Let me tell y’all, when I first started this blog post series I knew I had lofty goals. I mean I think I picked 20 different series that I was hoping to somehow read between Memorial Day and Labor Day. And here we are just 2 weeks before Labor Day and I’ve read 3 series…but you know what, I am 100% okay with it.
You know why?
Because this summer I have read 3 new and utterly amazing series by 4 authors I had never read before. And that, well that is just kind of the best.
New books. New authors. New series. New words to fall in love with. It really doesn’t get much better than that.
So am I going to even read a quarter of the series I set off to read? Probably not. But have I had the chance to read some amazing stories this summer that have owned my heart something fierce? YES!
And it truly doesn’t get better than that.
I started this summer wanting a forbidden romance, then found myself in the middle of a paranormal romance that I became fully obsessed with, and now I’ve just finished a series that’s a bit on the cocky side and all kinds of incredible.
So without further ado, the third series in my Summer of Series….
The Cocky Bastard Series is a series of standalone novels that I have owned for longer than I would like to admit. Like I seriously want to kick myself for having these books for so long and not reading them. I am the worst y’all. The actual worst for waiting on these books because these books were EVERYTHING.
They were swoony. Funny as hell. Romantic. Full of some feels and moments I was not prepared for, and some serious twists I was really not prepared for. Filled to the brim with some very memorable characters, personalities, and dynamics, this series had it all.
It had every kind of story. It had characters that each took a piece of my heart with what I got with them. It had the romance that I die for. It had such a consuming pull within it that connected me into every part of these stories. It had the full package, and truthfully that is just part of what made me love these books so much.
These books are cowritten by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland, two authors who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and who wrote some seriously good books. I am so ashamed to admit that I haven’t read these authors prior to this series (except for one book by Penelope Ward that I loved and read years ago), so I was super excited to read these books. I had heard such great things about these books and what these authors had created, and let me tell you I was not disappointed one bit in what I got from these stories!
They were exceptionally written, memorable in every way, and just so damn enjoyable to read.
The Cocky Bastard Series truly is a series of standalone novels. (In fact when you look on Amazon and Goodreads that’s the title of this series!) You can read them in any order, since they do truly stand alone…though I would recommend reading Cocky Bastard first because that’s where it all starts and you’ll just love that book. (And the rest that follow it.)
What I think I loved most about this series was that even though these books were all different, with different couples, taking place across different places of the world, there were still things and aspects that made it feel like a connected series.
There was always a funny and memorable as hell first meeting. There was always a twist that changed everything. And I mean everything. There was always characters who were seemingly opposite or who should’t work together, yet so inherently did. There was always that little bit of fun too. That along with the romance, the heat and fire and connection between all of these different couples, and the writing and storytelling that brought it all together made for a series that I will never forget reading.
These books were just exactly what I needed right now.
They were consuming on the deepest of levels. Every time I sat down to read one, I didn’t stop until that book was finished. I stayed up reading these books into early hours of the morning because I needed every word of them. I needed all the time with these characters and after each twist, I NEEDED to know how it would all come together. I seriously couldn’t stop with these books, and more than that I didn’t want to. I wanted every word. I wanted every character. I wanted every moment I was living within these books.
I wanted it all. 
I especially loved these books because they just had some serious swoon to them and some of the best characters that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. These different characters made me work for it, they pushed me to the edge time and time again, and they dug themselves into my heart through every turn of that page. Each of them were different and unique and wholly them, but they were all so real. So real, so charming, so vivid in their own ways, and just so them. They were all so easy to love and root for…even those ones with their guards up and those hardened exteriors, and I loved them all.
I loved getting to be in the thick of it with them. I loved every adventure I went on with them. I loved every leap of faith and risk they took, even when it scared them out of their ever loving minds. I loved every bit of what made them who they were. I loved every moment that showed me and the person that they wanted to be with that they were so worth every bit of struggle and fight to get to that happily ever after. I loved that every turn of that page just solidified what I felt for them and how hard I was loving their story.
I loved it all. I loved them all. And then some.
These authors wrote 6 exceptional stories that I just loved every word of. I loved the fun and spark. I loved the romance and feels. I loved that they kept me on my toes. I loved that they made me work for that ending as much as they made their characters work for it, and how it never felt like too much. It always felt right. It always felt like just enough. It always felt like it was meant to be.
And it always had that genuinely enjoyable sense of cockiness…and that was just the best amount of everything.
From chance meetings at a rest stop in Nebraska, to lost phones on the subways of NYC. From an airport bar, to a broken down elevator pitched in darkness. From a fishhook in an area it so shouldn’t be, to a fender bender over a parking spot. These books span the different parts of the world and different ends of the country that bring a world of adventure and life and spark and change to these characters lives. This series takes you on sweeping journeys of the heart that will have you believing in every possibility of what could be for these characters.
Through it all, each of these stories and its characters give you it all. They invest you, they woo you something fierce, and in the end they show you that with a little cockiness, a little sass and fire, with a healthy dose of feels and heart thrown in, you can truly find what and who you didn’t even know you needed in your life.
And it truly doesn’t get better than that.
So please, I beg of you, do not be like me an wait to dive into this series or the amazing writing of these authors. It would be wrong to do that and you would be missing out like I was for so long. So seriously, run yourself to this cocky world. Get lost in it. Live and feel it all. And just love and treasure every second of it.
