Review: Overtime by Maggie Rawdon

About the Book

Colton St. George is the league’s star quarterback, the most eligible bachelor in the country, and the poster boy for “nice guy”.

Everyone wants a piece of him.

Including me—because I need him in front of my camera to raise money for charity.

There’s just one problem.

Before he was famous, I took his already broken heart and shattered it.

So he only agrees to do the photos on one condition—I go first. In his home, at his discretion.

And in private? He isn’t quite the good guy I remember.

Before I know what's happening we're unraveling in a game of favors and bets. One I’m not sure either of us can win

Review

Second chance romances are normally misses for me more likely than not. However, Overtime quickly became one of my favorite sports romances of this year. There was just something so perfect about the dynamic between Colton and Joss. They were just so good, and I enjoyed their banter and their reluctance to restart their relationship. I was obsessed with them both. Star quarterback and famous photographer.

This book is a part of an interconnected series; however, I did read it as a standalone. And unfortunately, I feel that that did hinder my reading experience a little bit. I can only blame myself. There were a lot of characters popping in and I couldn’t remember who was with who. Those characters were main characters in the previous books, and if I had read them then I would have known what happened. Again, I can only blame myself.

I do feel that this book missed several opportunities to explore and expand Joss and Colt’s history. While reading, I was expecting a chapter of flashbacks to show what exactly happened, but it never came. Maybe their past had been fully explored in other books; however, I still would have loved it to be in their POV.

Final Thoughts

I really did love Overtime, and most of my complaints are due to me. As great as Joss and Colt were, I wanted more. More in terms of what exactly happened all those years go. The author did mention what happened but I wanted the experience of reading it and experiencing that emotion.

Review: The Summer of Second Chances by Miranda Liasson

To my sadness, the end of another wonderful series. The Summer of Second Chances by Miranda Liasson concludes our journey with the Seashell Harbor series.

In this book, the focus is on Darla and NIck. With their past history together, they’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. With her cancer behind her, Darla returns to Seashell Harbor to tie up some loose ends before beginning the next chapter in her life starting in the upcoming fall. With a book deadline approaching, a secured teaching position across the country and beginning the process to sell her home, she definitely has her plate full. The last thing she ever expected was for her ex-husband to interfere with the trajectory of her life plan or ignite a spark inspiring unresolved feelings and nostalgia.

Nick isn’t the same person he once was. Once young and immature, he’s changed and wants a better life. He’s taking on more responsibility with his family’s business and going to school to get his education to build a better future. One thing for sure that he’s known for infinity is something that has never changed, his big heart for Darla. Taking on the task to do some repairs on her home, he finds himself spending more time with her trying to show how much he truly cares and how much he’s changed. He foolishly gave up before but is determined to do anything not to make the same mistake twice. 

As they say, home is where the heart is and as their summer blossoms a new beginning, will this opportunity of a second chance be enough for Darla to embrace?

Overall, this book with Darla and Nick showed how time can heal old wounds. If you allow your heart to open, love can find its way back stronger for longevity. Darla is a strong, independent woman who deserves to be loved. When you experience the pain she did in her life, it's hard to open your heart again, let alone to the one person who broke it. So, what I loved is how their experiences in life changed them but she allowed him to show her which slowly opened her heart to allow the possibility of a second chance. Sometimes we find the right people at the wrong time. If we’re lucky, the right time will be on time.

Also, the book wrapped up the series wonderfully with some amazing exciting news happening with Hadley and Kit. Their beautiful friendship and love for each other warmed the pages and the joy of strolling through this small town just was a joy to escape into. Their journey of friendship, love and second chances made this another wonderful series.

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Review: Black Rainbow by J.J. McAvoy

About the Book

A sweet and steamy New Adult Romance from Amazon bestselling author of the Ruthless People series, J.J. McAvoy…

After an erotic one-week fling with a musician she meets in a bar, Thea Cunning never expects to see Levi Black again. Then Monday morning comes around, and she discovers that her former lover is not only her professor, but he’s also one of the top criminal lawyers in the state of Massachusetts.

