Marrying My Brother's Best Friend by R. S. Elliot

Marrying My Brother's Best Friend:

A Single Dad, Accidental Baby Romance
(The Billionaire's Secret, Book 4) 

Author: R. S. Elliot

Publication Date: February 19, 2021

 

 

Available Now: Kindle

 

 

If you've been following along my reading journey, you know I am very much an advocate for reading a book series in the intended order. 

 

Most of the books I read tend to be part of a larger universe, where characters and story lines intermingle in a way that makes sense for the overall arc of the series and allows the author to get their readers to buy in. 

Full disclosure: I read the first three books in the Billionaire's Secret series some time ago, strictly for pleasure, which is why I'm only posting a review about book four of the series, Marrying My Best Friend's Brother. However, as always, I suggest checking out the first book in the series and make your way through to really get the full emotional impact that R.S. Elliot provides readers of the series. You can check the series out here!

 

Fake It For Me: A Grumpy Boss, Secret Baby Romance

 

Surprise Marriage: An Enemies to Lovers, Accidental Marriage Romance

His Secret Baby: A Second Chance, Accidental Pregnancy Romance

Now for my review... 

I am the type of reader who truly invests in a story, in the characters, and in the universe an author creates. In the current climate of authors self-publishing, a reader never truly knows what type of story they are walking into. The covers of romance novels are absolutely meant to draw the eye, most of them featuring scantily clad god-or-goddess-like models in various states of undress or physical entanglement.

Am I also the type to be swayed by a hot as sin cover? 

Yes, I sure the fuck am!

 

That being said, R. S. Elliot has been hit and miss for me, depending on the series. I loved all three of the previous books in the Billionaire's Secret series, but was not so sure about all of the books in the Billionaire's Obsession series - I've currently just finished the boxed set and I loved Beauty and the Boss as well as Teacher and the Boss. 

 

I really had no idea what to expect from Marrying My Brother's Best Friend when I received an advanced copy, but I loved the premise.

Synopsis:

Aaron
My best friend’s little sister was always off-limits.

That’s especially true now that she’s my lawyer.
I need her to help me keep custody of Ava.
My daughter is the most important thing in my life.
Between being a single father and running a Fortune 100 company, there isn’t room for anything else.
Certainly not with Sarah.
Her brother would kill me if I ever touched her.
Not to mention, she would violate her legal ethics getting involved with a client.
But old feelings aren’t so easy to suppress.
And ending up in bed with Sarah is only the start of the complications to my life and my heart.

Sarah

Aaron Moore is a grade-A jerk.
At least, that’s how I remember my older brother’s best friend from high school.
It didn’t stop me from crushing on him back then, though.
Only now, he’s a client.
He also isn’t the person I thought he was at all.
A determined businessman. A dedicated father. A passionate lover.
Once we cross that line, there’s no going back, despite what it could cost me.
But forces work to keep us apart and take what’s most important to him.
Only I have a secret…one that will change everything and that I won’t be able to keep hidden for long.

Of the four books in this series, this is the one that had my heart absolutely aching. Seeing both main characters struggling so hard against their feelings for one another in order to ensure the well-being of a child had me in tears more than a few times. The investment in Aaron and Sarah was so, so real for me. I found myself having to put the book down for a bit with every obstacle and twist in the story line, but I am happy to say that all of my anxiety over the mountains this pair had to climb was rewarded in the end. 

R. S. Elliot truly does emotional stories well. This is not an author that simply cranks out a book series to make money. There is no rushing over the small details and getting straight to the steamy love scenes. You are introduced to the characters and provided with in-depth backgrounds, relatable side characters that help move the story along, and a well-thought out plot with believable roadblocks and satisfying payoffs by the time you reach the end of the book. 

I would definitely recommend adding R. S. Elliot to your list of authors to follow, and make sure you start at the beginning of each series to get the most out of your reading!

A copy of Marrying My Brother's Best Friend was provided by BookSprout in exchange for an honest review. All opinions regarding the story are my own.

Love & Other Chaos - Jackie Walker

 

Love & Other Chaos

Author: Jackie Walker

Publication Date: December 17, 2020

Available via: Kindle, Paperback

 

One of the things I love most about reviewing books for my blog is finding new authors. I am usually very skeptical when it comes to reading a new series by an author I have never heard of, mostly because I feel comfortable with the writing style of familiar authors and have already formed an emotional attachment to the characters and the universes they have created.

