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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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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Ever After Between the Lines by Carrie Ann Ryan

 

3.5 Star

Happy Ever After is Only the Beginning.

Find your fate between the lines in this collection of steamy and special romances from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan.

Fate can change in an instant.

But love can be everlasting.

Includes EIGHT short stories and novellas never before in audio or print.

What if it's You (A Montgomery Ink Legacy Romance)

Over the Bridge (A Montgomery Ink Legacy Romance)

Was it Over Then (A Wilder Brothers Romance)

Inked Kingdom (A Montgomery Ink Romance)

Montgomery Midnight Kisses (A Montgomery Ink Romance)

Inked Fantasy (A Montgomery Ink: Boulder Romance)

A Very Montgomery Christmas (A Montgomery Ink: Boulder Romance)

Delicate Nights (A Montgomery Ink Romance)

Cute little clips from previous characters. It was nice to see them all again. None of the chapters are serious but mostly smexy time and seeing where each relationship is now. If you liked the books you will like these extra clips.

Book is apart of the Montgomery Legacy

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Check and Chase by Claire St. James

3.5 Stars

CHASE MITCHELL 

He's hockey's golden boy with a reputation both on and off the ice. When a brutal knee injury threatens his shot at the Cup, his comeback depends on one person: his rival's little sister—the last woman he should want.

EMMA ANDERSON 

She walked away from skating after a career-ending injury crushed her Olympic dreams. Now she's back as the Bears' physical therapist, ready to face her cheating ex—but not ready for Chase Mitchell.

Especially when he makes her an offer: fake date him to keep his obsessive ex away, and in return, he'll help her get revenge on hers.

Their on-camera chemistry was supposed to be pretend. But when the cameras stop rolling, the heat between them is anything but.

Someone's bound to get hurt.

And in this game, love isn't just risky—it's a full-contact sport.

This was a cute story. I loved Emma and Chase together. I hated that she was forced out of the team because of lies. I am still curious how that would all end up playing out. She hangs with her partner and his team while working for another team. It’s fiction so I am overthinking it but it does make me wonder.

Book 1 Breakaway Series

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Hex Around and Find Out by Molly Harper

3.5 Stars

As the middle sister in a trio of sea witches, Cora Seaworth has spent most of her life hidden away at her family’s magical cottage on Moonshadow Cove. She’s claimed her own corner of the library, cozied up with her favorite novels and a ghost cat named Nicodemus. She’s the deep thinker among her more tempestuous sisters, so she isn’t prepared to be swept up in a real-life romantic adventure in the form of sexy local baker Iggy Galinsky.

Iggy is tired of his reputation as the Island’s unreliable charmer and a man of many talents but no true calling outside his family’s bakery. Sure, it’s mostly true, but it still hurts his feelings. His carefree life gets serious fast when he meets the beautiful, mysterious Cora Seaworth. Before long, they’re working together with Cora’s sisters, various ghosts and the unfathomable creature lurking at the bottom of the cove to defeat an ancient enemy. If they don’t prevail, it’s not just their love that’s at stake, but Starfall Point’s entire magical community.

I enjoyed listening to this book. Cora and Iggy worked well together. The over arching storying progressed nicely. Things are revealed that were interesting. The romance itself was a bit minimum but I still enjoyed it.

Book 2 Moonshadow Cove

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Stealing Hearts by Lex Martin

3.5 Stars

A marriage of convenience might save his ranch, but will it break her heart?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love Rhett Walker, which is complicated since he’s ten years older and my brother’s best friend. After a falling out, we didn’t speak for years—until today, when he found me sleeping in my car, threw me over his shoulder, and dragged me “to safety.”

He’s grumpy and overprotective and even more handsome than I remembered. I’m shocked to learn he’s in trouble. Someone is sabotaging his ranch, which is thirty days from foreclosure. He needs a loan from a friend who won’t extend the funds unless he’s married. Only Rhett’s now a single dad with no plans to fall in love again.

When his brother suggests I marry Rhett for health insurance so I can rehab an injury, my first reaction is hell no. I can’t afford to catch feelings for someone who won’t see me that way.

But spending time at the ranch reminds me how much is at stake—the family business, the welfare of Rhett’s children, and the happiness of a man I’ve always longed for.

Rhett says we’ll keep things platonic in private, even though I’ll be sleeping in his bed. He refuses to mix business with pleasure.

Except when the lights go out in his bedroom, our chemistry is too explosive to contain.

Would it be so bad to fall for Rhett? Or will he steal my heart all over again?

One thing’s for sure—the clock is ticking on our divorce.

Rhett was just so freaking stubborn about Paige and caused all sorts of problems in their relationship. I loved Paige so much. She had so much working against her besides the injury. Having a crush on her husband was minor compared to everything else. The pacing in the book was spot on and it kept me reading. Pulled me out of a reading slump. The reason for knocking it down from a 4 was the will they/won’t they got old very quickly.

Book 1 Wild at Heart

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Undeniably Corrupt by J Shamen

3.5 Stars

When my ex leaves me and my little girl penniless, the last person I expect to step in is my childhood sweetheart, Vander Moore.

It's been years since he walked out of my life, and now he's barreling back into it, seeking redemption, and making me an offer I can't refuse--to become his new assistant.

But everything has changed, including him. The broody, sinfully hot bad boy CEO doesn't trust anyone. Especially me.

It isn't long before we're butting heads and fighting at every turn.

He’s a walking red flag. One I need to stay far away from.

Except when life throws me yet another curveball and my daughter and I are forced to move in with him, I start to see the man behind the mask.

And all the tension and heat we've been resisting ignites, consuming us both.

But with each forbidden touch and toe-curling encounter, I give him another piece of my heart.

He says he'll do whatever it takes to keep me and my daughter safe. Even if it costs him everything.

But there are some things even this undeniably corrupt man can't hack his way out of. And it's coming for all of us.

The ending was so rushed. Beyond that I enjoyed the story. Cander was a marshmallow with Liora and her daughter. The interactions between them were fire. They both wanted to protect the other one from all the bad in the world.

Book 7 Boston's Irresistible Billionaires

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Lessons with Mothman by Kathryn Moon

3.5 Stars

Elias - freelance consultant to Monster Smash Agency, and prestigiously rare moth fae - has never been in love. Granted, he's never been interested in the emotion, but with his friends mating with their clients, the new curiosity is keeping him up at night. If only he could find someone to draw him in like the moth to the flame.

Victoria is looking for facts not feelings. She wants to understand why the monster species are so much more satisfied than humans, than her. But the handsome mothman who volunteers to aid her academic study wants to stimulate more than her intelligence. She's willing to explore their physical chemistry, but she wants no part of his designs on her heart.

Love can't be taught, and it certainly can't be forced, but falling in love with the woman who refuses to let him in might just teach Elias a lesson.

I’ve loved many of Kathryn Moon’s books but this one was just ok. I liked the different monster for a love interest. I loved that he was trying to discover love like his friends had. I just didn’t connect with this one as much as I have with other books.

Book 3 Monster Smash Agency

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Last Chance Mates by Leona Page

3.5 Stars

It’s former RedMoon alphason, Trey Wilkinson’s, last chance. Last chance to redeem himself. Last chance to carve out a good life for his widowed mother and orphaned son. Last chance to feel any smidge of happiness. Long, slender legs, wide sky-blue eyes, too clever for his sanity, and such a mouth on her; his last chance.

Rory’s on her last chance. Prison was a mixed bag, but now she’s out. Back with the remnants of her pack, Rory just needs to find her footing, but the betrayals of her past haven’t been resolved, and she has more secrets than Trey Wilkinson’s investigative gamma unit.

Attraction may be explosive, but so is the past. No matter how much Trey and Rory want each other, the fact remains: Rory killed Trey’s little brother. How can he possibly forgive her for that?

It was a good read. I loved the struggle Rory went through to end up with Trey. There is some content warnings should pay attention to before reading this book but I enjoyed the darkness this author writes. There are some writing errors that need to be addressed but still a good read.

Book 7 Not Quite An Alpha

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Briar by Evelyn Flood

3.5/4 Stars

My life has already been mapped out. Every milestone, every important moment, clearly defined and placed into a pretty little box, courtesy of my father and my apparent fiancé.

They want me to be perfect. They want me to fold, over and over, until there’s nothing left of me but what they tell me I should be.

When River, Jenson and Kai stroll into my life, it feels like a detonation. As though my veins are alight with fire. For the first time in my life, I’m awash with feeling.

But then they offer me a deal. It’s indecent. It’s wrong. It goes against everything I’ve ever been told.

But if it’s so wrong… why is being theirs the first time in my life that I’ve felt right?

I waffle on the rating for only one reason. I wanted a better formed ending. It felt incomplete. I loved the book. The smexy time was different but well done. Not a normal kink I’ve read before but it was handled well. The backstory with the guys and Briar was really well plotted out and I loved learning about all of it. The conflict between the Briar, her dad, and her sort of fiancé was engaging. What fell flat was the ending. I didn’t feel like we got enough of what happened with Briar’s dad. It’s left open ended and I want to know he got what he deserved. The sort of fiancé definitely did. Will read more by her.

Book 4 Forbidden Fairytales

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Sleigh Me If You Can by Cheryl Terra

3.5 Stars

Nellie has three good reasons for why falling in love with her best friend’s brother is not a Christmas miracle:

She never wanted to fall in love in the first place

She especially didn’t want to fall in love with him

It didn’t happen at Christmas

Because sure, after months of trying to convince themselves that they weren’t perfect for each other, JP and Nellie finally gave in to their feelings, but that happened barely a month before the holidays began.

Which is why Nellie absolutely refuses to bring her new boyfriend home to her mother’s house for Christmas.

Faced with the pressure to make up for her decision by finding JP the perfect Christmas gift, Nellie starts to wonder if the unsolicited opinions that come from being in a new relationship are worth it. But when JP is roped into bringing his Big Nick Energy to the office Christmas party, will Nellie step in and don her elf apparel so they can jingle all the way through a wild evening of spreading Christmas cheer to his quirky coworkers?

Short and spicy read. I felt like I was missing something event though this one said you didn’t need to read any of the other books to read this one. It probably should be read after the other books in the series. I do intend to read the other books as I did like the writing and the rating may come up with reading the previous books. Loved the characters and how spicy it was.

Book 3.5 If You Can

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Puck and Make Up by Elise Faber

3.5 Stars

My life is full of secrets.

She's the woman who's discovered them all...

Dessie and I have a love-hate relationship.

But it’s mostly that I love and she hates.

As a member of the Rush hockey team, I don’t have a problem finding women who are willing to date me, but Dessie isn’t just anyone.

She’s a mystery, an obsession, a woman I need to claim as my own.

Only, she’s not going without a fight.

Good thing I’m a hockey player…

And fighting is what I do best.

I loved seeing Dessie and Fox get their HEA. At the end of the last book I had so many questions and several of them were answered in this book but I still have so many more. This one was a quick read and it was nice to revisit the characters.

Book 7 Rush Hockey

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Caught in a Pickle by CM Kane

3.5 Stars

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...until it doesn't.

Hailey Truitt prides herself on her good decisions. A former foster kid, she's pulled herself up by her bootstraps, made a success of her life, and is happy with who she is and what she's done. At least until she got drunk, got married, and ended up in bed with a sexy stranger...

Star baseball player Alejandro de la Garza isn't about to let some stranger swindle him out of his hard-earned money. He thought he knew how to avoid bullpen bunnies, but a drunken Vegas decision threatens to ruin the safety he's secured for his family.

Both Hailey and Alej think they want an annulment. The problem? A fan posted a video of their wedding online, and now that his ailing Abuelita knows, he has to face the consequences of ending this -- both in the press, and in his private life.

I loved this book. The title is what drew me in and I stayed for the rest of it. Loved Alejandro and Hailey. I don’t normally go for a book where strangers marry and stay together but this one worked for me. It would have been a solid 4 but I need some strings tied up. Hailey has issues at her school and it’s a plot point but we have zero idea what happens to the people who caused her so many issues. Alej’s mom was a dick and they storm off but it’s never mentioned if there is a reconciliation. Overall, going to read all of her books.

Book 2 New Orleans Magicians

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A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J Penner

3.5 Stars

A human, a dwarf and an elf walk into a bake-off…

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, Arleta Starstone, a human confectionist works twice as hard perfecting her unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs.

So when an orc neighbor secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma.

Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, this human will need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

While competing, she'll set off on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships and romance, while questioning whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize.

I wanted to love this book as I loved the idea and the writing style. I couldn’t get passed how whiney FMC was. Everyone is boosting her up and she just tears herself down. She never gets better, and it frustrated me so much. I liked the writing style so much I will check out book 2 to see if the characters are better.

Book 1 Adenashire

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Monster’s Desire by Jillian West

3.5 Stars

The picturesque town of North Falls is as beautiful as it is deadly.

When Nadia is called to help deliver a human woman's little elven babies, she knows she can't say no. After all, she's masquerading as a fertility witch since blood witches were hunted out of existence several generations ago.

But North Falls isn't like any other sanctuary city Nadia has been to and the differences are enough to make her blood boil.

Haven is run by decent monsters, but a corrupt council with an agenda of their own leads North Falls. The ward around their town is failing and they aren't above compelling the witch to their bidding.

Everything will have to fall into place for her to survive the trip. Unfortunately for Nadia, her luck has never been all that great. Add in a rogue alpha wolf, a council-appointed vampire guard who would be more accurately described as a spy, and a couple of demons from her past and it looks like she might just have a fighting chance.

Well, until the council ups the ante that is. Will her newfound protectors be enough to keep her alive? Or will they run when they learn her secrets?

I was so looking forward to this one but it wasn’t as good as the first two. I missed all the original characters and felt there was a pacing issue. There were times it moved but other times I was frustrated with no movement at all. Overall, it was fine and a nice way to round out the series.

