vera_allbookedup's reviews
1883 reviews

Conor. Oh. Conor. Right person, wrong time. If only Conor didn’t meet Eloise during her bachelorette party. They had a connection that just couldn’t be forgotten. Stopping Eloise’s wedding was the best and worst thing Conor could have done. I loved how supportive Conor was of Eloise, giving her the time and space to figure out who she was and what she liked. The transformation from door mat to standing up for herself was amazing to watch. Eloise and Conor’s connection was definitely something that could not be ignored. I also loved how the authors wove the characters from previous books in the series. I can’t wait for Tweetie’s book!

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review. 

Gabriel Wilder and Briar Ashford have been circling each other for a while, finally giving in one night. When their heated discussion of the night in question is overheard by her brother Mal, who also happens to be Gabriel's best friend and bandmate, a fight ensues. Mal ends up on another of their tour buses. A horrifically tragic accident leads to loss. Gabriel is sunk low by depression and guilt. If only he and Mal hadn't fought... Briar has tried countless forms of contacting Gabriel. She finally shows up at the Wilder Winery and Retreat to confront Gabriel. What follows is a journey of healing and hope, of growing and moving on, and honoring the memory of the one they lost.

Samantha Cook and Aiden Snow were wonderfully cast as narrators. Their voices gave the story the breadth and depth it deserved. Every emotion could be felt. 

I received an advance copy of the audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Slow burn, hockey, college romance. Gabriel Kolligan is a senior at Aspenridge and plays goalie for the hockey team. He’s admired Sydney, the baker at a local bakery, from afar but hasn’t had the courage to ask her out. When he overhears Sydney talking to her coworker about her meddling mother, Gabriel pipes in that he will be her fake boyfriend. Nothing about this whole situation is fake for Gabe but it’s the only way he’ll get to spend any time with Sydney. I loved how he took her lead, gave her the opportunity to make the first choice, showed her what she deserved. It was heartbreaking to see the differences between their parents and the relationships each had with them. Plus the Keelys with their openness and love (especially Lennon with her sassy self). Sydney finally got to be herself and feel comfortable in her own skin with the Kolligans and the Keelys. Even though Gabe was a hockey player, there was something about him that was mature and authentic regardless of how he grew up. I loved how the characters from other books in this series made appearances. And…the Creek Valley Creamery! 

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review. 

M/M, slow burn, second chance romance at its finest! I rarely read M/M and when I do, I venture to my tried and true authors. Jethro and Clay were once teammates and roommates. One could say that the close proximity leant itself to the two exploring what could be. Total slow burn! But then, Clay gets traded. Years later, Jethro is reeling at the fact that he's been traded mid-season to the team that Clay coaches. Not only that, he has to uproot his nephew whom he is guardian for and his father. Things are off to a rough start. There's lots of tension all around, but most especially in every interaction between Clay and Jethro. Everyone can feel and see it. Jethro's rough start with his new team is taking a toll on everyone. Can Clay and Jethro get over the past? Do they give into their ever-growing feelings that really never went away? How will coming out affect their lives as player and coach? 

Sigh... the author always knows how to put a unique spin on second chance. Clay and Jethro struggled a lot to get to their happy ending. The tension, history, sneaking around, stress...all together could have made their entire relationship combust. But, Clay and Jethro made it work. They endured a lot of pain, but so much healing happened along the way to forever after. 

Narrators JF Harding and Teddy Hamilton brought these amazing characters to life. They brought the emotions out and made the story that much more enjoyable. 

I received an advance copy of the audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Life has been throwing curve balls at Caleb Baumgarten left and right. He's in mandatory rehab for trashing a hotel room when he found out his mother passed. Then he finds out the mother of his child, Claudia,  passed and her father is vying for legal and physical custody. There's no way that man will get anywhere near two-year-old Raine if he can help it. It takes a lot of negotiation with Aubrey Capshaw, Claudia's best friend, to agree to help him out as sobriety coach and Raine's nanny. The latter is a no-brainer for Aubrey. She's been in Raine's life. Caleb, also known as C-Bomb professionally as the drummer for Red Card Riot, needs to keep up with rehab, get to know his daughter, and fight for custody. While Aubrey was a calm and steady presence, she was also part atomic when it came to dealing with Caleb. There's a lot of grieving in this story, but there's also healing and loving and moving forward. Aubrey and her parents give Caleb and Raine the support they need, allowing father and daughter to bond and heal. 

