Showing posts with label spicy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spicy. Show all posts

Monday, April 14, 2025

My Review for Deep End by Ali Hazelwood read by Therese Plummer and Ben Holtzmuller

April 14, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


Another first and another winner.

Once again, I'm late to the party and this is my first Ali Hazelwood book. Listening on a beautiful spring day, whilst pottering in the garden, I had no idea what to expect. I never read the blurb, I had no idea what level of spice 🌶 to expect, I just knew that lots of people love Ali Hazelwood and here was my opportunity to join them. 

I loved the diving side story, I'm in awe of watching divers on TV, they have so much skill, it's incredible. Listening to how Scarlett overcame her injury and her blocker on the dive that caused it had me hooked. Lukas was a very welcome addition to Scarlett's life and as she gradually opens up to him, and him to her, the whole relationship made me all gooey inside! 

This wasn't as spicy as I was expecting, after I'd listened to the disclaimer at the beginning, but it fitted into the story nicely, as both Scarlett and Lukas began to trust and support each other as time went on - both in and out of the bedroom.

I love an audiobook with different narrators for the male and female main characters, and both Therese and Ben did an awesome job with Scarlett and Lukas. I will definitely be adding more of Ali's book to my TBR, and any recommendations are welcome. 

Thank you to PRH Audio and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Deep End by Ali Hazelwood.


About the Book

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water.


About Ali - by Ali

I’m originally from Italy, lived in Japan and Germany, and eventually moved to the US to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. I was a professor for about three years, but in 2022 I quit to write full time. When I’m not writing you can find me prowling around AO3, binge-watching shows with my three feline overlords (and my almost equally feline husband), crocheting, or eating candy.

(The name of the dog in the picture is Chica; she is not mine, but I wish she were. Love to Chandra Wicke for the photo, and to Barbara for introducing me to my new bestie.)








Read More

Sunday, March 23, 2025

My Review for Hannah and the Hitman by Vanessa Vale, read by Gail Shalan and Rock Engle

March 23, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments



He loves the spice as much as she does.....

For the first couple of chapters of this audiobook, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I don't know why, I just didn't get that initial vibe, but, OMG, I am so glad I carried on with it. What a cute, spicy listen this was. First off, Jack loves books as much as Hannah does. Now I love my husband more than anything in the whole wide world, but sometimes I just want to tell him about what I'm reading, and he just doesn't care! Although he did say some book mail I received yesterday was pretty so......!

The hitman thing worked well, from one extreme to another though - he's the hitman, and she's the librarian, but hey, when you get into her character, Hannah is quite good at holding her own! Feisty little thing she is!

The story is told alternately from Jack and Hannah's point of view, and the two narrators, Rock Engle and Gail Shalan were so good. Rock in particular, I could have listened to those dulcet tones all day long. 

Thank you to Simon Maverick and Libro FM for the opportunity to listen to and review Hannah and the Hitman by Vanessa Vale.


About the Book

An assassin and a secretly spicy bookworm ignite sparks in Hannah and the Hitman , a steamy romantic suspense bursting with humor, sizzling chemistry, a supernatural twist, and the ultimate fight for a happily-ever-after.

What happens when a sexy, cocky hitman and a secretly smutty small-town librarian get together? Sparks fly.

I’m a hitman. With all the bad guys out there, business is brisk. I don’t have time to focus on anything but work until I sit beside a curvy woman on a plane…and read over her shoulder. I’m instantly obsessed with the small-town librarian who dreams of having a happily-ever-after of her own but is convinced true love is a fantasy only found in books.

My new job? Proving that she’ll have an HEA with me. Because she’s mine.

Except...big problem. I haven’t told her I’m a hitman. Turns out, she has a few shocking secrets of her own. When a mafia boss doesn’t like me distracted from one last hit, can I be a superhero and keep Hannah alive, or am I not the one wearing the cape?

About Vanessa

Vanessa Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of sexy romance novels, including her popular Bridgewater historical romance series and hot contemporary romances. With over one million books sold, Vanessa writes about unapologetic bad boys who don’t just fall in love, they fall hard. Her books are available worldwide in multiple languages in e-book, print, audio and even as an online game. When she’s not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys and figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker. While she’s not as skilled at social media as her kids, she loves to interact with readers.



Read More

My Review for The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

March 23, 2025  , , , , , , , ,  No comments


Unusually, it's the woman who is the grump in this one....

I'm a bit late with this review, but I did read it in December when I was feeling Christmassy! The Christmas Tree Farm is the third in the Dream Harbor series and I loved this one, although Cinnamon Bun is still my favourite!

Kira is awesome. Despite her tetchy exterior, we soon discover that deep, deep down, beneath all the crotchetiness, she has a heart of gold, and she loves dogs so yep, that's more than enough for me! I adored her dogged determination as she tried to make her farmhouse at least a tiny bit habitable, and little by little she lets Bennett in to help her. Bennett had the patience of a saint, dealing with Kira's mood swings and stubbornness, but of course they get there in the end.

As others have mentioned, this would be great as a Christmas rom-com - think The Holiday! I love that movie!

I've already read and reviewed The Strawberry Patch Pancake House, so go back and read my review for that one too. I'm loving this series, and I'm looking forward to finally hearing Annie and Mac's story.


About the Book

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates.

After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing.

Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it.

But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kira watches him swing an ax at the first tree, she finds herself appreciating his strength and questionning why she refused help in the first place..


About Laurie/Melissa - by Laurie

As Melissa McTernan, I write sweet and steamy fantasy/paranormal romance. I love grumpy heroes, sarcastic heroines, and grown-up fairy tales. I am currently working on The Wolf Brother’s series for One More Chapter (a HarperCollins UK imprint). The trilogy follows three werewolf brothers and their (maybe if they don’t screw it up) Mates.

As Laurie Gilmore (my pen name), I write steamy small-town romance. My Dream Harbor series is filled with quirky townsfolk, cozy settings, and swoon-worthy romance. I love finding books with the perfect balance of sweetness and spice and strive for that in my own writing. If you ever wished you lived in Stars Hollow (or that Luke and Lorelai would just get together already!) then these books are definitely for you.

When I’m not writing, I’m most likely reading or wrangling my kids as a stay-at-home mom. I live in upstate New York with my husband, kids, cats, puppy, and full bookshelves. I write romance to keep my sanity.



















Read More

Friday, March 21, 2025

My Review for Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney read by Ruby Cherise

March 21, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments

Vampires and Jay Gatsby......

I love The Great Gatsby, and when I saw the opportunity to listen to a retelling, with vampires no less, then I had to download it, grab my AirPods and head off into the garden with Jay and Daisy.

Now I didn't particularly like Daisy's character in The Great Gatsby, but she was pretty cool in this one, a great girlfriend, awesome mate and pretty great cousin. I loved how vampires weren't the only paranormal aspect of Beautiful Villain, and I'm not going to give you any spoilers, I'm just going to say that Daisy has a pretty impressive talent which could come in useful in the real world!

If you've read The Great Gatsby, you'll have a fun time seeing how Rebecca slots things into the retelling, I thought it was cleverly done and to be honest, the characters are a whole lot better in this version!

Ruby Cherise is great as the narrator, she made the audiobook experience fun and enjoyable, and I'm hoping she narrates the others too. I'll definitely be reading or listening anyway. 

Thank you to Libro FM and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney.

About the Book

Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he's back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. She doesn't want to think about life after college, or the newly awakened power of her voice, which has a way of making people do frightening things. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy confronts the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart―now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

It isn't long before Daisy becomes entangled in a web of dizzying wealth and lies and obsession darker than she could have dreamed―culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn't until Gatsby is shot through the heart―and survives―that Daisy discovers the truth of how Gatsby clawed his way up in the world by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends' lives at stake, her own untested power still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: side with the man who claimed her body and soul…or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby with a magical twist.


About Rebecca

Rebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and retellings, including the Gilded Monsters series from Sourcebooks Casablanca. "Beautiful Villain" (Gilded Monsters #1) is a spicy Southern gothic retelling of The Great Gatsby with vampires, set near Asheville, NC. "Charming Devil" (Gilded Monsters #2) is a retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, set in Charleston, SC. Books 3 and 4 of the series are Southern gothic retellings of Wuthering Heights and The Phantom of the Opera. 

Rebecca's most popular indie books include the Wicked Darlings series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the Merciless Dragons series (dragon shifters), the Dark Rulers series (standalone fantasy romance novels in a shared world), and the Beloved Villains series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy (The Vampires Will Save You), a demon romance duet, a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings. Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.




Read More

Friday, November 8, 2024

My Review for Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows, read by Samantha Brentmoor and Patrick Zeller

November 08, 2024  , , , , ,  No comments



Lena and Gavin....at the beginning I just wanted to bang their heads together - a typical case of miscommunication, or rather a lack of communication! For heaven’s sake, just talk to each other! 

Samantha Brentmoor and Patrick Zeller were great narrators as Lena and Gavin, both of them throwing themselves into the characters, especially during the spicy scenes - you have been warned! Of course, it was pretty obvious how the story was going to pan out, but the excitement and the build-up to Christmas and beyond was so much fun. I loved that Gavin was having to eat a gluten-free diet. This resonated slightly with me as my husband has recently been diagnosed with coeliac, so that’s the route we’re going down right now!

Lena’s family is just a cuteness overload. From the smallest baby to the eldest Grandma, I was invested in them all as soon as I plugged my AirPods in. The bonus episodes were awesome, I don’t know whether these are included in the physical book, but I loved hearing what happened a few months on,

Thank you to HarperAudio and Libro.fm for the opportunity to listen to and review Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows.

About the Book


A sweet and spicy holiday romance between a spirited artist who returns to her small town for Christmas and her older brother’s best friend, a serious architect who pushes all her buttons—but whom she can’t seem to stay away from. Now with exclusive bonus content!

Lena’s plans are simple. Surprise her family for Christmas, don’t tell them she lost her job, and most importantly, spend the week relaxing with the people she cares about.

But when she arrives in Juniper, she discovers she’s not the only unexpected guest this year. Her older brother’s best friend, Gavin, is back after disappearing three years ago without a word. He has the kind of charm Lena has always been drawn to. But she knows he’s also the kind of temptation she needs to stay far away from.

Gavin has built his architecture career out of planning strategies for dealing with the unexpected—but he didn’t have a strategy for the possibility of seeing Lena again. Though he’s been dreaming of her since the day he left, he can’t risk giving in to his feelings when they could upend the only family and home he has ever known.

New plan: try to be friends again. Just friends.

But as the pieces fall into place about why Gavin left, staying friends is the last thing on his mind…and on Lena’s. All the plans they’ve made might end up completely wrecked. And for once, maybe they want it that way.


About Jillian - by Jillian

I love to write romance that feels like a warm, cozy hug. That makes you smile and laugh and blush. That gives you that heart-bursting, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling that we’re all searching for in a love story.

​​If that’s your vibe, welcome! I’m so happy you’re here!!

​​I live thirty miles past The Middle of Nowhere with my husband, four wild daughters, two unruly dogs, and my sparkling water addiction. When I’m not writing, you can find me devouring a romance novel, playing board games, or enjoying the outdoors with my family.



Read More