All Bets Are Off by Estelle Maskame | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: All Bets Are Off by Estelle Maskame 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Black & White Publishing 

Publication date: 13th August 2026

Blurb:

Three women. One bachelorette weekend. Zero chance of everything going to plan...

Adelaide Sinclair is weeks away from her dream wedding to the love of her life... or so everyone believes. Her bachelorette in Vegas is meant to be the ultimate send-off, until her fiancé crashes the party with his bachelor crew, including Connor, the first boy she ever loved... and the only one who knows the truth.

Hailey Clark would rather be anywhere else than a Las Vegas. When the email of a lifetime lands in her inbox - her shot at becoming a published author - she suddenly needs to balance her maid of honor duties with chasing her dreams. Easy enough... until she ends up handcuffed to the bride's charming younger brother, Theo, and her carefully laid plans go up in glittery smoke.

Evelyn Sinclair is finally twenty-one and ready to party, but she's also desperate for cash - and running out of time to get it. A little light theft seems like the perfect solution... until she tries to help herself to a Rolex from the wrist of a dangerously attractive stranger who insists on payback.

What happens in Vegas definitely won't stay there. By the end of the weekend, everything will change.

Review:

I absolutely loved this!

All Bets Are Off follows Adelaide six weeks before her wedding to Liam, as she heads to Las Vegas for her bachelorette party. Her best friend Hailey has planned the perfect itinerary, but things go quickly off-script when the bachelor party unexpectedly joins them, and Adelaide is faced with a surprise - her ex-boyfriend Connor. 

The story is told from the perspectives of Adelaide, Hailey and Adelaide's younger sister Evelyn, and all three are keeping secrets. Adelaide is hiding something about her relationship with Liam, Hailey is on the cusp of landing a publishing deal and Evelyn has a debt hanging over her head.

I loved each of their stories as well as the Las Vegas setting and chaos of the joint bach parties - it really made me feel like I was right there with them. I went into this expecting a light and fluffy romance so I was surprised with the more serious topics woven throughout. They were handled well but also be aware that there is mention of domestic violence.

Usually when a book has a big cast, I can find myself getting a little confused but that wasn't the case here. Every character felt so distinct and completely themselves, and I found myself flying through the pages because it is such an easy and enjoyable read.

This is the second book I have read and enjoyed by this author so she is very quickly becoming a new favourite of mine. 

Take The Floor by Leigh Suznovich | Book Review

[ad/gifted eARC - I received a eBook copy for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: Take The Floor by Leigh Suznovich 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 18th August 2026

Blurb:

Sophie Allard is one of the most passionate, accomplished ballroom dancers in the game, but she has yet to win the US Championship. Right on the cusp of getting her chance with her partner, disaster strikes. She’s now partnerless and adrift, but still dreams of claiming that title. Her haughty persona and wealthy upbringing hide a host of insecurities, and a soft heart that yearns to be properly loved. Never did she think she might find it in the arrogant Russian who has been a thorn in her side for years…

Leonid Antonov is the picture of smug arrogance after getting out of Russia and overcoming poverty. Ballroom dance is his outlet and refuge, and he is one of the best in the sport. When his longtime partner makes the difficult decision to retire, Sophie’s coach pitches him the idea of partnering with his longtime rival. They have been dogging each other on the competition circuit and trading barbs since they were teenagers. The idea of dancing with the pampered French princess who makes his blood race is not his favorite, but he doesn’t see any other way to keep competing.

With their eyes fixed on winning, they strive to put their animosity aside and make the partnership work. The constant proximity and close dancing start to bring both of their sky high walls down, ignite a fire between them, and help them find a beautiful partnership off of the floor as well as on it. Will they be able to both win the championship and each other’s hearts?

Review: 

Having read and loved Suznovich's previous three books, I was so excited for Take The Floor, especially as a massive Strictly Come Dancing fan. Do I know anything about ballroom or Latin dancing beyond what I've picked up from watching Strictly? Absolutely not, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this.

Russian dancer Leonid Antonov and French dancer Sophie Allard have been competing against each other on the same circuit since they were teenagers. Leo has always secretly had a thing for Sophie, but growing up in a poor family, he never thought he was good enough for her. To him, Sophie seemed completely out of his league, with her beautiful costumes and confidence.