Andi Arndt and Sean Masters brought the characters and story to life. The duet narration really brought out the personalities and quirks of the characters and gave the story a multi-dimensional feel. Kudos to the stellar narrators!

I received an advance copy of the audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Pepper Montgomery just won't give Clay Braden the time of day, even though she is attracted to him. WHY!?!?!? Every single time Pepper and Clay are in the same place, Pepper will make any excuse and leave. Clay gets invited on a trip to Paris for some concerts and finds out that Pepper is going. After all a bunch of her siblings and their significant others will be on this trip. Everyone else is coupled up but them so Clay ensures that he pairs up with her each time. Every time Pep is near Clay, she's reckless. She's doing things she would normally think twice about and she's enjoying it. When her family moves on to other parts of Europe, Clay convinces Pepper to stay one more day in Paris. Once they're stateside, Pepper ignores texts or takes long to answer. When Clay temporarily moves to Charlottesville, he does everything in his power to show Pepper how dedicated he is to being present for her. When they're together, Pepper is a better version of herself. She's less stressed, more productive, and open to Clay. We find out her fears and frustrations and the secrets she's kept. Through it all, Clay is a stable support.

I loved this couple! I like how Clay was relentless without being overbearing, how present he was with Pep, how he found ways to give her the support she needed, how he brought out Pep's true self. Then there was #teamplay and the unveiling of the elaborate scheme to get Clay and Pepper together. It was surprising to see who was involved and what they did! I so did not expcect that!!! I can't wait to read more in this series with the Bradens at Ridgeport.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

"When I open the door to my apartment after a shitty day at work, the last thing I expected was to make direct eye contact with some random woman's a**hole."

When the book begins with a first line like that, you hope the main character gets her revenge. That's exactly what Skye Davis did. She dressed up in clothes her cheater boyfriend would shame her for wearing and hit the bar. She did not expect to meet up with the likes of Silas Silver, a man several years older. But age matters not in the bedroom. Oh boy, did Silas show everything she'd been missing in that toxic relationship she just left. Silas was also the last person she expected to see the next day at work when she's summoned to a meeting about embezzlement. Her immediate supervisor was trying to pin wrongdoings on her, but Skye is so much smarter with her spreadsheets and detailed entries.

Skye and Silas shouldn't have worked as a couple. He was older, owned the company she worked for, and had way more life experience. There were parts of this book that were a little cheesy, but when it comes to romance sometimes we just need the cheese. It was a quick, steamy, romantic read to get ready for the Hallmark holiday. I liked the main characters and their forever after.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Sadie "Sassypants" Hatley is on a mission to uncover pieces of her family's ancestry. She enters and wins a dart competition before she meets with who could be a long lost relative. Rafe Marquess owns a big slice of Vegas and the hotel where the dart competition was held and where Sadie stayed. They almost had a one night stand, but Rafe's 14-year-old daughter Fallon makes a surprise visit. When Rafe sees Sadie meeting with his ex-boss turned enemy Lorenzo Puzo, he sees nothing but red. The last person he expected to see at Harrington Ranch is Sadie. What is her connection to the ranch? Why is she there? He ran from the ranch, demanded his share of the inheritance from his brother Spencer and didn't look back. Now Fallon has suspicions about her mother's brother Adam and his connection to Spencer's death. Then there's the fact that Puzo is ingrained in their town. While Sadie is trying to figure out who owns the jewels she found and giving the Harringtons ideas for getting their ranch in the black, she's helping out Fallon's mother Lauren and trying to help Rafe make sense of their accounts. How did Spence really die? Why is the ranch failing so fast? 

Oh, the suspense! Not only did the author keep me on pins and needles with who the perpetrator was, but also the slow burn between Rafe and Sadie. Sigh... Rafe went from hardened and closed off to gentle and open especially for Fallon. Both Rafe and Sadie experienced traumatic events in the past that made them a little prickly (okay, maybe a lot prickly) with people. They beat themselves up with guilt over things they couldn't control. As their story unfolded, the changes in the characters were heartwarming and emotional. 

"If you have a love that sticks, it'll get you through anything."

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.