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**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

 

ARC Review: Hooking the Captain by Kimberly Knight & Rachel Lyn Adams

Hooking the Captain is the first book in the Off the Bench Duet by Kimberly Knight and Rachel Lyn Adams. If you read After Hours Lectures, you’ll recognize the characters here, but if you didn’t read it, you’ll have no problem understanding anything here. It does give you the backstory for these characters a bit, but Kimberly and Rachel do a great job of giving you everything you need here so you don’t feel like you are missing anything. Since I had previously read After Hours Lectures, I was anxious to get Coop’s story, while also being a bit unsure of how I would feel towards Ford. I shouldn’t have worried at all though, this book hooked me right away and I need more of these characters.

Ford and Coop meet when they are both out of town, proving that it is a small world when they realize that they both live in the same place. They immediately hit it off, and things between them quickly turn to more as Coop begins to explore a side to himself that he has kept hidden due to his high profile career in the NHL. Coop isn’t the only one that has secrets though, and as Ford struggles with his past, the knowledge that he must come clean threatens to destroy everything that he and Coop are building. 

I really felt for Ford here upon learning more about his past and what he had been through. While it doesn’t excuse his actions, it does explain them and I found myself liking him more than I originally expected. I loved him and Coop together! They had chemistry and were building a strong connection and I enjoyed seeing them both happy. I will admit that I knew things were heading in a certain direction though with all the secrets, and it broke my heart right along with these two as it happened. I hated seeing both of them struggle and just have to hope that things work out as they should in the end. Beware, Hooking the Captain does end with a doozy of a cliffhanger! I cannot wait to get the conclusion to their story in Retaking the Shot! These two both deserve to be happy and I know that the journey will be worth it in the end.

**ARC Provided by Give Me Books**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

 

ARC Review: What Happens at the Lake by Vi Keeland

What Happens at the Lake by Vi Keeland was the perfect way to start the new year! I really enjoyed this one from start to finish. It had everything I have come to know and love from Vi, but was also new and original.

Fox and Josie had me hooked from the very first page. Fox, a former NHL player, and Josie, a research doctor, get off on the wrong foot when she runs into his mailbox upon moving in next door. As bad as things start though, Fox can’t help but be drawn to her and finds himself helping her out regularly. As they get to know one another, they both realize that there is so much more to each of them than meets the eye. Each of them had been through things that were rough, but it made them who they were. I liked seeing the evolution of their relationship. The chemistry was there early, but watching them get to know one another was what had me unable to put this one down. 

Vi Keeland never disappoints, but this grumpy sunshine story is one of my favorites of hers. There was just something about these characters that had me captivated right away and feeling as though I was on the journey with them. I felt that the characters were genuine and relatable, and I think romance readers will agree. This one was such a good story. Vi Keeland is one of my all time favorite authors, and What Happens at the Lake is not to be missed!

**ARC Provided by Give Me Books**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

 

ARC Review: Loving Romeo by Laura Pavlov

I am somewhat new to Laura Pavlov’s books, but after reading and loving After the Storm, I was anxious to read more from her! Loving Romeo was a great read, and solidified the fact that I am becoming a big fan of Laura’s. If you like small town contemporary romance, I highly recommend checking out Laura’s books if you haven’t already.

Romeo and Demi didn’t get off to a good start here, with Romeo being a bit blinded by Demi’s family and the past. While it was understandable, I was glad to see how he started to realize that Demi wasn’t the same as her family and should be treated as her own person. These two had tons of chemistry, but I really loved seeing them get to know one another. I loved how Demi didn’t give up on Romeo, even when it took him awhile to warm up to her. Once these two started to figure things out though, I loved how supportive and protective Romeo was. Romeo is definitely one of those heroes that you can’t help but fall for right along with the heroine. 

What really got me with this book though was the whole ROD crew, especially Cutler! I loved this group and I honestly can’t wait to explore this world more. Cutler/Beefcake is just about the cutest kid ever and really stole the show here! This one was such a great book to start the new year off with, and I already can’t wait to return to Magnolia Falls. This one is a must read!

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle |

 

ARC Review: The Playboy by Marni Mann

The Playboy is the first book in the Spade Hotel series by Marni Mann, and this one is a standalone despite being connected to other books she has written. Fans of the Dalton Brothers series will recognize familiar faces here, but you don’t need to have read those books to understand anything in The Playboy. I highly recommend reading those books if you haven’t though as they are some of my absolute favorite books!

Marni always brings the heat and spice, and the chemistry here between Macon and Brooklyn was off the charts! These two meet when Macon spots her across a club and decides that he has to meet her. I loved how instant his attraction and need to know her was, but seeing his pursuit for her was honestly so refreshing! I love when a hero is so gone for the heroine that he has to make it happen and thinks of little else, and that was absolutely the case here. Brooklyn was super smart and hard working and honestly just a great heroine that I felt like I could relate to. Both characters were likable and it felt like you were falling along with them throughout the whole book!

I loved every bit of this book and I think that fans of Marni’s will love this one too! If you are new to Marni Mann, you can’t go wrong with anything she writes, but this one was one of her best! Romance and spice lovers will love Marni’s unique way of captivating her audience with stories full of heart, emotion, and enough heat to keep you turning pages from start to finish. I love all her books I’ve read, but there is just something about Macon in The Playboy that makes him one of her best heroes yet! The Playboy is not to be missed!

**ARC Provided by Valentine PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |