Tag: 5 potatoes

The Words by Ashley Jade

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He was the talented bad boy everyone wanted.
I was the irrelevant geek everyone hated.

He was the sun…drawing all of us in.
I was a black hole…taking up space.

He was destined to be a star.
I was destined to remain an insignificant no one.

Until he made me believe I was special…

And then he destroyed me.

I never thought I’d see Phoenix Walker again after he broke my heart, but fate had other plans.

One tour. Eight weeks. Forty shows.

Countless opportunities to make him pay.

The world thought he was a God…
But I knew the truth.

Book: The Words by Ashley Jade
Published: January 18, 2022
Pages: 676
Genres: Romance, Musician, Curvy Heroine, New Adult, Tattoos-piercings
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 11-12, 2023
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book because the summary threw me off a bit and I was trying to figure out just how our heroine would end up on tour with our hero. But, I knew that either way this book was going to be worth the read.

“Mistakes don’t define who someone is, Phoenix. It’s what you do after that does.”

And oh boy did our Phoenix make a lot of mistakes! He is very flawed, he’s not perfect by any means, but he truly loves Lennon inside and out.

“Don’t let your insecurities overpower that which makes your soul come alive. Otherwise, you’ll walk this earth never feeling whole…and that’s no way to live.”

Lennon and Phoenix both had a lot of baggage throughout the book but I love how much they loved each other, despite the others imperfections, and were willing to give the other up so they didn’t hold them back. They truly loved the other more than anything.

Phoenix was hurt in the past and didn’t deal with it in a positive way at all until he decided that Lennon was worth more than anything else and that he wanted a real relationship with her. And I was so for it! He didn’t change overnight, he changed a little bit at a time and then he was all in – he didn’t care about anything except making things right with Lennon and just being with her. I can definitely get behind that!

Lennon was hurt very badly by Phoenix and it took a long time for him to earn her trust back and I absolutely loved that about her. She didn’t give in and let him walk all over her, she was strong and held her head high. she is also a very independent character, which always makes my heart happy. I cannot stand a heroine who has no back bone and relies on the hero for everything and Ashley Jade’s heroines are nothing like that!

I absolutely love Ashley Jade’s writing and will continue to buy more of her books in the future. If you are on the fence about buying an Ashley Jade book, ANY Ashley Jade book, just do it!

Ruthless Knight (Royal Hearts Academy #2) by Ashley Jade

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Welcome to their kingdom…

Cole Covington is the most popular heartbreaker at school.
Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to screw him.
Except me.
His devastatingly good looks, golden arm, and flirty smiles don’t do it for me anymore…because I know what’s lurking underneath the star quarterback’s gorgeous armor.

At least I thought I did.
Sometimes the most beautiful people…hide the ugliest truths.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to walk beside them through hell.

Sawyer Church is the bible-thumping nerd of Royal Hearts Academy.
Girls pick on her and guys don’t notice her.
Except me.
Sweet, curvy, and sarcastic, she’s impossible to ignore.
No matter how much I try.
Everyone at school has her pegged as the chubby, Jesus loving geek, but unlike them—Sawyer’s real and never pretends to be someone she’s not.

Until I ask her to be my fake girlfriend.

Sometimes the most beautiful souls…hide the greatest pain.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to fight for them.

Book: Ruthless Knight (Royal Hearts Academy #2) by Ashley Jade
Published: January 20, 2020
Pages: 608
Genres: Romance, Athlete, Curvy Heroine, High School, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 10-11, 2023
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

Where do I even begin with this book?

This is the first book I have ever read of Ashley Jade’s but I am officially a fan! I have had the first book in this series in my to-buy pile for a while but never got around to it and then saw the reviews for this one and decided to jump right into the middle of this series. I’m so glad I did!

I want to know what it’s like to feel like I’m enough.

Sawyer Church as not had it easy – she has been bullied all her life and always made to feel like she wasn’t beautiful simply because she is overweight. She is a size 14 though to me I would consider that thick or curvy but that’s just me. She has had a crush on Cole since she came to California and always wants to believe in the good in him, even when he is acting like a jerk.

“You ended with a positive. You can tell a lot about how someone feels about a person by the way they end a statement, especially when they’re feeling conflicted about them.”

Cole Covington has had a thing for Sawyer for a while but due to having a reputation to uphold wont admit it to anyone, least of all her and treats her horribly in public.

