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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Promo: Carrie Ann Ryan

 Crossroads

Book 2 in the Ashford Creek Series

When Kiera West needs a place to hide from the media and her ex, she never thought Bodhi Ashford—the man the small town of Ashford Creek once thought a murderer—would be her salvation.

The reclusive, bearded, mountain man has secrets of his own and with one growl, she knew she’d be safe. Sure, he might only talk to her to ask who hurt her, but at least the quiet will let her heal.

When the elusive drummer from one of the biggest rock bands in the world shows up on Bodhi’s doorstep, he needs her to leave yesterday. As soon as he sees the bruises, he knows she needs to stay.

A fire took everything from him once, and the town he thought he could trust turned on him before he could grieve. Falling for a woman in the spotlight is the last thing he needs.

Yet it might be the one thing that could save them both when the darkness of their pasts finally catches up with them.

**Crossroads is a rock star, widower, second chance, small town contemporary suspense in the Ashford Creek series featuring Bodhi and Kiera. Each one can be read as a complete standalone. A HEA is guaranteed!**

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Attacking the Zone by Elise Faber

4 Stars

I can protect her from everything—

Except from wanting me.

Kylie Connors survived the worst kind of betrayal, but now everyone treats her like she’s untouchable.

And the truth is…she is.

As the younger sister of the Sierra’s general manager, any man who's interested in her would have to risk his career for a chance with her.

But then she asks me for help feeling something good again. Something real.

I’ve wanted her in silence for years, burying the truth that she’s the only woman I’ve ever truly craved. She’s forbidden, off-limits, and choosing her could cost me all I’ve built…and rattle the foundation of the life Kylie’s fought so hard to rebuild.

But when she trusts me enough to take that first step, every instinct in me screams to take the next ten for her.

And if she asks for more…I know I won’t hold back.

Even if it costs me everything.

This was a solid romance. I loved Ky and Colt. The big reveal at the end was a nice change to a breakup. I also loved that they both messed with each others tires to get time together.

Book 5 Sierra Hockey

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Titan by Jillian Graves

3 Stars

Living, breathing gargoyles shouldn’t exist. Julianna should be running for the door. But the way he looks at her… and touches her… awakens new desires.

When former child star Julianna Novak loses everything to her shady managers, she’ll do whatever it takes to win her independence back, even if it means rushing to find a new sugar daddy. When Titan, a wealthy businessman, makes her an offer she can’t refuse, she soon realizes he may not be what he seems. His curved horns, massive wings, and ribbed prehensile tail are, however, more than she ever bargained for.

Leader of the last surviving gargoyles, Titan knows what desperation looks like, and he recognizes it in Julianna. The heavy weight she carries is one he’s able to bear—and one he finds he wants to.

Julianna needs a Daddy, and Titan is ready to be the firm hand—and more—she needs.

When his missing supernatural artifact and her financial troubles unexpectedly align, Titan and Julianna find that a single night together won’t be enough. Confronted by old enemies, the diverging paths they once followed may no longer be the destiny their hearts desire.

I really enjoyed the idea of this book but wish for more world building and character development. The pacing was super fast and it led to issues with both. Apparently, there can also be too much sex in a book. It led to an ok book.

Book 1 Romancing his Stone

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Rejected Runaway Mate’s Baby for the Lycan King by Elara Haze and KA Iris

4 Stars

I got pregnant with the Lycan King’s baby-

then he rejected me and our child for being human.

I thought I was saving a wounded wolf.

Instead, I saved Fenris Mourningstar- the Lycan King.

A monster in a crown who dragged me to his castle, caged me, and called me his pet.

His pack called me human filth.

He called me mine.

When a guard dared to insult me, he killed them.

Then he pressed me to the wall, his breath hot against my throat, his growl vibrating through my skin.

He worshipped my curves like a man starved-

until I was on my knees, begging for more.

Then I got pregnant his child.

And before his court, he tore us apart.

“No child of mine will have human blood.”

Now I’m disgraced, hunted, and still aching for the monster who destroyed me-

the only man my body can’t forget.

But when he finds me again…

I won't surrender to the bond.

He will have to beg for forgiveness for rejecting us.

I enjoyed this book so much. I loved that MMC kept kidnapping FMC. The book flowed nicely. The breakup was hard to read mostly because in my head there were so many things they could have done differently. When FMC found out why he broke up with her in the way he did she took charge and fixed the issue and also didn’t make it easy on MMC when she came home.

