Category: Uncategorized

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: adversaries-to-lovers; single mom; grump/sunshine; small town romance

“You don’t have to give people things in order for them to like you. You just have to be yourself and hope their kind of weird matches your kind of weird. Like us.”

Truth: I will wait forever for a Penny Reid romance, novel, story, literary work. Period. Folk Around and Find Out, her newest offering, reminds me AGAIN how much I love her storytelling. She weaves magic. She’s thoughtful and intentional with her choices, and it pays off with books that are more than their genre or trope. Folk Around and Find Out is an ode to parenthood, namely single parents, an interrogation of the idea of first impressions, and a treatise on the capacity of a person to change when they find love in all its forms. I have 41 highlights from this story because Penny Reid writes the heck out of her books, drawing you in with her prose (although is “stupid as raisins” really a phrase?) and engaging you with the story of Hank Weller and Charlotte Mitchell, as they grow as individuals and as a couple. I’m captivated by Penny Reid, and I highly recommend ANYTHING she writes. 

Impression #1: There is nothing better than a grump who shows his softer side. Insert Hank Weller. As the owner of the Pink Pony and Beau Winston’s bestie, he’s been on the radar of many a Penny Reid fan. And she didn’t disappoint in writing his story for her readers. How do you take a grump of a strip club owner and turn him into a softie? Unassuming, messy children and a heroine who cares about his bookkeeping even when he’s been a jerk to her. I’m certain that Hank’s character journey is my favorite part of Folk Around and Find Out. 

Impression #2: I love how Reid plays with the idea of initial judgments and suppositions that people make about others based on the appearance of something or someone. There are misunderstandings all over this romance because, mostly, Hank makes assertions about Charlotte without having a full understanding of her situation. It causes him to make decisions that quickly shift when he faces reality. Some of my favorite parts, like laugh-out-loud moments, come when he’s confronted with his preconceived notions of things, i.e. Charlotte at a car wash, Charlotte’s kids, etc. I found myself laughing at him or sighing at his ignorance. Either way, it wrought emotions in me which is high praise for any kind of book.

Impression #3: Small towns and gossip. Reid’s interrogation of gossip in small towns as she looks at it through the lens of Hank and Charlotte’s reputations is insightful. I think, as readers, we can connect this idea to our own use of social media as unfounded or demeaning gossip is common in that medium too. Reid takes up much of her book with Hank’s want to protect Charlotte from his reputation, and honestly, it becomes the thing that ultimately humanizes him and wins the reader over. The night he takes care of Charlotte and her kids also helps, but his empathic way of protecting Charlotte from town gossip shows us his soft underbelly and connects us to him emotionally. 

Impression #4: Green Valley and its inhabitants allow me to escape. As I was reading Folk Around and Find Out, I found myself at ease, even when Hank and Charlotte’s challenges were anxiety-inducing. Penny Reid’s capacity to create a fictional space/place in her stories that allows her readers to escape is profound. She’s one of a few authors who do this brilliantly, and you want to return to this place and these people time and time again. That she’s invited other authors to craft stories and characters to connect us even more to this place is just plain brilliant. 

If you love grump/sunshine, single parent, adversaries to lovers romance, Folk Around and Find Out should be your read right now. Honestly, as much as I’ve espoused my love for Penny Reid’s Green Valley world, you don’t have to have read any of her former books to understand this one. You simply need to love the type of story where a solitary, opinionated, grump of a man finds love and redemption in the messy, sunshiney, complicated life of a woman. This book is a pure delight.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: sunshine hero/grumpy heroine; sports romance; down-on-her-luck heroine; somewhat single parent

On entering Jiffy Kate’s Knock Out, I realized one thing: I had missed the Erickson clan. Since the advent of Stud Muffin, book 1 of the Fighting for Love series, I’ve been hooked on this MMA power family. It’s been a few Smartypants Romance seasons since we received a story from them, so to be gifted with Ozzi Erickson with their final book of the series was divine. 

This story is my favorite type of romance. A character has a difficult past; in this case, the heroine grows up in foster care. Her journey becomes one about learning to be vulnerable with people who can care about her. The other character is compassionate and has the sixth sense to “see” into the character with the traumatic background. Ozzi, this book’s main male character, is empathic and compassionate from almost their first meeting. The dance of Ozzi and Willow waltzes over the pages of Jiffy Kate’s story, and it steals your heart. I write that phrase quite a bit in my reviews, but it’s the reality of this book. As Willow struggles with the idea that she can be loved either by Ozzi or the Ericksons, you want to cry at the idea that she’s never felt loved unconditionally. When she takes on the task of the custodial care of her half-sister, you recognize the depth of her pain from past hurts. Ozzi, a wanderer and someone who eshews relationships, should be the worst person in her life. Instead, he helps her tap into her love stores. Willow’s journey is heartfelt, and her courage and strength, both emotional and physical, is the key draw of this book. 

It doesn’t hurt that the Erickson clan is in full force in this book. The Fighting for Love world has been one of my favorites in the Smartypants Romance universe. As the last book of this series, it’s difficult to say goodbye to these characters. I’m hoping we might revisit them again in Jiffy Kate’s next series, Fischer Falls. However, Ozzi and Willow’s story in Knock Out is the perfect roundhouse kick ending to their series of a loveable MMA family.

In love and romance,

Professor A

BREAK ME (Manhattan Mafia Trilogy #3) by CD Reiss

Release Date: October 31st

THE MANHATTAN MAFIA TRILOGY IS COMPLETE!

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

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START THE TRILOGY WITH TAKE ME #1!

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MAKE ME #2

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Add to Goodreads:

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Blurb:

It was always Sarah. And she was always mine.

I woke up in a nightmare. I woke up alone.

There was a reason I never let myself have feelings before. Emotions make you stupid. They make you miscalculate.

If someone gave me the choice, I’d do it all over again.

Only this time, I’d stop everyone who ever looked at the woman I love before they had the chance to hurt her.

But since that’s not an option, I’ll just have to stay alive long enough to find her.

And together, we’ll break the whole world for what they’ve done.

About CD Reiss:

CD Reiss is a Brooklyn native and has the accent to prove it. She earned a master’s degree in cinematic writing from USC, and though she ultimately failed to have one line of dialog put on film, she stayed in Los Angeles out of spite.

She resides in Hollywood in a house that’s just big enough for her two children, two cats, her long-suffering husband and her massive ego.

Connect w/CD Reiss:

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: single dad; single mom; workplace romance; small town romance; a bit adversaries-to-lovers

Nora Everly’s Architecture and Artistry was one of my most anticipated SmartyPants Romance ‘cuz: Barrett and Sadie. In her previous Monroe Brothers stories, these two have danced around each other. It was clear that they had chemistry and a keen interest in each other. To realize a relationship between these two seemed like kismet. 

Jumping into Architecture and Artistry reminds you about the sweetness of Everly’s romances. This is a small-town romance done well. At the outset of their story, Barrett and Sadie epitomize the Instagram vs. Reality truth: the outside doesn’t always match the reality. Seemingly “perfect” to everyone, Barrett has a way of putting his foot in his mouth. Similarly, while Sadie always looks put together (people think of her as a “Barbie), internally, Sadie is hanging on as she maneuvers through life as a single mom to twins. There is instant chemistry between Barrett and Sadie. It’s all over the Monroe Brothers’ stories. Yet, they are reticent to acknowledge their attraction…until they simply can’t. 

As you read through Sadie and Barrett’s journey, it’s Sadie who becomes a favorite character. She is empathic and selfless, making difficult choices that impinge upon her burgeoning relationship with Barrett. And there is steam and spice and everything nice between these two. 

