Sandra Hirai Follow

Vanna has been in love with her best friend’s brother, Chase for years, thinking her feelings would remain one-sided she runs when Chase asks to spend some time together. Chase has his own insecurities and did not take her running so well, but when Vanna goes missing during her latest job in the jungles of Panama, he was all in.

Not only was Chase part of rescuing Vanna, but he has also taken on the important task of her recovery. He was amazing with Vanna. The more time they spend together, their relationship develops into something so much stronger.

I loved Vanna and Chase’s story so much. It was emotional and heartbreaking at times, there was definitely more drama and suspense that kept me on my toes. And my heart swooned watching these two who have known one another for years finally see how perfect they are for each other. I am now looking forward to Wyatt’s story.

During every book I’ve read by this author, I find myself smiling throughout the story. It was no different while reading Maggie Moves On. In Maggie and Silas’ story, we have a Youtube star slowly reaching her one-millionth follower and the extremely swoony and talented landscape designer who found his future wife with just one look. These two could not be any more different. Maggie has lived a rootless existence for almost a decade, once a project is done, she moves on. She claims to be family-less except for her partner and has thick walls surrounding her heart. Silas on the other hand is deeply rooted in his community, has a tight-knit family, albeit complicated, and intends to smash through those walls.

As the weeks go by, Silas along with his naughty pitbull rescue, Kevin, and the rest of the community of Kinship, Idaho shows Maggie the fantastic feeling of finally belonging somewhere and possibly wanting to finally settle down somewhere. The chemistry between these two was amazing, the banter was hilarious and the secondary characters brought so much to the story.

Not only does Lucy Score write the best rom-com, they are also very girthy, so there is a lot more to their story. Just be prepared to smile, swoon, and have a great time.

I started this book thinking I would take my time and read just a few chapters (since Lucy writes such girthy books!), but then I started that game of “just one more chapter” until I pretty much finished it in a night. It was just that good and unputdownable.

The latest for this zany cast of characters, we have Nick who is now obsessed with finding Beth who he had thought was dead, which causes an intervention by the other staff of Nick’s PI agency. In retaliation, Nick hands out the ridiculous-sounding cases that were provided by none other than his self-appointed business partner, Mrs. Penny. They all take the cases seriously, but with a dash of hilarity, they all conclude with some surprising results.

For Riley, she has a lot on her plate, on top of putting together a surprise birthday party for Nick, and babysitting Mrs. Penny, she is also getting worried about him and his obsession. Even though Nick is not asking for her help in finding Beth, she is taking it upon herself to do it anyway, while having her own primo case from Mrs. Penny. This plan takes us all on a comedic journey that includes a kidnapping from a stranger that may not be one, a bully and a fire, to a Halloween/birthday party where we had some very enthusiastic, giggling men. It was non-stop laugh-out-loud moments!

Besides all the hilarity, there is the mystery surrounding this stranger who may not be a stranger, causing more chaos, including Riley getting the psychic flu, getting served with a severed finger, and another kidnapping. But in the end, they all come together and have a satisfying end. I am so looking forward to the next adventure!

OMG, I loved Ian and Wavy’s story so much!! Their story had me enthralled all the way through. The connection between these two and what they gave one another was out of this world. The range of emotions I went through reading this book was definitely a roller coaster ride. I laughed at their very first meeting with a pie in the face, to dejection when Ian tries to stay away from Wavy for her own good, the swoony feeling witnessing the sense of peace they give to each other and then the horror and heartbreak for all Wavy had endured and the pain and suffering Ian went through trying to find her. But with all that I felt the utter satisfaction when they finally reached their happily ever after.

Until this book, Angel has always been my favorite and also the one I felt so emotionally attached to of all the books by Janie I’ve read, but I think Aries is neck and neck and even possibly surpassing Jordan and Gabe’s story. Both Ian and Wavy have gone through harrowing experiences so to see them both help each other heal made me so happy.

Even though I was so sad to see the previous series, Linear Tactical end, to now have this spin-off series where all those are never fully gone is fantastic. I loved all of the cameo appearances and how they are still a family, biological or not. Code Name: Aries was such a great start and I am anxiously waiting for more.

