Category: new release

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Helena Hunting’s If You Love Me, book 4 of her Toronto Terrors series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: second chance; forbidden romance; close proximity; sports romance; workplace romance; age gap; hockey romance; found family

Helena Hunting’s latest Toronto Terrors installment, If You Love Me, delivers a refreshing take on hockey romance that will delight fans of the series. Roman emerges as a surprising and complex male lead. Readers who met him as the protective father in If You Need Me will be delighted by his transformation into an unexpectedly dominant romantic partner. Hunting skillfully reveals new dimensions to his character while maintaining the protective nature established in previous books.

What distinguishes this romance is Roman’s nurturing personality. Despite workplace complications creating the primary tension, his devotion to Lexi and her sisters forms the emotional core of the narrative. Rather than following the conventional third-act breakup formula, Hunting focuses on the challenges of navigating professional boundaries.

Lexi stands out as a particularly well-crafted character. As a female coach in men’s hockey, she brings distinctly feminine qualities of empathy and connection to her coaching style. Hunting avoids the common pitfall of masculinizing female characters in male-dominated settings, instead showing how traditionally feminine attributes can be strengths in professional environments. This approach demonstrates how female perspectives can enrich traditionally masculine spaces.

The familial relationships, particularly Lexi’s commitment to her sisters, add meaningful depth to the story. These bonds, along with the hockey team’s found-family dynamic, create a rich emotional landscape that extends beyond the central romance.

The novel’s departure from the typical romance structure creates both strengths and weaknesses. While the absence of a third-act breakup feels refreshing, it does affect the narrative tension in the latter portion of the book. Even potential professional conflicts lose their edge against Roman’s steadfast support. The story transitions from compelling drama to sweet affirmation, which may satisfy readers seeking comfort but slightly diminishes the narrative momentum established early on.

If You Love Me showcases Hunting’s talent for creating multifaceted characters and sweet yet spicy romances. The novel skillfully balances workplace drama, family dynamics, and romantic development, even if the pacing slows toward the conclusion. With tantalizing hints of future pairings, this new story reinforces why Helena Hunting remains a master of romantic comedy, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next Toronto Terrors story.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Devney Perry’s Merit, the final book of her Treasure State Wildcats series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A

Tropes: friends to enemies to lovers; fake relationship; football/sports romance; new adult; close proximity/neighbors growing up; miscommunication; virgin FMC

Devney Perry deftly crafts narratives that serve as decadent treats for romance readers. Her Treasure State Wildcats series, which began with Coach (one of my top ten reads of 2023), concludes with “Merit,” a satisfying finale to this four-book series.

From the outset, I found myself captivated by the emotional and chemical attraction between Maverick (a character readers approached with caution in book 3, Rally) and his childhood friend-turned-enemy, Stevie. Perry’s storytelling strengths shine in the enemies-to-lovers chemistry between these protagonists. Her methodical development of their growing acknowledgment of mutual attraction pulls readers through the occasionally emotional narrative.

The most compelling aspect of their relationship is the inherent understanding each possesses of the other, drawing them together despite initial resistance. While Perry carefully addresses past grievances (which, in my estimation, appeared somewhat minor—my primary critique being the difficulty in accepting their prolonged animosity), she creates a convincing path for Maverick and Stevie to forge a future together. Perry’s intentional development of their story, gradually building physical attraction until it reaches its inevitable culmination, demonstrates excellent pacing. Merit establishes an intimacy between the protagonists that functions as the proverbial cherry atop the Treasure State Wildcats sundae.

Furthermore, the individual struggles of Maverick and Stevie are constructed in a manner that provides the emotional core of their story. While their evolving relationship drives the narrative action, their personal challenges elicit genuine emotional responses from readers. These individual journeys create moments of recognition where readers might see reflections of their own experiences—though I refrain from sharing specific details to preserve the narrative’s impact.

The Treasure State Wildcats series stands admirably alongside Perry’s beloved Jamison Valley, Lark Cove, and The Edens series. For devoted fans of Devney Perry and enthusiasts of sports romances, Merit and its companion novels in this series are essential reading that will not disappoint.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release

✍🏻 You are not ready for Roman…not. at. all. He is one of Helena Hunting’s swooniest, dommiest MMCs. Today’s the day to grab If You Love Me, the next book of her Toronto Terror series. ✍🏻

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If You Love Me

by Helena Hunting
Toronto Terror #4

Release date: March 13th


Cover Designer: Hang Le

https://www.instagram.com/byhangle/

Illustrations by Rosie’s Fables

https://www.instagram.com/rosiesfables/


Narrators: Stephen Dexter & Stella Bloom

Two nights with her ruined me for all other women, but I never got the chance to make her mine. 

