All posts by Kelly S

Audio Book, Contemp. Romance, Mystery, Part of a Series, Review, Romantic Suspense, Thriller

#Review #AudioBook – Getting Lucky: Tempered Steel – Vegas, by Maggie Adams

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Lawrence “Lucky” Coalson is on the track of the arsonist that torched his older brother’s construction company. The clues have led him to the Mississippi Flame Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Taking a job as a bouncer there, he hopes to find a connection to the vandalism or even the arsonist. What he finds is a blonde bombshell in a bit of trouble, so like the alpha male he is, Lucky comes to the rescue. But like a magician’s trick, not everything is as it appears.
Can Lucky discern the difference between lust and love when what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas? And is the Coalson family prepared to face the consequences of his actions?

 

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Kelly’s Review

Just not that Lucky.

1st disclaimer, I wasn’t aware that this was part of a series when I started this book.

2nd disclaimer, I listened to the audiobook and had earbuds in and unable to stop the book (hands were busy), so I tried to keep an open mind while listening to the book.

Lucky goes to Vegas and is looking for a connection to the trouble that has befallen his family. While there he falls in love with Claudia. Ok, so we have the boy meets girl and of course she is part of the problem or at least bound up in it somehow. Now we bring in the BDSM club and things get really weird for me. I am not an expert by any means but nothing that happens in this club is very believable…at least to me. In my opinion, the narrator wasn’t that great for the story either. He wasn’t the guy for Lucky. Then the cliffhanger was huge! I just don’t know if I have it in me to explore this series any further but if I do, I will be reading it, not listening to it.

 

Maggie Adams profile image

International bestselling author Maggie Adams lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband, four kids, and four of the sweetest, smartest, and most talented grandchildren ever to grace God’s green earth. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on creative writing of poetry, short stories, and comics. It wasn’t until she read her first historical romance novel at the age of fourteen that she found the romance genre gave wings to her writing soul. She finds humor in everyday life, as her books often reflect, and believes in happy ever afters, no matter what the circumstances.

Her first novel, Whistlin’ Dixie, debuted in the top 100 of several book lists and made the tiny town of Grafton, Illinois, a reader’s romantic escape. There are five more books available in the series: Leather and Lace, Something’s Gotta Give, Love, Marriage & Mayhem, Forged in Fire, and Cold as Ice. She also released a companion cookbook featuring the recipes from the series as well as tried and true comfort food from generations past entitled, The Coalson Cookbook of Memories.

In addition to the Tempered Steel series, she is the author of the spinoff paranormal romance series, Legends. The first novel, Legends: Catori, garnered her recognition in the USA Today’s Happily Ever After section of Lifestyles. Legends: Kermode, followed in 2019 and Legends: Piasa is coming in 2021 along with the final book, Legends: Amarok, is coming 2022.

In 2019, Maggie also began releasing her over-forty series, Hell on Heels. The first two books in the series, Minx and Jinxed are widely available. Look for Sphynx, the next book in the series, to be released in Fall of 2022.

She has collaborated on several charitable anthologies and has enriched older stories into stand-alone novels, including her women’s erotica bundle, Lustful Legacy.

You can sign up for her FREE newsletter to keep in touch, find events and signings for the year and get exclusive sneak peeks into works in progress! www.maggieadamsbooks.com

She’s also been known to gift books randomly. Feel free to stalk her at these sites!

http://www.maggieadamsbooks.com – website

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maggie-adams

https://www.facebook.com/maggieadamsbooks – book page

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9867300.Maggie_Adams – goodreads

https://twitter.com/AuthrMaggieAdms – twitter

https://www.pinterest.com/maggiesminxes/- Pinterest

https://www.instagram.com/maggieadamsbooks/ – Instagram

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-adams-006a8b142/ – LinkedIn

Fantasy Romance, Over 40's Romance, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Romantic Comedy, Witches

#Review – Earth Spells Are Easy (Grimoires of a Middle-aged Witch Book 1) by Renee George

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As a forty-three-year-old, newly divorced, single mom, I know two things for certain, starting over sucks, and magic isn’t real. At least that’s what I thought. I mean, starting over really does stink, but when it comes to magic, I have to rethink everything.