Book 2 Possessive Small Town Alpha Kings

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Cuddle Clause by Roxie Ray

4 Stars

Living with a werewolf is… complicated.

Maggie James is thirty-one, freshly dumped, and emotionally scorched.

Losing her relationship also cost her the apartment and the business she built with her ex. Now she’s broke, unmoored, and answering a roommate ad from a total stranger.

A stranger who turns out to be a neurodivergent werewolf with a detailed lease agreement… and a legally binding cuddle clause.

Roman Velasquez likes quiet, structure, and his Good Plate.

He’s used to living alone—until pack politics force his hand. To avoid being mated off for supernatural convenience, Roman needs to convince his Alpha that he’s already claimed. He panics, blurts out a lie, and suddenly he and Maggie are fake-mated, cuddling after full moons, and trying very hard not to catch feelings.

It’s just a roommate agreement. Just magical paperwork. Just a fake relationship to stop a supernatural power grab.

They both know the rules.

Don’t touch the plate.

Respect the schedule.

No falling in love.

Too bad they’re already breaking all of them.

This was such a cute story. I loved FMC and MMC. The contract between them made me want to read the book and it was such a good one to read. The world and characters were well developed. I will be looking for other books by this author.

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While We’re Young by K.L. Walther

 2.75 Stars

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.
With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.
In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

There was so much repeated in this book because everything had to be explained from each characters POV and there were four of them. I got really tired of reading the same thing over and over again. The idea was there and the writer has written amazing stories. This one just didn’t work for me.

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Her Pucking Stepbrother by RJ Sterling

2.5 Stars

Being shamed out of college and forced to move back home is bad enough.
Having nothing but a thin wall separating my bedroom from my stepbrother's is even worse.
But the cherry on top?
The reminder that, before my dad and his mom ever thought to make us "family"... he was my first.
And now he hates me.
Puck my life.

Book was so freaking slow. Add in the cliffhanger ending with no next book. This is a book I would skip. MMC was an ass to FMC through most of the book and he never really makes up for it. Then the ending happened and I was so mad.

Book 1 Royal Icehole

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Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine

3 Stars

Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.

Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she’s just landed in a romance novel instead.

The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.

As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.

The story was just ok. Margot was irritating throughout the book. It was a standard romance without any surprises. And as the title says about any trope there were a bunch. Way too much and it bogged down the story.

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Banished Mate by Allie Santos

3.5 Stars

To my pack, I was a broken girl—mute, unable to shift, and easy to forget.

I spent my life in the shadows, invisible to everyone but the future Alpha. He was my everything. But he needed a strong mate, and that could never be me, not without revealing the truth.

I was an Omega—a secret that could cost him his life.

So I did nothing.

I would have kept hiding what I was forever, but then I was captured. With one chance to escape, I shifted and ran—straight into the arms of two of my mates. Fierce. Protective. Mine.

But danger was closing in. The past I’d tried to outrun was catching up fast, and this time, it wasn’t just my life on the line.

I am questioning the location of the story. She ends up in Scotland and acts like that is so far but when she goes to confront people in the old pack it’s a really quick trip to get home. World building needs to be done. Otherwise the story was good.

Book 2 Omega Heat

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Willing Prey by Allie Oleander

4 Stars

An exhilarating, primal summer fling in the woods leads to an intensely sexy, edgy romance, where anything goes—just remember your safe word.

Divorced and buried in student loan debt, Claire Collins eagerly enters a spicy business agreement with an acquaintance who wants to explore his primal desires. The deal is simple: thirty days as his sexual prey, $30,000 in her bank account. All she has to do is give Shane Underwood the hunt of his life.

Claire’s a physical education teacher and perfectly happy to spend her summer having wild, kinky sex instead of working her usual serving job. But once they cross the tree line, she realizes how little she knows about the corporate lawyer paying her to be his prey.

Shane is different in the woods. Brutal. Devastating. Feral.

That’s okay with Claire—she is, too. And she’s sinking her teeth a little deeper into Shane’s heart every time he catches her.

The trigger warning page sold me on this book. It was spicy and different in the best ways possible. I loved how Shane was all in with Claire for so long. He opted for what he thought she would accept but he wanted so much more with her. He stalks her long before the deal. I love the deal was his romantic gesture to her and to keep her close.

