The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy

College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

Book: The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy
Published: June 16, 2020
Pages: 354
Genres: Romance, Athlete, New Adult, College, Curvy Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 13, 2023
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

When I finished this book I was leaning more towards a 3 rating but I haven't been able to stop thinking about the book and how much I truly enjoyed Conor's character so for him alone its getting bumped up to a 3.5.

I'm not sure whether Conor already had me here...

Because whoever is torturing this poor girl is certainly watching us right now and they can eat shit. “Lead the way, babe.”

Or here...

“Taylor Marsh, will you do me the incredible honor of updating your relationship status and becoming my fake girlfriend?”

But either way - I love him, I love him, I love him! He is not perfect, he doesn't always say or do the right thing but he really does care about Taylor and he tries, he tries so hard. I loved how he tried to be the best fake boyfriend for Taylor and then starting falling for her and found himself missing her like a true boyfriend should.

The reason this book is not getting bumped up to a 4 is because of Taylor, plain and simple. I understand we all have body image issues and you can't tell someone how to feel about themselves but her issues were just over the top. Many males in the book hit on her and checked her out and from the description she was curvy but not fat. Again, you can't tell someone how to feel but her insecurities drove me nuts! She was doing better with her issues at one point and then it was just like nope, back to square one!

I loved the beginning of the book, it started out great, the middle was good but I didn't like the chapters leading up to the end. The final hurdle the couple had to go through didn't make a whole lot of sense to me and felt unnecessary. I know these are college kids and we aren't always rational at that age but I found myself very confused and wondering what the heck just happened in the book. And then boom, a rushed ending and suddenly everything is okay. I also feel like the epilogue didn't give us a true glimpse of their future. I need to know that they made it as a couple because with the way things went at the end, even though they worked things out, I still feel like so much was uncertain.

I feel like if the ending gone differently and not been as rushed, and we had an epilogue that was more in the future and gave us more certainty on this couples future this could potentially gotten a 4 rating.

Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Level-headed Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at a sex club.

There, she meets NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask as he celebrates his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.

Unfortunately, Francesca soon realizes her prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Another shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her, not that she’s his type anyway.

But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve… a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

Book: Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Published: November 8, 2022
Pages: 283
Genres: Romance, Athlete
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 12-13, 2023 Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I wanted to love this book so badly, I really did, but I can't bring myself give it a better rating. The premise was great, the beginning was binge worthy and then it all fell apart in the middle. The entire middle of the book is Francesca trying to come up with reasons not to tell Tuck she's pregnant and putting it off every chance she gets. I understand her being afraid and not wanting to lose him but she's 30 years old at this point, she's not an 18 year old kid. And that was literally all the middle of the book was - when is she going to tell Tuck she's pregnant? And then the end was very rushed and didn't wrap things up as nicely as I would have liked.

I did enjoy the characters! I liked that Francesca was a fighter who kept her head held high and didn't let her cheating jerk of a fiancé ruin her. It was refreshing to see a heroine that keeps going, even after being knocked down several times. I absolutely loved Cece and Brogan, and Jasper too, I feel like they made the book honestly! And I obviously enjoyed reading about Tuck as well! He also didn't have an easy life growing up and is now at a big moment at his life when his football career is coming to an end, which is a huge life altering change. I loved that he wasn't afraid to pursue Francesca and continued to seek her out because he knew there was something there with their chemistry.

The ending, while forced, made me smile because our couple got their happily ever after which is really all I want to see in a romance book like this. Overall it was a good read but will I read it again? Most likely not.

Finding You by Lena Hendrix

After eight years in the Marines, I’m still looking for the mysterious woman I’ve obsessed over since her first letter. When she shows up in my small town, I’m thrilled. It turns out she’s my brother’s best friend--and the girl he’s always loved-- now I’m caught between the two people who matter to me the most.

I’m a Marine which means honor and duty runs deep. Joanna is off-limits. That would be a whole lot easier if she hadn’t already agreed to helping run my brother’s fishing guide business for the summer, forcing me to work side-by-side with the woman I’ve fantasized about for years.

I can keep her at a distance, push her away, man up. But she draws me in without even trying and I can’t get enough of how she makes me feel. I’m stealing moments with her and I know it’s wrong. She may not be my brother’s girlfriend, but I know a landmine when I see one.

Does being an honorable man really mean I have to let her go?