“You think love is perfect? Like one of those fairytales?” He shakes his head. “Hell no. Love is hard…difficult. It’s dealing with someone’s shit day in and day out but never giving up on them because your heart won’t let you. It’s having a million reasons to leave them…but always having one good reason to stay.”

Sawyer and Cole’s journey was definitely not an easy one and had a lot of ups and downs but what I loved the most about them was that they truly loved each other and saw who they were as a person underneath it all. Cole was not always the easiest person to love but Sawyer loved him anyway and wasn’t afraid to call him on his crap. And Sawyer got what she needed most from Cole – someone who loved her for her, despite what her body did or didn’t look like.

I loved how much the characters grew as the book progressed. The Sawyer and Cole at the end of the book were so much more sure of themselves and were actually happy! It was so amazing to watch Cole grow as a human and be so in love with Sawyer that he didn’t care about anything else except making her happy and being with her. I loved his character so much, even when he was being a complete jerk.

The author does such a great job of developing these complex characters with real fears and issues. I can’t wait to read more of her work! I highly recommend this book!

Bossman by Vi Keeland

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The first time I met Chase Parker, I didn’t exactly make a good impression.

I was hiding in the bathroom hallway of a restaurant, leaving a message for my best friend to save me from my awful date.

He overheard and told me I was a bitch, then proceeded to offer me some dating advice.

So I told him to mind his own damn business—his own tall, gorgeous, full-of-himself damn business—and went back to my miserable date.

When he walked by my table, he smirked, and I watched his arrogant, sexy ass walk back to his date.

I couldn’t help but sneak hidden glances at the condescending jerk on the other side of the room. Of course, he caught me on more than one occasion, and winked.

When the gorgeous stranger and his equally hot date suddenly appeared at our table, I thought he was going to rat me out.

But instead, he pretended we knew each other and joined us—telling elaborate, embarrassing stories about our fake childhood.

My date suddenly went from boring to bizarrely exciting.

When it was over and we parted ways, I thought about him more than I would ever admit, even though I knew I’d never see him again.

I mean, what were the chances I’d run into him again in a city with eight million people?
Then again…

What were the chances a month later he’d wind up being my new sexy boss?

Book: Bossman by Vi Keeland
Published: July 16, 2016
Pages: 316
Genres: Romance, Erotica, Hero is Heroines Boss
Format: Kindle
Date Read: February 8-9, 2023
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

This is the second Vi Keeland book I have ever read and I love this one even more than the first one I read when I didn’t think that was even possible. The way she weaves her words and makes magic between her characters… my goodness!

I absolutely loved Reese from the second she was introduced. She had her issues, as we all do, but she wasn’t blind to them. I also enjoyed watching her grow as a person from the beginning to the end of the book, Chase really brought out the best in her. Naturally, she brought out the best in him as well.

Chase, Chase, Chase. How I loved him! I loved his silly little pick up lines to Reese and how he kept trying to get her to go out with him. I love that he was honest about he felt about her and wasn’t afraid to lay all his cards on the table. He literally had the whole package and wasn’t afraid to use everything he had at his disposal to get his woman!

I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I love all of the characters, both main and secondary. I love how well fleshed out the main characters were, I truly felt like I knew them.

Brava to this talented author! I can’t wait to read another of her books!

The Summer Proposal by Vi Keeland

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The first time I met Max Yearwood was on a blind date.
Max was insanely gorgeous, funny, and our chemistry was off the charts. He also had the biggest dimples I’d ever laid eyes on.
Exactly what I needed after my breakup.
Or so I thought…
Until my real date arrived.
Turned out, Max wasn’t who I was there to meet. He only pretended to be until my real date showed up.
To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
Before he left, he slipped me a ticket to a hockey game a few blocks away, in case things didn’t work out on my actual date.
I tossed the ticket into my purse and went about trying to enjoy the man I was supposed to meet.
But my real blind date and I had no connection.
So on my way home, I decided to take a chance and stop by the game.
When I arrived, the seat next to me was empty.
Disappointed again, I decided to leave at the end of the period.
Just before the buzzer, one of the teams scored, and the entire arena went crazy.
A player’s face flashed up on the Jumbotron. He was wearing a helmet, but I froze when he smiled.
You guessed it: Dimples.
Apparently, my fake blind date hadn’t invited me to watch hockey with him, he’d invited me to watch him play.
And so began my adventure with Max Yearwood.
He was everything I needed at the time—fun, sexy, up for anything, and only around for a few months since he’d signed with a new team three-thousand miles away. Max proposed we spend the summer helping me forget my ex. It sounded like a good plan. Things couldn’t get too serious when we had an expiration date. Right?
Though, you know what they say about the best-laid plans.

