The Matchmaker's Playbook (Wingmen Inc. 1) by Rachel Van Dyken

Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule.…

Too funny!!! 

So, to be honest I was a little worried in the beginning. Ian comes off as a cocky, arrogant, douche! But... it didn't take long for me to get used to the way he spoke and then totally fall in love with him!

He was hilarious! Still somewhat douchy... haha but I loved him.

"You're kind of a pig."

"Right, but I'm more like one of those cute little pigs, you know, the teacup ones. Still a pig, but you can't help but want to keep it forever because it's so damn adorable."

Blake was perfect. She was a bit naive about the whole "how to be a girl" thing, and it showed. From her mannerisms to her clothes. She was one of the guys! But that all changed soon enough.

Their chemistry was off the charts!!!

I've read a handful of matchmaker/fake boyfriend type reads, but this one was unique in its own way.

I loved the rules and enjoyed the friends/secondary characters too.

This was a quick, fun, and sexy read. It had me laughing out loud!

"Maybe he was a merman in another life, and the only way he can survive on dry land is to keep as much liquid inside his mouth as possible."

Amazon US / UK

Touch the Sky by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn

Lucas Barnett and Gabriel Stewart didn’t have it easy as kids. They were only trying to deal with bad situations at home when they became lifelines for each other. Their pipe dream was to someday meet in LA, where Lucas would design skyscrapers, and Gabriel would learn to fly. But then Gabriel disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and Lucas got himself in trouble with the law. 

Five years later, both men are at a loss when they run into each other at a Hollywood bar. Lucas is still angry, but it’s not as if Gabriel could control how his mind and body had betrayed him. Being found on the ledge of that bridge had changed everything.

The attraction is immediate, but it’s more than their inability to keep their hands off each other. Neither man expects the fierce connection pulling them together. Unfortunately, ignoring their problems doesn’t make them disappear. Gabriel’s internal struggles are serious…dangerous. And no matter how much Lucas wants it to be true, saving Gabriel won’t make up for not being able to save his mom. If they don’t find the strength to face their own demons before the darkness takes hold, they risk more than just losing each other forever. 

Very sweet and sad all in one.

A story about life, loss, forgiveness and acceptance.

They were so sweet as kids, full of hopes and dreams, yet both their lives were so screwed up. 

They had each other and that was all they needed.... until they didn't.

These boys shared a shy and sweet, almost insecure love with a deep down bond... even years later.

I really enjoyed this collaboration. 

Christina and Nyrae delved into some pretty tough issues like mental health, addiction, death, etc.

It was heartbreaking.

There were bouts of sexiness and fun, of course, and I really enjoyed those parts, but overall it was truly an emotional and beautiful story. 

Amazon US / UK

RoomHate by Penelope Ward

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.

Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be a dream come true, right? 

Not when it’s Justin…the only person I’d ever loved…who now hates me.

When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she helped raise.

The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I broke years ago.

The same teenager who’s now a man with a hard body and a hardass personality to match.

I hadn’t seen him in years, and now we’re living together because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.

The worst part? He didn’t come alone.

I’d soon realize there’s a thin line between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all…the boy is still there. So is our connection. 

The problem is…now that I can’t have Justin, I’ve never wanted him more.

Author's note – RoomHate is a full-length standalone novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

This story had me going through a range of emotions. 

It was sexy, with hot as hell moments, funny, sweet and emotional.

Justin was arrogant, crude, cocky, and condescending. Yes, you read that right.

BUT, he was also sexy, loyal, loving... and hurt.

He'd had his heart broken by Amelia, and didn't quite know how to handle the situation they were in now.

What's a guy to do?

Some of his antics had me laughing out loud, as did some of their childhood stories. 

They ranged from hilarious to just down right sweet and adorable.

Further along in the story there was also angst, and a bit of unknown. 

I wasn't sure at times just what would happen.

Did I mention steamy??
Warning: Strong sexual tension and scorching hot scenes!! 

Great read.. which I happen to devour in record time!

Amazon US / UK

Cam Girl by Leah Raeder

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Unteachable and Black Iriscomes a new, sexy romantic suspense novel about two best friends who are torn apart by a life-shattering accident…and the secrets left behind.

