Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Daybreak by Kate Hawthorne [Review]

Daybreak (Vino and Veritas) by Kate Hawthorne
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 10, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout
Daybreak - Paperback | Kindle
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Kate Hawthorne
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
When a sunny young musician gets stranded with a grumpy mechanic during a snowstorm, a lack of heat is the least of their problems…

Liam Luckett is on an adventure. He's dropped out of his Master's program without telling his overbearing parents and set off on a road trip across the country. Armed with little more than his guitar, he’s looking for his best life. He never expected his car to break down in the middle of nowhere Vermont with a huge storm pending, leaving him stranded and at the mercy of a hunky local mechanic.

Jasper Cunningham is in a holding pattern. Three years after the death of his husband, he still hasn’t moved on. A hot, younger, stranded tourist is exactly the sort of complication this mechanic has been avoiding. But he can’t leave the guy in the snow. He brings Liam home to crash on the couch. The air is heavy with more than snow, and when the power goes out, the two men become closer than either of them expects.

Every silken note Liam sings on that guitar thaws Jasper’s heart a little. Suddenly, Liam’s itchy feet aren’t so eager to move on. When their feelings get too big to ignore, the bond they’ve formed is tested. Will daybreak leave them going their separate ways?
Thoughts on Daybreak: No lie, after meeting grumpy, heartsore Jasper in Emmett and Tai's book and seeing he had a chance at his own romance, I JUMPED on this. Because grumpy mechanics who are emotionally fragile are my thing, I guess.

Anywho. Jasper and Liam. Jasper's working his way through his grief and he's...well, he'd started to reach a turning point. Liam's presence sort of pushes him into taking a hard look at himself and his happiness a little faster than maybe he would have if left to his own devices. That said, Jasper really was trying to find the him that wasn't drowning even before Liam arrived in town. He was reaching the ready point, he just needed that little push.

As for Liam, he's trying to figure out things. Not his life, necessarily...no, wait. It's his life he's trying to figure out. He doesn't want to go the direction his family is pushing him and he's a little lost. He's also kind of into Jasper's grumpy silences and heated looks. Which works for both of them because HECK YEAH.

A snow storm, well-meaning friends, a song or two, a lot of simmering tension, and two people who need to figure out that they're what they've been looking for before it's too late. GOOD STUFF!

Monday, April 15, 2024

Turnabout by Laurel Greer [Review]

Turnabout (Vino and Veritas) by Laurel Greer
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 12, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout - Paperback | Kindle
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Laurel Greer
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
I don’t have time for an unplanned visit home to help out in my father’s struggling letterpress shop. My stint in Vermont will have to be short, for a couple of reasons:

One, I’m a busy executive trying to climb the corporate ladder.

Two, my ex is still my dad’s right-hand man in the shop. And I am not over him.

Nothing has changed at the Burlington shop. Auden still has his infuriatingly sexy Scottish accent. He’s still hot, and still stubborn. Between operating the antique press with his shirtsleeves rolled up, and moonlighting at Burlington’s hottest inclusive wine bar, he pushes every one of my attraction buttons.

My falling-in-love-again buttons, too. Except I’m his polar opposite. I love change, and taking chances. Everything he avoids in life.

So why am I trying to convince him to reach for more than we’ve ever dreamed of—the possibility of forever?
Thoughts on Turnabout: A second chance romance. Even MORE: A second chance romance between the local who moved away and who's now a big shot VP and the steady, deeply competent man who enjoys his routines and security.

MAN, Carter and Auden had some road bumps to get over. Not insurmountable ones (obviously), but they did have to work around their issues from the past before they could do more than flirt with a potential future. Meaning, Auden has some deep-seated scars revolving around abandonment and losing his home. And Carter has big dreams (and plans for his father's business!) that his father can't work himself around to listen to. Carter's become relentless in his quest to show his ideas are good enough and it's kind of sucked the joy out of his life.

Good thing Auden's still holding down the fort when Carter steps in to help his father out. Auden still might be steady and cautious about a lot of things, but he's willing to listen (eventually) to Carter's ideas and he starts to see that maybe taking chances isn't the most horrible thing. Meanwhile, Carter gets to take a step back from corporate life and remember that it's not all numbers and profit margins.

