Review – To Reject a Mate by Poppy Ireland

To Reject a Mate; Redwood University #1
(#1 within a series)

Publication Date: February 2, 2023

Genre/Tropes: New Adult/Paranormal/Fated Mates/Shifter Romance

Author: Poppy Ireland

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:
A great beginning to a new fantastical world! This trilogy brings all the feels and made my reading soul giddy with all of the paranormal factions that pop up. I am stuffed full with how freakishly fantastic this supernatural world is!!!

Redwood University is mixed with all the new adult hormones and finding yourself that college typically brings, along with the challenges that mixing vamps, shifters, witches, and humans might also bring. For instance; it’s a stew of hormonally charged young adults just trying to earn a degree, but with all the challenges of fitting in to sorortity life…oh by the way they are sectioned off by supernatural power, which none of the humans know about. OR, Do you actually like that guy or is it a spell? Is that guy attractive or could a vamp possibly enthralled you? Why are you constantly giving directions into town? LOL, the creation of this world is brilliant and I loved everything about it.

Nicole didn’t really want to attend Redwood, but her father got a job there which meant free tuition. That’s hard to pass up. However, she was going to make the most of it, until things went downhill…like gaining the attention of one of the most popular guy on campus. That wasn’t her intent, she wasn’t at school to date, but Alexei wouldn’t seem to stay away. He couldn’t help himself, Nicole was his mate, his human mate. He didn’t want the bond, but the fates chose her, but until he could figure it out, he had to stay away…somehow.

This book was filled with angst, fun – oh my goodness the secondary characters are hilarious, suspense, and an element of mystery. For a new duo of writers, this book is just brilliant, a truly great beginning and I can’t wait to return for more.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Redwood University, where the creatures that go bump in the night really do exist… and they’re hiding in plain sight.

Attending a small college in the middle of nowhere was never my plan, but when I was offered free tuition and the promise of an excellent education, that plan changed.

It would’ve been nice to know I would be one of the only humans on campus.

It’d be even better if a certain bossy shifter didn’t claim me as his fated mate.

Alexei is arrogant, acrimonious, and the worst A-word of them all: an alpha.

But I can’t deny the way my body responds to him. No matter how many warning flags are waving around in my head, we gravitate toward one another. It’s primal. Passionate.

Painful.

Because regardless of what the fates think, or the supposed destiny we share… Alexei and I could never be.

So, if Alexei won’t reject our bond… I’ll have to do it for him.

*To Reject a Mate is the first book in the Redwood University Trilogy. It cannot be read as a standalone and ends in a cliffhanger. If possessive heroes, who occasionally turn into wolves, and sassy, headstrong heroines are your jam, you’ve come to the right place. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride into this exciting new paranormal world.

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Review – 10 Signs You Need to Grovel by Kelly Siskind

10 Signs You Need to Grovel; Bower Boys #2
(Interconnected standalone within a series)

Publication Date: January 30, 2023

Genre/Tropes: Second Chance/Small Town Romance

Author: Kelly Siskind

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:
I love these Bower boys and I totally love the concept of second chances at life after being hidden away by the witness protection program. Like the question of; do you keep living the new life you were given by the government or do you reclaim your old one? Then if you do take back your old life, how do you even begin to explain where you’ve been and how you left? This is the second book in this series and can be read as a standalone, but I think it was enjoyable knowing the background and Bower family from the first.

For Desmond Bower, he had a bright future ahead of him and the girl of his dreams on his arms. The night his life was turned upside down was originally the night he was going to ask Sadie to marry him, but he decided to wait…unfortunately he never got another chance or even got a chance to explain why he and his family disappeared. Desmond was gone for ten years and it isn’t until they are released from the program that he discovers that he has a son and once again Desmond’s life is turned upside down, but for entirely different reasons. This time he won’t leave her side, or at least his son’s and if there is a chance with his first love, he won’t wait to tell Sadie how he feels.

Desmond took a dive off the deep end when his life imploded. He made a lot of mistakes when he basically thought it was over, but I adored reading his personal growth from the Bower blacksheep to the sweet family man he was under all the badly done tattoos. He always put his son first, and I can’t tell you how many times I teared up during their father-son conversations, and Sadie was a very close second. He was a giant marshmallow under his tough looking exterior and I loved that duality about him.

This book is told entirely from Desmond’s POV which is fun getting completely into all of his thoughts and while I suppose it could be frustrating not knowing what exactly Sadie is thinking, I think Kelly did a great job through Sadie’s actions and emotions to let us know what Sadie was thinking.

I’m looking forward to the next brother as he takes back his life and what obstacles he will face stepping back into the life he left. This series is so good.

Synopsis:
A grumpy bartender learns he’s a dad in Kelly Siskind’s latest Bower Boys romance full of second chances, small-town charm, and steamy, slow-burn heat.

For the last ten years, I’ve been living a lie in witness protection. But the drug cartel that put me there isn’t a threat anymore, so I can have my life back. I should be thrilled, right?

Wrong.

The last thing I want to do is go back home and show everyone how far I’ve fallen. I’m not the high-powered lawyer they all expect me to be. I’m just a guy who slings drinks and scowls at the world.

But then I hear about Max, my ex’s ten-year-old son. My ten-year-old son.

I have to go back now. Figure out how to be a dad. Face the love of my life. Make things right with Sadie and earn her trust. Will she have me—or is it too late to reinvent myself as the man she once loved?