Book: Finding You by Lena Hendrix
Published: May 26, 2021
Pages: 258
Genres: Romance, Military or Men In Uniform
Format: Kindle
Date Read: February 9-10, 2023
Rating: 3 Potatoes

I really liked the premise of this story and was looking forward to reading it so much but was very disappointed.

The characters had good chemistry and sizzling love scenes but that’s where it ended in my opinion. The characters were so in lust with how the other looked that we didn’t get to find out much about the characters themselves. They were very one dimensional and I felt like we didn’t get to know them at all.

The book was good in that it was fast paced and not boring at all but I wanted to learn more about these characters and why they liked each other so much, other than looks.

What little I knew about the characters, I enjoyed reading but I just feel like I wanted more from the story.

Ignite (Cloverleigh Farms #6) by Melanie Harlow and Tempting Levi (Cade Brothers #1) by Jules Barnard

My new neighbor is a firefighter—and a scorching hot single dad—but I swear I didn’t set off that smoke alarm on purpose.

(And I was beyond mortified when he rushed in and saw me naked.)

Nothing happened, of course—because I, Winnie MacAllister, romance junkie and owner of a constantly broken heart, have sworn off men for one solid year.

Even protective men with chiseled jaws, bulging biceps, and deep brown eyes that make my breath come faster. Even former SEALs with broad chests and strong hands that make my skin sizzle. Even gorgeous, grumpy guys who have their hands full raising two adorable little girls and claim they don’t believe in love.

Until Dex kisses me one night, and I drop all my defenses.

(Also my underwear.)

He says he’s not gentle, and he’s right. He says I should take the dream job I’m offered in another state, and he’s right. He says he’s too old for me and could never be the man I deserve.

He’s wrong.

Dex and I might be twelve years apart, but the fire between us is the kind that will never burn out.

How can I convince him to give happily-ever-after with me a chance?

Book: Ignite (Cloverleigh Farms #6) by Melanie Harlow
Published: November 22, 2021
Pages: 350
Genres: Romance, Large Age Gap, Firefighter, Tattoos, Military
Format: Kindle
Date Read: Jan 4-28th, 2023
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

Off-limits never looked so tempting.

Levi Cade’s firefighting career burned up after an accident on the job. Then his father died and left him in charge of the family’s multimillion-dollar resort. Now he’s forced to work with financially uptight advisors telling him what to do, and he needs someone he can trust at his side.

The perfect candidate walks through the door in her pencil skirt, fitted white blouse, and a mass of wavy blond hair she tries to contain.

The only problem? She’s his cheating ex’s younger sister.

Hell no. The last thing Levi needs is another Wright female in his life.

Then again, he always liked playing with fire.

Book: Tempting Levi (Cade Brothers #1) by Jules Barnard
Published: May 9, 2017
Pages: 230
Genres: Romance, Firefighter
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 28-30th, 2023
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I’m including both of these books in one review since I feel the same way about both of them. Both books were… okay. I enjoyed reading them for the most part but I just found both books lacking in so many ways. I feel like they were just one dimensional and I wasn’t actively engrossed in the stories. There was nothing pulling me into the worlds the authors created. I didn’t mind any of the characters for the most part but the storylines just didn’t do anything for me. The summaries drew me into the books and the books didn’t deliver. There was so many unresolved issues that were glossed over or weren’t delved into where they should have been. I almost feel cheated by both books because had the stories been fleshed out more I might have truly enjoyed them.

Were the books okay? Yes. Will I read them again? No.

Seized by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Blue Ryder by Melissa Foster

YOU FELL IN love with Blue Ryder and Lizzie Barber in Seaside Summers, now follow their journey to find true love in SEIZED BY LOVE, the first book in the Ryder series.

Lizzie Barber runs a successful flower shop by day and secretly hosts the Naked Baker webcast at night to help pay for her younger sister's education. To keep friends and family from finding out about her sexy secret, she's put her social life on hold until her sister's education is paid off and she can stop filming the webcast.

Blue Ryder fell hard for Lizzie Barber when he met her a year ago, and he hasn't been able to get her off his mind since. Everything about the feisty little brunette, from her tight bod to her seductive smile, cuts straight to his heart. Though Lizzie has turned down every invitation he's extended--Blue is not about to give up trying.