Book: The Summer Proposal by Vi Keeland
Published: January 10, 2022
Pages: 350
Genres: Romance, Athlete, Erotica, Famous Hero
Format: Kindle
Date Read: February 5, 2023
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

This was the very first Vi Keeland book I have ever read and I have to say – I am officially a fan!

Max and Georgia were both very loveable characters that were realistic and not one dimensional at all. The author did a great job developing them as the story progressed. Their first meeting had me riveted and I did not want to put this book down!

“The Yearwood men are sort of like large trees. You can’t chop them down very easily, but when they fall, they’re sort of immovable.”

I absolutely loved Max’s zest for life and how he just wanted to be happy and didn’t want to waste time not doing things that he didn’t want to. I loved Georgia’s quirks and how hard she worked to start her own company and to keep it growing strong! But, even more than all of that, I loved these characters together. The chemistry they had was off the charts and they just fit together so well! I enjoyed Max’s family and would love to read more books about them as well as a book about Georgia’s best friend Maggie! I honestly just loved all of the characters and hope to see a sequel or a series continuing with them.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover

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After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself.

The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them.

The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.

Book: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Published: January 18, 2022
Pages: 335
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 18-19, 2022
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

As usual, here I sit ugly crying after I finish reading a Colleen Hoover novel. Her novels always have such a way of pulling you in and taking you on an emotional journey.

When I started the book and we began to get to know Kenna and her story started to slowly unravel, I instantly knew she wasn’t a bad person. I got very good vibes from her and knew I wanted to hear more of her story. I wanted to know what happened to her and why.

Ledger was such a good man in an impossible situation, just like Kenna. I love that, with his friends insistence, he checked in on Kenna and began to get to know her and hear her version of events.

I loved that every single person in this book was flawed. They weren’t good or bad, just had their own beliefs and grief to work through. I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. The beginning left me wanting more and the end tied it all up nicely for me!

Brava Ms Hoover!

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

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When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

Book: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Published: August 5, 2014
Pages: 337
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 22-25, 2021
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

This book is a must read. Go, go now- find it!

I have read a handful of Colleen Hoover’s books and I am never disappointed when I select them. They drag you in and take you on a roller coaster of emotions; this book was no different.

I loved the evolution of Miles and Tate’s relationship. It wasn’t instant love or even instant like since they pretty much just tolerated each other at first.

Miles back story just broke my heart a little bit more every time we got a peak at it. I knew it could only end badly as more and more was shared and I was right- it was devastating. Poor Miles has been to hell and back and I completely understand his reluctance to be in any kind of relationship.

I loved the character of Tate- she truly cared about people, especially Miles. And I love how her strength shined through when it was needed.

My favorite character in the book was Cap! I loved his advice and his random thoughts and sayings. I loved his relationship with everyone in the building. It makes me wish I had a Cap in my life!

The ending of this book had me crying legit tears of joy. I was so happy for everyone! It’s not surprising to me since this author always does a fabulous job of wrapping up her books. Brava Colleen Hoover, you have done it again!!

Now, what do we need to do to for a sequel to this book, even if its about the other characters in the book? I need more glimpses of the future!

The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1) by Julia Quinn

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In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable…but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule…

Book: The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1) by Julia Quinn
Published: June 27th, 2006
Pages: 384
Genres: Historical, Romance, Rom-Com
Format: Kindle
Date Read: April 4, 2011
Rating: Five Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

“There were rules among friends, commandments, really, and the most important one was Thou Shalt Not Lust After Thy Friend’s Sister.”

I read quite a few books in this series many years ago but with the show airing I find myself wanting to re-read them and enjoy these amazing characters again and again.

I love Julia’s writing style and the chemistry between her hero and heroine. I loved this book, plain and simple. Such a great, fun read!

Heart-Shaped Hack (Kate and Ian #1) by Tracey Garvis-Grave

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When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

Book: Heart-Shaped Hack (Kate and Ian #1) by Tracey Garvis-Graves
Published: August 25th, 2015
Pages: 340
Genres: Romance, New Adult
Format: Kindle
Date Read: July 3-6, 2018
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

I am a huge fan of this author to begin with, I LOVED On The Island, so its no surprise that I was immediately pulled into this book from the first page. I love this authors writing style – it flows so nicely that you are always able to “see” everything happeneing in the book, just as she meant it to.
From the first time Ian and Kate met I was rooting for them – I loved their interactions and the way they just went back and forth so effortlessly. I love how Ian is flawed but makes no apologies for it – he is who he is and he’s not going to change. I love how Kate just wants to do something to help people – so sweet and courageous of her. I just love these characters so much.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something you will not want to put down. This author’s writing style just makes it so hard to stop reading because she weaves such wonderful tales that suck you in.

