The Smoke Tree by Stefanie Nici KU

Blurb

What’s a girl to do after it all falls apart?
That is what Tora McAllister must learn after her husband’s sudden trip to the hospital leads her to the surprise of her life. Feeling abandoned and alone, she is left to figure it out on her own.
Enter Peanut, a Yorkie Terrier her sister Courtney drops into Tora’s frazzled lap. Peanut’s presence brings her new joy, as well as a friendship with a popular neighbor and a handsome veterinarian, shaking up Tora’s life even more. Finding it difficult to let go of what was, will Tora welcome new beginnings with open arms or continue clinging to a hopeless past?

Review

From the first page, the story captivated me. Tora is a thirty something, that has the perfect hard-working husband, and a seemingly good group of friends. Her husband works late nights, and Tora fills her loneliness by eating. That affects her wait and kills her confidence. But her confidence takes a hit when she discovers that her husband and her group of friends have been lying to her. After suffering a betrayal, Tora’s sister Courtney begs her to watch her new dog Peanut. While taking Peanut for a walk, Tora meets Jill, and thankfully, they start a healthy friendship. But just remember, Jill also has her own secret. The dog also introduces Tora to the love interest of the novel, a kind veterinarian that is patient and sweet.

Although this book does have romantic elements, it’s mostly about a woman that pulls her life back together again. There are some “holy crap!” moments in that book. At times, Tora’s timid nature does get irritating. But in the end, I appreciated how she handled everything. The book is written so well that at times I thought I was reading a nonfiction novel. It’s amazing how the author was able to bring Tora to life. Her insecurities, her experiences, her reactions were all so real.

If you enjoy a book with mean girls, amusing characters, and a woman that finally finds her place in life, this book is for you.

Second Chances: A Friends to Lovers Celebrity Romance (Love on Set Book 1) by Alice Reed KU

Blurb

For those who believe lightning can strike twice …

Girl-next-door turned party girl Emelia Young has spent the last five years cultivating an illustrious acting career in LA. But, when fate pulls her back to her hometown of Sydney, she finds the eyes of the world are on her, and this time for all the wrong reasons.

In the midst of a chaotic scandal, Emelia meets the eye of the last person she expected to see: her high school sweetheart, Liam Miller. When the whole world turns dark, Emelia finds light again in the boy she loved all those years ago.

But things have changed. No longer the heart-drawing sixteen-year-old Liam used to know, fame, money and notoriety have changed Emelia, leaving them both unsure of where they stand.

When chance leads them into close proximity, Emelia finds there’s something even more terrifying than having the whole world hate you: developing feelings for someone who she could actually fall for.

Hearts will be set racing in this fast paced second chance romance set on the sunny and romantic Bondi Beach. Do they have it in their hearts to take another shot at love?

Review

What a heartwarming read!

After reading this book my first thought was, “I wish I could date someone like Liam.” This book was different, since the male lead wasn’t some dark character who was rude and aggressive. Liam was all sunshine. I felt like his personality balanced out Emelia, who was more of the insecure reformed mean girl type.

Aside from the author’s impeccable skill with character development, the plot was interesting as well. Liam and Emelia were once lovers when they were teenagers. But then, Emelia broke it off, left Australia, and became a famous actress. Fast forward a few years, Emelia returned to Australia, her mission to confront a passed lover and secure a part in a new series. Then, Liam and Emelia were thrust together by scandal. The scandal was so surprising that I actually shouted, “No way!” while reading. To be honest, it took a bit for me to like Emelia. But by the end, I was rooting for Liam and Emelia to reconnect. Since Liam new the real Emelia, it helped me understand why he loved her.

If you’re looking for a book with love, betrayal, and scheming executives, this is the book for you!

US Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PNMYRJZ

Aus Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08PNMYRJZ

UK Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08PNMYRJZ

Rose (Suitors of Seattle Book 1) By Kirsten Osbourne PF

Blurb

Rose is the first book in a highly anticipated new series Suitors of Seattle, following the adventures of eight Western daughters ready to benefit from

the matchmaking skills of her new Aunt Harriett, whom readers will recognize from the best selling Brides of Beckham series.

