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Releasing Now: Maneater (Mavens #1) by Morgan Elizabeth

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by

Maneater by Morgan Elizabeth is live!

Pre-Order: https://geni.us/maneaterpreorder

Add to TBR: https://geni.us/maneatertbr

The Mavens are on the job to solve the mystery of who is sabotaging a luxury resort. Josie, nicknamed the Maneater, is using her powers of persuasion to get the intel they need.

While there, Rowan, a nuisance from her past and the VP of Operations for the resort, keeps getting in her way, but she’s not backing down.

Be it love or disaster, neither of them is ready for what’s coming next.

What You Can Expect from Maneater:

The suspect list just dropped… and it’s not looking good 👀

From hired security to hotel staff, everyone at Daydream Resorts has something to hide.

☀️ Grumpy x sunshine tension (and she’s the chaos)

🕵️‍♀️ A super-secret PI on a mission

🏝️ Workplace drama at a luxury resort empire

💥 Forced proximity (hello shared spaces)

💘 Loathe to love, with banter so sharp it cuts

🖊️ A 5,000-word spicy interrogation scene (yes, really)

💼 A broody, tattooed VP with forearms she can’t stop staring at

⚡ An emotional support taser named Betty

🗯️ Strong female friendships

🌴 Charlie’s Angels meets White Lotus vibes

🎯 She takes down terrible men for fun

🔥 And one mystery that gets way too personal, way too fast

Maneater is book 1 in the Mavens series and doesn’t require any other Morganverse books to be read before it! However some Morganverse favs maaaay make appearances here and there 😉

5 Utterly Fantastic Stars

I knew from the very first chapter of Maneater by Morgan Elizabeth, that this was going to be one of my favorite reads of the year. And the more I read this book, the more I knew all of that to be true. Because this book was all kinds of fun, all kinds of glorious tension filled buildup, and was all kinds of incredible as Rowan and Josie‘s love story unfolded. This book had me in the best kind of chokehold from start to finish because I literally could not get enough of these characters, their incredible banter, their unadulterated connection and what they did to one another, the mystery weaving its way through the world of chemistry they shared, and just everything else that made this such an incredible book to experience.

Morgan Elizabeth outdid herself in this one and I can’t say it enough.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this one and that’s just part of what I absolutely loved about this book. This book was described as Charlie’s Angels, meets White Lotus, meets banter filled grumpy sunshine romance goodness. And that is the PERFECT description for it. There is mystery, there is a little bit of spy action, there’s a hell of a lot of chemistry and connection between this couple, and there is the most glorious level of banter and build up that will have you equally swooning and keeping on your toes through every turn of that page. Josie and Rowan‘s story is definitely memorable. In more ways than one. This author finds the most unique way of bringing their story to life, letting you feel like you’re living every breath of what they share, while just showing you that they are the perfect match for one another. Even if they’re unsure about it at first.

I had so much fun reading this book! I really can’t say that enough. From the mystery of it all, to the banter between this couple, to just the memorable moments that unfolded in this book. I found myself smiling, practically giggling at times with these two. Even in those moments when they acted like they wanted to rip each other‘s faces off, there was a serious level of want and need between Rowan and Josie and I was LIVING for it. I was also living for the one liners they shared, the very memorable moments they brought out in one another, and just every second of what transpired in this book as they pushed one another over the proverbial edge of no return. (And spoiler alert, over that proverbial edge is a hell of a lot of tantalizing spice and so much heart that will have you swooning and melting for the rest of your days.)

Josie and Rowan definitely keep each other on their toes. And then some. They have crossed paths many times before the events of this book, and they definitely have some preconceived notions about one another. Some of which are right… And some of which are very wrong. When these two end up in very close proximity due to the events of this book and their respective jobs, the banter and that push and pull between them hits an all-time high. They definitely know all the right buttons to push of one another, they definitely feel a hell of an attraction to one another, but more than that there’s just something very real and authentic brewing between them. Through this author’s incredible writing you get to be with them both as they realize what’s real, what’s true, and what they really want with what’s happening between them.

Now let me tell you something about Josie and Rowan, those two not only keep each other on their toes and on the edge simultaneously, but boy do they share a level of chemistry and connection that will have you needing a fan something fierce. Trust me. Let me tell you that those two definitely know how to piss each other off, they know how to get under each other’s skin, but more than that they know how to show each other what they really want and what they truly feel. You will relish and give the angst and the tension and the build up that is tangible through every second they’re together in this book. It builds to the most glorious tipping point that truly is a point of no return for these two, and it will have you just feeling the spice and heat between them.

I promise you that.

But more than that with these two, the more that you’re with them, the more that you see right along with them that they might have just met their match and the most perfect person for each other. These two really see each other. They get each other. They get each other‘s determination, their passions, and what makes them them. And more than that, they celebrate that. They love that about one another. Now they definitely don’t start the book seeing and getting all of that, but over the course of this book, slowly but surely they start to put the pieces of one another together and they start to see what’s really there and who the other is, all while getting pulled closer and closer to one another. And getting to see their relationship deepen over the course of this book and its events as they see each other for who they truly are, as they feel and share what they do, and as they peel back the layers of one another to see what’s really there… Is truly nothing short of everything.

Morgan Elizabeth just does an incredible job of allowing you to get the authenticity of these characters. Of letting you see who they truly are even in those moments when they put those barriers up. It was so much fun and just so enjoyable getting to see these characters get to know each other, allowing them to see the real them, getting to see them show their vulnerable sides, and getting to be there as they fell so hard for one another. Couple that with the mystery, the antics, the spiciest spice, and the memorable moments… And I was smitten with this couple and their story.

I think one of my favorite things about this book was not only just how unique it was, how fun it was, and just how consumed I felt in the love story, but it was really that this author just let her characters be who they are. I felt that authenticity through every page with them. I loved that they were unapologetically passionate about their work and what drives them, and what they wanted for themselves and their futures. I loved that they weren’t going to just waver in that. I loved that they could be real, even when things around them felt anything but that. I loved that this author created them in a way that was very distinct and memorable, but that also made them so easy to just love and connect to. I loved that both Rowan and Josie were headstrong, fierce, and unapologetically themselves. She is very much the sunshine, and he is very much the drum… And it just works. Because they just make each other happy, while wholeheartedly being themselves, while also knowing that the other just appreciated who they are in the most true way.

Getting all of that through this book and what this author creates was absolutely incredible to experience as a reader.

It’s suffice to say that I loved Josie and Rowan so much. I loved their banter. I loved and lived for their connection. And I just loved what they did to one another. Those two have an indescribable level of connection and it is everything to experience that. There’s heat, there’s heart and so many feels, but more than that there’s just a truth in what they share. Through all the layers and moments in this book, through every missed opportunity they share, there’s the two of them and the truth in what they share and feel together… And it’s the best. That truth shines through everything, it pulls you into every moment with them, and will have you believing in everything they’re working towards and building in this book.

