Axe Backwards by Daphne Elliot

3 Stars

Once in a while, after life gets you down, the universe throws you a bone. And if you’re really lucky, it comes in the form of a tattooed baby-wearing firefighter with piercing blue eyes and a heart of gold.

When Noah Hebert swung his axe and rescued me from a coffee shop bathroom, I had only a vague sense of who the tattooed lumberjack was. Turns out he’s more than broad shoulders and a thick beard. He’s a devoted single dad and my new neighbor.

Soon after, we find ourselves falling into an easy friendship. I help him with his fussy baby, and he helps me survive my ex-husband and little sister’s wedding. Despite my vow never to risk my heart again, my defenses quickly crumble. The sight of him rocking his sweet baby in those muscular, inked arms only makes matters worse. And when he defends me to my toxic family, the sparks of attraction between us catch fire.

I moved back here with a mission. Grow the food pantry and make our little town a better place. I can’t get mixed up with the grieving single dad, even if he likes to braid my hair and slow dance in the kitchen.

He moved across the country to escape the flames of his past and protect the little girl he now calls his own. But our town is sitting on a bed of secrets ready to ignite.

And when the heat causes my world to go up in smoke, I’m not sure it’s possible to sift through the rubble and find our happily ever after.

I loved the last one. This one was just ok. I didn’t really like Victoria and Noah together. It was very similar to the last one and that couple and drama was way better. I am still confused by Noah’s guilt over his friend’s death. Victoria needed to grow a backbone and kick him to the curb.

Book 4 Maine Lumberjacks

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Phantom by Greer Rivers

3 Stars

The man behind the mask won’t stop until she’s his.

Scarlett Day has been my obsession ever since I witnessed her dark side.

I was content with being her secret. Content with being her protector from afar… until a dangerous enemy sets his sights on her.

I will do anything to protect her. Even keep her against her will.

Now that she’s mine, I can’t let her go.

I’ve mastered the darkness. She tempts me with her light.

But when my mask is gone, will she fear the monster underneath?

It was fine. Sol doesn’t understand why Scarlett doesn’t trust him and messes everything up. The not trusting her continues throughout the story and nearly gets her killed because of this. Which is why the 3 stars.

Book 1 Tattered Curtain

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Inked Obsession by Carrie Ann Ryan

3 Stars

When men in uniform showed up on Eliza Wilder-Strong’s doorstep, she knew her life would be irrevocably altered. She not only lost her husband, but the future she’d carefully planned. A year later, she’s looking to start over—beginning with a solo healing vacation. Only she never expects to see a familiar, tempting face along the way.

Beckett Montgomery refuses to want his little sister’s best friend—especially because she’s a widow. Yet there’s no stopping the connection between them. As the temptation to give in intensifies, so do the reasons they shouldn’t stay together.

Painful ghosts from both of their pasts stand in their way and sometimes it’s the living that can haunt you when you’re not looking.

Eliza is dealing with a lot since the death of her husband. All the drama was a lot but Beckett is there to help her. He was amazing with her. The stuff with Eliza’s husband was interesting and is what the majority of the book is about.

Book 2 Montgomery Ink: Fort Collins

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Playing Hard to Get by Monica Murphy

3 Stars

Knox Maguire, offensive tight end on the football team, is the king of our college campus. He’s also the opposite of me in every way.

I'm quiet. He's loud.

I'm shy. He's definitely not.

Everyone loves him. No one knows me.

Fresh out of a breakup, I don't really trust him, and why should I? Knox is the ultimate player. When I become his English tutor, I tell myself we need to keep things between us strictly business. Watching my mother deal with my ex-athlete father long, long ago taught me to stay far away from that type of man.

Yet Knox is impossible to resist. Next thing I know, we're getting hot and heavy in the library―and that was never part of the plan. When Knox admits he can't stop thinking about me, I have a realization.

I can't stop thinking about him either.

Instead of keeping my distance, I pull him in closer. Until somehow, we're spending all of our time together and I find myself falling for Knox. Hard.

Will this actually work between us? Or am I getting played?

Knox and Jo Jo were such opposites that it worked well. Knox’s vow of celibacy is what causes all the drama and makes Jo Jo think he doesn’t want her. There was a lot of humor throughout the book and I enjoyed it.

Book 1 The Players

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These Bonds the Unite Us by JC Belenac

3 Stars

The mask is off and her secrets have been revealed.
Omen Powell never imagined she'd meet her Fated mates on the job. Nor did she imagine their relationship would quickly come crashing down around them.
Now, this omega has been rejected. Her identity leaked for the world to see.
With her anti-designation family hunting her down, she’s on the run and battling something few omega’s survive. Her life is on the line and the only ones who can save her are the men who abandoned her.
Primordial Covenant has spent years searching for their Fated omega, but she isn’t who they thought she was. Blinded by their pasts, they walk away, leaving her on her own.
When they realize the mistake they made, will they be able to win their omega back, or has Fate decided this pack is knot meant to be?

This book and the first book should have been one book. There wasn’t enough information in this that justified a second book. The plot was dragged out and I was bored during parts of the story. Add in the lack of groveling by the guys who rejected her. This book was a bit of a disappointment.

Book 1 Soulbound Omegaverse

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Inked Devotion by Carrie Ann Ryan

3 Stars

Brenna Garrett needs time to think about a major decision but finds herself bringing Benjamin Montgomery with her. The problem? He's her best friend's twin, so there's no escaping that familiar face.

Benjamin didn't want to leave his family in a lurch, but Brenna isn't the only one who needs a break. Only a drunken mistake leads to a night of passion with unintended consequences.

When it turns out they can't walk away, they'll have to make a choice: Remain just friends or start something new and possibly risk everything.

Including themselves.

I liked Ben and Brenna story. Friends to lovers was a nice adjustment to what I have been reading. I loved that they both were dealing with the issues about a baby but in slightly different ways. I did love how it worked out.

Book 3 Montgomery Ink: Fort Collins

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This Fate that Guides Us by JC Belenac

3 Stars

When the photography job of her dreams falls into Omen Powell’s lap, she finds herself face to face with the band she’s spent the last year fantasizing about.

Primordial Covenant, the masked musicians whose sultry melodies and poetic lyrics have taken the music world by storm.

Meeting the men behind the masks, their comforting scents and easy affection turn her life upside down. She was prepared for two months of sleepless nights and concert crowds, not for falling in love.

Everyone has secrets, this omega more than others. Forced into hiding after escaping her anti-designation family, Omen wears her own mask. One designed to keep her safe.

Can she set aside her fear of the past and take off her mask? Or are she and these masked rock stars just knot meant to be?

This book ends on a cliffhanger ending. I enjoyed the drama and the trauma Omen and the guys were dealing with. The guys screw up so much and Omen ends up on the run from her birth family and rejected by her mates. The book had so many feelings and it was an interesting read.

Book 1 Soulbound Omegaverse

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