Beyond the Winter Kingdom by Aurelia Jane and Kel Carpenter

3.5 Stars

Faerie was a nightmare—twice kidnapped, magically bound, and held captive by my fated mate. But Eversus? That’s where the real party starts. And yes, I RSVP’d like an idiot.

Sadie’s gone. Vanished without a trace. And the only lead we have points to a realm no sane person dares to enter: a pit of smoke and ash, ruled by demons and forgotten gods. A place no fae survives.

Eversus.

Vareck—the fierce, brooding King of Faerie—is determined to be my plus one into the twin hells. He says we’re bonded. That I belong to him.

But I didn’t ask for a mate. And I had no intention of catching feelings in the middle of a hellscape.

Together, we’ll brave the realm of monsters to bring my sister home. But the deeper we go, the more I wonder if I'm the one who won’t make it back.

When a world fights to devour us, his voice is the thread I hold on to.

Because some bonds burn brighter in the dark.

And it turns out, some monsters aren’t left behind—they come with you.

I really wanted to love this as much as I loved book 1. This one was a whole lot of nothing happening. It added a bunch to the story without really moving it forward. I still liked the characters and there were new ones added with additional information added to characters from book 1. I just didn’t feel like it added enough to the first book to be awesome. It ends on cliffhanger ending. I am invested and will read the next one but it just frustrated me. The audio was good and I liked the narrators.

Book 2 Faeted Seasons

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Gargoyle on the Rocks with a Lemon Twist by Rebecca Rennick

3 Stars

Coconut Cove is a five-star, monster and human, all-inclusive hotel and resort located on the southern Florida coast. Every day is filled with sun, fun and umbrella drinks. But for Bea this is no vacation, she’s working. As a code enforcement agent, she is sent to many various types of businesses. This week she’s been tasked with inspecting the famous Coconut Cove Resort. Sure, there’s sun and maybe an umbrella drink or two, but there is no fun to be had while on the clock. That is until the manager assigns her an escort for the week, a large shirtless gargoyle who smiles excessively. How is she supposed to get any work done with a cheery talkative male distracting her with his inability to wear a shirt and all those tantalizing muscles?

Being assigned babysitter for the sexy code inspector is the best assignment Zaxon has been given since becoming a security guard at the resort. The mouthy little human and her fuck me librarian glasses entice him to no end. He can’t help but tease the tempting female, it’s too much fun getting her wound up, and even more fun when he gets to shatter her resolve and make her scream in pleasure.

But will their week of fun and lust end when her assignment is over? Is there more for them after she leaves the resort? Can he convince her to stay and ignore the presence of the sand she hates so much?

He can sure as hell try.

This book felt like it was in the middle of a series vs the first book in a series. This led me to be confused and like there was a different book/series I needed to read to better understand this book. It also led to me wanting there to be better character and world development. It was insta love and it was just meh for me to read.

Book 1 Gummy Monster Orgy

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Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

 

4 Stars

It's 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl's display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all--and in the process, they learn that there's more to Cinderella's story than they ever knew . . .

This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they've been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.

I loved this book. It was an interesting take on Cinderella. The characters were interesting and I liked the journey from what was expected to freedom. The twists and turns were not surprising but I enjoyed reading them.

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Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws

3.5 Stars

Help Wanted: Grumpy mountain man seeks baby momma. Job is an incubator position only. Surrogate must be impervious to grunting as the form of communication and nosy brotherly neighbors. Rustic mountain range housing available upon request.

I wanted to pummel my irritating brothers when they posted their own version of a wanted ad to help me with my life.

But I can’t fault the results once the right woman lands in my lap.

Becoming a single father is not a decision I made lightly. In fact, it’s the biggest decision of my entire life.

Which is why when I interview Trista, I know she’s perfect.

She’s wild, she’s opinionated, she wears cowboy boots. Even my pet goat loves her…

She’s the exact type of person I was holding out for.

And to my great horror, I realize on our first night of attempting this baby-making dance—when the lights are low, the cheap wine is flowing and the home-insemination supplies are laid out on the kitchen counter—I want to do a lot more than just make her my surrogate.