Renovating Lizzie's kitchen brings Blue further into Lizzie's life, and the oven is not the only thing heating up. One night and one powerful kiss changes everything. But when Lizzie's secret is revealed and the safe bubble she's hidden in shatters, true love may not be enough to put the pieces back together.

Book: Seized by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Blue Ryder by Melissa Foster
Published: October 28, 2015
Pages: 348
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: December 30,2021-January 13, 2022
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I really wanted to like this book as I'm a fan of the author but it just came up lacking.

The beginning was well written and wasn't too fast or slow. The middle and end were too rushed. I found myself speed reading just to finish the book because I wanted to see how it ended. The middle of the book felt off to me and at the end there were way too many loose ends that I felt weren't wrapped up.

I enjoyed the characters, what we knew about them, but I didn’t like how one dimensional they seemed. I wanted to know more about who they were inside, what made them tick. I just felt like the book needed more; more time for the characters to fall in love, more special moments, more about the outcome with Lizzies parents and the FNC. I wanted more and this book didn't deliver it.

Back in the Burbs (The Burbs 1) by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn

Ever have one of those days where life just plain sucks? Welcome to my last three months—ever since I caught my can’t-be-soon-enough ex-husband cheating with his paralegal. I’m thirty-five years old, and I’ve lost my NYC apartment, my job, my money, and frankly, my dignity.

But the final heartache in the suck sandwich of my life? My great-aunt Maggie died. The only family member who’s ever gotten me. Even after death, though, she’s helping me get back up. She’s willed me the keys to a house in the burbs, of all places, and dared me to grab life by the family jewels. Well, I’ve got the vise grips already in hand (my ex should take note) and I’m ready to fight for my life again.

Too bad that bravado only lasts as long as it takes to drive into Huckleberry Hills. And see the house. There are forty-seven separate HOA violations, and I feel them all in my bones. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s “accidentally” torched the house yet. I want to, and I’ve only been standing in front of it for five minutes. But then my hot, grumpy neighbor tells me to mow the lawn first and I’m just...done. Done with men too sexy for their own good and done with anyone telling me what to do ever again.

First rule of surviving the burbs? There is nothing that YouTube and a glass of wine can’t conquer.

Book: Back in the Burbs (The Burbs #1) by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn
Published: March 30, 2021
Pages: 326
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: December 22, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes

First of all, I apologize for the short review for this one. My original review was accidentally deleted!

I read this book straight through, I just could not put it down!

The heroine made me so angry in the beginning that I just wanted to slap her but I continued to read, hoping she would get her redemption. I was getting so frustrated with how naive she was towards her ex. He took advantage of her in every way and she just let him. But then, when I really thought about it - how many women are in the same boat? So the more I thought about it, the more realistic this book became and the more I started to understand her motives a bit.

I enjoyed the character of Nick from the second we met him in the book and I loved his chemistry with Mallory!

There were many unnecessary scenes in this book in my opinion but it was a good read and I truly did enjoy it.

Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek #2) by Melanie Harlow

He’s my brother’s best friend.

The hot single dad next door.

And one accidental sext later, my massive crush on him is no longer a secret.

It’s my own damn fault. I’m thirty years old, for heaven’s sake. I’m a kindergarten teacher and a (reasonably) responsible adult. I should know better than to get tipsy and draft a fake text listing all the dirty things I wish Officer Cole Mitchell would do to me.

I wasn’t supposed to hit send.

He wasn’t supposed to see it.

And he definitely wasn’t supposed to text back telling me to go on . . .

Because after that, things escalate quickly.

Cole is everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s sexy and protective. A devoted father to his little girl. A dedicated cop the whole town adores. The kind of guy you can trust to keep his hands to himself, even when you’re desperately hoping he won’t.

I’m not the girl he thought he’d end up with, but after all this time, I might finally get the chance to say the words I’ve always dreamed of . . . make me yours.

Book: Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek #2) by Melanie Harlow
Published: November 23, 2020
Pages: 371
Genres: Romance, Heroine loves siblings best friend, Men in Uniform
Format: Kindle
Date Read: October 6-11, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I did not read the first book in this series but I'm always a sucker for books where the hero is friends with the heroine's brother so I wanted to give it a try.

I'm still undecided on a true rating for this book. I liked it, I enjoyed reading it, but i felt it needed a little bit more. I enjoyed the characters and loved our hero and heroine but we needed to understand them better. I also would have liked there to be more realistic timeliness and not so much instant love/relationships and such.

All that being said, I truly did enjoy this book and it was a good read!

When the Night is Over by Lily Foster

The last time Charlotte Mason saw Simon Wade, he was shoving a paper bag from the pharmacy into her hands with a morning-after pill inside.

Even though he literally left her holding the bag, when love is true it’s limitless...and sometimes it's blind. She wants more for Simon than the ties that bind him to their dead end town. He has one shot at a better life, and she’ll stand aside so he can take it.

Nearly four years later Charlotte is still nowhere to be found, and it’s not as if Simon hasn’t been looking. How can he forget the girl who still haunts his dreams?

Book: When the Night is Over by Lily Foster 
Published: September 20, 2020
Pages: 346
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Freebie on Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 25-27, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I almost stopped reading this book several times during the first 20%. I didn't like the tone of the prologue and the first few chapters didn't pull me in enough.

I continued on because the summary for the book sounded so interesting to me but the book had a completely different feel than the summary did. I'm glad I continued because the book started to get really good and I did not want to put it down again.

There were many parts of this book that I did not like but I loved how raw and realistic it was. This book read like something that could have truly happened and I know similar versions actually have. The characters flaws were real and not over the top.

I enjoyed this book and I did like Simon some of the time but I loved Charlotte. Was she perfect? No. But she made her choices and stuck with them. She went with the best decision for everyone and always tried to do the right thing. She was a very strong heroine.

I liked Simon and Charlotte as a couple but I felt like there was no emotion between them. They loved each other, yes, but I couldn't feel it through the book like I normally can in romance books. And I don't know why that is.

Overall, I did like this book but I feel like it was lacking in a lot of areas. To me, the premise did not live up to the book itself.

Playing for Keeps (Hot Jocks Book 1) by Kendall Ryan

I've never been so stupid in my entire life.

My teammate's incredibly sweet and gorgeous younger sister should have been off-limits, but my hockey stick didn't get that memo.

After our team won the championship, and plenty of alcohol, our flirting turned physical and I took her to bed.

Shame sent her running the next morning from our catastrophic mistake. She thinks I don't remember that night—but every detail is burned into my brain so deeply, I’ll never forget. The feel of her in my arms, the soft whimpers of pleasure I coaxed from her perfect lips…

And now I’ve spent three months trying to get her out of my head. Which has been futile, because I’m starting to understand she’s the only girl I’ll ever want.

I have one shot to show her I can be exactly what she needs, but Elise won’t be easily convinced.

That’s okay, because I’m good under pressure, and this time, I’m playing for keeps.

Book: Playing for Keeps (Hot Jocks Book 1) by Kendall Ryan
Published: August 13, 2019 
Pages: 390
Genres: Romance, Athlete, Freebie on Amazon, Heroine loves siblings best friend
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 21, 2021
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

Elise-
"I've always been enamored with him, from his quiet confidence, to his dedication and hard work on the ice, to his hard won smiles and casual attitude."

Justin-
"My hear starts to beat faster as she grins up at me. Well damn, I didn't know I still had one of those."

Elise and Justin have clearly has more than pseudo-sibling feelings for each other for years but even after their one night stand, they still take quite a bit of time to admit their feelings, which I enjoyed. I liked that they didn't fall into insta-love with each other.

I liked this book but I did not love it. I enjoyed the characters and read this book over the course of a day but there was something missing from this book and I don't know what it is. I just feel like I needed more from it- more emotion, more realism from the characters, more everything. I liked the summary of the book and I think I just expected more from it overall.

I don't think I will be reading the next book in this series but I would be more than happy to check out another one of this authors books!

Vivian's List by Haleigh Lovell

Her brother's best friend. A list. A love story.

After ending a horrible, scarring relationship, Vivian embraces her freedom by making a sexual bucket list. When her brother's best friend, Liam, finds it, sparks fly and hearts open.

Can Vivian heal one steamy encounter at a time?

Book: Vivian's List by Haleigh Lovell
Published: September 13th, 2013
Pages: 290
Genres: Romance, Freebie on Amazon, New Adult, Erotica
Format: Kindle
Date Read: November 16-22nd, 2018
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I really enjoyed this book - it was very ewll written and wasn't boring by any means. The reason for me giving this book a 3.5 was that is just ended. Things were finally looking up, they were finally on the same page and boom - book over. I know that this is just to get you to read the next one, I know, but I can't stand cliffhangers.

Other than that I had no complaints about this book. Good read!

Bound By Honor by Cora Reilly

A modern mafia fairytale.

Born into one of the leading mob families in Chicago, Aria Scuderi is a mafia princess known for her beauty. What many consider a gift means her doom when she’s forced to marry Luca Vitiello to bring peace between two mafia dynasties. Luca is the future Capo of the New York Famiglia, a man known for his brutality—and for crushing his cousin’s throat with his bare hands.

Aria is terrified of marrying a monster like him. He may be one of the most sought-after bachelors in New York, thanks to his good looks, wealth and predator-like charisma. But Aria knows the bad boy aura isn’t just a game; blood and death lurk beneath Luca’s striking gray eyes and arrogant smile.

In her world a handsome exterior often hides the monster within; a monster who can just as easily kill as kiss you. Yet, there’s no escaping the arranged bond, much less a man like Luca. He’d follow her to the end of the world. Her only chance to survive in a marriage with Luca is to gain his affection and work her way into his heart—even when rumor has it that Luca doesn’t have a heart to begin with.


A mafia princess known for her beauty given to a monstrous man.

Even monsters have a heart.

She has every intention of working her way into his.

Book: Bound By Honor by Cora Reilly
Published: December 14, 2014
Pages: 253
Genres: Romance, Mafia, Erotica, Freebie on Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: November 10th-12th, 2018
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I have loved other books by this author and while this was a good read and I read through the pages eagerly, I felt like there wasn't enough build up between the characters. They went from hating to loving each other and I couldn't understand why. There weren't enough special moments or anything for me to see that's why it was leading in that direction.

I did enjoy the cast of characters and am interested to see how the rest of the series turns out. If the book was longer I'm sure there would have been more moments between the main couple.

Baby Fever Promise by Nicole Snow

WE CAN'T DO THIS AGAIN. I'M FAKING OUR SECOND CHANCE...

ROBBI

Once, Lucus Shaw was my everything.
First kiss. First surrender. First man to promise me a ring, children, a life together.
I remember his rogue smirk, his soul stinging kiss, the blistering words that always made him a little dangerous.
I gave him my body for one insatiable night. He gave me secrets, heartbreak, and hatred.
Friends, to lovers, to mortal enemies. Our tragic destiny.
But I survived. Adapted. Moved on.
Fate doesn't care.
Luke's back, and I have to pretend we still have a Cinderella romance to save my career.
Hate never fades. It rages when we lie to the world, when we lust, even when I'm begging for his baby.
What if hate can't save me anymore? What if the man I swore I'd never give a second chance gives me baby fever for real?

LUKE

I was her first, and I'll damned sure be her last. I made a promise.
Robbi's an addiction I can't quit. A million of her icy looks won't make me forget what we had.
How delicious she looked when I brought her to her knees. How she ached for more. How she ripped my heart out when vicious lies ended us.
This isn't over. Love never fades. I'll make our fake kisses real.
It's not too late to have it all: my ring on her hand, my name on her lips, my baby in her.
She'll beg for me again before we're done playing pretend. Oh, how she'll beg.

Book: Baby Fever Promise by Nicole Snow
Published: March 5th, 2017
Pages: 330
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 28th-July 2nd, 2018
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

So I'm not sure where to start with this review. I didn't love this book but I don't hate it either. It definitely got me all fired up when I see the mistakes both the hero and heroine made but I had a hard time getting on board with this book. I just kept thinking that certain things didn't make sense.

This couple made me go nuts with how bad they were with communication. They did not need to be apart for 5 years - it was so unnecessary! Yes, Luke should have opened his mouth about what he knew to give her a heads up but she also shouldn't have been so nasty to him and shoved him out of her life when he technically didn't do anything wrong. Trust is a huge issue, I get that, but she could have at least tried to understand where he was coming from. I understand being angry in the heat of the moment and not thinking clearly but when they spoke a few days later she had had time to calm down and think rationally. I think I felt bad more for Luke than Robbi!

"No matter how sexy he is, how well he calls to my senses with his mad inks and muscle, I'll never forget our unique pain. I'll never forgive him for hiding what he knew, for letting his father prey on us, or for abandoning me in the end."

