It is bittersweet to be saying a final goodbye (again) to the Marked Men/Saints of Denver/Forever Marked world. I read Rule nearly eight years ago now and it was a book I read very early on in my romance discovery era so I am forever grateful for it being one of the books that made me the reader I am today. So I have adored these second-generation stories, rich with nuance for both old and new characters alike.

I am a Jay Crownover review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

She’s the only girl he’s ever loved.

Zowen Archer has been in love with Aston Wheeler for as long as he can remember.

She’s perfect, except for the glaring fact that she fell in love with his best friend instead of him. For years, he loved her from afar with zero expectation. He told himself that as long as Aston was happy, his feelings for her didn’t matter.

However, Aston isn’t nearly as happy as she seems. And by the time Zowen figures things out, his life takes a drastic turn for the worse.

Now that Aston is single and laser-focused on making up for the lost time between the two of them, Zowen is doing everything in his power to avoid her. He’s convinced that if she never wanted him when he was at his very best, there is no chance in hell she could care about him now that he’s at his absolute worst.

He’s the only boy she’s willing to wait for.

Time has never been on Aston Wheeler’s side.

She spent too long pretending to be someone she was not. She lost herself in a first love that everyone, except her, thought was perfect. She wasted a lot of time trying to convince herself that she should be happy when she was anything but. She watched for years as the one person who made her feel like her true self drifted further and further away.

Finally, when she’s ready to reach out and grab the one-of-a-kind love that Zowen Archer has always silently promised her, it’s too late. Zowen is taken away, and when he reappears in her life, he makes it clear there’s no going back to whatever they might have been.

Good thing for Zowen that Aston is patient and doesn’t mind waiting for him to have a change of heart. It’s the least she can do after all the time he spent waiting for her.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Wayward Son’s leads are Zowen and Aston. Zowen is the son of Rome and Cora Archer, while Zowen’s parents are Poppy and Hudson Wheeler. I have been anticipating this story for a while as these characters have been on the sidelines of the other stories. Aston was Ry’s ex-girlfriend in Fortunate Son, so I only viewed her through his lens. Getting in her head is so rewarding, as you get to read the journey of a girl struggling to be her own person and get out from under the thumb of her mother. This is the perfect time to mention how much I commend Jay for how she has written the parents in this second-generation story. The characters we originally fell in love with all those years ago are flawed and so those flaws do not magically go away once they have children. They are not always the best parents, in many cases, they are not always aware of how they pass on their traumas to their children. It was so real to see this though and a risk of Jay’s that makes these stories shine. Zowen is what brings the heaviness to the start of the story, within the first chapter you see his prison sentence delivered after a tragic night of street racing. I also adored two side characters in particular and really hope Jay delivers on something for them!
• Setting: The story is predominately set in Los Angeles, California rather than the Denver we know and love. The space is really good though and we get to go on a very special journey with the couple while they are away from the prying eyes of family and friends. With Daire and Campbell out in California too it started to feel like a second home in the Marked Men universe. But do not worry there is some lovely quality time in Denver and it is there where Jay’s skill of balancing the nostalgia we readers have for the parent characters with their less-than-stellar parental sides.
• Pacing: I flew through this in about a night as from the prologue I was just hooked! It is hard to not devour this as I wanted happiness for both Zowen and Aston and I needed it as fast as humanly possible. I did find that the ending did not enthral me as much, but I was still very happy to have lots of time in the books with the wider cast of characters too.
• Romance: What can I say besides another epic romance from Jay! I loved Zowen and Aston, and as I alluded to before I got really attached to them rather quickly. Their chemistry was electric from the first chapter and I loved all their romantic scenes. This story does fall under a trope I find hit or miss and I was overall happy with how Jay executed it. What a beautiful second chance for Zowen and Aston, and a beautiful ending to the eight-year journey I have been on with the Marked Men characters.

Wayward Son receives 4.5/5 stars.

You can pick up the story here.

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Thank you again to Jay and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Jay Crownover’s Wayward Son ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I am nothing if not consistent, and I consistently love Katee Robert’s throuple novels so damn much. Midnight Ruin is phenomenal, I’ve read it twice through before writing this review. If you have not started this series yet I beg you to start with Neon Gods and let yourself be taken away on this rollercoaster of fast-paced political intrigue and toe-curlingly good romance.

I am a Katee Robert review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

Eurydice Dimitriou has always been the innocent sister, but she’s finally ready to step out of the long shadow cast by her powerful family…and the ex who shattered her heart. Perhaps rough hands on soft skin are exactly what she needs to forget her heartbreak once and for all?

Charon Ariti has been Hades’s right-hand man for years. He’s given everything to the lower city, but now he’s ready to take something for himself. He’s only too happy to give Eurydice a special kind of education…but is her heart really free enough to be claimed?

Orpheus Makos will do whatever it takes to make things right. Once the golden boy of the upper city, he’s now a shadow of his former self. He’ll do anything to get Eurydice back…even if it means she’s not coming into his arms alone. Three hearts. Three futures. Countless ways to get it wrong.

But with enemies slipping through Olympus’s faltering barrier to lay siege on the lower city, a trio of broken hearts will be the least of these would-be lovers’ worries…

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Eurydice, Charon, Orpheus – what a cast of lead characters for this instalment! All the Dimitriou sisters have my heart and so of course I was excited to get into Eurydice’s head. After only seeing her through predominately her sisters’ eyes, I loved getting to know this powerhouse character better. She is not as innocent as what meets the eye, which is perfect. Charon and Orpheus were perfect for her because they both brought something different. Charon
• Setting: Back to the underworld baby! We have not had a tried and true Underworld book since Neon Gods, since book one! I was so happy to be back over the River Styx. I know Katee has spoken about how this book was initially third and I am so happy things were switched around to make the long-awaited return to Underworld just hit perfectly!
• Pacing: What is so special about Katee and this series is just how well-balanced the political intrigue is against the relationships and the steamy scenes. Every chapter just makes you want to read the next one, and every instalment just ups the stakes in this world!
• Romance: Katee proves once again why they are just so damn good at writing throuples. The best triads show how the relationships just work as a group of three, not as pairs. I really liked how this was both a second-chance romance and a friend-to-lovers. So much of this series is more enemies-to-lovers so that was a lovely change of pace, I love when Katee throws in a few curve balls to the romance. The biggest one probably being the puppy play which I know Katee even said online came as a surprise while writing but my god it fits this story so well. Orpheus at his most submissive was the missing piece of the puzzle for Charon and Eurydice. Along with what a great take on that second chance that what made Eurydice and Orpheus not work originally really was that people were not their true authentic selves. So simply I say this book was hot and it gets steamy or should I say foggy rather quickly. A Katee Robert slow burn is fun every once in a while, but Katee is at their best when they write characters with so much tension and chemistry that it drips off the page.

Midnight Ruin receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Shop Local | Amazon | Indigo

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Thank you again to Katee, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Katee Robert’s Midnight Ruin ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I have been loving this series so much and this next instalment sure throws readers for a loop, with so many things I was not expecting.

When you get a second chance, you don’t wait for a third…

Simone Solomon lives in a gilded cage. She’s been raised to wealth, privilege, and above all, obedience.

Hiding in the back of a limousine, dreading another tedious gala, Simone is abducted by a mafioso who intended to steal a car, not a girl.

Dante Gallo looks like a beast and behaves like one, too — until he lays eyes on Simone. Their attraction is irresistible, even if they’re completely wrong for each other.

Simone is willing to risk everything for Dante — until the disastrous night that splits them apart.

Fate grants her one more chance to reconnect with the man she can’t forget. But Simone has a secret… a mistake she fears Dante will never forgive…