With everyone in class vying to be one of the twelve disciples—a group of twelve students that Professor Black takes under his wing—tensions run high. Thea considers dropping his class, given their passionate week together and their undeniable chemistry. After all, there are other (less infuriatingly sexy) law professors on campus.

But to accomplish her goal and get her father out of prison, Thea knows she needs to learn under the best of the best—and that’s Levi Black.

But can she learn under the best, without being under the best?

Review

I heard some good things about this book, and I immediately bought it. At the very least, I was expecting Black Rainbow to have a good and easy story. And it was delivered. This was an easy and fast read. Despite being a story about lawyers, the jargon was easy to follow, and it didn’t seem overwhelming.

I think one of my favorite things about this book was that they were lawyers. It was so entertaining to see Thea and Levi work on cases together, and try to solve it. And I especially loved how Levi tended to be ruthless in class, and it reminded me of How to Get Away with Murder. Only slightly. If I closed one eye. Regardless, I loved all the students trying to be the student for him. I could read an entire series on that alone.

I loved Thea as a main character, and I loved how she thrived to stay on top, and everything she did to stay on top. She was at Harvard for a reason, and she wasn’t going to let anything slow her down. And Levi and Thea were great. I loved them together, and I loved how their past scenes were woven in the present. I love a good forbidden romance trope, and I especially love all the sneaking around the couple has to do. Unfortunately, this romance doesn’t fully dive into the sneaking around and stolen kisses, but for what I got I was still giggling and smiling and having a good time.

For me, as much as I loved how simple the writing was, I do think at times, the story was hurt with how simple it was. Especially with the relationship between Thea and her younger sister. I didn’t really feel the impact of it, and I didn’t have an emotional connection to it. Descriptions were lost, and it felt like information was presented and not really explained with actions or emotions sometimes.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Black Rainbow, and the couple—Levi and Thea, were such a captivating couple. And because of the moments that really stood out to me, I could see this being a book that I reread from time to time. It does have some flaws, however, they can be overlooked to enjoy this story.

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Review: Rewrite Our Story by Kat Singleton

Cade Jennings was always there for me when I needed him—until he wasn’t.

I’d spent my entire life loving my best friend’s older brother. Every single one of my birthday wishes was spent hoping Cade would finally notice me.

And then one day, he did.

But not all love stories have happy endings.

It's been years since I left the small town of Sutten Mountain devastated and heartbroken. I’d used the pain to fuel a bestselling novel that solidified I’d never have to return.

Until tragedy struck, forcing me to face the man who shattered my heart.

I thought I’d be strong enough to see him again. I didn’t expect the angry, broken man staring back at me.

But the more time we spend around each other, the more I see glimpses of the man I fell in love with. His touch still owns me. His kiss still brands me. And even after all this time, the feelings I have for him still consume me.

Cade and I are unfinished business, and this time, he’s not letting me leave until we rewrite our story.

Review

Rewrite Our Story is one of those books that the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I did enjoy it. For the beginning, I knew this wasn’t going to be my favorite by the author. I had initially tried to read this book in May, but stopped because I couldn’t get into it. Recently, I had to just go for it and focus myself to sit down and read it. Was it painful? No, it caught my attention as I read it.

And at times, I found myself enjoying it. I really enjoyed the flashbacks between Cade and Marigold. At times they were easier to read because the present was just so sad, and they were not on speaking terms. I liked how even since they were children, he had always been someone who she can count on. And I was eager to learn what drifted them apart.

Their big “fight” was something I’m sure a lot of couples had. However, what rubbed me the wrong way was Cade constantly blaming Marigold for how it ended. She showed him and told him how he felt, and he pushed her away. And blamed her for walking away. It irked me, and it made me dislike him several times throughout the story. He does get better towards the end of the book, but it doesn’t completely save the couple for me. In fact, I was much more interested in seeing Cade’s younger sister’s romance play out. Her and her love interest meet in this book and in their few scenes together they completely stole the show. I can’t wait until September to get their book.