I’ve spent the last year since my ex left me going through the motions. Get up. Work. Care for a grumpy teenager. Cook dinner. Go to bed. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Nothing changes… Until it does.

After bidding on a box of old books at an estate auction, I’m experiencing changes.

And I’m not talking about menopause.

My garden gnome Linda has come to life. No, really. Her name is Linda, and she never shuts up. A chonky cat with a few secrets of his own has adopted me. And a gorgeous professor of the occult tells me I’m a witch.

Right now, I’m not sure who’s crazier—me, Linda or the hottie professor.

If this is my new reality, it’s nature’s cruel midlife trick. I’m learning fast that earth spells might be easy, but they aren’t cheap. All magic exacts a toll, and if I don’t master the elements, the elements will be the death of me.

Literally.

***A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel***

 

Goodreads

 

Amazon

 

Kelly’s Review

I read this blurb and as a “middle-aged” woman myself, I knew I had to read this book, like right now! Iris is newly divorced and just when she thinks things are going to get somewhat normal, or that she will finally be able to find a new normal for her, she has no idea of what normal is going to end up being. Life literally gets flipped upside down. Her sister tries to set her up with an occult professor, her garden gnome comes to life, and all of a sudden magic starts to happen! Silly magic, weird magic, big magic and all at a cost. She is trying to learn but also trying to keep it under wraps from her family, especially the teenager.

The story is a quick and easy read. It has plenty of witty banter with all the nonsense that runs through our middle-aged brains but also deals with the real life things too. There is divorce, being a single parent, just trying to survive and start over when life gets upended. While there were some things that felt a little rushed, overall, this was a great read and I look forward to checking out more by this author.

 

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About Renee:

USA Today Bestselling author Renee George writes paranormal mysteries and romances because she loves all things whodunit, Otherworldly, and weird. Also, she wishes her pittie, the adorable Kona, could talk. Or at least be more like Scooby-Doo and help her unmask villains at the haunted house up the street.

When she’s not writing about mystery-solving werecougars or the adventures of a hapless psychic living among shapeshifters, she is preyed upon by stray kittens who end up living in her house because she can’t say no to those sweet, furry faces. (Someone stop telling them where she lives!)

She resides in Mid-Missouri with her family and spends her non-writing time doing really cool stuff…like watching TV and cleaning up dog poop.

 

Connect with Renee George!

Join Renee’s Rebel Readers (Facebook Group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/reneesunusualsuspects/

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Follow Renee on Twitter: @reneegeorge2008

Website: http://www.renee-george.com

Instagram: author_renee_george

 

Author Note: For readers who have enjoyed reading my books and taken the time to share their love in reviews, thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know my work is valued.

Hugs,

Renee George

Dark, Dark Humor, Dark Romance, M/M, Mystery, Part of a Series, Psychological Thriller, Review, Suspense, Thriller, Trigger Warnings, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR26 #Review – Unhinged (Necessary Evils Book 1) by Onley James

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Adam Mulvaney lives a double life. By day, he’s the spoiled youngest son of an eccentric billionaire. By night, he’s an unrepentant killer, one of seven psychopaths raised to right the wrongs of a justice system that keeps failing.

Noah Holt has spent years dreaming of vengeance for the death of his father, but when faced with his killer, he learns a daunting truth he can’t escape. His father was a monster.

Unable to ignore his own surfacing memories, Noah embarks on a quest to find the truth about his childhood with the help of an unlikely ally: the very person who murdered his father. Since their confrontation, Adam is obsessed with Noah, and he wants to help him uncover the answers he seeks, however dark they may be.

The two share a mutual attraction, but, deep down, Noah knows Adam’s not like other boys. Adam can’t love. He wasn’t born that way. But he refuses to let Noah go, and Noah’s not sure he wants him to.

Can Adam prove to Noah that passion, power, and protection are just as good as love?

Unhinged is a fast-paced, roller coaster ride of a romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a dirty-talking, possessive psychopath and a sweet cinnamon roll of a boy with Daddy issues and a core of steel. There’s gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough steam to fog up a hundred car windows, and something a lot like love. This is book one in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.

