The Real Thing (Sugar Lake #1) by Melissa Foster

This sassy, spirited baker is fine with heat—but is her fake fiancé too hot to handle?

Bakery owner Willow Dalton’s friendship with Zane Walker has always been a bit complicated. Now a scrumptiously hot A-list actor, Zane’s always had a reputation as player. He’s arrogant, and he’s definitely not boyfriend material. Sure, he did Willow a favor by agreeing to take her virginity before college, but is that reason enough to go along with a fake engagement a decade later—even if it comes with a real diamond ring?

Zane should have known better. Nothing involving Willow has ever been easy. Still, he knows her better than anyone, and becoming America’s hottest new leading man means cleaning up his reputation. An “engagement” to curvy, sass-mouthed Willow is the perfect PR move . . . provided no one gets hurt.

Now Zane and Willow’s little white lie has turned into an irresistible recipe for sweet temptation. And soon no one will be able to tell the difference between their fake engagement or the real thing—including them.

Book: The Real Thing (Sugar Lake #1) by Melissa Foster
Published: September 5th, 2017
Pages: 288 Pages
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: October 12-14, 2021
Rating: 4 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔

I read this book in 2 nights. I just could not put it down and enjoyed every single page of this book from start to finish.

I did notice that the summary for the book didn't seem to really match up with the book itself. The heroine is the sibling of the hero's best friend and that was something I was suprised wasn't included in the summary. It definitely threw me for a loop.

I loved Willow and Zane. They had such great chemistry and I enjoyed reading their past, and present relationship unfold. It was refreshing to read about a hero who knew who and what he wanted and wasn't afraid to do whatever he had to do to win the girl and keep her.

I'm not sure if I will read the rest of the books in the series since some of the other characters didn't really interest me but I will defintely read other books from this author. Brava!

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!

Mystery Man (Dream Man 1) by Kristen Ashley

Night time is the right time...

Gwendolyn Kidd has met the man of her dreams. He's hot, he's sexy, and what started as a no-names-exchanged night of passion has blossomed into a year and a half-long pleasure fest. Sure, it's a little strange that he only appears in her bed at night, but Gwen is so sure he's the one, she just can't turn him away...

Hawk Delgado knows more about Gwen than she could ever imagine. She's gorgeous, headstrong, and skittish about relationships. But Hawk is facing his own demons, demons that keep him from connecting with anyone. Yet when Gwen is drawn into Denver's lethal underground scene, Hawk's protective nature comes out full force. The problem is, when Gwen gets a dose of Hawk's Alpha attitude in the daylight, she's not so sure he's the one anymore...

Book: Mystery Man (Dream Man 1) by Kristen Ashley
Published: July 11, 2011
Pages: 494
Genres: Romance, Erotica, Sexy Alpha Male, Series
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 31-February 4, 2021
Rating: 4 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔

I have read at least a half a dozen of Kristen Ashley's books and I always enjoy them. In fact, one of my favorite books to reread over and over is one of hers!

Mystery Man had me hooked from the get go and I truly enjoyed it. I thought the characters were very realistic and I loved each of their different personalities.

I find myself going back and forth with how I feel about the heroine, Gwen. She is a very wishy washy character. I completely understand why she is that way and the way she is portrayed is very realistic but it drove me nuts to read! I found myself yelling at her and rolling my eyes over and over.

Hawk. Cabe. Whatever you prefer to call his character, he was one I enjoyed a lot. For the most part, once he decided he wanted more with Gwen, he jumped right in and I loved that about him.

Bax, Meredith, Gwens friends, Mitch, Dog, Tack; I loved all of the other characters and would truly enjoy reading more about them.

I throughly enjoyed the ending of this book so much. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and I was so impressed with how well this author wrapped everything up! I feel like this book was closer to a 4.5 rating but Gwen drove me nuts so much that I'm keeping it at a 4.

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.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

Book: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Published: August 5, 2014
Pages: 337
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 22-25, 2021
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

This book is a must read. Go, go now- find it!

I have read a handful of Colleen Hoover's books and I am never disappointed when I select them. They drag you in and take you on a roller coaster of emotions; this book was no different.

I loved the evolution of Miles and Tate's relationship. It wasn't instant love or even instant like since they pretty much just tolerated each other at first.

Miles back story just broke my heart a little bit more every time we got a peak at it. I knew it could only end badly as more and more was shared and I was right- it was devastating. Poor Miles has been to hell and back and I completely understand his reluctance to be in any kind of relationship.

I loved the character of Tate- she truly cared about people, especially Miles. And I love how her strength shined through when it was needed.

My favorite character in the book was Cap! I loved his advice and his random thoughts and sayings. I loved his relationship with everyone in the building. It makes me wish I had a Cap in my life!

The ending of this book had me crying legit tears of joy. I was so happy for everyone! It's not surprising to me since this author always does a fabulous job of wrapping up her books. Brava Colleen Hoover, you have done it again!!

Now, what do we need to do to for a sequel to this book, even if its about the other characters in the book? I need more glimpses of the future!

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!