Reading this book was a fantastic way to start the new year!!! Lucy’s books have always been a comfort read and after a difficult 2021, this was exactly what I needed. Right from the start, I was pulled into Naomi and Knox’s story. Due to a mistaken identity, Knox and pretty much the whole town of Knockemout reacted badly to Naomi’s presence. Naomi was already in a bad place mentally after becoming a runaway bride, but the universe just kept throwing more cr@p at her. After finding out that her sister, Tina lied to her to get her to Knockemout, she steals from her, including her car, and leaves behind a niece she never knew about. Tina was such a horrible person, everyone in town is immediately suspicious of Naomi and some are outright rude. Knox Morgan, the very growly “Viking” falls into this category. Now Naomi has always been labeled the good twin and a people pleaser, but after having some of the worst days she’s ever had and then someone getting in the way of her caffeine, that just drew the line. And this was the beginning of some of the best banter between these two. As much as Knox kept telling himself that he did not do drama or fall for the damsel in distress, he just could not stop himself from involving himself and helping Naomi and Waylay in any way he can.

I absolutely loved everything about this book, the progression of Naomi and Knox’s relationship was perfect. There were of course some roadblocks, some from the drama of Tina and some from Knox’s own issues. But love always prevails. The secondary characters were amazing and so complex, from the older than her years’ pre-teen Waylay to Knox’s brother Nash and best friend Lucian (who we need stories for!). And I cannot forget about the fabulous Stef, who is always there for Naomi whenever she needs him. Then we have all the drama and a bit of suspense caused by Naomi’s twin, Tina. All of this combined made it an amazing book, 5+ stars and it may be too soon, especially since this was my first book of the year, but I think I have to add it to my top 10 of 2022!!

I cannot end this review without mentioning the Author’s Note to the Reader, it was so heartfelt and so real, and absolutely beautiful.

Cooper and Torie’s story took me on another emotional journey. The year before, Torie had survived a harrowing kidnapping where she was beaten and tortured, it was through her physical and mental strength that she made it out alive. Since then she has started volunteering at Last Hope, a volunteer private rescue organization, that both her and Cooper’s siblings are a member of. Cooper had met Torie two weeks prior and has been trying to avoid her since then. He instantly felt a connection to her and this intense chemistry he has never felt before. He knew she was dangerous to his vow of staying away from any romantic entanglements. But with one phone call from Torie’s brother asking for a favor, his vow is shot out of the water. They both have so much in common; besides volunteering at Last Hope, they are both highly intelligent and they love the outdoors. After airing out some misunderstandings they decide to become friends and hang out. As the days go by they get to know each other and become so much closer until the attraction they have both felt for the other becomes undeniable.

What I really loved about this book was the progression of Torie and Cooper’s relationship. They both felt the connection early on but they both also had a lot to work through personally. Cooper was burned pretty bad in the past with women and he has a low opinion of himself. And with everything Torie had endured during her kidnapping, she has been extra cautious with the opposite s3x. But with Cooper, she always felt safe. So the more time they spent with each other, the more they began to heal each other. Besides the developing relationship between Torie and Cooper, I also loved how Harlow, Taylor, and Riley brought Torie into their fold. They were so supportive of her. And not only that, seeing Cooper eating crow was amusing. All the scoffing he did regarding his brothers’ “overreactions” towards their women and then feeling the exact same thing was fun to see. There was some drama close to the end that definitely kept me on my toes. That incident reiterated my awe of Torie and her strength and also the absolute love that Cooper and Torie have for one another. This was a fantastic read and can not wait for the next in this series.

You seriously cannot go wrong with any of Lucy’s books so I was ecstatic when we heard that there was going to be a continuation of the zany antics from Riley Thorn and company. In book 2, Riley and Nick’s relationship is stronger than ever, my heart just melted with how strong Nick’s feelings are for Riley. Unfortunately for Nick, all these feelings also come with fear for Riley’s safety, especially with what had happened earlier in the summer. When Nick’s former partner comes to Riley to help on a homicide case, Nick is not a happy camper, but Riley knew she had to help. What ensues is another crazy ride with old favorites and some new faces. Riley’s very scary grandmother who is not happy with Riley for not harnessing her gifts is in town to whip them all into shape. We, along with Riley, are also introduced to Nick’s very interesting parents. The shenanigans of their family members, crazy neighbors, the 4-legged fur babies and even Riley’s jerk of an ex made this book such a joy to read.

I seriously laughed so much reading this book, poor Riley and Nick with their attempts for some s*xy times being constantly interrupted, but when they do, lets just say my jaw dropped! There are still some unanswered questions like, what the heck is Riley’s middle name, what happened to Beth and could there be romance in the air for Detective Kellen Weber?? I am so glad there is more to come.

I remember when listening to Book 1 in this series Dylan was not the most likeable guy but I knew he went through something traumatic for him to act the way he did. So I was looking forward to reading his story. And then to know he would be pitted up against Nic’s very protective best friend, Kylie, I knew their story was going to be good. I was so right!!