Pampered socialite Rose is used to men falling at her feet. But her match with handsome Dr. Shawn Henry leaves her feeling less than adored. Has Rose fallen

in love with a man who can’t love her back?

Want more matchmaking madness? Check out the Brides of Beckham.

Review

I think I’ve read this book 20 times already! It’s one of those stories that you never get sick of. It’s an interesting spin of the “unrequited love” theme. Rose is not only pampered but a bit self-obsessed. She have had dozens of suitors, who has declared their undying love for her. So naturally, when she meats Doctor Shawn Henry, who’s also a bit full of himself, she is sure that he loves her.

What I find most entertaining about this read is that the author does a fabulous job switching between perspectives. On one hand, you have Rose, misinterpreting the gestures that Doctor Shawn, who acts as if the courting process is tedious. Rose, doesn’t find out that the dentist doesn’t love her until after they make love on their wedding night, which serves as a bucket of ice water dumped onto the character.

What I love about this book is that there is more to Rose. Through out the story, she shows a compassionate, that many are surprised to see. She volunteers in a battered women shelter and helps two of her siblings with their own love stories. She finally gets to know Doctor Shawn, who in turn sees that Rose is truly a gem. She doesn’t have to change as a person, though, I feel like Rose does mature through the book.

If you’re looking for a historical romance that has flawed but lovable characters, this is the book for you!

https://books.apple.com/us/book/rose/id657179651

Unbreakable Bond (Fated Mates Duet Book 1) By Jess Bryant KU

Blurb

Sometimes fate gets it all wrong.

Zoey Kent has lived with that fact ever since she turned eighteen and learned that the man she loved could never be hers. He’s a born shifter, a wolf,

and she’s a mere human. Fate doesn’t care if on paper they’re a perfect pair. She isn’t his fated mate and she’s resigned herself to the knowledge that

someday, she’ll have to watch Michael mate with another. It’s never crossed her mind that there might be someone else out there for her, that she would

be the one to mate another, to choose another over everything she’s ever known or wanted.

Sometimes fate gets it all right.

Rafe Hudson left his pack behind years ago. Physically and mentally scarred from an attack that left his parents and twin dead, he walked away from his

responsibilities as Alpha. He never intended to return but lone wolf or not, he can’t leave Michael open to an attack he’s learned is coming for his only

brother. What he didn’t know was that going home would mean scenting his mate, the one person in the world that could make him whole again, that could

give him everything he thought he’d lost. His pack, his home and his family.

But fate always has a plan.

There’s no way Michael’s brother is her future, is there? Just like there’s no way that the girl his brother has loved since they were kids, was always

meant to be his, right?

Only fate knows why they were brought together but there is one thing for sure, the sparks between Zoey and Rafe are undeniable. The bond between them

is unbreakable. And together… they’ll change the face of the pack forever.

Review

This book is so awesome that I had to read it twice! I’m sure that everyone has that “feel good” read. It’s a book you can reread when you’re in a particular mood. I know that in my case, it helped me escape the monotony of staying home. I love this book for several reasons. The first one is the lack of bone chilling horror. It isn’t a dark fantasy with heads being boiled, but there are a few fight scenes that are enough to keep a fantasy fan like me excited. It also has a romance that is unexpected by both characters.

You have Zoey, who is a human that was adopted by a shifter couple. She spends the beginning of the book thinking about Michael, her best friend, and alpha of the pack. Despite longing for one another, the pair still manages to be friends. A relationship between them is hopeless, since they are not fated mates. Rafe on the other hand is broken for a good reason. Rafe was the rightful alpha of his brother Michael’s pack, who vanished after the death of his twin brother and his parents. He holds on to guilt that kept him away from the pack for years.