A second chance, a little heart, a little marketing magic, a whole lot of reconnecting, and two people who find one another at just the right time. *thumbs up*

Sunday, April 14, 2024

RtP's Week in Review (04/14/24)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review Bookish Delights

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Alien Adoption Agency: Lachesis by Tasha Black [Books 4-6 Review]

Alien Adoption Agency (Lachesis - Books 4-6) by Tasha Black
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Alien Adoption Agency
1. Noxx
2. Kade
3. Tyro
4. Zane - Paperback | Kindle
5. Odin - Paperback | Kindle
6. Rexx - Paperback | Kindle
7. Arik
8. Jett
9. Zyon
10. Troy
11. Luka
12. Jace
13. Jhon
14. Rafe
15. Kian

Tasha Black
| Website | Amazon |

Zane (Alien Adoption Agency #4)

Date read: July 2, 2023
Synopsis (Goodreads):
She hungers for justice, but this troubled soldier hungers only for her.

Sarah Flynn is committed to avenging her father’s death at any cost. Even if that means adopting a baby and traveling to a remote frontier moon. She’s built a wall around her heart so she can do what needs to be done. But when she meets her new son and the handsome dragon warrior assigned to protect him, she can feel her defenses beginning to crumble.

Zane is a proud dragon warrior of the Invicta. His new duty protecting an Imberian baby has taken him out of the trenches, but the scars of war remain in his heart. Until he glimpses the child’s new adoptive mother. Sarah is fierce and focused on her new child and a plot to catch a fugitive murderer. But when Zane looks at her, all he sees is his fated mate – the woman who can heal his soul and open his eyes to all that is good. When Sarah’s hunt for the killer pushes Zane past his limits, he’s forced to confront the violence of his past.

Zane would do anything to protect Sarah and little Bowen. But she’ll have to find the line between justice in revenge on her own, if she doesn’t want throw away their chance at a happily ever after.
Thoughts on Zane: A lady who wants a little justice for her father, a dragon warrior who's smitten at first glance, and a sweet chonk of a baby who ties them both together.  We're on a new moon, with a new set of adoptive mothers, their sweet babies, and the dragon warriors sent to protect them and I AM READY FOR IT.

This time around, we have Sarah and Zane. She's a lady with vengeance in her heart. Sort of. She definitely wants justice for her father, but she also falls hard for her new baby once she meets him. Having someone so small and defenseless depending on her makes her start wondering if her quest to bring her father's killer to justice (by any means necessary, at first) is all it's cut out to be. Having Zane nudging her toward caution helps in that regard, too.

As for Zane, he's very happy his dragon is looking at Sarah as his mate, but he knows the toll killing someone can take on a person and he doesn't want that for her. But Sarah is determined in her quest for justice and Zane's determined to keep her (and Bowen) safe. So they end up hunting for a killer with little more than a marshal and some riding critters as backup.

A flirty marshal, a group of bad guys, a dragon who's found his purpose, and a lady who needs to decide what path her future will take. *thumbs up*


Odin (Alien Adoption Agency #5)

Date read: July 2, 2023
Synopsis (Goodreads):
This young widow swore she would never love again, but a dragon warrior's heat might just melt her resolve...
Liberty has come to Lachesis for a chance to raise a child and get a fresh start on a far away frontier moon. But she isn’t ready for the baby to come with Odin, an Invicta dragon warrior who has sworn to protect the child with his life. And she certainly doesn’t expect the burly warrior to awaken feelings in her that she thought she left behind forever.

When rustlers threaten her new homestead, Liberty finds herself getting much closer to Odin than she ever planned, as the two are forced to work together to stop the rustlers and protect baby Colton.
Thoughts on Odin: Grumpy, intense Odin is up and he's paired with a woman who's a little heartsore and a lot determined. Liberty is also slightly better prepared for her life as a farmer than Sarah was. That said, all Liberty's farming know-how comes from books, so there's still a learning curve.

You know what? I said Odin was grumpy, but I'm not sure if he was grumpy so much as extremely focused. He's also hurting and doesn't believe he deserves happiness. Which is absolutely not true, And once he shares what caused him to think this way, Liberty tells him exactly that.

As for Liberty, she's mourning her dead husband by doing all the things he wanted her to do. Which ends up working nicely for her since it has allowed her to grieve AND find herself in the process. Now she's ready to settle down as a mother to her adopted son and Odin throws her into a tailspin. Because she likes the big guy, she likes his dragon, and maybe she's ready to open her heart to more than a baby now.

A little danger, a babysitter who's worth her weight in gold, understanding neighbors, a warrior looking for peace, and a woman who challenges him in all the best ways.