I’m the pinnacle of control. I protect the net, my team, and my daughter.

It’s my final season and I can’t afford any distractions. 

Except our new assistant coach just walked in. 

And I would know her face anywhere.

She’s the one I dream about. 

That weekend, I was just a man—not the legend, the dad, the mentor.

I didn’t care that I was a decade older. 

For the first time in my life, I was ready to risk everything if it meant having her.

Until I woke up to an empty bed and no note.

Three years of wishing I knew how to find her, now she’s my new boss. 

I can be patient.

But for her—I want to break all the rules. 

AVAILABLE NOW

Amazon World → https://geni.us/IfYouLoveMeAmazon

Audio US → https://amzn.to/41dYijc

Audio World → https://geni.us/IYLMAudio

Amazon World Paperback → https://geni.us/IfYouLoveMePBZon

Goodreads → https://geni.us/IfYouLoveMeGoodReads

About Helena Hunting: 

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her adorable, emotional cat, who thinks the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from emotional contemporary romance to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.

Website: http://www.helenahunting.com/

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1y6OBB7

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/helena-hunting 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helena.hunting69/ 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/helenahunting

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/helenahunting

NEWSLETTER:  https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/f4p1t7

new release

✍🏻 Devney Perry’s final Treasure State Wildcats romance is LIVE! Merit is the perfect, emotional ending to one of my favorite series from DP! ✍🏻

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𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞!

Grab it HERE ⬇️
https://geni.us/cE4iZU

The world loves Maverick Houston. Me? I’ve hated him since we were ten.

It’s not exactly easy to escape your childhood nemesis when your parents are best friends who live on the same block. Through countless vacations, parties and holidays, Maverick and I have spent the past decade trading insults.

Until that family dinner when his mother tells us she’s dying. When she asks us to forget the past and start fresh. That’s how I found myself on a date with the
Treasure State Wildcats football star. The campus playboy. The boy I kissed when I was three. The man who is the bane of my existence.

He’s arrogant. He’s blunt. He’s too handsome for his own good. But if he has a single, redeeming merit, the guy sure does love his mom. And that’s why I started fake dating Maverick Houston. That’s why I made him a proposition of my own.

That’s how this sham of a relationship ruined my life.

The world loves Maverick Houston. Me? I hate that he made me love him too.

new release

✍🏻 Who’s ready for the second book in Penelope Ward’s duology? Grab The Drummer’s Heart TODAY! ✍🏻

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Title: The Drummer’s Heart
Author: Penelope Ward
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Rockstar Hero/”My Wife”/Small Town
Close Proximity/Slow Burn/One Bed
Release Date: February 23, 2025
BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE novel…
Don’t say her name.
That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.
My ex, Nicole.
The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.
After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.
Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.
She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.
Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.
With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.
Of course, I couldn’t refuse.
But there was a catch.
Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.
She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.
So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.
Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?
It was complicated.
And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.
BOOKBUB
PURCHASE LINKS
Only $3.99 for a limited time and 
FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Model Paperback and Hardcovers also available!
Read the first standalone in this series, The Rocker’s Muse FREE in KU and binge this complete duology!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
ROCKSTAR HERO
“MY WIFE”
SMALL TOWN
CLOSE PROXIMITY
SLOW BURN
ONE BED
AUTHOR BIO
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS
OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD
NOW ALL AVAILABLE TO READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
SEE ALL BOOKS HERE
new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Kristen Ashley’s Smooth Sailing, a Wild West MCs story ✍🏻

professorromance

Overall Grade: A

Tropes: MC romance; inter-connected worlds; forced proximity; romantic suspense; found family

Kristen Ashley’s storytelling magic continues to enchant readers in her latest novel, Smooth Sailing, part of the Wild West MC series. Her ability to captivate audiences across multiple genres—from fantasy to paranormal, MC to contemporary romance and romantic suspense—stems from two key strengths: her masterful use of the found family trope and her creation of emotionally intelligent heroines.

