Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis

4 Stars

When Olive Porter’s off-the-grid parents go missing, she reluctantly seeks out Noah Turner, her ex and the only person she both trusts implicitly and not at all.

As a special investigative agent for the National Park Service, Noah’s used to living under intense pressure. Or he was until he got injured on the job. Now unhappily recuperating at home while being smothered by his loving but nosy family, he’d love nothing more than a good distraction.

So when Olive shows up looking like a million bucks, he has to do a gut and heart check. Because nope, no matter what, he can’t fall for her again, the woman who once blew up his entire life and never looked back. How ironic then that his own personal hell (Olive) is also his ticket out of town. The question is, will the risk be worth the reward?

I really enjoyed listening to this book. Olive has had an interesting life. I liked Olive with Noah. Loved that the his sister and mom and her grandma were trying to push them together. They both fought the valiant fight to their HEA. When you find out why Olive left that was heartbreaking and I still don’t know exactly why Noah’s dad did what he did. Overall, good listen.

Book 7 Sunrise Cove

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Funny Story by Emily Henry

3.5 Stars

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

 

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

 

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

 

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

Took a minute for me to get into the story but once I did I enjoyed it. The premise was cute. Daphne is dumped by her Fiancé and moves in with the ex of the woman who is now dating the Fiancé. I liked Daphne and Miles. They both got screwed over by their partners. The little lie they gave about dating made sense and I loved how upset the exs were about this.

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Good Guy Gabe by CB Alice

2 Stars

I’m the responsible guy. The polite guy. The guy my teammates on the Wilmington Juggernauts, the NFL’s newest expansion team, rely on to keep things running smoothly.

When I’m sent to a local quilt shop to pick up a donation for an upcoming fundraiser, I realize I'm something else: the guy who's going to marry Joss Paige, the self-proclaimed but wildly successful quiltfluencer.

Joss is a hermit, hiding in her shop and online community, but I won’t let that stop me from taking her to the fundraiser. There, I learn she’s been shunned by Wilmington high society because of crimes committed by her ex-husband.

I don’t care about her past or her ex. I only care about keeping her by my side, no matter what it takes. White lies and gentle manipulations—they’re for our happiness. The greater good and all that.

But then I find out what her ex-husband did, what it did to her, and what my tiny white lie will do to her.

And it turns out I’m not the good guy after all.

The story was there and should have been good. It started nicely and I was digging it until the first time Joss and Gabe hook up. She isn’t on anything asked for a condom and he lied and said he can’t have kids. That was the minute I was done with the story. It is no longer consenting. I have no problem with breeding kink but this wasn’t that. Also the drama with Joss went on so long that I got I bored with the drama.

Book 1 Wilmington Juggernauts

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Craving the Obsession by Ava Selwyn

2.5 Stars

“I’m busy. Solve your matters on your own.”

Every time James Sinclair said those words, the light in Mia’s eyes dimmed a little more.

For five years she was his wife. Sweet. Obedient. Devoted. He believed she wanted his money and status. That was why she married him at nineteen. Why she would never leave.

Until one day, a call came…

“Miss Mia Bennett, your parents died in a car crash. Please come to collect their bodies.”

Shattered, she reached out to her billionaire husband. His only reply was, “I’m busy. Solve your matters on your own.”

“Okay,” she whispered. That night, she handed him divorce papers and walked out of his life, leaving all his wealth behind.

She never wanted money. She wanted love. He gave her nothing—so she took nothing.

James thought she wouldn’t survive without him. That she would crawl back. Instead, she vanished.

And when he found her again… she was living in luxuries far beyond his reach.

For some reason, Alexander Graves, one of the most powerful, cunning, and possessive billionaires in the country, was madly devoted to his ex-wife.

Now James is unraveling. Jealousy burns him alive.

But didn’t he already get exactly what he wanted?

This ends on a cliffhanger and waiting for the next part irritates me. It also seemed like it could have been one book vs the multiple it looks like it will be. There was a lot of repeated scenes that bogged the story down. It was an interesting concept and if you like some of the Asian shorts this probably will work for you. I will pick up the rest of the books cause I need to know how it ends but I am not happy about having to read two more books for the full story.

Book 4 Possessive Billionaires, Precious Sweethearts

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Cooking Up a Demon by Sabrina Cross

4 Stars

Bea thought all she had to worry about when she moved to Ghostlight Falls was the cold, wet weather and getting her Nonna’s bookstore up and running.

Instead she finds herself accidentally summoning a demon at every turn. An annoyingly sexy demon who insists on helping her, despite her protests.

Now, more than just soup is cooking up between Bea and the Demon. But summoning him puts more than just Bea’s heart at risk.

I loved this book and the characters. There were some plot holes but overall, I enjoyed the read so I am ignoring the holes.

Book Part of Ghostlight Falls

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Good Spirit by BK Borison

4 Stars

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge.

Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future.

Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected.

With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

 

Super cute holiday romance. I loved the characters and the premise of the book. I actually had some of the twists and turns figured out before they happened, but it was still worth reading.

Book 1 Ghosted

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Varsity Dad Dilemma by Lex Martin

3.5 Stars

That’s what I thought. Until someone drops off a baby with a note pinned to her blanket that says one of those jocks—either Rider or one of his roommates—is the father. The problem? Baby mama doesn’t mention which of these numbskulls is the sperm donor.

I wouldn’t care about their paternity problems—not the slightest bit—except my brother lives there too. Which means that adorable squawking bundle might be my niece, and there’s no way I’m leaving her unattended with those bumbling football players.

They need my help, even if they don’t know it yet. Once we solve this dilemma and figure out who’s the daddy, I’m out.

I’ll just ignore Rider and those soul-searing looks he gives me every time I reach for the baby. He broke my heart three years ago. He won’t get a second chance.

This book had a pacing issue. The beginning quarter and the last quarter made sense and flowed nicely. It was the middle part that slowed the book down. Characters needed to be developed better. Rider was an idiot multiple times, but I did like his grand gesture to win Gabby over.

Book 1 Varsity Dad

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