 

Goodreads

 

Amazon 

 

Kelly’s Review

I have no idea why this book had me hooked, but Adam’s father says never ask a question if you can’t handle the answer. So, we aren’t even going to examine that. This story is absolutely intense! I picked this book up because a friend of mine who is a MM fanatic kept talking about how great the writing is and how sick and twisted the story was. Full disclosure, MM is not my jam, but I was so intrigued about the story itself. Then, I started reading….and reading….and then my heart is racing…then I am biting my nails, then I am flipping past some pages…then get back to the crazy plot. I couldn’t stop myself! I went into this downward spiral of page turning and reading.

Adam and Noah are basically an instant attraction or instant love but on a much deeper, almost scary level. However, their trauma explains some of their actions and decisions in their lives. The fact that Adam’s father trained Adam and his brothers to be assassins will run deep within the story. There is literally never a dull moment, clear up to the very end of the book. When you read this, it will stay with you. You must love all things twisted to get through this book. Go ahead, try it! You know you want to!

 

Onley James profile image

Onley James lives in North Carolina with her daughter, her daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and a menagerie of animals, both good and evil. James splits her time between writing m/m romance and mainlining dangerous levels of caffeine and attempting to maintain her ever-slipping sanity.

When not at her desk you can find her whining about how much writing she has to do while avoiding said writing by binge-watching unhealthy amounts of television and doom scrolling on social media. She loves true crime documentaries, anti-heroes, and writing kinky, snarky books about morally gray men who fall in love with other men.

Stay up to date: www.onleyjames.com/newsletter

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnleysOubliette

Want more: linktr.ee/OnleyJames

Enemies to Lovers, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Ghosts, M/F/M, Mystery, Paranormal, Review, Standalone, Urban Fantasy/Urban Fiction, Witches, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR26 #Review – Dumpster Fire by Jay Leigh Brown

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Secrets. Lies. Betrayal. I have no one to trust.

A simple job from a sweet ghost sends my life into a tailspin.

I’m racing against the stepsons of the most powerful Seer in Grand Rapids. And they will do anything to get what I’m looking for.

I should have let them have it.

Unfortunately, I’m not capable of going back on my word.

Now, with an extra job, two insanely hot jerks, and a cascade of secrets, I can no longer trust my best friend. I’m on the run, my magic is on the fritz, my life is in danger, and there is no one I can trust. All I have to do is deliver my package, keep my magic hidden, and stay off the radar of the most powerful Seer in the city without the help of my best friend.

I am Salem Teller and I never miss my mark, even when the odds are stacked against me.

*** This is a why choose enemies to lovers romance. The guys are not cinnamon rolls and Salem is no lady. It’s a tough world they are navigating, and the folks and magic that reside in it are not always nice. Please visit my group or contact me for a specific list of things that some may find painful.***

 

Goodreads

 

Amazon

 

Kelly’s Review

I picked this book up purely because of the book name and cover. I mean, Dumpster Fire? Come on? Who is not intrigued by that title? The cover is hot! And if you turn the page, Dump, the raccoon, is on the inside!

Enough about why I picked up the book and the cover. The story is soooooo great! This world that the author has built is original. A breath of fresh air! The throuple in this story are all hard headed in their own ways, all with their own agenda, and everyone…I mean EVERYONE has a secret. The types of magic users and types of magic being used differ than what most of us are used to and it is incredible!

As the story progresses and secrets start to unravel, the dumpster fire starts to burn hotter and hotter. Dump, Salem’s raccoon familiar, is so amazing!  It’s wonderful when they (Salem, Raine, and Reese) realize it is okay to break when you’ve found the right people to put you back together again.

There are a ton of twists and turns around every corner. One of the best things about the book is the comedy that breaks all the drama up. You will laugh, you will want to punch someone, you will want to give Salem a hug, and then back away because Raine or Reese have it taken care of (wink wink). Oh, and wait until you experience the library! The freaking LIBRARY!