After seeing my review of the latest book from of my favorite go-to authors, Pippa Grant, I was offered a review copy of a debut novel from an indie author, Jackie Walker. 

Love & Other Chaos is a teacher/parent romance, but also features a few other sub-plots that move the story along. The title is actually appropriate for this story, because there is A LOT happening, so much that the first half of the book really had me guessing as to how this story was going to end (yes, I realize most romance novels end with a happily ever after, but I try not to anticipate anything because the last time I did, one of my writer friends killed off her main love interest and I was in tears for 3 days). 

Here's an excerpt from Love & Other Chaos, which is what had me interested from the start:

"Damn my best-friend and her manipulation tactics. She just dared me to kiss Brody while she films it for a social media challenge. She knows I can't resist a dare, especially when coupled with reverse psychology. I'm weak like that. Plus, I'm a little buzzed right now. Fricking margaritas. I'm going to do it, aren't I? I'm going to kiss my best guy-friend, who also happens to be my son's teacher. What could possibly go wrong?"

Unless you're living under a rock, you've seen this social media challenge on Tik Tok, which usually features a girl surprise kissing her guy friend, who usually takes a moment or two to realize what is happening before he reacts and kisses her back. Most of the videos I have seen show a positive reaction, and was for me, an interesting premise for this story.

However, Love & Other Chaos doesn't stick to the same old script, and adds in a lot of other real life shenanigans that most of us can probably relate to, including being a single mom dealing with an autistic son, taking care of elderly grandparents, as well as a sprinkling of revenge after Cara experiences some workplace harassment. 

For me, this book had a lot going on, almost too much, in the beginning. I did not feel as connected with the story or the characters until I hit Chapter 11, when the friendship between the main characters is tested by the social media experiment Cara's friend Helen dares her to carry out on an unsuspecting Brody. 

Other than that, I enjoyed the depth of characters Walker put on the page, especially enjoying the relationship between teacher Brody and Cara's son, Miles. Walker didn't skip over details when talking about what it can feel like when a parent is learning to cope and help a child who is autistic. Miles is shown first as a fourth grader during the prologue, and then aged up to current day, but he is colorfully written and has his own story told alongside his mother and his teacher. 

I can see how this book could be the start of a series, as Cara's brother and friend Helen are relied upon to help the sub-plots move forward, and I am interested to see what stories Walker will craft for them.

If you are looking for a new read, you can find Love & Other Chaos for free if you have Kindle Unlimited. 

Here's a few other places you can interact and follow the author to find out what she has coming out next:

Goodreads

Facebook Author Page

Instagram

Amazon Author Page

A copy of Love & Other Chaos was provided by the author for review.

ARC Review: The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob - Pippa Grant

The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob

Author: Pippa Grant

Publication Date: January 7, 2021

Available for pre-order: Kindle

2020 has been a hell of a year. After this year, we all deserve something nice. Enter Pippa Grant to start us off in 2021 with a new story that gives us all the feels, as well as all the laughs. 

If you haven't been introduced to Pippa Grant's work, you're missing out and I highly suggest you start rectifying that situation - here's the proper story timeline reading order (you'll thank me, I promise). 

I really thought my go-to genre was paranormal romance, but after I had some down time during my recovery from surgery in March, I discovered the wonderful world of romantic comedies, thanks to Pippa and a delightfully funny love story about a tweet gone awry. 

After devouring America's Geekheart (yes, Beck Ryder IS my ultimate Book Boyfriend, even though he doesn't know it), I quickly had to backtrack and find the correct reading order and start immediately immersing myself in the Pippaverse. Luckily, this meant I got to read Beck and Sarah's story all over again since the suggested series reading order placed it at book number three, as well as having 13 new books to read. It also meant I came in on the tail end of the series, just as two more books were being added, and seriously curbed the despair I felt as my mind frantically raced with the thought of,  "What do I read now while I'm waiting for the next book?"

Signing up for every Pippa Grant social media fan group I could also brought me the opportunity to take part in reviewing this latest installment, The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob, as part of the new release campaign from Give Me Books. As an aspiring author who will most likely self-publish, reviewing books published independently is something I happily support (plus, hello! I get to read the book before it's released!), especially authors that continue giving fans like myself tiny glimpses into the lives of our favorite characters after they've gotten their Happily Ever After.