I know I did.
So fucking much.
Find Out More About Each Book in the Series Below
~Cocky Bastard~
He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.
A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.
When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours.
My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.
I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.
I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
~Stuck-Up Suit~
It started out like any other morning on the train.
Until I became mesmerized by the guy sitting across the aisle.
He was barking at someone on his phone like he ruled the world.
Who did the stuck-up suit think he was…God?
Actually, he looked like a God. That was about it.
When his stop came, he got up suddenly and left. So suddenly, he dropped his phone on the way out.
I might have picked it up.
I might have gone through all of his photos and called some of the numbers.
I might have held onto the mystery man’s phone for days―until I finally conjured up the courage to return it.
When I traipsed my ass across town to his fancy company, he refused to see me.
So, I left the phone on the empty desk outside the arrogant jerk’s office.
I might have also left behind a dirty picture on it first though.
I didn’t expect him to text back.
I didn’t expect our exchanges to be hot as hell.
I didn’t expect to fall for him―all before we even met.
The two of us couldn’t have been any more different.
Yet, you know what they say about opposites.
When we finally came face to face, we found out opposites sometimes do more than attract―we consumed each other.
Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
~Playboy Pilot~
Money or love? Which would you choose?
You probably just answered the question in your head thinking it’s an easy decision.
For me, it’s not. Did I mention it’s a lot of money? A hell of a lot.
I needed to go far away to think it through.
As I embarked on an impulsive trip, I hit a detour when I met sexy Carter in the airport lounge. We struck up a heated conversation.
Then, he left.
I thought I’d never see him again.
But fate had other plans.
Surprise! He was the pilot of my flight.
The bigger surprise was the adventure that followed after the plane landed.
Carter was dangerous and always on the move.
Even though our connection was magnetic, I knew it was only temporary.
He would give me tickets, and I would follow him around the world to exotic places.
A bevy of flight attendant exes and rumors about Carter’s reputation were never far behind.
I didn’t know what to believe.
But I was addicted. Nothing else mattered anymore. And I was going to get hurt. Because a part of me wanted to be the one to finally ground the playboy pilot.
At the very least, he was taking me on a thrilling ride.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
~Mister Moneybags~
I met Bianca in an elevator.
She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.
The beautiful raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.
She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”―her afternoon appointment.
Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type―snobby, over educated, silver-spooned men who didn’t appreciate the simple things in life.
So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t―a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn’t want it to end.
I began dating her as “Jay”―all the while letting her interview the real me over email.
I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.
I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.
I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.
And she was falling for two men.
Only, both men were me.
And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.
Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for what came after.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
~British Bedmate~
Please note: This book was previously published as Dear Bridget I Want You. Only the title and cover have been changed. All other content remains the same.
Dear Bridget,
I’m writing this letter because it’s highly doubtful I’ll ever garner the courage to say this to your face.
So, here goes.
We’re totally wrong for each other. You’re the proper single mum with a good head on your shoulders. I’m just the carefree British doctor passing through town and temporarily living in your converted garage until I head back to England.
But here’s the thing… for some bloody reason, I can’t stop thinking about you in very inappropriate ways.
I want you.
The only reason I’m even admitting all of this to you right now is because I don’t believe it’s one-sided. I notice your eyes when you look at me, too. And as crass as I appear when we’re joking around about sex, my attraction to you is not a joke.
So, what’s the purpose of this note? I guess it’s a reminder that we’re adults, that sex is healthy and natural, and that you can find me just through the door past the kitchen. More specifically, it’s to let you know that I’m leaving said door cracked open from now on in case you’d like to visit me in the middle of the night sometime.
No questions asked.
Think about it.
Or don’t.
Whatever you choose.
It’s doubtful I’ll even end up sliding this letter under your door anyway.
–Simon
~Park Avenue Player~
It started out like any normal day.
Then the fender bender happened.
The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he was also a total jerk. We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth.
Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways. The insurance companies would have to figure things out. I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about.
Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in. The guy from the accident.
Whoops!
Yeah, so I didn’t get the position.
The problem was, I really wanted it. No, I needed it. Anything to get me out of my current career and back into working with kids.
So, even though Hollis LaCroix was as intimidating as he was devastatingly handsome, I went back to see him and begged for a chance.
To my surprise, he gave me a shot taking care of his troubled niece.
At least my attraction to him wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. I wasn’t about to jeopardize my job or the strong bond Hailey and I formed.
But resisting the magnetic pull between us wasn’t that simple. (Then there was our little underwear game—don’t ask.)
We continued to flirt without crossing the line—until it finally happened.
This is the part of the story where we fall in love and live happily ever after, right?
Well, life has a way of throwing some major curveballs.
Ours was one I didn’t see coming.
So there you have it y’all, series #3 of the summer has been read, and it was a damn good one! I am so happy I finally read these books! Now with just a few weeks left of summer, I’m pretty sure I only have time for one more series…and I think I already know what I’m going to read. It’s another cowritten series by a writing duo I have been DYING to read and it’s got some characters that I think I’m ready to start falling in love with…so stay tuned for my next series of Summer of Series coming very soon!
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The Never Ending Book Basket 