Falling Hard for the Royal Guard By: Megan Clawson

I need to give Avon a huge thank you for sending out the ARC for this one. They are always so accommodating to bloggers and really show us so much support and love.

And I need to apologize that this review came out as late as it did. I was not in a good place when I tried to read this book the first time. And all of that has changed. And I am so glad I jumped into this one now.

Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com debut releasing in Spring 2023 – perfect for anyone who likes relatable heroines (with great hair), hot and aloof book boyfriends (with great hats), near misses, almost kisses and a corgi or two.

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

A right royal rom com, perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and The Royal We.
 

I'm so sad it took me so long to finally pick this beauty up. I had received a review copy of it back a few months ago. And could just never get in the right head space to pick it up. Sadly I struggled so much that I blew past the publication date. And now 2 months after release I'm finally able to pick it up and enjoy it. And man. I honestly adored this book.

It was so fluffing cute.

The story was had a good mix of lightheartedness while also not afraid to get into some deeper more complex emotions too. And just overall made for this adorable rollercoaster ride. These characters got up to so many fun antics that had me giggling the whole story. But also many times I was ready to want to smack a few of them haha. I loved the slow burn romance, and the date of the week style set up that got going. And how they could go epically wrong or right so quickly. There was such quick whit and comedy through the whole story.

And I can't explain how happy it made me to have a book I didn't want to put down. And literally didn't until I was done.

My new work schedule means I've been staying up a little later then usual part of the week. And with me finally after so long having the urge to pick up books, I picked this baby up at like 10PM yesterday. I didn't set it down until about 8Am this morning. And it seems so silly to be excited about pulling an all nighter reading a book smack in the middle of the week at 30. But it has literally been 3 years since I have wanted to hardly even touch a book (Especially a physical book and not just an audio). And I almost cried I was so happy that I fell into this one so fast and wholeheartedly. It really was the perfect mix of romance, comedy, and silliness.

So obviously. This book also had the best characters! I mean like every single one of them. They were funny and dynamic, even the despicable ones were written in such a way you truly despised them and their antics. And the moments of romantic tension between characters gave me all the warm fuzzies.

I wasn't sure what to think of Maggie at the start of the book. She was definitely quirky and funny. But I feel like Clawson may have tried to go a  little too hard with that personality at the beginning. I already have such a rough track record with female characters. I either love them or hate them with not  a lot of gray space between. And I was preparing myself to suck it up and deal with a lot of eye rolling. But then by the second or third chapter all those reservations were gone. And I absolutely loved her and her crazy antics. And even found myself relating to her, especially when she would have these moments dealing with anxiety and dating fear. Because lord is that, and was that me haha.

I also really liked Maggie's relationship with all of the people at the Tower. She gave me all the feels with her interactions with the Ravenmaster and the Beefeaters. Especially with her dad and his close friends. It really warmed my heart all the interactions they had, and how much love and respect they all had for each other. I would want those old men on my side any day.

And I can't forget all the laughs when her and her newfound rowdy King's Guard brood got together. I loved the fast friendship and comradery they had. Like the craziest batch of older brothers a girl could ask for.

She just has such good chemistry between so many of these characters.

And then there's Freddie... Such an infuriating man! 😡😡

I wanted to just reach into this book and give him a good smack haha. He was so sweet and kind. And so protective and caring. But he was so secretive, and worried to be himself. And just UHGGG!! So infuriating haha.

I understood his reasons. But that building tension did nothing for my poor little heart.

Even as infuriating as he was, I immediately was drawn to him. He had spunk and sass. And it was his little moments of support but goofiness that made me love him so much. That and the ghosts (IYKYK)

I really truly loved this book though. It was a light easy read that had me laughing so many times. And had some very very good characters that made feel all the feels. I would suggest anyone that likes a good British Romance to grab this one. You will love it!!!

💗💗

I give FALLING HARD FOR THE ROYAL GUARD

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Off The Ice (Juniper Falls #1) By: Julie Cross

I need to give a huge thank you to Entangled Teen for sending out a copy of this awesome book for review. Ya'll over there are amazing, and I can't tell you how appreciated it is all you do for us bloggers 💙💙💙

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

Oh man. Where to start on this book *sigh*

I can't pass up a sports romances as I've made super clear in other reviews. Especially the hockey ones. They are my kryptonite haha. Although I do have to admit I do typically go for more of the NA's or just regular ol' sports romances vs a YA like this.

But I'm so glad I dove into this one.

It was such a good story. And was so much more emotional than I was expecting. And hit really close to home for me.

I know some that follow my reviews may know. But my mom got sick a couple years back now. And when It happened I had to put my life on hold to get her through surgeries, doctors appointments, physical therapy. All of it. And it took a lot out of me. And I had to halt things like school. So I guess what all that means is, that I could relate so much with Claire in ways.

And not just that but just her personality and drive. And loyalty. I found she was so similar tome. And that really gave me this rare look at a character I could fully Empathize with. And I think that was the biggest thing that pulled me into this book.

Don't get me wrong. The story itself was absolutely amazing. And the characters were so well written and mature for a bunch of dumb high schoolers haha.

But once I had related. It just made the book connect in such a deeper way, and I found myself pulling for Claire and Tate.

And Tate in general. His story was just as good as Claire's. And he's by far one of my favorite contemporary YA heroes.

There was just something about that boy. How real and raw he seemed. And I think that drew me in more. Made me want to cheer so much for him and Claire and see things work out.

Plus, there was actually hockey in this sports romance. I get so tired of books that brand themselves as sports books and then have no sports in them. And there was a really good balance of sports and the rest of the story. It made me a happy hockey nerd for sure haha.

Just everything about this book was perfect. And I don't use that word often unless I really enjoyed every aspect of a book. And that is exactly what happened in this one.

I'm so glad I took a chance on it

And can without even a shadow of a doubt give OFF THE ICE

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Moonlight Seduction (de Vincent #2) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

I need to send a huge thank you to not only Avon Romance for getting a review copy of this amazing book to me. But to also Jen and her amazing team. Y'all work so hard to make sure us bloggers are taken care of and I can't tell you enough how appreciated it is.

And I hope you all either start this fantastic series today, or go pick up your copy of MOONLIGHT SEDUCTION to get more of the yummy de Vincent boys 😉😉😉

The de Vincent brothers are back—and so is the intrigue that surrounds them—in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s sizzling new novel...

Nicolette Bresson never thought she’d return to the de Vincents’ bayou compound. It’s where her parents work, where Nikki grew up... and where she got her heart broken by Gabriel de Vincent himself. Yet here she is, filling in for her sick mother. Avoiding Gabe should be easy, especially when so much of Nikki’s time is spent trying not to be stabbed in the back by the malicious hangers-on who frequent the mansion. But escaping memories of Gabe, much less his smoking-hot presence, is harder than expected—especially since he seems determined to be in Nikki’s space as much as possible.

Gabriel spent years beating himself up over his last encounter with Nikki. He’d wanted her then, but for reasons that were bad for both of them. Things have now changed. Gabe sees more than a girl he’s known forever; he sees a smart, talented, and heartbreakingly beautiful woman... one who’s being stalked from the shadows. Now, Gabe will do anything to keep Nikki safe—and to stop the de Vincent curse from striking again.

Oh this book. Be still my romantic loving heart haha.

I loved this one. Which shock shock... It is a JLA book and I don't think I've ever not liked one of those haha.

But really. I loved this book and the characters.

I truly adored Gabe back in Moonlight Sins, and couldn't wait to get his story. And more of the hunky mysterious de Vincent's in general. They're just such an interesting group.

And I love seeing the dynamic Jen has going for the 3 brothers. They're relationships with one another is just so interesting to me. There's so many secrets and lies, and keeping of things close to the vest on each of their parts. But the more we get a peek into all their lives, the more I just can't help but like them. Even the cold and brooding Devlin haha (I'm so ready for that mans story after this one. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed on who his love interest may be. Although I have my guess after this one haha)
They dynamic evolves and changes with them. And the mystery behind their family just gets stranger and more complicated. And makes someone like myself, who likes to guess and analyze plots and what's about to happen so giddy. I can't help but love to keep guessing and using my super awesome bookish spidy powers to discover things. And I never get border with the plausibility of paranormal activity with this family. It's such a fun what if.