Now that I've gotten my hands on Levi Wilson's story, which I received at 3 a.m. on Sunday and immediately read through all the way to the end in less than 2 hours, I am struggling with writing this review because there are so many opportunities for spoilers, and I refuse to spoil this book for you! I will share with you the excerpt, however:

"You don’t know me, but you do know me. I’m your neighborhood hot mess single mom, doing my best to keep my head above water while running my little slice of heaven and keeping my youngest from shoving marbles up his nose, which is exactly what he’s doing the first time Levi Wilson, pop star god, world’s sexiest man, and my all-time number one celebrity obsession, walks into my bookstore.

Related: I’m writing this from beyond the grave, because I’ve died of mortification and am now residing in an alternate universe.

I have to be.

Because Levi Wilson came back.

And we had a moment.

Like, a moment moment. The kind that makes me remember that adult pleasure isn’t all about hoping the lock holds in the bathroom so your kids don’t interrupt on the rare occasion you feel like taking an extra-long mommy-time shower.

So when he proposes a no-strings fling?

Count. Me. In.

Thrill of a lifetime, right?

Surely, nothing will go wrong…"

For those who are new to the Pippaverse, I will say that I never much paid attention to what Levi was doing in the other books. It's not that Levi wasn't an interesting character, it's just that my focus was more on the main characters of that particular book (and whatever appearance Beck made in the other books, obviously). Levi was always there in the periphery, but not as demanding of my attention as say Cooper Rock (still waiting on this story, Pippa!) or even the mysterious Davis Remington, whose teeny tiny appearances made me wonder what his story actually is. 

Levi's story was a complete and wonderful surprise to me. He caught me off guard with his antics and his reactions to all that happens to and around him, and I felt for him through the introspective transformation he experiences regarding his upbringing and the state of his relationships. The character development for both of the main characters, and even the further developments of characters we already know and love within the Pippaverse, felt like a natural progression to me as the reader. We get the honor of watching this heartwarming love story unfold, laughing and crying and cringing right along with the characters.

Those familiar with Pippa's writing style and humor will be aware that they will most likely laugh so hard they could seriously harm themselves if they are eating or drinking anything whilst reading. I warn all of you newbies to never attempt this, even if you sign up for the Pipster Report, because you can totally have a near death experience while reading the weekly newsletter and eating/drinking at the same time (thanks a lot, Zeus).

The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob is no exception to the eating/drinking rule, especially given that our heroine is a single mom of three children who give hefty weight to the old adage "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong", and Levi is no stranger to finding himself in the oddest of situations right along with the kids and their horrifyingly embarrassed mother. This love story is more than just a love story though; it's also a heart-twisting tale of 3 adorable, smart and vibrantly written kiddos that have a second chance at having the father they deserve.

I can't say too much more about the book, because there are so many little humorous nuggets of Pippa gold sprinkled throughout and I refuse to spoil any of these discoveries for you. 

As familiar as I am with what Pippa Grant does with her stories, and what her stories in turn do for my heart and soul, The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob still genuinely surprised and delighted me; it had me laughing and tearing up; and most of all, it brought me back to a positive space during all this awfully depressing reality we've experienced over the last year - in this book, good people actually have good things happen to them - and even the hottest of messes can find true love in the most unexpected circumstances. Levi and Ingrid give hope to some of the hopeless romantic readers out there who are searching for their own forever. 

Let's face it - after the year we've had, we deserved a story that left us with all the feels and a bonus epilogue that made us ugly cry all the happy tears. 

An advanced reader's copy of "The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob" was provided by Give Me Books as part of the promotional campaign for the book's release, however all opinions are 100% mine and accurately reflect how the story made me feel. 

 

Review: A Warm Heart in Winter - J.R. Ward

 A Warm Heart in Winter 

Author: J.R. Ward

Publisher: Pocket Books Fiction, Simon & Schuster, Inc

Publication Date: November 2020

 

Available in: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audible

There are so many books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward, and the plot lines for each book are so expertly interwoven that it is sometimes hard to remember where each character has left off since the last book. Sometimes the Warden (the nickname her readers have given her, and yes, if you know anything about BDB, you know this title is warranted considering the characters she has to try to wrangle every dang day) graces us with a sequel to our favorite characters, which makes me squee with delight. I am definitely one of those types that never wants a story to end and always thinks about what each character I love is doing after they get their Happily Ever After.

I'd like to be able to say that I love all of the characters in the BDB universe equally but for different reasons, but that would be a lie. My favorite has always been Zsadist (Lover Awakened and Father Mine), and followed closely by Rhage (Lover Eternal and The Beast), but then Lover at Last came out and we FINALLY got the Qhuinn and Blay romance we'd always wanted.