Vada Bergen is broke, the black sheep of her family, and moving a thousand miles away from home for grad school, but she’s got the two things she loves most: her art and her best friend—and sometimes more—Ellis Carraway. Ellis and Vada have a friendship so consuming it’s hard to tell where one girl ends and the other begins. It’s intense. It’s a little codependent. And nothing can tear them apart.

Until an accident on an icy winter road changes everything.

Vada is left deeply scarred, both emotionally and physically. Her once-promising art career is cut short. And Ellis pulls away, unwilling to talk about that night. Everything Vada loved is gone.

She’s got nothing left to lose.

So when she meets some smooth-talking entrepreneurs who offer to set her up as a cam girl, she can’t say no. All Vada has to do is spend a couple hours each night stripping on webcam, and the “tips” come pouring in.

It’s just a kinky escape from reality until a client gets serious. “Blue” is mysterious, alluring, and more interested in Vada’s life than her body. Online, they chat intimately. Blue helps her heal. And he pays well, but he wants her all to himself. No more cam shows. It’s an easy decision: she’s starting to fall for him. But the steamier it gets, the more she craves the real man behind the keyboard. So Vada pops the question:

Can we meet IRL?

Blue agrees, on one condition. A condition that will bring back a ghost from her past.

Now Vada must confront what she’s been running from. A past full of devastating secrets—those of others and those she’s been keeping from herself…

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."

WOW!

That's pretty much what I've got at the moment!

My review will be short and sweet. 

You all know how I rarely read blurbs.. well this was no exception.

I didn't even put two and two together and figure out what Cam Girl meant! 

It didn't really matter. 

  

This book has mystery, sadness, confusion and pain. There's also friendship, love and lust.

I wouldn't want to spoil anyone's experience and there is so much beauty, pain and enlightenment in this story to experience. You just have to go for it.

  

The writing is so poetic, so vivid.

Leah writes in color. In poems. Paintings.

"Art is an imperfect impression of the world. As the self is an imperfect impression of the soul."

I was sucked in and couldn't put it down.

This is a story unlike any I have read. 

I cried for these characters and their struggles.

In the end, I also cried for Leah and Leelah.

What an intricate web this story is made up of. 

I was completely enthralled and intrigued. 

A must read in my opinion.

Amazon US / UK

Desperate Chances by A. Meredith Walters

Sex changes everything.

And love can turn into an enemy…

Mitch Abrams, the bassist for the popular rock band Generation Rejects, has been in love with Gracie Cook for years. But Gracie, a complicated girl with a lot of baggage, was too blind to see how she felt about the man who had always stood by her.

Until one night of passion brought them closer than they had ever been before.

Feeling off balance and out of control, Gracie does the only thing a girl with self-destructive tendencies can do: end things with Mitch before they can really begin.

So Mitch moves on. With his band, his friends, and a new girlfriend.

Yet he can’t seem to forget about the girl who threw his heart away.

Gracie, who is still struggling to build a life after crashing to the bottom, finds it hard to forget about her one night with Mitch. And even as she tries to convince herself it was only sex, her heart knows differently.

But life is full of chances and desperate moments. And when Mitch and Gracie are thrown back into each other’s lives, will they seize at the opportunity to do things right?

Or will the rock star and the less than ordinary girl crash and burn?

My Review

Friends to lovers gone wrong!

Like the blurb says, 'sex changes everything'. 

Sometimes it makes your relationship so much stronger and other times, it ends them all together.

Unfortunately for best friends Mitch and Gracie, it was the latter.

Ugh, the angst and heartbreak!!

I felt for Gracie. 

She's trying to change her life, mend her ways and make a new path for herself,  yet her family just couldn't believe in her. 

Her mother's behavior towards her made me want to reach in and smack her!

Then there's Mitch!

I liked him a lot!

His feelings for Gracie were so raw, and so real! He wasn't afraid to show his emotions.

Sadly for him, his big heart was stomped on and crushed to bits!

Their connection was so strong that even I could feel it. 

