Blindsided by Amy Daws

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What happens when an almost thirty-year-old virgin agrees to let her Scottish footballer best friend give her some lessons in seduction?

Lots of banter, awkwardness, jealousy, and heat.

Midfielder Maclay ā€œMacā€ Logan is a loud-mouthed, tattooed ginger content with focusing on football. But when an adorably-freckled seamstress comes barreling into his life, he finds Netflix-And-Bickering with her to be his new favorite pastime.

Freya Cook is used to being the invisible woman with a needle and thread, offering cheeky punchlines as she helps dress London’s finest. She’s plus-sized in body and spirit, and other than her friendship with Mac, talking to the opposite sex is one skill she never mastered.

However, after one innocent game of Never Have I Ever, Mac offers to play Love Coach for Freya.

What neither of them see coming are the feelings that develop when the clothes come off.

Now they’re both about to learn the biggest lesson of all: Don’t fall in love with your best friend.

Book: Blindsided by Amy Daws
Published: November 21, 2019
Pages: 322
Genres: Romance, Athlete, Best Friends Become More, Famous Hero
Format: Kindle
Date Read: February 6-7, 2023
Rating: 4 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

ā€œYou’re pals with adorable pet names for each other who bicker like an old married couple.ā€

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Freya and Mac! They fit so well together and I loved how comfortable they were. The natural progression from friends to more was so refreshing to read; it wasn’t awkward at all!

I loved the secondary characters as well- the Harris family, Macs family and Freya’s coworkers. I loved everything about this book from start to finish! I may have never read this author before but you can be sure I definitely will be reading her other books now!

Give this story a chance, you won’t be disappointed!

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 šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

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!

ā€œThe 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.ā€

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.

The Sweet Talker (Boston Hawks Hockey #1) by Gina Azzi

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I’ve sworn off hockey players. Until the pregnancy test turns pink.

Noah Scotch is revered in Boston, a veritable god on the ice. I’m a nerdy, newly minted college professor who would rather color code my planner than hit the club scene. Noah shouldn’t look at me twice but when he does, I falter.

Who can blame me?

The sweet talker with the deliciously chiseled abs and sinful chocolate eyes is a force. On and off the ice. One hot and intense night with Noah has me second guessing my lack of a dating life.

Friends with benefits? He offers, I dive in headfirst. Growing up in a hockey family, I know better than to get serious with a player.

But the more time I spend getting to know Noah, the more my intention to keep things casual rings false.

Now, I’ve got a hopeful heart and a baby on the way.

I just need to tell Noah. But when I do, will I end up with everything I never knew I wanted? Or on my own?

Book: The Sweet Talker (Boston Hawks Hockey #1) by Gina Azzi
Published: January 21, 2021
Pages: 228
Genres: Romance, Athlete Hero, Famous Hero
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 30-31st, 2023
Rating: 4 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

I truly enjoyed this book! I love the family dynamics and how close everyone was!

I absolutely loved Noah, our hockey player with a heart of gold. I loved how well him and Indy fit together. She is absolutely perfect for him – not enamored with the glitz and glamor of being famous and she had her own life completely outside of him. They complimented each other so well. I loved how strong of a character Indy was; she had her own goals and wasn’t going to let Noah get in the way of that.

My only wish is that this book was even longer, I would have loved to have seen more moments between Noah and Indy; maybe even an epilogue showing their life a year or two into the future.

#Starstruck (#Lovestruck #1) by Sariah Wilson

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ā€œYou’ve done better.ā€

With one uncharacteristically sassy tweet to her longtime celebrity crush, Zoe Miller’s life turns upside down. Ultrahot A-lister Chase Covington doesn’t just respond to Zoe’s tweet, he does the unthinkable: he messages Zoe directly. Now she must decide between walking away or meeting her crush in person.

Chase knows better than to trust anyone from the Internet, but Zoe’s saucy challenge has totally caught his interest—and her girl-next-door personality is keeping it. He’s been burned enough to know he needs to keep his heart close. But his feelings for Zoe might be a lot more than just an online flirtation. He just has to convince her…

When the press gets wind of Zoe and Chase’s secret relationship, their romance turns into tabloid headlines. Will they be able to hold on to their Hollywood love story?

Book: #Starstruck (#Lovestruck #1) by Sariah Wilson
Published: January 16, 2018
Pages: 316
Genres: Romance, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 15-17, 2022
Rating: 4 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

This book was very predictable for the most part but I still enjoyed every page!

The hero was very down to earth and honest with the heroine about his feelings and issues and I enjoyed his take on what it means to be famous. I felt our hero and heroine had great chemistry and I loved the build up of their relationship. I’m also always a sucker for happy endings so I was glad this book had one, the characters certainly earned it!

The heroine being a bit childish did annoy me, but she is just that a child of 22 or 23? Her friend Lexi was even more childish but again, she is a child, and I have to often remind myself that not everyone was 21 going on 40 like I was at that age. I did enjoy Lexi and Zoe’s friendship and how close they were and what they were willing to do in the name of friendship.

I enjoyed this book and am definitely interested in checking out more books by this author in the future.

Dirty Like Me (Dirty 1) by Jaine Diamond

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A gorgeous rock star.
An indecent proposal.
How can a girl resist?

Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video. But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.

Love maker. Heartbreaker.

Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and soon the steamy video is blazing up the charts.

Then Jesse makes Katie an irresistible offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.