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: The Gallo this instalment centers around is Dante Gallo and his second chance at love with Simone Soloman. I enjoyed these characters but I was not as invested as I have been. I did struggle with some of Simone’s choices, I do not want to give too much detail to avoid spoilers, but she was put in some difficult situations. Dante not holding that against her too much is indicative of what a great guy he was. He was easy to fall for and I loved reading all his interactions with his siblings.
• Setting: Sophie Lark’s mafia world is set in Chicago, and it does feel like coming home to a cast of characters that I love.
• Pacing: I just find these books so incredibly easy to fly through. This story is told in two parts, with a significant time jump in between. I was enraptured by the first part especially and how the characters met got me intrigued right from the start. This is paced so quickly though that at times it sure helps you read fast, but I did wonder if there were parts of the story that could have been flushed out a bit more.
• Romance: From the moment Dante and Simone meet in the most unlikely of circumstances I was cheering them on. I adored their early courtship, the sneaking out to see each other and of course the scaling of the balcony such a classic. Sophie Lark writes incredibly hot people, in hot scenes, with perfect accompanying art from Line Maria Eriksen. After being so attached to the characters in the first part of the book, naturally I was so invested in their second chance not just at love but at family.

Bloody Heart receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Shop Local | Amazon | Indigo

Thank you again to Sophie, Bloom, and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Sophie Lark’s Bloody Heart Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Karina never misses! I knew this retelling was in good hands because I knew she could definitely deliver something equally spooky and steamy. If you are looking for a smutty read this spooky season look no further.

I am a Karina Halle review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

From the New York Times bestselling author of River of Shadows and A Ship of Bones and Teeth comes a smutty spooky dark academia gothic romance retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where Kat Van Tassel doesn’t have to choose between Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane, and there are worse things haunting them than the Headless Horseman.

Ever since she was a child, Kat Van Tassel knew that her parents had arranged for her to marry her best friend, Brom Bones, when she became of age. That was until Brom mysteriously vanished from the secretive village of Sleepy Hollow when he was just a teenager.
Now, at nineteen, Kat is fulfilling the tradition of attending Sleepy Hollow Institute, a shadowy and prestigious school that is run by her powerful family. There she starts to fall for her new teacher, the enigmatic, smart, and much older Ichabod Crane, whose fascination with dark magic and the occult brings out a new side of Kat—in more ways than one.
Until Brom Bones suddenly appears in her class. Her childhood friend doesn’t remember what happened to him in the four years that he’s been gone, all he knows is that he’s back in Sleepy Hollow for good. The only problem is, he’s not the same man that Kat knew. Cocky and brash as a youth, this Brom is violent and prone to bouts of madness. It doesn’t help that his reappearance coincides with gruesome decapitations that are plaguing the town, with rumors swirling about a vengeful ghost called The Headless Horseman.
Determined to get to the bottom of the murders and Brom’s volatility, Crane takes Brom under his wing to study him, and they begin to grow close, just as they do with Kat. But the more that the threesome submits to their sexual desires on the path to the truth, the more dangerous Sleepy Hollow becomes.  The Headless Horseman might claim them as his next victims…if something even more terrifying doesn’t get to them first.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Our heroine Katrina Van Tassel was the perfect point of view character. She is just as naive as the reader about what Sleepy Hollow holds and I loved seeing points of the mystery unfold through her eyes. Her heroes, are Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones and in Karina’s story, she will not have to choose one over the other. Crane is a professor, specifically the newest professor at Sleepy Hollow’s academy and he was probably my favourite part of this book. His character was so interesting and I loved how hard he fought to protect not just Katrina, but Brom. Brom is not just Katrina’s childhood friend but her betrothed. Crane has his own history with Brom, something I cannot wait to explore more in the sequel. Brom is complicated and I really did not know what to think of him except for he better be okay!
• Setting: This story is set in Sleepy Hollow and I loved all the spooky vibes! The story begins with Katrina heading off to the Sleepy Hollow Academy which has the best dark academia and gothic vibes. Some of the scenes here were absolutely terrifying, especially Crane’s scenes overnight. I loved finding out more about the school, and all the teachers and students within it.
• Pacing: From the first few pages I was hooked on Hollow. I started it Sunday night read as much as I could and got up early before work on Monday to finish it. I always find Karina’s pacing so compelling and I loved where she took the story. This book ended in the perfect spot and has made me just die with want for more.
• Romance: What initially intrigued me about this book was that it would be Karina Halle’s first MMF romance. This first instalment only really plays with MF and MM as Karina builds all the character relationships, and so no complaints from me I like how all of it is developing. Needless to say, this book is so smutty and I ate it all up. Katrina and Crane are that professor/student dynamic that I am always a sucker for with a nice eleven-year age gap. Crane and Brom’s relationship while only given a few glimpses I cannot wait to see how it develops. Karina did such a good job illustrating how Katrina will be the glue in this triad and now I must just wait patiently for what I know will be a delicious payoff.

Hollow receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

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Thank you again to Karin and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Karina Halle’s Hollow ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I adored A Merry Little Meet Cute and was excited to see Julie and Sierra gifting us this sweet treat of a novella. Luca was a fan favourite and I was so excited to see where his fling with Angel could go. Fans of this series will love this story, as it is a great check-in on beloved characters and a tease of what is to come.

I am a Sierra Simone review team member but remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

After Angel and Luca connected on the set of Duke the Halls and had a whirlwind romance in the literal snow globe of Christmas Notch, Vermont, Luca found himself falling in love. Hard. He’d never been one to believe in fate or true love, but one thing was certain: Angel was his person. He knew it as well as he knew the history of American figure skating. But when Angel left for an art school semester abroad without a word, Luca’s already brittle heart was broken. No one ghosted Luca. Unless he was in a haunted house.

But with the spring semester long over, Angel is back home in Los Angeles for the summer, and unfortunately for Luca, this big town is turning out to be smaller than either of them ever expected.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: For both Luca and Angel this story picks up where A Merry Little Meet Cute left off, with a movie wrapped and next plans up in the air. Luca returns to LA hoping to keep what started in Christmas Notch with Angel alive, but life has other plans. I was surprised how much of Luca’s character was dominated by self-doubt, but that is why having someone like Angel show Luca what his work was worth was so essential.
• Setting: The story is predominately set in L.A. and actually includes some thoughts on its hustle culture and way of life which were refreshing to see. Rather than another romance that romanticizes the L.A. life. Plus I enjoyed all the cameos from the characters I already loved like Bianca and Sunny.
• Pacing: This will be the perfect quick read for someone who is already a fan of this world. It is not an essential instalment, you can skip this and wait for the full-length book in the fall. If you want a speedy read it is perfect raunchy fun. Just one note, it is a single point of view with a focus on Luca and my preference is a dual point of view. I felt it was hard to know what was going on with Angel and to connect with him.
• Romance: My favourite part of the story was the chemistry between Luca and Angel. They shared so many scenes together that weren’t just deliciously steamy, but emotionally heartwarming. A few of the romantic problems were solved with little conflict but that was the nature of the shorter story. Honestly, they were partner goals!

Snow Place Like LA receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

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Thank you again to Sierra, Julie, and their teams for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Snow Place Like LA ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I adore travelling to small-town Vermont with the Giltmakers, Shipleys, and Rossis, and could do so forever. This was a fun friends-to-lovers, getting the girl who got away romance. I liked the characters but had a few issues with the pacing that kept this from a five-star.

A swoony, heart-wrenching small-town romance from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller Sarina Bowen!

Leila:

What I meant to do: quietly divorce my lout of a husband and then have a child all on my own.

What happens instead: my crush comes back to town when I’m at my most vulnerable. After too many cocktails, I ask him to be my baby’s father.

In my defense, it’s been a rough couple of months. Seeing Matteo Rossi again after fourteen years has done a number on my emotions. And my libido.

In the morning, I’m hoping he’s forgotten the whole thing. But no such luck. In fact, Matteo has a few clarifying questions. And a few naughty ideas, too…

Matteo:

What I meant to do: visit Vermont for my brother’s wedding. Make amends to my family, and mourn the loss of a friend.

What happens instead: a hot affair with the one who got away. But it can’t last. My life is two thousand miles away, and Leila deserves everything. She’s as good as gold.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: When we meet Matteo Rossi, it has been fourteen years since he returned to his hometown of Colebury, Vermont. He returns for his brother’s wedding and is confronted with the fact that the girl he has always loved is newly single. Matteo has such a kind heart, and he tries too hard to take up the burdens of others. He’s been carrying the loss of his best friend, keeping his business afloat, and having the energy to stay away from his family to avoid her. She is Leila Giltmaker, freshly divorced and the center of town gossip as she left her husband of ten-plus years. She married Matteo’s best friend, but she always had a crush on him. She is a very thoughtful, sweet person and the town’s early childhood educator.
• Setting: I adore Colebury, Vermont!! What I enjoyed the most about this book was being back in Vermont with so many of the families I adore so much. As Matteo is back in town for his brother’s wedding we get lots of time with his brother Alec, and his wife-to-be May Shipley. Yes, that May Shipley! Then all the air time with other Rossis like Zara and Benito, I just love all of Sarina’s characters and am so happy she is launching a new Vermont series.
• Pacing: This story missed the mark for me slightly on the pacing. There are quite a few flashbacks and they felt out of place rather than natural. The info we got from them is important but maybe not told through flashbacks. The other issue I had was the pacing throughout the middle chunk. The characters were apart for too long for way too much of the story in my opinion.
• Romance: Matteo and Leila’s dynamic was adorable, as all they needed to do was communicate the depth of their feelings for each other when they were in their teens. It was nice to read about their second chance so many years later. Much of this story was about Leila deciding to have a child on her own, and her drunkenly approaching Matteo to have the child. This starts off a journey of Matteo and his self-worth, Leila really helps him discover not just that he could be a good father, but a good partner and friend.

Good as Gold receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Apple Books | Kobo | Nook | Audio

Thank you again to Sarina and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Sarina Bowen’s Good as Gold ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Romance novel fanatics will swoon over Lauren Blakely’s ode to romance writers and fans alike. Hazel and Axel are celebrated romance writers, who went from writing a popular series together to dissolving their working relationship. An author tour in Europe, with only one bed on the train’s sleeper car is the push these characters need to reckon with their feelings. Ultimately, Hazel and Axel’s journey is a love letter to romancelandia and I adored it.

I am a Lauren Blakley review team member, but my reviews remain honest and genuine.

I’ve got a list of people I absolutely don’t ever want to be stuck with on a boat, or a plane, or a train, and it starts and ends with the broody, grumpy, too-sexy-for-my-own good Axel Huxley.

Also known as this romance novelist’s number one nemesis.

The man is legendary for his mighty pen and his even mightier scowl. I tried to work together with the cocky thriller writer once upon a time, but the two of us are like vodka and good decisions. We don’t play well together.

Only now, our publishers are sending us on a joint trip across Europe to mingle with our most devoted readers on an old-fashioned luxury train. And thanks to a booking snafu, we have to share a sleeper car.

You guessed it–there’s only one bed.

I’m not sure I can survive the next seven days and nights with my dangerously sexy enemy and all our fiery tension.

Which explodes one night in a desperately needed hate bang.

But the bigger plot twist is this – the more time we spend together, visiting the most romantic cities in Europe by day and discovering each other at night, the more I’m forced to face our past.

To let go of the hurt.

To see the man he’s become.

And when I do, I wonder if it’s too late to write a new happy ending for us?

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Hazel Valentine is our heroine; a romance writer fueled by writing perfect meet-cutes. I loved how unapologetic she was, from the outlandish things she would say, to just being a bit of a failure when it came to her own love life. Our hero is Axel Huxley, another writer who had been Hazel’s co-author of a popular romance series. I did not get attached to him right away as he was a bit more standoffish. Once you are off to Europe with him and you get to know him better readers will begin to understand why he is built the way it is.
• Setting: The story’s setting is such a gem! Hazel and Axel have the same publisher so they are sent on a European book tour. It is an ideal book tour with stops in Barcelona, Paris, and Copenhagen. The best part was that they took a train from city to city and had to share the same bed. As romance authors, these two make so many jokes about all the tropes they encounter during their journey. This book feels like a big inside joke. Avid romance fans will eat up all the poking fun of tropes and love seeing their passions on full display.
• Pacing: I want to warn you this book has a few pacing issues. I found the beginning dragged on, as the story starts states-side and all I wanted was to get going on the European book tour.
• Romance: This couple has a fascinating history. They used to be writing partners and had a bit of a falling out. Very much prompted by Axel who broke things off before they had finished their book series. The deeper parts of their working relationship were kept a secret, so as they began to reconnect on this author tour around Europe I loved how private all their sweet moments were. As this is the only one-bed trope there is some excellent fodder for some super sexy scenes. Even just the kisses were oozing with sexual tension. I really loved this couple’s journey from work partners to rivals to friends to lovers.

My So-Called Sex Life receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

✦ Amazon ✦ Audible ✦

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Thank you again to Lauren and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lauren Blakely’s My So-Called Sex Life ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I adore the Rose Canyon series so much. Help Me Remember was one of my top books of 2022. This story was teased a bit in Melanie Harlow’s Tempt and so I have been very excited to get my hands on it.

I am about to lose everything.

My home. My name. My future.

My husband was involved in something that could cost us our lives, and on his deathbed, he demands my daughter and I flee Britain. I had no idea he found her biological father, Holden James, in Rose Canyon, and that’s where we’d start over.

The moment we see each other, feelings I’d long forgotten rush over me. Holden doesn’t hesitate to care for us. We find ourselves reaching for each other, even when we should hold back. His smile warms me, his arms protect me, and against my better judgment, I fall for him. All the possibilities of a future are threatened by a looming past.

I’m being hunted, and it’s just a matter of time before someone finds me guilty of crimes I didn’t commit. Whatever trouble my husband was involved in won’t evade me forever.

I am trying to keep my promise and stay for Holden, but I don’t know how long it’ll be before we have to run.

My name was Sophie Pearson, but I vanished, just like my hope to ever find love again.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: We meet our heroine Sophie on the run and she is as in the dark as we are as to why she needs to abandon her life in England, to make a new one in America. This was so effective as readers will feel pulled into uncovering the mystery and that they are in lockstep with our protagonist. This Rose Canyon series has had a phenomenal overarching mystery. Back to Sophie, readers will fall easily for her and her adorable daughter Eden. But the star of the show for me was Holden! I have been waiting for his story as he has been in this series for quite a while. The doctor has not been keeping secrets (unlike our last two heroes), instead secrets are revealed to him that no one could have anticipated. Surprise you’re a dad! Holden tackles this challenge wonderfully and it was beautiful to read him opening his home and his heart to Sophie and Eden.
• Setting: Holden actually described the setting best. He told Sophie quite early on that gossip spreads like wildfire in Rose Canyon. Let’s be honest his words speak to the dynamics of all small-town romances. What is unique about this one is the mystery element. I feel the need to recommend to readers to start at the beginning of this series. Yes, you can just read Keep This Promise. But if you want to benefit from the full effect of a multibook unfolding mystery do yourself a favour and start with Help Me Remember. This is also a lovely conclusion to the series by bringing together not just our characters but the wider Rose Canyon mystery and having it take a twist I was not expecting.
• Pacing: So much of the earlier parts of this book are defined by mystery. No one knows what has caused Sophie and Eden to run away. Once the pieces of the puzzle become clearer, you will probably just like I reach a point in the story where you will not be able to put this book down. My desire for answers and happiness for this family propelled me to stay up way too late to finish this book.
• Romance: This book was a slightly slow burn at the beginning but once they came together it was so hot and the heat never dissipated. There is an incredibly touching intimate scene that has our couple sleeping together for the first time after they have not slept with someone for a very long time. That scene and so many others indicate Corinne’s skills of building couples who have such emotional intensity that they will bring you to tears, while not sacrificing the heat and passion in and out of the bedroom. The most heartwarming moment of any single-parent romance is seeing the love interest not just fall in love with their partner but also with the child. For this book especially, to see Holden just adore his daughter so quickly was lovely.

Keep This Promise receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Paperback | Special Edition Paperback | Audio

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Thank you again to Corinne and the Valentine PR team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Corinne Michaels’ Keep This Promise ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I was excited to be selected for this ARC via NetGalley as who in Romancelandia doesn’t know of Elle Kennedy. I have read her for years, more frequently as an author of hockey romance. So, I was excited to see her take on a small town contemporary romance.

“When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion… which she’s trying desperately to forget.

But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there.

Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.

