ARC Review: The Hidden Life by Erin Noelle

The Hidden Life is a spin-off novella of Erin Noelle's book The Perfect Life. This is not intended to be a standalone and should only be read if you have already read The Perfect Life. The Hidden Life is Seth's story. On the outside it looks like Seth has a pretty perfect life. He has a great job and his best friend Colin is a famous quarterback playing for the New England Patriots. But there are only a few people that know that his playboy facade actually hides the life he truly desires. Torn between the life he leads and the life he wants, Seth must decide if he can keep pretending for the public when the only life he really wants is the one that can never be revealed. 

I was so excited when I found out that Erin Noelle was writing more in this world after I read The Perfect Life. I couldn't get enough of Seth, Colin, and Monroe, and I was dying to see more of Seth! It was so great to get more of his backstory and to see some of his past, while also seeing moments that we had already experienced in The Perfect Life from his perspective. I was emotionally invested already in Seth's character, but experiencing everything as he did added a whole new level of what I was feeling. My heart broke for him as he struggled between what he wanted and what he needed. I knew his story wouldn't be easy, but I ended up just loving him so much more than I already did and I hated that he had to go through some really rough times here. 

Overall, this was a great follow up to The Perfect Life and I am so glad that we got to see more of these characters. The only reason that I didn't give this story five stars is that I wish we had been given a bit more of these characters since the story was so short. I liked that we got some scenes from The Perfect Life in a whole new way here, but I would have loved even more all new content either from Seth's past or a bit down the road into his future. Don't get me wrong, I still really loved this story and definitely recommend it to those that have read The Perfect Life. But I am super greedy with these characters that we have come to know and love, and I was not ready to let them go yet. Erin Noelle is a great writer, and I really loved that she gave us this novella and stepped outside a bit from what she normally writes. I can't wait to see what she writes in the future and I am already anxious to see what she has in store for her readers next.

**ARC Provided by Love Affair with Fiction**

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ARC Review: The Perfect Life by Erin Noelle

I absolutely loved The Perfect Life by Erin Noelle. This book is a standalone story, and I could not put it down. I loved the characters and everything about this book and this is definitely one of my favorites from Erin Noelle, if not my favorite from her. (It's hard to pick just one!!) I will admit going into this one after reading the blurb, I was a bit worried about what might possibly happen. But Erin Noelle is a fantastic writer and I really believe that she did all the characters justice here. I recommend going into this story blind and just experiencing it without knowing anything ahead of time. 

At first glance, it appears as though Monroe Cassidy has the perfect life. Her husband is Colin "Clutch" Cassidy, the famous and wonderful NFL quarterback. Their bond is one that is unbreakable. Having met in college, Monroe and Colin have dedicated their lives to helping others and are one of the country's most loved couples. Monroe having finished her degree is now executive director of Boston's chapter of Mending Hearts. Her career allows her to help children who have no one else to look after them after experiencing abuse. But her life isn't as it seems, and having the perfect exterior has also come with her making a huge sacrifice as well. Monroe never felt as though it was a sacrifice though, until the day she realized that she was missing something she had never thought that she would have a chance at. 

I am going to be extremely vague here because even the smallest detail could spoil everything, and I don't want that to happen. This story is so good and needs to be experienced without knowing the outcome. But I have to say that I absolutely adored all of the characters here! I loved Colin and Monroe, Seth and Oliver. The only character that I didn't like from the very beginning was Effie. But the rest were so easy to like, and I loved how real they were. They were flawed and each of them had things they had been dealing with from either their pasts or present that made them who they were and I couldn't get enough of them. The relationships and friendships here were so interesting, and I loved seeing how they all fit together. Some had known each other for years and had a lot of history, with some were forming new bonds as the story progressed. But I really loved seeing them all and how they fit together. 

Overall, this story was so good and I couldn't put it down. I thought that it was well written and held my interest the entire way through. I loved the ending and how things turned out, and I really enjoyed the journey getting there as well. This story was emotional and heartfelt, and I truly felt invested in each of these characters. While I loved the ending here and was glad with how things turned out for these characters, there are also two characters here that I couldn't get enough of as well! I really want their story, and I hope that Erin Noelle will write it. It was one that I was behind from the first moment we were given a glimpse of them, and I honestly want to see the past for them as well as the future. This book was really a great read, and I think that fans of Erin Noelle will absolutely love it! But if you are new to Erin's stories, this is a great one to start with as it truly is one of my absolute favorites from her! I can't wait to read more from Erin Noelle, and I highly recommend this story!

**ARC Provided by Love Affair With Fiction**

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ARC Review: Flame by Erin Noelle

Flame is the second book in the Fire on the Mountain series by Erin Noelle, with each book being an interconnected standalone. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one after really enjoying the first book Spark. While I really liked Spark, I absolutely loved Flame! Dakota and Levi's story was so good, and I just couldn't put it down. 

When in Breckenridge for his friend's wedding, successful motocross rider James Levi meets Dakota Shavell. Sparks instantly fly between them, and a sexy night between them soon becomes a two week long road trip together. Dakota and Levi are both used to keeping things casual and they aren't into being possessive or anything long-term. But the longer they spend together, the more their feelings begin to change. They both know that at the end of two weeks Dakota will be headed home while Levi will continue on in his quest to win Worlds. But when Levi gets hurt he suddenly realizes that his priorities have changed, and he is determined to show Dakota that they belong together.

I really loved Dakota and Levi. These two were absolutely perfect for one another, and I loved seeing them together. Dakota was fun and sassy, and I really loved how much she owned who she was. She never made any apologies for who she was and didn't care if others liked it or not. Levi was confident and charming without being a cocky jerk. He went after what he wanted, and I enjoyed watching him as he claimed Dakota. These two had such strong chemistry and they could not have been hotter together. But I also really enjoyed seeing them get closer emotionally when it was clear that neither one of them was used to forming a connection like the one that was so natural between them. 

Overall, this was my favorite so far from this series! I couldn't get enough of these two or their story, and I really enjoyed seeing a few familiar faces. I have to say that I am already looking forward to the next book after the setup here, and I think it will be interesting to see how things play out for the next Shavell sister! I highly recommend this series from Erin Noelle, and don't worry about jumping in here if you haven't read Spark. It isn't necessary to start at the beginning, though I would recommend Spark as well since it is a great book as well! Erin Noelle is a great writer, and I honestly cannot wait to read more from her!

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: Spark by Erin Noelle

Spark is the first book in the Fire on the Mountain series by Erin Noelle. I have to say that I was instantly intrigued with this book because it is so different from anything I have read before. If you have read any kind of dark romance or MC book, then the use of drugs won't be a shock to you. Drugs seem to play a part in plenty of romance books at this point, especially if the characters like to party. But I have never seen it approached in a medicinal way before, and that really got me curious about this story. This book was different than anything else I have read, and I did enjoy that. I had a few issues as well, but for most of this story I really enjoyed what I was reading. 

Having tried almost every medical option available to them, Crew's family heads to Colorado in order to try one they haven't yet. His little brother is getting worse everyday, and he and his mom will do whatever they can to change that. They arrive at Fire on the Mountain, a holistic resort known for their laid back ways. They plan to get medicinal marijuana to see if that can help Caleb's symptoms and provide a better life for him. But upon arrival Crew meets one of the owner's daughters, and the connection between them is instant. They both feel a spark unlike anything they've ever experienced. Crew knows that he has enough on his plate to worry about, and yet he finds himself unable to stay away from Hudson. But with everything that he has going on and his brother's condition, can he and Hudson explore what is between them or will everything go up in flames? 

I have to say that I had my moments with pretty much every character in this story. I liked Hudson most of the time, but she was a bit weak as well. She was a giver and a fixer, always looking out for others. She would do whatever it took to help those in need, and didn't focus much on her self. I really loved those things about her. But she also let others kind of dictate her life and I felt like she needed a bit more backbone when a few things happened in this story. I loved her friendship with Caleb and how instant they had a connection. It was great to see her get along so well with Crew's brother. Crew unfortunately really pissed me off a few times. For the most part I liked him and I was glad that he was a bit cocky at times with Hudson. He had more experience than she did, and I liked that he sort of took the reins. I thought that these two had great chemistry, and I enjoyed how their relationship progressed and watching as they got to know one another.