In Smooth Sailing, Ashley takes on the challenge of expanding her Wild West MC universe through Big Petey, Hugger, and Diana’s perspectives. The story follows Harlan “Hugger” McCain, a man haunted by his mother’s death who, despite being a member of Chaos, keeps himself emotionally distant from his brotherhood. It’s only when he meets Diana, the female protagonist, that he begins to understand the true meaning of family. Diana, like many of Ashley’s heroines, may not immediately recognize the dangers around her, but she serves as the catalyst for profound personal transformation. Through her own complicated relationship with her parents, she helps Harlan recognize and embrace the family he already has in his brotherhood. This emotional journey, particularly Harlan’s growing acceptance of his Chaos family, forms the heart of the narrative and elevates Smooth Sailing above Ashley’s recent works in terms of emotional depth and storytelling complexity.

However, the romance does present one challenge: its temporal distance from previous Wild West MC stories and Ashley’s broader universe makes it difficult to keep track of returning characters, even for devoted readers. While Ashley thoughtfully provides a character list for reference, readers might find themselves wanting to revisit earlier books to fully appreciate the interconnected nature of her world.

Despite this minor setback, Smooth Sailing reinforces why readers like myself remain devoted to Ashley’s universe: her unparalleled ability to demonstrate how a found family strengthens people and enriches romantic relationships. For those seeking stories with emotional resonance and powerful themes of belonging, Kristen Ashley’s universe continues to be an irresistible destination.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: L.B. Dunbar’s Sterling Fight ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-/B+

Tropes: childhood friends; small town romance; crush revealed; fake engagement

In L.B. Dunbar’s latest addition to the beloved Sylver family series, Sterling Fight introduces us to Judd Sylver, a character who has lurked in the shadows of previous books but now takes center stage. Despite his minimal presence in earlier Sterling stories, Judd’s mysterious nature and carefully guarded private life have made him an intriguing figure among his siblings.

Judd’s character development is at the heart of this romance, centered around the compelling “misunderstood person” trope. While his oldest brother Stone recognizes Judd’s core motivations—his determination to avoid becoming like their father, his drive for financial security, and his tendency to make safe choices in relationships—the rest of his siblings remain unaware of how deeply these worries run.

Enter Genie, “the one who got away,” though she never fully grasped her significance in Judd’s life. The revelation of Judd’s long-standing feelings for her emerges as the story’s greatest strength. Dunbar expertly handles the “he falls first” trope, crafting Judd’s pining with remarkable skill and sensitivity. The narrative tension stems from Genie’s complicated history with both Judd and her ex-partner, which Dunbar resolves with careful pacing that keeps the story moving forward.

Among all the Sterling stories, Sterling Fight stands out as my personal favorite. The chemistry between Judd and Genie is absolutely captivating, though I suspect Stone Sylver’s upcoming story might give this one a run for its money. As a particular fan of the strong, silent type, I found Judd to be the most compelling Sylver brother yet, making him my favorite character in the series to date.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review, Uncategorized

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Karla Sorensen’s This Wild Heart, the final book of her Wilder Family series ✍🏻

professorromance

Overall Grade: A

Tropes: sports romance; Vegas marriage; fake relationship; hurt/comfort

Karla Sorensen’s This Wild Heart serves as the poignant finale to her Wilder Family series, masterfully weaving together themes of grief, love, and healing. As Brittainy Cherry writes in The Problem with Falling, “[d]eath was the only life guarantee that humans had. We weren’t promised riches and fortune, or fame, love, or success, yet we were all promised a final chapter.” This sentiment echoes throughout Sorensen’s series, which is shadowed by the impending death of the Wilder family patriarch, Tim.

While each of Sorensen’s books explores how different siblings process their father’s terminal cancer, This Wild Heart focuses on Parker, the second-youngest Wilder child, who copes through avoidance. His struggle with grief forms the emotional core of this story, demonstrating Sorensen’s skill in portraying the varied ways people confront loss and how it shapes their journey toward love.

The novel gains additional depth through its connection to Sorensen’s Washington Wolves series. The female lead, Anya Hennessey, is the daughter of Aiden Hennessey and Isabel Ward from Forbidden in the Ward Sisters series. Anya proves to be the perfect match for Parker, possessing the emotional intelligence needed to help him confront his grief. Their story unfolds through compelling plot elements—a public breakup, an unexpected fake marriage, and the challenge of breaking through Parker’s emotional walls.