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Review – Make a Wish by Helena Hunting

Make a Wish; Spark House #3
(standalone within an interconnected series)

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Genre/Tropes: Age Gap/Single Dad/Second Chance at Love Romance

Author: Helen Hunting

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:
The beginning of the book sucked me in. The single/widowed dad part of the story was instantly heartbreaking and I loved how caring Harper was, but as the story continued I struggled to continue my excitement, until the very end when the waterworks happened. All of the struggle was totally worthwhile.

Gavin’s MIL, frankly I wanted to strangle her and it wasn’t just her that was blindly awful, it was also how Gavin shut down and allowed his MIL to walk all over Harper. While I can understand how Gavin’s guilt and grief over losing his wife weighed on his shoulders, it was also stunting his ability to move forward and living his life. It was also keeping him from telling his MIL off when she was blatantly meddling in his personal life.

Gavin’s daughter, Peyton, is adorable and super sweet and most of the reason to read this wonderful tale. The relationship between father and daughter is special, but the relationship between Harper and Peyton is magical. Harper was attending school for an education degree when she was a nanny for Peyton and she just has that spark when it comes to engaging with children. However, it wasn’t long after Gavin left years ago that Harper was pulled into her family’s business and her degree was put on hold, but with the Spark House making big changes and Harper’s role in flux she isn’t exactly sure what her future will hold. Her uncertainty in her career and in her personal life seems to be tied together once again with Gavin’s reappearance in her life, but that is just a coincidence, but it does respark her desire to seek out more and I love that Harper begins to find her passion again.

Even if this book had its moments where I wanted to smack both Gavin and Harper into action, getting to the end where the tears fell, that made it all worthwhile.

Synopsis:
With her signature charm and sense of humor, bestselling author Helena Hunting creates a novel about love, family, and second chances in Make a Wish.

Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again.

Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can’t help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it’s clear she’s not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious error all those years ago.

Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton’s sake, of course. It’s the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future…

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Blog Tour – Forbidden by Tia Louise

FORBIDDEN by Tia Louise is now live!

 

FORBIDDEN
By Tia Louise

I have one job: Get close and take him out. The only problem is, I want him more.

I was barely five when I lost my brother; seven when my father was murdered.
Overnight, I was taken by my mysterious uncle, grafted into a world of crime I didn’t understand and couldn’t escape.

The first ten years, I did my best to blend in.
The next four, I reinvented myself, growing stronger, searching for answers. 
Now I have one assignment—take down the man who knows our secrets. 

Professor Dirk Winston is my target, and I’m expected to be a good soldier, disguised as a good student.
Only he’s not the passive bookworm I expect. 
He’s ripped muscles, bedroom eyes, dirty mouth, and ready for a fight.

But I’ve got my plans of my own, and this hot teacher is going to do more than give me grades and take my panties. 
He’s going to help me get revenge.

(FORBIDDEN is a five-alarm-spicy age-gap, student-professor romance with secrets, lies, and answers to all your questions. No cheating. No cliffhanger.)

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
https://geni.us/FBDamz

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3N7h6t2

Read Kay’s Review: Forbidden

Meet Tia Louise

Tia Louise is the USA TODAY best-selling, award-winning author of super-hot and sexy romances. All her heroes are alphas with hearts of gold, and all her heroines are the smart, sassy ladies who love them.

Connect with Tia
Website | TiaLouise.com
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Text “TiaLouise” to 64600

New Release – A Brooding Bodyguard by Angela Casella

A Brooding Bodyguard, an all-new opposites attract, steamy bodyguard rom com by Angela Casella, is out now! 

It’s not easy being famous. 

Okay, you already hate me . . . can we start over?

Sinclair
I’m Sinclair Jones, best known for playing a woman ten years younger than me on TV. Or at least I was until I quit my job and moved to Asheville.

I came here to find myself. Instead, I tried—and failed—at a bunch of hobbies before landing a gig I don’t suck at: being the fake girlfriend of a reality TV outdoorsman. Our arrangement is great for my image—and his—but there’s been an unwanted side-effect.

I have a stalker, and he’s escalating.

Luckily, the Fairy Godmother Agency, a husband and wife P.I. team, have signed on to help me find my stalker. Unluckily, everyone has insisted I hire a bodyguard.

Rafe is obnoxious and opinionated, and he calls me Clay because I once threw a clay phallus at him. (Yes, literally.) I don’t want his help, and I especially don’t want this compulsion to keep checking out his arms.

Rafe
The last thing I want to do is follow around a TV starlet, but I’m in between jobs, and I have my reasons for taking this one. Still, I’m in hell, sitting in on manicures and book club meetings, and watching romcoms with a spoiled screen princess who’s surprisingly naïve for a millionaire.

But the more time I spend with Clay, the more desperate I am to protect her, because I’m falling for her charm—just like millions of other people have before me.

Get your copy today!

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3H3wF3A 

 Coming to Kindle Unlimited January 19^th 

Amazon: Amzn.to/3XvvNu0

Nook: bit.ly/3iAmIkP

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3W6aa2c 

Google Play: bit.ly/3iFA3Iw

Read Kay’s Review: A Brooding Bodyguard

About Angela Casella

ANGELA CASELLA is a romcom fanatic. Writing them, reading them, watching them—she’s greedy, and she does it all. She writes the Fairy Godmother Agency series solo, and she’s lucky enough to collaborate with Denise Grover Swank on multiple series. 

She lives in Asheville, NC. Her hobbies include herding her daughter toward less dangerous activities, the aforementioned romcom addiction, and dreaming of having someone else clean her house.

Visit her website at http://www.angelacasella.com or Angela Denise’s website at http://www.arcdgs.com.

Connect with Angela

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3gOsV5v

Website: https://www.arcasella.com/ 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zhUaQB

Instagram: https://bit.ly/35gehAA