Which is fine with Katie, since she’s not about to trust her heart to rock’s most legendary lover. Her body? Maybe…

Book: Dirty Like Me (Dirty 1) byĀ Jaine Diamond
Published: November 2, 2016
Pages: 404
Genres: Romance, Musician, Famous Hero, Tattoos/Piercings, Erotica
Format: Kindle
Date Read: January 17-19, 2021
Rating: 4 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

I really enjoyed this book and the characters in it. One thing I wished for, and its the main reason this is not rated 5 Potatoes, is because the characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked. We barely got to know Jesse and Katie and we know next to nothing about the secondary characters. I wanted to know more about everyone!

The character of Jesse was very hot. I love that, as famous as he was, he wasn’t a jerk about it and didn’t make Katie feel inferior for not being famous. He was strong when he had to be but also sensitive and kind too.

Katie’s characters was also fun for me to read. I like that she was always aware of how she really felt and what she was doing. She wasn’t in denial or pretending to be something she wasn’t. She was true to herself and I loved her for it. I also loved that, in the end, she fought for Jesse and I enjoyed reading the way she went about trying to prove her love.

I did not care for how the book ended. The epilogue did not wrap up the story, it was the beginning of the next book about Jessa to get you interested in it. While I did enjoy reading a bit about the her in the eplilogue since she wasn’t in the book much, I would have preferred the eplilogue to be about Jesse and Katie. I needed more, I wanted more and I felt like the ending wasn’t as wrapped up as I would have liked without it being about Jesse and Katie.

This book was still a great read! I might check out some of the other books in the 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! šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

ā€œYou’re more than my pride and joy,ā€ he said, softly stroking my hair with one hand. ā€œYou are my life, Ellamara. My heart. My soul. My everything.ā€

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 fiancĆ©e—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 šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

“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!

Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #) by Nichole Chase

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Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

Book: Suddenly Royal (Suddenly #) by Nichole Chase
Published: April 23rd, 2013
Pages: 464
Genres: Romance, Famous Hero or Heroine, Swoony Males
Format: Kindle
Date Read: May 12 to 14, 2013
Rating: 5 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

FIVE STARS! I absolutely loved this book! Alex… Prince Yummy indeed!!! Even if I didn’t love everything about this book it would get five stars just for him alone ā¤

Music of the Heart (Runaway Train 1) by Katie Ashley

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For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn’t in his bed on purpose.

Jake Slater never imagined the angel who fell into his bed would resist his charms by promptly kneeing him in the balls. Of course, the fact she seems like a prissy choir girl makes her anything but his type. So he is more than surprised when after betting Abby she wouldn’t last a week on their tour bus, she is more than willing to prove him wrong. But as Jake’s personal life begins to implode around him, he finds an unlikely ally in Abby. He’s never met a woman he can talk to, joke with, or most importantly make music with.

As the week starts comes to a close, neither Abby nor Jake is ready to let go. Can a sweetheart Country songstress and a bad boy of Rock N Roll actually have a future together?

Book: Music of the Heart (Runaway Train 1) by Katie Ashley
Published: March 24th, 2013
Pages: 369
Genres: Romance, Musician, Erotica, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: April 17 to 18, 2013
Rating: 5 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

LOVED IT! This book had it all – comedy, romance, sexy times, it even made me cry (and scream at the book)! I will definitely be reading this again! And Jake? Yum-my! As usual, Katie Ashley knocks it out of the park! ā€ƒ

You Don't Know Jack (Sexy in NYC 2) by Erin McCarthy

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Love. Sex. Destiny. And A Six-Foot-Four Psychic In A Bridesmaid’s Dress? Honey, You Don’t Know Jack…

Jamie Peters no longer believes in true love. True idiots, true scumbags, true moochers – these she believes in wholeheartedly, and she’s got the checkered dating history to prove it. So she’s more than a little skeptical when her cross-dressing psychic tells her she’s about to meet her soul mate – during an accident. Yeah, sounds about right. And then it happens. A knight in shining armor steps between her and a mugger on a subway platform. Just a regular, honest, upright Jack. The kind they don’t make anymore…

Jonathon Davidson doesn’t believe in destiny – or lying to beautiful women as a rule. But now that Jamie thinks he’s just an ordinary guy, how can he possibly tell her that he’s really, (A) her roommate’s brother, (B) a millionaire to boot, and (C) the jerk who’s investigating her application to his grandfather’s charitable trust because she may be involved in something illegal? Yeah, rhetorical question. He can’t. Not until he knows what’s going on. Besides, it would require being able to resist Jamie’s luscious curves long enough to say, ā€œHi, my name is Big Liar. Let’s get naked.ā€ Sometimes, destiny sucks…

Book: You Don’t Know Jack (Sexy in NYC 2) by Erin McCarthy
Published: October 1st, 2006
Pages: 255
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Famous Hero or Heroine
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 21 to 24, 2011
Rating: 4 Potatoes šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”šŸ„”

I fell in love with Jack and Jamie the moment they ‘crashed’ into each other! They were by no means perfect, by the were perfect for each other! This book felt so real that it could easily pass for a true story! I could honestly see something like this happen!

I loved Beckwith – he cracked me up. And Jack’s grandfather, I’d love to let him live with me. He’s a hoot!!

This book was great. It had it all – drama, romance, humor, hot sexin’, it was wonderful!