Bestselling author Elle Kennedy returns to Avalon Bay in this sexy second chance story about two exes who can’t stay away from each other, Bad Girl Reputation.“

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: The character of Genevieve was someone I was definitely interested in meeting. She was mentioned often in the previous instalment, but as a more elusive figure. So she’s back in Avalon Bay because of the death of her mother and back into Evan’s life. Gen decided to revamp, and turn her life around, this arc was so well navigated by Elle. Gen’s love interest is her ex, Evan. He is the twin brother of Cooper (from the last book Good Girl Complex). Evan is kind of trouble, but such a sweetie. It was nice as someone who had read the previous book to see Coop and Mac from an outside perspective through Evan. It was also super satisfying to have an expansion on the storyline of Evan and Cooper’s mom.
• Setting: I love this little town. Mostly because Elle has introduced the big cast of characters and I am intrigued to see whose story gets told next. There are definitely some compelling stories there. The small-town nature of it all means checks in and new angles, both A+ in my book.
• Pacing: This book just flew by and I enjoyed the fast pace. The ending did feel a bit too rushed. This is an issue I saw in the first instalment too, so it is just a bit of a weak point. This book did have a better wrap-up than the previous one, so lovely to see some improvement.
• Romance: Gen and Evan are childhood besties who started dating in their high school years. Gen left town abruptly and broke things off. Despite all those years apart, Gen and Evan still had great chemistry. Damn, they are super hot. Evan and Gen are why it is so fun to read second chance romance. Not only did they give love a second chance they gave themselves a second chance. They not only gave each other another chance, but they also gave others in their life another chance. I love that overall message of self-improvement not for vanity, but for betterment and happiness.

Bad Girl Reputation receives four out of five stars.

Thank you again to Elle, the publisher and NetGalley for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Elle Kennedy’s Bad Girl Reputation ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I am so excited to be whisked away to Madigan Mountain with Sarina Bowen and the other gals whose books succeed this one. I am a sucker for a good second-chance romance.

New from twenty-time USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen!

How to behave when the guy who broke your heart two thousand miles away turns up in your office:

One: Don’t drop your lucky coffee cup in shock, even though it’s been ten years.

Two: Don’t get defensive when he asks how you ended up working his family’s ski mountain… and why you kept it a secret.

Three: Give him the worst room in the resort. He deserves it for suddenly waltzing back in like he owns the place. (Which he kind of does.)

Four, five, six, seven, eight and nine: Do not kiss him in the hot tub.

Ten: Try to keep your heart intact after you break all of your rules.

Because Reed is leaving again. Hate can’t turn back into love. And it’s a little too late…“

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: I really enjoyed both of our main characters, Ava and Reed. Ava was the perfect blend of strong-willed but sensitive. Reed is your classic male lead, who made some dumb choices and lost the girl in the process. He was incredibly endearing though, I could not help but like him. This instalment obviously set up the cast of characters that will dominate the rest of the books. The brothers will be our male leads, but I am more excited to see if any of Ava’s friends get to have a love story told.
• Setting: The star of the show in this story is for sure the setting. The setting is Madrigan Mountain, the ski hills, the surrounding town, Penny Ridge and all the people of different stripes who call it home. It was all very charming and what I loved about it is that you get the gossip of a small town, but mixed in with the amenities of hotels. So you get the sneaking to each other’s rooms and skiing, hot tubs and room service.
• Pacing: This story went by at a decent pace, it felt longer than some books I have more recently but I enjoyed that. It really felt like things had space to develop. The earlier part of their chronological story is told in flashbacks. These sections did a great job of solidifying a few pivotal moments in their shared history.
• Romance: Reed and Ava were a great couple to follow and an awesome second chance romance. They had such great chemistry together and I loved how Sarina depicted them as falling right back into place. That despite all the years that have passed they still have great sexual chemistry. There were some great scenes together and I loved how all the side characters seemed to champion their getting together. Shout out to Ava’s friends who would leave a scene to give them space and want all the tea about what went down. An element of this second chance romance that I really loved was the way two people decided to build a home together. Not just that but, building that home in her new home and his former.

A Little Too Late receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Thank you again to Sarina and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Sarina Bowen’s A Little Too Late ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.