Now I also have to say that one of my favorite aspects of this book was the mystery of it all. I loved getting to see Josie and Rory and their elements, but also getting to see Rowan in his. I love characters that are passionate about what they do, and how this author was that into the story itself, while adding mystery and while adding memorable moments, and just infusing such a vibrant personality into everything she created was so good. I truly cannot get enough of this book and what I got with these characters. I could not put it down, I could not stop trying to figure out who was behind all the things going wrong, and I just loved how much I felt in this story.

This book was all kinds of fun, it was definitely all kinds of spicy, and it was all kinds of memorable. Morgan Elizabeth infused so much life and color and vibrancy into every single second with these characters, and I was obsessed. Like, OBSESSED. I cannot get enough and I already need so many more books in this world because I just love the concept of this series. I love the premise that there are these bad ass fierce women showing their skills and helping others out, while also finding love along the way, and I just can’t wait for more. I am already eagerly anticipating every other book in this world because I just need more. I. Need. It.

Maneater by Morgan Elizabeth just blew me away, and I can’t say it enough. This book just felt like the perfect summer romance read, it had me in every breath of this story, and I was living for it. I was living for the spiciest spice between Rowan and Josie. I was living for the true connection those two shared, and how they both made each other reconsider everything they thought they knew. I was living for the epic level of banter those two shared through every missed connection and opportunity to poke at each other in this book. I was living for the way that their connection builds and builds in the most organic and real way in this story until the point that they can no longer deny how true and real their feelings are for one another. I was living for the two of them and what they did to one another, while also getting to celebrate all that the two of them were about. I was living for it all and then some because this book was perfection.

It was fun, it was spicy, it was romantic, and I loved every single memorable second of it.

I really could go on and on about how much I love this book, but it truly won’t do it justice. You just have to trust me when I say that Maneater by Morgan Elizabeth will have you obsessed, consumed, and living for the mystery and spice and connection of it all between Josie and Rowan. Those two will keep you on your toes in the best way, and you will be so happy for it. Their story has twists and turns, it has a lot of fire to it, and it is enjoyable from start to finish. It definitely gave me a reading experience I know I won’t soon forget, and I just can’t say enough how much I LOVED every single second I got with these two. It was just the best. And then some.

So just do yourself a damn favor and read this book the second you can. You will not regret giving Josie and Rowan a chance because those two will blow you away with all they’ve got and with all they share. They are pure fireworks and banter and so much more, and you will love it. There is truly no resisting what the two of them bring out in one another and make each other feel, and you will just absolutely LOVE getting to be with them through every single second of their mystery filled, action packed love story.

I promise you that.

Releasing Now: Falling Stars (Wild at Heart #2) by Lex Martin

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by

𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 BY LEX MARTIN 𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!

If you’re in the mood for a broody NFL football player/cowboy and his sassy best friend, you’re in the right place! Maverick and Baylee will steal your heart and light up your e-reader!

𝗔𝗩𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗!

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦:

💙 Single mom & NFL football player

💙 Reformed playboy

💙 She falls first but he falls harder

💙 Childhood friends to lovers

💙 Romantic suspense

💙 Small town

𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗭𝗢𝗡 | 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 ➡https://geni.us/FallingStarsEbook

𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 ➡https://geni.us/FallingStarsRegPPBK

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 ➡https://geni.us/FallingStarsDiscPPbk

𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗢𝗡!

Falling for the guy who broke my heart years ago wasn’t on my to-do list when I snuck into his condo. 

Maverick Walker was my best friend, my safe place—the boy I trusted with my whole heart—until one reckless kiss in high school ruined everything. Now, he’s an NFL football player, and I’m a struggling small-town hair stylist, newly single and expecting a baby. With my ex gone and someone vandalizing my business, my life feels like it’s crumbling beneath me. 

When my best friend Paige suggests hiding out in Maverick’s swanky condo to regroup while he’s recovering from an injury in New York, it seems like a lifeline.

Except he comes home. Unexpectedly. When I’m half-dressed.

Now I’m stuck in his orbit again, unprepared for the way he still makes my heart race. Maverick is charming, ridiculously hot, and as off-limits as ever. But I have bigger problems than his smoldering smile—like figuring out who’s targeting me and why they won’t stop. 

As the threats escalate, so do Maverick’s protective instincts. But with his life in New York and mine in Texas, our worlds couldn’t be further apart. And yet, with danger closing in, his arms are the only safe haven I have left.

But how do I let him protect me without risking my heart again—when loving him feels as out of reach as a falling star? 

Falling Stars is a single mom, forced proximity, friends to lovers romance with second chance vibes. If you enjoy charming cowboys, sassy heroines, or secretive small towns, this book is for you!

***** 5 Absolutely Incredible Stars! *****

Lex Martin is one of my OG authors. I can still remember where I was the first time I read one of her books. Like it is a vivid memory in my mind because that is how much I was utterly consumed by her words from that very first page in that very first book. Over 10 years later, I am still a huge fan of this author. She is still one of my all-time favorite authors. And she continues to show me why I love love stories, but especially why I love love stories written by her.

What Lex Martin infuses into her romances is captivating, it’s vibrant, it’s unforgettable. It’s truly in a league of its own. I honestly don’t even have the right amount of words to capture what it’s like to read a book by this author, or to even scratch the surface of what I loved about this book by this author, but boy am I about to try in this book review. Because this book, these incredible characters, their love story, and this author Deserve it. They deserve everything.

Falling Stars by Lex Martin is a book that had some of my all-time favorite tropes in it. It was second chance, small town goodness, childhood friends to lovers, who are unexpectedly forced to live together in a way that leads to the best kind of fireworks. It also has a strong as hell single mom doing all that she can for her child, and her childhood best friend who is ready to show her that she doesn’t have to do it on her own anymore. Those two are pure connection and heart. I can’t say it enough. Your heart is in it with them from that very first page, and you are with them through every moment through past and present and future as they feel all that they can for one another.

From the moment I started this book, Baylee and Maverick stole my heart from page 1. I loved those two with my whole heart. This author throws you right into the thick of their friendship, she lets you understand and get every piece of their history and their connection, and she shows you how there is such depth and realness to what they feel and share together. This book gives them a chance at seeing what could be. It pushes them outside their comfort zones to take a chance on what they’ve always felt and shared, but we’re hesitant to risk. It forces them to face the authenticity and the depth of their feelings for one another, and what that means for the two of them as they move forward into the future together.

I think one of my favorite aspects of this book was how much history these two had together. I mean, they were childhood friends. Their families knew each other, they grew up to each other, they knew everything about each other. But there was also a world of feeling there between them. And when Baylee decides to push the boundaries, it doesn’t go well. But it’s not because Maverick doesn’t reciprocate what she feels, it’s because he’s scared of breaking them and their friendship. Flash forward six years later, and these two are brought back together under some very life-changing circumstances. Those circumstances turn their world upside down, but it also brings them back together to not only repair their friendship, but it also brings that flood of connection and fierce pull to one another right back to the surface. And try as they might fight it, it is there, it is tangible, and the two of them can’t help but feel it all.

And what they feel will change everything. What they feel will mean everything. What they experience and share together as they finally take that chance on one another is truly everything.

The way that Baylee and Maverick explore their feelings and connection this book, the way there is that tension and angst and buildup to them tipping those scales and giving into all that they feel, and the way that they wade their way through all of that emotion and feeling they have towards one another is one of the best aspects of this book. It is what gave me life reading their story. The vibrancy and the heart that they bring to every moment they’re together, the way that they struggle with their feelings and what it means and what it means for their future is authentic and raw. The way that they deal with their own flaws and their past traumas and everything is real and messy and complicated. These are two real characters, trying to figure out how they can navigate all of the feeling and love that they share for one another, with the circumstances they find themselves in. And I for one I loved and lived for being in the thick of that tension with them, because not only was it glorious, and not only did it build up to the most epic love story between these two characters, but it just added to every bit of what I experienced and felt with these characters.

Lex Martin completely consumed and enamored me with this couple and their journey to get to where they do in this book, and I was here for every single bit of it.

Baylee is a gem of a character. I love that role with my whole heart. Not only is she a strong single mom determined to give her child the best life and do what she can for those around her, but she has a heart of gold. I mean, she is just a genuinely good person. She is also a bad ass mom who will do anything for her child. The love that she has for her child shines on every page of this book and it will have you just melting. And loving all that this woman is ready and willing to do to make a life for herself and her child. She also loves her best friend and has been in love with him for years. And I really felt for her of the course of this book as she struggled to make sense of her feelings, as she worried if she could risk things once again, and as she tried to reconcile her very very real and strong feelings for Maverick, with being a mom, taking care of her child and her business, as well as her family and those around her. She has so much on her shoulders and she has such strength. I had so much respect for her character, so much love for her, and honestly, I just wanted to be friends with her. Lex Martin makes her so realistic and easy to love. It’s impossible not to want every good thing for her and root for her with all you can.

Now Maverick also stole my heart from the very first moment I met him. You meet him at a very tough time in his life when he is struggling with an injury that’s put him out of the NFL, he’s thrown back into the small town he grew up in, and he is brought face-to-face with his childhood best friend who he truly loves, and feels everything for, but is so scared to rock the boat with. I could not have loved his character more. I loved the way he continued to show up for Baylee. I mean the way that man was a protector, the way he loved her and her son, the way that he showed up for her, the way that he just wanted to fix and make everything right was the best. It’s not to say he didn’t have his hard moments and his own struggles, because he does and you get to process all that with him as both he and Baylee take this chance, but I just loved his character. I loved how strong and determined he was himself. I loved that this book was just as much about him figuring out his own future plan as it was for him fighting like hell for the future he wanted with Baylee and Leo. I also just loved that while he had those realistic moments of wavering and thinking about what he wanted and what he was willing to fight for, he also never lost sight of what really mattered and who he wanted to spend his life with. And that shined on every single page.

Getting to be in the thick of this love story with Baylee and Maverick truly made my heart happy. When I tell you, it’s books like this that make me love reading romance, I mean that with my whole heart. It’s books like this that made me fall in love with this genre. Books that just show a real authenticity, a depth and level of connection, and that just combine the perfect amount of heart, and feels and swoon and spice to create an unforgettable love story. And honestly, that’s just scratching the service about what I loved with Baylee and Maverick’s story. Those two are just meant to be. You feel in your bones through every second they’re together, and I loved it. I loved that through every moment of struggle they faced, every hard conversation they had to have, and every moment where they try to figure out what came next, that love was there, it was real and deep, and it was just so completely them.

Now I also have to say that I loved the small town of this book and I truly cannot wait to get more from all of these characters. I am wholeheartedly invested in all of these brothers, all of these towns people, and just the magic that Lex Martin creates with all of them. She definitely brings the vibrant and life through her words to every second with all of these characters, and it just makes you want more. It makes you need every chance you can get with these characters and this town and all of their antics and moments together. And I just love it. It’s incredible, it’s fun to read and experience, and it just makes this even more of a memorable reading experience to have.

I truly could have spent the rest of time with these characters reading and experiencing their love story. Throw in the fact that there was a little bit of a mystery going on that put Baylee and Leo in danger, and that definitely pushed Maverick into protector mode, had me in every bit of this book. I literally sat here and read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t get enough with these characters, I couldn’t get enough of their connection, I couldn’t get enough of the love that they were building together and the beauty of what they shared, and I just couldn’t get enough of them. That is how much this author just puts you in the heart of this book that you feel that and live that and breathe that through every word. And that is just everything.

Falling Stars is a story of two souls finally finding their way back to one another in the way they were always meant to be together. It’s a story of a second chance at what could be. It’s about two very right people finally finding the right time to be together. It’s a story of authenticity and raw emotion and hard conversations, but more than that it’s a story of love. Love that grew from childhood, to young adulthood, to something so much more. It’s a love and respect that blooms over the course of this book that will just consume you, move you, and that will have you believing in everything that these two share. The beauty and depth of their love will truly touch every part of your heart, and you will love every single second you get with them.

I promise you that.

This book proved to me over and over again why Lex Martin continues to be one of my all-time favorite authors. I felt the same magic in this book that I felt in that very first book I read of hers, and that I felt in every other book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from her. This book was romantic, it was emotional and swoony, it had the fire and spice, and it had that small town magic that I loved every second of. This book truly showed me a love story I know I won’t forget. Baylee, Maverick, and little Leo, seared themselves my heart, and I never want them to let go because I just love those three and what they create and share in this book.

Lex Martin has once again completely outdone herself with Falling Stars and I have no doubt you will love this book. It will make you smile, it will definitely make you spoon and blush, but more than that it will just have you beyond consumed and in love with this couple and everything they share together. Their happily ever after is worth everything, and you will love getting to be in the thick of it with them in the heart of the story as the stars finally align for them to find their way back to one another.

This book, this couple, and their love story, are just perfection and you will truly LOVE every moment you get with them as they feel that love, as they fight for it, and as they finally get the chance to bask in it.

Meet the Author

Lex Martin is the USA Today bestselling author of Varsity Dads, Texas Nights, and the Dearest series. She writes contemporary romance novels, the steamy kind she hopes her readers love but her parents avoid. A former high school English teacher and freelance journalist, she resides in Texas with her husband and twin daughters. Drop her a line. She loves hearing from readers.

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Releasing Now: The Invitation by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by

The Invitation by Jodi Ellen Malpas is now live! 

An ambitious career woman. An enigmatic billionaire. There’s more to their affair than meets the eye in this scalding romance by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series.

Amelia Lazenby deserves a breather—from work and from the stress of a recent breakup. Courtesy of her best friends, she gets a day of pampering at a posh country spa called Arlington Hall. Instead of finding calm, she finds her pulse racing when she sees flawlessly rugged Jude Harrison. Hand on heart, she’s never laid eyes on such a stunner. And an unexpected steam room meet takes their instant attraction to a whole new level.

Amelia wasn’t looking for an intense new affair. But the passion Jude ignites is off the charts. Even if he is a little possessive. Even if his temper can be as formidable as the influence he has on her body. He becomes all the more intriguing when Amelia discovers that Jude not only owns Arlington Hall but that their meeting was no accident. It was planned. But to what end?

That’s a mystery as irresistible as Jude himself. Is he worth the risk? Or is this the man who could break her?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4aPoJA5

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TheInvitationJEM

Audible: https://bit.ly/40OWs82

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4aGP82Q

*****5 Utterly Consuming Stars*****

Let me start this review by saying that it has been way too long since I have had the pleasure of reading a book by Jodi Ellen Malpas. This author is one of my OGs. I have read many of her books, been completely addicted to her words and series and characters for so long, and I have truly never read a book quite like the ones that she creates. There is just something so addictive, something so unadulterated, something so passionate about what she creates with her characters and love stories and I truly can’t get enough. I hate that I have let myself get behind on her books, but this book was the PERFECT introduction back to her words.

The Invitation was utterly consuming. I mean that with every fiber of my being. I read this book in a matter of hours and did not come up for air one time while reading it. I literally sat here reading that book cover to cover, devouring everything with Jude and Amelia because I was obsessed. I was hooked. I was addicted. I was in it with them, in the thick of their throws of passions, their ups and downs, and everything in between. I was in it with them and I loved it. I loved it so beyond everything because I could not get enough of what those two shared in this book. Their connection is on a whole different level. It’s raw, it’s layered, it is dynamic and evocative and consuming in a way that will truly steal your breath at times. There is a force to be reckoned with when those two are together. And this book showed every single bit of that.

And I loved every damn word of it and what I got with those two in this incredible book.

I’m sitting here writing this review hours later and I’m still thinking about those two. I am very much chomping at the bit for what comes next for them, and I am already counting down the days because I need everything with this couple. They definitely go through it in this book, but I was here for it. I was here for the passion and connection. I was here for the mystery and the unfolding of things and events. I was here for what these characters share on a true and honest level. I was here for every moment of possessiveness and unadulterated feeling and connection. I was definitely here for all of the fire and heat that these two exude in every single second they’re on the pages of this book. But more than that, I was here for how these characters were utterly consumed with each other and what they made each other feel. You could tell it was unexpected, you could tell it completely turned both of their world upside down, and you could tell it was something unlike anything both of them had ever experienced.

I loved and relished and lived forgetting to be in the thick of that with them over the course of this book and getting to be with them as they tried to figure out what that meant, and what they did with all of that world of feeling.

I thought Amelia‘s character was fantastic. She is a gem. There’s no other way to say it because that girl was the best. I loved that she should on her two feet 10 toes down, willing to fight for what she wanted for her life, and what she wanted for her heart. She wasn’t afraid to take a risk when it really mattered. She wasn’t afraid to put up a fight when it was really needed. And she felt with her whole heart. I loved that girl with my whole heart reading this book and I felt like this author just really allowed me to get everything with her. I felt connected to her, I loved her, and I just rooted for her across this book. I also just loved that Amelia had such strength to her, but that she was also vulnerable and real and honest. That shined across this book and I think that just allows you to see every facet of her character in the best way. And it definitely creates a genuine connection to her character. Amelia is fierce, she is passionate, she is her own force to be reckoned with and I just can’t wait to be back with her character. I need her to get every good thing because that girl deserves it. She deserves it and more.

Now Jude was a little bit of an enigma across this book and I was here for it. I love a little bit of a mysterious man, but more than that. I definitely am here for a male hero who is possessive, who is a forced to be reckoned with, and who is not afraid to push you well past that edge for the right reasons. (I’m also really here for a wealthy man who doesn’t know what to do with his very real feelings. It’s what I was raised on. What can I say?!) But in all seriousness, I loved Jude‘s character. You don’t get his perspective in this book as the story is told from Amelia‘s point of view, but I felt like I still got so much of him. I understood so much of his struggle at times, so much of what he felt for Amelia, and so much of how this was different between them. The fact that I could feel that and practically touch that and experience that in this book is a true testament to what this author creates that I got that and I wasn’t even in his head. I could not get enough of this man. He definitely has some making up to do and I definitely need some answers, but I have no doubt that Jude and his determined self will see it through. Because his feelings for Amelia are very, very real, and I have no doubt about that.

And let me tell you now, grab yourself a fan because the level of chemistry and connection that Jude and Amelia share is off the charts. I mean, I’m pretty sure I was the color of a tomato or something close to that throughout so much of this book. The heat, the passion, the moments that these characters share… It is pure unadulterated FIRE. It is passion and Fourth of July fireworks and so much connection combined in the most explosive way. It is pure heat and tension, but more than that, there is such a layer of feeling and heart and unforgettableness to what they share in every moment, but especially in those moments.

The way this author perfectly balances out that outstanding level of heat and connection and desire these characters have for one another, while also showing that there is such emotion and vulnerability and raw honesty in what they share is everything and just so much more. And that more? That more is perfection.

What Jude and Amelia share in this book definitely throws both of their worlds out of orbit. They were not prepared for each other. They were not prepared to feel everything for one another. You feel that in every part of this story with them. And even through every twist and turn, even through every up and down they have to face, you know that there is something true and real about what they feel and share together. And they might not have been prepared for it, they might not have expected it or even wanted it at first, but it’s there. It’s there and it’s real and it’s tangible and it’s them. So wholeheartedly them. And it cannot be denied. Not one little bit. And you feel that in your soul reading this book. You feel that in every way, in every moment, in every page. And the truth of that might scare these characters out of their ever loving minds in this book, but it’s everything to experience that with them.

All of that so outstandingly combines through this author’s writing to allow you to see the truth and vulnerability and heart and emotion that goes with the two of them as they wade their way through all of that ocean of realness and feeling.

And through it all, you believe in what could be with Jude and Amelia with your whole heart, but more than that you know that the two of them and their messy and complicated and flawed and very real love is worth it. It’s beyond worth it. And I felt that through every second of their story. And I loved it so damn much.

So. Damn. Much.

Jody Ellen Malpas just completely blew me away with this book. I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about it. All I knew is that it was written by one of my favorite authors and that’s all I needed to know because I have loved every single book by the author. But I was so totally not prepared for how addicted and obsessed and completely and snared I would become in the story, in this couple, and their passionate love affair that is so layered and just so much more. I just could not get enough of what these characters were sharing.

From the first moments they meet, to their back-and-forth and that glorious and tension filled buildup, to every moment of what comes after. I was hooked. I needed everything with this couple. I could not get enough of what this couple shared, how they made each other feel everything they weren’t prepared for, how they both changed the game, and how they had to figure out what came next. I loved the layers of passion and fire and vulnerability and heart and love and spice and just so many other things that combined to make an incredible and unforgettable love story.

The Invitation throws you heart first into a world of wealth, desire, undeniable connection, and so much heart. This book definitely has some twists and turns to it that will send you reeling at times. It will definitely show you that these characters have something between them that can’t be denied. And it will definitely show you that Jude and Amelia are both in their own ways layered characters who have a lot to figure out, but who fit so perfectly together, and who show the other that nothing was ever right until it was the two of them.

Even in the moments of struggle with this couple, you feel that in your bones that there is something so inherently right and meant to be about them and what they share, and that is a true tell of the talent and connection this author infuses into these characters, into their love story, and into this book that you feel that through every single page.

This world is definitely my new obsession. I already need every single story. I need more of Jude and Amelia. I definitely need more of Abbie and the mysterious man that she met in France a few years ago. And I just want everything. This book is giving me the best feeling, it is leaving me reeling in the best way, but more than that it has me needing more of this world because I need more of this couple, more of their journey, and more of what these two are going to do next after the events of this book. I’m finishing this first book knowing that I care about these characters, that I’m invested in them, and that I love them with my whole heart and desperately need them to find a happily ever after… And it truly doesn’t get better than that.

I cannot say enough, good things about this book and the introduction to this world. I am clearly already hooked, I am invested wholeheartedly in these characters and their love story, and I am truly desperate for the follow up book. I cannot say that enough. I need everything with these characters. I need more of their passion, I need more of their hard moments, I need more of their truthful moments, I need more of their moments where they’re scared out of their minds because they’ve never felt like this before in their lives, I need more of the moments that turn the world upside down because I just love Jude and Amelia and the possibilities that could be for them. Those possibilities shined throughout this first book and I have no doubt they’ll continue in the next. And I am here for all of it!

This is a must read for fans of this author, but also if you are new to her words, jump in heart first into this world. It will show you how addictive, how provocative, and how utterly unforgettable a love story by Jodi Ellen Malpas can be, and you will be hooked. I promise you that! This woman truly knows how to write and create a consuming and all-feeling love story and this one was no different. She is also the queen of the alpha male and strong female heroine dynamic in my opinion, and she definitely delivers on that once again in this book. She delivers it all in The Invitation, and I for one cannot say enough good things about this book.

Simply put, this book is one of my top reads of the year.

It’s another amazing, consuming, and incredible love story from Jodi Ellen Malpas that is dynamic, layered, addictive, messy and raw, but most of all is a story about two complicated hearts and people finding the one person who changes everything. It’s about two people experiencing and finding something they weren’t prepared for. It’s about a love that is built out of the most unadulterated connection that threatens to consume them in every term. It’s about a fiery connection that soon becomes something so much more. But more than that, it’s truly a story of two people finding something in one another that completely turns their worlds upside down in a way that will change them and their hearts forever.

And honestly, that’s just scratching the surface of what I absolutely loved in The Invitation by Jodi Ellen Malpas.

Review Post: The Nanny is Off Limits by Q.B. Tyler

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by

It’s all about the forbidden attraction with The Nanny Is Off Limits! Pick up the latest release from Q.B. Tyler today!

One Click Today!

Cover Designer (Both Covers): @shereads.pang

Rowan Kincaid hasn’t dated in over a year.

Not since the mother of his children unexpectedly passed away, leaving him to parent their three children alone.

Exhausted, overworked, and feeling like he’s failing at every turn, he’s desperate for help.

The Help that shows up?

A gorgeous woman almost twenty years younger thank him.

She’s compassionate and charming and the kids fall for her instantly.

And despite the fact that she should be off limits, he falls for her too.

Read My Review!

5 Incredible Stars!

If you know me, then you know that I am a huge fan of QB Tyler, and her books. I have literally read and loved every single one. They have all been must reads for me, and she is an author who I can always count on for spice, so much heart, and a story that I will just want to devour. I experienced all of those feelings and more while reading this newest book by her. It brought me into a world of characters that I already love with my whole heart, it broke the rules in the best way, and it delivered everything I have come to love and expect from this author.

The Nanny Is Off Limits explores Rowan and Elianna’s story of forbidden romance. He’s a single dad in desperate need of some help. She’s a nanny who swooped in to save the day. They are both not supposed to cross that line with each other, but they can’t help but want everything with one another. throw in some glorious tension and build up, a connection that just won’t quit, and a serious level of fire between these two, and you were just scratching the surface of what brings them together. This book follows the two of them as they try to make sense of their feelings, as they give into temptation, and as they see what it all means and where it’ll have them ending up.

What I loved about this book, is what I’ve loved about every book from this author. It was equal parts, consuming, spicy as hell, and romantic in every way. There is such a level of connection to what Rowan and Elianna share. There is such a deeper meaning to it too. It’s not just about breaking the rules. It’s not just about it being forbidden between them. It’s so much more. Don’t get me wrong, all of those factors make the spice even spicier, and this author has such a way of giving that tension and angst and build up in a way that is glorious, but there is so much to these characters and I love how this author once again allows you to experience the true hearts of them over the course of this book.

Rowan was a character that I fell for from the start. He’s a single dad, whose kids recently lost their mother, and he’s just trying his best. He’s definitely at his wits end a bit, and he’s just trying to make sure that he’s there for his kids in a way that means everything. He’s also someone who hasn’t let him feel things in a long time, and being near his new nanny, brings up feelings he was not prepared for. What I loved about his character was getting to see him find himself again, getting to see him as a dad, and someone who cared with his whole heart, well also being someone who is willing to show up and be strong for everyone when it truly mattered. That man was the best and there is no resisting him. I promise you that. I fell for him in chapter 1, and I just fell even harder the more that I got his story, the more I saw what he felt for Elianna and the way he was a father, and just the more that I got to spend time with him. He truly is the best.

Now Elianna’s character was another one that I loved from the start. She has the biggest heart, she is so good with kids, and she is used to taking care of everyone. As an oldest daughter myself, I related so much to the strength that she had, the determination she had to make sure everyone else was okay first, and the good hearted stubbornness and tenacity she had. I think what I loved most about her character is that while she was so strong, there was also such a level of vulnerability to her. She showed that fiercely with Rowan and he was able to peel back those layers for her to be honest and to be true and to be yourself. I loved that. I also loved that she completely owned, who she was, what she wanted, And she did it with a heart that was so full of love. That woman steps in to help and has the best intentions, and I loved getting to spend time with her over the course of this book.

These two definitely have an absolutely fiery connection through every page of this book. It’s consuming. It’s all encompassing. It’s unforgettable. They are meant to be. Even when it breaks all the rules, even when they have to have the hard conversations, and even when things get a little bit complicated, they are it for each other. You feel it in your bones. And that is just one of the many things I love about how QB Tyler writes her romance books. She shows you why her characters must be together, and why they have to find their way. I felt that from the very start with these two and that feeling never waned throughout this entire book…and it was glorious.

I also have to say that the incredible side characters of this world made my heart so happy. I loved Uncle River and I’m already counting down the days till his book because I need it in my life right now. But I also just loved Margot and SJ and Isla. Those three definitely bring the humor, the life, and the banter to the story, and I loved getting to see the dynamic between those three tiny, and not so tiny, humans, with their dad and with Ellie. They bring such a lightness and such a level of fun to the story, but also so much heart with everything they’ve gone through. This author really does their journey justice in a way that feels authentic and real and true.

I truly can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this book. It delivered everything and then some. The spice was spicy, the feels were feeling, and the heart was there in every bit. I loved getting to see these characters fall for each other and experience everything that came their way as they felt Everything for one another. I loved getting to be there as they finally gave into what was right in front of their faces. I just loved them and what they shared. It was raw, it was real, it was intense and tie, and it was just them. It was them in the most wholehearted and authentic way, and I loved getting to be in every part of it.

QB Tyler throws you into the thick of it with her characters and it truly is the best. She invests you in them, she makes you get them and believe in them and love them with your whole heart, and she shows you why they must find their way. You feel that through every single turn of the page in The Nanny is Off Limits and it is truly the best. It consumes you, it reels you and fiercely, and it has you believing in everything that could be between these characters. It also has you blushing something fierce. And honestly, that’s just part of what I loved so much about this book.

If you were a fan of this author, then you will love this book. It is single dad, falling for the nanny, age gap, forbidden romance goodness. It ticks all the boxes, it delivers the spice and feels, but more than that, it delivers an incredible and fantastic love story from start to finish. Rowan and Elianna feel absolutely everything for each other in this book and you will love getting to see them explore what that means, where it’s all going to go, and what that will bring the two of them as long as they’re willing to take a chance and break the rules.

This is a must read romance that will make you blush, make you smile, and make you feel at all. And honestly, that’s just part of what I loved about it so much. This is another incredible read by this author, and I am already looking forward to the next time I get to read her words because I can never get enough of what she creates with her characters, with her stories, and with her incredible romances.

About the Author:

Amazon Top 15 Bestselling author and lover of forbidden romances, tacos, coffee, and wine, Q.B. Tyler gives readers sometimes angsty, sometimes emotional but always deliciously steamy romances featuring sassy heroines and the heroes that worship them. She’s best known for writing forbidden (and sometimes taboo) romances, so if that’s your thing, you’ve come to the right place. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her on Instagram (definitely procrastinating), shopping or at brunch.

Author Links:

– Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/author.qbtyler/

– Instagram: @qbtyler.author

– Twitter: @qbtyler

– Tik Tok: @author.qbtyler

– Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/q-b-tyler

– Website: www.authorqbtyler.com

– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17506935.Q_B_Tyler

Releasing Now: Here and Now by Corinne Michaels

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by

Here and Now by Corinne Michaels is now live! 

I’ve crafted my new life in Ember Falls with two simple rules: maintain superficial relationships and always be ready to run.

But when my son’s incredibly hot hockey coach Miles Anderson walks in, things get very, very complicated.

With his charming smile and our accidental dates, he’s the exact opposite of any man I’ve ever dated. That should make saying yes to being with him simple, but nothing in my life is easy.

In fact, it’s a mess.

Miles makes me smile and treats my son like his own. When we’re together, I forget about my troubles and dream of a life that I will never be able to have with him.

It’s only a matter of time until the past comes knocking and I’ll have to leave, breaking us both in the process.

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://geni.us/HereandNow

Available in ebook, audio, and in print!

Duet Narration by Jason Clarke & Angelina Rocca

Indie paperback available until April 1, 2025

Goodreads: https://geni.us/HAN_GR

***** 5 ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE STARS *****

It is not a secret that I am a big fan of Corinne Michaels and her books. I have literally read every single one of them and they have all been five star reads for me. She is one of my favorite authors for a reason. I can always count on her to write an incredible romance that has the swoon, the heart, and feels, that brings the banter and incredible characters, and that will just give me one hell of a love story. Every book of hers has delivered that and more and this one was no different. In fact, it was more because everything I got with Miles and Penelope in their book was perfection.

Simply put, I loved every incredible word of this book.

I’m melted into a puddle of goo with these characters and what they shared together. I also laughed my ass off with the antics of this friend group and small town, while also simultaneously falling head over heels for the magic and love that grew and blossom between these two. Their love story is truly beautiful. It is consuming in the best way, and it is the definition of finding that right person at the exact right time you need them. It is a story of finally letting yourself feel and have all that you’ve been scared to let yourself find for all these years. It is a love story, built on truth and longing and connection that will steal your heart in every way possible.

Miles and Penelope had the most indescribable level of connection that I could not get enough of. I loved those two. I loved that he immediately was attracted to her and wanted everything with her. I also loved that she felt the same, but kept him on his toes, pushing back at every chance she got. I loved that these two were determined to hold on to what they felt. I loved that even though both of these characters had experiences in their lives that made them feel a bit of trepidation about giving into what they felt for one another and the incredible connection they shared, they both were completely honest and real and vulnerable about what they felt and shared together. When it really mattered those two were it. They were wholly real with themselves and each other, and I love getting to be in the thick of that with them.

It was everything.

Miles and Penelope were truly the best.

I loved that she was doing everything she could to protect her son and herself. I loved that while she was trying to protect her heart from all of the hurt that the world might try to bring it, that she couldn’t help but feel what she did for Miles and hope that in another life she would get to experience it all with him. I loved how honest and real she was with herself and with him. I loved that she tried to push away her feelings for Miles, but they just came back full force, even harder every time she tried to push him away. I loved that Penelope was so strong and willing to do whatever it took for her child and his safety. I loved the connection she had with this small town and her brother and every character she met. I loved just how genuinely good of a character and person she was and that shined on every page of this book. I loved that I just felt beyond connected to her while reading and that I just rooted like hell that she would allow herself to feel the love that Miles so willingly wanted to give her because she deserved everything. And then some.

I’m pretty sure Miles stole my heart from the very beginning. That man is a man of his word. He loves with his whole heart, he feels with everything he has, and even though he himself has also experienced trauma in his life, he was ready to fight for who and what he truly wanted. He was willing to put in the work and the time to show Penelope and her son that he was at and that they were meant to be a family. He was willing to do the work and face truth about his own experiences in order to have the love that he is so desperately wanted and deserved. I loved that man with my whole heart. I loved how resilient he was. I loved the banter that man could deliver. I loved how he was also just a genuinely good person with a heart ready to love and fight for those he cared for. I loved that he was willing to do whatever it took and wait out his time for Penelope and Kai because he knew that he wanted them. He wanted their love and he wanted what could be, and he was willing to do what it took and wait, however long it might be, for a chance at having the two of them. I loved that it was the little things and the big things he did that showed his true heart. I just loved him. He is truly a gem of a character and I dare you not to fall in love with him in this book.

Spoiler alert, that’s an impossible task.

Now I have to say the town of Ember Falls might just be my new happy place. These characters are the best. The banter they all bring, the dynamics at play, and the true level of friendship they all share is truly something special. I can’t say it enough. I could read their text message threads for the rest of time and die a happy girl. I could also be at their disc jockey practices for the rest of time and continue laughing until my cheeks hurt because that is just how incredible they all are.

There wasn’t a moment in this small town with all of these characters that I didn’t love and cherish. This place is truly something special and Corinne Michaels creates a world you never want to leave. She has such a way of creating that small town magic that feels real and tangible and just genuine. It makes me want my own version of Ember Falls. It makes me long for the connection these characters all share and the way they show up for each other. It honestly just wows me every time I read one of her books how she creates that magic with the town and characters that she creates, and this book just brought all of that back in the fiercest and best ways.

This book and the series and this small town create a found family of sorts that is truly something special. You feel that in your bones with this friend group, and every new journey and book and moment with them is the one that I truly can’t get enough of. Those characters know how to push each other‘s buttons, but they also know how to show up for each other and truly care. I love every moment I get with this friend group and the family they’ve created, and I truly can’t say enough how utterly fantastic it is to spend an entire book with them. It is simply the best, and this friend group definitely brings the laughs and heart to every moment they’re together.

I also have to say that one of my favorite parts of reading a book by this author is how all of her books connect in some way. They’re little things, but it makes the best reading experience. I won’t share too much about this connections because if you’ve read her books, you deserve to enjoy those moments for yourself, but trust me when I tell you that those connections and the way that it all comes together is absolute perfection. This author has been one of my favorites for quite some time, and getting glimpses of former characters and former places that have stolen my heart through her words, has truly been the best.

Here and Now was an absolutely beautiful love story. It encapsulated a romance that was full of feeling and swoon and so much heart. This book is ready to welcome you with open arms to Penelope and Miles and all that could be between them. It’s in those soft and sweet moments that these characters really shine and show up for each other. It’s where you really see how perfect they are for one another and how they will do anything to see each other through. Couple that with a level of suspense that adds that spark and such consuming feeling to what you’re reading, and you have just part of what I loved about this book.

Miles and Penelope share a connection that truly lights off the page, and getting to experience their love story as they feel what they do, as they share it all so honestly and vulnerably, and as they continue to show up for one another in every way that matters, was absolutely everything in this book. I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with this series, and this small town, and this couple just showed me again and again why I loved every part of their love story. They are magic and they are so meant to be, and you will feel that in the deepest part of your heart reading this book. I promise you that.

This is definitely going down as one of my favorite romance reads of the year, and I for one I’m already chomping at the bit for more of this series and small town. Corinne Michaels truly has a way of creating magic with her words and it is the absolute best to experience. She knows how to make her characters real, she knows how to consume you in every bit of their connection and emotions and everything they share, but more than that, she just puts you in the heart of her stories and small towns in a way that is truly everything. I have loved everyone of her books and this one might just be my new favorite. Because it delivered absolutely everything with Miles and Penelope that I could not get enough of.

Their love was beautiful, it was true and honest, and it was just completely wholly them from start to finish. Those two truly are something special and I loved every part of what they built together in this book. It is an easy, and they definitely have to face their share of hard conversations in this book to find their way, but they make it so worth it. And they show you through every turn that they are meant to be and worth fighting everything for.

This is another must read by this author, and it continues to show how thoughtful and amazing she is as a writer and storyteller. She does these characters and their story justice, and she just brings you a love story that will drown you in feels in the best way, while having you believe in everything that could be between these characters. There is magic in this small town and beauty to be had, and you will just love every second you get with these characters. Trust me when I say this is your new must read romance and that you will love every moment you get with these two in their absolutely incredible and amazing love story.

I know I did. So damn much.

I honestly can’t recommend this book, this series, or any other book by this author enough. She is an incredible writer and brings her love stories to life in the most unforgettable way. Her books have given me the most incredible reading experiences over the years, and this one was no different. It was truly the best of everything, and my heart is still with Miles and Penelope and everything they shared together. And I truly don’t think I want it back because those two and Kai just captured it so completely in this book, that it’s just theirs. And I’m completely okay with that.

Meet Corinne


Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.

Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed–reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.

Connect with Corinne

Website: http://corinnemichaels.com

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2N1H2Gb

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NVZmhv

Facebook: https://bit.ly/1iwLh6y

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/corinnemichaelsbooks/

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2L1Vzo6

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@corinne.michaels

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2yc6rss

Pinterest: https://bit.ly/2m7MkEL

BingeBooks: https://bingebooks.com/author/corinne-michaels

CMBOOKS TO 77948

Amazon, you hit like a bitch.

Posted in All The Mumbo Jumbo, Places to Find Books by

It’s taken me a bit of time to write this post, but I figured it’s about time to share the utter nonsense that’s happened between me and Amazon, and how a company that I once highly respected, has now become one that I have zero respect for.

I’ve thought about writing this post for weeks, what I would say and how I would capture everything that’s happened, and I’ll be honest with the fact that this post has taken on many forms, but finally I decided that it would just be easiest to state the facts.

So here it goes…

IMG_0376

This is the first email I got from Amazon.

As some of you know, on February 24th I was sent an email from Amazon letting me know that I could no longer post reviews on their website, and that all of my previous reviews had been suppressed or removed. In case you’re wondering, that was well over 300 reviews that I had written in my over 2 years of book blogging.

All gone in an instant because Amazon decided that I was “manipulating product reviews.”

I don’t even know what that means for Amazon. I have no idea why my reviews were deemed manipulating or misleading, and when I asked for clarification on this, you know what I got? I got an email from them saying they weren’t going to give me any information or “evidence” as to why this all happened.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here, so let me backtrack a bit.

About 2 minutes after I opened my email and found out I was no longer able to review on Amazon, I called customer service because I wanted an answer. Really, I wanted someone to tell me what the hell was going on, why they were doing this, and what they even meant by “manipulating product reviews” since I was sure that I had never done that.

I was so frustrated, so upset, and I will admit that I was near tears because of all of this.

That customer service representative I talked to had no idea what to do with me and my issue, and as it was also 7 o’clock in the morning, she couldn’t talk to anyone who worked in the online communities department because they weren’t there yet. She told me she would forward what was going on to them, and that they would call me back within 24 hours.

Well funnily enough, 24 hours came and went, and I got no phone call. Can’t say I’m shocked about that one.

So that’s when round 2 of calling customer service came, and over 48 hours after I first called Amazon about this, I tried again. That customer service representative also had no idea what to do with me, but after about 10 minutes on hold, they informed me that they had submitted a form to the online communities department about my inquiry as to why I was banned and why my reviews were removed. This representative informed me that I should get a reply within 2 days.

And he wasn’t lying. I got a response alright, and that response is by far one of the worst displays of customer service I’ve ever seen. (And this is coming from a girl who worked in retail for many years.)