What? Five years have passed in this story and I'm seriously baffled by her thought process here. I get that her mom twisted her thoughts around but I really am confused as to why she has jumped to these conclusions. Yes, Luke backed off but she basically PUSHED him out of her life. The only thing he can be accused of is not telling her what he knew before she found out herself.

Luckily, after a lot more drama and yet another huge misunderstanding and speed bump, they got things right in the end and were granted a fairy tale ending - which they rightfully deserved. Both of them.

I don't hate this book but I don't think I will be reading it again - it was certainly interesting enough to keep me reading but I just can't deal with the hero and heroine's issues with each other.

Only for You (Unforgettable You #1) by Beverley Kendall

College freshman Olivia Montgomery is thrilled at the chance to start over, escape the rumors that plagued her in high school. And she can finally put her juvenile crush, Zachary Pearson, where he belongs--in her past. Then her unrequited love strolls into her French class, shattering Olivia's newfound peace, and the feelings she'd thought buried for good come rushing back. Now she can't shake her unwanted attraction to the one guy who can twist her stomach into knots with just a smile...but has never given her the time of day.

Zach's good looks may have always gotten him his pick of girls, but it's the star quarterback's skill on the football field that gives him his pick of the Big Ten colleges. To escape the crushing demands of his win-at-all-costs father, Zach opts for a private university in upstate New York where...his present and past collide. And the one girl he's always wanted but can't have--and a class trip to Paris--turn out to be the ultimate game changer that has him breaking every one of his rules.

Book: Only for You (Unforgettable You #1) by Beverley Kendall
Published: December 30th, 2012
Pages: 294
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Freebie On Amazon, College
Format: Kindle
Date Read: September 25-29, 2017
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I almost wanted to take a day and think about how I wanted to word my review. Did I enjoy the book? Yes. Did I love it? No. Would I read it again? Probably not.

It was a good book, I enjoyed a lot of the characters and it was a decent read but there was nothing that made me want to block out the world for a few hours in a mad rush to finish this book. It kept me engrossed enough to continue reading but there was nothing extraordinary about it, at least for me.

That being said, check this book out - you might feel differently than I did. This review can also be found on my blog The Book Potato

Give Me Love (Give Me #1) by Kate McCarthy

Evie Jamieson, a former wild child, is not only a headstrong, smart-mouthed trouble magnet, she is also a lead singer with a plan. That plan involves relocating her band, including her two best friends guitarist Henry and band manager Mac, to Sydney to kick off their dreams of hitting the big time.

Jared Valentine is the older brother of Evie's best friend Mac and also the man determined to make Evie his. They strike up a long distance friendship which suits Evie because she's determined to avoid the distraction of love, not only because it doesn't fit in with her plan but because twice in the past it has left her for dead. Moving to Sydney however, has put her directly in Jared's path and he has decided it's the perfect opportunity to make his play.

Unfortunately Jared, co-owner in a business that 'consults' in dangerous hostage and kidnapping situations, makes an enemy who's determined to enact revenge. When this enemy puts Evie in his sights, Jared not only has a fight on his hands to make her his own, but also to keep her alive.

Is accepting the love he's so desperate to give worth the risk to both her heart...and her life?

Book: Give Me Love (Give Me #1) by Kate McCarthy
Published: March 15, 2013
Pages: 328
Genres: Romance, Musician, New Adult, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: September 13-15, 2017
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I'm not really sure where to start with this review. Did I like this book? Yes. Did I love it? No. Did I enjoy a lot of the characters? For the most part.

Evie and Jared were a great couple, when they were together. I understand they both had their hangups due to previous relationships and that they were each having trouble overcoming them. I get it. But it was like the movie groundhog day - the same thing kept happening over and over. Something would happen and Jared would freak out and disappear while Evie would deal with the pain in her own, unproductive way. It got old, quick. However, I am happy that they were finally able to get their crap together and work everything out!

I'm not really sure where I stand on Mac's character. I have a very love/hate relationship with her since one minute I was happy with her and the next I wished she would disappear. Maybe, if she gets her own book, I'll understand more of her feelings and get some clarity as to what was going on with her in this book.

I enjoyed Evie's bandmates and would have liked to have seen a bit more of them - I'm sure they have a bigger role in the other books. And I loved Jared and Mac's brothers - I definitely would love to read more about them.

I enjoyed this book but I'm not sure if I'm going to read the rest of the series. Then again, you never know!