 

Jay Leigh Brown profile image

Jay Leigh likes all the beverages both alcoholic and caffeinated. She hates seafood and pumpkin spice and adores every flavor and genre of fine men and books. She resides in the wilderness of Michigan, boating and camping all summer, writing all winter. She’s a decent photographer and shamelessly purchases all things dachshund. A prolific breeder, she has a huge family, having far more than the allotted 2.2 children with the hottie who put a ring on it. One day she hopes to hang up her stethoscope permanently, and spend all her time palpating nothing but her shiny new retro keyboard. Dreaming in stories, she wants nothing more than to drown both your face and your panties with her words.

nerdy romance, new adult, Review, Romantic Comedy, Sweet Romance

#Review – Bad at Love by Karina Halle

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What happens when two best friends decide to date each other as an experiment? BAD AT LOVE is a standalone friends-to-lovers romance from the NYT bestselling author of The Royals Next Door and Grave Matter.

She’s a free-spirited and disaster-prone beekeeper.

He’s a British commitment-phobic playboy.

Together, they’re about to rewrite the rules of love.

Marina is brilliant, blonde, and brutally honest—sometimes too honest. Her lack of filter and endearing clumsiness mean most men in LA don’t make it past the third date. To make matters more complicated, she’s still a virgin and convinced she’ll never crack the code of love, let alone find someone to give her V-card to.

Her best friend Lazarus is her complete opposite. Tall, tattooed, and pierced (where it counts) Laz is both a rockstar and a gone-viral poet that has women (and book deals) falling at his feet. But the serial monogamist gets bored quickly and has never committed to anyone for longer than a few months.

When Marina’s latest dating disaster leaves her more hopeless than ever, Laz proposes an unconventional solution: he’ll give her dating and intimacy lessons. They’ll date each other as an experiment to figure out exactly what’s going wrong.

On paper, it’s the perfect plan. In reality, things get complicated fast. As they navigate their own trauma and hangups, Marina and Laz discover that the line between friendship and something deeper isn’t as clear as they thought.

They might be bad at love, but they’re even worse at pretending they’re still just friends.

 

Goodreads

 

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Twinsie Kelly’s Review

There are so many things that I want to say about this book but dayum….whew! and OMG! There, all done. Just go read it. It is literally that easy.

Let’s face it, this story is a friends to lovers story so we all (for the most part) know how this is going to play out. But the journey getting there has so much depth and shallowness. LOL! Well, I guess what I am trying to say is that while there is a lot of big emotion, there are a ton of witty one liners and funny situations that will keep you turning the pages.

Marina is more of a shy type and when she gets nervous, she implodes. Laz, is definitely more outgoing and quite literally can’t settle down. The thing of it is, these two just get each other. They have become best friends. Nothing more, nothing less. And one day, Laz messes it all up by suggesting they date each other for learning opportunities and it immediately changes the dynamic between these two. The change is very much needed though. They finally get to experience each other on an entirely different playing field and touch each other’s personal lives in a way neither of them ever expected.

“I think because love and hate are the strongest emotions, people think they are interchangeable. And honestly, it’s easier to hate than to love. There is no risk in hate while love is based on risk. We just want to protect ourselves, that’s all.”

To me, this sums this book up completely. No one is bad at love. You just have to find your weirdo and hang on!

Definitely a page turner that will have you laughing out loud, doing a facepalm, grabbing a tissue for a tear or two, fanning yourself after a hot scene, and then yelling at the two of them to just get over themselves. It literally has everything except ghosts!

 

Karina Halle profile image

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Realm of Thieves, Grave Matter, & Blood Orange, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you’re into, she’s probably written an HEA for it. When she’s not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their sailboat Norfinn.

2nd Chance, Contemp. Romance, Over 40's Romance, Review, Rockers, Romantic Comedy, second chance, Small Town Romance, Sweet Romance

#Review – Come As You Are: A Gen X Romance (Bluebird Basin Book 1) by Jess K. Hardy

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She’s saving the family ski hill. He’s saving lives. Neither planned on saving each other.

At forty-six, Ashley Cooke isn’t looking for romance, she’s looking for a miracle. Her family’s Montana ski resort is one bad season away from closing, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Hiring a crew from the local sober living home wasn’t part of her plan, but neither was their six-foot tall, bearded and tattooed administrator.

