🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 Reckless by Abby Brooks

Reckless by Abby Brooks

Release Date: January 31st 2022 by Little Bird Publishing, LLC

Series: Wildrose Landing #3

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

I thought the proposal was a joke at first. You would too, given the circumstances. Anyone would.

When my brother’s best friend asks me to marry him—right after we fell into bed together!—it’s not for love.

And it’s certainly not because he has his eyes set on a happily ever after.

Oh no.

He wants me to be the future Mrs. Malone because he’s in a bind and “kind of needs a wife.”

But I’ve been head-over-heels, stupid-in-the-brain in love with the guy since I was sixteen. SIXTEEN. 

While he’s talking about a business proposal, I’m staring at a dream come true.

Obviously, I should walk away from this crazy idea with my head held high, but when it comes to Jude, I’m weak. I always have been.

Plus, after our drunken rendezvous the night of my brother’s wedding, I’ve got some very real reasons to say yes.

I can get through this with my heart intact…can’t I? 

Amazon

My Review:

Not having read any other books by Abby Brooks before, I didn’t know what to expect before reading Reckless. Needless to say, this marriage of convenience romance did not disappoint at all.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Isabelle Prescott “Izzy,” owner of Sweet Stuff, a candy store in her small town. She is celebrating the marriage of her older brother Alex and friend Evie. As the maid of honor, Izzy gets paired up with her brother’s best friend, Jude Malone. The man she has been attracted to and in love with since she was sixteen. Over the years, Izzy has tried to put distance between them even though they share the same group of friends, in hopes of moving on one day. But that soon changes when Jude starts seeing her in a new way during the reception, they dance, kiss and end up spending the night together.

Then out of nowhere he asks her to be his wife, at first she think he is joking, but he isn’t and then she gets mad for making her seem like a joke to him. Izzy thought that whoever she married would be for love and it’s clear that Jude is not in love with her. Yet, it’s when he finally tells her why he needs a wife that Izzy finally gives in without realizing just how much her life is about to change forever. Things are suddenly not what they seem and that fantasy that she formed all those years ago with Jude might just be that and nothing else.

Jude Malone never intended to ask Izzy to marry him right after spending the night together. She deserves more than that and he knows that he messed up. But he is in need of a wife and he will do anything to erase his father’s legacy by doing good to those he hurt the most. It’s for that reason that Jude didn’t think twice about asking Izzy to help him as he has always liked her growing up. There were many reasons why they couldn’t be together back then and now his life is about to get more complicated. It’s hard for him to open up about his past, but the more time they spend together, the more he starts to fall in love with her. Then a sudden change of events threaten their chance at a relationship and he has to fight for her before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed reading Reckless, it’s evident from the beginning that the characters have great chemistry. It was a rollercoaster of emotions to see them go through a series of events as they got used to being married. It has always been Izzy’s dream to be with Jude, but she realizes that in reality things might be a little different than what she expected them to be. I love the secondary characters as well, they have a strong group of friends who are always there no matter what. Although there were times when I felt a little frustrated with the characters for the bit of miscommunication between them, they were still able to pull through and make things better for them at the end. The epilogue is sweet and I cannot wait to read more of the author in the future. :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***

My Rating: 4.5/5

Meet Abby Brooks:

Abby Brooks is a romance author who lives with the love her life and their three kids in a small town in Ohio. She loves dancing in the kitchen, laughing with people she loves, and reading way too late into the night. She also loves hearing from her readers!

Website, Newsletter, BookBub, Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon

Thanks for stopping by! 📚

🔖 REVIEW 🔖 Dating the Duke by Emma Hart

Dating the Duke by Emma Hart

Release Date: January 18th 2022

Series: The Aristocrat Diaries #2

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Humor

A duke and a writer walk into a bar, and the barman says—never mind. They’re in the library, and they’re not wearing any clothes. Oops.

My name is Adelaide Astley, and if there was anything remotely exciting about me to tell you, I would.

Sure, my uncle is the Duke of Leicester, and my mother bucked family tradition to marry “below” her and open a hotel, but I’m nothing but an aspiring author with a Tudor era obsession.

Oh, and I’m spending the summer tutoring the daughter of the current Duke of Worcester—who happens to be a regular in my highly inappropriate midnight dreams.

Thirty-year-old Alexander Winthrop-Bentley is so not my type, but hours of chess games and arguments over Tudor dynasties mean we’re thrown together more often than we should be. And when he shares with me that he needs a date for a charitable event, my mouth betrays me by offering myself up for the evening.

How I find myself naked in the library is another matter entirely. Ahem.