Final Thoughts

Rewrite Our Story was fine. I feel that is the only way to describe it with my constant back and forth. With the MMC’s constantly annoying need to blame the FMC for something he did, I think that left the biggest bad taste in my mouth. 

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Review: A Hundred Days Till Tomorrow by L. S. Case

There’s a line in the book that resonates and speaks volume. Within the course of the book, there’s a line that is summed up to, “God looks down the road and places people where they need to be.” We often hear that sentiment about how people are placed in our lives for a reason. For many, this book not only gives life into that but what a beautiful story to get swept into. A Hundred Days Till Tomorrow takes us on a journey where the past and present reconcile for a new beginning of love life and hope.

Miranda Blair has a tough upbringing. Having a mother that loved her, the departure of her father left a debilitating imprint that included having an estranged relationship with grandmother. Upon her passing, Miranda was named her sole heir. To fulfill her obligation of the inheritance, she must stay 100 days at her New England cottage. Reluctant, she agrees despite her resistance to confronting a past she has so desperately tried to run away from.

After arriving in Cobbler’s Hill, her grandmother’s home isn’t the only thing that could be repaired. If these walls could talk, they brought a past that held answers to questions that needed answers. Going into this with the mindset to just get it over with and not open herself or her heart, little did she know how two people placed where they needed to be would have the key to unlock her guarded heart.

This is one of the books that just wraps your heart and makes it smile. The charming coastal town will just sweep you away with its charm and lovable and relatable characters. The takeaway from Miranda’s journey is so beautiful and the fade of the dark in her life inspires hope, love and a second chance at life. The best part was the invaluable wisdom and confidence she gained from her evolving relationship with Jake, his gram and the blended messages from her deceased grandmother that inspired her to live made such an endearing book.

This is my first book that I read from this author and look forward to another sweet, charming read in the future.

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Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Summary

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

Review

Out of the one other Ali Hazelwood book that I have read I can with great confidence say that this one is my favorite. And I can also with the same amount of confidence say that this book is one of my favorites of the year. I wholeheartedly enjoyed Love, Theoretically. I feel as if I’m five seconds from shouting it in the middle of the street.

Did I understand all the physicist conversations and explanations? Absolutely not. I’m not even going to pretend that my brain even processed them, they went over my head. However, that did not hinder my reading experience. I still had a great time. Ali Hazelwood has crafted an addicting love story between Jack and Elsie, and I was hooked.

Very early on readers learn that Elsie is fake dating Jack’s brother and Jack has been acting a little weird towards her every time she is around him. Elsie believes that it’s because he suspects that she’s a fraud. As the book continues, and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that her assumptions about him are wrong.

One of my favorite things about this book were the interactions between Elsie and Jack. Some of them were completely ordinary and normal things that people do in relationships, but I got so giddy because I loved seeing the progression of their relationship and how they built trust with each other. And I will say, I will happily read six hundred pages of them doing nothing but loving each other. Ali Hazelwood, give me a sequel, please? There doesn’t need to be a plot!

Another thing I really enjoyed was Elsie coming into her own. She’s been a people pleaser her entire life and it was rewarding to see her stand up for herself and start to demand to be respected.

Final Thoughts

Love, Theoretically was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The main character--- Elsie, was an incredible and real character who I loved deeply. The romance was one of the best that I have read this year. I loved how patient and understanding Jack was, and how he and Elsie had this one-sided hate to lovers thing going on in the beginning. And it was beautiful to watch their relationship progress. One of the biggest issues I had with this story was the ending. I felt it to be a little rushed, and I had to read the last few pages multiple times because it felt like I was missing something. All and all, I still really enjoyed this book.

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