I will say, though, that there were inconsistencies in their development. One minute everything is fine, but the next it’s not by a creation of the author simply to derail her couple. Additionally, the prose felt stunted, especially through the falling action of her romance when you need the emotional pull of their resolution, connecting you more deeply to the book. 

Architecture and Artistry, however, offers a lovely wrap-up to Nora Everly’s Green Valley Library contributions. Will you adore Barrett and Sadie? Absolutely! Will the Monroe family and the Lavender Farms ladies remind you why you should read this series? Yes. These characters ingratiate themselves into your life with their humor, wisdom, and love. Is this book an important reminder that nothing is ever really perfect? Indeed. If you haven’t met the Monroe Brothers yet, now would be the perfect time with Nora Everly’s newest release.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: Coach’s daughter; sports romance; hero falls first; forbidden romance; close or forced proximity; reverse grumpy/sunshine

“He lived for the loved ones he’d lost. I self-destructed for mine.”

I fell hard for Kandi Steiner’s Red Zone Rivals series from its first book, Fair Catch. I loved that story because any time you have a heroine successfully living in a predominately men’s world, I’m in. I adored Clay and Giana in the second book, Blind Side. The virgin who captivates the player-esque football player, and he “teaches” her what she needs to know to “get her man” is pure romance decadence. But something about their story kept me from giving it a perfect score. But Quarterback Sneak is, to me, the piece de resistance of this series. 

Kandi Steiner’s Quarterback Sneak leaves me without words. Well, that isn’t entirely true. There are words to describe its beauty: emotional, impactful, erotic, and compassionate. Underlying Quarterback Sneak is a treatise of sorts on grief. Having personally experienced and observed grief, I know there is a reality behind it: everyone processes death differently. Steiner deftly and intentionally captures that truth in this story. Through the journeys of her hero, Holden, and her heroine, Julep, she shows her readers how death either focuses or fractures us. Juxtaposing her main characters, Holden and Julep fill in the holes left behind by the people they loved and lost, and Steiner crafts the beauty of their relationship as they struggle through their truths. Could I tell you that I loved the steam of their relationship? Yes. Is it lovely to reconnect with the main characters from Fair Catch and Blind Side? Absolutely! But it’s Julep and Holden’s relationship, the ups and downs of it, the complication of it, that kept me reading chapter after chapter when my life was spinning out of control. I simply couldn’t leave them alone because I pined for their individual growth and their happy ending. 

For a bit in Quarterback Sneak, I was annoyed with Steiner. She allowed Julep’s father to create distance between Holden and Julep. I kept speaking to my Kindle as I read her story: “how can he make this call? What about Julep’s autonomy?” Honestly, I did this for much of the story, but it was simply a plot device that leads to one of the most powerful moments of the story (which I refuse to divulge here). It’s a necessary moment for Holden, and it brings his character development to full maturation. It’s moments like this that remind you of Kandi Steiner’s immense capacity to develop character and story as a means to engage her readers while also challenging them beyond their preconceived expectations of her stories. 

I lost myself in Quarterback Sneak. I gave up grading time amidst a very busy season because Holden and Julep put a “hold on” me, and I hated for their story to end. I believe there is another story in this series, maybe, so hopefully, we’ll get glimpses of these two. Simply put, they are two special characters who illustrate the power of love to overcome grief and its effects. And that feels like an important message for today.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: age-gap romance; married couple issues; 4-star spice

If you have yet to drop into Fiona Cole’s Voyeur world, you are missing out, especially if you ADORE 4 or 5-star spice. Each romance in her Voyeur world offers a mix of angst and steam with a perfect happy ending for each couple. One of my favorite couples in this world is Olivia Kent from her Liar, an uncle’s best friend, age-gap love story, that steams your glasses and leaves your panties in a bit of a…mess. It highlights the challenges of falling in love with the complications of familial relationships and the influence of past traumas on present-day love affairs. So you get some depth of story with your spice. 