Amazon sent me a *lovely* email telling me they found my reviews to be manipulating or misleading, yet I still had no clarification on what that actually meant, and that they were not going to give me any other information about this. They also added that they were probably not going to respond back to further emails about this issue, and then added that they could only respond via email to questions about reviews.

The second, even more *helpful* email I received from Amazon.

The second, even more *helpful* email I received from Amazon.

That’s when I started scratching my head a bit.

So Amazon can only respond to my questions about my reviews, why there were removed, and why this was all happening via email, but as they say “we may not reply to further emails about this issue.”

That seems a bit like an oxymoron to me, but what do I know? I’m just a school teacher who’s passionate about book blogging.

Basically what I got from that is that I can only email them about this whole thing, but they’re probably not actually going to respond to me.

Super helpful Amazon. For a multibillion dollar company, their customer service with this was horrendous in my opinion, and I really don’t think it was too much to ask for to speak to a human being on this issue.

If you’re going to remove my reviews and ban me forever, the least you can do is talk to me in person.

Right? Apparently not though, since all I got was that email.

So where did that leave me?

Well that left me angry and frustrated and with no reviews on Amazon. It also left me scrambling to try to figure out what this would mean for me as a book blogger. Luckily all my reviews were saved to my Goodreads account, so they weren’t fully gone, but that still left me pissed and unsure of what this would all mean going forward.

And when I get pissed, I act, so you know what I did? I calculated how much support I had given Amazon over the last year.

Now I’m not a numbers person, but you can’t deny numbers and facts, so here it goes:

  • In 2015 I spent roughly $1,441.33 on books on Amazon. That’s a combination of over 344 e-books, paperbacks, and Audible books. (And let me remind you, that’s just for 2015. That doesn’t include the money I spent in the 2 years before when I started buying e-books and paperbacks through Amazon.)
  • As of February 28th 2016 I had already spent $163.17 on Amazon on e-books, Audible books, and pre-orders.
  • Between 2015 and 2016 I have done giveaways on my blog for over $196 dollars’ worth of e-books and gift cards from Amazon. ($115 of that was gift cards to get people to buy things on their website.)
  • I’ve also been a member of their Amazon Associates Program since 2015, meaning that on a daily basis, multiple times a day, I promote Amazon and their products on my blog and my blog’s Facebook page.

And what did Amazon do to thank me for that daily promotion and my almost daily purchases from them?

They banned me.

They didn’t ban me from buying things from them of course, but from giving my honest reviews of the products I purchased.

They also removed hundreds of reviews I worked my ass of on, and for what reason?

Oh wait. They won’t give me a clear reason.

tumblr_mc32p3pxMR1qc8jh0o2_250Was it because I “know” authors? Well let me tell you Amazon, I wish I knew even a fraction of the authors that I’ve read books from. I wrote a review for Grey by E.L. James that you removed. If you think I know her then I would gladly give up my reviews to say that, but newsflash, I don’t know her. (Even though I wish I did, because I think she’s pretty amazing.) I don’t know Sylvia Day, or Abbi Glines, or Jodi Ellen Malpas, or Colleen Hoover either, or the other authors’ books that I’ve reviewed on your website. (And believe me, I wish I could say that I knew them, but alas I don’t.)

I would say I probably know 5 or 6 authors, tops. And if you don’t want me to review a book of theirs, that I can understand, but removing all of my reviews? I don’t get that at all.

And while we’re on that topic, how do you even determine that I “know” those authors? What formulas or tactics do you use to figure that out? Because I’d seriously like to know.

Was I banned because I like the books I read too much? Is it because almost every book I read is 4 or 5 stars, or is it because my book reviews are super detailed and long? Well let me tell you something Amazon, after being an avid reader my entire life, I have a pretty damn good idea of what I like to read. I know what I’ll love, and when I love a book I love it hard, and I write reviews that show that. I want to spread the book love, which is why I’m a fucking book blogger in the first place, and I’m not going to waste money on a book I know I won’t like, just so I can give it 2 stars and not be deemed as being a “misleading or manipulative reviewer” by you.

Was I banned because your computer system deemed me to be paid or fake based on whatever wonky system you have? Well let me tell you, I make absolutely ZERO dollars every year reviewing books, and I spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars buying books. (It’s kind of my thing, if you couldn’t tell.) In fact, to date I’ve only been paid out once by the Amazon Associates Program, and that was a $10 gift card TO AMAZON. That I gladly spent on Amazon, as it was the only place I bought e-books from.

Whatever Amazon’s reason for doing all this is, I will probably never know. And you know what? It is what it is at this point. I unfortunately have no control over the crappy things Amazon tries to do, and since they won’t give me a reason, I’m done looking for one.

I’m sure many of you at this point, including Amazon, are thinking, well what’s the big fucking deal? It’s a book review.Jon Stewart

Well to me it is a big deal. Book reviewing and blogging is my passion. It’s something that helps keep me sane from my daily on the go life, and it’s what I LOVE to do. So to remove hours and hours of work that I did, to remove reviews that I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into, and to ban me from supporting books and authors pretty much feels like a slap in the face.

Especially after all of the support I’ve given Amazon over the past few years.

It may not be a big deal to Amazon, but is sure is hell is to me and countless other reviewers who have had the same thing happen to them.

I get it Amazon, it’s your company and you can do what you want, but one of these days you’re going to realize that it’s bloggers like me that bring people to your website, that tell people to buy your shit, and support you in countless ways…and by that point it’ll be too late.

Because you’ll have probably banned us all.

So now, over a month later, what am I supposed to do?

Stop book blogging over all this crap? Stop being an avid reader and a huge supporter of authors because of all this? Stop writing book reviews or change the way I write them because I can’t post them to Amazon?

That’s a big hell to the no. anigif_optimized-28150-1440411350-1

Because if I did that, Amazon would win, and they don’t get to fucking win with this, or tell me what I can and can’t do.

Sure I can’t review on their website anymore, and to that I say good riddance, and fuck you.

What they did shows a hell of a lot more about their company and its ridiculousness, than it does about my book reviews.

What I can do is keep reading, and reviewing (on my blog and other retailers), and telling readers about the books that I love while supporting hard working authors who deserve a damn book review.

I can also tell people about what’s happened to me with Amazon, and how it’ll probably happen to them sooner rather than later because let’s face it: Amazon makes their own rules, and they just don’t care about the ramifications those rules have.

It also means that I can be a smarter consumer with whom I choose to give my money to when I buy books and other products. 

Today is April 3, 2016. The sun is shining, it’s springtime, and yeah I’m still banned from reviewing on Amazon and that still kind of pisses me off, like a lot, but at the end of the day, I won’t let one company’s ridiculous policies and handling of this situation keep me from doing what I want to do.

I won’t let them keep me from being the book blogger I want to be. I won’t let their asinine system keep me from spreading the book love and supporting authors, and I won’t let them keep me down or stop me from being a passionate book reviewer.

So that’s what I have to say.

Amazon, you hit like a bitch.

And you know what?

You’re not going to stop me and my book loving brigade.

Not one little bit.