Naturally, Michael tries to prevent Rafe from claiming his soulmate, but Zoey fights for the man that belongs to her. Thank goodness, she’s a female lead with a back bone. This is a shifter romance, so there is instalove, steam, dialogue, and testosterone. The side characters are interesting. The threat to the pack does reveal himself, and he is handled in the second novel, which I have also read and enjoyed.

If you’re looking for a new adult novel that has steam, love, and hot werewolves, this is the book for you!

Loving Eliza (South Dakota Series #1) by Ruth Ann. Nordin PF

Blurb

Eliza left her life of prostitution to become something she could never be back in Omaha: a lady. Her plan is to remain single for the rest of her life,

but when she arrives in South Dakota, she runs into John Evans. And he’s not about to let her remain single if he has anything to do about it.

As soon as John sees Eliza, he falls in love with her. Not only is Eliza the most beautiful young lady he’s ever seen, but she isn’t put off by the fact

that he’s mute. Since his mail-order bride didn’t come, then he sees no reason why he can’t marry Eliza and make a home with her.

Eliza, however, knows very well why they can’t be together. She used to be a prostitute. John is a sweet man who’s never even kissed a woman. He deserves

a virgin who can give him her innocence and a future with children. Eliza can do neither one for him. But while she insists he waits to see if his mail-order

bride is coming after all, she is taken in with his sweetness and charm until she’s torn between doing what is best for him and what her selfish heart

wants.

*This is the first book in the South Dakota Series.

Book 1: Loving Eliza

Book 2: Bid for a Bride

Book 3: Bride of Second Chances

Review

What a read! The book begins with the arrival of Eliza, a former prostitute who is looking for a fresh start. She arrives in town to clean houses for a middle-aged woman, but is intercepted by John, a mute man who mistakes Eliza for his mail order bride. He sticks to Eliza like glue, because he already knows that Eliza’s employer had suffered a deadly fall down the stairs. In a typical historical romance, the heroine would then be forced to marry someone. Nope, Eliza is under the impression that her sorted past makes her unfit to be a bride. So, she agrees to work for John instead of being his bride.

Although the story is romantic, sensitive subjects are touched upon, but are not enacted in scenes. John also deals with a disability that is misunderstood by many. Because he is mute, many of the towns people, including his brother Troy, think that it translates into him being stupid. The fact that Eliza is able to see John for who he really is, makes this story have a special place in my heart. It’s nice that in return, John is able to love Eliza for the wonderful person that she is.

There are twists, turns, and moments that made me laugh out loud. I’d recommend this read to anyone looking for a story that has love, spice, and interesting side characters.

https://books.apple.com/us/book/loving-eliza/id380446423

A Chance for Charity (The Immortal ones #1) By S.L. Baum PF

Blurb

A new family has just arrived in the isolated mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. Welcome the Johnstons – Jason (a doctor), Rachel (a designer), and their niece Emily (a current High School Senior).

Emily has lived the life of a quiet loner in the past, trying to go unnoticed. But with Telluride being such a small and welcoming town, she finds a group of friends at school almost immediately. When Emily meets Link (another new transplant in town) her world turns upside down. She doesn’t understand why she feels a magnetic pull toward him, or why she unknowingly lets her guard down around him. Link is just as confused by his own need to be with her.

Emily knows she is playing with fire. She should be doing whatever she can to keep herself isolated, to keep Link from getting too close. Danger has a way of finding Emily’s family – that is what keeps them on the move. They arrive in a new town every few years – it is safer that way.

Because… Emily isn’t really Emily… her real name is Charity – and Charity has an even bigger secret. Charity and her family are not like other people, they have “skills” that mere mortals cannot begin to comprehend.

Before long, Charity is struggling with the reality that her two lives are coming closer to each other with each passing day. Soon Link will find himself wrapped in a supernatural world that he never knew existed – and discover that mortals are not the only beings that walk this earth.

Review

What a refreshing book! Anyone that knows me, won’t find this surprising, but I’m all about the sweet paranormal romances. In fact, I can get lost in those feel good novels for hours. This read was no different.

