Tag: Banter

Come As You Are | Jess K. Hardy

Posted 04/19/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Come As You Are | Jess K. Hardy
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 3.5 Flames
Series: Bluebird Basin #1
Published by Pinkity Publishing on 11/01/2022
Format: Kindle (318 Pages)
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Were you a 90s alternative kid? Do you like small-town feels, 90s grunge, flannel, a good mixed tape, one hell of an epic love story, and adorable St. Bernard puppies? How about a sexy 53-year-old guitar player with tattoos or a badass 46-year-old divorcee who owns a ski resort? No? Well then, we can’t be friends. An ex-rockstar and recovering addict—who now runs a sober living home—helps a divorced, single mom save her beloved ski resort from being bought by her asshole ex-husband.  That simple synopsis does NOT do this book justice. Because Jess Hardy created a relationship […]

Just Don’t Call Me Yours | Heather Garvin

Posted 04/12/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Just Don’t Call Me Yours | Heather Garvin
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Spice Level: 3.5 Flames
All-Time Favorite
Series: Just Yours #1
Published by Tuskan Publishing on 03/15/2024
Format: DRC (315 Pages)
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Well, color me shocked. I didn’t think I liked the rockstar romance trope, but apparently, I was very, VERY wrong.  Jackson Phillips may come off as a sarcastic, uncaring, rockstar playboy, but deep down, he’s a loyal, loving, tender-hearted teddy bear. And he loves to play the guitar—like, a lot. All Jackson wants is to be in a band and go on tour. However, Jackson’s dad thinks he’d be throwing his life away and vehemently disapproves of Jackson’s musical dreams. So Jackson is begrudgingly attending his first semester at the University of South Florida with his best friend, Matt. But […]

What Is Love? | Jen Comfort

Posted 04/08/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
What Is Love? | Jen Comfort
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 4 Flames
Published by Montlake on 04/01/2024
Format: Kindle (345 Pages)
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I have always loved all things trivia — my husband and I fell in love going to “nerd” trivia at our favorite bar — and let me tell you, What is Love? by Jen Comfort just took trivia to a whole other level. Theodore “Teddy” Ferguson III is an Oxford-educated professor of geography and geoscience at Princeton University. He likes to play it safe and loves a good schedule; consistency is his middle name.  Maxine Hart is a skydiving, video game loving, public school dropout. She has horrible ADHD and lives by the seat of her pants; chaos is her […]

Funny Feelings | Tarah DeWitt

Posted 04/05/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Funny Feelings | Tarah DeWitt
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 3.5 Flames
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin on 05/02/2023
Format: Kindle (311 Pages)
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Farley Jones is a lot of things. But ask anyone, and the first thing they will tell you is, that she is funny. Like really, REALLY funny. But booking gigs as a woman in comedy is hard. Especially when you’re crass, high-maintenance, and have no filter—consequences be damned. Meyer Harrigan was once a very successful standup comedian. He retired from comedy when he unexpectedly became a single dad and the sole caregiver to his daughter, Hazel. It’s Hazel’s 7th birthday, and things aren’t going well. A freak rainstorm tears through LA, ruining her perfect water park party plans. Every […]

The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center

Posted 03/18/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 1 Flames
Published by St. Martin’s Press on 06/11/2024
Format: DRC (321 Pages)
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This was my first book by Katherine Center, and it will definitely not be my last. I was hooked from the first page and voraciously devoured Emma & Charlie’s story. I was pleasantly surprised how Center effortlessly spun a fun and epic love story but managed to sprinkle in bits of tragedy, hardship, and perseverance. The more somber moments didn’t detract from the levity of the story. They, in fact, made it better; more believable & real. Just two wonderfully flawed characters, trying their best to deal with the tragedies of their past. All while hoping for a […]

Bride | Ali Hazelwood

Posted 03/15/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Bride | Ali Hazelwood
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Spice Level: 4 Flames
Published by Berkley on 02/06/2024
Format: Kindle (410 Pages)
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All of Ali Hazelwood’s books follow pretty much the same formula. A smart, sassy, accomplished woman with some much-deserved baggage is forced to spend time with an equally smart, slightly grumpy, golden retriever of a man with baggage of his own. They are both, naturally, very easy on the eyes. Mix together a hefty helping of witty banter, some complicated feelings, a dash of angsty longing, and lots of sexual tension until you get a couple that finally realizes they are in love. Sexy time ensues. Introduce a small conflict or misunderstanding, have a brief yet terrible third-act […]

Right Where We Left Us | Jen Devon

Posted 03/11/2024 by Hilarye in ARC Review, Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Right Where We Left Us | Jen Devon
Star Rating: 3.5 Stars
Spice Level: 3.5 Flames
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin on 06/18/2024
Format: DRC (359 Pages)
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Temperance & Duncan fell deeply in love when they were 18. They spent one secret, inseparable summer together and then a plethora of insanely crappy things happened that inevitably led to their breakup. In the 14ish years since, whenever they entered each other’s orbit, they were drawn together like magnets. But years of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and guilt meant they never could get it right. Now, Duncan is helping build his family’s winery, and Temperance is a pediatrician at a local clinic. When Duncan’s brother proposes to Temperance’s best friend, the couple who has tried to deny their feelings […]

Once Upon a Broken Heart | Stephanie Garber

Posted 02/19/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Once Upon a Broken Heart | Stephanie Garber
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Spice Level: 1 Flames
All-Time Favorite
Series: Once Upon a Broken Heart #1
Published by Flatiron Books on 09/28/2021
Format: Kindle (416 Pages)
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I started OUABH immediately after finishing Finale, and I’m glad I did. I was not a huge fan of Jacks at the end of Finale, but I was very curious about what would happen to him. Where will he go, how will he cope, what hijinks will he get up to? I needed to know more. For a general timeline, the first 1/4 of OUABH overlaps the last 3/4 of Finale. In true Stephanie Garber fashion, OUABH sucked me right back into the wonderful world she created in Caraval. I thoroughly enjoyed being thrust back into that world […]

Ruthless Vows | Rebecca Ross

Posted 02/05/2024 by Hilarye in Book Reviews / 0 Comments
Ruthless Vows | Rebecca Ross
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Spice Level: 1.5 Flames
All-Time Favorite
Series: Letters of Enchantment #2
Published by Wednesday Books on 12/26/2023
Format: Kindle (419 Pages)
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While I loved this book equally as much as Divine Rivals, it was very different. The story was less Winnow/Kitt romance, & more Dacre/Enva war story. Roman & Iris spent much of the book apart. Roman acting as Dacre’s war correspondent; Iris trying to find him. Making contact through wardrobe letters, slowly reconnecting, gaining trust; trying to get Roman to remember. Roman falling in love with Iris all over again, regaining his memory & then ultimately having to stay apart so they could work together to end the war. The few precious moments they had together were electric, […]