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

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

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.

24Jul2025

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

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

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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23Jul2025

Releasing Now: Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3) by Corinne Michaels

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

Against All Odds by Corinne Michaels is live!

When my ex-husband leaves me for the co-star in his movie, moving back to Ember Falls feels like my only option.

Everett Finnegan, my first love and the man I’ve never forgotten, is ready to welcome me with open arms…and an open bed.

But when I find out I’m pregnant with my ex’s baby, my entire world is upended.

My ex doesn’t want the baby, but I plan to rebuild my life as a single mother and figure out how to handle all of this alone.

Except that I don’t seem to be alone―Everett always shows up for me.

I don’t expect him to get mixed up in all my drama―not when he has his own. And I wish he would listen to me when I say we have to stop whatever it is we’re doing.

But he wants me, the baby, and my heart.

So when I’m forced to return to California sooner than planned, I’m devastated.

Everett can’t leave Ember Falls, and I can’t stay.

Saying goodbye to him the first time was hard enough. This time, it just might break me.

Available in Kindle Unlimited!
➝ https://geni.us/AAO-Zon

Listen to the Audio!
➝ https://geni.us/AAO_Audible
Duet Narration by Robert Hatchet & Andi Arndt

Preorder in Print!
➝ https://geni.us/AAO-CM

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

I know one thing for sure and two things for certain:
1. Corinne Michaels is one of my all time favorite authors.
2. Against All Odds is one of my favorite books. I’ve read this year.

If you take anything from this review that I’m sure will be so so very long because I have a lot to say about what I LOVED about this book, it should be that you need to read this book this very second. You need to read it, love it, embrace it, and jump heart first into the world of Ember Falls. I promise you that you will not regret jumping into this book with Violet and Everett. They are truly everything and they will steal your heart from the very first pages of this book. I promise you that. That in so much more!

Now it is no secret that this author and this series are two of my favorites. I have read every book by Corinne, Michaels and every book of her has been a five star read. Her books have made me cry, they’ve made me laugh, they’ve made me melt and swoon and blush, but more than that they’ve given me incredible reading experiences that I’ve never forgotten. They’ve given me love stories that are epically, beautiful, and heart touching in every way. They’ve just given me everything and more with her characters. I can still tell you what I felt reading that first book of hers. I can still tell you what I felt reading the 20th book of hers that I had the pleasure of reading. And I can definitely tell you what I felt reading Against All Odds because I love this book with my whole heart. It made me love everything with these characters, it completely immersed me in their beautiful love story, and it just reminded me over and over again why this author is one of my all-time favorites.

Two of my favorite tropes on this planet are second chance romance and whoopsie baby plots. So when those two incredible tropes get to be combined into a book, I’m sold. Throw in the fact that one of my favorite authors ever is writing those tropes and combining it with a small town magic that I love so much about her books? Well, I am there and I am LOVING it. And honestly? That’s just scratching the surface of what I loved about this book with Everett and Violet. Those two are the definition of two people who are so inherently right for each other and finally get the chance to see that second chance through at the exact right time. This book definitely throws some curveballs at them, but they are determined to do it together, to show each other that a second chance as possible, that this is their time, and to finally get the happily ever after that they both so deserve.

Now I have to give it to Corinne Michaels because just when I think I have found my favorite hero of hers, she goes and throws another one at me and I’m torn at who I love most. I mean I’m not really torn because I like collecting boyfriends like it’s my job, and this author truly has a talent of making me fall in love with the heroes of her world. And Everett Finnegan was definitely the hero in this book and boy did I love him. With my whole heart. I melted over the acts of service that man was bound into determined to give to Violet. But more than that I just loved how much he loved Violet, how determined he was to show her that this was the place that she was meant to be in and that he was destined to be part of her life. I loved how much he showed up for those he cared and loved about. I loved how he was willing to wait for her no matter what. I loved how much he just loved her with his whole heart and everything that came from her because that love was pure and real and absolutely beautiful. I just loved how generous and kind and funny of a man he was and I was just smitten through this whole book. I mean that man had me in tears, melting at others, and just absolutely loving him from start to finish in this book. I really can’t say that enough.

He is definitely my new favorite hero from the world of Ember Falls (don’t worry Miles, I still love you!) and I truly cannot say enough, how much this man swept my heart and Violet’s heart off their feet while reading this book. There is no resisting that man. And you will just bask in the moments with him as you see his vulnerability, as you see his determination and generosity firsthand, and as you see him willing to do whatever it takes to be with a woman he knows is his soulmate.

Now Violet is her own force to be reckoned with, and my heart went to her from the very first page of this book. There is a true honesty and depth that you get with her character that pulls you in fiercely, that has you loving her adamantly, and in every way, and that shows you that she has been through it. She has a heart of gold that girl. She is a woman who has always felt in a way like an afterthought. Like she’s in the shadows, like she’s not the first choice. And she has the trust issues to prove it. When her trust is broken once again and she is sent reeling, she goes to the only place that has ever felt like home, the small and incredible town of Ember Falls. What she finds in that town is not only a place to take some deep breaths and regroup, but the man who stole her heart over a decade ago. Right next door. Her feelings for Everett are still right there, and very very real, but she’s scared of taking a chance and reopening the doors to her heart once again.

Over the course of this book, the connection you feel to Violet strengthens as she puts the pieces of herself and her heart back together, as she tries to make sense of all of the emotions that are thrown her way, and as she navigate an unexpected path she didn’t plan on finding herself on. What I loved about Violet’s character is that not only was she’s so real and genuine, but I found her and her story to be so easy to connect to. Her trust issues, her vulnerability, and her reluctance to risk something if it’s not real or permanent, or something that I connected to in every way while reading her story and journeying through those emotions with her. I myself have not had the experiences she had, but with the way this author wrote her character and her journey, I understood and felt and breathed and lived every breath of what her character went through. I got it and I got her and I just felt completely with her in this story rooting for her with all my heart because that girl deserves the best.

She deserves the best of everything. My heart could not have been happier in this book getting to see Everett show up for her and show her that she is the only choice for him, seeing him show her that they were meant to be, and showing her that she was always meant to be in the light basking in the love of those around her. (Especially his…and especially the love of her people in Ember Falls.)

Everett and Violet are definitely the best kind of second chance romance. Those two have a fiery connection, there are so much heart between them, and that love is right there on the surface from the moment they reunited. They have their fair share of hard conversations and things they must figure out, but through it all there is something so right and true about the two of them. You feel that in your bones reading this book. You feel it in the moments they show up for each other. You show it in those easy moments of laughter and jokes. You feel it in those heavier moments of emotions and vulnerable moments. You feel it in the hard truths and in the ease of the two of them together and the rightness of what could be for them. Do you feel it in the moment where they literally cannot keep their hands off of one another and that fire ignites off the pages of this book. You feel it in every breath of what they share, and it adds to the feeling you have while reading this book that they have to find their way.

These two are truly 2 halves of the same whole and they complete each other. They are meant to be. They are meant to take the second chance together and getting to see them do just that in this book was absolutely everything. They are the personification of first loves realizing that their love is the love they were always meant to have and hold onto.

Now it is also no secret that the world of Ember Falls is truly my happy place. This small town is firmly where I want to live out my days. Because there is magic in the town limits of this place. Let me tell you. Because the characters of this world, the friendships and the found family that all of these characters have created together is absolutely incredible. The way these characters show up for each other, the way they poke fun at each other in the best way, and the way they also have such shared history with one another is absolutely amazing to experience. They personify the idea that you don’t have to share blood to be family and to show up and mean it. With every breath in your body. That idea was solidified again and again in this book. Combine that with towns people who know everything about you, those hilarious group text threads, and the fact that this town is just something special makes this series one that I never want to have end.

Truly.

It will be a sad day for me when I’m no longer in the world of these characters in these books because Ember Falls Virginia is truly a special place. Corinne Michaels knows how to write a small town. She is the queen of that in my opinion. She embodies the magic of a small town, the magic of connection and friendship, and the way that people show up for each other in those places. She also perfectly captures the essence of what it’s like to live in a place that is so special and that is truly like a character in and of itself. And all well doing that, she gives you the most beautiful and epic love story that will truly steal your heart. If that doesn’t make a must read small town romance, then I don’t know what does.

Against All Odds is one of my top reads of the year. This book was everything my heart needed. It’s like the world knew I needed a second chance romance with a whoopsie baby plot by one of my favorite authors, and Boy did all of that come to fruition in this book. I loved every second. I got with these characters. From the moment I started this book, I didn’t move because I just literally read this book. I read it. I felt it. I lived it with these characters. And I relished in the two of them getting a second chance at what could be.

The second chance that Violet and Everett share in this book is absolutely breathtaking. It is beautiful and emotional on every level and it just shows that sometimes the right time finally comes around for the right people. Everett and Violet are the definition of the two most perfect people for one another finally getting that chance at that happily ever after and what was meant to be, and it is absolutely everything getting to be in the thick of that over the course of this book.

The two of them have been through it, they each have their complications and flaws, but over the course of this book they help each other heal and put the pieces of their hearts back together again. They help each other see the light and find their way back to one another. They help each other embrace what has always been between them, and what they know in the deepest parts of their hearts: that they are meant to be. Their love and connection with one another is beautiful, real, and very deeply felt. You will love getting to see the two of them fight like hell to see if second chances truly do exist. (And spoiler alert, they really do. And they’re fucking amazing…especially with Violet & Everett.)

I truly can’t say enough good things about this book and how much I loved it. It is no secret that I love this world of characters, and that I’m a huge fan of this author. And this book just solidified that love even more. I was blown away by what I got with these characters, every moment from laughing and spooning and tearing up at the emotions and blushing from the spice of it all, but more than that, I was just in love with the love. I loved the love that Violet and Everett shared, and I loved getting to see them, put the pieces of themselves and their hearts back together again page by page in this book.

The way they showed up for each other, the way they were honest with each other, the way they just understood and got each other fully through everything that came their way was outstanding. It was perfection. It was what my heart didn’t even know it needed. I could not have loved those two more and what they gave me in this book, and getting to be with them as they put in the hard work, as they felt it all, and as they built the family that they both so desperately wanted and needed…was nothing short of wonderful.

Against All Odds is a small town, second chance, romance perfection that you need to read this very second. Like I said at the start of this review, if you take anything away from everything, I’ve said here it’s that you need to read this book. You need to experience the beauty of the love story between Everett and Violet and their second chance at it all. You need to experience this magical, small town and the friend group that will give you life in the best way. You need to experience these two characters finally getting the chance with the person who was always meant to be theirs all along. You just need to experience this incredible, emotional, and unforgettable love story.

What Violet and Everett share is more than I could even ever capture in words, so just trust me when I say that you need to read this book and experience the beauty of this love story for yourself. Right this instant. I promise that you will love getting to see those two find love again with one another, and you will relish and bask in the heart of it all. They are truly meant to be and you will absolutely LOVE getting to experience that and more with them over the course of their second chance love story.

1Jul2025

Releasing Now: The Invitation by Jodi Ellen Malpas

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

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.

10Jun2025

Releasing Now: Release Me by K.A. Tucker

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

Release Me by K.A. Tucker is now live!

Release Me is the first book in the highly addictive Wolf Hotel Mermaid Beach series, a spin-off of the Wolf Hotel series.

I may not know much, but I am an expert in two things:

Heartbreak.

And hedonism.

I’ve been chasing escape from one bed to the next, finding distraction in all the wrong places.

Like with my roommate’s sister.

And my billionaire boss’s lover.

You could say I’m lucky in lust but very unlucky in the other L-word.

By the time I arrive in Mermaid Beach, Florida, I’ve decided I’m done with flings. I’m over chasing women I can’t have.

Until I meet Sloane Parker, the woman who has made it her mission to ruin the new Wolf Hotel.

A hotel I’m supposed to help manage, by the way. Yeah. Me, Ronan Lyle, Director of Facilities.

Don’t you dare laugh.

I don’t need another forbidden woman in my life, especially one who could derail my future.

But what I want? That’s a totally different story.

Please note: This series is intended for a mature audience.

Available in Paperback, ebook (read for free in Kindle Unlimited) and audiobook!

https://geni.us/ReleasemeTWH

Audio Narrated by: Veronica Fox & Alex Kydd

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/41mjK6Q

Release Me is a spin-off story set in the highly addictive Wolf Hotel world from Internationally Bestselling Author, K.A. Tucker.

What to Expect:

Playboy

Bad Boy/Good Girl

Close Proximity

Secret Hookups

Business Rivals

Starting Over

Forbidden Romance

To celebrate the release of Release Me, Tempt Me (The Wolf Hotel Book 1) is FREE during release week!

Start the series today: https://bit.ly/4jGvTcC

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

The Wolf Hotel Series by KA Tucker is a series that I have been obsessed with since the moment I devoured it years ago. I still think about those books. I still think about those characters, that world, and all of the consuming and addicting feelings that that world, and those characters and every moment with them made me feel. And one of those characters that I have not stopped, loving since the very first moment I met him, was Ronan.

Because that man is in a league of his own.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a Henry Wolf girlie till the day I die, but there is something beyond damn special about Ronan. There is something SO unforgettable about Ronan. There is something utterly consuming and soul touching about Ronan. There is an undeniable, palpable, incredibly layered level of personality and fire about Ronan. Ronan is just Ronan. If you have met him, you love him. There is no if ands or buts about that because that man truly is set apart. There is something so alluring about him, something that you cannot get enough of, something that pulls you in no matter what direction you’re going. And honestly, that’s just part of what scratches the surface of what makes him such an incredibly dynamic and layered and unforgettable character that will steal your whole heart.

Ever since falling in love with him in the original series, I have needed his book. That novella, which now opens the start of this book, was the cherry on top that made me desperate for more with him. And I have to say that the more I got with him in this book was everything I didn’t even know I was missing in my life. Because this book and getting back into his headspace, and getting back into this world is everything my heart needed. This book was consuming. I read it in one sitting. It was fiery, it was unforgettable, it was captivating. It was tangible with its tension and connection between these characters, but more than it pulled my heart in to every bit of these characters. Yes, it was hot as hell, yes, there was so much glorious buildup between these characters, but more than that there was such a realness to them that had my heart in every breath of this book.

And I am already counting down the days to the next installment because I need it like I need my next breath.

This book takes you to the new world of Mermaid Beach and to another Wolf Hotel opening, and I have to say the way that this author totally encapsulate she was in this world is truly on another level. There is no way you can’t help but be enamored by this world, the dynamics of it, and all of the characters that make it what it is. It was giving me total flashbacks of what made me fall in love with the original series reading this book. I think this author hits the perfect balance of hitting those notes that made you fall in love with this world in the first place with the original series, while also showing you that this is a brand new world, with new rules, new characters, and lots of new feelings and relationships.

This new series, this new world, and this new set of characters mixed in with those fan favorites from the original series will definitely have you obsessed with everything you’re reading. I promise you that. I literally could not put this book down. I was beyond obsessed with getting back into Ronan‘s head, getting back with all of my other favorite characters from this world, while also getting to know Sloane. The world of this book is definitely fiery, memorable, and the steaks are high. You feel that through every page of this book and this author invests you in all of that, and in all of these characters. I cannot say that enough. You will get it all with them. Every high, every low, every moment of buildup, every moment of glorious tension, every moment of fire and connection, and every moment where you wonder where in the world these characters are going to go and what they’re going to do next.

In this book, you get the perfect balance of forbidden romance, fiery connection and tension, breaking of all the rules, and so many doors opening that you will be chomping at the bit to find out what happens next. Ronan and Sloane definitely break all the rules in this book, and I was here for every second of it. He is the new director of the hotel that is trying to take over the only home she’s ever known. She is a feisty business owner trying to hold on with all she can to her business, her Home, and to the semblance of normal she has, but she is not prepared for Ronan and the things that he makes her feel.

These two should not work on paper. They are definitely enemy number one to each other, but there is something that keeps pulling them back that they can’t get enough of. They feel a whole hell of a lot for each other, And the connection between them is palpable. Over the course of this book you get to see the two of them weighed their way through every bit of their complicated feelings and connection, and it is truly everything.

I could not get enough of what these two were doing to each other. They definitely make each other question everything, while also feeling absolutely everything. There is something very real and raw about the two of them. And I loved getting to be in the thick of it with them as they tried to figure out what the hell that meant for the two of them. Their feelings are complicated, their decisions aren’t easy ones, and this book and it’s events definitely for the two of them to make some hard choices and face some hurdles that they were not prepared for.

I loved getting to be in the thick of that tension with them because I just was an enamored by the two of them, I was invested in every bit of what they were sharing. I already need every new moment with them because I love these two with my whole heart and I want them to get their happily ever after. I need it. Like I NEED it. I think that speaks to what this author creates with these characters right from the start that I feel that so strongly and deeply, and that that level of connection was built from the first book and what I know will be another incredible series.

I will warn you that this book does end on a cliffhanger, but I have no doubt that it will be beyond worth it because this author has shown that every book that she writes, and every new installment to this world is perfection and beyond worth it. I have loved this world for a very long time and being back with it is everything. It is a series that is addicting, that is romance driven, that packs fire and humor and heart and romance and so many layers to it, while giving you memorable characters that you won’t be able to get enough of. I am wholeheartedly invested in Ronan and Sloane’s love story, while also invested in this world as a whole. I want all of the stories from this series and being back with these characters, being back within this world, and just getting everything that this author creates in this spinoff series is truly perfection!

Release Me was the perfect introduction to the spinoff series that I cannot wait for more of. If you were a fan of the original series, you will absolutely love this book and getting to dive deep into Ronan‘s love story that we have all been waiting for. And this first installment of it with him and Sloane and all the other incredible and unforgettable characters of this series, is absolutely amazing. It will definitely leave you on the edge of your seat, desperate for more, and you will love it.

Plus, getting to be back in the world of characters that first swept you into this illustrious series, will make your heart happy. I know it made my heart be beyond happy. Getting to see Connor and Henry and Abbi and all of the other incredible characters from the original series just adds to what makes this new series so fantastic. Getting to see how these relationships and friendships have evolved, how they strengthened, how they’ve continued will definitely have you laughing your ass off at times, feeling all the connection at others, but also knowing that these characters truly are a complicated found family of sorts that do show up for one another and push each other when it truly matters. And getting to be back in the thick of that dynamic with all of them? Well, it’s just the best. The actual best.

I am literally sitting here, writing this review just thinking about what I read with these characters, thinking about how much I already need everything with them, and I could not be more invested. I am obsessed, I am hooked, and I am desperate for what will come next. And that is just scratching the surface of what KA Tucker creates in this book. I love it so damn much and I can’t say it enough. She has created that palpable magic and connection again in this first book and I am here for it. I am here for all of it and I cannot wait for more!

I truly can’t say enough good things about this book, or what I got with Ronan and Sloane. This book encapsulates you with an addictive, fiery, and unforgettable world that is filled to the brim with complicated business dealings, forbidden relationships, and a level of connection you won’t experience in any other series. This world is truly addicting and I cannot wait for more. I am so beyond eager to see what this author has planned for Ronan and Sloane and the rest of these characters as this series unfolds. There are definitely some hard decisions and moments coming their way, especially with what was set up in this book, and I’m here for all of it.

I am invested in their relationship, I am rooting for their happily ever after, but more than that I am just counting down the minutes until I can get back in their heads and their hearts because I love both of their characters with my whole heart. That is a true testament to what this author creates that I feel that so much as I’m sitting here writing this review, and I cannot wait until the moment I’m back with all of these characters because my heart is ready. Plus I really need to see how they are going to figure it all out because I really really need them to do that because what Ronan and Sloane share is undeniable, and I am here for watching their dynamic and their relationship build over the course of this series.

This introduction to this spinoff series was the actual best and I cannot say enough good things about it. I am obsessed with this love story, with these characters, and I cannot wait for more. I will be counting down the days to the next installment in this series, and I have no doubt that this author will continue to wow me at every turn with what she creates in this love story because she has done that in every single incredible book that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading from her. And this book was no different.

Meet K.A. Tucker

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the internationally bestselling author of over thirty books, including Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and the Fate & Flame series, Until It Fades, Say You Still Love Me, and Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.

K.A. Tucker lives outside of Toronto. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading recipes she’ll never make or chasing rabbits away from her hostas.

Connect with Kathleen

Website: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

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29May2025

Releasing Now: Tiger Lilies & Tight Ends by Kathryn Andrews

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

It’s release day for TIGER LILIES AND TIGHT ENDS by Kathryn Andrews! Grab it in KU!

#OneClickHere

https://a.co/d/eEVHZnx

Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…

🧡 Brother’s Best Friend

🏈 Football Romance

🧡 Roommates/Close Proximity

🏈 Secret Romance Author

🧡 Teenage Crush

🏈 Golden Retriever Hero

🧡 Slow Burn

🏈 Interconnected Standalone

When fate delivers a roommate . . . don’t block it.

Tyler Quinn

There is a beautiful woman unexpectedly living in my house. A woman I sort of know because she’s my best friend’s little sister. Although, she’s definitely not so little anymore.

My entire professional career, I’ve been the starting tight end for the Tampa Tarpons. Life as a football player keeps me in the spotlight, when my preference is the dark. Through unfortunate past experiences, I guard my privacy and don’t do roommates, ever. But when my best friend calls and says he needs a favor, I don’t say no. Although I wish I had. Now she’s here, with her gorgeous turquoise eyes, big trusting smile, and taking up my spot on my couch. I’ve established the rules for how this is going to go, but as time passes and she opens up, I find it’s becoming harder and harder not to break them.

Lily Kent

If I know one thing for certain, I’m never dating another football player again.

After walking away from a very long and expired relationship, I needed a place to stay to plan out my life. My new life. I can work anywhere, so when my brother suggests crashing with his best friend Tyler, I say,”Yes.” Who doesn’t love palm trees, sunshine, and an attractive roommate? Tyler is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome, but the best part is he’s also kind. He makes me feel grounded when everything else feels upside down. He makes me feel things I wasn’t expecting. I know I said no more athletes, but in those moments when his hand grazes my back or when he makes me laugh, I wonder about my plans. Maybe I should change them, maybe we should, after all, fate did lead me to his door.

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

I have been reading and loving books by Kathryn Andrews for over a decade now, and I cannot say enough how much I love her books. She always encapsulates incredible characters, heart touching stories, so much feeling and emotion and connection, along with so many other layers that truly set her world and her books apart. I have loved every book by this author. I have been addicted to her words for quite some time now and I don’t ever see that changing. And I wouldn’t want it to change because this author just has such a way of developing you with everything you get with her characters and it is truly the best.

Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends is an absolutely incredible addition to the Tampa Tarpon Series that Kathryn Andrews has so vividly and incredibly created. I love this world. I love the world of this football team, I love the found family vibes this entire series gives off, but more than that I just love that this world connects so many of the books and characters that I’ve loved by this author into a place where they can play an incredible game on and off the field, while feeling everything, and falling in love with their soulmates. I truly love this series and can’t get enough. Every moment with these characters just makes my heart happy and makes me smile so beyond bag.

And getting this story with Tyler and Lily was absolutely everything.

Tyler and Lily have the most undeniable connection that was tangible through every second of their story. Those two were meant to be. Even when they fought against their feelings, even when that slow burn was slow burning, they felt it. It was there. It was real. And it threatened to pull them under in the best way. I love getting to be there with the two of them as they reconnected, as they embraced what they were feeling, and as they allowed those scales to tip and finally give into everything that could be. There is something so inherently right about the two of them that you feel from the moment you meet them. Something so real and true and their connection, and the way that these two show that and create that and allow you to experience that with them over the course of this book is utterly incredible.

From the moment I started this book, I could not get enough of everything between Tyler and Lily. Those two are the definition of friends who become so much more. Tyler is Lily‘s brother‘s best friend and she has always had a thing for him. Fresh off of her own break up she needs time to regroup. And with one phone call that brings her to Tyler, someone she hasn’t seen in quite some time. These two definitely get off to a bit of a rocky and awkward start, but it’s only because there is so much there between them. And the more that these two settle into being roommates and friends and something so much more, the more that their hearts come right to the line with them as they fall so truly, and deeply for one another.

Kathryn Andrews and her amazing writing put you right in the thick of it with these two and you will love it. That is one of the many qualities I love about how this author writes her books. She just invests you in her characters, and each of their own journeys, and in the romance, they built together. She puts you right in the thick of it with them on the pages of her book and you’re able to live and breathe and feel every bit of what these characters do. It just puts you in the heart of the story in the best way, and it has you needing for the two of them to find their way. I felt that from the very first moment I met Tyler and Lily and I just loved these two getting to show that their friendship was so much more.

Lily was the female heroine of my dreams. Not only is she a secret romance, author, but she just has a genuine heart of gold. She is someone just trying to reevaluate her life, make a new plan, and figure out what she needs to do next. I really resonated with that and her while reading this book. And I also just loved how genuinely good of a heart and person she was. That girl feels with her whole heart and she is just so good. But more than that, she just wants to find her place and find the place where she can be celebrated with those who aren’t afraid to celebrate and love her loudly. I loved getting to go along with this journey in this book while she figured out what came next, well also finding the person who was ready to give her everything she deserved and more.

Tyler was a man who I loved from the very first moment I met him. I loved getting to peel back the layers of what made him the guy that he was. He is funny and genuine, and has a heart of gold himself, but he also has been through it. You get to understand that and you get to understand why there are certain walls that he’s put up. I loved over the course of this book that not only did Lily help chip away at those walls, but she helped Tyler realize that he didn’t really want those walls in the first place, as he also took them down himself. I loved getting to be with Tyler as he felt what he did, as he fought with his whole heart for Lily and what could be, and as he allowed himself to bask in the possibility of a chance at something incredible. This man deserved the best of everything and I loved getting to see him realize that in this book.

Lily and Tyler both on themselves at a crossroads in a lot of ways over the course of this book. She is fresh off of a break up and he is someone who has been closed off romantically for a long time. When these two are together not only did they build a genuine friendship that reignites so much connection between them, but they start to feel so much more for one another. And that more is beautiful, it’s deep and vulnerable and real, and it forces the two of them to realize that what they may have thought they wanted could be so much more with one another.

I loved getting to watch the two of them take chances with each other.

Getting to watch them, put their hearts on the line even when it’s scared them out of their minds. Getting to be there as they took a chance on each other and on themselves in the future. Getting to be connected to their story as they figured it out, as they fought for what could be, and as they put their hearts on the line when it really mattered was absolutely everything. And I loved every single second I got with them in this book on that journey. I loved how those two weren’t afraid to be vulnerable, weren’t afraid to pull back those layers and show each other the real them, and I loved that they also weren’t afraid to love each other loudly when it really mattered.

One pinky swear at a time, those two pulled me under with them into the fierce level of connection and love that they were building and sharing, and it was absolutely beautiful.

This author once again immersed me in the world of football that I just truly can’t get enough of. When I tell you this series is my happy place I mean it. Every book by this author is my happy place, but this series especially. It is the meeting point of so many incredible characters and stories that I’ve loved from this author, well also setting up so many possibilities for future stories that I cannot wait to get my hands on. This author perfectly weaves together the dynamics and friendships and family that these characters are within this world and it is truly everything to experience.

This football team is something special and you feel that in your bones while reading this book and every book in this series. I love the connections between these players, I live for their group chats and the TikTok challenges, but more than that I just love that they genuinely care about one another, and that they truly are this family that will do anything for each another. These characters love to push each other‘s buttons, they love to push each other when it’s really needed, but more than that they love to be there for one another. I loved once again, being back in the heart of this team and getting to watch the sports players give it they’re all on and off the field.

Kathryn Andrews truly finds the best balance in creating a sports romance that gives you that heart and romance and spice and connection, while giving you the sports and the outside world and everything in between. It truly comes together to make the perfect package and an unforgettable romance. I can’t say that enough.

Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends is a book that I cannot say enough good things about. This book is definitely one of my top reads of the year and definitely one of my favorites from this author. It just was so beyond good to read and experience. It made me smile, it made me melt with these characters, it definitely made me blush with some of the moments they share, but more than that it just made me believe in everything they were feeling and experiencing together. Tyler and Lily are soulmates. They were meant to find each other in this book. While the start of this book finds them both at a crossroads not exactly sure what comes next, the middle finds them willing to put in the work for themselves and each other to see what could be, and the end of finds them creating something so perfect and true and real that truly took my breath away.

I loved every single word and page and moment of this book. Tyler and Lily are the actual best. And this world and this series and this football team is somewhere that I cannot wait to be back in. I’m already keeping my fingers crossed that this author will write all of the books for all of these incredible characters because I need every one of their stories. I think that just speaks to what she creates in every one of her books that I truly can never get enough. I’m always ready for more, I’m always ready for the next book, and I’m always ready to see what she will create with her characters and their unforgettable stories.

Kathryn Andrews continues to be one of my favorite authors for a reason because she pours her heart and soul into every word of her books and it shines on every page. I felt that through every breath of this story with Tyler and Lily as they went from roommates to friends to so much more. Their story was consuming, epically, romantic, and just so beyond sweet and spicy, and all kinds of amazing. Those two stole my heart from the very first moment I met them, and with each new pinky promise, they just solidified how much I needed them to find their way.

I loved getting to go along with them over the course of their journey in this book and getting to see them pour their hearts out to one another. It was a heart touching and emotional story that consumed me with them, connected me with them and just let me live every breath of the story with them and the most amazing way. This author allows you to feel it all with these characters over the course of this book, showing you that the possibilities of more and taking a chance can truly change your life in the best way.

Tyler and Lily have the best kind of love story in this book. Getting to watch these two experience that glorious more together is absolutely everything. And this author delivers their story in a way that will have you beyond invested, beyond ready for everything they’re about to give you, and beyond ready to get that much deserved happily ever after for the two of them. This book delivered it all in spades and it is a must read.

Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends is the perfect romance read, and it is one that will steal your heart the moment you start it. I promise you that. So the second you finish this review, run yourself to this book. Because Tyler and Lily are ready to give you their all, and you will be truly blown away by what you get with them in their story.

I pinky promise you that.

Meet Kathryn Andrews:

Kathryn Andrews is a #1 Inspirational Romance Bestselling Author who loves stories that end with a happily ever after. She started writing at age seven and never stopped. Kathryn is known for Chasing Clouds, the Starving for Southern series, and her much loved Hale Brothers series. Her stories are sweet, southern, and fall into the genres of chi-lit, contemporary romance, sports romance, and southern fiction.

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.

Connect with Kathryn Andrews:

https://linktr.ee/kandrewsauthor

29May2025

Releasing Now: Before You Go by Aurora Rose Reynolds

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

It’s release day for BEFORE YOU GO by Aurora Rose Reynolds! Grab it in KU!

#OneClickHere

Amazon US https://a.co/d/12Vu1ab

Amazon CA https://a.co/d/hirigTU

Amazon UK https://amzn.eu/d/4kZrkTC

Amazon AU https://amzn.to/3SPtnG6

Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…

🔥Opposites Attract

🔥Protective MMC

🔥Friends to Lovers

🔥Accidental Pregnancy

🔥Emotional Scars

🔥Not good enough for her

🔥One Night Stand

🔥Sworn Off Relationships

Dayton Calloway and I wouldn’t have gotten together if it weren’t for two pink lines.

After getting divorced, Francisca Dawson is attempting to find out who she is and how she wants her life to look. One thing she knows is that there isn’t room for a man in that equation. But then she meets Dayton Calloway. A man who is charming, funny, and unbelievably gorgeous. Unable to deny their connection, she gets lost in the moment and gives into his dirty mouth and skilled hands.

Actions have consequences.

Dayton knew that he never wanted to get married or have children. His upbringing before he entered foster care showed him that. So he took all precautions to make sure that wasn’t a possibility.

But like they say nothing is ever one hundred percent.

Now, he’s picturing life as a father and coming to terms with the possibility of having everything he never knew he wanted with a woman who is not only taking up space in his life, but that empty space in his chest.

Before you go, do you take a chance and risk it all, or do you just let go and possibly miss out on the most beautiful love you’ve ever known?

That’s what Dayton and Francisca will have to figure out.

Love is only as messy as you make it.

*****4.5 UTTERLY FANTASTIC STARS*****

Aurora Rose Reynolds continues to be an author who delivers incredible romances. I can’t get enough of. I have literally read and loved every book by this author, and I cannot say enough, how amazing it has been to fall in love with the character she creates over the past 10+ years of reading her books. She always encapsulates so much swoon and heart and just connection into her words and what her character share and I truly can’t get enough. Her books are my happy place. They are stories that I look forward to every time I sit down to read a new one. They are worlds that I just can’t get enough of. And I think all of that speaks to what this author creates in each and every one of her books that I feel that in every way when I read and experience her words.

Before You Go had one of my all-time favorite tropes in it. It is an accidental pregnancy book about two people who were just looking for a night of fun, but end up experiencing so much more. Franny and Dayton definitely aren’t looking for anything serious, but everything changes when that plus sign pops up on the test. And I have to say I love getting to watch these two wade their way through all the uncertainty, all of their growing feelings for each other, and getting to see them embrace the beauty of what they shared and created. Those two have an undeniable connection and getting to watch them build a genuine friendship, a heart, touching and consuming relationship, and getting to see them come so far from where they start at the beginning of this book, was honestly so beautiful.

I absolutely love those two and everything they shared. I loved that they could be so vulnerable with one another. I loved that they made each other want things they never thought they would ever have. I loved that being together made them reconsider everything. I loved that being together made them feel everything. I loved that they just felt right. There was something so innately right and good about the two of them, what they shared, how they showed up for each other, and just what it all meant. That along with everything else’s author infuses into their connection, into their touches and kisses and everything in between just combines to make the perfect romance.

This story was just so easy to read and love. And I’m honestly not surprised by that one little bit because I could say that about every book by this author. She’s one of my favorite authors for a reason. I know when I sit down to read a book by her that I’m going to love it. That I’m going to melt with these characters, that I am going to get an incredible story I won’t be able to put down, and that I will just love every moment. That was true through every word of this book. I especially loved getting to be back with these family of characters because they have each been through a lot. And it has honestly been so sweet and meaningful getting to see them each find their much deserved happily ever after. This book not only gave me an incredible love story with Franny and Dayton, but it brought me back to a world of characters that I will truly never get enough of.

I just loved reading this book. I loved how these characters really grew. a love that was so honest and vulnerable. I loved how they made each other feel things they might not have been ready for at times, but that were so true and deep. I loved that they pushed each other to be honest and real with not only one another, but themselves. I also loved that there were so many incredible layers and pieces to the story. There was the romance between this couple, there was this found family that they are a part of, there was a little bit of a suspense, plot line that added another layer to this world, but more than that there was also just so much love and heart and connection. I felt that in every page of this book and it just had me loving every bit of what I was reading.

Love and life are full of unexpected terms, and this book with Franny and Dayton definitely shows you that. This couple definitely had a memorable start, and they have some hurdles to overcome throughout this book, but they are incredible and you will love getting to be along with them on their journey as they find their way through it all. Their honesty, their connection, and the heart that they weave together through every second of this book is truly the best. And it will have you believing in everything that could be between them. These two might’ve had a very unexpected start, but their story together is beautiful, meaningful, and so very sweet and hard touching. It’s also got a firework level of connection and spice and that combines to make a book of the unexpected so beyond beautiful.

The way these characters show up for each other, the way they fight for what they’re feeling, and what they worked towards together to build is truly the best. And my heart was in every breath of it with this author and how she created these characters, their story, and every piece of this world. Aurora Rose Reynolds truly delivers everything in her books, and this one just showed me that again and again. I’m already counting down the days to the next time. I get to read a book by her and my heart is ready.

Meet Aurora Rose Reynolds:

Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose wildly popular series include Until, Until Him, Until Her, Underground King, Shooting Stars, Fluke My Life and How to Catch an Alpha series.

Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to share her stories with readers all over the world.

Connect with Aurora Rose Reynolds:

https://linktr.ee/Auroraroser

15May2025

Releasing Now: Tourist Trap by Morgan Elizabeth

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

Tourist Trap by Morgan Elizabeth is now live!

Bestselling author Morgan Elizabeth delivers Tourist Trap, a small town, age gap, grumpy sunshine, summer romance based in Seaside Point, a shore town in New Jersey.

Claire:

A summer in a tourist trap is exactly what I need. A single summer of fun before I finally buckle down and decide on what I want to do with the rest of my life. So when my best friend suggested I spend the summer as a lifeguard in Seaside Point I jumped at the opportunity.

I was ready for a summer of uncomplicated fun, so imagine my surprise when my ex’s older brother owns the house I want to rent a room in. Not only is Miles the guy I used to have the biggest crush on, he refuses to give me the time of day.

Miles:

I have enough on my plate trying to save up what I need to buy my brother out of the house we inherited by the end of the summer. I definitely don’t need the distraction of my brother’s gorgeous ex prancing around my house. But for some reason I still can’t understand, I agreed to let her rent a room and now she’s prancing around in her little bathing suits, flirting with me endlessly, and making me a summer bucket list because she thinks I can’t have fun.

I don’t mess with tourists, and I surely don’t mess with my brother’s exes, but just like the moon and its effect on tides, I can’t escape her pull on me. Will I be able to survive this summer with her, or will I get distracted and lose it all?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

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Narrated by: Sebastian York and CJ Bloom

*****4.5 Summer Fun Stars*****

It is no secret that Morgan Elizabeth is one of my favorite authors. I have spent the last six months reading every book by this author that I can get my hands on. She has just such a way of infusing, such color, such personality and vibrancy, and just so much spice and swoon into her stories. I have loved every book by this author, and this one was no different. It encapsulated everything I’ve come to love and expect when reading a book by her, and it has me eager to see what she plans to create next. Because her books, they are just so fun, so enjoyable, and just Incredible to experience.

Tourist Trap was the perfect summer read. I mean that with my whole heart. This book was all kinds of fun, it had so many memorable moments, and it just had that magic that exists when you are living your best life, in your new favorite place, with the people who own your heart. This book just delivered it all. It was a book about second chances, a story filled with memorable moments that had me smiling from ear to ear, and a book that had a romance that truly felt meant to be.

Claire and Miles had the best amount of chemistry. Those two knew how to push each other‘s buttons in the best way, and boy did that push them closer together. Those two felt meant to be. They felt like they were finally finding the right time at the exact moment they both wanted and needed each other with everything they had. he may be her ex-boyfriend‘s older brother, and she may be a thorn in his side at times, but those two have a connection that is undeniable. And it is the best getting to see that play out over the course of this book. They make each other feel everything, and it will have you loving every single second you get with them.

I promise you that.

This book just had so many memorable and fun moments that I truly couldn’t get enough of. From the hermit crabs to the summer bucket list, to the spicy adventures in a lifeguard chair, Morgan Elizabeth definitely brings the heat, the fun, and all of the incredibleness in this book and this world. I love that no matter what book I read by her I know I’m going to get an enjoyable story that is well written and that just consumes me. A book that is a whole vibe in the most amazing way, that will just give me a story that I love. That was this book in every way. It was enjoyable, it was so fun, and I just loved getting to spend time with these characters. They definitely deliver it all in this book and I for one cannot get enough.

Miles and Claire kept me on my toes through every page, but more than that they showed that they really felt something for each other. Their feelings were deep, they were honest, and even when they didn’t know what to do with them, they felt them. I loved getting to connect with their characters. I loved getting to watch them, push each other‘s buttons, and practically want to climb each other like trees, but more than that I just loved getting to see them accept and fight for everything they wanted together. Throw in some very memorable and funny moments with those two, and there is no resisting them. I promise you that!

If you are looking for the perfect summer read, then you need to run yourself to this book. It is a summer romance that involves a little bit of enemies to lovers, forced proximity vibes in the best way, so much fun and memorable moments, with a heavy dose of spice that will leave you ready for all the fireworks. It will give you Miles and Claire in the best way and you will just love what you get with them. They definitely have a romance that encapsulates and consumes you within everything this year. And honestly, it’s just so dang fun and so dang memorable in the best way, and I loved every second of getting to experience the story with them.

Tourist Trap definitely captures the magic that a summer at the shore can bring you, and the way that this author infuses so much personality and life into her characters, so much connection and love into the relationship, and so many memorable and enjoyable moments into this book is the best. I loved every bit of this book and I truly can’t wait to read whatever this author writes next. Her books are some of my favorites and they are truly my happy place. I just feel the best when I’m reading a book by this author and I could not ask for more. I felt all of that and so much more when reading this book and experiencing this fantastic love story, and I know you will too!

This book is another must read to add to the list from this author, and it will definitely have you ready for all of those summer vibes, this incredible love story, and all the fun you get with this couple. I can’t wait to see what this author plans to write next and I have my fingers crossed for a couple of characters in this world to get their own story because I already love them all. These books truly just get better and better and I for one cannot wait to see where the next memorable and vibrant adventure with this author brings us!

Meet Morgan Elizabeth

Morgan is a born and raised Jersey girl, living there with her two boys, toddler daughter, and mechanic husband. She’s addicted to iced espresso, barbecue chips, and Starburst jellybeans. She usually has headphones on, listening to some spicy audiobook or Taylor Swift. There is rarely an in between.

Writing has been her calling for as long as she can remember. There’s a framed ‘page one’ of a book she wrote at seven hanging in her childhood home to prove the point. Her entire life she’s crafted stories in her mind, begging to be released but it wasn’t until recently she finally gave them the reins.

