. My expectations were exceeded, and there were several moments when I cried or almost cried. Tabby and Rhys had a beautiful love story and were absolutely perfect together—special kudos to the found family of it all.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback