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: Finding Hayes by Laura Pavlov

I have loved the Magnolia Falls series from the very first book and so it was a little bittersweet reading Finding Hayes as I just wasn’t ready for this series to finish! Laura Pavlov has written such an amazing group of characters with this series and I have to say she definitely finished it off as strong as ever! Finding Hayes was amazing, I just loved this book from the first word to the last.

Finding Hayes features Hayes and Savannah, and I couldn’t get enough of these two. These childhood best friends  spent years apart after a misunderstanding and find themselves suddenly back in each other’s lives here. They had such a strong connection and it was great to see them get to know one another here after growing up. The chemistry was off the charts and I just never wanted it to end. 

The reason this series has been such a standout to me has absolutely been this cast of characters. I have never felt so connected to a group of characters where I was genuinely so excited for each book of the series. This group is filled with lovable and genuine characters who feel so real and relatable. Truly a case of family is what and who you make it, not what you are born into. The support and love between them is unlike any I’ve read about before. Hayes and Savvy’s book was a strong finish and I loved it just as much as I loved the previous books. The real star of the series though for me was Cutler. Beefcake stole every scene he was in, and I was so glad that he was still a huge part of this story after his dad’s book. I can absolutely picture him leading the next generation forward as the rest of the characters got their HEA’s and are settling into married life. 

I am also really looking forward to getting Easton’s book as the start of a new series from Laura Pavlov. At this point, I will read whatever she writes and cannot recommend her books enough. If you haven’t read the Magnolia Falls series, you are seriously missing out. Each book is a standalone story but I believe that each book is worth the read and starting at the beginning is definitely the way to go if you can. One of my all-time favorite series and I already can’t wait to read them all again!

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

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ARC Review: Tempest by Alison Rhymes

Alison Rhymes was a new-to-me author at the beginning of this year and since starting with Rainfall, I have binged her entire backlist! She is definitely my favorite find of the year, and I cannot recommend her books enough! I was so excited to get the next installment of the Seattle Blades series, with each book being an interconnected standalone you can read each without starting at the beginning. I definitely recommend reading them all though as they are fantastic!

One of the reasons that I love Alison’s books is that each one has a bit of heartbreak and angst to them that the characters have to overcome to get to their HEA. Tempest was no exception and I absolutely could not put it down! I won’t spoil any of the story as I really love the experience of Alison’s books and believe they are best experienced blindly with the reader taking the journey without spoilers. 

What I will say though is that I absolutely loved Gavin and Odette. These two had a strong connection and life got in the way as it often does. They end up finding themselves back in the same city years later, with Odette becoming a mentor to his daughter. They quickly discover that time and distance don’t always dull feelings, regardless of the circumstances that kept them apart. 

Gavin and Odette had so much chemistry. You could really feel the connection and heat between them. I loved seeing them get to know one another after their years apart and I really felt like I could relate to both of them. Odette was so strong and inspiring and I loved her interactions with Gavin’s daughter. Gavin was a really great guy and it was easy to see why he made the choices he did. I really think readers will love this one as much as I did. The characters are impossible not to fall for and the story is captivating from start to finish. One of the best books I’ve read this year, I highly recommend Tempest and honestly any and all books from Alison Rhymes.

**ARC Provided by Wordsmith Publicity**

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ARC Review: Beating Heart by Laura Pavlov

 

I absolutely love the Magnolia Falls series by Laura Pavlov! Each book is an interconnected standalone story. While each can be read on its own, I highly recommend starting at the beginning if you haven’t already started this series. Not only are each of these books fantastic, but you really get to know the characters and their personalities throughout the series and see the growth and progression for each one. This has definitely been one of my all-time favorite romance series to read, and each book just keeps getting better!

I have to say that I had such high hopes for Beating Heart seeing as my favorite character from this entire series has been Cutler! I knew his dad Nash’s story would heavily feature him, and I couldn’t wait for it! It not only delivered all I had hoped for, but so much more! This one was just such a great story even beyond Cutler and Nash being front and center. I loved Emerson so much, she has definitely been my favorite heroine of the series! This book  just delivered the perfect amount of heat and steam, but also a genuine and undeniable connection between the characters. I really felt like I was invested from page one and right there with each of them through every triumph and struggle. 