While Lover at Last gave me that forever kind of love story for Qhuinn and Blay that I'd been dying to see play out, A Warm Heart in Winter revisits the couple during a Christmas blizzard that causes all sorts of trouble for the Brotherhood, and let me tell you, it gave me ALL. THE. FEELS.

Not only does Ward give us even more Qhuinn and Blay (plus their young, twins Rhamp and Lyric, sooooooo cute!), but then she goes and kills me by including Zsadist as an integral part of their journey together. To see Zsadist have come so far and be the anchor that he is in this book... Yeah, this only further cements my love for the Brother and no one will ever be able to take his place. 

 

 

Without ruining any of the book for you, I will say that this book should have been sold with a box of kleenex (even with the pandemic happening!) because there is not one chapter that is not full of emotional turmoil that tugs at your heartstrings. Ward hits all the right notes with this novel, expressing clearly and eloquently the emotions each of her characters vacillate through: love, loss, guilt, shame, sorrow and regret, and in the end, the knowledge that everything happens for a reason even if we don't understand why in the moment that everything changes.

A Warm Heart in Winter is more than Qhuinn and Blay's continuing love story, it also gives the reader greater insight into characters we already know and love, and introduces us to a love story we never even knew had already taken place.

Well done, Warden. 

Now, I just have to exercise patience for the next BDB book, Lover Unveiled. Oh, the torture!!!

Audio Review: "For The Win" by Brenna Aubrey; Narrated by Jason Clarke and Kirsten Leigh

For the Win

Author: Brenna Aubrey

Original Publication Date: May 31, 2015

 

Full disclosure: I received this audiobook from the author's Book Blogging team, Readers Together, in exchange for an honest review. I mainly wanted to review this because of Jason Clarke's involvement (his narration of Pippa Grant's Real Fake Love had me both in stitches and also falling in love with the male main character, Luca Rossi).

For The Win is book 4 in the Gaming The System series by Brenna Aubrey, and not having read any of the previous books, the start to this story felt a little slow for me. I am not a fan of the female narrator as her voice for some reason set me on edge from the first chapter. I forced myself through her chapters to get to Jason's chapters. 

Ultimately, I wasn't a fan of the audiobook, but a huge fan of the story. I went and purchased the Kindle version so I could read it instead of listen. Once I started reading, I enjoyed the journey of Jordan and April so much more (although I felt like I was betraying Jason by skipping the audio after chapter 3 - Sorry, Jason! I still love you, so, so much!!! 💋). You can sample the audiobook here.

So let's skip talk about the audiobook, because everyone has a different opinion about what kind of audio ear porn appeals to them, and let's talk about the story itself.

First, I know I'm going to have to read For The Win again, but AFTER I read the first 3 books. Characters that were introduced and events that happened in those books are mentioned in this story, so I felt out of the loop. If you are like me, and need to read a series in order, reading a book and not realizing until halfway through that it's part of a series is maddening. 

Secondly, the characters are so well written! April Weiss is a beautifully flawed character, and the way she is written helps the reader fall in love with her slowly throughout the book. The same can be said for Jordan Fawkes. When we finally see the cracks in Jordan's carefully constructed walls, it's a revelation! The two of them together, especially as Jordan allows himself to pull that wall down and April begins to stand on her own two feet and take control of her life...it's almost as if the reader has a front row seat to a real life couple finding their soul mate and making the decision to not let their pasts determine their future.

While I wouldn't necessarily recommend the audiobook (again, this is MY ear porn preference), I would encourage you to visit the platforms where the audiobook is available and sample it to see if it appeals to you, because honestly, the story itself and the arc of the characters is so fulfilling! I would, as previously mentioned, recommend starting with the first book in the Gaming The System series before you tackle Jordan and April's story. 

You can follow Brenna Aubrey on a number of social media sites so you can stay up to date with new releases, and I've posted the links below.

Follow Brenna Aubrey:

FB: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyFB

Twitter: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyTweet

IG: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyIG

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyPin

Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreySound

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyGR

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2E6t8ym

BookBub: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyBookbub

Website: http://bit.ly/BrennaAubreyNet

Newsletter: http://brenna.news

Where to purchase For The Win and other books in the series (Kindle editions):

Prequel: Girl Geek

Book 1: At Any Price (Adam and Mia, Pt. 1)

Book 2: At Any Turn (Adam and Mia, Pt. 2)

Book 3: At Any Moment (Adam and Mia, Pt. 3)

Book 4: For The Win (April and Jordan)

Book 5: For The One (William and Jenna)

Book 6: Worth Any Cost (Adam and Mia, Pt. 4)

Book 7: It Was Always You (Jeremy and Michaela - Stand alone Novella)

Book 8: For The Taking (Katya and Lucas)

Thank you to Kelly from Readers Together for providing the audiobook review copy of For The Win - I'm now a Brenna Aubrey fan and have a whole new series to dive into!

Dirty Rebound - Mira Lyn Kelly

Dirty Rebound

Author: Mira Lyn Kelly

Publication Date: September 8, 2020

 

Wow! I knew how much I loved the Back To Me and the Slayers Hockey series' previous installments so I was very eager to get my hands on Dirty Rebound. 

Dirty Rebound surprised me a bit, as the Ruxton Meyers we've seen in the series so far was only sprinkled into the previous books. Rux and Cammy's story was so much sweeter than I thought it would be, but still had enough of the fire I have come to expect of Mira's characters.

I won't give spoilers away, because the back story for both Cammy and Rux really felt like a surprise, but suffice it to say that Rux is my new favorite (just don't tattle to Vaughn that I said so), and Dirty Rebound had me laughing, made my heart ache, and yes, there were a few tears shed.

Mira writes with such clarity, ensuring the readers feel everything that her characters are going through: the ache of loneliness, the sorrow of losing someone, the joy of finding a potential love interest, the hope that arises from meeting someone who lights that spark inside, and the madness that comes with the misunderstandings that happen in relationships due to past experiences. 

Rux and Cammy are a wonderful addition to the world Mira has created, and I can't wait to see what comes next (although I feel like I'm gonna start yet another re-read of the series because I love them all sooooo much!).

Dirty Rebound is available now for pre-order and releases September 8!

If you like sexy alpha athletes and the strong, independent, kick ass women who tame them, you should definitely check out Dirty Rebound when it releases. Links as well as recommended reading order, below:

Dirty Rebound will be the latest in the series, but I suggest you start with #HardCrush if you appreciate a reading order. This starts with the #BackToYou trilogy and then moves seamlessly into the Slayers Hockey series, which are part of the same universe. Here are the purchase and pre-order links:

Hard Crush

Dirty Player

Dirty Bad Boy

Dirty Secret (my FAVORITE)

Dirty Hookup

Dirty Rebound Pre-Order

*An electronic ARC copy was provided by the author for review*

Midnight Sun - Stephenie Meyer

Midnight Sun

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication date: August 4, 2020

Available in: Hardcover, E Book, Audiobook

 

 

 

I know I'm not the only one who has been waiting 13 years for this to finally get published. This could have been a huge disappointment or an absolute disaster...

How do I love Edward Cullen as a character even more than I did before? There's something about not knowing what was happening inside his head that made the pull to him that much deeper. With Midnight Sun, I felt like I was tethered to Edward, his worries and fears became my own. His heartbreak and his concern for others, especially for Bella's soul, it resonated with me.

Thank you, Stephenie, for pushing past the anger of the draft being leaked and sitting down to finish and perfect Midnight Sun. 

Edward really is such a tortured character, and the weight of his thoughts, his actions, his words,  they bear down on him throughout the Twilight Saga. It was subtle in the original series, and it was hinted at again with the movies, but to finally, FINALLY read all of the chaos and turmoil inside him was captivating.

Not only did we get such a personal view of Edward, Midnight Sun brought us even closer to the rest of the Cullens. The questions Twihards have been asking for years have (mostly) been explored in detail with the publication of Midnight Sun, and scenes only hinted at in previous books were finally explained. The reveal of Jasper and his powers...I literally gasped. 

Additionally, if you get the opportunity, I HIGHLY suggest getting the audiobook version, narrated to absolute perfection by Jake Abel (Supernatural, The Host, Jake and Quarantine). If you listen to it WHILE reading along, it's almost like Edward is reading his life story to you personally.

And while this book may have satisfied the Twihard in me after 13 years of dying to know what Edward was thinking and feeling, I can't help but hope that Stephenie will gift us with Edward's perspective for the rest of the books as well. Here's hoping the two new books she says she plans on releasing (one of which has been confirmed will focus on Renesmee) include a closer look at Alice and Jasper!