The Brood by Devney Perry

4 Stars

The last thing Wilder Abbott needs is a houseguest. Solitude has been his stoic companion for nearly a decade. He prefers to brood over his mistakes in seclusion. Besides, he gets enough social interaction as a high school science teacher in Calamity, Montana.

But when his oldest friend calls, begging for a favor, Wilder begrudgingly agrees. For the next two months, he’ll give up his guest room to his friend’s little sister.

Iris Monroe isn’t the girl Wilder remembers. Gone is the shy, quiet mouse ten years his junior who always had her nose in a book. Grown-up Iris talks too much and asks too many questions, especially about his past. And her bright smile and clear blue eyes are hard to ignore.

Two months. He just has to survive two months. Except Iris is as nosy as she is beautiful. And his secrets prove hard to hide when she’s living under his roof.

I enjoyed this book. The age gap and friend’s little sister tropes were fun to read. They worked well together and the way they both wanted the other to be happy was perfection. The twist with MMC former wife was interesting.

Book 6 Calamity Montana

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The Brawl by Devney Perry

4 Stars

On Ronan Thatcher’s first week in Montana, he spots the most beautiful woman in the world. Love at first sight? Nah. He doesn’t believe in love. But he wouldn’t mind a date or two with the local beauty. Ronan is the type of man who gets what he wants, and he wants Larke Hale.

Except Calamity’s sweetheart has sworn off men. The last time Ronan was rejected was, well . . . never. Yet Larke dismisses him without even batting those pretty brown eyes.

Bruised ego in check, he’s about to walk away when a teenager marches into his office and asks to hire Ronan as her lawyer. Something about a bad grade and a ruined grade point average that will inevitably destroy her future. He’s about to lecture the kid for being melodramatic until he learns that the teacher she wants to sue is Larke.

Suddenly this frivolous lawsuit seems like a bright idea. Ronan wants Larke’s attention and this is guaranteed to snag it. So let the brawl begin.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I loved Ronan and Larke. I really wanted them to take in the kids but how it played out was still nice.

Book 5 Calamity Montana

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The Bully by Devney Perry

3 Stars

Nellie Rivera is trading traffic for tranquility. When the quiet streets of small-town Montana beckon, she leaves Denver behind and moves to Calamity. It would be the perfect adventure if not for Cal Stark.

When her archnemesis dares to show his face one Saturday morning, declaring he is moving there too, she vows to make his life a misery. The town isn’t big enough for the both of them and besides . . .

She was here first.

Cal has been a thorn in her side since high school. He might have bullied her back then, but she’s not a modest teenager anymore and has learned a few plays of her own. If all goes to plan, she’ll run the former pro quarterback out of town within a month.

There’s only one problem. Cal has the same plan. He wants Calamity bad enough to pull out all the stops. And after one kiss, she realizes that he doesn’t play fair.

This was my least favorite book in the series so far. I was irritated by the main characters. I didn’t like them and it never got better.

Book 4 Calamity Montana

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With You by Harper Lawson

2.5 Stars

A billionaire on TV just offered 10 million dollars to anyone with information on his missing daughter. And she's sitting next to me on my couch.

Yesterday, I barely had enough money for food. I was just fired from my job, and I have thirty-three dollars to my name.

Tonight, I heard a small knock at my door, and when I opened it, a little girl was standing on my porch shivering in the rain.

When I asked where her parents were, she looked down and said,

"My aunt told me Daddy doesn't love me and he wouldn't care if I disappeared."

She asked if she could stay and have dinner. I only had two cans of soup, but she said it was her favorite.

After dinner, we curled up under a blanket on the couch, and I turned on the TV.

Suddenly, the news cut to a live press conference. It was a billionaire offering a 10 million dollar reward for anyone with information on his missing daughter.

Immediately, she pointed at the screen and yelled, "That's my daddy!"

A number flashed on the screen, and my hands were already shaking as I grabbed my phone and started dialing.

The rain was still tapping against the windows while she leaned her head on my arm and smiled at the screen.

The operator picked up, a deep male voice came through the line, low and strained,

"This is the emergency line for Mr. Sterling. Who am I speaking with?"

I froze, my throat tight, then said,

"Umm… hi… I'm Claire. I think I have your daughter."

This was an interesting concept. However, the insta love and other issues distracted my interest in the story. It also wrapped up way too quickly. 

Book 1 You, Only You

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The Brazen by Devney Perry

4 Stars

Kerrigan Hale’s personal life is about as exciting as a bucket of tar. With hard work and hustle as her steadfast companions, who needs romance or adventure? Her empire in Calamity, Montana, isn’t going to build itself.

For years, her mentor—and investor—helped make her dreams come true. Until his unexpected death put her fate in his grandson’s hands. A brazen billionaire, he seems intent on ruining Kerrigan’s life.

But if Pierce Sullivan thinks she’ll go down without a fight, he’s sorely mistaken. Pushed to the extreme, she drives to his ritzy mountain lodge to force the arrogant You Can Call Me Mr. Sullivan to hear her out.

No sooner does she arrive than a snowstorm traps her with Pierce. Stranded together for days, she’s in for the battle of her life. Pierce is nearly irresistible by candlelight. Without his suits and fancy cars, he’s almost human.

Except only a fool would let down her guard. And Kerrigan can’t risk her future. Not when she doesn’t know if he’s out to pilfer her dreams . . . or to steal her heart.

WOW! The drama was a lot. MMC was an idiot for his secrets. I loved FMC and she needed that HEA. Her family frustrated me.

Book 3 Calamity Montana

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Ice Darling by Lia Bevans

3.5 Stars

Withdrawal episodes.

That’s what the therapist says when my six year old starts disconnecting from everyone and it destroys my entire world.

When I gave up professional hockey, signed my divorce and determined to raise my baby girl on my own in Lucky Falls, I swore I’d be everything my daughter needed.

But Gordie needs more than her dad right now.

For some reason she connects with the town biker chick... Cordelia Davenport.

The female mechanic is the only one who can reach my daughter during her withdrawals.

There’s just one small problem.

Cordelia hates my guts – ever since I rejected her request to be her fake boyfriend and… well let’s just say the feeling is mutual.

But my daughter is more important than my pride and if we're doing this, I'll be the best fake boyfriend Cordelia's ever seen.

Sure, the woman makes me stutter like a toddler on a sugar rush. And maybe I notice how good Cordelia looks in those leather pants a little too often.

It doesn't matter. I’ll put up with the stubborn, mysterious, ridiculously beautiful woman in my house.

And around my dinner table.

And even in my lap.

Somehow, I'll get my daughter back to herself, keep my small-town hockey team from falling apart and avoid falling in love with my fake girlfriend in the process.

I was very confused by the hockey drama in this book. The characters were amazing though. I loved the interactions between Viking, Cordelia and Gordie.

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The Wrong Husband by Maya Alden

3.5 Stars

Her Sister's Ex = Her New Husband = A Complete Disaster!

When Damian Archer finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him, he devises a cunning revenge plan: seduce and marry her unsuspecting sister, Emilia, the Invisible Miss Winters.

Emilia has always secretly liked Damian, so when he turns on the charm in Las Vegas, she's easily swept off her feet. By the end of the night, they are married and have spent the night together. She thinks Damian married her in a drunken haze and offers an annulment. But when their Vegas wedding hits the gossip sites, Damian suggests staying married for a while to avoid a PR mess.

At first, Damian ignores Emilia, but his sweet and artistic wife slowly works her way into his heart. Emilia starts to believe in fairy tales, only to find out Damian married her to hurt her sister.

Heartbroken, Emilia wants nothing to do with her wrong husband, regardless of the media fallout. But Damian has finally discovered what it means to be truly in love, and he's not going to lose his wife, not when she holds his heart

My god there were so many characters I hated in this book. So many were irredeemable and I wanted all of them to pay for being so horrid to Emelia. I did love that FMC made them all wait after she found out the truth. She deserved so much better than her husband and all of the family members.

Book 1 Marriage by Contract

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The Bluff by Devney Perry

4 Stars

As Calamity’s newest resident, Everly Christian thought life in small-town Montana would be dull and tame—and she needs a little mundane after the last few chaotic years. But one night, boredom drives her to the local bar, where she finds herself sitting beside a handsome and mysterious artist. The man is anything but dull and tame, especially in the bedroom, and when she steps out of his shower and overhears his conversation, life gets interesting again.

Reese Huxley needs a wife. And why shouldn’t Everly be the bride?

She’s got her reasons for agreeing to the hasty nuptials—reasons she’s keeping to herself. As long as she can stop herself from falling in love with her husband, she’ll make it out of this sham marriage in one piece. But Everly has a weakness for wayward men, and the more Hux pushes her away, the more she realizes this bluff is anything but a lie.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I loved how FMC thought she could keep her feelings away from their relationship. She was determined to not fall for her husband and his daughter. I loved how that did not happen. The switch from fake marriage to all in was awesome read.

Book 2 Calamity Montana

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Break my Bones by Grace McGinty

4 Stars

Andrei Ludokov

A drunken promotional after party involving unlimited vodka, several social media influencers, puck bunnies for miles, and the goalie from an opposing team, leads to a massive mistake.

No, not a surprise pregnancy. I was drunk but not that drunk.

No, this mistake was worse because even months later, I can’t get it out of my head and it’s effecting my performance. My coaches are on my case because I’m dragging ass on the ice. My friends are all worried because I holed up in my hometown for the entire off season.

There’s only one thing to do, and there’s only one person who can help me. Juniper. My best friend and the social media manager for the IceCaps. Sure, she’ll give me her disappointed face. That sighed, “Dammit, Ludo,” that I’ve heard at least once a month since we were fourteen. But in the end she’ll help me, because she’s my Juniper Berry and she wants me to be happy.

I just needed her to commit to it before I had to face “The Norse God” on the damn ice again and all my carefully controlled mistakes spiral out of control.

If Rigby Engman and River Cooper can have some kind of polyamorous lifestyle in the NHL, why can’t I?

Really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wish Juniper was more the focus versus Ludo and Eric’s relationship and hiding that relationship. It also read as Ludo wasn’t truly interested in Juniper but Eric pushed it so he went along with it. I still enjoyed the reading.

Book 2 Penalty Box Players

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Faking with Benefits by Lily Gold

4 Stars

My name is Layla Thompson, and I am undateable.

Seriously. I'm twenty-eight and I've never had a boyfriend. And with my thirties rapidly approaching, I'm starting to lose patience.

Lucky for me, I have three best friends who are eager to help hone my dating skills. Zack, the rugged ex-rugby player. Josh, the sweet boy-next-door. And Luke, the silver-haired divorcee... who just so happens to be my old professor.

After a bad date leaves me crying on their shoulders, the three men are determined to help me find a guy. Together, they agree to be my 'practice boyfriends', and come up with a lesson plan packed with fake dates, make out sessions, and classes on flirty texting. In return, I just have to make an appearance on their relationship advice podcast once a week. Easy.

But as my lessons become more and more intense, we soon find ourselves getting in too deep. Every 'fake' touch lingers a little too long, and every 'practice' kiss ends in fireworks. It's not long before I realise that their friendship isn't enough for me anymore. I want more.

The guys have been teaching me how to get a boyfriend, and now it's time I put their lessons to the test.

Three times over.

Loved this book so much. Layla thinks she is undatable, so her neighbors / friends set out to prove her wrong.  It starts off like it's a joke but quickly gets steamy. I liked Zack and Josh and Luke. I loved how the guys make it right after being dicks. It was just a really good book.  

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Your Trainer Said Hi by Indie Sparks

3 Stars

Sure, in retrospect, going into business with some guy I’d only been dating for six months sounds impulsive.

Okay, it was impulsive, but it was a good opportunity, and Heath put in as much money as I did. We were equal partners. Until he made an unauthorized withdrawal.

It’s not like he absconded to another country with the money. No, he sunk every dime into a foolproof investment. In my defense, I was vulnerable when we met, and Heath was only supposed to be my rebound guy. I never dreamed I’d have to financially rebound from him.

So now, while he’s busy hawking snake oil, trying to grow his downline, I’m out here just trying to maintain my sanity, stay on top of my game for my sales job, and keep our juice bar afloat.

But there’s always time for vengeance. Heath stole my money; I’ll take his beloved personal trainer. It’s a start.

Wick puts my body through the wringer, in the gym and out, but he’s so not my type. His storm-cloud eyes might see right through me, and his filthy mouth definitely takes my mind off my troubles for a while, but there is not a more arrogant man in the world. Like I said, so not my type. So, why do I keep seeing him?

The first book was better, but this was fine. Nadine frustrated me so much. Burned once means not finding out what happened with Wick. I get her anger but to not even ask seems very ridiculous. There also wasn't as much smexy time as the first one. So overall... meh.