I was rooting for them!

This story is filled with love, pain and sorrow! 

But, there's also friendship, camaraderie, and laughter!

I loved the incorporation of all the previous characters. 

Not only was this Mitch and Gracie's story, but it was like a big family reunion! What is everyone up to? What does the future hold?

The laughter I mentioned... Viv and Cole!!! Need I say more? 

Their naughty antics had me constantly laughing out loud!

This was the perfect way to wrap up a series!

Amazon US / UK

Crazy About Cameron by Katy Regnery

Blurb

Crazy about Cameron is the third of four books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly-handsome Winslow brothers who are all on the look-out for love. 

(Say what? Not so much...Brooks and Pres are OFF. THE. MARKET, and Chris is so distracted with his campaign, he can't see what - or who - is right under his nose.)

With her stiff posture, black-rimmed glasses and chestnut waves in a tight bun, Cameron Winslow’s downstairs neighbor, Margaret Story, has long been the unaware star of his filthiest dirty-librarian fantasies. But with a floundering business eating up all his time, Cam doesn’t have the open road he’d need to date a lady like Margaret.

Margaret, who grew up down the road from Cameron, has always thought of him as a cross between a bully and a tease, as likely to pull her braids as pull her leg. But he’s grown up to be a smokin’ hot businessman, and Margaret can't help daydreaming about what it would feel like to be under, um, with someone like him.

When hot-headed Cameron and buttoned-up Margaret start using the same shady contractor for apartment renovations, Margaret may find herself in some unexpected trouble, which forces long-hidden feelings to come out of hiding...and might just make way for two unlikely fantasies to finally come true.

Return to the world created in the English Brothers books with this fresh foursome of scorching hot Winslow Brothers! 

My Review

This is book 3 in the Winslow Brothers Series, but the first that I have read! Luckily, they can be read as standalones! But... I am intrigued by this family and want to read them all now!

Crazy About Cameron is a light and quick read.

Margaret and Cameron are childhood friends enemies frenemies! 

Their families and friends grew up together, until the unexpected happened and Cameron and his family moved away. 

Now as adults, as their paths cross once again, lingering feelings arise. They actually never went away! Elevator fantasies come in to play. Daydreams of what could have been interrupt their lives!

Lucky for them, and us.. this is not an angst filled read. These characters are no nonsense grown ups. They know what they want and say how they feel!

Sexting has never been hotter!!

This is a refreshing, no games, steamy story! Add in a touch of mystery and you've got yourself an easy going and hot romantic read!

Amazon US / UK

Him by Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition. 

Loved it! 
This was my first read by Sarina Bowen and second by Elle Kennedy.

Jamie and Wes were best friends and roommates at hockey camp. 

For years they indulged in a very close friendship consisting of skinny dipping, sneaking beer, playing pranks and making bets!

One day a bet goes too far, leaving one of the boys with much regret and eventually ending their friendship.
           

 

Jamie is a hot blonde from California. His family is fun, laid back and easy going.

Wes is tall dark and rugged. He comes from a more conservative and uptight family.
He's the jokster that will do anything for a laugh and he's been in love with his best friend Jamie for as long as he can remember.

"I'd wanted to touch him more than I'd wanted my next breath."

This is a sexy, friends to lovers story. It's so fun and flirty and the chemistry is off the charts hot!

"What are you waiting for, Ryan? Suck it already."

There are also very sweet moments not only between lovers, but between friends.

At times there was a little sadness as well.
Everyone struggles with acceptance. Even the most confident people, like Wes, have moments of doubt.
None the less, the overall feeling of this book is happy.

This story is as hilarious as it is hot. 

"Ryan Theodore Wesley! Put that knife down this instant!"

"I'm sorry, did you call me Ryan Theodore?"

She waves her hand as if the question is inconsequential. "I don't know your middle name so I had to make one up. Because, sweetie, you really needed to be middle-named for mangling those poor onions."

Quick and easy going read that I didn't want to put down!

