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Story Blurb New Orleans, a city of mystery and magic, of secrets and dreams, and a history drenched in both love and the deepest of heartache. When ballet dancer Clara Campbell arrives in New Orleans, lonely and homesick, she is immediately captivated by the story of Windisle Plantation and the tragic tale that is said to have transpired beyond its gate. Legend has it that it is abandoned by all living souls, but to Clara’s great surprise, it is not a ghost she hears through the stone wall surrounding the property, but a flesh and blood man. A scarred stranger with a pain deeper and darker than the churning waters of the Mississippi river that flows beside his self-imposed prison. The ruined man behind the wall hides himself from the world. The last thing he expects is to find a friend in the selfless girl who speaks to him through the cracks in the rock. The girl who keeps returning week after week. The girl who makes him wish for things he has long since given up on. The girl who strikes both fear and hope within his wounded heart. But there can be no future for them, no life beyond Windisle, for no one knows better than him that monsters only live in the dark. The Wish Collector is the story of shame and triumph, of loneliness and love, and the miracle of two hearts connecting despite the strongest of barriers between them. My Thoughts/Opinion Mia Sheridan is one of the best at redeeming tortured heroes and this book is no exception. I practically read this book in one sitting because of how richly she developed these characters. And, being set in New Orleans, the story had an intriguing and satisfying generational voodoo curse as well. This book is a love story for sure, but it's also a layer deeper than that. I rooted as much for Jonah's redemption as I did for their HEA. Favorite Quote: "Love can't just disappear when this life is through, can it, Jonah? Even if our bodies turn to dust, the love we feel must go somewhere."

Story Blurb She’s his fiancée’s younger sister. He’s the man she’s always loved. When her sister doesn’t show up on her wedding day, Raven has no choice but to take her place — but marriage to Ares Windsor is nothing short of torture. The elusive billionaire media mogul is the man she’s always loved… yet he’s only ever had eyes for her sister. Married to him at last, Raven is determined to win him over. After all, everything is fair in love and war. And this? This is war. My Thoughts/Opinion This book is super successful and most readers love it. So, take what I say with a grain of salt. I struggled to connect with the opulence of the world, but that's something I can absolutely vibe with if the character and the story are compelling. In this case, all I really wanted to do was throttle these two. Raven is co-dependent and annoying. Ares is just a pompous dick. Sorry. I didn't connect with them and can't recommend this book at all. Favorite Quote: "Let's normalize walking away from toxic situations. You don't have to stick it out when your mental health is taking a beating, just because that's what everyone expects of you. It's okay to reassess and decide whether or not a situation is still acceptable to you.

Story Blurb Why am I holding a box of stolen memorabilia in my arms? It's called . . . revenge. After failing my last semester of grad school, I decided to come back to my hometown and wallow in my boyfriend’s sympathetic arms. Instead, he proceeded to dump me . . . for being boring! Now, I'm not typically a spiteful person, but there's only so much I can take. Hence why I’m holding the box of his most cherished possessions…stolen possessions no less! The plan? To give the box back to its rightful owner and rat my ex out. How’s that for being boring? But plans never go the way you want them, because instead of dropping off the box with a note, I’m pinned with the crime by the true owner of the box himself. Hayes Farrow is grumpy, arrogant, and stupidly hot in a way that makes it hard to even look him in the eye. Not to mention he’s my brother’s nemesis so I fully intended to stay far far away from the gorgeous jerk. But to add insult to the injury that has become my life as of late, Hayes gives me two options: turn me into the police and press full charges . . . or work it off. How could I possibly work for someone I can't stand? Easy, I don't look good in orange. But working for Hayes isn't as horrible as I thought it would be. The way I hate him begins to turn into something else - something I never thought I'd feel. But the way my brother reacts when he finds out I’m working for his enemy? He’d prefer me in prison orange. My Thoughts/Opinion I'm a big fan of enemies-to-lovers when it's done well. For me, that means more than anything else, properly motivated. I think the author did a good job of keeping the secret of why Hattie's family hates Hayes, but I was disappointed to find out the reason actually could have easily been resolved years ago. Anyway, the chemistry between Hayes and Hattie is good and I appreciate the work they both did to grow to deserve each other. I'm even more glad to know that Hattie's relationship with her family was reconciled. Favorite Quote: "I'm anything but a prince. If you want to address me, you can address me as king...or daddy. Never prince."

Story Blurb Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies’ man. Scorching hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package. And he’s looking at me like I might be his next meal. But I’m almost free of my toxic marriage and have sworn off men entirely. So all I see when I look back is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak. The man is hard to trust—and even harder to resist. Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard I try to freeze him out, he melts my icy exterior and pulls apart all my defenses. Over a drink in a small town bar, I blurt out my deepest, darkest secrets. Then I spend the singular hottest night of my life with him. He worships my body. He makes me blush. I come alive beneath his hands. Then I tell him to forget it ever happened. I want simple, and with him it all feels complicated. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. A secret. But that little plus sign is going to make this secret impossible to keep. My Thoughts/Opinion Oh, Winter! When I first met her in book one of this series, I felt bad for her circumstances but didn't connect with her as a character. I admit that before reading this book, I was concerned I still wouldn't connect with her. The author does such a good job of putting her characters into situations from which they must change and grow. As I look back at the four books in this series (and look forward to reading the last one in the coming weeks), I think that Winter and Theo's story is arguably my favorite of the bunch. Favorite Quote: ...the very last thing I need in my life is someone who makes me feel like there's not enough oxygen in my lungs when I've only just caught my breath.

Story Blurb Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That’s all this was supposed to be. After all, I’ve been living in the friend zone for years now. But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either. To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. To me, he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold. The man I’ve loved in secret for years. So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor. But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have. Our feelings aren’t straightforward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present. Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me. But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it. My Thoughts/Opinion This series is amazing! The lead-in to this story from Heartless made me want to dive in and not come up for air. And it did not disappoint. Sloane and Jasper have spent their lives denying their chemistry and it took Sloane running away from her marriage and Jasper fighting through his demons to allow them to acknowledge it. I love them so much and am so glad they got their HEA! Favorite Quote: “Times have changed, Sloane. I'm not scared anymore. You're not my fucking friend. You're just mine."

Story Blurb Dominic was staring at me like he couldn’t decide whether to chop me into pieces or pull my hair and French kiss me. Dominic I got her fired. Okay, so I’d had a bad day and took it out on a bystander in a pizza shop. But there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. She proves that her first day of her new job… in my office… after being hired by my mother. So maybe her colorful, annoying, inexplicably alluring personality brightens up the magazine’s offices that have felt like a prison for the past year. Maybe I like that she argues with me in front of the editorial staff. And maybe my after-hours fantasies are haunted by those brown eyes and that sharp tongue. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be the next Russo man to take advantage of his position. I might be a second-generation asshole, but I am not my father. She’s working herself to death at half a dozen dead-end jobs for some secret reason she doesn’t feel like sharing with me. And I’m going to fix it all. Don’t accuse me of caring. She’s nothing more than a puzzle to be solved. If I can get her to quit, I can finally peel away all those layers. Then I can go back to salvaging the family name and forget all about the dancing, beer-slinging brunette. Ally Ha. Hold my beer, Grumpy Grump Face. My Thoughts/Opinion I'm not convinced that Lucy Score could write a book I don't LOVE. So far, she hasn't been able to. This book is a grumpy/sunshine standalone and both main characters have a lot going on - some of the best character motivations I've read in a while. Something else she did sooooo well in this book was the 3rd act breakup. It was perfectly heartbreaking!! I was practically screaming at the book - NOOOO please don't say that! Please don't hurt her like that! But, it made the reconciliation just that much sweeter. I highly recommend anything by this author, but this one will definitely hold a special place in my heart for a long time! Favorite Quote: “Don’t do this, Dom. Don’t be nice. Don’t ask me questions. I’m hanging on by a thread here.” He pulled me out of the chair and into his arms. It was a hug. A hard, breathless hug.

Story Blurb An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics. Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it. So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again. Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future. Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing. My Thoughts/Opinion I really love Ashley Poston's writing. She creates realistic worlds were it's perfectly normal for the paranormal to exist. I liked Clementine and Iwan and loved the way they got to know each other, but this book felt much more like a story about Clementine's grief over her aunt's passing and her subsequent growth, with a romance subplot. Still...great writing. Just like with her debut novel, Dead Romantics, if you pick up this book I don't think you'll be disappointed! Favorite Quote: “And I knew I was falling. The kind of falling that would hurt when I hit the ground. The kind of falling that would shatter me into pieces.”

Story Blurb The first time I saw him, he entranced me and offered to help me forget my broken engagement. The second time was on a blind date with no last names and undeniable passion. The third time, I was eight months pregnant with his baby he knew nothing about. This time he’s not letting me walk away so easily. My Thoughts/Opinion I made myself finish this book hoping that it would be better, but two things kept me from enjoying it. One, the hero was a man-child with very little that redeemed him in my eyes. It was almost enough to DNF. And, two, the original conflict wasn't nearly enough to sustain this book. When the author finally gave the characters another conflict, it felt thin and contrived. I got through this book, but barely. (And just to prove my first point, the quote below is NOT a favorite, just representative. The woman is in labor when this line is delivered...) Favorite Quote: “Damn, woman,” he said as the anesthesiologist left. “That needle was huge.” “Thanks, Ian,” I deadpanned. “But I wasn’t worried.” He winked and slid his hand over mine. “You’ve taken much bigger than that.”

Story Blurb There was only one woman who could set me free. But I would rather set myself on fire than ask Sloane Walton for anything. Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his father’s mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building an indestructible empire. The more money and power he amasses, the safer he is from threats. Except when it comes to the feisty small-town librarian that keeps him up at night… Sloane Walton is a spitfire determined to carry on her father’s quest for justice. She’ll do that just as soon as she figures out exactly what the man she hates did to—or for—her family. Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and the dislike they now share for each other, Sloane trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body. When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, these two find themselves not quite regretting their steamy one-night stand. Once those flames are fanned, it seems impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse. Broken men break women. It’s what Lucian believes, what he’s witnessed, and he’s not going to take that chance with Sloane. He’d rather live a life of solitude than put her in danger. But he learns the hard way that leaving her means leaving her unprotected from other threats. It’s the second time he’s ruthlessly cut her out of his life. There’s no way she’s going to give him a third chance. He’s just going to have to make one for himself. My Thoughts/Opinion I'm not even sure I'm ready to let this book go. Lucy Score saved the best for last in this series, and it's not even close. I LOVED this book so much. I think it helped that in the first two books, we got little looks of Lucian and Sloane that made us want to know their story. But it was so so so much better than I could have even hoped for. Lucian is such a hero in my heart. I ache for his broken places. And there would never ever be another woman better for him than Sloane. I'm sad this series is over, but man what a great way to go! Favorite Quote: “my oldest enemy stirred. Hope. Some of us didn’t get the luxury of hope. Some of us weren’t worthy of it.”

Story Blurb Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk. Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him. My Thoughts/Opinion My goodness, I love the Morgan men. This is the second of the three books in Lucy Score's Knockemout series. I wondered how Lucy would expose Nash's wounds. He was the good Morgan brother. I also loved her backstory for Lina. Lucy is an exceptional author and wow - she really made me root for these two. If I scoring the three books, this is probably my 3rd of 3, BUT I will reread this entire series more than once. It's that good! Favorite Quote: “Being vulnerable doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you trust yourself to be strong enough to handle the hurt. It’s actually the purest form of strength.”

Story Blurb The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single sentence: I’ll wait forever if I have to. It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know. Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply? You. I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong. We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late. Dante was at my doorstep. And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next. My Thoughts/Opinion This book was a little darker than I normally read, but it was really well done. While I felt confident that I'd figured out the twist about halfway through, the writing and story were so good, I had to finish to make sure I was right. Note: This book is definitely for mature audiences only. Readers should read trigger warnings before reading the book. Favorite Quote: “Funny thing, isn’t it, hindsight? It’s memory, but with new understanding tacked on, so that the past means something different than it did before.”

Story Blurb Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me. Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes. He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges. But broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist? But it’s in our quiet moments together that he softens. It’s when he takes care of me that I realize his hardened exterior is just a façade. It’s when I watch him go all sweet with his little boy that I really fall for him. Someone convinced him once that his best wasn’t good enough. But I’ve never felt more cherished than I do in his arms. My contract may say this arrangement is only for two months. But my heart says this is forever. My Thoughts/Opinion Well, I no sooner got done with Flawless than I knew I had to pick up Cade and Willa's story. They both played important roles in book one. Cade's scars run so deep. I wanted him to find happiness. I really wish we couldn't delved deeper into Willa's background, but the arc of this story really belonged to Cade. And boy, was this one FIRE! 🔥🔥 Favorite Quote: “Game on?" I rasp out, as all my reservations about touching the nanny fly out the window. I don't need them - definitely don't want them. Not with the way she's staring at me right now, eyes fixed on my lips while I grip her elbow and prop another hand against the wall of hay behind her. Her lip is still wet when she whispers, "Game on."