ARC Review: The House Guest by Penelope Ward

 

Penelope Ward is one of my favorite authors and I couldn’t wait to read The House Guest as soon as I read the blurb. This book was really good and I honestly couldn’t put it down. If you love angsty and emotional reads, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Primrose has been staying with her aunt and her aunt’s husband while attending art school. After their untimely passing, her aunt’s husband’s son comes to the estate to handle matters as well as take over his dad’s business. Dorian agrees to let Primrose stay while attending school and the two strike up a friendship. Their connection grows over time and soon they find themselves feeling something unlike they’ve ever felt before. But just as they realize they are falling for one another, life suddenly changes again. 

Primrose and Dorian were so good together. I loved the chemistry between them and really enjoyed them getting to know one another. Their connection was so genuine and felt easy, it was clear why they both were having the feelings they were. I wanted them to really give things a go, and I was surprised with how things went. I was not expecting the curves life threw at them, and was just as shocked as Primrose to learn the entire truth. 

While I did like how things ultimately ended up, their path wasn’t an easy one. I felt for both of them, doing what they could with the knowledge they had. It was rough at times, but I really felt like these two belonged together and would find a way back to one another. 

**ARC Provided by Give Me Books**

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ARC Review: Whirlwind by Alison Rhymes

 

I didn’t discover Alison Rhymes until last year, but have since devoured every book she has written! I have love for her Seattle Blades series though as I love hockey and her books so it just checks every box for me. So as soon as she gave us the release date for Whirlwind, I was beyond excited. This book absolutely lived up to and even exceeded my hopes for Tyson and Kit’s story. 

My absolute favorite thing about this book though was Tyson. I loved him and Kit together, and they were just so great for one another. But Tyson was on another level. His sweetness and patience throughout this story is what had me absolutely captivated. He is everything you look for in a hero, and I just couldn’t get enough of him. 

Beyond just Tyson though, this world and this story especially is just one I never want to leave. Alison has a way with words that just draws you in from the very first page and keeps your attention long after you have finished the last. I have been itching for Tyson’s story since the beginning of this series and we first met him (IYKYK). I just always felt like he deserved to have his very own HEA, and I knew it would take someone special after everything and I couldn’t have been happier with how this one went! While Whirlwind can be read as a standalone, each book in this series is phenomenal and I highly recommend them. I also feel like you get so much more insight and satisfaction here having seen everything that has transpired from the start of the series to this book. There are so many amazing characters you get to meet along the way and their growth is something I've loved experiencing as a reader. 

Whirlwind is one of my favorite books this year, an absolute must read!

**ARC Provided by Wordsmith Publicity**

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ARC Review: Denim & Diamonds by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

 

Vi Keeland and Penelope Douglas are one of my all-time favorite author duos and I will read pretty much anything they write at this point. I have long since stopped reading the blurbs for their books and just immediately add to my TBR. Denim & Diamonds was no exception. Luckily, they never disappoint and that was the case here as well.

I really liked February and Brock’s story. With them being so different, him a small town simple guy and her being a successful business owner from a big city, it didn’t seem like a natural fit. But the more time they spent around one another, the more it made sense. Their chemistry was everything you look for in a great romance, and their connection just grew stronger the more I read. I couldn’t get enough. While there were many obstacles stacked in their way, I just knew there had to be a way to make it work for them. 

I always recommend Vi and Penelope’s books to others, and this one is another winner. You can’t go wrong with their solo books, but they really shine when writing together. These two are able to deliver books full of heart and soul, while also bringing the heat and chemistry, every single time they team up. Denim and Diamonds is not to be missed!

**ARC Provided by GIve Me Books**

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ARC Review: Indiscretion by Vi Keeland

Vi Keeland is one of my all-time favorite authors and with each new book she releases, she just proves how talented she is! I don’t even read blurbs anymore when it comes to her, because I know I’m going to love whatever she has to say. She is just one of those authors for me that I trust to deliver every time and she has never let me down. Indiscretion was no different, and I had a great time reading this one!

I was hooked from the very first page and knew this one was going to be so much fun! Dawson and Naomi meet for the first time in the middle of the night when they both find out that the AirBnB they booked for their friend’s wedding was actually double booked. Dawson winds up with a black eye and Naomi winds up with a cast! From there things continue, and I was instantly invested in seeing how things would go. Dawson becomes Naomi’s boss and things between them continue to change the more time they spend together. The heat and chemistry that is between them is there from the start, but with both of them having things in their past that they need to deal with, their journey isn’t easy. 

I felt so connected to these two and I think a lot of that was because they were each so interesting and genuine. They felt so relatable, and I loved getting to know each of them as they got to know each other. Dawson and Naomi just felt so real to me, and I loved their story from beginning to end. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I can already tell this is one I’ll reread again. Vi has written some of my all time favorite characters and stories, and I think readers are going to love this one!

**ARC Provided by Give Me Books**

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ARC Review: Steal My Heart by Laura Pavlov

If 2024 was good for anything, it was solidifying my love for Laura Pavlov! Her Magnolia Falls series was my favorite of the year, and I loved every single book from start to finish. Meeting Easton in his sister’s book had be chomping at the bit for his story. Steal My Heart was absolutely everything I had hoped it would be and more! Steal My Heart is the first book in the Rosewood River series, and can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the Magnolia Falls series if you haven’t already read it!

Steal My Heart is Easton and Henley’s story, and I knew from the first page I was going to love it. These two had so much heat and chemistry, but it was their connection that had me unable to put this one down. I loved seeing them get to know one another as they didn’t get off on the right foot. There was a lot that made these characters who they were, especially Easton, but seeing them grow and move forward was so rewarding. I loved how kind, supportive and patient Henley was. She was absolutely everything you would look for in a strong female lead. 

Laura’s books are always filled with genuine and relatable characters, and Steal My Heart was no exception. Besides the amazing characters though, you can’t help but fall in love with the journey and story right along with the characters. I love how this book made it okay to not only sometimes need help, but also be able to ask for it. It is so nice to see things like this normalized. It was absolutely okay to mess up and apologize and not have it be some huge deal breaker. I just can’t recommend Laura’s books enough, and I loved this one so much! I highly recommend checking Steal My Heart out, and I already can’t wait for the next one!

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

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