Matthew Madigan knows about starting over. As a former rockstar and recovering addict, he runs his sober living home to give other men the second chance he once needed. Working alongside Ashley to keep her small-town ski hill alive stirs up feelings he thought he’d buried for good.

Between snowstorms, chairlift mishaps, and the kind of slow-burn chemistry that makes a Montana winter melt, Ashley and Madigan discover that second chances aren’t just for the mountain. Sometimes they’re for the heart, too.

Come As You Are is the first book in the Bluebird Basin series, a heartwarming, small-town romance perfect for fans of Virgin River, over-40 love stories, and series filled with friendship, family, and the kind of community you’ll never want to leave.

Content notes: Addiction, divorce, mourning the loss of a parent

 

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Twinsie Kelly’s Review

This is not your stereotypical holiday Hallmark failing ski resort that is saved by a hot as hell rock star. Come As You Are is SO MUCH MORE! All of the characters, from the main characters to the each of the side characters, including the wonderful slobbery “rescue” dog, have so much depth that you will really feel like you are living the story. Madigan and the guys from Little Timber are addicts. They understand that once an addict, always an addict and no matter how long you are clean, you fight the good fight each and every day. Ashley and her family (mother and daughter) are trying to keep the ski resort afloat while feeling the loss of her father and dealing with her nasty ex-husband. When Ashley and Madigan start working together, they have a chemistry that is palpable! Absolutely electrifying! It is refreshing that these two characters are Gen X-ers and more mature than most other MCs that I am used to. They start their relationship with eyes wide open but still guarded. They both have their own obstacles and responsibilities that must come first, but as they learn to navigate what could be….well, lets just say that you must read this.

You can’t be where you are today, if you didn’t go through the things you did in the past. These two are perfect examples of it.

This book seriously has ALL THE FEELS! It is funny, steamy, heart wrenching, and with incredible friends…everything!

YOU

SHOULD

READ

THIS!

 

Jess K. Hardy profile image

Jess K. Hardy is an award-winning, bestselling author of cozy contemporary and scifi/fantasy romance. Jess writes about characters at any age, but especially over 40, finding second chances, proving that life, and love, only get better with time. When not crafting funny, heartfelt, emotionally rich romances, Jess can be found hiking, camping, skiing, dancing in her kitchen, or on Instagram at @JessKHardy_Author.

New to Jess’s work? Start with Come As You Are for an introduction to her signature blend of heart, hope, heat, and happily-ever-afters.

Box Set, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Mermaids, Novella, Paranormal, Review, Sweet Romance

#Review #LittleMermaidEasterEggs – Fathoms Below (Short Story Bundle) by Ava Cuvay

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FATHOMS BELOW – A Short Story Bundle Drenched with Romance
Under the sea, Atlantia’s mer-creatures are devoting full time to floating… and falling in love.

– BETTER WHERE IT’S WETTER
Ariel LaRue assumes the sexy merman pictured on the lake house is “just art.” Then a violent storm topples her into his arms, and she discovers the ocean isn’t the only thing that gets her wet.

– KISS THE GIRL
Mako, a young Sharkanian General, knows there’s more to life under the sea than hunting for food and waging war with the Atlantians. But he struggles against his own predatory nature until a gentle mermaid calms the savage hunger of his heart and tames his sharp bite.

– POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS
Ursule has an uncanny knack for problem-solving which has earned him the grim moniker Sea Witch. Unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent pesky merpeople from approaching him with their problems. Until two captivating eel-maids invade his lair, wishing for nothing more than his company. And his talented tentacles.

– PART OF HIS WORLD
Prince Eric wasn’t always royalty. For that matter, he wasn’t always a merman.

 

Goodreads

 

Amazon

 

Twinsie Kelly’s Review

This short story bundle set in Atlantia starts with Ariel housesitting and then being turned into a mermaid. “Be nice to the sharks, pretty mermaid. They’re not mean. They’re misunderstood.” It is Better Where It’s Wetter, I would never argue with that!