I want to make her mine.

I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Wyatt was a bit of a grump and he never gets better but he is so sweet with Trista. Trista was a bit to sunshiny and it did grate. I also questioned if she really would have been ok walking away. The give and take between them and how it went from just a transaction to all in was fun to read.

Book 1 Mountain Man Matchmaker

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You Wish by Marina Adair

3 Stars

Jake “Every Time” Evans has two speeds: fast on the track and faster in life. But when it comes to matters of the heart, he’s learned the hard way that some risks aren’t worth taking. That is, until a blast from Christmas past shows up again—right in the middle of the holiday chaos. Smart, witty, and heartbreakingly familiar, Georgia Warren might just be the most irresistible (and irritating) surprise of all… and she’s got a mission that could throw both their hearts into overdrive.

 

As a junior wish coordinator for the Wish Project, Georgia has earned a PhD in wish fulfillment—not hers, mind you, but other people’s. She didn’t come back to relive old heartbreaks, though. She came with a plan: convince Jake to help a little boy make the ultimate Christmas wish come true. He agrees—on one condition: she must be his personal assistant for the week.

 

When it comes to making wishes come true, Georgia will do just about anything—as long as it doesn’t include losing her heart again. But when Christmas Past and Christmas Present collide, the door to Christmas Future opens… and Georgia realizes that, just maybe, the real gift this season might be letting Jake back into her heart.

The idea of this book was there but it wasn’t fleshed out enough for me. Jake was hurt by Georgia but never actually talked with her about it. He just decided to be mad at her and then when they met up again made demands. It was an ok read. Just not a favorite or probably one I would reread.

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Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro

 

4 Stars

One single dad hockey star. One chronically ill single mom. One marriage to solve all their problems.

 

No one likes a call from their kid’s school. When single parents Jack Leroy and Mara O’Connell find themselves in the principal’s office, they unite to conquer their kids’ bully. Mara can’t take her suspended son to work with her, but Jack steps up and watches all four of their kids for an afternoon.

 

They find themselves in a pickle when Mara gets fired and Jack’s ex-wife scares off his fourth nanny in a row. Jack could hire Mara as his nanny, but that wouldn’t solve Mara’s need for healthcare. So Jack devises the most logical plan: get married—and pretend to be in love around the kids.

 

Living under one roof ignites unexpected sparks, yet Jack doesn’t think love’s in the cards. He gets taken down a peg when he realizes he’ll do anything to protect their blended family. And his final bluff might be called when Mara gives him something he’s always wanted but never had.

 

Can Mara make Jack believe in life after love, or is love truly unthinkable?

I really enjoyed reading this one but am still confused why they had to move. That part was never really explained…or if it was it wasn’t explained well. I loved the Femdom in this book. Jack likes to be dominated by his partner and his ex-wife used it against him all the time. When Mara finds out about his need though she had never done it before she was willing to try with him. It was such a sweet part of the book with how she took care of him. I really enjoyed their relationship.

Book 2 Ohio Rusties Hockey

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Your Pucking Mom by Vee Taylor

3.5 Stars

Our latest superstar is my newest problem.

Until I meet his

mother...

Chicago Ravens captain Ledger Cole believes in earning

your stripes, not coasting on golden boy status. So when Austin Hart becomes the NHL’s

youngest signee, Ledger is determined to give him a pretty steep learning

curve.

Auburn Hart is barely clinging onto her son’s meteoric rise to stardom.

Uprooted to a new city, a new job (working in a coffee shop in your thirties is

fiiine, right?) and being forced to keep an eye on Austin’s troublemaking

tendencies is...a lot.

When loneliness and chance create the perfect hookup,

neither Auburn nor Ledger realizes their awkward real-life connection — until the truth

spills out. But with more than one career at stake, and Auburn’s scars hovering at the door,

they can’t just follow this irresistible pull. Can they?

I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the story and how Auburn and Ledger get together. They worked so well together and balanced each other out. Austin however was a spoiled brat throughout the book and just irritated me. He never really learned anything in this book and made it difficult for his mom to get her HEA.

Book 1 Ravens Hockey

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