AMAZON

                                                                                                                                                       

   

Wicked Fall by Sawyer Bennett

 Never in your wildest dreams could you begin to imagine all the filthy and depraved things that go on inside The Wicked Horse. Step inside and Woolf Jennings will make every one of your dirty fantasies come true. He’s covered in a facade of deception. An enticing blend of multi-millionaire and hot-as-hell Wyoming rancher, those that think they know Woolf Jennings admire his abilities to preside as CEO of his family’s cattle and oil empire. But only a privileged few truly understand what fuels the glitter of depravity in those gorgeous blue eyes. Only a few know he’s opened up a sinfully erotic and private sex club named The Wicked Horse right at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain range. 

Sweet Callie Hayes has returned home to Wyoming and is looking forward to starting her life over again. After a night of impetuosity, she’s managed to put herself right in Woolf’s line of sight… the man who she foolishly offered up her virginity to years ago and was flatly turned down. Now Woolf is seeing that Callie is all grown up and has a kinky side to her that leaves him as confused as it does turned on. Worse yet, both Callie’s dirty desires and sweet heart are getting under his skin, and making Woolf question everything he’s ever believed about himself.

Woolf Jennings

"While I happen to be blessed with a long, thick cock that makes most women scream upon entry, I do some of my best work with my mouth."

Yee Haw and giddy the hell up! DAMN! I need myself some Woolf Jennings!

"Filthy-talking boy who makes me want to do every dirty thing he commands of me."

What she said!

Callie's all sweet and innocent young woman, while Woolf's all hard, rough and tough total man!! They've known each other all their lives. Callie was Woolf's best friend's little sister.

There's history, there's feelings and there's off the charts chemistry.

But life got in the way, people move on and things change.

When Callie returns home, Woolf doesn't want his new lifestyle to corrupt the innocent beauty he once knew. Little does he know, that she aint sweet anymore, and corruption is just what she's come home looking for!

"She's all sunshine and lemonade. I'm like a thunderstorm and will roll right over her, ruining everything she is."

I really enjoyed this fast paced and entertaining read. There's sweetness and innocence mixed in with dirty talking, three-way, and throw me up against the barn door and fuck me hotness!

It's got both belt buckle wearing cowboys AND a secret, members only sex club! 

What more could you ask for?

"No, I don't want to nibble at life. I want to take a big fucking bite, suck down its juiciness, and swallow it hard with a moan."

Although sex club and themed rooms are involved, those looking for whipping, flogging, get down and lick my boots.. which I totally would, if Woolf asked me too, aren't exactly going to find that here. 

Yes there is lots of kinky fuckery, roll play and voyeurism going on, but it's not what I'd call a BDSM book.

It's dirty, it's fun and it's hot as hell!

I'm hooked! Bring on book 2!!!

AMAZON

Come to Me Quietly (Closer to You #1) by A.L. Jackson

Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.

Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.

Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.

Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.

Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.

I knew what I was in for before I started. A.L. Jackson always writes beautiful stories of love, strength and loss. Therefore I was not shocked when she had me crying! As a matter of fact I was expecting it!!

How did I get so lucky to receive an ARC?? Bless you A.L. Jackson!

Come to Me Quietly is a beautifully written story of friends turned lovers. 

This story is filled with tenderness, heartbreak and love. 

Told in dual pov (which is the best), mostly told in the present tense with flashbacks to when they were kids. 

With the flashbacks, you get a glimpse at the sweet and innocent boy Jared once was. He was always taking care of Aly, watching over her and loving her. I LOVED the way he would hold onto a piece of her hair!! So sweet!

Jared now is a broken and damaged man. He isn’t worthy of love, friendship, trust or even a happy life. At least that’s how he sees himself. He is in purgatory and must pay for his sins!

Aly is beautiful, sweet and pure. She embodies everything he cannot have. She also reminds him every day of his past life. How it felt to be loved, happy and carefree. 

He struggles with his feelings, wanting her and knowing there's no way in hell he can have her.

Despite the shocking tragedies and tortured character, I found the story sweet and easy going. The shock and tears came much later in the story, almost at the end. That's when she hits you with it all at once!

Not a cliffhanger per say... but you are sort of left hangin'!

Can't wait to find out where the journey leads in Come to Me Softly.




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