This Wild Heart showcases Sorensen’s greatest strengths as a writer: her nuanced understanding of human nature and her ability to craft emotionally resonant stories. As the final installment in the Wilder Family series, it delivers a satisfying conclusion while promising readers that Sorensen’s gift for creating impeccably written romances will continue in future works. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release

✍🏻 I mean, Kristen Ashley could write the hell out of the phone book. Anything she touches is pure heaven. Smooth Sailing, her newest MC romance a la her Chaos series, is HERE! Hugger and Diana absolutely will steal your time and your heart! ✍🏻

professorromance
She lives life to the fullest.
He doesn’t know what hit him.

Smooth Sailing, an all-new page-turning forced proximity, opposites-attract MC romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley is available now!

When the Chaos Motorcycle Club came to call, Harlan “Hugger” McCain wasn’t ready to be welcomed into the fold. They said he was a legacy. He felt like an outcast.

But he patched in anyway.

And he was all in to be a part of their not-quite-outlaw missions.

This takes him down to Phoenix, right into the orbit of Diana Armitage, a beautiful, green-eyed woman with a heart of gold and a scarily honed tendency to sacrifice for pretty much everyone she cares about, and some people she barely knows.

Hugger has been existing. Life has never given him much, now, he expects even less.

Diana lives life to its fullest. And she doesn’t keep it a secret she wants to drag Hugger right along with her.

But Hugger is certain he’s got bad blood. He’s got one foot in Chaos, one foot out. One foot in Diana’s life, one foot out.

Diana and his brothers in Chaos have their work cut out to show Hugger who he is.

That he belongs.

And he’s worthy to be loved.

Start reading today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OM12yt
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/SmoothSailing
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/4fZJTNI
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3BlGYQo
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ZHvoIO
Google Play: https://bit.ly/4hCMNbK

Listen on audio narrated by Joseph Discher, James Lurie & Stella Bloom: https://adbl.co/4gIoHw5

Add Smooth Sailing to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4ghAXTS

Start the series of standalones with Still Standing→ https://bit.ly/3MAF4gY

For more information on Kristen Ashley, visit:
https://www.kristenashley.net/

Connect with Kristen Ashley
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/44hqxyI
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3U1PKYY
Instagram: https://bit.ly/49MgbIi
TikTok: https://bit.ly/49LMg2L
Bluesky: https://bit.ly/3ZKTHW5
Pinterest: https://bit.ly/4aKmmxM
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3UbHWE3
BookBub: https://bit.ly/3vUbQoz

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Reviews: Rebecca Jenshak’s Comeback, book 3 of her Holland Brothers series ✍🏻

professorromance

Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: best friend’s sister; brother’s best friend; forced proximity/roommates; sports romance; pro football; cinnamon roll MMC; dancer, sunshiney FMC

“He cares deeply for the people in his life and he makes sure they know it.”

Rebecca Jenshak’s Comeback stands as the pinnacle of her Holland Brothers series. Having tracked Archer’s character development from his peripheral appearances in both this series and Jenshak’s Campus Wallflowers series (notably in Tempting the Player), I found his emergence as a protagonist particularly compelling. Archer’s character distinction lies not only in his hearing impairment but in how this aspect of his identity interweaves with the series’ broader themes of familial loss and resilience.

The Holland brothers’ shared trauma – their mother’s death and father’s absence – creates a profound foundation for their relationships. While Archer’s disability could have dominated the narrative, Jenshak masterfully positions it as both integral to his character and seamlessly integrated into the larger story. Her nuanced portrayal reveals how Archer has learned to minimize himself to accommodate others, a pattern that makes his relationship with Sabrina particularly transformative.

Notable strengths:

* Jenshak subverts traditional romance tensions by focusing on individual growth rather than relationship conflict. The narrative tension emerges organically from Archer’s professional challenges and Sabrina’s complex relationship with her brother, Brogan, rather than artificial obstacles between the protagonists. This structural choice allows for a refreshingly authentic romance arc.

* The fraternal dynamics continue to illuminate why this series resonates with readers. Their group communications and collective support of their youngest member’s MLB career provide both emotional depth and moments of levity that enrich the narrative.

* The pacing demonstrates remarkable precision, maintaining momentum without sacrificing character development or emotional resonance.

In Comeback, Jenshak demonstrates her mastery of contemporary romance, crafting a narrative that balances emotional depth with compelling characterization. Through her deft handling of disability representation, family dynamics, and personal growth, she elevates what could have been a conventional sports romance into a nuanced exploration of self-acceptance and unconditional love. The result is an emotional addition to the genre that both satisfies series fans and stands confidently on its own merits.

In love and romance,

Professor A