Review: Consider Me by Becka Mack

Carter Beckett is the NHL’s resident bad boy, top player both on the ice and in the bedroom, and quite possibly the sexiest man to ever grace my field of vision. But worst of all? He knows it.

He’s arrogant, self-centered, and the man doesn’t seem to know what a filter is, let alone how to use one. He’s had everything served to him on a silver platter, including endless strings of women, and apparently, I’m up next.
His only problem? I have no intention of falling for his shi—um, charm.

I have the solution to all my sexual frustrations in a drawer at home, and it’s far less complicated than Carter Beckett. Sure, he may be pretty, but he’s also a walking, talking reminder for you to wrap it before you tap it.

But then I start letting my guard down, and he starts showing me pieces of himself I had no intention of seeing. The bricks surrounding me may be tumbling down one by one, but I’m not sold yet, which means for the first time in his life, Carter’s the one begging.

For my time, my trust, for a single chance.

For me to just…consider him.

Consider Me is book #1 in the Playing For Keeps series, a series of interconnected standalone mature hockey romance stories that contain lots of heat, swoon, laughs, and a ride on an emotional rollercoaster! -

Review 

The first thing that I noticed about this book was the length. It was roughly 600 pages, and I don’t mind a lengthy book if the characters are excellent. Although both Carter and Olivia were good and likable characters, I felt the book would have served its purpose if 300 pages were shaved off.  

Consider Me a sports romance with two characters who face normal insecurities and fears. All of what they were dealing with felt very real. And they had an amazing cast of supporting characters lifting them up and interacting with them in a heartfelt and comedic role.

Carter was the life of the party hockey player who was a nice break for the normal alpha male. He really did adore Olivia and that always bleed from the page. He was obsessed with her from the second that he saw her. Olivia was witty, and relatable. Also prepared to give an entertaining comeback at Carter. And a lot of her hesitant about dealing with Carter didn’t feel annoying or left field. It made complete sense given his past.

I liked the two of them together. And I liked that they pushed to make each other better and didn’t ignore each other’s feelings. Instead, they worked together to communicate.  

With all that being said, I feel like the latter half of the book wasn’t that strong. Especially a major plot point at the end that felt frustrating and overly dramatic. At this point, the book had already started to drag on, and the final act breakup didn’t help the pacing. At all.

Final Thoughts

Consider Me started off strong. And in a more contained number of pages, I think that characters would have stood out more and made more of an everlasting impression instead of being overshadowed by unnecessary drama towards the end.  

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Review: Sea Glass Summer by Miranda Liasson

Sea Glass Summer is the second book in the Seashell Harbor series by Miranda Liasson. If you haven’t read the first book, Coming Home to Seashell Harbor, I’d recommend reading that first. Ideally, you can read this one as a standalone but I feel for context and connection, I’d read the first before diving into this one. 

Setting the scene back at Seashell Harbor, we are brought back to this beautiful Jersey coastal town and reconnect with some wonderful friends. I didn’t realize or maybe I had forgotten this but this is only a two book series. Just like her other series, she brings these wonderful people into our lives and they leave. I’ve enjoyed visiting Seashell Harbor again and what a nice conclusion to the series this was. 

It was wonderful reconnecting with the folks here in Seashell Harbor. One of my favorite things about this series is the friendship between these women. Friends for what seems like forever, the unbreakable bond and love they have for each other really pulls at you. They’ve brought some fun moments to the book that makes me want to be their friend.

The central focus of this book was between Kit and Alex. Kit, as a single mom and widow, we see her grief and challenges as she tries to move on. As she transforms through hope, patience and the support of her family and friends, it’s such a beautiful storyline. 

What I like about Alex is we see a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s loyal, supportive and is the kind of guy any woman would be lucky to have. Life has been tough since losing his friend, Kit’s husband, and has definitely burdened the guilt of life without him. One of his greatest heart breaks is not having the chance to explore his first love. The joy of seeing him have an opportunity to get a second chance with the person who stole his heart truly made this a keeper for me. 

There’s nothing sweeter than diving into one of Miranda’s books. Her characters who find love and hope, the blessing of second chances promise a future despite their obstacles of doubts. Their story was one that you will fall in love with. There are moments that will make you laugh, feel awh and just overall feel good. Their journey, the connections with friends and family all come together to make this a wonderful read for the summer. Nothing less than expected from one of my favorites. I’d recommend adding this series to check out. 