Plus the addition of Nikki back in the middle of things made it so much more interesting. I liked her and her spunk, and everything it brought to the dynamic between everyone. Not just Gabe. Her interactions with Devlin helped shine a lot of light on his character. Since we really only got smaller glimpses of him back in Moonlight Sins. And helped show just how kind and caring, yet scary Gabe could be as well. Yes we knew he was the nicest of the 3 brothers from back during Moonlight Sins. But as Nikki comes back into the picture, she gives us a way to really see just how that compassion really can play out. And how big of a heart the man has.
Plus she is just a well written and dimensional character. She's cute and funny. And I love the group of friends she brings into the story. They crack me up.

Plus Nikki just reminded me a lot of myself.
A couple year sago my mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor. And it brought my life to a screeching halt as I abandoned school and so many other things in my life to be there for her and help her out.And honestly I still find myself in a holding pattern from it this day. She's gotten better after numerous surgeries and PT and whatnot. But I could relate so much to Nikki and her need to help her family out. To be there for them, and even take a job she didn't really like or was in her skill set from school just to help keep her family going. And having that to relate to make me adore Nikki that much more. To see a little of myself in this already relatable character. And that's one of the biggest things I love in a book. I want something real.Something that makes me be able to picture these characters as real life people. And while the romance part may be a bit on the fantastical side of things sometimes. I like that it stories like this can be so relatable and give me hope that I can find my mysterious and handsome millionaire to fall in love with haha.

But just as a whole, this book just did such a good job and dragging me in. I could feel the internal struggle going on in Gabe, and was on the edge of my seat as the twists and turns kept coming. Jen did an amazing job writing this book so you never knew what to expect. And I enjoyed the fact that I never wanted to put it down

And that ending! Oh man! haha

Jen pulls us right back in and keeps us guessing. I loved everything about it so much.

I give

MOONLIGHT SEDUCTION 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Spotlight: Pretending He's Mine (Love On Cue) By: Mia Sosa

Hey y'all! I just wanted to stop by today and say a quick hello

👋👋

And drop a bookish suggestion for any of you looking for your next read.

PRETENDING HE"S MINE by Mia Sosa just came out in April, and should definitely be on your radar 😉😉

For Hollywood agent Julian Hart, representing his best friend—megastar Carter Williamson—means it’s nearly impossible to keep his personal life and career separate. To make matters worse, Carter’s younger sister has been starring in Julian’s wildest fantasies more often than he’d care to admit. He knows she’s off-limits, but when Ashley shows up on his doorstep, needing a place to crash… suddenly his greatest temptation is sleeping down the hall.

Free-spirited Ashley Williamson doesn’t do commitment. Jobs, apartments, men… why let herself be tied down? But she’s had a crush on her older brother’s best friend for years and she’s committed to making Julian want her, one towel-clad midnight encounter at a time. But just as things start heating up, their steamy flirtation is interrupted by Carter’s east coast wedding. Ashley has no desire to go home and face her reputation as the family disappointment. But living with—dare she say dating?—a successful, sexy film agent could give them something else to talk about.

Julian can’t believe he agreed to fake a relationship with the one woman he can never have. And it’s going to take more than a little willpower to remember it's all pretend. Or is it?

Mia Sosa was born and raised in New York City. She attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications and met her own romance hero (spoiler alert: she married him). Mia once dreamed of being a professional singer, but practical considerations (read: the need to generate income) led her to take the law school admissions test instead.

A graduate of Yale Law School, Mia practiced First Amendment and media law in the nation’s capital for ten years before returning to her creative roots. Now she spends most of her days writing contemporary romances about imperfect characters finding their perfect match. Mia lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters and will forever be on the hunt for the perfect karaoke bar.

Cover Reveal: Brave (Wicked #3) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hey ya'll! I am so excited to get to help share the cover for one of my favorite JLA series newest books BRAVE.

I can't get over how gorgeous this thing is! And I cannot wait to get my hands on this baby when it releases in November.

Also you guys be sure to check out below for info on how to get signed and personalized copies of any of the Wicked series books through the Apollycon virtual signing!!

And be sure to keep scrolling for an awesome giveaway 😻😻😻

Ivy Morgan hasn't been feeling like herself lately. Not like anyone can blame her. After all, being held captive by a psychotic fae prince hell-bent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld is bound to leave some mental scars.

It’s more than that, though. Something dark and insidious is spreading throughout Ivy, more powerful than she could ever imagine... and it’s coming between her and the man she’s fallen deeply in love with, elite Order member Ren Owens. 

Ren would do anything to keep Ivy safe. Anything. But when he makes a life altering choice for her, the fallout of his act has far reaching consequences that threaten to tear their lives apart.