A Time to Give (About the Baby #1) by Kathryn Shay

In a TIME TO GIVE, Ben Cassidy has lost everything. A former CEO of a company he built and benefactor of a soup kitchen he started, he was tricked by an unethical vulture capitalist who cheated him out of everything. Ben hit the skids, but now is trying to get his act together. He allows himself to go to the soup kitchen as a guest once a week because it’s the single thing left of his accomplishments.

Emily is a volunteer at the soup kitchen and attracted to Ben from day one. But she suppresses her feelings because he’s a guest. For months, she keeps her distance but one night, when she gives him a ride home, they end up in bed together.

That one encounter changes everything between them until Ben learns two things: she’s the daughter of the man who destroyed him. And she’s also pregnant.

Follow these two people in their struggle to accept each other, their circumstances and the deep attraction they share. Poignant scenes involving all the characters reveal how difficult it is to repair broken promises and unrealized dreams.

Book: A Time to Give (About the Baby #1) by Kathryn Shay
Published: January 18th, 2017
Pages: 384
Genres: Romance, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 21st-24th, 2017
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I really liked the premise of this book and I absolutely love the author but for some reason this book just didn't "do it" for me. It was a decent read but there was just so many things about it that I just couldn't get on board with. I liked the hero and heronine well enough but the story itself could have been a lot longer. The main characters weren't happy with each other for the longest time and then out of the blue everything is going well and the hero wants to do things to make the heroine happy. It all just happened too quickly for me.

That being said, it was still an good enough read to get 3 stars in my book.

Single Dad's Bride by Melinda Minx

I have one month to find a bride or I lose my daughter.
They say a tattoo artist with a dirty mouth can’t be a kickass father.
Bullsh*t. But my lawyer says I need a wholesome bride to convince the judge.
I know just the perfect girl—hell—I think she might even be a virgin.
Only problem? She’s my sister’s best friend, and she hates my guts.


When my best friend's brother asks me to marry him, I nearly slap him in the face. I’m pretty sure he’s teasing me—just like he always has—but marriage isn’t something to joke about. Not when I’m pushing thirty with no hope in sight. And not when I’ve always had a huge, stupid crush on him.

Then he tells me he’s serious. He needs me to do it so he can keep his daughter.

I have to refuse. He’s always treated me like crap, which makes my feelings toward him even more sad and pathetic.

How can I not have a crush on him though? He’s always wearing a thin, tight undershirt that shows off his cut abs and broad shoulders, and despite what some people say about his chops as a father, he’s as sweet to his daughter as he is mean to me.

Maybe I can say “yes.” I’d be doing it for his daughter, not for him. And I certainly wouldn’t be doing it with the sad hope that he’d look at me as anything other than his sister’s dorky friend—that he’d touch me and make me—no, definitely not that.

Book: Single Dad's Bride by Melinda Minx
Published: March 12th, 2017
Pages: 378
Genres: Romance, Erotica, Freebie on Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 28, 2017-June 21st, 2017
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I read this book almost in one sitting and truly enjoyed it. I loved Deacon, I thought Rita was a decent heroine and I absolutely adored little Elsie! My only issue with this book is it was very short and I would have liked to have seen the storyline more fleshed out. I don't like it when there is no build up between the hero and heroine and they fall into insta-love.

That being said, I did enjoy this story and definitely wouldn't mind reading it again!

When I Was Yours by Samantha Towle

“Marry me.”
“What?” I stared back at him, unblinking.
He moved closer, taking my face in his hands. “I love you, Evie. I look into the future, and the only thing I see clearly is you. Marry me.”

What’s an eighteen-year-old girl who was madly in love with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend say?

Of course, I said yes.

Twenty-four hours later, I married Adam Gunner at a Vegas chapel to the sounds of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Not the best omen. I get that now.

Then, exactly one week later, I left him. I walked out, leaving behind my wedding ring, annulment papers, and my heart, and he never knew why.

I haven’t seen him since. Not in ten long years.

Now, he’s here, standing before me. Looking at me with nothing but hurt and hatred in his eyes, he wants answers.

Answers I can’t give.

Book: When I Was Yours by Samantha Towle
Published: November 10th, 2015
Pages: 307
Genres: Romance, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: October 11-12, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

When I read the summary of this book I knew I had to get it, even though I've read quite a few books with a similar premise. I truly enjoyed both characters and learning how their relationship came to be. They are absolutely perfect for each other! Their names are Adam and Evie - does it get any more perfect than that?