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Check out the first book, Coming Home to Seashell Harbor on Amazon | Bookshop.org

Review: In the Dark We Forget by Sandra SG Wong

From the beginning, this book had me hooked. Let me first mention how gorgeous that cover is. There is something that just grabs your attention to dive right into the book.

From what I’ve read, this is her debut in the suspense genre. It has many components that are woven together for an unexpected resolution. I struggle with labeling it a thriller because I felt it had more psychological suspense rather than the full intensity of a thriller. 

Following Cleo, who was originally found on the side of the road with amnesia, her journey has you as the book progresses wanting and needing to know the answers as much as she does. She is definitely a character that you will want to know because of that initial first impression. As we begin to learn what happens, the plot becomes more intricate and revealing. We learn more about her personal life, social and family life that play a major role in processing her trauma and how it plays into her current situation. This is definitely a slow burn to the finish line but patience is something that will be worth it because the ending is not what you probably expect it will be. 

The way she writes just places you where you need to be and you get the information that you need to know. The detail to the culture and sensitivity to the familial aspects really brought some depth and emotion to the book. The intensity of the story as she regains her memory ignites the curiosity in the plot to want to get to the end. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book. My only issue is with the ending. I loved the resolution but I wish it was a little different. It deserved more of a bang than what happened. I don’t want to spoil it because I want those who haven’t read it to make their own mind about it. Wonderful debut and I’m looking forward to what’s next.

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Review: Cinder-Nanny by Sariah Wilson

Sariah Wilson is back with a fun, sweet romance called Cinder-Nanny. It's a modern twist that favors the sentiments of Cinderella. You will laugh, be swooned and actually be rewarded with a HEA that actually makes your heart smile.

Diana Parker hasn’t had the greatest life. One thing for sure is how much she loves her sister, Alice. With mounting medical bills haltering her care, Diana was presented an opportunity that would be a win-win for her and her sister. She came across a job for a Nanny that had these crazy requirements but paid the amount that would solve all their problems and would be in beautiful Aspen. With her desperation to do anything to help her sister get better and the pressing thoughts of her actions reminding her of their mother, Diana decides to take the job. Fake it till you make it right?

While her sister expresses her concerns, she comes across some interesting news that one of her favorite Royals will be rumored to be there. Nothing would bring her more delight than to have her sister find her Prince Charming. The last thing on her mind is meeting someone. All her focus is to be on the task at hand and all that she will have to do to get through this job and do what she needs to do.

As time goes on and all seems to be going good, she is surprised one evening when she stumbles upon a handsome stranger with a voice that just melts you within. Fate must have been waiting on her because the charming Griffin Windsor was at the right place at the right time. As with the fairy tale, could he be the Prince she didn’t know she was looking for?

As time goes by and their friendship grows closer, Diana feels burdened by the secrets of her past and present. As Griffin is slowly falling for Diana, and her heart is weighed by her past and her current situation, if he knew the truth, would there be a chance for a happily ever after?

There are no words that can describe how much I loved this book. From the start, you know this type of trope with the Prince and Cinderella finding each and how it will end. Yes, in the majority of plots yest but this one wasn’t it. It had a flawed twist that made you want to root for them so much more. They each had obstacles going against them but they were meant to mended by fate. It’s all the goodness in between that we get wooed into that matters and this was no different. Everything about these two hand me so invested that I didn’t want to put the book down. 

Cinder-Nanny is charming, funny and will have you hooked from the start. There was never a dull moment and I found myself not wanting it to end. Everything about the characters, the plot, the hea all worked seamlessly to bring together a book that would be so fun to kick off your summer. This right now is probably my favorite from Sariah so far and if you haven’t read any of her books then I strongly encourage you to back read. Add this one to your reading list this summer.

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Review: Twisted Lies by Ana Huang

He'll do anything to have her...including lie.

Charming, deadly, and smart enough to hide it, Christian Harper is a monster dressed in the perfectly tailored suits of a gentleman.

He has little use for morals and even less use for love, but he can’t deny the strange pull he feels toward the woman living just one floor below him.

She’s the object of his darkest desires, the only puzzle he can’t solve. And when the opportunity to get closer to her arises, he breaks his own rules to offer her a deal she can’t refuse.

Every monster has their weakness. She’s his.

His obsession.

His addiction.

His only exception.

**

Sweet, shy, and introverted despite her social media fame, Stella Alonso is a romantic who keeps her heart in a cage.

Between her two jobs, she has little time or desire for a relationship.

But when a threat from her past drives her into the arms—and house—of the most dangerous man she’s ever met, she’s tempted to let herself feel something for the first time in a long time.

Because despite Christian’s cold nature, he makes her feel everything when she’s with him.

Passionate.

Protected.

Truly wanted.

Theirs is a love twisted with secrets and tainted by lies…and when the truths are finally revealed, they could shatter everything.

Twisted Hate is the fourth and final book of the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone. –

Review

I’ll admit I haven’t read the first three books in the Twisted series; however, tiktok can’t say enough about them. And when I say snippets of a singular Christian and Stella interaction in one of the books posted everywhere I instantly knew that I had to read this story.

I tried to keep my expectations reasonable with this one. And I think that was for the best. The first part of this book had me hooked. There is something magnetic about Stella and Christian. I couldn’t put the book down.

Stella is a literally ball of sunshine who is a social media influencer. In order to build her brand, she decides that she needs a fake boyfriend. Enter Christian—the owner of the apartment building and rich businessman.  Christian is dark, and quiet who basically only likes one person. And that’s her. He becomes boy obsessed so quick and it’s so fantastic to read about. Like he would literally do anything for her.

It was a great idea to put these two characters together. Because a smile rarely left my face, and they were perfect together. I really liked the fake dating social media thing they had going. And I wish the author would have shown more moments of them acting out that part. However, I’m still satisfied with what was given in that aspect.

Okay, so I knew this was going to be a somewhat dark read. The stalker storyline had been revealed prior. The biggest issues I had with the book were the climax and the big reveals. They felt like a major let down and I was expecting something different.

Final Analysis

Twisted Lies has amazing romantic leads that steal the show and still thrive once the plot gets anticlimactic at the end. 

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Review: Fake Empire by C.W. Farnsworth

A standalone, steamy, arranged marriage romance.

There’s rich.

Then there’s the Ellsworth family. The Kensingtons. American royalty.

Money buys power, and power always has a price. The fear of those who already possess both? Losing it. The best way to ensure keeping it? Alliances. And elites don’t marry down—they marry equal.

For Scarlett Ellsworth and Crew Kensington, that leaves one option: each other. Accepting that inevitability is very different from embracing it. That’s the only thing they agree upon.

It was meant to be a union for better and for business.

Instead, it challenges everything Scarlett and Crew thought they knew about themselves, their families, and most of all…each other. ---

Review

I really enjoyed Fake Empire; it felt like the book was specifically made with me in mind. It’s a book that includes a modern arranged marriage storyline between two of New York’s elite families. I love rich people drama. And this was that but so much more. 

Since Crew and Scarlett have been teenagers, they have known that in the future they would have to get married. And now ten years later, that day has come. To say that they both are not excited about it, is an understatement. The two of them don’t like each other at all; however, this is a done deal.

Scarlett was ambitious and didn’t need her family’s money to build her fashion magazine. She reminded me a lot of one of my all-time favorite book characters. Both of them are perceived as cold and have trouble expressing their emotions. All through Crew was great--- a charismatic playball, I think that Scarlett really stole the show. She was a fantastic character, and dare I say maybe a top ten female book character for me. I really enjoyed her slowly opening to Crew and facing her fears. Also, she was much more successful than him.

Crew and Scarlett were made for each other, and despite how much they really tried to avoid it they really came together in the end. It was a natural progression of them, and I enjoyed them.

As much as I loved this book, I really wish that instead of small time jumps the book might should have been longer. Maybe that’s me selfishly wanting more. But I would have read 800 pages of these two.

Final Thoughts

Fake Empire was a wonderful addition to the arranged marriage catalog. Crew and Scarlett might have been forced to marry each other; however, the chemistry was there and there was no doubt that they two characters should end up together. 

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