Wish You Were Mine: a slow burn professor-student hidden romance

Wish You Were Mine is the third book in the Kings of Eden Falls series by Judy Corry. Lucy Archibald is in her final semester at Eden Falls University. While balancing the pressure of being a Division 1 gymnast along with the heavier weight of her high-society family’s expectations. She is the good girl who never breaks the rules. However, during a snowy New Year’s Eve party in the Hamptons, Lucy is ready to lose a bit of that polish. She ends up kissing a handsome stranger in a hot tub. Feeling bold, she is ready to tackle her last semester. Until she walks into her chemistry class the following week and sees the handsome stranger standing at the front of the classroom. Professor Owen Park knows better than to get involved with a student. As a first year professor, he is currently applying for research grants with hopes of a promotion. However, he finds himself drawn to Lucy’s sharp wit and easy smile. They are determined to keep their relationship as professor-student; however, staying away from each other is something they cannot do. 

I love Judy Corry romances and I couldn’t wait for the newest addition to the series. However, when I heard that it was a professor-student forbidden romance, I was weary. Since I love Judy Corry’s stories and characters, I was willing to give it a chance. I am happy I did. It was a great slow burn romance with great stolen glances and secret touches. The banter was flirty and swoon worthy. Both Owen and Lucy are great characters who understand there is more at stake than their mutual attraction. The one aspect of the story I didn’t understand was the constant worry about their age gap which is about seven years. To me, a seven year age gap isn’t as concerning as some age gaps in other romances. However, Ms. Corry handled it wonderfully and Owen and Lucy were characters that I rooted for until the end when I cheered. Overall, I loved this story. There are no steamy scenes, just great romantic moments. I am looking forward to more stories in this series. I highly, highly recommend Wish You Were Mine. 

Wish You Were Mine is available in paperback and eBook

Playing for Keeps: a hockey, brother's best friend, forbidden romance

Playing for Keeps is the first book in the Hot Jocks series by Kendall Ryan. Justin Brady is a pro hockey athlete who can have any woman he wants and the one he wants is off limits. Elise Parrish is the younger sibling to Justin’s best friend and teammate, Owen. For the most part, their relationship has been flirtatious at a distance. However, when the team wins the championship, their flirting turns physical. As they try to move on as if nothing happened, they soon realize that it is easier said than done. Justin realizes that he wants more from Elise than a one night stand. He is playing for keeps. All he needs to do is convince Elise to take a chance on him. 

Playing for Keeps is a cute, sweet and spicy read. It was fast and engaging. However, while I was reading, I had a nagging feeling that I’ve read this story before but I had no record of reading this particular title. Maybe it was the combination of a hockey player and his teammate’s younger sister? Anyway, despite this feeling, I loved this story. Justin was a super sweet boyfriend as he was sensitive, comforting and protective. There were moments filled with laughs, smiles and sighs. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy hockey romances and need a sweet and fun story for a weekend read, I highly recommend Playing for Keeps. 

Playing for Keeps is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

Crossing the Line: a forbidden sports romance

Crossing the Line by Nicola Marsh is the first book in the Worlds Apart series. Mia Cresswell is tired of being good. Being known as the geek doesn’t equal fun. While at home at her dad’s tennis academy on spring break, Mia is determined to be bad and she wants the hot new Aussie player to help her do it. Kye Sheldon comes from a troubled past. His attendance at the Cresswell Tennis Academy is his last chance and he can’t afford to mess around. However, he meets Mia and he cannot get her off his mind. What starts off as a secret spring break fling becomes something more. Will they be willing to risk it all for love? 

Crossing the Line is a fast paced sports romance. From the opening chapter to the closing scene, I could not put this book down. I loved Mia and Kye together. Kye has a bad boy reputation but he hides a deeply hurting spirit and Mia helps him overcome his personal and professional demons. I’m not a big fan of tennis so I do not know the ins and outs of the sport; however, the scenes involving tennis lingo doesn’t bog down the flow of the story. There are great romantic scenes, spicy love scenes and a heartwarming grand gesture. It was a fast read and great for an afternoon of reading. If you enjoy sports romances, you may enjoy Crossing the Line. 

Crossing the Line is available in paperback and eBook

Bending the Rules: a sports forbidden romance

 Bending the Rules by Mariah Dietz is the first book in the Dating Playbook series. It started with a crush. Raegan Lawson crushed on her older brother’s football teammate, Lincoln Beckett for two years. Realizing that a relationship wasn’t going to happen, she starts her freshman year of college with a list of rules including a rule against dating Lincoln. Lincoln Beckett aka President is the star wide receiver at Brighton University. Smart, funny and devilishly handsome that leaves behind a string of broken hearts. An added strike against Lincoln is he is her brother’s best friend. However, despite her rules and the obvious stay away warning from her brother, Raegan and Lincoln are drawn to each other. Will it be worth it to bend the rules? Or will she be left with a broken heart? 