Book 2 Vengeful Vixens

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Rules of Dating by Penelope Ward

3 Stars

It started when I hosted a little party for a bunch of new friends.

Though “friends” might not be the right word since the invitees were all the women I’d found out my boyfriend was talking to behind my back. When the guest of honor walked in—aka my now ex—things took a turn….

Unfortunately, a stranger witnessed the whole blowout. I was in a mood that night and ended up giving this gorgeous guy an attitude, too. As if my night could get any worse, before he stormed off, he informed me he was actually my landlord.

Colby Lennon, along with three of his friends, owned the building where my tattoo shop was located.

He and I were total opposites.

He wore a tie, oozed confidence that came with years of women falling at his feet, and wasn’t afraid to say what he wanted, which lately—was me.

I hated that I found myself attracted to him.

Especially since I was supposed to be on a self-imposed dating hiatus. Yet the two of us couldn’t seem to stay away from each other. We started hanging out, as friends.

I even went as far as making rules for what he’d dubbed our “undates.”

But eventually, our explosive attraction became too much to bear, and we broke our resolve. I let my guard down and started to really fall for Colby.

Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn't prepared for where I'd wind up when the ride was over.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

I am being generous with the three stars. The first half of the book was good. It was the second half that's pissed me off. I liked the idea of the book. Nothing wrong with MMC or FMC but as soon as MMC did what he did, I was done with the book I don't know how you get past him marrying another woman. At that point I was done.

Book 1 The Law of Opposites Attract

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Always a Fake Bridesmaid by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

The moment Ewan McBride entered my life, my world tilted on its axis.

When we part, I promise him I owe him anything for saving my daughter’s life.

What I didn’t expect?

Being his fake date to a wedding—in two days.

It was only supposed to be a favor, but we can’t deny the attraction.

Only he lives a state away and my life is in Colorado with my daughter and the Montgomery's.

This can only be one night that feels all too real.

Yet I know walking away will be the hardest thing I ever do.

This was a short and spicy read. I loved Ewan and Livy. It is an insta love but it works. I so want more details on the wedding drama but that wasn’t what the book was about so I get why it wasn’t included.

Book 1 Clover Lake

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Nanny by Lana Fergusen

3 Stars

Suddenly unemployed and on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans is left with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But the job market is terrible, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can’t go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny position seems like the solution to all her problems. It’s almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer.
 
Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire, is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. He shocks her when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie.
 
Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all, but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least, her body. Given that he doesn’t remember her, Cassie is faced with what feels like an impossible situation. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she’s ever had.

Cassie is too forgiving in this story. Aiden is a jerk and uses her but all is forgiven because she loves him. The writing was fine but a weak FMC just ruins a book for me.

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Crossroads by Devney Perry

3.5 Stars

I met West Haven when I was eight years old. He taught me to play poker when I was nine, and we made paper airplanes together when I was eleven. He kissed me when I was sixteen. He was the best part about my family’s summer vacations to Montana. He was the boy who stole my heart. I was twenty-three when life ripped us apart.

Years later, I’m breaking my vow and returning to the ranch, not as a guest but its new owner. West might want me gone, but even he has to admit the only way to save his family’s legacy is with my help.

It’s not easy working side by side and facing those old memories. But this situation is only temporary. We’re at a crossroads. And as long as I don’t let myself fall in love with West Haven again, maybe this is our chance to put those ghosts to rest. Maybe this time we’ll finally be able to say goodbye.

I enjoyed this one a lot but Indy was a lot and West deserved better. The story flowed nicely and was well developed. I loved learning about their history when they are kids and what led to their separation. Once they met up as an adult it was interesting to see how they grew and worked so well.

Book 1 Haven River Ranch

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Unexpected Bond by Kaylee Ryan

2.75 Stars

Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the universe decides to tilt your world on its axis.

I had a plan, and I was moving forward until the day my world was flipped upside down.

It’s a challenge I wasn’t prepared for, but one I had to face.

How do you combine the life you thought you had to the one you’re living?

One breath.

One second.

One minute.

One hour.

One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected bond.

OMG this was just weird. Seth meets his forever with Mara but finds out he got her best friend Amelia pregnant. Now this was before they got together so no cheating but I still have the ick cause he knew it was her friend and he wanted Mara. Amelia ends up with terminal cancer and Seth expects Mara to be all in and help him raise his kid. Mara did step up to be mom but overall the book was just meh.

Book 4 Unexpected Arrivals

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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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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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