Rexx (Alien Adoption Agency #6)

Date read: July 7, 2023
Synopsis (Goodreads):
It's love at first sight for sunny Abigail. Now she just needs to survive the train ride to get to her new home.
Abigail Shaw can’t believe her good luck. The Alien Adoption Agency has selected her to adopt adorable baby Rio. And baby Rio comes with Rexx, a handsome Invicta warrior guard, whose dark eyes seduce Abigail before he even opens his mouth. When he offers her his mate bond, she thinks things can’t get any better. She’s finally going to have a family of her own. And they’re getting a free ride on the famous Iron Peregrine express train to their new home.

Rexx is a proud dragon warrior of the Invicta, who has spent so many years laser focused on his military career that he’s forgotten how to live in the outside world. But when he meets kind-hearted Abigail, his dragon goes wild. It takes everything he has to restrain himself from claiming her instantly.

Together, they’re ready to take on the frontier moon of Lachesis. But there’s something happening on the cross-moon train they’re taking to get home. They’ve barely boarded the Iron Peregrine when they’re faced with a mysterious locked car, a criminally dangerous passenger, unexplained noises in the night, and a missing person.

And then things get really bad…

Will Abigail and Rexx find a way to make it home safely with baby Rio? And if Rexx does what has to be done, will Abigail still want to be his mate? Or will that train have left the station?
Thoughts on Rexx: The other ladies who came to Lachesis to bond with their newly adopted babies (and find happiness with the attached Invicta warriors) did NOT have nearly the wild ride Abigail and Rexx had. I mean this literally. The ride to get to their new home was just fraught with weird goings on. And danger. There was a fair amount of danger there.

Fortunately for everyone, Abigail thinks quickly on her feet (courtesy of wrangling small children in her other life). When things start to turn hairy, she's there with her chonky baby and ideas on how to get things done. The train passengers were also lucky to have a dragon warrior traveling with them. Like Abigail, Rexx has good instincts, plus he's a good guy to have at your back in a fight.

A wild ride, a charming criminal, a train car full of suspects, a sweet baby, a dragon who's trying to be on his best behavior, and a lady who isn't about to let her dream get ripped away by anyone. *thumbs up*

Friday, April 12, 2024

Unguarded by Jay Hogan [Review]

Unguarded (Vino and Veritas) by Jay Hogan
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 10, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway
Unguarded - Paperback | Kindle
Turnabout
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Jay Hogan
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
I fled Boston and my cheating jerk of an ex with three hundred dollars and a lip gloss in my pocket. Waking up the next day in Burlington, Vermont, with a crick in my back and a frozen ass wasn’t exactly in the plan. If there was one. Which there wasn’t. Story of my life.

Three hours later and I’ve been hired as temporary help in the local veterinary and grooming clinic, which is kind of impressive since I know zip about animals and even less about grooming. But one thing I do know—I’m crushing hard on the sexy, absent-minded vet I work for.

My life is a hot mess. The last thing I need is another relationship. Emmett pushes all my buttons, but he isn’t out. He's overwhelmed with a business to run and a son to look after and the kind of domestic life I never thought I wanted.

I should walk away.

But Emmett believes in me, and I might just be starting to believe in myself. As different as we are, is it possible we're exactly what the other needs?
Thoughts on Unguarded: Oh man. Tai was such a sweetheart and Emmett was so captivated by him and his sassy shirts and lip gloss right from the start. Sure, Emmett fought that feeling something fierce, but he did like what he saw in Tai. And I'm talking more than just his good looks. Emmett likes his kindness and his laughter and his flirting. Although the flirting more often than not led to some serious blushing.

But Tai. Tai was a truly kind individual who got a little lost along the way. His utterly awful ex did a number on his sense of self and the guy is not in the best place when he rolls into Burlington. He pulls himself together, though. He finds a job (one he's very good at) and he starts making plans. He absolutely didn't expect to find someone who not only liked him just as he was, but who believed in him the way Emmett did. Throw in an exuberant kiddo and a sassy cat and soon Tai has something he hadn't had since he left his family.

On Emmett's end, he's doing the dad thing and working to keep his clinic afloat and he absolutely doesn't expect his body to sit up and take notice of anyone. Tai basically blindsides him. He wakes him up and makes him laugh again. But the fact Emmett's not out and he has his son to think of has him second guessing all his feelings. Until, you know, he doesn't.

A lot of smolder, a lot of sass, and a first encounter in an unconventional place. *thumbs up*

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Hideaway by Rachel Lacey [Review]

Hideaway (Vino and Veritas) by Rachel Lacey
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: May 31, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup
Hideaway - Paperback | Kindle
Unguarded
Turnabout
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Rachel Lacey
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
One woman’s hiding place is another woman’s home.