Bending the Rules popped up on my newsfeed and I was intrigued. I love a good football, forbidden romance story. Added bonus, it was free with Prime Reading! I eagerly dove into this story and sadly, I was disappointed. It took so long to get to the romance that it was underwhelming. Raegan and Lincoln were flat as characters and I didn’t care enough to see them finally get together. Also, there were a lot of scenes with Raegan at her job at the aquarium or in her classes which outweigh her interactions with Lincoln. Lincoln supposedly has a painful past that influences his love ‘em and leave ’em reputation but it wasn’t explored to help him be sympathetic. Overall, I’ve read better sports romances and I will not be continuing this series. I do not recommend Bending the Rules. 

Bending the Rules is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Twisted Love: a steamy, spicy grumpy-sunshine, forbidden romance

Twisted Love by Ana Huang is the first book in the Twisted series. Alex Volkov has a stern exterior. With an icy heart, he forms no attachments, no commitments, his only relationship is with his best friend, Josh and his little sister. Ruthless and calculating. driven by tragedy and a past he can’t forget, Alex is fueled by his need for success and vengeance. Having her own childhood tragedy, Ava Chen tries to see the brighter side of life and is determined to see the beauty in the world including Alex. She knows Alex is human despite his cool demeanor and a heart of gold beneath his icy exterior. When they are thrown together, their attraction is immediate. Their love was never supposed to happen and when it does, it ignites a fire that neither of them were prepared for. Soon secrets from both their pasts are revealed, threatening everything. 

Twisted Love has been all over BookTok, Bookgram and Facebook reels that I finally gave in, borrowed it from Prime Reading and  eagerly dug in. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this morally gray character with a hidden agenda, but as Alex and Ava's relationship grew, I was hooked. The heat between them was electrifying! This story is more than a brother’s best friend/opposites attract romance. It is the ultimate grumpy-sunshine romance with spiciness that is off the charts. And if you don’t like spicy romances, this book isn’t for you. The warning given in the book synopsis is not joking (see below). However, if you enjoy a grumpy-sunshine, forbidden romance with a whole lot of spice and a hint of suspense, I highly, highly recommend Twisted Love. I could not put it down and I am definitely reading the rest of the series. 

Twisted Love is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The warning from the synopsis: This book contains a possessive, morally gray alphahole; explicit sexual content, and profanity. No cheating or menage, but if you're looking for a traditionally sweet, loveable hero, this is not the book for you. Recommended for 18+.

Claiming Carter: a steamy forbidden romance

Claiming Carter is the first book in the Waverley Wildcats series by Jennifer Bonds. Austin Reid has it all. A star quarterback with amazing talent, good looks and any woman he wants. The only thing he is missing is a national championship. When the team’s kicker is injured and the home opening game is three weeks away, he needs to find a replacement. He does so in an unorthodox way. He recruits one player from the women’s soccer team. Kennedy Carter is no jersey chaser. In fact, she hates football and football players. She is focused on finishing her degree. But with the possibility of a full-ride scholarship, she can’t refuse. Sparks fly between them from the get go. And the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the building fire. Can Austin convince Kennedy that he is not a typical football player? 

I love the game of football. I look forward to every season with anticipation. I also love a good football romance story. Let me say that it’s hard to find. Claiming Carter has it all. It is a sweet, steamy romance with fun, witty banter and personal growth. I loved both Austin and Kennedy as individuals and as a couple. I enjoyed a glimpse, even a fictional glimpse, of a football team behind the scenes which most football fans will never see. Even when the story was predictable, it is a romance after all, but it has the great romantic moments and the grand public gesture is so incredibly sweet. Overall, I loved this story. I stayed up well into the night in order to finish it. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy a sweet, steamy sports romance, I highly recommend Claiming Carter. 

Claiming Carter is available in paperback and eBook

The Charade: a fake relationship romance

The Charade is the first book in the Eden Falls Academy series by Judy Corry. Ava Cohen arrives at the Eden Falls Academy for her senior year. As a condition of her attendance, she agrees to math tutoring. Her new tutor is the handsome, standoffish Carter Hastings. Carter insists on a contract with one rule being she can’t fall in love with him. Carter doesn’t date the girls at the school especially after his last relationship ended. Then Ava suggests a fake relationship. He can get revenge on his cheating ex-girlfriend and she can hide the reason why they have to spend so much time together. As they begin to pretend, they soon realize that their first impressions of each other are far from the truth and neither of them can hold their end of the contract. But when a family secret threatens to come to light, they are shocked to consider that their relationship could be forbidden. 

The Charade is a wonderful fake relationship/forbidden romance story. From the very beginning, I was drawn in by Ava and Carter’s alternating points of view as their relationship unfolds. Behind Carter’s standoffish demeanor hides a wounded soul from very humble beginnings and a haunted history. Ava’s warm acceptance brings out a different side of Carter. Their relationship turns passionate quickly and will warm any romantic heart. While I knew the family secret threatening their relationship would be revealed and their relationship would be safe, I enjoyed how it played out in the story and their individual reactions. It is a clean romance with kissing and a couple make out sessions but no sex. I also enjoyed the supporting characters. I look forward to reading their individual romances. Overall, I enjoyed The Charade. There were moments that made me smile. Moments that broke my heart and tender moments that made me sigh. I recommend The Charade. 

The Charade is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.