Review: Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs by Annie Rains

About the Book

If Lacy Shaw could have one wish, it's that the past would stay in the past. And with her high school reunion coming up, she has no intention of reliving the worst four years of her life. Especially when all she has to show for the last decade is how the shy bookworm blossomed into...the shy town librarian. Ditching the event seems the best option until a blistering hot alternative roars into Lacy's life. Perhaps riding into the reunion on the back of Paris Montgomery's motorcycle will show her classmates how much she really has changed...

While growing up as a foster kid, Paris Montgomery only felt at home in Sweetwater Springs, which is why he picked the small town to start over after his divorce. He can't afford to ruin this refuge with another doomed relationship - especially one with a woman who is his total opposite. But when the town's sweet librarian offers to help him reconnect with his foster dad, he finds they have more in common than he thought. Both are about to discover that home is where the heart is.

Review

Kiss Me In Sweetwater Springs is a charming novella connected to the Sweetwater Springs series that will make you feel good. If you haven't already read the books in the series, this gives a glimpse into this sweet small town that I know you will love.

This is a short read but a fulfilling one. You can't help but fall in love Lacy and Paris. I love how they both had tough backgrounds that hurt them but they both found each other at the right place and the right time in their lives which makes you want to root for them. It was so much goodness in a small package that it would've been nice to spend more time with them but I believe their story was told as it should be. The best reward was their journey getting to their hea which no two people deserved it more.

Without giving too much away, I always love the familial and friendship supporting characters with stories such as this. It pulls on the emotion and makes you feel invited into their lives. Overall, they all brought together a heartwarming story that will make you smile.

If you haven't come across this series, make sure you check it out. If this is your first time being introduced to Annie Rains, please check out her other books because if you love charming small town romance stories, you will love her books.

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Review: The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains

About the Book

This summer, they’ll learn that home is where the heart is.

Somerset Lake is the perfect place for Trisha Langly and her son to start over. As the new manager for the Somerset Cottages, Trisha is instantly charmed by the property’s elderly residents and her firecracker of a new boss, Vi Fletcher. But Trisha is less enchanted by Vi’s protective grandson Jake. No matter how tempting she finds the handsome lawyer, Trisha knows that if Jake discovers the truth about her past, she’ll lose the new life she’s worked so hard to build. 

Jake Fletcher left Somerset Lake after a tragic loss, but he’s returning for the summer to care for his beloved grandmother, hoping Vi will sell the run-down cottages and finally slow down. There’s just one problem: Trisha, Vi’s new employee. She’s smart, beautiful, and kind, but Jake’s job is to protect his grandmother’s interests, and his gut is telling him Trisha’s hiding something that could jeopardize Vi’s future. However, as they spend summer days renovating the property and bonding over their love for the town, Jake realizes that Trisha is a risk worth taking—if only she can trust him with her secrets . . . and her heart. 

Review

The Summer Cottage, is the first book of four in the Somerset Lake series. After the book, we’re given a glimpse into the second book, The Christmas Village and the novella, Kiss Me in Sweetwater Springs. 

There’s something special about characters who have been heart broken by life that deserve and get a second chance. Somerset Lake is one of those places that embodies what you want home to feel like. Trisha, a single mother after the debacle with her ex husband, getting a second chance at life, really grabs the heart. Starting over isn’t easy and raising a child under the ominous cloud of the past can be difficult but seeing her work hard and not give up makes you want to root for her. She is a likable character that deserves a chance to have a great life for herself and Petey. Petey, her son was so adorable and such a lovable character. His big heart just shines through.He’s inquisitive and charismatic. Hopefully we will see them again in the upcoming books. 

Jake, you can’t help but fall in love with him. He has such a big heart that deserves to be loved. The love he has for his grandmother is pure bliss. The sentimentality of her life experience with his desire of obligation to her pulls at the heart. I loved the relationship and bond he had with her. The wisdom and influence of his grandmother on his life makes me reminisce about my own grandparents. The joy of how fate found him and didn’t want to let go gave us something to root for him in the book. His and Trisha’s journey unfolding had the right balance that was emotional, heartwarming and pulls in the right places.

The supporting characters were enjoyable to read as well. The residents of Somerset Lake with their quirks and charm brought some fun and sass. Many friendships including the book club girls with Trisha, made you want to be part of the gang. It would be nice to see these folks again in the series. They truly represented the heart of the community.

Overall, this was a wonderful introduction to the series and I look forward to discovering what’s to come in Somerset Lake. If you haven’t already read this, this would be a wonderful series to read through. 

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Review: Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

About the Book

A FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA...

Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl?
You don't.
My fairy tale is upside down.A happily never after.
I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.
I was a fool, and his love - fool's gold.
Now there's a new player in the game, August West.
One of the NBA's brightest stars.
Fine. Forbidden.
He wants me. I want him.
But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won't let me go

*Contains intimate partner violence not involving the hero. Read reviews for further guidance.