At the end of Liar, the future seems rosy for Olivia and Kent. They’ve acknowledged their feelings and found their happily ever after…or so it seems. Cole treats us to more of their story in her newest offering, Falter. In this novella, Olivia has been trying to get pregnant amidst their busy lives and failed. Kent recognizes that she has lost her spark, but for much of the novella, fails to determine the cause of it. Thankfully, some of our favorite Voyeur characters, namely Carina, help him see the issue. That’s when the magic of Fiona Cole happens for her characters. She infuses her delicious sensuality and eroticism into the story to bring her couple back to themselves. Falter is a nugget of loveliness that reconnects us to one of my favorite places, the Voyeur world. From cameos of past Voyeur characters to Fiona Cole’s requisite spice, it’s impossible not to gobble this newest addition to this world. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Play Smart, an all-new enemies to lovers rockstar romcom from Aly Stiles, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

Read my review HERE.

Nash Ellis knows music. Producing, performing, writing—if it involves the creative process he’s there for it. He knows nothing about copy machines. Or financial reports. Or anything related to the stuck-up business world his best friends have been chasing since they were kids. But Nash also needs money, so when his roommate gets him a paid internship at Reedweather Media, he reluctantly agrees. At least his know-it-all intern competitor is kind of cute in a nerdy-librarian sort of way—especially when she’s being tormented by an angsty rocker she can’t stand.

The only thing Paige Andrews hates more than failure? Nash Ellis. She has little patience for incompetence and zero tolerance for indifference. He clearly doesn’t belong in their corporate world, so why does he insist on ruining her dream job? And the worst part—he’s not what he seems. In fact, it’s all the things he’s hiding behind those electric blue eyes that make him straight-up captivating in an ironic-slacker sort of way.

But their smoldering friction bursts into open flames when the feuding interns are forced into a high-stakes mission that requires intimate knowledge of the music industry. Yep, what could go wrong when the least-qualified candidate to ever walk the halls of a major corporation becomes their only hope of success?

‘Play Smart’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #5 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy today!

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Excerpt

Turning around, he stops in his tracks when he sees me. His face falls, and I don’t know how to read the mix of emotions that filters over him. He clearly doesn’t know what to do next, so I close the gap and grab his wrist.

“Let’s dance,” I say.

“What?”

“Dancing.” I wave behind me at the sea of bodies demonstrating this ancient ritual.

“You… wait. You want to dance with me? You’ve been turning me down all night.”

I nod. “Yes. Because I don’t dance.”

“But you do now?”

“No.”

“I don’t understand. What’s changed?”

“My internal—and a few external—organs.”

“Huh?”

His brow scrunches, and I notice for the first time how much I like the image of his silver piercing when he does that. I reach up and brush my finger near it, then let my touch drift down the side of his face. My gaze settles on his lips and a sharp wave of desire surges through me.

“I turned you down because you’re extremely attractive tonight,” I explain. “Dangerously so.”

“Wait, you’ve been turning me down because you wanted me too much?”

I nod again, forcing my attention back to his entrancing gaze. “Yes, and since we agreed we can’t have what we want, it felt like a terrible idea to indulge in a sample of the forbidden fruit.”

His confusion morphs into amusement. “Do you always have to say stuff in the weirdest way possible?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Do you always have to be a jerk when I’m trying to be nice?”

“This is you being nice?”

About Aly Stiles

From angsty and dark to snort-laugh funny, Aly writes romance from her soul to yours.

Find Aly Stiles online

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🎶 99 CENT SALE & COVER REVEAL 🎶

A.L. Jackson has revealed the alternate covers for the Bleeding Stars series, filled with brooding rockstars, strong heroines, spicy scenes and suspense! 

To celebrate, A Stone in the Sea is ON SALE for 99 cents for a limited time.

Don’t miss out on Shea & Sebastian’s epic single mom, rockstar romance!