Book 1 Feral Love

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Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley

4 Stars

She’s hexed. He’s vexed. And for Scotland’s most magical small-town, their feud might just spell disaster.
Sloane MacGregor swore she’d never return to Briarhaven, but with her twenty-fifth birthday looming—the day witches come into their magic—her grandmother summons her and her sisters back for one tiny task: break the centuries-old curse haunting their bloodline.
Knox Douglas, Briarhaven’s grumpy mayor, has worked tirelessly to make his town a haven for magical folk. The last thing he needs is a cursed MacGregor wreaking havoc. It doesn’t matter he once crushed on her. For the sake of Briarhaven, Sloane has to go.
But magic has other plans—and in Briarhaven, love really is a witch.

This book was so sweet and I loved it so much. Sloane was a little bitchy in the best ways. Knox was a dick for reasons. The curse was interesting and I hope with future books we delve deeper into it. The story flowed nicely and I can’t wait for the next book.

Book 1 The Scottish Charm

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Worst Wingman by Abby Jimenez

4 Stars

They’re falling in love, yet they’ve never met. Maybe fate can intervene in a heartwarming “what-if” short story about new beginnings by the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?

Another good audiobook from her. I loved the kismet in this book. The relationship felt rushed but I still enjoyed it.

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Mr. Heartbreak by Piper Rayne

3 Stars

I made a deal with my brother a long time ago to never date his teammates.

Technically, Rowan Landry, the hot as hell center for the Chicago Falcons, is no longer my brother’s teammate. Or his best friend. Their college days are long behind them, and they barely talk now.

Also, I’m not dating him—we’re just sleeping together. There’s a difference.

Except there’s not a lot of sleeping going on, and neither one of us wants to stop what we’re doing.

It’s all fun and games until my brother is traded to the Falcons, because Rowan doesn’t know I’m the new goalie’s little sister. Oops.

The lie by omission pissed me off and it went on too long. FMC knew it would not only upset her brother but also MMC and she still kept the secret. I get why she did what she did but at some point she knew it would blow up. When it did she really didn’t want to take any responsibility for the lie.

Book 1 The Nest

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Devoted Billionaire’s Unstoppable Affection by Ava Selwyn

2 Stars

He pushed her away for someone else, now he’s desperate to bring her back.

“What exactly does it benefit me to announce an orphan as my wife?”

When he is married to Ana Cross, Mason Nightingale always cold-shoulders her.

Ana has been in love with Mason since she was a little girl and he held her hand to bring her inside his home. She loves him unconditionally, that is, until one day he leaves her to die without looking back.

Only then does she realise she means nothing to him.

“Mason Nightingale, I don’t want you anymore,” Ana says to him. Hearing that, Mason’s cold stare falters. For the first time, the icy man shows an expression of panic and fear.

From that moment on, Mason spoils her rotten. Little does anyone expect, it’s the beginning of their end.

There were so many things that were repeated constantly. This slowed down the read. It needed to be edited and tightened up. The idea was there for a good book.

Book 1 Obsessed Billionaires Cherished Brides

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Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

4 Stars

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.

Charlotte and Seth meet cute was fun. They get to know each other when trapped in their apartments. I loved how protective Seth was of her and also how much she didn’t need the protection.

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Closing the Distance by Cadence Keys

3 Stars

It was only supposed to be one night...until two pink lines changed everything.

I don't believe in fairy tales, especially not the kind where a broken foster kid gets the sexy NFL star.

But for one perfect night, Tyler Russell makes me feel cherished, precious, worthy of love. When I discover I'm pregnant six weeks later, all my defenses snap into place.

He claims he wants me—not just the baby. That he's been searching for me since I snuck away that morning. But I've been unwanted my entire life, passed from one foster home to another until I learned love wasn't in the cards for me.

Now he's filling my life with gentle touches and whispered promises, making me dream of a future I never thought possible. But when my painful past becomes tabloid fodder, all my insecurities rush back. I have to decide: trust in his love, or protect my heart like I've always done?

Because if he's only here for the baby, losing him might break me for good.

My biggest issue with this book is the brother has zero consequences. Lexi has her trauma from foster care and it’s used against her. The insta love Ty had was hard to believe.

Book 7 LA Wolves

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