When the society papers declare us an item, neither of us have the heart to tell our families the truth. Only my twin sister and best friend know the truth, but they both agree we need to keep up the charade, even if only for the summer.

But when the end of August comes and my return home beckons, I have to ask myself a question.

Is it only his daughter who’s stolen my heart, or has Alexander done the very same thing? 

Available Now in KU 

Amazon Universal

My Review:

Emma Hart has outdone herself with her latest release, Dating the Duke, the second book in The Aristocrat Diaries Series. This incredibly witty, charming and hilarious romance between a writer and a duke will leave you rooting for the characters until the very end!

At the beginning we are introduced to Adelaide Astley, a writer who is tutoring the Duke of Worcester’s daughter for the summer. Even though her uncle is the Duke of Leicester, Bentley Manor is close to a castle than a manor house. Rich with so much history that she can’t wait to dive into as she tutors ten-year old Olympia. But it’s Alexander who keeps appearing in her dreams, even though he is her boss, she can’t stop being attracted to the single dad. He is attractive and incredibly kind to her. Adelaide has seen how he treats his staff as part of the family and she likes that about him. They also playfully banter over Tudor history and a good game of chess. Yet, she sees how everyone around him wants to set him up and offers to be his plus-one to a charity event without realizing just how much their lives were about to change forever. Now they are front news of in the society pages who have labeled them as a couple and they agree to pretend for a short while. But pretending soon turns into so much more and Adelaide has to decide if she is willing to put her heart on the line if only just for the summer is worth it or not.

As the Duke of Worcester, Alexander has a lot on his plate when it comes to his life and he has no intention of pursuing a romantic relationship as Olympia is his top priority. It’s because of that, that he hires a tutor for summer so that his daughter gets some extra guidance before she actually starts school. But hiring Adelaide has started to give him second thoughts about what he truly wants and as the two start to spend more time together, the more fond of her he becomes. Everything changes when the society pages labeled them as a couple and to prevent the press from bothering them, they both agree to be in a relationship for the summer. Soon all the stolen kisses start to feel real and being near her begins to feel like home. They are both playing a dangerous game when it comes to keeping their hearts intact, but when he realizes just much he has fallen for her, Alexander will have to convince her to them a change before it’s too late.

I absolutely loved reading Dating the Duke, it was highly entertaining and romantic. Hart did a great job transporting me to the setting of the book with her writing. I fell in love with the characters themselves, their chemistry is instant and they are able to develop a great friendship as well. They know that their time is limited and they are trying to not get their hearts involved because of that. Alexander’s mom made the book much more fun, she truly had me laughing out-loud. Olympia was a sweetheart, following on her grandmother’s footsteps when it comes to having pets in the house. The ending was emotional and perfect. I can’t believe their story is over, but we do get a glimpse of the next book in the series in the epilogue and I cannot wait to read Eva’s story next!

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***

My Rating:

{EXCERPT}

“Why don’t you regret it?” Adelaide stalked back over to me and looked down at me. “Kissing me. Why the bloody hell can’t you regret it?”

I jerked around to look at her. “Because I don’t. Would you prefer if I lied to you?”

“No. Yes. No!” She threw her hands out. “Oh, I don’t know! Why doesn’t that matter? Why couldn’t you just say that you did? I’d never know if it was a lie!”

“Why does it matter that I didn’t lie?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “You’re the one who said our relationship can never progress past friendship or attraction.”

“I—” She stopped, swallowing hard.

“Well?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, running one hand through her dark hair. “It’s fine. Forget I mentioned it.”

“All right, then.” I turned my attention back to the window.

“All right, then? That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”

“I’m trying to respect your wishes, Adelaide! What the bloody hell do you want me to say?” I put down the mug and stood up to face her. “I’m not going to lie to you, and that’s the end of the matter. I respect you far too much to lie to you.”

“I wish you would have! Because now this is complicated.” She flapped her hands between us. “And it was easier an hour ago when I’d convinced myself that you were ignoring me because you regretted what happened.”

“I don’t know what I can say to change that,” I replied, holding out my own hands. “By all means, feel free to re-convince yourself of that if that makes you feel better.”

“Re-convince myself? I can’t do that!” She buried her face in her hands for a second before dropping them. “All I’m going to do is go upstairs knowing that you wanted to kiss me and because you won’t lie about it, you probably want to do it again, and all that’s going to happen from there is me going to sleep to have another bloody stupid dirty dream that’ll never happen, and—”

“You’ll do what?” My lips twitched to one side.

Adelaide froze. Although she didn’t move, her cheeks flushed a flaming red.