That being said, I did feel that this book was so easy to predict. By about 20% in I already figured out what happened and why, hence the reason for not giving it 4 stars. That didn't stop me from reading it though! The characters were so raw and honest, it was hard not to identify with them.

I can always count on Samantha Towle for a great, fast-paced romance read! Brava!

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) by Pepper Winters

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

Book: Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) by Pepper Winters
Published: August 28th, 2013
Pages: 377
Genres: Romance, New Adult, BDSM, Erotica, Abuse
Format: Kindle
Date Read: October 7-10, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

From the summary of the book, I really thought this was going to be completely different than it was and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

The book was very well written so there is definitely no confusion as to how a character feels or why something is happening. The author did an amazing job! However, I'm just not sure I can get on board with this heroine. I get that she is unsatisfied with her love life, even though she loves her boyfriend and is "settled" in her relationship. I get that she wants more from him. But, what I can't get on board with is where her thought process goes and her rationale after she gets kidnapped (I would say more but I don't want to spoil the book for anyone).

From the summary of the book I assumed the book was going to be about a girl who is kidnapped and the journey she goes on waiting for her boyfriend to rescue her. I thought there would be parts explaining what said boyfriend does to get her back. Nope. This book is about a girl who eventually falls in love with her "master" - Stockholm syndrome at it's best. Now, I can get on board with that - I've read A LOT of erotica where the girl fell in love with her kidnappers and there is nothing wrong with a book that depicts it. However, what happens to this girl before she arrives at her masters house and during just completely turned me off their relationship. I know that it's a book and anything can happen but this one was a little bit of a reach for me.

The hero, however, I definitely liked. Q was a very intense, interesting man. I liked his backstory and what he was about. I can definitely see what made the heroine eventually fall in love with him and I would have loved to have read more about this character.

Overall, this was a very good book, it was, I just couldn't get on board with everything in it. Maybe due to the issues that go on within it or maybe its just me. Why don't you check it out and decide for yourself?

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year. The tourists think it's all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better. Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs and all.

After seeing her maybe-mobster boss murder a guy, Delaney James assumes a new identity and pretends to be a mail order bride. What she doesn't know is her groom to be is a 400-year-old vampire.

Hugh Ellingham has only agreed to the set up to make his overbearing grandmother happy. His past means love is no longer an option. Except he never counted on Delaney and falling in love for real. Too bad both of them are keeping some mighty big secrets...

Book: The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter
Published: June 1, 2015
Pages: 370
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 15-28, 2016
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

This was a cute, fun read. There was very little angst (which I LOVED) and the story moved right along. It moved at a perfect pace and everything was tied up nicely in the end.

I truly enjoyed reading this story but I finished it and felt like it just needed more. More story? More character development? I'm not sure what it needed but I felt like this was a novella rather than a novel. It was a good story, nothing was wrong with it but I just wanted MORE.

Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1) by Elle Casey

Teagan Cross, college senior, rebel, and wiseass extraordinaire, goes from princess to pauper in a single phone call. Overnight, her life of privilege becomes one of survival, and no matter where she turns, it seems like the world is out to get her. She's not going to fall apart, though. She's a rebel and she's strong … determined to live life on her own terms … and nothing's going to stop her from getting things done and making things right. But when a twist of fate brings her to the doorstep of a different kind of Rebel, she's forced to figure out when something's worth fighting for and when something's worth letting go.

Book: Rebel (Rebel Wheels #1) by Elle Casey
Published: October 29th, 2013
Pages: 294
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 10-13, 2016
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

Rebel is one sexy hunk of a man!

I truly enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down; such a good read! But, I felt like there were so many things that weren't explained - Rebel's back story could have been much more explained. I felt like some parts were just randomly added in, they didn't "fit" with the storyline. Maybe it's just me who felt that way, maybe not.

Another reason I'm not giving this book the 4 stars I feel it could deserve is because it just ENDED. Nothing was wrapped up, there were so many questions! Something big happens, we feel like Teagan is finally getting to the bottom of stuff and the books ENDS. Not cool, not cool at all. I understand wanting to leave the book open for the next one and for getting readers to want to purchase the next one but it still wasn't nice.

Anyway...

All in all, good story, it has likeable characters (some not so much) and it definitely makes you want to read the next book.