If Ivy is going to have any hope of surviving this, she must put aside the hurt and betrayal she feels, and work with not only those she loves, but with an enemy she would rather kill than ever trust. War is coming, and it soon becomes clear that what Ivy and Ren thought they knew about the Order, themselves, and even their enemies, has been nothing but a cluster of dangerous, deadly lies. Ivy knows she must be more than just brave to save those she loves--and, ultimately, to save herself. 

Because behind ever evil fae Prince, there’s a Queen…

Preorder:

Amazon

To celebrate the upcoming release of BRAVE (book 3 in the Wicked Saga), Jennifer is offering an exclusive virtual signing! Through this virtual signing, you will be able to order SIGNED & PERSONALIZED copies of WICKED, TORN, and BRAVE!

And best of all -- This is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! 

http://www.apollyconevent.com/jla-brave-virtualsigning/

- Virtual Signing opens 9/21/17 at 11AM ET

- Virtual Signing ends 11/17/17

- Open Internationally

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5230417f183/

Undressed (The Men Of West Beach #1) By: Kimberly Derting

I want to send a huge thank you to Kimberly for sending out the ARC for this one. I thought the book sounded amazing from the description, but y'all, it was even better once I dove in. And I'm so excited to share my review with you.

Be sure to grab a copy of UNDRESSED August 27th when it releases!! 💙💙💙

Can two people whose dreams have been cast aside find a new passion...together?

No one ever expected straight-A student Lauren Taylor to make waves. But that was the old Lauren, before she went to college and became an online stripper to make ends meet. Now, Lauren is on the run with a secret and a bag of cash, fleeing landlocked Arizona for the beaches of California. 

Will Gabaldon was one of the hottest surfers on the circuit, but fate had something else in mind. When a surfing accident shattered his budding career, Will was forced into a life of tending bar and doing odd jobs just to survive. 

A swim instructor with secrets like Will is the last thing Lauren wants. A distraction like Lauren is the last thing Will needs. 

But soon, both discover there’s one thing more dangerous than the wave that ended Will's career: Love.

Sleep? What is this sleep thing you speak of? Haha

I will learn one of these days to actually space out a book and take my time enjoying it... Said no book worm ever!

But seriously y'all.... I LOVED this book.

Surprisingly this was my first time diving into one of Kimberly's books (Although Body Finder's been on my radar for quite some time) but I'm so glad I got the opportunity to finally give a book of hers a shot. Because Undressed was just so so good.

From start to finish I was drawn in.... Between the great character development, to the fun and intriguing. And even a bit mysterious story line. I found myself not able to put this book down until I hit the last page (I may not have slept.... again)

And I think I broke a personal reading record this book. With my mad reading skills and all hehe. It took me maybe 4 hours to finish though. (I was on a roll haha)

And I literally didn't want to stop flipping pages until I knew what was going to happen.

The story just draws you in so much, and you can't help but want to see what's going to come about with these fictional people.

In my opinion, a great end of summer book. One of those fairly light and flirty ones. But yet, that still offers just a touch of mystery and suspense to offer an incredibly well rounded story.

I adored Will and Lauren so much too.

Will is the ultimate cocky, knows he's flaming hot Cheetos hot, surfer dude. But also has such a complicated past to go along with it all, that gives him a level of down to earthness (that is too a word hehe). And you can see just how hard working and caring the guy really is.

Plus I just love a good sweetie that's got a bit of a cocky side. It makes things so much more interesting and fun.

And man does it make him offer a great start to some major tension.

But as they say, it takes two to tango. And Lauren is the other half to Will's crazy.

I really really liked this girl (and as many of you know. I don't through that around often with female characters in my reviews)

There's just something about her though, that was so fun to read. But yet you feel so understanding and sympathetic towards her too.

She takes no crap, and is very strong on her opinions. But we also get to see the shy more vulnerable side to her on a. couple different fronts. And I loved that about how she was written.

It gives her that much needed depth I feel gets lost on so many female characters these days.

And made you just want to root for her, and cheer her on. Beg her to open up a bit. and stop worrying.

If she were a real person and not a fictional character in a made up world..... I could totally see myself hanging out with someone like her.

She's spunky and very mkuch in your face when she wants to be. And I totally just enjoyed getting her POV in this story.