“Adelaide.”

“Nothing,” she said quickly, taking a step back. “Nothing.”

“Adelaide, have you been having dirty dreams about me?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

About Emma: 

Emma Hart is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels and has been translated into several different languages.

She is a mother, wife, lover of wine, Pink Goddess, and valiant rescuer of wild baby hedgehogs.

Emma prides herself on her realistic, snarky smut, with comebacks that would make a PMS-ing teenage girl proud.

Yes, really. She's that sarcastic.

Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Goodreads, Pinterest, Twitter, BookBub, Amazon, TikTok

Thanks for stopping by! 📚

🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 Just One Spark by Carly Phillips

Just One Spark by Carly Phillips

Release Date: January 18th 2022 by CP Publishing

Series: The Kingston Family #4

Pages: 215

Genres: Contemporary, Romance

He’s a playboy rock star living the rock and roll dream...

Until a very real baby scare threatens to bring it all crashing down.

Dash Kingston has learned his lesson and knows his hard-partying lifestyle needs to change. To clean up his playboy image, he needs a fake girlfriend.

There’s just one problem: the perfect woman for the job is a gorgeous blonde who once aroused not just his body but his emotions, sending him running. And leaving her to wake up alone.

For the band’s sake, Cassidy Forrester agrees to play the girlfriend role, but she’s not going to fall for Dash’s charm or sex appeal ever again.

Except this Dash Kingston swears he’s a changed man, and he’s out to win Cassidy over - for good. But only a fool would make the same mistake twice, and Cassidy refuses to let their spark burn her a second time. 

Kindle, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, Amazon Print, Audible, Amazon Audio

My Review:

The rock star vibes are all over Just One Spark, the fourth book in The Kingston Family Series. This second chance romance is sizzling, swoon worthy and will leave you rooting for the characters until the very end.

As the lead singer of the Original Kings, Dash Kingston has been living the life of a playboy rock star surrounded by beautiful women and more money than he’d ever dreamed of earning. His success has made him world famous and he has worked really hard to get to where he is. Until a one-night stand leaves him with a baby scare that threatens to change his life forever. Word is quickly spreading and instead of talking about their music or the new drummer, Axel Forrester, the focus is all on him and Dash doesn’t like it one bit.

While he waits for the paternity results, Dash thinks about all the mistakes that he has made and his mind goes to Cassidy Forrester. He crossed a line with her by having a one-night stand with his brother’s partner’s former personal assistant. He freaked out the next morning and left without saying anything and making things awkward between them. But she doesn’t know that he left because of how much she affected him and not because he played her. Then his publicists offers a solution, to get a fake girlfriend so the press stops going after him and they all think that Cassidy is the best person to do it. His only obstacle now is to convince her that he is worth the shot if only she would let him break the barriers around her heart.

When Cassidy Forrester made the move from L.A to New York to be close to her brother and best friend, she never imagined how much her life was about to change. Having worked with her best friend and A-list actress, Sasha, Cassidy has been surrounded by celebrities for the past four years. So when her older brother becomes part of the Original Kings, she is incredibly happy for him and his success with the famous band.

But it’s the career step of a lifetime that has her excited for the next phase in her life. As her friend and business partners were creating a production company and have asked Cassidy to be their creative director. While they are all trying to get the company running, Cassidy agrees to be the band’s temporary assistant and while she doesn’t want to be close to Dash, she does it for her brother. Until Dash apologizes for leaving her the next morning and asks her to be his fake girlfriend. Cassidy knows that she is gambling with her heart, but promises herself that she will not let Dash near it as she has been hurt in the past. Dash is determined to make her his and it would take a turn of events to make her question whether or not they can actually have a future together.

I loved seeing this rock star get his second chance at a happily-ever-after. The characters have such a sizzling chemistry from the very beginning that is hard to ignore. Dash knows what he wants and it’s Cassidy ever since they met. There is something about her that keeps calling to him and he doesn’t want to let her go. There is also a lot that she doesn’t know about him that the characters have to navigate as a couple. Meanwhile, Cassidy has been hurt in the past and is Dash’s reputation that makes it harder to her to fully trust or commit to anyone else. There is so much that happens in book that I enjoyed, we get to see cameos from previous characters in the series. The ending was sweet and very fitting to their story. I would highly recommend checking out this book as well as the whole series, you will not regret it! :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***

My Rating:

Meet Carly Phillips:

NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller, Carly Phillips gives her readers Alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full time writer. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. Want to keep up with Carly? Sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive TWO FREE books at www.carlyphillips.com.

BookBub, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon

Thanks for stopping by! 📚