Kylie barged into Dylan’s life at the exact perfect time. Initially it was to babysit and make sure Dylan does not screw up his twin brother and Kylie’s best friend’s wedding. She storms in angry and brutally honest with her opinions of him. But as the days go by Kylie starts to see the true Dylan and his pain. She was what he needed to finally heal from everything he had lost. What was surprisingly even more wonderful was how Dylan was also exactly what Kylie needed from her own painful past. Watching the two of them getting to know each other and learning to trust one another was so heartwarming to see.

Tell Me I’m Yours was a truly wonderful story about two damaged souls finding each other and providing exactly what the other needed.

Fallen Jester is another book that had my emotions go all over the place. Cassie is such an amazing heroine. She had endured so much and hurt so many times, but with the help of her supportive parents and her own inner strength, she still had this amazing heart and the ability to love. Leo on the other hand, I had a very difficult time with him in the beginning. He was this ultimate playboy with some major commitment issues. His reaction to the baby was tough to say the least. His disbelief and fear was real. But even through the anger and pain, Cassie had the ability to see that fear and have such faith in him. As I read on with their story, my faith in Leo also grew. We learn more about his past and how it had affected him. We see why he believes he is not worthy of Cassie and the baby, but as we see him keep trying to push her away, you can also see how he could not fully let her go. This is definitely where his actions speak louder than his words (as difficult as they are).

Overall, Fallen Jester was a fantastic read. There were many ups and downs throughout their story, many heartbreaking moments and to be honest some anger inducing moments. But there were just as many heart melting occasions and with the scenes between Leo and Cassie’s dad made it all worth it. And watching their relationship along with their own character grow was wonderful to see. There was also this element of danger that surrounded both Cassie and Leo, which definitely strengthened their bond and also showcased this incredible family around them. Along with that amazing epilogue, we also get a little snippet of what is to come in the final book in this series. It sounds like it is going to be a doozy!

I have been a fan of this series since the very beginning and Edge of Fear is as good, if not better, than the rest! Tse and Sophia is another couple we actually meet in a previous book so it is always fun to read up on their story. When Sophia first moved to Durango it was due to some sad circumstances, but the move was right for her. She immediately caught the eye of two members of the Arrow’s Edge MC, but it was Tse who she felt a connection to. Unfortunately, not wanting to cause friction, Tse decided to step back. But after a talking to by Ouray and danger surrounding Sophia and the MC restaurant, staying away was no longer a possibility.

Besides following Sophia and Tse’s incredible journey, filled with intense chemistry, drama and suspense, I loved getting to really know Tse. He had endured a horrible and painful past and to see him with Ravi was just beautiful. It was tough watching him struggle but then to see him reach that happily ever after with Sophia was all worth it. This is book 4 in the Arrow’s Edge MC and it keeps getting better and better. Can not wait for the next in the series! A definite must read.

I could not put this book down!! It had all the feels, the heroine being alone most of her life just living day to day and then have this amazing man come into her life and give her the love and family she's always wanted but never believed she could have!! I kind of figured Theo had some secrets that would not be seen as "good" but it's not always as simple as black or white, good or bad, it was gray and I was okay with it, just like it was okay for Dahlia.

I love the stories with the alpha possessive and protective hero, Theo was all that and more! Amazing book!

Augusta “Gus” Allan was just in the process of moving in with her boyfriend when that was interrupted by finding out he was cheating on her. Lucky for her, Nox just happened to live next door and witnessed the whole scene and gave her an opportunity to stay at his place in exchange for watching his dog while he was gone for three weeks. Apprehensive in the beginning but realizing she was basically homeless she accepts. Even though they are separated for the majority of the beginning, you can feel the chemistry between these two with just the phone calls and text messages. But when he gets back early and convinces her to stay, this is when their relationship starts to really develop.

Until Nox is part of the 2018 Happily Ever Alpha World so we also get see the Maysons in their story. When Gus is notified by Susan Mayson that her Meema is hospitalized, Gus runs back home to Tennessee. It was so great to catch up with the Mayson clan. This move really accelerated Gus and Nox’s relationship, and due to the help of the Hyde clan they give him the push to claim Gus as his own.

I seriously loved this book so hard! Killian Nox is one bada$$ alpha male and the way he is with Gus is so very very swoon-worthy. He is possessive, protective and so dang sexy. Gus was just so hilarious, she is one feisty southern woman with the best comebacks.

This was definitely a 5 star read!