Ink by Numbers by Carrie Ann Ryan

3 Stars

Kaylee knows art, friendship, and love. And because she’s known love, she wants nothing to do with it ever again. She likes her life just the way it is. Her art and her Brushes with Lushes classes keep her sane and happy.

Landon spends his days with numbers and financial spreadsheets. At night, he just wants to relax, but the only way he can do that is with a woman. But these days, not just any woman will do.

Kaylee and Landon do an excellent job of dancing around each other, but no matter how much desire burns between them or their own personal hang-ups, they’ll need to make a choice: life as they know it, or a life that could be so much more.

Kaylee and Landon get their HEA in this book. It flows nicely and adds to the rest of the series. Even though neither is a Montgomery this book was good short story.

Book 4.5 Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs

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Loving Lady Bug Part Two by Jane Handler

3 Stars

My ex doesn’t know when to quit.

It’s not enough that he has a hockey contract and an omega. No, he and his family have decided to go after me because I had the poor judgment to date him.

At least I’ve got Clark and Tenzin–and things are heating up between all three of us. Yeah, I might just keep those two forever. Also, the New York Knights are my family and have my back.

My past is about to catch up to me, but my ex is the one who should be wary. There’s a good reason why I don’t talk to my family much.

I’ve decided that despite my past, despite being just a beta, I deserve good things–friends, a hockey career, and two cute alphas included. And I’m not going to let anyone stop me.

I liked this less than part one. I wish the books had been combined into one book. They could have been edited down to one book. Then you add in some threads not being tied up like Tenz’s baby. It was just meh.

Book 2 Hockeyverse

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Loving Lady Bug Part One by Jane Handler

4 Stars

They call me Ladybug.

I’m the only female EBUG for the New York Knights. I’m starting goalie for my university team. I’m also just a beta. At least according to my knothead ex. Ugh.

But I’ll show him. I’m going to focus and find what used to make me special as a goalie so I can get signed after graduation. Even if putting myself out there is a risk.

At least I have friends who will help me. Like Tenzin, the Knight’s new alpha defender, who like me is getting over a broken heart. And Clark, the alpha forward I befriended last season who is a skating ray of sunshine.

Maybe, just maybe, I’d like to be more than friends with Tenzin and Clark. There’s something there, something that could lead to a happily ever after–even if with my past I probably don’t deserve one.

My feelings for them grow by the day, but will they still care for me once they know what I’ve done?

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was so mad when it ended on a cliffhanger ending. I liked the relationship between Swen, Clark, and Tenz. The backstory and trauma for them was interesting to read. Definitely moving on to the next book.

Book 1 Hockeyverse

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Jagged Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

2 Stars

Roxie Montgomery met her soul mate when she least expected it. When he asked her to marry him, she thought her happily ever after was only just beginning. Then, she found that walking into the sunset was much harder than her favorite books made it out to be.

After a crushing loss, she feels as though she doesn’t know her husband anymore, or rather…she doesn’t know herself.

Carter Marshall has loved Roxie since the first time he saw her. But as the days pass between them, so does the distance. He doesn’t know how to show her that he’s all in, and honestly doesn’t know if she’s in at all.

When an accident changes everything, they’ll have to decide if what they have can be salvaged, or if starting over is the answer. Or even possible.

I think this was my least liked book by Carrie Ann Ryan. I liked Roxie and Carter but the story was just meh. They suffer a loss and drift apart. This is normal. They refuse to talk to each other. It was more Roxie than Carter that was refusing to talk and that led to all the problems.

Book 11 Montgomery Ink

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A First Time for Everything by KL Walter

4 Stars

Madeline has always been extremely close to her family, so she is shocked when her older brother gets engaged without including them (or even giving them a heads up!). Mads has never been the biggest fan of his fiancée, Katie, so in order to remain one happy family, she is determined to bond with Katie before the big day, which includes reluctantly agreeing to be a bridesmaid.

During a late-night bridesmaids-only game of "Truth or Dare" Mads is cornered into revealing she has never been kissed or even been on a date, which spurs the other girls to unite on a quest to find Mads the perfect plus-one for the wedding. Next thing she knows she's navigating a series of disastrous dates that include some major misunderstandings and mishaps.

All of a sudden Mads finds her heart tugged in different directions: to Connor, the boy next door who knows her best. To Marco, the former classmate who knows how to push all her buttons. And to some of the new suitors who surprisingly aren't all bad.

As the wedding draws nearer, Mads has to figure out who she wants most as a dance partner, while also making sure her brother isn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

This book is a YA and I loved the book so much. The story was fun to read and the characters were well developed. Pacing was good throughout the book as well.

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Never Kiss a Werebunny by Keira Blackwood

2 Stars

Kissing? It’s the express lane to spit-swap city and cootie central, according to my kids.

The real danger, though, is catching a bad case of feelings.

Exacerbating that danger is the fact that somewhere in my heart lurks a hopeless romantic, a sneaky little love-cheerleader out of place in my otherwise pragmatic life. It’s the force advocating for late-night-romance-novel-reading sleep deprivation. And it’s a silent rebel stirred awake by the insanely hot voice of the guy next door.

I've got that mushy part of myself locked down deep, nearly forgotten beneath my day job herding grown yet child-minded men who think the epitome of podcasting excellence is butt jokes, and actual child-wrangling at home.

But when my daughters prod me to kiss a bunny at the farmer’s market, I assume it’s harmless.

Until I sprout a fluffy little cottontail.

Turns out cooties are real. Even scarier, so are feelings.

This was not a story but an idea. It was too short to build anything. Add in the insta love it just didn’t work well for me. There needed to be more world building and character development to make this a full story.

Book 1 Magical Midlife Malfunction

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An Unexpected Everything by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

He left me with a note.

Weston Caldwell and I had two months together. Two months of intense heat and plans for our future. Then one day he left me sleeping with a note and never turned back. I closed off my heart and my dreams after he left and promised to take care of my family, never trusting love again.

So when I am forced to head to my family’s small town for protection, I never expect to turn around and see the man I loved.

I want to walk away and never look back, but when I find out he left for a heartbreaking reason, I’m not sure what to think. The chemistry between us hasn’t gone away—if anything it burns even brighter.

But my life is in the city and his is in this small town that draws me. Between his siblings, the town itself, and my new found family, walking away might break me.

Only Weston isn’t the only secret from my past. And it turns out, if Weston and I aren’t careful, we could lose everything before we find our second chance.

I enjoyed this one but Weston was an idiot when they were younger. I get the stress and everything but he made a decision that changed the course of both his and Isabella’s life. Now that they are older and they are both at a crossroads of life it was interesting to see them figuring things out. I did have issues with Phoebe’s name being misspelled a couple of times. Other than that it was a good book.

Book 2 The Cage Family

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