So, the novel begins with Emily, whose real name is, Charity. And, yes, she’s the one that is a part of the supernatural world. She has decided to stick with her friends, who pose as her aunt and uncle. They travel every few years in order to stay undetected by hunters, and suspicious humans. Of course, she meets Link, who is completely human and unaware of the supernatural. Link is in his early twenties, and Charity is posing as a 17-year-old, don’t worry she’s actually much older. In fact, Charity has a heart-breaking past and by the end of the novel, an unknown aspect of her history will be revealed.

Charity is transformed by the relationships she makes, both romantic and platonic. I have to mention that Charity and Link’s chemistry is lovely, beautiful and makes me nostalgic. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will mention some cool aspects of this book. The author incorporates witches, vampires, and shifters. Meanwhile, she also created a race of beings that have something in common with vampires. I also love how the author brought Telluride to life. She wrote in such a way that I felt like I was on the slopes with the lovebirds.

This book will appeal to anyone that enjoys a feel-good novel that has magic, hilarious side characters, love and awesome dialogue.

https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-chance-for-charity-the-immortal-ones/id443234490 https://www.amazon.com/Chance-Charity-Immortal-Ones-Book-ebook/dp/B003PPCTS8

Because of Hattie: A grippingly seductive story of love, lust and loss, with heartbreak and betrayal that will change the course of a young woman’s lifeForever. By Roxanna C. Revell KU

Blurb

Ava Swan’s life had always been simple – until she fell in love. Big love. Epic love. Epic sex… Love; a common, yet utterly complicated emotion that

brought her a happiness that she never thought possible – until it ripped her world apart.

Turning to the sanctuary of her parents at their home in the idyllic village of Clovelly; Ava starts to put the pieces of her life back together. Her life,

and that of the baby that she keeps hidden from her past.

New love arrives and Ava believes that she has truly moved on. Only, the past always has a way of catching up with you.

When Mark returns to Ava’s life, so to do the feelings that she buried deep inside, and when the new love she found, and the new life she created, is revealed

to have been built on lies; danger follows, along with a whole new level of pain and despair.

It’s enough to break you, but sometimes it can make you – and all of this, because of Hattie.

Review

This novel may be fiction, but it reads like a captivating memoir that is jammed packed with emotions. I know you’re thinking, who is Haddie? Simply put, she is a toxic best friend in sheep’s clothing. She is the kind of person that sneakily sucks the joy out of her friends lives. Ava is kind but too loyal in the beginning. She is sent running from the love of her life because Haddie and her accomplices manage to take everything from her. She has her baby Jacob in secret, and builds a relationship with someone else. I won’t tell you the outcome, but I’ll just say that the author has a talent for character development. Ava starts of as a kind person with little backbone and turns into a strong woman who knows how to take care of herself. Though, most of the story is told from Ava’s point of view, the author does include the point of view of a few of the supporting characters. I promise, there is steam, passion, heart break, loss, friendship, supportive family, and so much more in this novel. If you enjoy a romance that is filled with drama, love, and the highs and lows of a mother trying to put her heart back together, this is the book for you!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088ZWQ8PZ?ref_=d6k_applink_bb_marketplace

So You’re Not Supermom….It’s OK!: Rants of a foul mouthed mom Volume 1 By Supermom, JN. KU

Blurb

This is a compilation of short rants from a foul mouthed mom with some little words of wisdom!

In this one you can find such wonderful shit as:

Germs, Germs, More Germs?

Tantrums Galore?

Do Ends Meet?

P.TAhhhh Fuck That?

Date Night WTF Is That?

As I rant away the not normally spoken words of everyday life raising kids with a ton of f-bombs. This will let you know you’re not the only parent who

feels they have failed some days.

This is just how I feel about raising children! No judgement! We aren’t perfect! Nobody is!

Raising kids isn’t easy, especially now a days, there are so many expectations not just from society, but most of all ourselves!

In my opinion if they are still alive, fed, clothed and roof over them, you’re doing just fine!

Keep at it! One day at a time!