After a decade of competing against each other, both of their dance partners are retiring for different reasons, Sophie's coach finds out that Leo is interested in partnering with Sophie and sets it up. Sophie is far from impressed, convinced Leo is cocky and arrogant, but the more time they spend together, the more she begins to realise that there is a fine line between love and hate. 

And maybe the two of them together have what it takes to become US Latin Champions? 

I absolutely adored this. You can tell Leigh knows her stuff when it comes to the dancing and competition aspects of this book, but Leo and Sophie's relationship was so beautifully developed too and I loved experiencing their relationship grow.

They both have their own complicated family issues, and I appreciated how they were handled and how Leo and Sophie supported one another.

There is even a little crossover of characters from another one of the author's books which I loved. I'm a sucker for a wee Easter egg! Another Suznovich book that I absolutely adored.

Power Play by Chelsea Curto | Blog Tour Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: Power Play by Chelsea Curto 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Panmacmillan 

Publication date: 21st May 2026

Blurb:

Piper Mitchell needs one thing to go her way.

Divorced, feeling stuck in her professional life and terrified of reentering the world of dating, she's decided she's going to work on something she can control: learning how to be good in the bedroom.

Enter Liam Sullivan.

The star NHL goalie might not be a people person, but he's the perfect teacher. He knows what he's doing behind closed doors, and with a little convincing, he agrees to be Piper's guide.

Things between them are casual and easy. Something they can both benefit from. And when a road trip to Vegas as Piper and Liam waking up from a night they can't remember with matching wedding rings, they decide to figure out how much more fun they can have as husband and wife.

It's just for the hockey season. It doesn't mean anything.

But as the clock ticks down on their fake-marriage-with-benefits, can Piper and Liam make it work in the real world? Or will their relationship be a power play straight to disaster?

Review:

It would take one look at my any of my social media pagea to realise that I am a Chelsea Curto superfan. I remember loving this book when I first read it two years ago but this re-read felt like I was going in fresh and I fell in love with Liam Sullivan all over again.

When you read a Chelsea Curto book, you know you are going to get two things; a strong female character and a man who is down bad for his girl, this time it is Liam Sullivan, the DC Stars goalie and Piper Mitchell, the team's rinkside reporter.

As soon as you read the author's note at the beginning with regards to women in sport, you know this is going to be special. Yes, it is a romance book with plenty of spice (bedroom lessons in this case and Curto writes these VERY well), but the tackling of important topics are always brought to the forefront too. Women in what are seen as "men's spaces" is a big part of this one and it felt refreshing to read about a man calling out another man's behaviour even when the woman wasn't there. Isn't that something all men should be doing?

At the beginning we very quickly learn that Liam is a bit of a grump with Piper being upbeat and positive. She has however gone through a rough time with a divorce so she does have things she is hiding too. As time goes on you can feel the two change with each other in the most beautiful way. There is no 0-100 here. It is a really gorgeous natural progression with Liam really boosting her confidence and Piper bringing out something deep inside him that he didn't know he was missing. It is tender, it is emotional. I felt so many feelings!

Curto does characterisation like no other. I always feel like I know these people and it's enthralling. Not even just with Liam and Piper but the supporting characters too. If you read Face Off and loved Maverick Miller, just nudge him to the side because you aren't ready for Liam Sullivan.

Perfection with a little bow on top.

Thank you to Panmacmillan for having me on the tour! 

Small Town Smokeshow by Holly Renée | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eBook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Small Town Smokeshow by Holly Renée 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 12th May 2026

Blurb: 

Hunter Calloway is a small town smokeshow and the kind of man my father warned me about.

He’s got a reputation a mile wide, a smile that could burn through any girl’s good sense, and did I mention he’s also the man my sister once loved and left behind?

He strolls through town like he owns it, tips his hat with a promise in his eyes, and slides those calloused hands across my bakery counter like they haven’t been haunting my dreams for years. He’s six feet of pure temptation wrapped in worn Wranglers, and every time I’m near him, it’s like striking a match during a drought…

Dangerous, inevitable, and exactly what I shouldn’t want.

I try to convince myself I don’t notice the way his gaze lingers, or the way he says my name as if he’s tasting it. But all my good intentions crumble to dust when we find ourselves alone under a sky full of stars with nothing but whiskey and want between us.

And it changes everything.

We promise each other we’re just having fun, yet his fingertips brush across my skin when no one’s watching, and we pretend we don’t ache for each other in a room full of people who would never understand. Every kiss stays in the dark, every desire whispered like a secret, and every touch brands me with guilt.

I know better than to fall for a cowboy like him.

I know better than to want my sister’s past.

But when his eyes find mine, I forget every reason I’ve ever had to say no.

Every touch feels like a risk and every secret like a countdown. I’m lying to everyone, falling harder for a man who never promised me anything, and wondering how much longer I can pretend I don’t care whether I’m just another notch on his well-worn belt.

Because I’m in love with Hunter Calloway regardless of the cost.

Review:

I read Cowboy Casual, the first book in the Calloway Ranch series, back in October 2025, and absolutely adored it, so I'd been impatiently waiting for Hunter Calloway's book ever since. Hunter and Maggie were mentioned so much throughout that first book, so I was immediately intrigued to read more about them in depth.

Maggie runs the bakery in Willow Grove after moving there with her sister, Ella. In Small Town Smokeshow, we learn that Hunter previously dated Ella but Ella cheated on him and moved back home to Tennessee. Maggie has always had feelings for Hunter, which he absolutely reciprocates, but she believes that acting on those feelings would be crossing a line because of Hunter and Ella's history, despite how she treated him.

The tension between Hunter and Maggie is palpable and their relationship and concerns felt so real. We love a man who yearns and Hunter does exactly that. Everyone around him notices too, despite him thinking that he hides it well.

Alongside this sister's ex/forbidden romance storyline, Maggie's relationship with her family adds an emotional layer to the book. She is very much the black sheep and I did really feel for her.

I loved being back with these characters and in my review for Cowboy Casual, I mentioned how beautifully Ruby, Colt's daughter was woven into the story. She wasn't forgotten about and this continued on in Small Town Smokeshow, with some lovely scenes between Ruby and not only her uncle Hunter, but the rest of the gang too.

McCoy and Sutton to come? 👀

Training The Heart by Paisley Hope | Book Review

Title & Author: Training The Heart by Paisley Hope 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Evermore

Publication date: 17th October 2024

Tropes: 

• Grumpy x sunshine

• Accidental pregnancy 

• Found family

• One bed

• Caretaking

• Boss x employee 

Blurb:

Wade Ashby is the grumpiest cowboy I’ve ever met. He also happens to be my boss and the hottest man in Southern America.

It’s been my dream to train a horse on route the Kentucky derby for as long as I can remember. So when the opportunity to work at the Silver Pines ranch presented itself, I grabbed it by the horns.

Being the best horse trainer in Kentucky was my only priority. Until I accidentally slept with my boss.

Now, I can’t think of anything but him.

And once I start tearing down his walls, there’s no going back.

Because the only way he’ll open up his heart again is if it stays that way forever.

Review: 

Well done Paisley Hope for being the first author to make me like the accidental pregnancy trope.

Training The Heart is the second book in the Silver Pines series and follows permanent grump Wade Ashby who is recently divorced from his wife, and new horse trainer Ivy Spencer. Ivy has been hired to cover a maternity leave so knows she probably won't be there forever. She is feisty, taking back control of her life after leaving her ex-boyfriend.

I absolutely loved this. The setting and pace were fantastic, that combined with the development of Wade and Ivy's relationship meant that I didn't want to put this down. It does tackle some harder subjects like grief, alcoholism and infertility and it even made me like a trope that I usually hate! 

I am a fan of Paisley Hope's writing for sure and I have fallen in love with this world and these characters. Time to get stuck into the next one!

Holding The Reins by Paisley Hope | Book Review

Title & Author: Holding The Reins by Paisley Hope

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Evermore

Publication date: 15th August 2024

Tropes:

• Protective MMC

• Small town

• Brother's best friend

• Workplace romance

• Retired ice hockey player 

• He falls first

• Part-time cowboy 

Blurb:

Nash Carter. Retired ice hockey player and part time cowboy. Also my brother’s best friend and therefore strictly off limits.

Despite the fact he can’t stop staring at me like I’m his favourite snack. And I...like it?

After finally escaping the toxic relationship that consumed most of my adult life, I thought I’d sworn off men.

Then Nash hired me to work for him. And somehow we ended up spending the night together.

It was only supposed to happen once. But now that I’ve had a taste, there’s no way I’m walking away.

All I have to do to give us a shot? Take a deep breathe and let go of the reins...

Review:

Two of my favourite genres are cowboy romance and ice hockey romance and this is both of those rolled into one.

There is nothing I love more than starting a new book series and finding characters to fall in love with. After living in Seattle for the best part of a decade, CeCe Rae Ashby is back home in Kentucky after discovering her fiancé's infidelity.

Nash Carter, her brother's best friend, is back home too after retiring from the NHL and he now runs the leisure centre and local bar. Nash has been close with CeCe's family for years after a tragic accident in his teens when her family took him in.

I absolutely loved this. It was funny right from the start with a lot of emotion, with Nash's trauma from witnessing his parents death and CeCe's father passing. It is a gorgeous slow burn and what I love about the brother's best friend trope is that moment when they finally get found out.

Every Reason Why by Sophie Hamilton | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eARC of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: Every Reason Why by Sophie Hamilton

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Montlake/Amazon Publishing

Publication date: 16th February 2026

Blurb:

Leah’s never truly known what it means to feel at home until she settles at Amity Court. But Jackson Hale wants to take it all away.

When Jackson inherits the historic mansion from his grandmother, Esther Hale, the last thing he needs is her bizarre final request: to allow Leah Raven, Esther’s perky tenant, to stay there until the house is sold. It’s infuriating and he doesn’t want her company.

Leah’s found a sanctuary within the walls of Amity Court, and she isn’t going to let some frustrated city businessman cash in his inheritance without resistance—not while there’s so much pleasure to be had in ruffling his feathers.

Although Jackson has learned not to rely on anyone, Leah, with her sunny smiles and silly jokes, soon starts to make that feel like a lonely choice. Forced to live side by side, the walls between them begin to crumble.

But with Jackson’s controlling father pressuring him to sell and a loan shark threatening not only the family business but Leah as well, the two will have to decide what matters more: the security of the lives they’ve built independently, or the chance at something real together.

Sometimes home isn’t a place—it’s finding the person brave enough to see who you really are.

Review:

Ugh I just loved this book so much.

Every Reason Why is the second book in the Pine Springs series and while you don't need to have read the first one, I highly recommend that you do because I loved it also.

When Esther Hale passes away, her grandson Jackson inherits her home, Amity Court. Jackson begrudgingly works for his father's development company and has always been compared to his late brother Dominic. With his father making some bad business decisions, Jackson plans to spruce up Amity Court and get it on the market. The only problem is, Esther's tenant Leah Raven who has been tasked with working on Esther's novel.

What I love about Hamilton's books are the depth. Jackson, the grump, and Leah, the bright, sunny one both have their own troubles. Leah has never really had somewhere that felt like home and now Amity will be taken from her. Jackson will never hold a candle to Dominic in the eyes of his family.

The relationship and how it develops between these two is beautiful. There is a really gorgeous caretaking scene which was probably one of my favourite takes on that trope and the pacing worked so well. I believed that Jackson was warming to Leah and it felt real. 

This is a romance but as a thriller and crime lover, I always enjoy when that genre is incorporated too. All in all, it gave me everything I wanted and Leah is such a strong character who I want to be friends with! 

Bring on the next one! 

Stirred Up by Leigh Suznovich | Book Review

[ad/gifted eARC - I received a gifted eARC for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Stirred Up by Leigh Suznovich 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 9th December 2025

Blurb: 

Gage Cabrera is married to his work running his family’s beloved bar, El Abrevadero. His past has him not wanting to commit to any relationship, he’s content to go home to his funny birds. That is, until his ailing dad sets an ultimatum: get married, or I won’t turn ownership of the bar over to you when I retire. Gage is at a loss, until Celeste comes charging into his life with a personality as fiery as her hair.

Celeste Martino is trying to get her life back together and moving forward after a four month stint in prison on an unjust charge. The trying experience has made her endometriosis flare up, but she has no healthcare. After commiserating with Gage, who she has started to like visiting at his bar, he comes up with a plan: get married so he can inherit his bar, and she can go on his healthcare.

As with any carefully laid plan, it goes off script and lines start to get stirred up when they find everything they could have ever wanted in each other. Can these two people who are so scared of romance make a marriage work for real?

Review: 

We all know I am a serial four star giver but there was genuinely nothing I disliked about Stirred Up so it gets an instant five stars from me.

I read, and loved, the Special Delivery duet - The Parcel and The Care Package - and was delighted when I heard that there was actually going to be another book focusing on the sister of a character in The Care Package. From what we heard of Celeste in The Care Package, I knew she would be an interesting character to delve into and boy, was I right! Suznovich has developed this character perfectly.

Celeste has recently been released from prison after her charge of breaking a man's nose after he inappropriately touched her, was reduced to a misdemeanor and has to attend anger management classes. She has also been recently diagnosed with endometriosis and requires an operation to help with her pain but with no health insurance, that will prove difficult.

Gage runs his father's bar and is good friends with Carlo, the boyfriend of Celeste's sister. He knows he will become the owner of the bar soon due to his father's declining health, but his dad doesn't want the bar to be his life. He wants Gage to find love and get married and for everything to be balanced.

He needs a wife, she needs health insurance - the two could help each other out surely?

I absolutely adored these two. Celeste is probably my favourite FMC I have read about in a while. She is so headstrong and her issues with anger, trauma, trust and endometriosis are tackled fantastically. I love how her relationship with Gage changes her for the better and she learns to trust someone other than her sister.

Gage's family dynamic and all of their support for them, taking Celeste in so she feels like a part of them too is beautiful. Especially for someone like Celeste who has never really felt that.

In true Leigh Suznovich style, there are some of the most mouth-watering descriptions of food and I feel like I want to go to El Abrevadero immediately! 

Everyone needs to go read not just this book, but The Parcel and The Care Package too.

King Of Obsession by Jessica Jude | Book Review

[I received an eARC copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: King Of Obsession by Jessica Jude

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 4th November 2025

Blurb:

Rhett

Being a rockstar has been the dream since the first time I picked up a guitar. The fame, the lights, the rush of playing sold-out concerts. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

But reaching that dream means keeping my past buried. To pull it off, I need someone to play along. Someone the world will believe. Lucky for me, I already know the perfect girl.

Unlucky for me? She wants nothing to do with me.

So now I have to do what I do best—charm her until she wants me as much as I want her.

It’s only for six weeks. What could possibly go wrong?

Saylor

Rhett Cole was my first kiss. My first heartbreak. The boy I couldn’t forget, no matter how hard I tried. When he walked away eleven years ago, I learned the hard way that fairy tales don’t come true for girls like me.

Now he’s back, more famous than ever, asking me for the impossible. Be his fake girlfriend for six weeks? Spend hours stuck on a tour bus with him? Share his bed?

Oh, and offering enough money to cover my bills for the next year.

It sounds simple. But nothing about Rhett Cole has ever been simple.

I’ve heard his promises before. And if I let him get close again, I know exactly how this ends.

But the more I push him away, the harder it gets to remember what’s fake… and what’s dangerously real.

Review:

King Of Obsession is the third book in the Hand of Revenge series, although you don't need to have read the first two to enjoy this one (I didn't but will definitely be going back to read them!) 

Saylor is recently separated from her military husband and works at a charity job that she really enjoys. When she is made redundant, she is nervous about how to pay the bills, especially now military housing support is stopping.

Rhett Cole is a "nepo baby" rockstar who has recently signed a record deal with a label which has taken a chance on him. His contract specifically states that he is to have a squeaky clean image so he hides the fact that he had recently completed a stint in rehab.

Rhett and Saylor bump into each other and while Saylor pretends she doesn't recognise him, Rhett definitely remembers her. She is the girl he had a thing with back at summer camp over a decade ago.

After not being able to stop thinking about Saylor, Rhett has a proposition for her - come along on tour, pretend to be his girlfriend and keep him on the straight and narrow. Saylor however is still angry with him for not getting in touch with her after summer camp. But this job could really help her financially...

I ate this book up. I forgot how much I love a rockstar romance and this one is done very well. It isn't all fluffy and rainbows, the pace was great, especially when it came to the two of them acknowledging their past.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series! 

Spiral by Bal Khabra | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Spiral by Bal Khabra 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: 28th January 2025

Blurb:

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina whose lack of popularity online has put her at a major disadvantage for securing the roles she dreams of. When Sage finds herself with the chance to change her luck by fake-dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy rules they set in place fall away. But before things can spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they're willing to take the leap together or if they'll have to call it quits.

Review:

There are so many things I love about this book!

Spiral is the second novel in the Off The Ice series, featuring Elias Westbrook who has recently joined ice hockey team Toronto Thunder. Although great with the assists, he has yet to score a career goal. He is under the microscope with the boss and the media scrutiny he gets isn't helping either. 

Sage Beaumont is a ballerina trying to land her dream role. When her uncle, the general manager of Toronto Thunder, asks her to perform at an event, she meets Elias. She could use his status to gain popularity for her ballet auditions and he could use a steady girlfriend to keep the tabloids away. What can go wrong with fake dating?

I absolutely adored Sage's character. She has had a troubled childhood, has worked so hard for herself while also being her brother's guardian (who is also diabetic so props for that representation!). Elias's character arc was one of my favourites and I loved how he slowly let Sage in, something he has struggled to do.

The two really come together to help each other out but also push each other to be the best they can be. I really enjoyed Sage's ballet scenes, despite not knowing a lot about ballet myself, but what ties this book all together is the found family aspect between the main characters and the supporting ones.

The Ending Is The Best Part by Lamia Zain | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: The Ending Is The Best Part by Lamia Zain

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Corvus

Publication date: 2nd October 2025

Blurb:

Yara and Xander are both writers on a major TV series. But that's where the similarities end.

Yara loves romance, but Xander doesn't see the point. He is only interested in the greats: Kubrick, Scorsese, Tarantino. He doesn't have Instagram, hasn't read a book published this century.

When they're tasked with writing the season finale together, they know the episode needs them both - romance and drama, head and heart.

Can they put aside their differences to create something remarkable?

Review:

This book was written as part of 'BookTok Made Me Write It', where TikTok users got to vote on key aspects of the book. You can really tell because it just screams that it was written for the BookTok community - and I ATE it up.

Yara Aslan is a junior screenwriter working on a popular television show. Her parents haven't really been supportive of her job, thinking it is just something she will do for a while and they have hopes of her becoming a lawyer. When tasked with the opportunity of writing the season finale of the show and to have her name proudly displayed as the writer, she thinks this could just be the opportunity to show them that her career is serious.

When her boss Meagan pairs her up with her office nemesis Xander Woods, stating that both of their ideas will gel well together, Yara is less than enthused and doesn't want his name being listed first.

This book has everything you would want in a romance novel. It is closed door for those who don't like spice, it is enemies-to-lovers with the forced proximity and "only one bed" tropes but it also has heart. Although just a short novel - I read it in one sitting - there is a lot of depth to the characters. Something that I really enjoy. It shows that you don't need lots of words to make someone feel. Each has their problems, it shows that relationships take trust and time and I especially loved the parallels with Yara and Xander and the characters they were writing about.

A very enjoyable read! 

Collide by Bal Khabra | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Collide by Bal Khabra 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Bloomsbury 

Publication date: 16th January 2024

Blurb: 

When Summer Preston's professor issues her with an ultimatum, she finds herself on an unexpected collision course with hockey captain Aiden Crawford.

Summer hates everything about hockey, for good reason, but she isn't going to let that stand in the way of her becoming a sports psychologist.

Aiden loves being the hockey captain, except when his team's reckless mistakes risk jeopardising their entire season. When Coach puts him forward for a research paper as punishment, he has no choice but to accept.

Summer can't stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn't understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other – it turns out – is what they do best.

As sparks fly, neither wants to be the one to give in. Can they get everything they want – including each other?

Review:

I love an ice hockey romance, and this was such a fun and heartwarming read!

Summer Preston, a sports psychology student with an avid hatred of ice hockey, gets pushed by her advisor into working with Aiden Crawford, the captain of the college ice hockey team. Aiden, who has taken the blame for his teammates’ party fiasco, becomes the subject of Summer’s research project. Neither of them are particularly thrilled about it, but sparks start to fly.

What I really enjoyed about this story was the depth beyond the romance. Summer and Aiden aren’t just stereotypes, they’re layered characters with real backstories. I liked learning why Summer avoids hockey and seeing Aiden’s struggles rooted in his past.

The dynamic definitely gives dislike-to-lovers, and while their relationship development was sweet and satisfying, what surprised me most was the humour. The banter didn’t just come from Summer and Aiden’s witty back-and-forth, but also from the whole team, something that always makes me excited for subsequent books.

If you enjoy sports romances with equal parts swoon, banter, and heart, this one is worth picking up!

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Harper360

Publication date: 13th February 2024

Blurb:

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

Review:

This is one of those books I'd seen everywhere for ages and now that I've read it, I am fuming that I didn't read it sooner. Although maybe the universe planned for me to read it this year because I would understand it more.

Josephine runs her family's golf shop and is a pretty big fan girl of one high-profile golfer, Wells Whitaker. Once upon a time he was at the top of his game but his downfall is currently happening. Josephine's loyalty has never wavered though.

Events ensue and Wells hires Josephine as his caddy for the next tournament. She is the one who has always believed in him, plus, with a hurricane wiping out the golf shop, she needs the money for renovations.

Imagine my surprise to read that Josephine has type 1 diabetes. As the parent of a child who was diagnosed with T1D at the beginning of this year and our lives have been consumed with it, I knew Bailey had lived experience with this and it wasn't just written through research alone. If you don't know anything about T1D and love a romance novel, this book is so factually accurate, it made my heart happy.

What also made my heart happy? The development of Wells' character with Josephine's help and their relationship as a whole. 

Just beautiful and I am getting stuck straight into the rest of the series.

Among The Willows by Jennifer L Strand | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eARC of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: Among The Willows by Jennifer L Strand 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 21st March 2025

Blurb:

He’s a cage fighting cowboy who never stopped loving his best friend, but all she’s ever done is run.

Romy Miller is a laid-off teacher who hasn’t been home in twelve years. Not since she hooked up with her best guy friend and ran off to college. She has cut all ties to Willows, including her narcissistic father, but when she receives a collect call from her older sister in jail asking for help, she decides there is no choice but to return home.

Since his childhood crush, Romy, broke his heart, Jude Larsen hasn’t been home to the family ranch. Instead, he channeled all his frustration and self-worth into a championship MMA career. That is, until he receives a call from his uncle the ranch is now a crime scene and Romy’s sister is behind bars.

Now both are returning to Willows. While Jude brings his training camp to the ranch in preparation for the biggest fight of his career, Romy embarks on a relentless quest to clear her sister's name. What neither of them knows is that someone else isn't happy that she's returned and will stop at nothing to ensure she doesn't find the truth.

Review:

I was a thriller girlie first and foremost before discovering my love of romances (cowboy romance in particular!). I have read my fair share of cowboy romances and sometimes they can either feel a bit samey or just miss the mark. Among The Willows is like a breath of fresh air. As I was reading I had that feeling of "I will read anything this author writes. I am now obsessed". 

Romy is a teacher who has recently been laid off and has also discovered that her boyfriend has been cheating on her for the last four months. As if things weren't bad enough, she receives a call from her sister Hazel who is in a penitentiary after allegedly shooting and killing her boyfriend. Romy then returns to her hometown, somewhere she hasn't stepped foot in in the last twelve years.

Rhys Larsen is a big shot MMA fighter who used to work at the ranch in Romy's hometown. He also hasn't been back in twelve years, since the morning after he and Romy finally spent the night together at the age of eighteen, then she ghosted him.

This book is just everything. You have small town romance, second chances, a male main character who has been pining for the last twelve years but also that thriller/crime element that I love with regards to Romy's sister. 

It is a spicy read, and those scenes are incredible, but the plot is so full that you don't want to put it down. Perfection.

Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eBook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto 

Genre: Romance 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 14th February 2024

Blurb:

Hudson Hayes, star defenseman for the DC Stars, needs help. He’s been looking for a private chef for months but keeps coming up short. With the NHL season starting and no prospects in sight, he’s close to giving up.

Madeline Galloway needs a job. Recently let go from her executive chef position in Las Vegas, she’s desperate as can be when she reaches out to an old acquaintance about a possible job opportunity…. in Washington DC.

After hitting it off with her prospective employer, the blond hockey star who seems to have a heart of gold, she and her daughter, Lucy, make the move east.

The rules were simple: no personal relationships. No falling for the romantic guy who always made her smile, even if they are living together and spending all their free time with each other.

After a kiss on New Year’s Eve, everything changes. The lines blur. Being Hudson’s friend—and only his friend—is the last thing on her mind.

And when Hudson learns American Sign Language for her Lucy? It might be a slap shot to Madeline's heart.

Review:

Oh, Hudson, Madeline and Lucy - my heart! 

When I read the first book in the DC Stars series, Face Off, it was my first time reading a Chelsea Curto book. I instantly fell in love with Maverick and Emmy but with Curto's writing style too. So much so that I went back to read her Love Through A Lens series where, again, I fell in love with all of the characters. Her characters have a bit of a crossover throughout the books so I felt excited for the next one, Power Play and then obviously for Slap Shot.

Slap Shot follows Hudson Hayes and Madeline Galloway. Hudson is a DC Stars player looking for a personal chef who he can trust. Madeline is a chef in Las Vegas whose restaurant is being bought over and is therefore out of a job. We met Madeline briefly in a previous book where she took her daughter Lucy to a Stars game (even though she is not a fan of the sport herself!).

Madeline ends up relocating with her daughter and working for Hudson. This is a slow burn but so beautifully done. Madeline's daughter is Deaf and she has lost trust following her husband leaving them for this reason. Hudson has been in a state of sadness since the passing of his mother and having Madeline and Lucy in his life brings back his spark.

Curto really has a way of writing that hits your emotions and has you falling for these characters. Not only do I adore the romantic developments between the main characters but I love the friendships too. The girl's group who have each others backs, give advice and have a laugh but the men's friendship is so refreshing and wholesome.

This is a beautiful read and I just want to go back and re-read all of Chelsea Curto's books now while I wait for more DC Stars novels.

Offside Rule by Maeve Hazel | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eBook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Author & Title: Offside Rule by Maeve Hazel

Genre: Romance 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 16th January 2025

Blurb: 

With rules strictly prohibiting referee/player relationships, Arianna and Xavier face an impossible choice.

Fiery and focused.

Arianna Esposito is a single mother under pressure. As a European football referee, she loves her job—but she struggles with an old injury and the guilt over moments she's missing with her young daughter. The last thing she expects is for a charming young football player to make her believe in love again. Arianna finds herself torn between the world she's carefully built and the risky promise of something more.

Dedicated and passionate.

Xavier Kavalle is a rising star in European football, doing his best to shoulder the weight of his team’s success. As he prepares his teammates for their shot at the championship, he finds inspiration in an unexpected place—the referee he can’t keep his eyes off of. She’s talented, fiercely independent, and everything he never knew he needed. Under mounting pressure, can Xavier step up to be everything his team—and Arianna—needs?

As the championship approaches, will they play it safe or defy the rules to pursue the kind of love they long for?

Review:

This is the cutest novella! I love a sports romance anyway so I knew this would be right up my street.

Nineteen-year-old Xavier Kavalle plays for a European football team. He is good enough to be captain but that role has gone to his cousin (who isn't the best player on the team) just because his dad is the team's coach. Despite this, he stays positive and confident in his team's ability.

Arianna Esposito is a twenty-five-year-old widow and mum to four-year-old Giulia. She is also a football referee who takes her job very seriously. The two cross paths one evening after she makes a football comment to Xavier whilst he's watching replays, then he realises she actually knows her stuff when he discovers she is refereeing his next match. 

There is an instant spark between the two of them but with their age gap, the fact that a ref cannot get involved with a player and the fact that Arianna has a child, could their relationship work?

The character of Xavier was so lovely for someone so young and I really enjoyed the scenes between Xavier and Giulia. Arianna's feelings regarding being torn between her career and her family were written very well and you could feel her turmoil. I love novellas because I can just fly through the story but at the same time I feel sad when I am loving them because I just want to read about these characters forever.

This is a sweet, short read that any romance lover will enjoy! 

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 4th October 2022

Blurb:

Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight.

Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up.

Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner.

The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And—as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time—it can’t possibly go wrong.

What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own…

Review:

I have been wanting to read as many festive books as I can this Christmas and this one had been on my radar for a while. Although I'm not usually a fan of friends to lovers, I absolutely loved this.

Molly is a lawyer from Ireland working and living in Chicago. Every year she flies back home to her family for Christmas. The first year of doing this, her best friend (who she is definitely going to stop being friends with) has informed her of her decision to split up with her boyfriend, Andrew. Who is sitting next to Molly on the flight? Yep, Andrew, who is also Irish and flying back home for Christmas.

After that first flight, Molly and Andrew have made it a tradition to fly back home together and it is now their tenth year of doing so. A storm has hit Chicago and Molly knows how much Christmas means to Andrew and his family so she will do anything to get him back to Ireland. So off they go to Paris, London then on the ferry to Ireland.

I loved how this was written. We have the story of their long winded trip back home in the present but also glimpses from the past ten years of flying together and you can really see their friendship building. After reading about all their journeys together over the years, Andrew delivers a wonderful monologue that really gripped my heart.

There is some really brilliant Irish humour in here too with fantastic characters. I am excited to read more by Catherine Walsh.