It’s a Cover Reveal: When The Walls Come Down by M. Mabie & Aly Martinez

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About M. Mabie

Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes everything from steamy romantic comedies to angst-filled, pull your hair out drama. She enjoys it all. With her unconventional love stories, she tries to embody “real-life romance.”

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne’s World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

Mabie usually doesn’t speak in third-person. She promises.

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30Apr2020

Review Post: Lessons in Lemonade (Starving for Southern #3) by Kathryn Andrews

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

Title: Lessons in Lemonade

Series: Starving for Southern Series

Author: Kathryn Andrews

Genre: Contemporary/Sports Romance

Release Date: April 28, 2020

Meg Dukette

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

I believe in living my best life, and if surviving cancer taught me anything, it’s exactly that. I wake every day in the most beautiful city in the South, I’m a chef at my own restaurant, and everything is just the way I want it: easy, calm, and in perfect harmony—that is, until my best friend shows up with his wounded heart, smoldering gaze, and adorable dimples. Now, things are changing—we are changing—but with the promises I’ve made to myself, I don’t want them to. After everything I’ve been through, breaking them now seems unthinkable, but the alternative might be a lesson my heart’s not prepared to learn.

Jack Willett

Just when you think life is the best it’s ever been, fate has a way of intercepting.

I’ve spent ten years playing in the NFL, and with one wrong hit, my world comes crashing down. Now, I’m at the crossroads of what might become my past and a very different future. What I need is time and my best friend. Her gorgeous smiles, sexy legs, and optimistic outlook on life make the world brighter, better, and I’ve quickly found myself craving her more and more. She says we’re just friends, says that’s all we’ll ever be, but actions speak louder than words. It’s time to change the game, and I’m ready to pass the ball. I just hope she’ll be on the other end to catch it.

He’s her best friend.

She’s quickly turned into something more.

Will making a play for her heart be more bitter than sweet? Or will it add just the right amount of zest to make the most delicious ending of all . . .

5 Completely Amazing Stars

There are many things I know to be true in life, and at the top of that list is the fact that Kathryn Andrews writes amazing, unforgettable books that are truly in a league of their own.

I have been a fan of hers since her very first book Drops of Rain, and every new book, every new set of characters, every new world she lets me so vividly experience shows me again and again why she is one of my all-time favorite authors. Lessons in Lemonade was no different. This book brought me back to a world that I honestly never want to say goodbye to. This book gave me two characters that my heart was immediately with, and that I immediately believed in and rooted for with all what I had. This book was emotional, it was meaningful, it was viscerally beautiful, and it was romantic. It was sweet and swoony and funny.

It was everything. It was more. It was one of the best books I have read.

Every word of this book was incredible. I honestly can’t say that enough.

From the moment I met Meg and Jack, I knew those two were going to permanently own a piece of my heart. From the very first word of this book through the the very last, I was completely consumed with everything those two gave me. Their story and their intertwined journey together is about a lot of things. It is a story of second chances and what comes next. It is a story of emotional and life-changing upheaval that will bring you to places you never thought you’d be. It is a story of two people who are drawn to each other something fierce. It is a story of what happens when you push for more, a story about meeting that one person who makes you think about changing everything.

Lessons in Lemonade is a story of two friends who see what could be when sharing something more together soon becomes an option they can no longer resist.

I loved everything about this book. I loved the characters who completely stole my heart from the very first page. I loved that I could not put down this book for anything. I loved that this story not only took me on a journey with these characters and their relationship together, but it also highlighted their own personal stories and journeys that were just as important. I loved getting to be with the two of them in so many vivid and memorable moments. I loved getting to see a friendship blossom into something so deep, so real, and so beautiful. I loved how Kathryn Andrews once again allowed me to live and breathe and experience every syllable of her words through her incredible writing.

I loved it all.

if you have read the other books in this series, then you know that Meg and Jack were a story that needed to be told. You meet them both along the way in the other magnificent books that make up this series, and that set up is just part of what will have you so ready for their story. Even if this is your first time meeting them, you will love them from the start. I guarantee it. There is no way you can meet them and not fall hopelessly in love with them. They are just too good, too right, and too special to not love them with your whole heart.

And let me just tell you, if you have not had the pleasure of reading the other books in this series, then you need to this very second. Those books are utterly spectacular, and they will not only introduce you to a world of characters you will never want to leave, but they are truly some of the most exceptional books I have ever read. This book is the last in that series of interconnected stand-alones, and let me tell you, Kathryn Andrews brought this world and this story to them most fitting and fulfilling conclusion. I truly could not have asked for more.

One of my favorite aspects of this series and any book that this author writes is the way that she makes it so vivid and beautiful to experience. She transports you to some amazing places that are truly memorable and completely encapsulating. She makes every location feel so real. (And so many of them are real, and let me tell you, I need to go to those places as soon as humanly possible.) She makes every moment feel like you’re right in the middle of it. She brings out so many exceptional nuances and dynamics with these characters that mean everything. She gives you food. She gives you magic. She gives you feels and romance and the little things that really are the big things. She gives you love. She gives you everything.

Lessons in Lemonade was just the best. I loved every single word of Meg and Jack’s story together. I loved that it was very much of friends to lovers story. I loved that these characters both had to face some very tough decisions and choices that showed so many truths about them. I loved that everything they share together made them question everything they thought they knew and everything they thought they wanted. I loved that them being together made all the difference and truly changed everything. I was completely entranced with their connection and their fierce chemistry together. The rightness of the two them enveloped me from the start, and honestly I just spent all of this book LOVING what I was getting with them and eager for more of it all.

From the very start, Kathryn Andrews showed me the literal goodness of the two of them. She showed me their spark. She showed me where it all started for them. She let me be a part of the foundation and start of their friendship, and she let me be there when it crossed over into something more. She let me struggle with these characters with the challenges they faced, both individually and together. She let me understand them both on the deepest of levels. She let me get them, she let me peel back their layers so I completely understood why everything was happening the way it was. She put me there in the thick of it as the events of this story took these characters to places they never thought they’d be. She gave me it all with Meg and Jack, and it truly was everything.

Meg is literal charm and then some. She sweet, she is good, she is smart, and she is determined to live a life that feels good and right to her. She is a restaurant owner and chef who knows her way around the kitchen, and she is someone who knows what she wants. Or at least she thinks she does. She is also a woman who has been through a lot, and has the strength and tenacity to show for it. She is a woman who knows the power of food, and this book will exemplify that with her in spades.

Seeing her world get turned upside down by the seriously heart melting Jack, seeing how their relationship makes her rethink everything she thought she knew and felt. Getting to be with her as she navigated the wonderfully complicated and authentic dynamics this book’s events presented her was nothing short of spectacular. It was real, it was consuming, and it was beyond emotional and meaningful. I love and respect that girl with my whole heart for so many reasons, and honestly I just wish I could spend all the time in the world with er. Kathryn Andrews created a very memorable, authentic, and dynamic woman who is seriously easy to love. She is just the best.

Jack is a good guy. You inherently know that from the very first time you meet him. He is good, he is funny and charming in his own distinctive way, and he is not to be ignored. I loved that he was a flirt and force to be reckoned with in his own very memorable way that was never too much. He was always just enough. He was always more. That man is pure goodness. He has a heart of gold that is on his sleeve ready to feel it all. He is a man who gives it his all no matter what. He is also a man who has his entire world turned upside down in this book, and must face many life changing decisions.

What I loved about Jack was that through it all he stayed true to himself. He never wavered. And even in those moments when it looked like he did, or where he second guessed himself, he was still him. He was still the good guy who gave it his all. He was still the man who would do anything for his friends and family. He was the guy who put it all on the line when it really mattered. He was the man who saw the glass half full, even when the world threatened to break that glass to pieces. He was the best. Getting to be with him through the dark moments, through the bright ones, and through every unforgettable moment in between was phenomenal. It just made me love him more. I think it’s honestly impossible to not love Jack. He is just the best.

let me tell you that this story will take ahold of you with all that it has, and it will blow you away with the emotion, the meaning, and just everything you get with these characters. There will be moments in this story that will make you laugh, moments that will make you melt and swoon with the romance and the heartfelt moments that these characters share. there will be moments that hurt your heart and bring tears to your eyes for these characters and what they go through. There will be moments where you might want to shake them silly because of what’s happening, but all the while you’ll completely understand the whys behind it all. There will be moments in this book that will turn your world upside down just like it does to these characters.

And through it all, you will love it. You will love it with your whole heart and you will know, without a doubt, that you are reading a truly special and incredible story.

In this book, Meg and Jack are both handed some pretty sour lemons, but through every second of their unforgettable story you get to see how they squeeze and twist and mold those lemons into something resembling lemonade. And that lemonade? It just might be the most perfect thing you’ve ever had the chance to get.

And it’ll taste so so good. Trust me.

Lessons in Lemonade is hands down one of the best books I have ever read, and it is definitely one of my top favorites by this author. This is such a special story to me. It was so emotionally meaningful, and it was the perfect way to say goodbye to a world of characters that have stolen my heart for years. It was love and food and connection personified. It was a beautiful and emotional story of what could be, and it truly was magical with what I got with Meg and Jack. Those two are something special. They are the best. They are right and more and just everything.

I am telling you, you will love them. You will love them fiercely with your whole heart, and you will want and need everything with them. You will love the lessons, you will sure as hell love the lemonade, and you’ll even love the lemons that come their way. You will love it all. Kathryn Andrews thoughtfully crafted and created a story that is truly unlike any other, and that will give you it all.

So are you ready? Are you ready for the literal amazingness that is this book? Well take yourself a seat. Get yourself a glass. Give yourself a heavy pour of that sweet sweet lemonade, and be ready to experience the incredible, emotional, beautifully breathtaking Lessons in Lemonade.

Kathryn Andrews loves stories that end with a happily ever after. She started writing at age seven and never stopped. Kathryn is an Amazon Bestseller for her much loved Hale Brothers Series and is a chi-lit, contemporary romance, and new adult writer.

Kathryn graduated from the University of South Florida with degrees in Biology and Chemistry, and currently lives in Tampa, Florida. She spends her days as a sales director for a medical device company and her nights lost in her love of fictional characters.

When Kathryn is not crafting beautiful worlds that incorporate some of her most favorite real life places, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two young sons, while drinking iced coffee and enjoying the sun. To find out more about Kathryn and her novels, visit: www.kandrewsauthor.com

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21Apr2020

Review Post: The Hardest Play by A.S. Teague

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

“The Hardest Play is everything I love about sports romance. A.S. Teague once again masterfully delivers a book full of heart that will surely stay with you long after the last page.”- L.K. Farlow, bestselling author

The Hardest Play, an all-new emotional new-adult standalone from A.S. Teague is available now!

It’s easy to convince the world that you have it all.

I’m Quinn Miller––record breaking running back, professional football’s favorite rags-to-riches story, all-around good guy.

What’s not so easy? Repairing your reputation after mistakes both on and off the field leave you labeled as a disgrace to the league.

With only one team willing to give me a chance, I have no time for a relationship.

But after one night with Georgia Reed, the hopeless romantic with fiery red hair and an attitude to match, I’m hooked.

With Georgia cheering me on, it doesn’t feel like the world is against me anymore.

That is, until her father steps into the locker room as my new head coach.

Finding the woman of my dreams was the easy part; it’s keeping her that will be the hardest play of all.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cmMVum

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/HardestPlay

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2K7Lx2y

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Excerpt

“Quinn Miller? Is that really you?”

I turned, and my eyes landed on a face that I hadn’t forgotten. “Georgia Reed.”

Her lips parted in a smile that lit up her entire face, and she jumped from the stool she’d been perched on next to where my sister had been sitting and threw her arms around my shoulders. “I thought I saw you walk in earlier!”

I wrapped my arms around her waist and gave a quick squeeze before pulling back and looking her up and down.

I’d met Georgia last year at my best friend, Aiden’s, Christmas party. Her brother was a famous orthopedic surgeon who’d saved Aiden’s knee after a devastating hit. The two of them had forged a friendship, and Dr. Hampton Reed had brought his sister along when he’d been invited to the famous Shaw Christmas Party.

I’d seen her from across the room that night, unable to miss the gorgeous auburn hair that she’d let flow down her back. I’d walked over to introduce myself, but her green eyes had sparkled when she informed me that she already knew exactly who I was.

I wasn’t sure what I’d said after that, probably something ridiculous and cheesy, but we’d spent the rest of the evening chatting.

“How ya been?” I asked.

She stuck the straw that was floating in a pink drink between her pink lips and lifted a shoulder. After a quick sip of a fruity cocktail she said, “Same old. What about you? I heard you’d been traded and was hoping I’d run in to you sometime.”

I’d completely forgotten that the Reeds lived in Atlanta, where my new team was, but suddenly, that shitty trade that I was forced to accept didn’t seem so bad after all.

“Hey.” I glanced over to where my sister was eyeing us, her lips pressed together to conceal what had to have been the biggest shit-eating grin ever and squinted at her before turning and looking back to where Georgia was still sipping her drink. “You know, I don’t know much about this town. You’re a local, right?”

“That I am. Born and bred in the great state of Georgia. You know, my parents, they probably could have been a little more original when they named me.”

“Any chance you’re free this weekend to play tour guide?” I asked, hoping that I sounded fun and flirty and not like the pathetic loser that I felt like.

Jamie choked on a laugh and tried to cover it with a cough. I swung my head in her direction just as she covered her mouth and quickly looked away from my death glare. God, my kid sister was an asshole.

I felt fingertips on my bicep, forgetting my stupid sister immediately when I glanced down to see the perfectly manicured yellow fingernails that were resting on my arm. “Let me make sure I am clear on what you’re askin’.” Georgia’s eyes were gleaming, and she stepped closer to me. “Now, am I going to show you the popular clubs and bars, the parks to take your dog, and the restaurants that cater to locals, and then you’ll thank me and we’ll go about our ways? Or is this tour going to consist of me taking you back to my place, and before I know it, your lips are on my neck and my dress is around my waist?”

My mouth fell open and I sputtered. “I, uh, I, what?”

“Well, you know at Aiden’s Christmas party, after you kissed me––”

“Woah!” I stepped back, her arm falling to her side. “What are you talking about?”

Her head shook back and forth. “I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not that you are this clueless. We had a drink outside around the fire pit, and then you leaned in and kissed me, remember?”

“That is not at all what happened!” I fired back incredulously. I’d had a couple of beers that night, but I never let myself get so drunk that I would completely forget kissing the gorgeous woman standing before me.

She frowned, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from watching the way she worked it. No, I would most definitely remember if my lips had tasted hers. “It’s not? Are you sure?”

My eyes bugged out of my head. “I’m pretty sure we didn’t kiss. Think I would have remembered that.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “Maybe that’s just what I hoped would happen.”

5 Completely Unforgettable Stars

A.S Teague continues to be one of my favorite authors for a reason. Her writing, her incredible storytelling, and what she allows me to feel and live with her characters has solidified her as an author who I know will deliver an incredible story. The Hardest Play was no different. this story encapsulated her wonderful style of writing, her memorable characters, and it pulled my heart into every breath of the story. From the very first moment of this book I was completely consumed with an everything she was creating. I fell in love with these characters, I once again fell in love with this world, and I loved every emotionally unforgettable moment I got along the way in this story.

I have been a fan of this series from the start. From the moment I jumped into that unforgettable and life changing night in Vegas with these characters, I knew that I wanted each and every one of their stories. A.S. Teague has thoughtfully crafted and created each of their stories in a unique and special way that has pulled me to them even more than I thought possible. I have loved all of these characters from the moment I met them in The Hardest Route. With each addition to this series, I have fallen more in love with them all. Their sense of family. Their unyielding friendships. Their loyalty. Their love. And their dynamic sense of fight and determination that defines them all in the best way.

A.S. Teague has created a magnificent series of interconnected standalones that I never wanted to see end. As sad as I was to say goodbye to these characters that have completely stolen my heart, A.S. Teague brought it all, and them, to a fitting close. I truly could not have asked for more from this book. From the feels, to the instant connection, to the deeply meaningful and emotional story, this book had it all. Combine that with the literal fire that is Georgia and the perfect level of honesty and sweetness that is Quinn, and you have yourself one hell of a story.

I absolutely loved getting these character Story. The connection between Georgia and Quinn is fierce. it is undeniable and it is their right from the start. I love getting to be there as that connection was given its wings, and as the two of them tried to see what could be. What started off as something neither of these two could fight, a pull so strong I never saw it stopping for anything, soon turned into a heavy dose of reality and some serious emotional anguish. when they’re real world comes crashing down around these two it will literally steal your breath away. It will also break your heart in so many ways for all of these characters because of the struggles and the consequences that they face because of those struggles. But you will also love that it is those moments that are the catalyst for the magnificent story this author creates.

A.S. Teague once again uses her incredible writing to let you fully understand her characters. She lets you get who they are at their core. She lets you get them, she invests you in them on the deepest of levels, and then she has you rooting for them with all that you have. The more you get into her words and this story, the more you get with these characters, and the more you love and understand them. The way she uses her words and thoughtfully crafted storytelling to peel back those layers of these characters, to show you them and their true selves, to let you understand their motivations on the deepest of levels, is nothing short of everything.

Every word of this book will sear you to Quinn and Georgia.

The more you get with them, the more you will absolutely love them. You will love the honesty and the rawness of their connection. You will love how right it feels to see them together. You will love that right from the start it feels so different between the two of them and so special. You will love that every word with them just solidifies the feelings and the emotions and the thoughts you have towards them. you will love that even though these characters don’t have an easy story, that you get to be there right in the thick of it with them as they fight for it, as they give it their all, and as they see if they can make it work.

This author makes it so beyond easy to love them, to believe in their connection, and to root for them with everything that you have. That speaks to everything that she creates with them that even on the darkest and hardest of moments, you have hope, you have fight, and you have so much belief in the two of them. Quinn and Georgia are life and so so special. They are perfect for one another, they have a connection and a fire that is practically tangible, and they have a love story that will truly take ahold of you with all that it has.

I have to tell you that Georgia and Quinn are kind of the best. Getting the two of them combines with the other amazing characters that make up this world will have you equally laughing and smiling as much as you get those feels. Griff, Aiden, Mel, Brooke, and the rest of the gang are back and better than ever. the family that all of these characters free together will just melt your heart through every word.

I have to say that one of my favorite parts of this book was getting to see the relationship between Quinn and his sister Jamie. They definitely have a very complicated story and relationship for a lot of reasons, but through it all you see the love that connects them and that brings them together. You see how much they do care for one another even in the hardest of situations, and you see that wall things might not be easy, that those two truly do what they can to make the best out of anything.

Quinn is a man with a heart of gold who is beyond thoughtful and so caring. That combined with the fact that he can make you swoon in about a second flat makes him the full package. He is a man who would do anything for his family, but he is also a man who has the weight of the world on his shoulders. This story is very much about what happens when his obligations, his loyalties, his family, and his love all coincide together. It is definitely not easy for him to find his way through all of those dynamics and moving parts, but this story allows you to fully connect with him as he tries to make sense of it all. As he’s tries to find that happiness he has been searching for forever. As he’s trying to do right by his sister. As he tries to see if he can make it work with Georgia.

Georgia is pure fire, personality, and sass. She is a girl who knows what she wants and goes after it with all that she has. She is honest, tells it like it is, and keeps everyone on their toes…especially Quinn. This story makes her face some very big things right along with Quinn. It forces her to take stock of what is truly important to her, what is the truth and what is real, as well as what she knows deep within her heart. Georgia was a character that I just loved from the moment I met her. (Which wasn’t actually in this book…so go find the book she’s introduced in because you NEED that book in your life stat.) She is life and color and voice. She is fierce and loyal to a T. She is the best, and is also so real. I loved that about her, and I loved every single second of her story with Quinn.

The Hardest Play it’s a story about so many things. It is a story of love, family, and friendship. It is an emotionally moving story about just how far you are willing to go for the ones you love and the ones who make all the difference. It is a story that pushes these characters to their emotional limits, but that simultaneously reveals the best of them and their hearts. It is a story of second chances and of new beginnings. It is a story about some of the most heartbreaking experiences that will bring many tears to your eyes, but in the same breath it is a story of love. Real, feel it in your bones with all you have, shout it from the rooftops, fight for it, love.

Quinn and Georgia’s love story was everything. It was consuming, exceptionally written and crafted, and it was emotional and meaningful from start to finish. Every word of Quinn and Georgia’s story in The Hardest Play will give you life. It will pull you to them, it will have you fighting right along with them for what could be, and it will show you the truly healing power of love.

I know that that sounds a little bit cliche but honestly it’s the truth. This story had me believing and knowing in the power of love. Love can heal you. It can restore you. It can give you everything. It can hurt you and it can threaten to break you, but it can also give you the world if you let it, if you trust it, and if you believe in it. This story allows you to experience every facet and part of love, and in the end it will have you knowing that Quinn and Georgia share the best kind of love story. A love story that is real, full of authentic emotion, and unforgettable.

The Hardest Play is one of the best books I have read this year and is hands down one of my favorite books by A.S. Teague. This author continues to wow me with her words, her characters, and her stories, and this book was no different. It gave me it all. Georgia and Quinn still own a piece of my heart as we speak, and I honestly can’t say enough good things about them. They are genuine, they are real, they are easy to love and root for, and that is just a fraction of what makes their story so special.

As sad as I am to say goodbye to this world and these characters, I could not have asked for more from this story. It was everything I needed and more. When I turned that last page and reached the end, I did so with a heart that was bursting for these characters and so in love with everything I had read, and that is the true tell of a good love story.

A.S. Teague created a phenomenal story and series from start to finish, and I am telling you, you need these characters and words in your life. You need them and you will love them with all that you have because they will put it all on the line when it really matters. They will show you the true meaning of love, family, and friendship, and in the end, they will have you knowing with your whole heart that that is truly all you need.

About A.S. Teague

A.S. Teague enjoys the warmth of South Carolina with her husband and two daughters. The stereotypes about peach cobbler and sweet tea are not overstated. After years in the medical field, she is now enjoying every minute of being a stay-at-home mom. She loves wine, the beach, wine on the beach, and crying at Disney movies. When she doesn’t have a book in her hand, she can be found pestering her husband with pictures of animals she wants to rescue, as well as debating whether to exercise or take a nap.

Connect with A.S. Teague

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2Hh2Vl9

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2UexnQy

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Euhdfk

Stay up to date by joining A.S. Teague’s mailing list today: http://bit.ly/2HcdeHb

16Apr2020

Releasing Now: The Hardest Play by A.S. Teague

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

It’s easy to convince the world that you have it all.

The Hardest Play, an all-new emotional new-adult standalone from A.S. Teague is available now!

I’m Quinn Miller––record breaking running back, professional football’s favorite rags-to-riches story, all-around good guy.

What’s not so easy? Repairing your reputation after mistakes both on and off the field leave you labeled as a disgrace to the league.

With only one team willing to give me a chance, I have no time for a relationship.

But after one night with Georgia Reed, the hopeless romantic with fiery red hair and an attitude to match, I’m hooked.

With Georgia cheering me on, it doesn’t feel like the world is against me anymore.

That is, until her father steps into the locker room as my new head coach.

Finding the woman of my dreams was the easy part; it’s keeping her that will be the hardest play of all.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cmMVum

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/HardestPlay

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2K7Lx2y

Add The Hardest Play to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2xz5BYE

About A.S. Teague

Connect with A.S. Teague

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2Hh2Vl9

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2UexnQy

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Euhdfk

Stay up to date by joining A.S. Teague’s mailing list today: http://bit.ly/2HcdeHb

3Apr2020

It’s a Cover Reveal: The Hardest Play by A.S. Teague

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

It’s easy to convince the world that you have it all.

The Hardest Play, an all-new standalone sports romance from A.S. Teague is coming April 16th and we have the gorgeous cover!

I’m Quinn Miller––record breaking running back, professional football’s favorite rags-to-riches story, all-around good guy.

What’s not so easy? Repairing your reputation after mistakes both on and off the field leave you labeled as a disgrace to the league.

With only one team willing to give me a chance, I have no time for a relationship.

But after one night with Georgia Reed, the hopeless romantic with fiery red hair and an attitude to match, I’m hooked.

With Georgia cheering me on, it doesn’t feel like the world is against me anymore.

That is, until her father steps into the locker room as my new head coach.

Finding the woman of my dreams was the easy part; it’s keeping her that will be the hardest play of all.

Add The Hardest Play to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2xz5BYE

Be notified FIRST when The Hardest Play is live: http://bit.ly/2HcdeHb

Cover Designed by Jay Aheer, Simply Defined Art

About A.S. Teague

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9Jan2020

Blog Tour: Release by Aly Martinez

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Release, an all-new “mesmerizing” and “captivating” standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez, is available now!

Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.

At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss.

By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon.

Love never fails, right?

But for Ramsey, it did.

Love failed him.

I failed him.

The entire world failed him.

At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.

Move on,he wrote in his first and only letter from prison.

Start a new life, he urged.

I don’t love you anymore, he lied.

There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.

So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don’t even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QOughI

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/ReleaseAlyM

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2oGE1oo

MY REVIEW

There are many things I know in this life:
-I love when Aly Martinez murders all of my emotions.
-I especially love when she murders all of my emotions and tries to put me back together again.
-Release is hands-down one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life. (And it seriously murdered all of my emotions and I LOVED IT!)
-Ramsey and Thea are the actual best.

This book put me through the ringer from the very first word until the very last. This is a heartbreakingly emotional, moving, yet beautiful story of second chances, of a love that truly knows no bounds, and what happens when you meet the one person who truly makes all the difference. This bank shattered me. It brought me to tears, I’m pretty sure I sobbed somewhere in there too, but through it all, through all the darkness and hurt and pain and anguish that these characters struggled with, I felt their light. I felt their magic. I felt what truly made them special. I felt every bit of that and more and that is what pulled me through every unforgettably magnificent word of their story.

What can I say? I really love it when Aly Martinez toys with all of my emotions. I also especially love it when she rips all of them out of my body and beats them with a baseball bat. But you know what I especially love? I especially love when she shows me the why. When she gives me the foundation of her characters, of their very souls and beings, and when she lets me truly be with them and feel with them in love with them. I also especially love when she puts me and her characters back together again simultaneously. The way that her writing and storytelling so authentically does that truly puts her words and her books in a league of their own.

Release is a story that will make you feel at all. It will show you how Ramsey and Thea came to be, it will show you their journey that is riddled with a hell of a lot of heartbreak and strife and anguish, but it will also show you the strength and tenacity and heart that those two have. I loved every single second of being a part of that journey with them. It wasn’t easy, and it had me crying quite a bit, but it shows so much about them. It was honest and raw and real and it showed them. It showed their hearts and their souls and just how far they were willing to go for one another. This book exemplified who they were, what they were fighting for, and who they wanted to be in the end. I loved every bit of getting to be a part of that and I truly feel lucky that I had the chance to experience their story.

What I got in this book was a truly unforgettable story. If you have a story of redemption, a story filled to the brim with emotion and heart and raw feeling when you need this book in your life. You need to experience the unforgettable journey that these two characters go on. They will make you work for it. There will be moments when you are with them when you question what else could happen to them or what that next page could bring, but the light you feel with them, the hope that is equally there just as much as the hurt and emotion will pull you through. And in the end you will be beyond grateful that you read this book, that you experience to their story, and that you gave their second chance a chance.

I truly cannot recommend this book enough. It was perfection. The writing, the characters, the emotion and heart of it all, and the multiple layers that are so dynamic, breathtaking, and truly exceptional. Aly Martinez continues to outdo herself again and again, and this book proves that through every single word.

I am a true emotional masochist, and I would gladly have Aly Martinez and her books ripped out my heart and beat them with the emotional baseball bat every day if it meant getting more stories like this.

Release was everything and then some. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read and it will have you feeling it all, believing in the power of hope and second chances, and it will have you knowing through every word that you have never read a book quite like this one. Trust me, the journey might not be the easiest, but Ramsey and Thea will see you through. And you will be so glad that you have the chance to go along with them. Because their story… Their story is hope and longing and fight personified. Their story is beautiful. Their story is heartbreaking and devastating in so many ways, yet is bursting at the seams with what makes them so special and truly set them apart.

You will fall with them, you will fly with them, you will feel at all with them. You will hurt and cry and fight and pull yourself up just as they do. You will see and feel and breathe their lives with them. You will get Ramsey and Thea in a way that you have not gotten other characters. You will get it all.

Their story is uniquely theirs, and that is just a scratch of the surface of what makes it so spectacular and completely unforgettable.

So seriously, get yourself a glass of wine, curl up with this book, and be prepared to be completely moved and shattered in the best way by this story and it’s characters. Aly Martinez continues to up her game with every word that she writes, and this is yet another example of the truly exceptional writing and storytelling she continues to produce.

Excerpt

It was funny. I’d spent almost half my life surrounded by the biggest, baddest criminals the state of Georgia had been able to capture. Yet, I was terrified of a five-foot-five woman who for some asinine reason was still in love with me.

I couldn’t be around her. Not if I wanted to keep my head straight and my eye on the prize. I had three years before I got off parole. I needed to get a job, tuck away some cash, and, the second I was allowed to leave Georgia, get the hell out of there. Maybe, if I was lucky, I’d be able to convince my sister to come with me. We didn’t have to go far. We could stay in the south if she wanted. South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee—there were schools everywhere. Nora wouldn’t have trouble finding a job. The hardest part would be convincing her to leave Thea.

However, maybe if she did, Thea would finally move on with her life and stop obsessing about me.

I’d known they lived together for a while. I didn’t want anything to do with Thea while I was locked up, but I was happy as hell Nora had someone to lean on. I had been under the impression that Nora had gotten her own place when she found out about my release. I had been under that impression because Nora had straight-up told me she was getting her own place after I’d declared there was no way I was living with Thea.

Now, I was hiding in my room, waiting for Nora to wake up, open my door, and escort me to breakfast like a damn bodyguard so I could avoid confrontation.

Next up in my efforts to kill time was a workout. Sit ups, push-ups, planks, running in place. This was when I realized Nora hadn’t bought me any deodorant.

Another shower.

Another naked lap around the bedroom, and this time, I managed to keep my hands off my cock.

Finally, I got dressed. This required me to pick through a bunch of preppy shit Nora had bought for me to find tattered jeans and a fitted green tee that clung to my chest like a damn glove. In my closet, I found a belt and a pair of distressed brown lace-up boots that maybe could have doubled as combat boots if the war was taking place on a runway. But what the hell did I know about style? I’d been wearing orange or puke beige for almost half my life.

When I was done with all of that and there was still no sign of Nora, I sat on the edge of the bed and decided to give the phone thing a try. I wasn’t totally out of the technology loop. We had computers at the library and we were allowed to use them if we earned the privileges. But they might as well have been dinosaurs compared to the phone she’d bought me. I couldn’t even get it to read my face with the fancy secret laser thing. I gave up trying pretty quickly.

So there I was, bored out of my mind, starving, and poking at my newfound wrinkles in the bathroom mirror, when I heard a knock at my door.

“Ramsey?”

I froze, my eyes locked on the mirror, panic staring back at me.

Thea.

Jesus. I needed to find somewhere else to live.

Leaning out of the bathroom, I stared at the door. If I was super quiet, maybe she’d think I was still asleep and go the hell away.

When I didn’t reply, she knocked again. Her voice was timid and sweet, not at all like the fearless girl I’d grown up with. I hated it.

“Ramsey? You hungry? I’m making breakfast? I was wondering if you wanted something?” Everything from my name to the fact that she was making breakfast was a question, as if maybe she was asking permission to cook in her own house.

My stomach was currently feasting on my backbone. Still, I said nothing.

She sighed. “Okay. Well, if you change your—” There were several seconds of silence.

I quirked my eyebrow at the door, trying to figure out why she’d abruptly stopped talking, and then cursed my inability to develop x-ray vision.

I held my breath, hoping to hear her footsteps as she walked away.

No. Such. Fucking. Luck.

The door swung open and she came walking inside with her hands stacked over her eyes. “Look, I know you’re awake. I heard you running earlier. I also heard you take at least three showers. Sorry, but the house isn’t that big. Neither is the hot water heater. Are you at least dressed so I can open my eyes?”

Brave. Unapologetic. And completely oblivious to boundaries. Now that was the Thea I knew.

“Get out,” I barked.

“Dressed? Not dressed? Help me out here?”

“Get. Out.”

She kept her eyes closed. “You gotta eat, Ramsey. You can’t stay locked up in this room forever.”

I wanted to tell her to get the hell out again. Honestly, it was on the tip of my tongue. But it never made it past my lips because my traitorous eyes stole a head-to-toe of her lithe body. She was barefoot, wearing jeans—tight ones that tapered at her ankle. They looked like mine in the sense that they had a rip in the knee. They didn’t look like mine in the sense that they hugged the curve of her hips and more than likely her ass too. A pink tank top stretched across her chest, and I swear on my life, fuck x-ray vision because I could see the pebble of her nipples beneath the fabric.

It wasn’t a ridiculous dress.

It wasn’t stupid fucking heels.

She wasn’t wearing a face full of clown makeup.

She was just Thea.

The nostalgia pumped through my veins like acid even as my cock stirred. Fuck, I should have jerked off again in the shower.

“I’m dressed,” I bit out, desperate for her to put her damn hands down and maybe use them to cover her tits instead.

Her long, brown lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. Those fucking eyes had once owned me. As a huge smile lit her face, I felt the claim all over again.

“Oh, look, you chose one of the outfits I picked out for you.”

Of course I had. Of fucking course. As soon as I got her out of my room, I was going to take the outfit off and light it on fire.

About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UKGUOM

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2DEpPAh

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2DUgzrJ

Stay up to date with Aly by joining her mailing list today:

6Jan2020

Releasing Now: Release by Aly Martinez

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

“I couldn’t put it down! The incredible premise and the tension will keep you turning the pages until dawn.” -Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author

Release, an all-new powerful and emotional standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez, is available now!

Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.

At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss.

By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon.

Love never fails, right?

But for Ramsey, it did.

Love failed him.

I failed him.

The entire world failed him.

At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.

Move on,he wrote in his first and only letter from prison.

Start a new life, he urged.

I don’t love you anymore, he lied.

There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.

So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don’t even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QOughI

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/ReleaseAlyM

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2oGE1oo

About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UKGUOM

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2DEpPAh

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2DUgzrJ

Stay up to date with Aly by joining her mailing list today:

11Dec2019

It’s a Cover Reveal: Release by Aly Martinez

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

**“Aly Martinez is one of the best in the business. You have to read her books.” –Meghan March, New York Times Bestselling author**

Release, an all-new emotional, second chance romance standalone from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez is coming January 5th and we have the incredible cover!

Release AMAZON

Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.

At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss.

By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon.

Love never fails, right?

But for Ramsey, it did.

Love failed him.

I failed him.

The entire world failed him.

At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.

Move on,he wrote in his first and only letter from prison.

Start a new life, he urged.

I don’t love you anymore, he lied.

There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.

So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don’t even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.

Add RELEASE to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2oGE1oo

Cover Designed by: Hang Le

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography

Model: Zack Salaun

About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UKGUOM

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2DEpPAh

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2DUgzrJ

Stay up to date with Aly by signing up for her mailing list today:

27Oct2019

Review Post: One Week Stand by M. Mabie

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

One Week Stand by M. Mabie

Publication Date: October 24, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Romantic Comedy/New Adult

Tag Line: A hilariously steamy, classmates-neighbors-enemies to lovers romantic comedy with a fun internet celebrity twist.

Blurb:

Was it too much to ask for one wild week away from college, away from the cold weather, and away from my classmates? That’s all I wanted. A spring break vacation where I could live my best life with my friends and get a little crazy for once. Possibly, drink too many cocktails on the beach, wear the skimpy bikini I bought, and have a no-strings-attached, tropical escapade with a co-ed.

Sounds perfect, right?

Well, it didn’t happen because my dumbass missed the nonrefundable flight.

And if it wasn’t bad enough that I was stranded on an empty, snow-covered campus over my senior year spring break, it was about to get a whole lot worse…because he’s still here too.

The tall, dark smart ass. The cocky classmate I’ve been rolling my eyes at since freshman year. The annoying internet star who everyone thinks is hilarious.

Julien Carson.

So you know what? Screw it.

It’s just a few days, and nobody has to know. Plus, I guess he’s not so bad to look at when he’s saying all the right things and making all the right moves. Maybe I don’t have to fly thousands of miles for a spring fling because I can’t come up with a single reason why Julien shouldn’t be my… One Week Stand.

READ for FREE with KindleUnlimited!

Amazon US https://amzn.to/31G5gfV

Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2W8f9lF

Amazon CA https://amzn.to/2qIPS5V

Amazon AU https://amzn.to/342UcLp

***5 LAUGH OUT LOUD ROMANTIC STARS***

Five years ago I fell in absolute LOVE with the M. Mabie’s amazing words in her first book Fade In. The humor and wit and unforgettableness of that book sold me on her, and I have since devoured every word of hers I could get my hands on. Now five years later, reading this book, I was reminded once again how utterly incredible her humor, her wit, and the zest and personality of her characters can be!

From the very first word through the very last, I smiled so hard reading this book. I laughed like there was no tomorrow, and I loved every second with these characters.

One Week Stand was a book that I cannot put down. The humor, the life and personalities of these characters combined with their unadulterated and dynamic humor was the absolute best.

