Kiss Me First: a sweet, mature young adult romance with lots of laughs and drama

Kiss Me First is the Blairwood University and Bluebonnet Creek series prequel story by Anna B. Doe. Katherine Adams never thought she'd end up in the small town of Bluebonnet Creek, Texas. However, it is the perfect place when she needs to get away. She and her younger sister, Penny, have moved in with her aunt as Penny needs specialized care. Her plan doesn’t include the attention of a certain boy, no matter how charming he is. Emmett Santiago is the town’s golden boy, star football player and the one who could have any girl he wanted. But one look at Kate and he is hooked. While Katherine tries to keep Emmett at arm’s length, he is determined to win her heart. When the sparks start to fly, will she be able to resist? Can Emmett convince Katherine that when he is in, he is all in? 

Kiss Me First is a sweet, mature young adult romance with lots of laughs and drama. At first, I found Katherine to be very aloof and cold; however, once I learned why, I understood. I loved to see Katherine open up and be the teenager she was supposed to be instead of the adult she had to be. I enjoyed Emmett’s pursuit of her as sweet and charming. He was the strength she needed. I also enjoyed the supporting characters who added the laughs of the story. The drama was very realistic and heartbreaking. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to the rest of the series. The story was an engaging read which made it easier to stay glued to the page and continue reading. If you enjoy sweet, mature young adult romance, I recommend Kiss Me First. 

Kiss Me First is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Runaway: a grumpy-sunshine military romance

The Runaway is the fifth and final book of the Brides of Beaufort series by Jess Mastorakos. Nate Bristol is getting ready to travel cross-country to his new duty station in Beaufort, he has a tight schedule. He never expected to have travel companions. When Ms. Hattie asks Nate for a favor, no questions asked, he finds himself aiding in the escape of Nikki, a runaway bride, and her teenage daughter, Marigold. She is the ultimate sunshine and is determined to see the bright side of anything and make the most of the turn of events. Nate is the ultimate grump and as the miles tick by, Nikki and Marigold worm their way under his skin and he learns to roll with the punches. As they get closer to their destination, the slower he finds himself driving. Will they be able to say goodbye once they reach their destination? 

I have loved this series and it was sad to see it end. The Runaway is a grumpy-sunshine military romance. Nate and Nikki’s story was sweet with lots of laughs and drama. I loved how Nikki slowly chipped away at Nate’s gruff demeanor. There is a bit of suspense and a nail biting scene with Nate coming to the rescue. I even enjoyed Marigold’s character and as a mom of a teen myself, I appreciated that Ms. Mastorakos got the teenage slang accurate. I loved Nate’s reaction to the slang. It reminded me of my husband’s reaction to the slang when our teenager and her friends use it. When Nikki and Marigold are in danger, I loved how Nate and his fellow Marines jump into action. Overall, I enjoyed this story and the series. If you haven’t read the Brides of Beaufort, I highly recommend it. I highly recommend The Runaway. 

The Runaway is available in paperback and eBook

Something Right: a second chance romance with heart, drama and laughs

Something Right is the first book in The Blisswood Brothers by Evey Lyon. Grayson Blisswood finds himself back in his hometown after his father’s death in order to take guardianship of his teenage sister, Lucy. He traded his corporate job in the big city to small town antics and Olive Owl, the family winery and resort. Their neighbor is none other than Brooke Rivers, his high school sweetheart and the one he never forgot. Now she has an adorable three year old daughter and he finds himself finding ways to spend time with them both. Grayson realizes that the fire still burns; however, Brooke is determined to keep the distance between them friendly. What they didn’t know is that fate would throw open a secret Brooke is desperate to keep hidden. Will this secret tear them apart completely? Or will it lead to something right?

Something Right is a second chance romance with heart, drama and lots of fun moments. I was immediately drawn into this story and could not put it down. I loved all the characters. I read a few reviews that called Grayson a jerk for his reaction to the secret. And, yes, he acts like a jerk; however, I feel his reaction is realistic. And other characters helped kick him in the butt to open his eyes and made the situation feel very, very real. The entire story flowed that I was engaged. It was fun with a few laughs and smiles. There were dramatic and sweet moments. I closed the book with a smile and eager to read the rest of the story. If you enjoy second chance romance, I highly recommend Something Right. 

Something Right is available in paperback and eBook. 

Icebreaker: a sweet, spicy romance with laughs and a few tears

Icebreaker is the first book in the Maple Hills series by Hannah Grace. As a competitive figure skater since she was five years old, Anastasia Allen has worked for a shot at the USA Olympic Team. She is hyperfocused on her goals. No exceptions. Nathan Hawkins is a problem solver. As the captain of the Maple Hills Titans hockey team, he takes the responsibility of keeping the team on the ice seriously. A series of events leads to the hockey team sharing a rink with the skaters and Anastasia’s partner gets injured, Nathan finds himself leaving the hockey gear on the sidelines for figure skates and tights. As the two spend more and more time together, they struggle to keep their relationship professional. Anastasia keeps telling herself that she doesn’t even like hockey players but Nathan is making it harder to believe that. 

I first learned of Icebreaker through social media and a romance story of a figure skater and a hockey player reminded of The Cutting Edge, the 1992 romcom. Told through alternating points of view between Anastasia and Nathan, this enemies to lovers romance gets spicy. However, this story is more than just the sex scenes. It is two people who have every right to hate each other, discover common ground and find themselves falling for each other. Again, there are spicy scenes, some scenes were a little much for me. However, there are very sweet and poignant scenes as well. By the end of the story, I was smiling ear to ear as Anastasia and Nathan have their happily ever after. I look forward to reading more in this series. If you enjoy spicy, sweet enemies to lovers romances, I highly recommend Icebreaker. 

Icebreaker is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook