Tag: 3 potatoes

The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy

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College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

Book: The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy
Published: June 16, 2020
Pages: 354
Genres: Romance, Athlete, New Adult, College, Curvy Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 13, 2023
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

When I finished this book I was leaning more towards a 3 rating but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the book and how much I truly enjoyed Conor’s character so for him alone its getting bumped up to a 3.5.

I’m not sure whether Conor already had me here…

Because whoever is torturing this poor girl is certainly watching us right now and they can eat shit. “Lead the way, babe.”

Or here…

“Taylor Marsh, will you do me the incredible honor of updating your relationship status and becoming my fake girlfriend?”

But either way – I love him, I love him, I love him! He is not perfect, he doesn’t always say or do the right thing but he really does care about Taylor and he tries, he tries so hard. I loved how he tried to be the best fake boyfriend for Taylor and then starting falling for her and found himself missing her like a true boyfriend should.

The reason this book is not getting bumped up to a 4 is because of Taylor, plain and simple. I understand we all have body image issues and you can’t tell someone how to feel about themselves but her issues were just over the top. Many males in the book hit on her and checked her out and from the description she was curvy but not fat. Again, you can’t tell someone how to feel but her insecurities drove me nuts! She was doing better with her issues at one point and then it was just like nope, back to square one!

I loved the beginning of the book, it started out great, the middle was good but I didn’t like the chapters leading up to the end. The final hurdle the couple had to go through didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me and felt unnecessary. I know these are college kids and we aren’t always rational at that age but I found myself very confused and wondering what the heck just happened in the book. And then boom, a rushed ending and suddenly everything is okay. I also feel like the epilogue didn’t give us a true glimpse of their future. I need to know that they made it as a couple because with the way things went at the end, even though they worked things out, I still feel like so much was uncertain.

I feel like if the ending gone differently and not been as rushed, and we had an epilogue that was more in the future and gave us more certainty on this couples future this could potentially gotten a 4 rating.

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Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills

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Level-headed Francesca Lane never thought she’d miss her own wedding. But when her fiancé betrays her, she puts on her wedding dress and ditches the altar for a masquerade ball—at a sex club.

There, she meets NFL star Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and hiding behind a mask as he celebrates his birthday. For one night, Francesca and Tuck indulge in a wickedly incognito affair. No names. No strings. And the masks don’t come off.

Unfortunately, Francesca soon realizes her prince is the wealthy jock who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. His hobbies include parties and supermodels—or so the tabloids say. Another shallow jerk is the last thing Francesca needs, so she vows to keep Tuck from recognizing her, not that she’s his type anyway.

But fate has a teeny-tiny trick up her sleeve… a plus sign on a pregnancy test. Can this tormented prince accept love, or will he push his princess away forever?

Book: Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Published: November 8, 2022
Pages: 283
Genres: Romance, Athlete
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 12-13, 2023 Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I wanted to love this book so badly, I really did, but I can’t bring myself give it a better rating. The premise was great, the beginning was binge worthy and then it all fell apart in the middle. The entire middle of the book is Francesca trying to come up with reasons not to tell Tuck she’s pregnant and putting it off every chance she gets. I understand her being afraid and not wanting to lose him but she’s 30 years old at this point, she’s not an 18 year old kid. And that was literally all the middle of the book was – when is she going to tell Tuck she’s pregnant? And then the end was very rushed and didn’t wrap things up as nicely as I would have liked.

I did enjoy the characters! I liked that Francesca was a fighter who kept her head held high and didn’t let her cheating jerk of a fiancé ruin her. It was refreshing to see a heroine that keeps going, even after being knocked down several times. I absolutely loved Cece and Brogan, and Jasper too, I feel like they made the book honestly! And I obviously enjoyed reading about Tuck as well! He also didn’t have an easy life growing up and is now at a big moment at his life when his football career is coming to an end, which is a huge life altering change. I loved that he wasn’t afraid to pursue Francesca and continued to seek her out because he knew there was something there with their chemistry.

The ending, while forced, made me smile because our couple got their happily ever after which is really all I want to see in a romance book like this. Overall it was a good read but will I read it again? Most likely not.

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Finding You by Lena Hendrix

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After eight years in the Marines, I’m still looking for the mysterious woman I’ve obsessed over since her first letter. When she shows up in my small town, I’m thrilled. It turns out she’s my brother’s best friend–and the girl he’s always loved– now I’m caught between the two people who matter to me the most.

I’m a Marine which means honor and duty runs deep. Joanna is off-limits. That would be a whole lot easier if she hadn’t already agreed to helping run my brother’s fishing guide business for the summer, forcing me to work side-by-side with the woman I’ve fantasized about for years.

I can keep her at a distance, push her away, man up. But she draws me in without even trying and I can’t get enough of how she makes me feel. I’m stealing moments with her and I know it’s wrong. She may not be my brother’s girlfriend, but I know a landmine when I see one.

Does being an honorable man really mean I have to let her go?

Book: Finding You by Lena Hendrix
Published: May 26, 2021
Pages: 258
Genres: Romance, Military or Men In Uniform
Format: Kindle
Date Read: February 9-10, 2023
Rating: 3 Potatoes

I really liked the premise of this story and was looking forward to reading it so much but was very disappointed.

The characters had good chemistry and sizzling love scenes but that’s where it ended in my opinion. The characters were so in lust with how the other looked that we didn’t get to find out much about the characters themselves. They were very one dimensional and I felt like we didn’t get to know them at all.

The book was good in that it was fast paced and not boring at all but I wanted to learn more about these characters and why they liked each other so much, other than looks.

What little I knew about the characters, I enjoyed reading but I just feel like I wanted more from the story.

Ignite (Cloverleigh Farms #6) by Melanie Harlow and Tempting Levi (Cade Brothers #1) by Jules Barnard

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My new neighbor is a firefighter—and a scorching hot single dad—but I swear I didn’t set off that smoke alarm on purpose.

(And I was beyond mortified when he rushed in and saw me naked.)

Nothing happened, of course—because I, Winnie MacAllister, romance junkie and owner of a constantly broken heart, have sworn off men for one solid year.

Even protective men with chiseled jaws, bulging biceps, and deep brown eyes that make my breath come faster. Even former SEALs with broad chests and strong hands that make my skin sizzle. Even gorgeous, grumpy guys who have their hands full raising two adorable little girls and claim they don’t believe in love.

Until Dex kisses me one night, and I drop all my defenses.

(Also my underwear.)

He says he’s not gentle, and he’s right. He says I should take the dream job I’m offered in another state, and he’s right. He says he’s too old for me and could never be the man I deserve.

He’s wrong.

Dex and I might be twelve years apart, but the fire between us is the kind that will never burn out.

How can I convince him to give happily-ever-after with me a chance?

Book: Ignite (Cloverleigh Farms #6) by Melanie Harlow
Published: November 22, 2021
Pages: 350
Genres: Romance, Large Age Gap, Firefighter, Tattoos, Military
Format: Kindle
Date Read: Jan 4-28th, 2023
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

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Off-limits never looked so tempting.

Levi Cade’s firefighting career burned up after an accident on the job. Then his father died and left him in charge of the family’s multimillion-dollar resort. Now he’s forced to work with financially uptight advisors telling him what to do, and he needs someone he can trust at his side.

The perfect candidate walks through the door in her pencil skirt, fitted white blouse, and a mass of wavy blond hair she tries to contain.

The only problem? She’s his cheating ex’s younger sister.

Hell no. The last thing Levi needs is another Wright female in his life.

Then again, he always liked playing with fire.

Book: Tempting Levi (Cade Brothers #1) by Jules Barnard
Published: May 9, 2017
Pages: 230
Genres: Romance, Firefighter
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 28-30th, 2023
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I’m including both of these books in one review since I feel the same way about both of them. Both books were… okay. I enjoyed reading them for the most part but I just found both books lacking in so many ways. I feel like they were just one dimensional and I wasn’t actively engrossed in the stories. There was nothing pulling me into the worlds the authors created. I didn’t mind any of the characters for the most part but the storylines just didn’t do anything for me. The summaries drew me into the books and the books didn’t deliver. There was so many unresolved issues that were glossed over or weren’t delved into where they should have been. I almost feel cheated by both books because had the stories been fleshed out more I might have truly enjoyed them.

Were the books okay? Yes. Will I read them again? No.

Seized by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Blue Ryder by Melissa Foster

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YOU FELL IN love with Blue Ryder and Lizzie Barber in Seaside Summers, now follow their journey to find true love in SEIZED BY LOVE, the first book in the Ryder series.

Lizzie Barber runs a successful flower shop by day and secretly hosts the Naked Baker webcast at night to help pay for her younger sister’s education. To keep friends and family from finding out about her sexy secret, she’s put her social life on hold until her sister’s education is paid off and she can stop filming the webcast.

Blue Ryder fell hard for Lizzie Barber when he met her a year ago, and he hasn’t been able to get her off his mind since. Everything about the feisty little brunette, from her tight bod to her seductive smile, cuts straight to his heart. Though Lizzie has turned down every invitation he’s extended–Blue is not about to give up trying.

Renovating Lizzie’s kitchen brings Blue further into Lizzie’s life, and the oven is not the only thing heating up. One night and one powerful kiss changes everything. But when Lizzie’s secret is revealed and the safe bubble she’s hidden in shatters, true love may not be enough to put the pieces back together.

Book: Seized by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders): Blue Ryder by Melissa Foster
Published: October 28, 2015
Pages: 348
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: December 30,2021-January 13, 2022
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I really wanted to like this book as I’m a fan of the author but it just came up lacking.

The beginning was well written and wasn’t too fast or slow. The middle and end were too rushed. I found myself speed reading just to finish the book because I wanted to see how it ended. The middle of the book felt off to me and at the end there were way too many loose ends that I felt weren’t wrapped up.

I enjoyed the characters, what we knew about them, but I didn’t like how one dimensional they seemed. I wanted to know more about who they were inside, what made them tick. I just felt like the book needed more; more time for the characters to fall in love, more special moments, more about the outcome with Lizzies parents and the FNC. I wanted more and this book didn’t deliver it.

Back in the Burbs (The Burbs 1) by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn

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Ever have one of those days where life just plain sucks? Welcome to my last three months—ever since I caught my can’t-be-soon-enough ex-husband cheating with his paralegal. I’m thirty-five years old, and I’ve lost my NYC apartment, my job, my money, and frankly, my dignity.

But the final heartache in the suck sandwich of my life? My great-aunt Maggie died. The only family member who’s ever gotten me. Even after death, though, she’s helping me get back up. She’s willed me the keys to a house in the burbs, of all places, and dared me to grab life by the family jewels. Well, I’ve got the vise grips already in hand (my ex should take note) and I’m ready to fight for my life again.

Too bad that bravado only lasts as long as it takes to drive into Huckleberry Hills. And see the house. There are forty-seven separate HOA violations, and I feel them all in my bones. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s “accidentally” torched the house yet. I want to, and I’ve only been standing in front of it for five minutes. But then my hot, grumpy neighbor tells me to mow the lawn first and I’m just…done. Done with men too sexy for their own good and done with anyone telling me what to do ever again.

First rule of surviving the burbs? There is nothing that YouTube and a glass of wine can’t conquer.

Book: Back in the Burbs (The Burbs #1) by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn
Published: March 30, 2021
Pages: 326
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: December 22, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes

First of all, I apologize for the short review for this one. My original review was accidentally deleted!

I read this book straight through, I just could not put it down!

The heroine made me so angry in the beginning that I just wanted to slap her but I continued to read, hoping she would get her redemption. I was getting so frustrated with how naive she was towards her ex. He took advantage of her in every way and she just let him. But then, when I really thought about it – how many women are in the same boat? So the more I thought about it, the more realistic this book became and the more I started to understand her motives a bit.

I enjoyed the character of Nick from the second we met him in the book and I loved his chemistry with Mallory!

There were many unnecessary scenes in this book in my opinion but it was a good read and I truly did enjoy it.

Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek #2) by Melanie Harlow

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He’s my brother’s best friend.

The hot single dad next door.

And one accidental sext later, my massive crush on him is no longer a secret.

It’s my own damn fault. I’m thirty years old, for heaven’s sake. I’m a kindergarten teacher and a (reasonably) responsible adult. I should know better than to get tipsy and draft a fake text listing all the dirty things I wish Officer Cole Mitchell would do to me.

I wasn’t supposed to hit send.

He wasn’t supposed to see it.

And he definitely wasn’t supposed to text back telling me to go on . . .

Because after that, things escalate quickly.

Cole is everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s sexy and protective. A devoted father to his little girl. A dedicated cop the whole town adores. The kind of guy you can trust to keep his hands to himself, even when you’re desperately hoping he won’t.

I’m not the girl he thought he’d end up with, but after all this time, I might finally get the chance to say the words I’ve always dreamed of . . . make me yours.

Book: Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek #2) by Melanie Harlow
Published: November 23, 2020
Pages: 371
Genres: Romance, Heroine loves siblings best friend, Men in Uniform
Format: Kindle
Date Read: October 6-11, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I did not read the first book in this series but I’m always a sucker for books where the hero is friends with the heroine’s brother so I wanted to give it a try.

I’m still undecided on a true rating for this book. I liked it, I enjoyed reading it, but i felt it needed a little bit more. I enjoyed the characters and loved our hero and heroine but we needed to understand them better. I also would have liked there to be more realistic timeliness and not so much instant love/relationships and such.

All that being said, I truly did enjoy this book and it was a good read!

When the Night is Over by Lily Foster

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The last time Charlotte Mason saw Simon Wade, he was shoving a paper bag from the pharmacy into her hands with a morning-after pill inside.

Even though he literally left her holding the bag, when love is true it’s limitless…and sometimes it’s blind. She wants more for Simon than the ties that bind him to their dead end town. He has one shot at a better life, and she’ll stand aside so he can take it.

Nearly four years later Charlotte is still nowhere to be found, and it’s not as if Simon hasn’t been looking. How can he forget the girl who still haunts his dreams?

Book: When the Night is Over by Lily Foster 
Published: September 20, 2020
Pages: 346
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Freebie on Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 25-27, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I almost stopped reading this book several times during the first 20%. I didn’t like the tone of the prologue and the first few chapters didn’t pull me in enough.

I continued on because the summary for the book sounded so interesting to me but the book had a completely different feel than the summary did. I’m glad I continued because the book started to get really good and I did not want to put it down again.

There were many parts of this book that I did not like but I loved how raw and realistic it was. This book read like something that could have truly happened and I know similar versions actually have. The characters flaws were real and not over the top.

I enjoyed this book and I did like Simon some of the time but I loved Charlotte. Was she perfect? No. But she made her choices and stuck with them. She went with the best decision for everyone and always tried to do the right thing. She was a very strong heroine.

I liked Simon and Charlotte as a couple but I felt like there was no emotion between them. They loved each other, yes, but I couldn’t feel it through the book like I normally can in romance books. And I don’t know why that is.

Overall, I did like this book but I feel like it was lacking in a lot of areas. To me, the premise did not live up to the book itself.

Playing for Keeps (Hot Jocks Book 1) by Kendall Ryan

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I’ve never been so stupid in my entire life.

My teammate’s incredibly sweet and gorgeous younger sister should have been off-limits, but my hockey stick didn’t get that memo.

After our team won the championship, and plenty of alcohol, our flirting turned physical and I took her to bed.

Shame sent her running the next morning from our catastrophic mistake. She thinks I don’t remember that night—but every detail is burned into my brain so deeply, I’ll never forget. The feel of her in my arms, the soft whimpers of pleasure I coaxed from her perfect lips…

And now I’ve spent three months trying to get her out of my head. Which has been futile, because I’m starting to understand she’s the only girl I’ll ever want.

I have one shot to show her I can be exactly what she needs, but Elise won’t be easily convinced.

That’s okay, because I’m good under pressure, and this time, I’m playing for keeps.

Book: Playing for Keeps (Hot Jocks Book 1) by Kendall Ryan
Published: August 13, 2019 
Pages: 390
Genres: Romance, Athlete, Freebie on Amazon, Heroine loves siblings best friend
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 21, 2021
Rating: 3 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

Elise-
“I’ve always been enamored with him, from his quiet confidence, to his dedication and hard work on the ice, to his hard won smiles and casual attitude.”

Justin-
“My hear starts to beat faster as she grins up at me. Well damn, I didn’t know I still had one of those.”

Elise and Justin have clearly has more than pseudo-sibling feelings for each other for years but even after their one night stand, they still take quite a bit of time to admit their feelings, which I enjoyed. I liked that they didn’t fall into insta-love with each other.

I liked this book but I did not love it. I enjoyed the characters and read this book over the course of a day but there was something missing from this book and I don’t know what it is. I just feel like I needed more from it- more emotion, more realism from the characters, more everything. I liked the summary of the book and I think I just expected more from it overall.

I don’t think I will be reading the next book in this series but I would be more than happy to check out another one of this authors books!

Vivian's List by Haleigh Lovell

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Her brother’s best friend. A list. A love story.

After ending a horrible, scarring relationship, Vivian embraces her freedom by making a sexual bucket list. When her brother’s best friend, Liam, finds it, sparks fly and hearts open.

Can Vivian heal one steamy encounter at a time?

Book: Vivian’s List by Haleigh Lovell
Published: September 13th, 2013
Pages: 290
Genres: Romance, Freebie on Amazon, New Adult, Erotica
Format: Kindle
Date Read: November 16-22nd, 2018
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I really enjoyed this book – it was very ewll written and wasn’t boring by any means. The reason for me giving this book a 3.5 was that is just ended. Things were finally looking up, they were finally on the same page and boom – book over. I know that this is just to get you to read the next one, I know, but I can’t stand cliffhangers.

Other than that I had no complaints about this book. Good read!