M. Mabie solidified her comedic and romantic writing talents in this story.

This book was equal parts an enemies to lovers, steamy and fiery, romance story that had me loving these characters and what they shared. Their story was memorable, enjoyable through every page, and the cheeky chapter titles were the the icing on top of this fantastic read.

What I love about this book was that it was so fun to read, yet at the same time I absolutely loved every bit of getting this story with these characters. I loved that I felt with them, but that I also laughed my ass off with them. I loved that they kept each other on their toes and didn’t make it easy. I loved that they took something and ran with it in a way that just felt completely right. I also loved the fact that they had my cheeks hurting from how hard I was smiling and laughing.

I loved every single word of this incredible story.

I loved that it was fun. I loved that it felt real. I loved the honest connection I felt to both of these characters. I loved the modern twist and feel to the story, and how this author brought every lick of it to life in such an authentic way. I loved it all.

And I truly can’t say it enough.

If you are looking for a book that will consume you, that will thoroughly make you laugh and love these characters, and that will show you the true chemistry and connection that is possible between two people, then run yourself to this book as soon as humanly possible.

You NEED it in your life. You need it’s zest. You need it’s life. You need these characters and their shenanigans that soon become so very real. You need to know what happens when these two get together. You NEED it all, and this story will deliver that in spades…and then some.

Five years ago M. Mabie stole my heart and all of my laughs and smiles with her first book. Five years later she’s still doing it even more and I absolutely love her for it!

One Week Stand is a book you’ll have to devour in one sitting. It’ll consume you, it’ll give you some feels and a hell of a lot of laughs with these two and their antics, and in the end it’ll give you a love story that is bursting with more fire and connection then you can shake a stick at!

So seriously, do yourself the best favor and read this book. Read it. Love it. And enjoy every single fantastic second of it!

About M. Mabie

M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes everything from steamy romantic comedies to angst-filled, pull your hair out drama. She enjoys it all. With her unconventional love stories, she tries to embody “real-life romance.”

M. Mabie usually doesn’t speak in third-person. She promises.

Connect with M. Mabie

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/MMABIEBB

Facebook: http://bit.ly/MMABIEFB

Amazon: http://bit.ly/MMABIEAMZ

Instagram: http://bit.ly/MMABIEIG

Join her Reader Group: http://bit.ly/MMABIETTB

Twitter: http://bit.ly/MMABIETW

Website: http://bit.ly/MMABIE

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Newsletter, http://bit.ly/MMABIENL

10Sep2019

Review Post: The Hardest Hit by A.S. Teague

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

“A.S. Teague brings the feels with this one, y’all. The Hardest Hit is the kind of book that sinks its claws into your heart and doesn’t let go. Five well-earned stars from me.” –LK Farlow, Amazon bestselling author

The Hardest Hit, an all-new emotional, single dad romance from A.S. Teague is available now!

My friends used to tell me ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’ Clearly they lied, because there was no way the chemistry I had with Mel could ever be left behind.

However, my children, her career, and nine hundred miles between us meant that for seven years, Melanie Holstein was the one who got away.

I was Aiden Shaw, first-round draft pick turned the best quarterback the league had ever seen. I worked hard to secure my position in football history while balancing life as a single dad. Through it all, my Vegas spitfire was never far from my mind.

And considering her best friend was now with my best friend, it was pure and utter torture.

When my career took a devastating turn, Mel was the first person at my side. I was broken and defeated, but that stubborn woman was determined to piece me back together.

I liked to pretend Mel and I were destined for greatness, but Lady Luck had never been on our side. And the tragedy that followed might have been the hardest hit of all.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2lDPGC8

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheHardestHit

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2zUES6L

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/32iNWiz

Excerpt

“Fine. I won’t argue anymore.” Brooke finally relented to letting me loan her more money so that we didn’t have to leave so early.

But suddenly, leaving didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

My face split into a grin, and I swayed toward her, whispering, “That’s my girl. Now, don’t be obvious, but there is a fuckin hottie at the table across from us who has been eyeing you since we sat down.”

I didn’t mention that I only knew he’d been eyeing her because I’d been having some serious visual foreplay with his buddy.

Brooke looked to the craps table where five men were cheering every time their numbers hit, clapping each other on the back and whooping. Her jaw dropped and I giggled.

After a full thirty seconds of her staring open-mouthed across the smoky area, she blinked and I hissed, “Yessssss.”

“I… um… think he’s looking at you.”

“Pshhhh.” I elbowed her and glanced back over to where both men had stopped what they were doing and were watching us almost expectantly. “That’s all you, girl. The guy beside him is a different story. Mister Dreamy over there, though, only has eyes for Brooke.”

“Who’s Brooke?” she whispered.

I couldn’t stop the sharp burst of laughter that erupted from my lips, and she grabbed her wine glass and drained it in one swallow.

I grabbed my own and followed her lead. Game on!

“Shit, I think I just had an out-of-body experience,” she whispered.

I scooped up my pile of chips and dumped them into my clutch. “Hopefully, you’ll have another one later tonight. Let’s go talk to them.”

“No, no, no,” Brooke objected as I dragged her by the arm to the group of guys. “Mel, stop. We can’t just…”

I gave her a gentle shove and she teetered on her heels, careening right into the back of the guy who had been watching her. And when he turned, I knew that my work there was done.

It was time to go take care of my own business.

“See something you like?” I asked, stopping in front of my date for the evening, whether he knew it or not.

He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking in my life.”

I tipped my head back to look at him, a response frozen in my throat.

The side of his mouth hitched as he stared down at me, his thick lashes giving a spectacular show.

I braced for what he was going to say next. Sexy as he was, I still needed him to have a personality, or it would never work… not even for a one-night stand.

He wedged a hand in the pocket of his jeans and murmured, “That took you long enough. I was worried I’d lost my charm and I was going to have to summon a smoke signal in order to ask you out.”

My brows shot up and a smile curled my lips. “Walking over to meprobably would have been easier.”

“Maybe. But then I would have missed the view of those sexy legs as they carried you over here.” He leaned in close. Not touching me physically, but his proximity was a tangible caress of its own. “Trust me when I tell you, it was well worth the wait.”

My breath hitched as he leaned away, that seductive grin still firmly in place.

“I’m Aiden. And you are?”

Whoever the hell you want me to be.

“Mel. Er… Melanie. Whatever. I answer to both.”

He nodded, his gaze dropping to my mouth. “Nice to meet you, Mel.”

That was the exact moment I realized that I’d been wrong. It wasn’t Lady Luck who had been on my side. For the way my entire body was heating, this man had to have been the work of the devil himself.

And I was completely okay with that.

5 Fantastic Stars

A.S. Teague continues to be one of my favorite authors for a reason. For so many reasons. Her words have brought some of the best stories to life, and I for one am always ready for more. She consistently delivers story after story and character after character that completely steal my heart with all that they have…and that is just a fraction of what makes her books so incredible.

The Hardest Hit was no different.

From start to finish this story enveloped me within everything that was Aiden and Mel. It was fiery in the best way. It was bursting with the best level of connection and chemistry and spark between these two. It was a sports romance that took ahold of me with all that it had. It was full of heart and longing and hurt and emotion. It was full of everything that combined in the most thoughtful way to make one hell of a story.

And yet this book was different.

It was different than what I expected for Aiden and Mel. It was different in how their love story came to be. It was different in all the ways that count.

It was different in the absolute best way.

The Hardest Hit explores every step of the story that Aiden and Mel share. It shows you how it all began with them during a crazy night in Vegas. It shows you how things got away from them in ways they both never expected. It shows you the chances they both took and gave over the years that they’ve known each other. It shows you every single moment that pushes them back together again in the most unforgettable way.

The Hardest Hit is their story back to one another. It is a story of second chances and third chances and even more chances. It is a story about what you’re willing to fight for when it really matters. It’s a story about just how far you’re willing to go for those that matter to you. This book is a story of heart, of emotion, of unadulterated longing and connection. It is a story of two people who share one hell of a connection, and who can’t help but be drawn to one another no matter what tries to tear them apart.

From beginning to end, Mel and Aiden welcome you into their heads, their hearts, and their world in this story. They show you who they really are as they discover it themselves. They show you what it truly means to give it your all when it really matters.

A.S. Teague and her phenomenal writing let you live this book and every piece of their story with them. She lets you see them and understand them on the deepest of levels. She lets you live their triumphs and feel every ounce of their hardships. She puts you on the front lines as they put themselves and their hearts on the lines. She bonds you to them and pulls your heart to theirs. Through every bit of this story, her writing envelops you within every piece of them, which will have you rooting for everything that they share.

What A.S. Teague so incredibly creates in this book for Aiden and Mel will have you believing in the power of second chances, and the life changing things that can happen with some serious fight, a hell of a lot of heart, and more determination and fire than you can shake a stick at.

What I loved about this book was that it continued to keep me in a world of characters that I absolutely love, while also keeping me on my toes in the most unforgettable way. I went into this book thinking I knew what Aiden and Mel’s story would be like, and I came out of it surprised by everything they gave me. Those two kept me on my toes through every word in the most amazing way, and I cannot say enough how much I loved that. I loved that their story surprised me. I loved that they surprised me. I loved that their story turned my heart upside down and right again, and that through it all I was right there with those two.

A.S. Teague does a phenomenal job in The Hardest Hit of letting you fall even more with Aiden and Mel. If you read The Hardest Route (which if you haven’t you should because that book is allll kinds of ahhhmazing!), then you will already come into this book loving Mel and Aiden. But what The Hardest Hit will give you will them is the real Mel and Aiden. It will show you exactly who they are, what they’re willing to fight for, and will let you feel every single bit of their story.

A.S. Teague so outstandingly envelops you within their world, and you will never want to leave them.

Ever.

You will never want to leave their chemistry, their sass, and their banter. You will never want to leave their back and forth and the best test message exchanges. You will never want to leave them and those moments with them that will show you the two of them at their most vulnerable, at their most open, at their most honest. You will never want to leave the heart touching romance that is building between the two of them or the feels that they give you along the way. You will never want to leave the incredible love story that those two are brewing up together, and when you reach the end of their story you will love everything they gave you along the way.

The Hardest Hit is a story about fight, faith, and love. It is a story about getting more chances and fighting for what truly matters. It is a story of heart and hope and the brilliant honesty that intersects both of those things. It is a story of what happens when the one you’ve always wanted, the one you’ve been fighting your whole life for, finally enters your life in a real way. It is a story of puzzle pieces coming together after so many years apart. It is a story of finding oneself in the darkest of days and what it takes to realize that the one person you always needed, the one person you always wanted, might have been there all along.

I loved every single fantastic word of this book.

A.S. Teague delivered an outstanding story within the pages of this book. I have wanted more of Aiden and Mel since meeting and falling head over heels for them and their electric banter in The Hardest Route, and their story did not disappoint. Not one little bit. Their story was everything and more. It was emotional, it was romantic, it was bursting with feels, and it had so much heart intertwined within every word and fiber of Mel and Aiden. Getting their story was the absolute best. Those two kept me and my heart on their toes in the best way, and I can’t say it enough.

If you met these two in The Hardest Route, if you’ve wanted their story ever since, or if you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Aiden and Mel until this book, then I promise you, you will LOVE this book. You will love their story. You will love them. You will love every single thoughtful puzzle piece The Hardest Hit brings to life, and you will love getting to live this story with these characters. Their story will hit your heart, it will envelop you within everything that those two so memorably share, and it will have you rooting for them with all that you have that they will find a way to make it all work.

The Hardest Hit is a story that will wow you while give you everything you need.

It will make you laugh, it’ll make you swoon and melt quite a bit, it’ll probably bring a tear to your eye and it will most definitely squeeze your heart with what you get with Aiden and Mel along the way. This story will break you and put you back together again, and in the end, it will tell the story of the one second chance that truly mattered and made all the difference.

I truly can’t recommend this book to you enough.

It is equal parts sports romance, enemies to lovers, and contemporary romance rolled into one delightful package that will have you in love with everything you’re reading from beginning to end. A.S. Teague crafted a fantastic story that will give you it all and then some, and that is just a part of what makes it such an incredible read. I loved every single part of this story, and I cannot wait to get my hands on more words from this author and from within this world. I love these characters, I love their stories, and I cannot wait for more!

If you love an honest to goodness good book that will deliver it all, then run yourself to this book this very second. Mel and Aiden will steal every bit of your heart, and you will love getting a front row seat to the shenanigans that ensue when those two are together. They may not make it easy for you or for each other, but they sure as hell make it all damn worth it.

Trust me.

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