Review

I’m totally blown away by the frank writing in this book! Nonfiction isn’t usually my cup of tea. But the synopsis made me curious. And let me just say, that the author loves using the word f*ck and other four-letter words. And her seven children, which she refers to as the seven dwarfs, have taught this loving mom a lot of lessons. My favorite involves a child gluing the drawers shut with dried toothpaste. I don’t want to spoil too much of the book, but I will say that it gives you an uncensored point of view of a working mother. I want to take this time out to thank my mother for putting up with all of the crap that I put her through as a toddler. I don’t have children yet, but this read makes me wish I did. Yes, kids are a pain sometimes, and they do require a lot of work. But the love that parents have for their children is amazing! The author’s love for her children is felt in every word. This book is a compilation of the rants of a mother who managed to get an education while being a dedicated mother. I recommend this read for anyone that wants an honest view point of motherhood.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CG5JCPY

Korrigan (Secrets Of The Fae #1) By Rebecca F. Kenney KU

Blurb

A girl at night, a caged monster during the day. Aislinn has lived in darkness as long as she can remember. She is Korrigan— and only by Life-Stealing can she keep her human shape from dawn to dusk. When she finally steps into the sunlight, the first person she sees is Zane. He’s everything she wants— handsome, sweet, and normal.
But an encounter with the Far Darrig, the malevolent trickster of Old Irish myth, changes Aislinn’s future. He opens a new realm of possibilities that are anything but normal— and with them, brings dreams and desires as dangerous as he is.
Above all, Aislinn craves choice— the right to decide her own path. But what if gaining power for herself means giving up something much more precious?

Review

Wow! I finished this book in one day. I am hooked and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. So this young adult book focuses on Aislinn, who is a 17-year-old girl who lives with five shady, uncaring guardians. All of the Korrigan are cursed, forced to pay a price, in order to go out in the day. I won’t spoil that part, since that will ruin some of the book. But let me just say, the curse on the Korrigan is truly horrible. So, once Aislinn is able to walk around in the day, she meets Zane, a handsome guy who is sweet, kind, and good. Of course her guardians aren’t thrilled with her making friends with humans. In fact, most of the women that Aislinn lives with, treats her like she is a bother. She is often times controlled and ridiculed. Aislinn also has nasty nightmares and is being harassed by the fae. When you find out the real reason why Aislinn and her guardians were cursed, you’ll be shocked. There is sort of a confusing love triangle that goes on. I like how it’s resolved in the first book. Aislinn also has to decide if she will walk down the path of good or evil. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys an all-consuming paranormal romance about the fae.

Gnotret (The Accidental Heroes Chronicles #1) by S.E. Cyborski

Blurb

While he doesn’t like the sound of the experimental drug trial his girlfriend Amy Veksler found a flyer for on campus, George Ormond still lets himself be persuaded to join it. He, Amy, and three other students go to a warehouse where Doctor Adam Carnesby, the biology professor who’s running the study, has everything set up for the month long trial. Everything seems to be going well even though all five of the students become sick for a week after their first injections. At the start of the second week, they all recover, feeling better than ever. Then, they start to discover that there were more side effects to the drug than just a cold.

Review

Attention to all of the super hero lovers in the world, this is the read for you! During this pandemic, I’ve tried to find books that can bring me to another location. This author does a great job of making the reader feel like the characters are all real people. Everyone has their clear traits, and friendships have been made. George is what a guy would call “whipped.” But I feel that he would do anything to keep his hot girlfriend. Amy is outgoing, but through no fault of her own, becomes annoying after the trials begin. Then, we have my favorite character, Billy, who is smart, quiet, and powerful in his own way. Sandra is ambitious, while Michael is the party boy. The plot is that kind of plot that is safe enough that you don’t need tissues, but unpredictable in the way that digging into a box of chocolates is. I did not see the end coming. I mean, I thought that this would be like most super hero books. But guys be warned, this book doesn’t follow all of the same plot lines as every other book. I think anyone looking for a fast pace read will enjoy it.