I wish I could go back and read this one again for the first time as it is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year as well as my favorite of the Magnolia Falls series. I seriously cannot recommend this book or series enough. Nash and Emerson were everything  you could hope for, and Cutler is seriously my favorite fictional kid ever. Every scene he is in, he just steals the whole show! I hope we continue to get more of him, because I honestly can’t picture a world in which we aren’t getting little bits from him and seeing how he continues to grow up and tackle the world. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series, but while I wait, I know I'll be reading this one again! Beating Heart is a must read!!

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

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ARC Review: Older by Jennifer Hartmann

Age gap and forbidden romance are definitely my jam, so when I first saw Older from Jennifer Hartmann, I knew this one was going to be good! She definitely didn’t disappoint! Older had me hooked from the very first page to the last and I was unable to put this one down. If you are looking for a captivating story that will have you feeling all the feels, look no further!

Reed and Halley meet and share a connection right away, before Reed learns that Halley is younger than she originally said. Turns out that besides the large difference in their ages, Halley is also best friends with Reed’s daughter. These two know they need to keep their distance, but circumstances keep bringing them together and as they continue to grow closer, lines become blurred and they find themselves more drawn to one another.

I absolutely loved these two. Their connection was so natural and genuine right from the start. They just had an ease about them that felt right. I loved how Halley was so strong and able to overcome all that she had been dealt in life both individually and with the support of Reed, Tara and Whitney. Reed was a great guy all around, trying to do his best by Halley as well as his daughter. He was caring and kind, and I loved that he was so passionate about helping others. Reed and Halley’s circumstances might not have been ideal for anyone involved, but the chemistry and connection were undeniable, and you could feel the love between them growing.

I will say that my rating on this one was based mostly on feeling and the fact that I know this book won’t be far from my mind for quite awhile. This one is definitely one of my favorites from Jennifer Hartmann, but I do wish we had been given a bit more to this ending. It felt a bit rushed and I wanted to see more of them actually being a couple after everything they’d been through. Ultimately though, I loved this book and thought it was a five star read. I highly recommend this one, and I already can’t wait to go back and read it again.

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

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ARC Review: Eleven Eleven by Micalea Smeltzer

I will admit that the love I have for this book started with the cover! It is so gorgeous and honestly was what sold me on this book. But as beautiful as the book is on the outside, the contents are even more so! This book is by far my favorite I’ve read so far this year, but also in a really long time!

Micalea Smeltzer captivates you with her words and story-telling from the very first page with characters Reid and Via. These two were just so easy to love and feel connected to. They had so much chemistry and a clear attraction from the start, but it was the connection between them that had me unable to put this one down! This is a reverse age-gap, which isn’t usually my jam, but with these two I couldn’t help but fall in love right along with them! I loved them both so much and honestly Reid is what book boyfriends are made of! He was so mature and patient for his age, and I couldn’t get enough. He was perfect for Via.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. It was just such a great read that I constantly found myself wanting to keep reading to see what would happen next, but also slow down and savor it. I am also really excited that we are going to get another book in this world featuring two characters I really liked from Eleven Eleven! I already can’t wait for that book next! In the meantime, I’ll be re-reading this one! This one is a must read!

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

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ARC Review: Fake-Ish by Winter Renshaw

I loved Dorion so much! Him and Briar were so good together. They had such a strong connection from the very start and their chemistry was off the charts. These two had it all and my heart felt for both of them in the situation they were in. I'm so glad that they were able to figure things out in the end. They were so real and genuine and I'm glad they remained that way at the end. 

Winter Renshaw never disappoints, and this was no exception. She just knocks it out of the park each and every time! I always look forward to her stories and can't wait for what is next! Winter Renshaw is one of my favorite authors and I can't recommend her books enough. Fake-Ish is one of my new faves, this one is a must read!