I’m off to go get book 2 in this series!

Happily Ever After (Cinder & Ella #2) by Kelly Oram

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This is the sequel to the #1 Bestselling novel Cinder & Ella from Kelly Oram.

The end of one story is often the beginning of another. Hollywood heartthrob Brian Oliver and his Cinderella princess Ellamara Rodriguez have finally found love outside the digital world. But leaving their anonymity behind creates a whole new set of obstacles for the nation’s new favorite sweethearts. With the stress of Brian’s fame, Ella’s disapproving family, and the pressures of a new relationship weighing down on them, the It Couple quickly begins to wonder if they can hold on to their newfound joy, or if maybe happily ever after is only a fairy tale.

Book: Happily Ever After (Cinder & Ella #2) by Kelly Oram
Published: April 11, 2017
Pages: 342
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 25th-26th, 2018
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

“You’re more than my pride and joy,” he said, softly stroking my hair with one hand. “You are my life, Ellamara. My heart. My soul. My everything.”

I love it when books have just enough drama and angst to not be boring but not so much that you are overwhelmed with it. This book fits that in spades! Once again this author has pulled me into this world that I didn’t want to leave.

Brian and Ella certainly haven’t had it easy, by any means, but I love seeing them be there for one another while growing as individuals and a couple. Its so refreshing to read about a couple that truly loves one another and is willing to do whatever it takes to support each other while not losing faith in their love. I can’t say enough about this couple – I just adore them so much.

There is also a lot to be said for a book that wraps up all of the loose ends and doesn’t leave you wondering what happened with certain things. This book was all wrapped up neatly in a bow at the end – and sometimes that is just perfect. It worked so well for this series.

I hope there will be a third book because I would definitely love to read more about these two!

Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella #1) by Kelly Oram

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Cinder458: Your blogaversary is coming up, right?
EllaTheRealHero: Do all those Hollywood friends of yours know you use words like blogaversary?
Cinder458: Of course not. I need your address. Got you a blogaversary present.

Cinder got me a gift?
My heart flipped.
Not that I was in love with my Internet best friend or anything. That would be utterly ridiculous. The boy was cocky and stubborn and argued with everything I said just to be infuriating. He also had lots of money, dated models—which meant he had to be hot—and was a closet book nerd.
Funny, rich, hot, confident, book lover. Definitely not my type. Nope. Not at all.
Yeah, okay, fine, so he wasn’t my type by default because he lived in California and I live in Massachusetts. Whatever.

Cinder458: Hello? Ella?? Address??
EllaTheRealHero: I don’t give out my address to creepy Internet stalkers.
Cinder458: I guess you don’t want this autographed first-edition hardback of The Druid Prince, then. Shame. I had it signed it to Ellamara when I met L.P. Morgan at FantasyCon last week, so I can’t try to impress any other girls with it.

Not my type.
Not. My. Type.

What would you do if your anonymous Internet best friend turned out to be Hollywood’s hottest celebrity?

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

Book: Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella #1) by Kelly Oram
Published: October 1st, 2014
Pages: 322
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: June 25th, 2018
Rating: 5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

“A great character needs trials to overcome—experiences to give them depth, to make them vulnerable, relatable, and likable. Good characters need hardships to make them strong. The idea makes sense, but it still sucks if you’re the heroine.”

From the first page this book had me so completely hooked! First of all – who doesn’t love the classic cyber friends fall in love and meet in real life? Like, seriously. We’ve all thought about it!

I loved Ella and Brian so much – their characters were so flawed, yet so perfect for each other. The way the author wrote them made them seem so real. Their situations could easily happen to anyway, and have! I have to give Brian major kudos for sticking to his guns in the end and making things right with his girl. Yes, in the beginning, he went along with what society and his management team demanded of him to get publicity and make himself look good, but there’s just something so yummy about a guy who is willing to risk losing everything because they love you.

I truly can’t say enough about this book – I loved everything about it and will defintiely be checking out the next one in the series. Kelly Oram has just landed herself on my list of favorite authors to read everything they have ever written immediately!