Audiobook Reivew: All Fired Up by M.K. England

All Fired Up by M.K. England
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

M.K. England NEVER fails! This book is no exception.

Nic is in love with Skylar - but Skylar is moving to Fiji and everyone seems to be okay with that... everyone except Nic and Kira, who vows to get to the bottom of this hairbrained scheme and stop it before Skylar gets hurt.

But neither Nic nor Kira see it coming when, while working together, they start to have feelings for each other. But, are either of them ready for finding something new when they are still trying to fix the problems that are going to befall Skylar?

The longer their scheming goes on, the more they wonder if it's even worth it.

I loved the characters in this book and fell a little bit for Skylar as well. Oh and maybe some for Kira. :D

The narrators Angel Pean and Kristen DiMercurio did exceptional jobs keeping me engaged and not allowing the story to be drug down.

I'd like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

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Audiobook Review: Moms Like Us by Jordan Roter

Moms Like Us by Jordan Roter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I hate leaving a 3 star review, but I found this book to be a little convoluted. It was like a spider web of lies that have brought down an entire private elementary school. At first I had a hell of a time getting into the characters because there was such a tangled web and too many spiders I think. I just wanted to be able to follow a few characters and get to know them but found it too hard to dig into one of the characters before another would come forward.

I will say that the ending was quite a shocker, one I didn't even dream of happening. So, there's that.

Helen Laser did an exceptional job reading this book and keeping all the voices distinct. I'm very honored to have heard her portray this motley cast of mothers.

I'd like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Audiobook Review: Audre and Bash are Just Friends by Tia Williams

Audre & Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Audre has the hardest choice to make - deal with the luck that has handed her, or allow the problem to take over the good that could become out of her summer. Audre feels, I think, that life has let her down. She's become second fiddle to both of her parents' new children and feels like they've pushed her to the side. When her best friend suggests she hang out with someone who can help her learn what the real deal is about being a kid in the summer, she turns to Bash. The boy that everyone has something to say about, but are the things they say true, or just fabrications?

When Audre comes to Bash asking him to be her fun consultant, he's taken aback. What could someone like him be able to teach someone like her? Yes, she's pretty, yes, she's got her head on her shoulder, but there's something about the things she wants to do that pull him in, wanting to help for the sake of spending more time with her.

This book took a turn toward the end that really shook me. I'd like to say that Tia Williams is a master of showing how generations of women can hide what they call a curse in order to break the cycle that has been passed down from generation to generation. Ms. William's characters are real, heartbreaking, and emotionally aware.

I'd also like to commend the narrators for doing an exceptional job. Jordan Cobb and Torian Brackett - bravo!

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Review: Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unrequited love sucks! So when Anglea decieds that the crush she's had for years isn't going anywhere she enlists Krystal's help to have someone win her first kiss during a scavenger hunt. But when her library job catches wind of the idea... they're not too happy about it. So what can Angela do to salvage the hard work she's been putting into the scavenger hunt? Make it for charity.

Krystal doesn't believe that she's good enough for love. So no matter what feelings she may or may not have are void because she doesn't want to ruin what she has with Angela.

Angela identifies as ACE, which really tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel heard. It's not often that a book will make me feel seen, heard, and understood in ways that I didn't know I needed to feel heard. Kudos to Ms. Gamez for her excellent portrayal of the ACE community.

I really enjoyed Ruby Corazon's narration of this story. Even listening at 1.75% she sounded professional and well rounded all the characters out. Kudos!

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

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Review: Her Love After Goodbye by Nichole Ruschelle

Title: Her Love After Goodbye

Author: Nichole Ruschelle
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

Her heart was shattered. He’s ready to piece it back together.

Ashley

The day I discovered my husband of six years had been unfaithful, I should have been devastated. But all I felt was confirmation—confirmation that the whispers in our small town were true. Now, I’m left picking up the pieces of my life, and the one person who’s been my anchor is Ricky. My childhood best friend. The boy who once knew me better than anyone. And the more time I spend with him, the more I start to wonder—what would it feel like to kiss him? To let him hold me? To love him the way I never got to before?

Ricky

I’ve loved her since we were twelve. And by the time I finally found the courage to tell her, she was already his. I stepped aside, watched from the sidelines, knowing she deserved the world—even if it wasn’t with me. But now, he’s gone. He broke her heart, and she’s looking to me for comfort. Only, I don’t want to be her shoulder to cry on. I want to be her future, her forever. And this time, I won’t let her go.

Trigger Warning: There is cheating on the page but not with the MMC.

Review:

Ashley can't believe her luck. Her husband is a lying, cheating, jerk face... (hey, I had to keep it clean) and when she finds out; she heads to the one place she knows she can call home - to Ricky. And when her divorce finalizes... she's back at Ricky's bar.

Ricky has always had feelings for Ashley, but the timing was never right when he tried to bring it to her attention. But when things come crashing down around Ashley, will he take advantage of it... of course not, he's a gentleman. And when she gets divorced? Does he take advantage then? Nope. He does everything right. AND I LOVE IT!

The two things that didn't sit right with me were that Ashley would call Ricky "Rick" and he hates that name. And if she's friends like they say she is in the book, she should know that. And... there are at least 2 instances where he mentions (in his head, mind you) that he hates that name, but we don't know why. I know it's a novella, but inquiring minds want to know. :)

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

Review: Aim for Love by Alicia Wilder

Title: Aim for Love

Author: Alicia Wilder
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:

When you aim for love, better learn how to hit the bullseye.

Mollie Tate never should have agreed to a girls trip to a small Colorado mountain town with her friends. Their idea of a pleasant adventure tour is her nightmare, and now she’s supposed to nail a target and climb a mountain with a hot guide looking on? This isn't going to go well.

Hunter West has been an adventure guide for years, teaching and guiding tourists through hikes, mountain biking, and backpacking while avoiding any romantic entanglements with them. That's never been a problem for his orderly life, until Mollie storms into his orbit with her complete inability to throw an axe or ride a bike. Suddenly, Hunter is wondering if he's ready for something bigger.

Private lessons might help Mollie connect her mind and body enough to hit a target, but getting her heart involved is a bigger problem. As the town draws her in and Hunter teaches her new skills on and off the trail, Mollie begins to consider whether she’s found an adventure that’s lifelong.

Review:

Mollie's a hot mess... or at least that's what her friends make her feel like. She's not good at anything... at first. But instead of being there for her when they should, they are only there to push her into more things that are uncomfortable for her.

Hunter's trying to make a career out of the job he has leading tours through adventures, but is he making any headway? When he meets Mollie, he does something he's never done before; he breaks the rules.

I was not the biggest fan of the two BFFs that Mollie came on the tour with, but in the end, they kinda pulled their heads out of their collective buttocks. (Thank goodness!)

Besides those two examples, I loved the rest of the characters. They all had their own personality that made you root for them until the end.


************ 

I'd like to thank the author and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book.. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

REVIEW: Italy Can Bite Me: A Vacation Romantic Comedy by MeLisa Ryun

Italy Can Bite Me: A Vacation Romantic Comedy by MéLisa Ryun
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG - 1,000,000 stars for this laugh out loud rom com that had me in stitches from almost the first page. Listen to this and tell me you're not laughing:

"Aunt Deb leads her silver-haired disciples in a basic tree pose. Holy downward facing disaster! The mortifying scene looks like a herd of overly enthusiastic, hopelessly uncoordinated flamingos playing Twister. It's equal parts hard to watch as it is can't look away."

And how about this one:

"You know you're an old man when the bells hang lower than the rope."

And lastly:

"Alright you horny teenagers!" Chester bellows. "Save some action for Juliet's statue. Those bronze boobies aren't going to fondle themselves."

Now, you'd think to yourself, "Self, that has to be all the good stuff in there." But, unfortunately -or maybe fortunately -YOU'RE WRONG!!! This book is rife with all kinds of wonderful banter, jokes, and shenanigans. You just can't get away with not laughing in this book.

MeLisa and Ryun are the Royal family of hilarity and good writing. Not only do you fall in love with their characters through the book, but you learn to love them so that when the book is over you just want to start reading again. There's nothing better than loving your book besties so much that you want to start reading all over again.

The emotion brought about in this book is amazing and the wounds so deep you wonder if you'll ever see your character grow and bloom, but in the end... *spoiler alert* there is a happy ending.

I'd like to thank the author and Happily Booked PR for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. Top book of the month for sure!

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Audiobook Review: American Housewife by Anita Abriel

American Housewife by Anita Abriel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maggie has it all now. Everything she could ever wish for. She has a career as the host of the beloved TV show The Maggie Lane show, a cooking show that proves to be everything the American woman wants and needs in their lives. She teaches cooking along with being the friend that every woman wishes she has. But to have that show, she had to marry her boyfriend (though he has tried to get her to agree to marry him several times) and provide the persona of the all-American happy housewife. What the world (and her husband Teddy) cannot know is that she holds a secret, one that could ruin her name and her marriage.

This book is told in spurts of the current time of the book to the past before she met and fell in love with her husband, Teddy. Her backstory is riveting and full of twists and turns you aren't really expecting.

I found the book to be well worth the read. The characters all had such wonderful backstories and played such a great part in the FMC's life.

The narrator Jennifer Jill Araya was outstanding in this book, and I would love to listen to more of what she reads. She brought the characters to life... magic.

I'd like to thank the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

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Audiobook Review: Hard to Get by Laura Moher

Hard to Get by Laura Moher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Andi has been through hell, and back again. But once in a while she lets her hair down and dons a persona of Andrea hot singer with the band when they need a fill in. That's where Kevin meets her for the first time.

Kevin is smitten from the moment he lays eyes on this curvy goddess (thank you author for depicting curvy girls in such a wonderful light). But after a night of unbridled passion, Andrea disappears and Andi comes back. It isn't until football season starts that Kevin runs into Andi again, and even though Andi isn't all dolled up Kevin is still entranced.

The only problem I've had with this book is that the author didn't include trigger warnings in the beginning of the audiobook which I think are more than needed.

While it did seem to take FOREVER to get Andi to loosen up and let Kevin in, I loved the chemistry the two had in this book. The portrayal of the hypervigilant person, and also the talk they had with the football players in the beginning of the book... *chef's kiss*

Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni were excellent narrators in this book. Thank you for giving me something that I can listen to at even my 1.75% and still love every single word. You are amazing and your talents are well used.

I'd like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read/listen to this book.

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Audiobook Review: I Am Salvation by Helen Hardt

I Am Salvation by Helen Hardt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dragon and Griffin didn't lead a charmed youth. When Griffin, Dragon's sister, gets attacked with a knife in their own home, Griffin is the one who found her. His parents thought the worst and sent him away to live a life of hell. When Griffin was abducted, his family learned he wasn't the one to blame, but they did nothing to stop the hell he was living in.

Fast forward many years and Dragon is trying to live life the way best he can. He's tipped off that his sister may actually be alive. To protect her, he goes to the only place he can go to get the help he needs, though he's loathe to accept the help but needs must, the Steels. Through the help of a PI, he finds the clues that lead him to his long-lost mother (waste of air if you ask me), and clues to his sister's whereabouts.

Diana just wants to be the best she can, on her own merit. But when right vs. wrong comes into play, Diana must choose what she's willing to live with. But at what cost?

It was great watching Diana and Dragon fall in love. The ending was satisfying, and I enjoyed listening to the narrator as well. I'd like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for the opportunity to review this book.

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Review: Trial of the Cursed Egg by Serenity Rayne

Trial of the Cursed Egg: Dragonis Academy Year One by Serenity Rayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really wanted to LOVE LOVE this book, but I only liked it. Perhaps I should explain...

Mina was raised by a man who pushed her beyond what would be considered normal. At first you think it's an overprotective father who just wanted to make sure she could take care of herself in a world that would take who she is and fear her or want to rid the world of her, or both... what we find out later shocks the heck out of us. (You'll have to read to find out!)

For year one of an academy book, I expected more friend groups in her peers other than her mate's (Abraxis) sister, Cora. Instead, you only get to know her nest mates. It feels like there should be more meat to the first year; bonds formed, friends lost, enemies made (and Ms. Rayne does that in spades!).

I feel some of the scenes were rushed through and the battles could have been drawn out a little bit.

Now, my nit picking aside, I was drawn into this book and flipping way past my bedtime. So that's why this book gets my 4 star rating. It deserves accolades for Mina and her kick ass attitude, and for Abraxis and his touch her and die vibes. Character development, CHECK CHECK CHECK!

I'd like to thank the author and Literary Inspired for allowing me the pleasure of reading this book.

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Audiobook Review: Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio

Insignificant Others by Sarah Jio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lena's had a life filled with missed opportunities or Insignificant Others if you please. After the failure of one of these opportunities, she runs home to her aunt for comfort. Once Rosie goes to bed, Lena remembers the studio in the backyard and decides to check it out. Once inside, she falls asleep and is thrust into a series of "what if" scenarios of the men she's met in her life. Some of the instances are great, and some... just NOT! The lessons Lena learns throughout this book are invaluable and are some lessons we all should learn.

Ms. Jio did an excellent job piecing together this tangled web. I enjoyed getting to know Lena and all the men in her life... well, almost all of them.

I did find that this book could have done with one or two less men since it seemed to drag out a bit. And at the end I was prepared to be very upset that the book wasn't going to end the way "I" wanted it to, but... it did and I'm so happy!

I'd like to thank the publisher/author/NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

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Audiobook Review: When Ivy Met Adam by Jennifer J. Coldwater

When Ivy Met Adam by Jennifer J. Coldwater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What do you do when true love leaves? You move on...
What do you do when love knocks again? You let it in...
But is everything as it seems? I guess you'll have to read to find out.

I'm going to struggle here today with this review. Not because I can't find good things to say, but because there is nothing that I can say that can do this book justice.

One of the hazards of reading so many books in a year is that you find you forget what happens in the book in favor of starting your next read, but I can tell that this will not be the case with this book.

While I was still reading this, I noted in my journal the following sentences that sum up how I feel about this book:

"The author is absolutely amazing!! She has touched so firmly on what it is to be bisexual, transgender, and pansexual! The emotion in this book is beyond raw and just has touched every fiber of my being."

"...this book is pure art at its finest. I love it because it allows every nuance of people to be respected and heard."

I'm not sure I can say anything today that will allow me to convey how I feel any more than the words above have. "When Ivy Met Adam" should be on everyone's TBR list. If you don't read this, you're missing out.

I'd like to thank the author profusely for the opportunity to read this book. And thanks also go out to Happily Booked PR.

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