**ARC Provided by Publisher/Author**

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ARC Review: Mr. Hook-Up by Marni Mann

 

I couldn’t wait to read Mr. Hook-Up after reading The Bachelor by Marni Mann, and it was everything I hoped for and more! This book is a standalone story, and the start of Marni’s new Hooked series. Readers first meet some of the characters from Mr. Hook-Up in Marni’s book The Bachelor as Camden Dalton helps Declan Shaw take on a case that becomes a large part of this series. Not only do I highly recommend the whole Dalton series (they are interconnected stand-alones) as they are all fantastic reads, but I definitely recommend reading The Bachelor first if possible as it was so good and gives you a little glimpse into this book!

This book has one of my favorite tropes ever, texting/secret identity, and I couldn’t get enough. It is split into two parts, and I was honestly so in love with this story as I read it. I won’t give anything away, but I had to know how things would go after part one and didn’t want to put this one down for anything! These characters are sexy and witty, and I just loved every second of this one!

Fans of Marni will love this book as it has everything i’ve come to expect and appreciate about her stories! Her writing is so good and you can’t help but fall in love with her characters and want to be right there with them. She also always brings the spice, and this one was no exception! I can’t wait to read this one again and to also get more in this series! I love Marni’s books, but this one could possibly be my new favorite! Mr. Hook-Up will have you Hooked from the very first page, an absolute must-read!

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Pucking Wild by Emily Rath

 

Pucking Wild is the second book in the Jacksonville Rays series by Emily Rath, and while technically it is a standalone story, I highly recommend reading these in order. This book had a different feel than previous stories, yet it fit in this world perfectly! Those that are already familiar with this world will be happy to know we get plenty of time with familiar faces and favorites, but not so much that they take over Tess and Ryan’s story.

Tess and Ryan were so amazing. They each had vulnerabilities and insecurities that they didn’t show to others, yet they were able to learn and grow together here. I loved the support they gave to each other. They really helped one another in so many ways and were perfect together. They had steam and chemistry, and I honestly couldn’t get enough of them together. But it was their undeniable connection that I loved the most. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rachel’s guys, but there is just something so irresistible about Ryan that I could not love more. He definitely gives Jake a run for his money as my most loved character from Emily. 

This book was funny from start to finish in a way that I have come to recognize with Rath’s writing, but it was also perfectly balanced with steam and chemistry as well as heart-warming moments that keep you wanting to read and not put the book down. I loved the glimpses Emily gave us here of things to come in this series, and I already can’t wait for the next installment in the series! Morrow, Novy and Poppy are sure to be new favorites of mine when their book Pucking Sweet releases later this year! If you are new to Emily Rath, I highly recommend her books, and I’ll admit I’m a little jealous you get to experience her words for the first time!

**ARC Provided by Author**

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ARC Review: You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw

I absolutely loved You or Someone Like You by Winter Renshaw! I couldn’t put this book down! I was hooked from the very first page until the last, and was completely lost in this story. I didn’t know much about this book going in, but the wrong twin, right guy part of the blurb sold me and I am so glad that I read this book.

Roman is a widower left to raise his young daughters after losing his wife and has struggled to move on since her death. Sloane gets sucked into helping her sister try to get a promotion when her sister’s boss insists on setting her up with her nephew. Agreeing to help her sister out, Sloane is shocked to find out that the date is with Roman, the person that got Sloane fired from her job a few years prior. Both Sloane and Roman are lovers of art, while he collects it, she sells it. They quickly find themselves bonding over art, but with so many secrets and lies between them, what happens when it all eventually comes out?

I could feel the connection and chemistry between these two right away. It was clear on their first “date” that they had more in common that either wanted or expected, and I loved seeing them grow from that. They were so good together and I couldn’t get enough. Honestly I haven’t been this invested in characters or a story for awhile, and Roman and Sloane were everything I love to read about and had been hoping for here! I loved seeing how things unfolded and how art really brought them together. It all felt so natural and believable. 

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I cannot recommend it enough! This one is an absolute must read!

**ARC Provided by Ardent PRose**

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