I’m so grateful you’ve agreed to take this journey with me.

Connect with Morgan Elizabeth

Website: https://www.authormorganelizabeth.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21988181.Morgan_Elizabeth

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Morgan-Elizabeth/author/B09H9YFGXL/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559817177489

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/412555790886704

Instagram: www.instagram.com/authormorganelizabeth

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormorganelizabeth

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morgan-elizabeth

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authormorganelizabeth/

8May2025

It’s a Cover Reveal: Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3) by Corinne Michaels

Posted in Books I love, Cover Reveal by mkcooke

Corinne Michaels has revealed the gorgeous covers for Against All Odds!

Releasing: July 23, 2025

Ebook Cover Design: Tori Harris
Photographer: Lauren Perry

When my ex-husband leaves me for the co-star in his movie, moving back to Ember Falls feels like my only option.

Everett Finnegan, my first love and the man I’ve never forgotten, is ready to welcome me with open arms…and an open bed.

But when I find out I’m pregnant with my ex’s baby, my entire world is upended.

My ex doesn’t want the baby, but I plan to rebuild my life as a single mother, and figure out how to handle all of this alone.

Except that I don’t seem to be alone—Everett always shows up for me.

I don’t expect him to get mixed up in all my drama—not when he has his own. And I wish he would listen to me when I say we have to stop whatever it is we’re doing.

But he wants me, the baby, and my heart.

So when I’m forced to return to California sooner than planned, I’m devastated.

Everett can’t leave Ember Falls, and I can’t stay.

Saying goodbye to him the first time was hard enough. This time, it just might break me.

Pre-order today!
https://geni.us/AAO-CM

Audio Alert: https://geni.us/AudioAlert

Add to Goodreads: https://geni.us/AAO-GR

23Apr2025

Releasing Now: The Persistence of Thornes (Wildflower #3) by Micalea Smeltzer

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

The Persistence of Thornes by Micalea Smeltzer is now live!

Hawthorne Mills is supposed to be my chance to start over with my brothers. Becoming their guardian wasn’t the plan, but I’ll do anything it takes to keep them from being put in the system. Even if it means raising two teenage boys when I’m only twenty-three.

There’s one thing I don’t expect.

Caleb Thorne.

He’s literally descended from the founding family of the town and practically royalty here.

And also my new neighbor.

Which makes him privy to every screw up I make trying to navigate being a parental figure to my younger brothers.

It should be easy enough for me to avoid him but he’s annoyingly persistent in wanting to help me. I call it pity even if he insists it’s not.

The worst part is there’s undeniable chemistry between us and the more time we spend together the harder it becomes to resist.

But nothing good in my life has ever lasted so I fully expect Caleb to be another of those temporary things.

Especially when my past demons finally catch up with me.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4jKRxOk

5 Absolutely Incredible Stars

When I read the Wildflower Duet by Micalea Smeltzer a few years ago, I fell in love with this small town, it’s unforgettable characters, and the consuming way that this author brought every detail of this world to life. I still think about that world. I still think about those characters, their journeys, and the beautifully emotional story. I got within those pages. So to say that I was excited to come back to that world, to come back to those characters, and to see one of my favorite characters get their well deserved happy ending, is putting it mildly. My heart was ready for this book. My soul is ready for this book. I was just ready to see Caleb Thorne find the person who was meant to be with him.

And let me just tell you now, every bit of this incredible romance was perfection. Every second of this book getting to see Caleb find his match and Halle was everything. Every moment with these two solidified, how much I knew, they needed to be together in every way possible. Every page of this book had me knowing in the deepest part of my heart and soul that these two were soulmates and that they were exactly what each other needed.

Getting to experience and feel all of that over the course of this book with Halle and Caleb was truly wonderful. And honestly, it’s just scratching the surface about what I loved about their story. There were so many big things and little things and just incredible things that had me melting into a puddle of swoony goo reading their story. Those two have an irresistible connection, they have a love that is built stone by stone and brick by brick in the most thoughtful and vulnerable and heart touchingly real way, but more than that they have this magic and dynamic between them that is truly mesmerizing.

Those two are endgame. They are two halves of the same whole that were meant to find each other to complete everything. They didn’t even know they needed. Those two are soulmates. You feel it in your bones. The first moment they meet and the way that these two show up for each other, the way they fight for each other, and the connection and love they are building across this book, and the way that they show everyone around them, but most importantly, each other, that they are meant to be is absolutely beautiful. And it will touch your heart in every way possible. I promise you that.

The Persistence of Thornes has all of the best pieces that make it an incredible love story from start to finish. It’s got a single father who has the biggest heart, stepping into help his neighbor who he definitely has a crush on and wants to have so much more with. It has a strong, independent woman who has been let down so many times in her life by those she should’ve been able to trust, just trying to raise her brothers in the best way possible, while also feeling all of the things for her very handsome next-door neighbor. From the moment these to meet, it is on. Their connection, their fire, and their pull to one another. They may fight it at times, they may take it slow at others because they know the other is scared, they may question everything they think they feel and know, but through it all that fire and that pull to each other is there. It’s fierce, it’s real, it’s vulnerable, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

And you will love every second of getting to experience all of that with Caleb and Halle.

Those two are just something special. What they feel for one another is so real and right and you will just love getting to see the two of them give into all of that over the course of this book. The way they see each other, the way they completely and wholeheartedly get each other, the way that they show up for each other in the exact way that the other needs is truly incredible. It shows the honesty and realness of these characters and their connection, it shows how much they truly understand each other in a way that only they can, and it is just beautiful. It is incredibly beautiful and emotional and meaningful.

Halle and Caleb‘s characters truly stole my heart. I mean from the moment I met them in this book. I loved them with my whole heart. I had already loved Caleb from my previous experiences with his character in the rest of the series, and Holly wiggled her way in there from the very first page. Those two are just so special. There’s just something so incredible about each of them on their own, but when they’re together, it’s truly like fireworks. It’s truly like everything clicking into place in the right way at the right time and it’s incredible to experience that with them.

Caleb Thorne is a character that I have been intrigued by and that I have loved ever since I met him in the first books in the series. That man goes through a lot. And while I would not change an ounce of the story that I’ve already read with these characters, I was definitely ready for him to find his happily ever after. That man has a heart of gold. He shows up for everyone. He loves with his whole heart. And honestly, he just wanted somebody to pick him. To love him first. To choose him. And getting to see him experience that, getting to see how thoughtful he was with Halle as their relationship evolved and developed, and getting to see just how he was willing to show up for her, his family, and himself was absolutely amazing. That man is truly the best. He has the biggest heart, he is always willing to show up and put in the work, and he just loves with his whole heart. You feel that in your bones reading the story and getting to be with him as he experienced a love that he’s so truly deserved, while also giving a love that was so honest and true was beyond meaningful and just so damn beautiful.