Book 3 A Monstrous World

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Lace’em Up by Elise Faber

3.5 Stars

With a last name like Bang, the jokes were endless.

I’d decided long ago it was easier to pretend to embrace my namesake than try to prove myself to the world.

No one had ever seen through that…

Until I rescued a runaway bride from the side of the road.

Then my mom—my interfering, matchmaking mom—saw the diamond ring, made assumptions I didn’t have the heart to dispel, and, suddenly, Rory and I were pretending to be engaged.

Only…somewhere along the way, it became real.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I could never let her go.

Meet the Bang Brothers—five hot hockey-playing brothers who are allergic to commitment.

The brothers are about to face off against their newly-retired mother…who suddenly has plenty of time to play matchmaker. Add in their baby sister and some secret dating, a single dad, an accidental pregnancy, a marriage of convenience, and a wrong bed—or two—and these siblings are not going to know what hit them!

Loved these two together but it felt rushed. I get she just broke up because of an abusive ex but it seemed rushed to jump into a new relationship. I did love them as a couple and they worked so well together. I so wanted the one teammate to get his due for his comments. It was such a good addition to her series.

Book 1 Bang Brother’s Hockey

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Bonds Eternal by Yve Vale

3.5 Stars

A Realm War. Fragile mate bonds. And a powerful Elven mage intent on eliminating humans.

The Elven King and the Unseelie Mage plan to take everything from my mates and me. The futures of both realms are at stake, and it is up to us to stop the destruction. But our mate bonds are damaged. As we face impossible challenges, I don’t know who I can trust, not even my mates. Caught in the middle of the fray, I will do anything to safeguard the realms and thwart the war. But that also means my mates have to protect me at all costs. Emerging magical powers, a ragtag group of allies, and our desperate hope for a future will have to be enough to thwart the most powerful elves ever known to Fae.

 

This book wraps up the series nicely. It was interesting to see how it all plays out. I liked the characters for the most part. There was a bit too much whining from FMC and one of the guys was too headstrong for his own good. With the four books combined and cut down as all of them dragged at times. It was still a good story but it just needed something.

Book 4 Fae Hearted

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Valentine’s Heart by Merri Bright

3.5 Stars

All She needs to do is punch her V card before she goes into heat. The doctors think a nice beta will help me before I take an alpha’s knot on. My sisters find me someone at the club but all I want is the one person who is off limits. My alpha bodyguard is everything I want and can’t have. When he rescues me from the beta and pushes me into heat will I get my HEA?

Pretty solid book. The biggest issue I had was the ending. It felt rushed. Like the relationship building was going nicely and then an issue popped up with Donovan from something that happened when he was a teenager and he hadn’t really worked through it. This meant he wasn’t comfortable with having a true relationship with knotting with Valentine. I don’t know if it was page count or what but the author shoved it off. Got Valentine through her heat and then talked about it in the epilogue. It was fine but it felt like a cop out with how traumatizing this situation was to him. Overall it was a good addition to the series but it was definitely a short story.

Book 3 Billionaire’s Betasitter

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Tangled Secrets by Yve Vale

3.5 Stars

Wyn has been kidnapped, injured and left in the human realm with a threat against those she cares the most for. Oakes and Jaden find her just in time but break the Human/Fae treaty which draws Eldrin to the human realm to rescue all of them. When secrets are revealed will Wyn want to go home with them or will she want to stay in the human realm?

Solid read and continues the story where we left off with book one. It’s very slow moving with secrets revealed but more introduced. I enjoy the give and take between characters but don’t feel there was a ton of character development/growth in the book, and I wanted to see more growth. I am curious to see how the series ends and there is a ton that needs to happen for it to conclude so it will be interesting.

Book 2 Fae Hearted

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Never Plan a Billionaire’s Wedding by Julia Kent

3.5 Stars

Kari and her friend decided to open a business to help the super wealthy keep their events going without problems. Nothing will keep them from giving you your perfect day. When she and her partner meet the newest client, she wasn’t expecting it to be her ex-boyfriend. Caleb was surprised and incredibly happy to see his high school sweetheart at the meeting for his brother’s wedding. He feels this is his chance for a forever with the one that got away but will miscommunication keep them apart?

I loved the idea of this book. It was funny at times but the hesitation Kari has throughout the book did get old very quickly. I loved Caleb and wanted her to go after him sooner than she did and can completely understand why he thought they were done done because that’s how she had been acting through the entire book. Hook up with him then ignore him. I am still baffled by why Caleb’s brother married his wife but not my problem. Overall, it was a fine to read and I only really wanted to throw my kindle at the end ish.

Book 1 Whatever it Takes

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