As the lead singer of Sunder, I come with a reputation.

A bad one.

I’m no stranger to trouble.

It follows me wherever I go.

So, I should have known Shea Bentley would be a problem. But this sexy Southern girl is all I can see.

Now, we’re both drowning in a sea of desire, sinking hopelessly into a world of lust.

But she has an inescapable past.

One that might destroy both of us . . .

Get your copy ➝ https://geni.us/ASITSAmznFBP

Looking for signed copies? You can grab the new covers or a Bleeding Stars Gift Box here ➝ https://geni.us/ALJacksonShopOP

Well Acquainted, an all-new swoony second chance historical romance from Laney Hatcher, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

There are three things you need to know about Lady Eliza Morgan:

1. In addition to being a busy physician, she’s an accomplished seamstress.

2. She’s the victim of a broken heart.

3. The man who shattered it is the one man she can never have.

Some things are better left in the past, but Eliza has spent years running from hers. When the man who upended her life re-enters it in the most unexpected way, Eliza must decide if reacquainting herself with Nicolas is worth the heartache. He’s charming and irritating and makes her realize there is so much more than the life she’s been living. But first she must confront her painful past if she and Nicolas have any hope for a future.

‘Well Acquainted’, a Penny Reid Universe Reimagining, is a full-length historical romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the London Ladies Embroidery series, Smartypants Romance Out of this World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

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Audiobook: Coming this winter!

About Laney Hatcher

Laney Hatcher is a firm believer that there is a spreadsheet for every occasion and pie is always the answer. She is an author of stories that have a past, in a language of love that’s universal. Often too practical for her own good, Laney enjoys her life in the southern United States with her husband, children, and incredibly entitled cat.

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: best friend’s sister; second chance romance (sort of); one night stand into more; soulmates; hero falls first; generational trauma; found family

Devney Perry’s contribution to the Madigan Mountain series does a beautiful job of laying out the story of Crew, the youngest Madison brother, and Raven while bringing a finish to the Madigan Mountain series. While brother #2, Weston Madigan, is still my favorite, Crew runs a very close second. This series, so deftly drawn by Sarina Bowen, Rebecca Yarros, and Perry, is about the impact of generational trauma, specifically the death of a parent and its impact on the family. As the youngest, the impact on Crew was the greatest. In the wake of his mother’s death, a woman to whom he felt tethered to this world, Crew loses his foundation and a bit of himself. He turns this absence into becoming a world-class snowboarder, and it provides him an escape from his pain. These feelings are never processed until he returns for his brother’s wedding. It’s then that the timer begins for him to finally handle his mother’s death as his brothers do in the earlier books of this series. For me, this is one of the emotional challenges of A Little Too Wild. 

What is surprising and delightful about Perry’s romance is the way that Crew falls for Raven, her heroine, first. In fact, Crew has liked Raven from afar. However, throughout their youth, Raven never really sees Crew as anything more than her brother’s best friend. On his return to Madigan Mountain, something changes, and Raven finds herself drawn to him. Unfortunately, aspects of his life remind her of her father’s, a roustabout who never took his role as a father seriously.  As such, Raven is reticent to have anything more than the physical with Crew. This, however, becomes impossible when both of them begin to develop feelings. Then, the complications of a relationship arise for both of them. This complication fuels the fire of Perry’s plot development, and she keeps her readers engaged with Raven and Crew’s “will they/won’t they” journey. Add in the difficulties of Crew’s reconciliation of his mother’s death and the healing of his family, his career responsibilities, and Raven’s own ambition for her future, and A Little Too Wild becomes an emotional story about the power of love to help heal old wounds. 

Everything magical about Devney Perry’s romances is found in A Little Too Wild, even down to her delicious bonus epilogues. As a storyteller, Perry never disappoints. Instead, she offers up scintillating stories that steal your heart and keep you believing in happily ever afters.

In love and romance,

Professor A