Also… The fiery mouth on that man, I was not prepared. Caleb Thorne definitely brings the heat and do not count him out because he is ready and willing to show you that not only is he in this with Holly, but he is bound and determined to show her and everyone around them that they Are meant to be. And that everything they share together is worth it. Watching Caleb build a relationship that he did with Halle, her brothers, and everyone around them was beautiful and so hard touching. That man shining the love and adoration he has on those around him, but especially on Halle was truly everything. That man is so thoughtful, he is so endearing, and he is determined to show her that she is worthy of love and help and care, and that she can count on him. The way he shows up continually for her, for those around him, and the way that that love and adoration is reciprocated to him from Halle is wonderful. And it made my heart so beyond happy getting to see this genuinely good man experience everything that he so deserved.

Now Halle‘s character completely enamored me from the very first moment I met her. I love that girl fiercely. She is a young woman who has had the hardest lot in life. She has experienced too many things that nobody should. But she continues to show up, she continues to fight for herself and her siblings, and she continues to put in the hard work to make a better life for those around her. She herself has a heart of gold too, and she is just so genuine, determined, and hard-working. But she’s also somebody who has been let down so many times and it’s hard for her to trust others because she has trusted before and it’s broken pieces of her. I felt so much for her throughout this book and her unraveling all of those pieces of what she had been through as she tried to resonate with what she was experiencing and feeling in the present tense of this book.

That girl has been through everything, and getting to see her finally bask in the light, getting to see her except the love of someone who deserved her, and getting to see her over the course of this book realize that she deserved that goodness, that she wanted it, and more than that that she was willing to fight with her life for it was absolutely mesmerizing and emotional and beyond beautiful. Halle deserves every good thing in life and you will love getting to see someone doubt on her, getting to see people show up and fight for her, and getting to see her come into her own and realize that she is worthy and deserving of the love that is right next-door. Getting to see her fully except those things about herself and her life and her journey is incredible and so telling and vulnerable. You will love how you connect to her character, you will love just getting to watch her love and experience the trueness of that for the first time, but more than that you will just love The tenacity of her character and her heart through every page of this book.

If you can’t tell already, I loved these two with my whole heart. They were the epitome of meant to be. These characters just saw each other. They got each other. They realized what each other needed and showed up in the ways that truly mattered and in the way that changed everything for these two. Their hearts were so genuine, their connection was so real and true, and the love that grows over the course of this book is so hard thought and honest and beautiful that it completely encapsulate you in the rightness and the depth of what Halle and Caleb share together.

I really can’t say that enough.

My words honestly do not do their love story that justice it deserves. The persistence and the tenacity of these two, their connection, and the love that is eternal between them is absolute perfection, and there truly is no resisting it. These two are meant to be, and you will bask in every swoon worthy moment. You get with them as they try to figure out how they can click all of those puzzle pieces into place to get to the happily ever after that they both so truly and unequivocally deserve.

This love story and what this author gives you with her characters is truly outstanding. I can’t say it enough. I melted reading this book. I swooned. I felt the butterflies right along with these characters. I just believed in them and their love story and I truly cannot say that enough. Micalea Smeltzer put you right in the thick of it, she put your heart on the line right along with her characters, and that pulls you in fiercely. You are just able to live and breathe every ounce of this love story with these characters, you believe in them, you love them with your whole heart, you root for them with all you have, but more than that you just know that they are meant to be and getting to experience all of That as you experience, their story is truly nothing short of everything.

I probably could go on for thousands of more words with all of the things that I loved about The Persistence of Thornes by Micalea Smeltzer. This book is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and has just brought me back to a series that is so so special to me. I love it. This author does justice to Halle and Caleb and their story and love that they build together, while also bringing you back into a world of characters that Stole my heart years ago. She also leaves a few doors and windows open for possibilities in the future and I for one cannot wait for all of that. This town, these characters, and the connection they all share is truly something special and it was the most incredible reading experience getting to be back with all of them in this very special place as yet another epically, emotional and beautiful love story comes to life.

My heart was beyond happy getting to experience what I did with Halle and Caleb and the boys, and just every other incredible character of this world. It brought back so many of those original feelings I felt reading this series from a few years ago, but it added and multiplied the love I have for this world and what this author creates within it. She truly pours her heart Into every bit of what these characters share. That shines in every interaction, in every little moment, in every big moment, and every moment where these characters show you that they are this found family of people who have seen each other through the hardest moments of their lives and yet continue to show up and love each other because they want to. Because they choose each other, they choose to live life together and show up when it matters, and they continue to love each other, even when that love is complicated…and they always will. Getting to experience that level of heart and connection with all of these characters, while also getting the most romantic and all feeling love story between Halle and Caleb truly makes this book. It makes it everything and more.

And I honestly cannot say enough good things about it.

This book is a must read for anyone who loved the Wildflower Duet, but more than that is just a must read for anyone who loves a good love story. This book is the epitome of two people finding the exact right person who will show up for them in ways that they need, that will sear their hearts to one another, but more than that that will have them believing in every possibility of what could be for that happily ever after. This book is romantic, it is heart touching, and it is absolutely beautiful.

I continue to be blown away by what this author creates with her words and characters, and this book is definitely one of my new favorite of hers. It stole my heart, it completely consumed me from start to finish, and it just reiterated the fact that the right people will find their exact right person at the exact right time that they’re meant to. And getting to experience that, getting the honesty and vulnerability with these characters, thrown in with all of the love and connection and fire they share, It’s truly everything. Everything and more.

Run yourself to this book as soon as you can, and just prepare yourself for one of the most beautiful love stories you will get to experience. I know that I will never forget what it was like to fall in love with these characters, and to experience everything they give you in this book. It is romantic, it is beautiful, it is full of feels and swoon, but more than that it is just wholeheartedly them and the truest and realist way, and I just loved every second of it. These characters completely stole my heart, and I really don’t want it back because I just love them so much. I loved every bit of this book and I know you all too. Because I completely believe it is 100% impossible to not fall in love with these characters and the beautiful love story that they give you in this book and in this entire series.

Meet Micalea

Micalea Smeltzer is a twenty-something author from Northern Virginia. She has four dogs, which is as crazy as it sounds. As a recent kidney transplant recipient she’s dedicated to raising awareness around the effects of kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant as well as educating people on living donation.When she’s not writing you can catch her with her nose buried in a book.

Connect with Micalea

Website: https://micaleasmeltzer.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5371025.Micalea_Smeltzer

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Micalea-Smeltzer/e/B0086Y9968/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormicaleasmeltzer

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/370997336425131

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micaleasmeltzer

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormicaleasmeltzer

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/micalea-smeltzer

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/micaleasmeltzer/

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Tag Archives: must read

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

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

Releasing Now: Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3) by Corinne Michaels

Releasing Now: The Invitation by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Releasing Now: Release Me by K.A. Tucker

Releasing Now: Tiger Lilies & Tight Ends by Kathryn Andrews

Releasing Now: Before You Go by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Releasing Now: Tourist Trap by Morgan Elizabeth

It’s a Cover Reveal: Against All Odds (Ember Falls #3) by Corinne Michaels

Releasing Now: The Persistence of Thornes (Wildflower #3) by Micalea Smeltzer

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