Without spoiling anything, Crew did a few things that I found hard to forgive. He was going through some really tough things, and I got that he was in a bad way. But it was no excuse some of his actions and how he treated Hudson. She was doing everything that she could to be there for him in whatever way he needed her, and what he did was so awful. My biggest problem wasn't with what he did though (which was bad enough!), but how easily it was moved past. Hudson was a wreck after it all, and it was so quickly forgiven and forgotten. I wouldn't have been near as understanding as she was, and the fact that she didn't make him completely grovel for long periods of time tells me that either she has doormat tendencies or she is a much better person than I am. This book would have been a five star for me had it not been for Crew's actions with on a couple of occasions. I just wasn't able to get over it like Hudson was. I think that this is a really good book though, and I really loved that it was different. The approach to drugs being helpful and having a purpose was a new one for me, and I really liked seeing it from another side. I think that Erin Noelle is a great writer, and she always manages to pull me in straightaway. I will read more from her in the future, and I am looking forward to getting to know some of Hudson's sisters better as this series continues.

**ARC Provided by Love Affair With Fiction**

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Review: MILF: Wrong Kind of Love by Erin Noelle

I was immediately intrigued with this book when I saw the sexy cover, and I honestly knew I had to read it. MILF by Erin Noelle was even better than I ever expected though, and I really loved the story! I was a little worried because the heroine is so much older than the hero, and that usually just isn't my thing. But with Grayson and Mia, it really worked. These two were sexy and sweet, and I loved seeing them explore the passion between them.

After her husband of twenty years leaves her for her son's best friend's mother, Mia decides it is time to start living her life for her. She joins a gym, starts painting again and finds herself wanting to be more adventurous. But when Mia's son's best friend Grayson suddenly needs a place to stay, she immediately offers for him to live with her and her son Adam. Back from a year abroad in Spain, Grayson is no longer the young boy she remembers, but he is now a full grown man. The more that Mia and Gray start to get to one another again, the more they can't help the attraction between them. Both of them know that things between them should be wrong, and yet nothing has ever felt so right to either of them. When they agree to see where things go, they quickly realize that what they share goes beyond just sex though and soon they are beginning to wonder how they can turn their relationship into more. Can they turn their relationship into forever, or will there be too many obstacles for them to overcome?

I liked both Grayson and Mia a lot. Grayson I had a few issues with as he was first discovering his interest in Mia. I didn't like that he was with Jess and that he stayed with another girl on the camping trip, even though he and Mia weren't exclusive at the time. I just wish that he would have thought less of others and been more into Mia, but it didn't bother me enough to make me dislike him. But the more he fell for Mia, the more we got to see him grow up and become the man I hoped he would be. He was driven and smart, and he was also sexy and sweet. He was caring and protective and I loved seeing his alpha side with Mia. Mia was the one I was a bit worried about going into this book if i'm honest. I usually don't enjoy the whole cougar thing, but she wasn't like that at all! She was funny and flirty, and really discovering herself for the first time. This wasn't a coming of age book, but it had that feel. Because Mia was really finding out that she could still put her son as a top priority while also taking care of herself and finding her own happiness. I loved seeing her with Gray because he really brought her to life. These two were sexy and could really generate some steam, but they also had fun together and were able to make each other happy doing even the small things together. 

Overall, I really loved this book. I will say that the taboo nature of this one was what really drew me in, and I had worried that it would just be a bunch of sex scenes with very little story. But that absolutely wasn't the case here. It was a great story with some really great sexy times, but it was Mia and Grayson's love and relationship that made this book one that was worth reading. I will definitely be reading this again, and I know that I will also be looking for more from Erin Noelle in the future. If you are on the fence about this one, I really recommend giving it a shot. It is so much more than the title implies, and I really think that Mia's journey and her relationship with Gray is one that shows that it's never too late in life to find love and happiness.

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