And something else to add. I loved the secondary characters this story had to offer. We honestly don't get a ton from them. Just enough to add to the main. Characters histories and all that fun.

But they were involved just enough to let us have some fun and get to build a bit more on Lauren and Will's personalities.

Plus they just offer those fun little moments that make you snort at times.

And man. Just the story line to this books itself.

I really did love it. It was a fresh take on a topic I've seen pop up a few times now in books.

And I absolutely loved how Kimberly built on it all.And made this amazing cohesive story. that was able to really expand away from just one or two key topics. And then weave them all back together so they make a truly wonderful story. That keeps you flipping that page and begging to know what will happen between our two characters. As well as their friends and family. And how all that tension and those problematic situations will be resolved.

I can't sing enough praises for Kimberly, as she branches out into the NA/Adult romance world.

She did such a wonderful job of it.

And this book is all kinds of hot too! (Did I forget to mention that before? hehe) 🔥🔥🔥

Because the romance in this book is freaking fantastic and, all I can say at this point is that I'm just ready for the next book to be here already haha.

UNDRESSED gets

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Really like 10. But hey. I don't make the rules here hehe)

Illuminae (Illuminae Files #1): Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

I can't tell y'all how happy I was to find this book on the bargain shelf this past month.

I kinda owe it to pulling me from my book slump. (It, and a couple other books this past week)

That and the sleepless nights this and those other books spawned too. Apparently I don't just blog my best at night, but read my best at night too hehe

(Well worth all those missing hours of sleep haha)

Plus this book has been on my radar for quite some time,and the bargain price just gave me that push to finally give it a good shot. And I'm so happy I did.

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

So I started this book 2 nights ago, unsure of what to think of it.

So many people have read it and loved it, and honestly the insanely cool cover made me want to pick it up so bad.

The cover is by far one of the most awesome and intriguing ones I've ever seen. And I'm sort of a cover junkie. Meaning I will go pick up a book on a whim, just because I like the cover without even reading a description sometimes.

But I was just never sure if this book was my thing.

I love a good sci-fi book. That's not the problem. They're actually some of my favorites. And sometimes the only kind of book to pull me from a book slump outside of a really good high fantasy. I was just so unsure of how this book was formatted.... would I get a cohesive story? Would I only ever get bits and pieces and lose character development?

Is it too many working parts for one story?

I had a lot of worries going into it.

And it kept me from getting this book for quite a while.

But then BAM just happened to put it on the discount shelf recently. And I decided to snap up a copy (like I said. I'm a cover junkie, and that alone was making me want it, even if I never picked the thing up again)

But now that I'm sitting on the other side of finishing this book..... I can't believe I waited for it. It was so good! And such a unique way of putting together a story (yes I know I was all worried about that, but it actually made for a really interesting story.)

And I'm honestly smacking myself for waiting so long to start it.

I absolutely loved the story, and need to get my hands on book 2 like yesterday haha.

But it wasn't just this awesome new way of putting a story together, or even the story line itself.... Even though that was pretty awesome too, and left me on my toes through almost the whole story.

And also terrified me at times too. Not because the story is scary in any way. But because the theory behind parts of the story scares me, if it ever came to be in real life (Kinda the way I felt watching that movie The Circle this past week too. Like humanity is almost too smart for our own good when it comes to technological developments)

And I think that comes to play a huge part in this book.

And made it all that much more thrilling and interesting.

It was also these really well constructed characters though. We only ever get glimpses of them at times because of the way things are

told throughout the whole thing. But in writing a story that way, I got to really enjoy a large spectrum of characters without getting too overwhelmed, or feeling like I was missing key parts.

And I loved the buildup of relationships, and character development as the story progressed.

Especially Kady and Ezra.

They are both such strong characters, and I loved the little hate to love you relationship they had going on the whole time.

You couldn't help but root for them, and see how it all would play out.

Plus I loved all the other secondary characters throughout the story too. They gave the book that depth it needed, and provided the missing parts we didn't get from just the interaction between Kady and Ezra.

So all and all.... this story was absolutely amazing. It's so new and so fresh. And I honestly wish more authors would give me new and inventive writing styles like this more.

Seriously, if you haven't picked up the book yet, go find it on the shelf of your local book store or library and just flip through the pages real quick. You'll see exactly what I mean. And hopefully it won't scare you away like I foolishly let it in the beginning.

I give ILLUMINAE

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