Review

Wow. Just wow. I finished this story with tears in my eyes and even after a few days I find myself thinking about this story. Apparently, I have read this story before. I had a purchased copy on my Kindle; however, I don’t remember it. And it didn’t impact me as much as it did this time. I cried so many times.

Long Shot was a book that pulled all the emotions out of me. I felt anger. Blurred vision anger. I felt fear. And eventually, there was joy. This is a tough story to read. Before reading everyone should check the trigger warnings.

There are so many layers to this book, and I don’t have the words to describe it. I can only keep repeating hat it’s an emotional experience and the author dares to take daring risks that many authors might not do. It’s clear this story was created with the intention to enlighten individuals and such care within to accurately portraying characters and how the story should go.

Iris is an incredible character, and her personal growth throughout the story gave me chills. She’s so incredible strong, and I adored her from the first interaction. She’s so wide eye and full of life when we are introduced to her. Her and August’s chemistry is off the charts. But there is a problem. She had a boyfriend. And she turns August down at first. And her boyfriend isn’t the sweet boy as he’s portrayed to be. It gets so much worse—slowly; while August is living his dreams of playing for the NBA. Somehow their paths always cross, but they can’t act on their feelings. But they still hold this amazing chemistry and friendship. August is amazing, consistent and patience, and everything that Iris needs. This is a story about growth that just so happens to feature a romance, so the romance does take time.

I really enjoyed Iris and her cousin, Lotus’s, friendship in this book. It’s rocky at times, and they have instances of being jealous of each other, but when they need one another, they drop everything and come running. It’s unconditional love.

Final Thoughts

Long Shot is a brutal, gut wrecking, emotional story. It’s not just a romance. Calling it a romance only would be a disservice. It’s a story about surviving and the ugly and terrifying nature of life. And despite that, there are still beautiful, scared, and loyal things in this world waiting and giving us hope. 

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Review: The Brazen (Calamity Montana) by Willa Nash

About the Book

Kerrigan Hale’s personal life is about as exciting as a bucket of tar. With hard work and hustle as her steadfast companions, who needs romance or adventure? Her empire in Calamity, Montana, isn’t going to build itself.

For years, her mentor—and investor—helped make her dreams come true. Until his unexpected death put her fate in his grandson’s hands. A brazen billionaire, he seems intent on ruining Kerrigan’s life.

But if Pierce Sullivan thinks she’ll go down without a fight, he’s sorely mistaken. Pushed to the extreme, she drives to his ritzy mountain lodge to force the arrogant You Can Call Me Mr. Sullivan to hear her out.

No sooner does she arrive than a snowstorm traps her with Pierce. Stranded together for days, she’s in for the battle of her life. Pierce is nearly irresistible by candlelight. Without his suits and fancy cars, he’s almost human.

Except only a fool would let down her guard. And Kerrigan can’t risk her future. Not when she doesn’t know if he’s out to pilfer her dreams . . . or to steal her heart.

Review

This book had a solid start. I was genuinely enjoying the hate relationship between Kerrigan and Pierce, and their desire to stop this instant attraction they had together. Kerrigan because Pierce had come to town to collect a debt that she couldn’t pay. Kerrigan had a business relationship with Pierce’s grandfather before he had passed. Pierce’s complicated relationship with his grandfather, and his assumptions about Kerrigan and his grandfather’s relationship is what fuels his desire to not want to pursue his attraction.

My interest in their story started to decrease towards the middle of the story. Kerrigan and Pierce are trapped in because of a snowstorm and their feeling towards each other quickly change. To quick for my liking, they are no longer enemies and they do a complete 180. Then enter the dramatic twist. Kerrigan and Pierce are separate for months, without contact with each other. It started getting harder to continue this story.

Although I enjoyed Kerrigan and Pierce in the beginning, a lot of their development started to lean on situations that happened off screen. And their story was riddled with annoying tiny time jumps. I would much rather their progression feel natural, and Kerrigan’s forgiveness towards Pierce be slowly earned.  

Final Thoughts

The Blazen starts off with a strong hate connection between Kerrigan and Pierce, unfortunately, the book is too afraid to have the main characters hating one another, and forces them to switch their feelings too soon.  

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Review: Sycamore Circle by Shelley Shepard Gray

With a busy life as a single mother, Joy Howard has her plate full. With an active teenager, working as a literacy tutor and painter to survive, romance is not even something she has time for. As they say, people come into your life for a reason. Love can come when you’re not looking.

One thing that Bo Beauman wasn’t in the market for was a girlfriend. However, when a breath of fresh air caught his attention and shined brighter than the son, he caught a glimpse of the possibility of letting someone into his complicated life. On the road to changing his life, being a counselor to fellow ex-cons and working to create a stable life, he is looking to go forward rather than backwards. Taking a chance, they both hit it off and despite their obvious differences, gives him a purpose and hope to look forward to. 

As their interests grow, Joys starts to get random texts and phone calls from unknown callers. Uncertain who to trust, she struggles to cope with the situation and finds herself cautiously leaning towards Bo. As things escalate and the truth is uncovered, the boundaries of their potential relationship get pushed to define the possibilities that seemed like a limited future. 

Sycamore Circle is the anticipated follow up to the initial book in The Rumors in Ross County series. Honestly, this is a tough one for me. I’m new to the series and wonder if reading the preceding book would have influenced my thoughts. This book not only introduced me to the author but this sequel comes anticipated from the first book. My issue isn’t with the plot of the book. As I was reading the book, I was waiting for that moment that just demanded an emotional investment. It just wasn’t there for me. I felt neutral but interested to see where it would take me. I loved the characters in the book and their storylines but I wish there had been more. 

Bo and Joy were complicated and frustrating. Two different people that were destined to be together, I wish their relationship could’ve been more definitive and fleshed out. I wanted to fall in love with the redeemed man who deserved to prove he could love and be loved. The love/hate relationship with certain members of his family and when he had that call and request from his brother, I was so invested to see how that would play out because what they thought played a huge role in how he felt about himself. We saw how that was affected by his interest with Joy. If he would’ve gotten that moment alone with his brother, and got the acceptance that he was a changed man, that confidence would’ve transformed his insecurity of his self worth.

The transition of their situation is where I was stuck. I loved the two broken people coming together. I just wish there was a more cohesive emotional continuity to them. Yes, they had issues and trust problems that built and led them where they had to go but what were they? I get where some things can be inferred but their conflicted status between friends, wanting to date, and acquaintances is what disconnected me from wanting to love them. This perspective would've made this page turning for me. 

The suspense element of the book was well played. I would’ve never expected that plot twist and that brought some excitement for me. I will say that part of the book to the end piqued my interest more with resolution with the epilogue. 

Despite my thoughts, I’m going to go back and read book one and anticipate book three if there shall be to see if I feel differently. From reading how other readers felt about this book, they overwhelmingly loved it so I will definitely keep an open mind. If you are a fan of this series, I encourage you to check it out to see what it’s about because it has a good plot and for continuity with the series. 

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Review: Come What Maybe by Kerri Carpenter

For some, life doesn’t always go as planned. People like Lauren Wallace, who plan every aspect of their lives, came back to Seaside Cove for a reason. She wasn’t looking for romance but found out quickly that no matter how many lists, plans or vision boards can prepare you for when life takes you on a detour, some rules were made to be broken.

Lauren Wallace is fiercely independent. As a social media strategist, she is a planner. Her life is composed of lists, excel sheets and vision boards. Coming back to Seaside Cove temporarily, armed with a mission to help her sis get her life back on a track was her top priority. Trying to take everything in, before she can even take a breath of the beautiful scenery, the presence of her strong-willed grandmother is making her question everything of her existence. Needing a place to collect her thoughts, she heads straight to the place her grandmother told her not to go. Well, it’s 5 o'clock somewhere and it goes downhill from there.

Alright, downhill might be exaggerating but it all depends on what perspective you look at. I’m just going to mark this moment as the catalyst for the detour of Lauren’s current life plan. As she tries to take the edge off her return, she heads down to the local bar and runs into her high school frenemy, Ethan Allister. Being Seaside Cove is a small town, where everyone knows your business, their encounter sparks the gossip mill when they have a high school reunion that they will never forget. 

As they hang out more and give the town something to talk about, their situationship reveals a secret that just throws her world upside down. Trying to lay low, fearing how her grandmother will react, she leans on her sisters to keep things under wrap until the right moment. With all that sneaking around, an unexpected moment with her grandmother brings news about the past that will change her future.

I really loved this book. I love the first books that make you really excited about the rest of the series. This was the first book in her new romantic comedy series, Seaside Cove. There’s always something special with these books set in New England. There’s a certain vibe and the setting just makes you not want to leave. 

I don’t know what had me doubling over more laughing, the golden girls and men at the bar or the grandmother. Her grandmother’s wit and quick comebacks were hilarious. There were so many wonderful parts to this book that just keeps you equally invested. You have Lauren and Ethan which was such a rollercoaster. The relationship between the sisters, your typical sibling stuff but the loving moments were sweet. The relationship with the grandmother comes off prickly but the big life moments and revelations really grab your heart. 

I can’t wait to see who’s next because all the ladies deserve to have their hea, especially their grandmother. There’s so much of their story that I would love to dive into. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see who’s next. I’m recommending adding this one to your tbr series list.

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