After becoming an inadvertent viral sensation—and losing her job and her girlfriend as a result— Phoebe Shaw retreats to Vermont. Renovating her late grandmother’s cabin into a vacation rental seems like the perfect way to lie low for a while. But the last person she expects to encounter on the property is the woman whose kiss was her teenage sexual awakening . . . and whom she’s never quite forgotten.

Taylor Donovan has been hiking on the trails behind the Shaw family’s cabin her whole life. As children, Taylor and Phoebe were best friends before sharing a secret summer romance when they were sixteen, which left Taylor brokenhearted when Phoebe fled at the end of the summer. Now the property has become Taylor’s home away from home, and she wants nothing more than to convince the Shaws to sell it to her. But Phoebe’s return puts a crimp in those plans--and brings back old feelings she thought she’d overcome.

Of all the things Phoebe regrets, leaving Taylor is at the top of the list, but Taylor is determined to protect her heart. Yet the pull between them is stronger than ever. This time around, will love stay hidden . . . or finally see the light of day?
Thoughts on Hideaway: A lady hiding out until her unexpected internet fame dies down and a lady who really doesn't expect to see her first crush suddenly setting up camp in the cabin they spent time in as kids. Yep, Phoebe's arrival at her grandmother's cabin throws Taylor for a loop. To be fair, seeing Taylor again throws Phoebe, so they're both just a tangled mess of emotions.

So. Phoebe's trying to distract herself after becoming an internet meme. Fixing up her grandmother's cabin seems like a perfect fix to forget herself and her woes. Except... it doesn't take Phoebe long to realize she never got over the first girl she kissed. On Taylor's end, she's still a little heartsore from Phoebe's sudden departure from her life (even after all these years) and she's wary of getting heartbroken all over again.

Fostering a pregnant dog opens the door for them to spend more time together (although Taylor had to work hard to make the fostering happen) and soon they're rekindling their teenage romance. Except now they're older and wiser and know better than to go all in when one of them is leaving as soon as she's done fixing up the house. Ha. Right. They both might want to guard their hearts, but THINGS HAPPEN and soon they're dating and doing couple things.

A sweet doggo, a bunch of puppies, a lady who is trying to hide out, and two people who never got over one another. *thumbs up*

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Flipcup by Kim Hartfield [Review]

Flipcup (Vino and Veritas) by Kim Hartfield
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 8, 2023

Vino and Veritas
Roommate
Featherbed
Headstrong
Heartscape
Aftermath
Undercover
Booklover
Flipcup - Paperback | Kindle
Hideaway
Unguarded
Turnabout
Daybreak
Insatiable
Heartsong
Limelight
Undone
Showstopper
Unforgettable
Stronghold

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

In Vino Veritas
1. Wildfire

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Kim Hartfield
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):
Could swearing off men lead Chelsea to the perfect woman?

After being rejected one too many times, Chelsea makes a bold vow: No more men. Her friends doubt a boy-crazy party girl can handle not dating for a year, but that only makes Chelsea more determined.

Tara has made a vow, too. After growing up in foster care and suppressing herself to please others, she's going to live her truth. When she sees a beautiful woman, she'll make her attraction known.

Chelsea appreciates Tara's flirtatious compliments, not to mention her androgynous beauty. There's a loophole in Chelsea's vow, and it's more tempting every day...
Thoughts on Flipcup: We're back at V&V and the ladies are in the spotlight this time around. What does that mean? Well, we have a professed straight woman who starts seeing the flirty lady at V&V in a maybe-not-just-friendly light. But first Chelsea has to come to terms with the idea that she might not be as straight as she thought.

Here's the thing: Chelsea was wildly self-centered and immature when we first met her. Which made her a little hard to take. Here's the other thing: when her self-centeredness was brought to her attention, she did actively work on trying to be better about this. She doesn't always succeed, but REALLY who gets it right every single time. Especially when the thing you're working on is you and it's hard to see your actions in the heat of the moment. So, yeah, I actually really get the mistakes Chelsea makes.

As for Tara, she's...complicated. Not in a bad way, but she has been forced to rely on herself for along time and it's hard for her to ask for help. Or to share things. Or to open up pretty much at all. On the plus side, when Chelsea does a boneheaded thing, Tara lets herself ride through the heat of the moment and find her calmer place before she makes any big decisions about them as a couple. Oh, and remember that part about how Tara finds it hard to share things? Yeah, she's holding some big emotions (and news) inside and she's trying to deal with it all on her own. Which takes an already messy situation and makes it even messier.

Friends, a little heartache, a little hope, and a lot of learning how to lean on people when you need them most.