We then really get to meet Mako in Kiss the Girl. This is more of a grumpy sunshine type of story. He is the big bad Mako but what he doesn’t realize is that he is really a protector. Pearl brings this out in him. I am in love with Mako!

Next, we meet Ursule. He loathes everyone literally just wants to be left alone. However, when he meets Two Unfortunate Souls and realizes how badly they have been treated and starts empathizing with them as he treated others in the same manner. Ursule thinks he is dying because he starts feeling regret, LOL!

Each story will make you smile, roll your eyes a bit, and comes with a high level of steam that will leave certain areas boiling. Oh, and don’t forget the Little Mermaid Easter Eggs!!!!!

 

Ava Cuvay profile image

Ava Cuvay writes out of this world romance featuring sassy heroines, often-alien-but-always-sexy heroes, and an alcoholic beverage or two… Set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana, USA with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder, kiddos who are growing up without her permission, and two kitties that make her laugh. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

2nd Chance, Military, Review, Romantic Suspense, secret baby, Suspense

#Review – Secret Maneuvers (Ex Ops Series Book 1) by Jessie Lane

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From Best Selling Author Jessie Lane…

Some mistakes from the past haunt us forever… unless fate steps in with a second chance.

One ‘Dear John’ letter haunted Bobby Baker’s every living moment. It was the letter he’d stupidly written to his high school sweetheart, Belle, right after he had left to join the Army. The letter in which he’d told her that he wasn’t so sure they were ready for forever yet. Before he could let her know that the letter, and his second thoughts, were nothing more than a mistake, she disappeared from the small Georgia town they had both been raised in.
Fifteen years after the letter, Belle unknowingly walked back into Bobby’s life when her job as an ATF Agent forced her to work with a group of men secretly headed by the CIA to help her track down whoever was involved in funneling black market weapons to a drug cartel in Mexico.

Bobby planned to use this mission to try to soothe Belle’s hurt feelings while proving to her that their love was meant to be forever. He would use every dirty trick he’d learned since he had joined the Army to maneuver her back into his life for the long haul. Belle was not making it easy, though, as she continued to keep him at arm’s length in the hopes that mistakes of her own would never come to light.

Warning: Mature themes, second chance romance and a secret baby! <- You’ve been warned.

Ex Ops Series:
Secret Maneuvers #1 – Available Now
Stripping Her Defenses #2 – Available Now
Sweet Agony #3 – Available Now
Sweet Recovery #4 – Available Now
Sweet Eternity #5 – Coming Soon

“This is another one of those stories that I find it hard to convey the emotions I had without discussing the reasons for those emotions – hurt, sad, angry, hopeful, anxious, scared, nauseous, relieved – any book that can put me through the ringer as thoroughly as Secret Maneuvers did is one I will recommend to EVERYONE. Even if you don’t think you like Contemporary Romance, you will like this.” Laura, Little Read Riding Hood

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Twinsie Kelly’s Review

AHHHHHHHHH! Ok, now that I got that out, I have to say that I wanted to shake both of the MCs on numerous occasions. I, as the reader, am able to see things from both perspectives. On the other hand, I am stubborn and completely understand things from their viewpoint when Belle didn’t want to see things from Bobby’s viewpoint and when Bobby didn’t want to see things from Belle’s viewpoint. The road to hell was paved in good intention. When they essentially “lost contact” and then ran into each other again after 15 years, they both have very different thoughts about how things should go. Every single person around them knew that they just needed to sit and hash things out but it just never happened. And this is one of the many times that I wanted to shake them. Seriously, just sit and yell at each other and get it over with! They clearly love each other and had some serious baggage to get out in the open, along with a huge secret. But the two of them have a great support system behind them.

I had a very, VERY difficult time putting this book down. The banter between all of the characters was great, there was an actual mission to go along with the BS between the MCs, when they did explode and get steamy it didn’t get crazy, and the feelings were messy like they should be!  It was a solid story with an HEA that wasn’t perfect, which is perfect.

Jessie Lane profile image

Jessie Lane is an Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks Top 100 best-selling author. She writes Paranormal and Contemporary Romance that might make you laugh, cry or do both at the same time! A sometimes shy, sometimes hyper, but often snarky chick who’s addicted to books, caffeine & hot fictional men. She lives in Kentucky with her two crazy ass grown kids, her dad and her overprotective alpha husband that she’s pretty sure is a latent grizzly bear shifter. Jessie has a passionate love for reading and writing romance, cliff hanging suspense, and out-of-this-world characters that demand your attention or threaten to slap you around until you pay attention to them. So, you’re going to pay attention now, right? *winks*

Age Gap, Contemp. Romance, LGBTQ, M/M, Novella, Part of a Series, Review, Writers on the River Attending Author

WOTR26 #seriesstarter #Review – Strong Coffee (Coffee Beans & Love Book 1) by J.M. Walker

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I only wanted a one-night stand. I didn’t expect to fall for him too.
My best friend is in love with me.
Instead of trying to make things work with him, I decide to have a one-night stand with someone else.
I try making it last for only one night, but my stupid heart gets in the way and I end up falling in love with him.
What makes it worse is that he’s my father’s business partner.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Strong, steamy, and classy novella about finding yourself (#Bramden).

Brady is made by his friends/business partners to take himself out on a date to just unwind and do something good for himself. While out, he and Cam have a “moment” that turns into a “MOMENT” (if you’re picking up what I am putting down *wags eyebrows*).  Well, Brady and Camden, Bramden if you will, cannot keep to themselves. Bramden just keep falling for each other. What started as a “MOMENT” is turning into so much more. Just like every relationship, there are obstacles….age, parents, exes….but hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.

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J.M. Walker, a Canadian author, writes stories across several different genres. She’s passionate about traveling the world with her husband, reading all the books, training for that next race, coffee, and all things spooky. She can be found with a coffee in one hand and a book in the other.

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Enemies to Lovers, Part of a Series, Review, Romantic Suspense, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR25 #Review – Given: Project Xol (Book 6) by Audrey Kaye/Amabel Daniels

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Taken to a Xol lab, Cassidy prepares to meet the one woman who’s never wanted her. It’s not clear why the scientist requires her now, but she hangs on to two hopes—that Luke has gotten away and is safe, and that the vial of genetic material they’d fought to protect is destroyed. Life isn’t fair, but she pushes aside the cruelty of losing Luke so soon after finding his love. Survival, however it may come, is imperative, because she refuses to fail in ending the diabolical “cure.”Stranded in Mexico, Luke must contact the one person he’s always wanted to keep from danger. It doesn’t take much to convince his brother to be his backup in rescuing Cassidy from Project Xol’s team, and soon, the brothers follow her trail. Even with the help of the billionaire who’d once funded the research, it seems impossible to take down such a corrupt team hellbent on unethical experiments and producing something that can change the world forever. Despite the odds against them, they can only fight until the end, hoping they have made it in time…Given is the final book of the Project Xol series.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Holy what the heck in the Jason Bourne did I just finish reading?!?!?! Project Xol for the win!!!

Cassidy is one of my all time favorite characters. She started out as a meek and timid character but her strong badassedness had shown through time and time again. And she does not disappoint in Given. She is literally at the end of her rope but she knows she needs to do the right thing. She is out of tricks and out of rescuers. BUT, the tricks and rescuers are on their way. Even though she is adopted, she is such a pure and genuine person that she has made strong and unwavering friendships with others that become her family. And they are coming to help her. She has to take down her blood family and the diabolical “cure” as it is wrong. A new human subspecies….um, no thank you! When all things seem against you, monsters against humans, you have to pull out all the stops. When you have overcome so many episodes of hell, you can’t just stop. They do not stop. Not til the very end.

This entire series is a page turner! You will keep going and going and going. There is not one part of this series that I would change. Bravo!

Profile avatar for Audrey Kaye

Born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Audrey Kaye writes romantic suspense featuring strong, stubborn women and the men who can’t help but fall in love with them. Audrey lives with her husband, three daughters, and many pets, and has previously published under the name of Amabel Daniels. Her first novel, Better Than the Best, was written in 2015, and it’s been a wild ride of imagining the improbable ever since!