Review: Royally Yours (Emma Chase)

Royally Yours
Series: Royally, #4
Author: Emma Chase
Publication Date: October 30, 2019
Publisher: Emma Chase, LLC
Genre: Romance, Fiction, New Adult, Historical Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased review.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Princess Lenora Celeste Beatrice Arabella Pembrook had an unusual childhood. She was raised to be a Queen—the first Queen of Wessco.

It’s a big deal.

When she’s crowned at just nineteen, the beautiful young monarch is prepared to rule. She’s charming, clever, confident and cunning.

What she isn’t… is married.

It’s her advising council’s first priority. It’s what Parliament is demanding, and what her people want.

Lenora has no desire to tie herself to a man—particularly one who only wants her for her crown. But compromises must be made and royals must do their duty.

Even Queens. Especially them.

**

Years ago, Edward Langdon Richard Dorian Rourke, walked away from his title and country. Now he’s an adventurer—climbing mountains, exploring jungles, going wherever he wants, when he wants—until family devotion brings him home.

And a sacred promise keeps him there.

To Edward, the haughty, guarded little Queen is intriguing, infuriating…and utterly captivating. Wanting her just might drive him mad—or become his greatest adventure.

**

Within the cold, stone walls of the royal palace—mistrust threatens, wills clash, and an undeniable, passionate love will change the future of the monarchy forever.

Every dynasty has a beginning. Every legend starts with a story.

This is theirs.


This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t read the blurb for Royally Yours before I started reading the book. I just saw a new book in the Royally series being released and jumped on it. For some reason, I thought Royally Yours would be about one of the kids from the first three books. I was wrong. Royally Yours is Queen Lenora and Prince Edward’s story. It is all about how they meet, fall in love, and start the Royally dynasty.

Royally Yours was a great addition to the series. Emma Chase came up with a great back story for them that made me fall in love with their characters. Queen Lenora was the same and different from what I expected. I loved getting into her head and being able to look back to the first three books in the series and know why she made the decisions she did. It was amazing!

I don’t remember Edward as much from the first three books, but he was a fun character. I enjoyed meeting him first in his letters and then in person. His adventurous nature brought a light to Lenora’s life. I loved how he challenged her yet supported her. Edward was a great prince, and an awesome husband.

I adored what Emma Chase did with Lenora and Edward’s relationship. How they fell in love was so special and sweet. It was so much fun to read. If you’re a fan of this series, you won’t want to miss this short but sweet addition.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Put You in the Halloween Mood

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s is Halloween/Creepy Freebie. I am going with Books to Put You in the Halloween Mood. I can’t really do scary or horror anymore, so most of these books were read years ago. Hopefully, they stand the test of time. 😉

1. Remember Me
Series: Remember Me, #1
Author: Christopher Pike

2. The New Girl
Series: Fear Street, #1
Author: R.L. Stine

3. The Awakening / The Struggle
Series: Vampire Diaries, #1 & #2
Author: L.J. Smith

4. I Know What You Did Last Summer
Author: Lois Duncan

5. Glass Houses
Series: Morganville Vampires, #1
Author: Rachel Caine

6. Twilight
Twilight Saga, #1
Author: Stephenie Meyer

7. The Grownup
Author: Gillian Flynn

8. Dead Until Dark
Series: Sookie Stackhouse, #1
Author: Charlaine Harris

9. Mud Vein
Author: Tarryn Fisher

10. The Girl With All the Gifts
Series: The Girl With All the Gifts
Author: M.R. Carey

Review: The Boy I Grew Up With (Tijan)

The Boy I Grew Up With
Author: Tijan
Publication Date: October 29, 2018
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

I have loved Channing Monroe all my life.

In first grade, he asked for my Trapper Keeper.
I hit him in the head with it.
Third grade, we were best friends. We kissed in seventh grade.
Eighth grade, he turned into a bad boy and the rest was a tumultuous storm.

Growing up, the problem was never love for us.
Bad times. Good times. There were times when I felt our love in every inch of my body, vibrating, making me feel like it could bring me back to life.

The problem was us.

The problem is that we’re living in two different worlds now.
Fallen Crest and its millionaires for me. Roussou and their criminals for him. I was thriving in mine and he was running his.

But…

But there were nights I felt we couldn’t be further apart than we were, and there were nights I felt we shared the same heartbeat.

When was it time?
When was it time to either sacrifice, make a change, or walk away from the boy I grew up with?


I have all the feelings, guys. All of them. I don’t even know how I’m going to write this review because I’m a little hung over from all of the feels. I’ll give it a shot, though. Forgive me if this seems like one big ramble.

The Boy I Grew Up With is a spin-off of the Fallen Crest High series. It revolves around Samantha’s best friend, Heather and her on-again off-again boyfriend, Channing. (If you have read Crew, but not the FCH series, you will recognize Bren’s older brother Channing and his girlfriend Heather as well.) You don’t necessarily have to read either of those books/series to enjoy this book, but it definitely helps. I would recommend to those who have read the FCH series to going back and read the last couple of chapters of Fallen Crest Forever just to refresh your mind of where things left off in that series. It’s not super important, it’s just something I wish I had done. That being said…

This book was EVERYTHING for a fan of the Fallen Crest High series. The Boy I Grew Up With had all the angst, anticipation, and emotion of that first series. I loved being back in Heather’s world. I know everyone has wanted to know what really went on between Heather and Channing the entire time we were reading FCH, and now we finally have answers!

Since these are characters I already knew and loved, I am not going to go into much about their separate attributes. They weren’t much different from the last time I saw them. Heather and Channing had some surprises in store, but deep down they were the same tough, loyal, independent people. What I will talk about is their relationship. Channing and Heather had such a special connection and history. There were so many things I knew before but didn’t really know about them. They had such an intense love and devotion. It went deeper than I had originally thought, and it made me so happy to finally understand why. Reading this book made me love Channing and Heather’s characters more than I already did.

Honestly, I loved this book. I loved how it went back and forth between past and present. I could have read more of it. I wanted more of it. I could have kept reading it well after it ended. In fact, I wouldn’t have been mad if Tijan had made this a series rather than just one book. I would have been fine reading Channing and Heather’s entire history from first grade through present over several different books. I didn’t get that, and that’s okay. Instead, I got an amazing journey that brought everything between Channing and Heather full circle. It wasn’t always pretty but it was beautiful. The Boy I Grew Up With is a MUST READ for Heather and Channing fans.

Now, Tijan, is it too much to ask for a book for Nate? Pretty please with sugar on top…

Review: The Day the Jerk Started Falling (Max Monroe)

The Day the Jerk Started Falling
Series: Jerk, #2
Author: Max Monroe
Publication Date: October 25, 2018
Publisher: Max Monroe, LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

My name is Oliver Arsen, but my mates call me Ollie.

I live hard and love harder, and it’s love that usually gets me in the most trouble.

According to the greater population, I’m the ultimate jerk.

My affection tends to be short-lived—a quality I’ve been assured multiple times by the fairer sex isn’t becoming—and the leaving part of loving and leaving has always come natural.

At least, it used to.

Until her.

Luciana Wright.

She’s an American bombshell and my sister’s best friend—a woman so wrong for
me, it’s written in the waves.

And she’s the reason we’re all here.
The reason I have to go back to explain how it all went wrong.

To the day the jerk started falling.


The Day the Jerk Started Falling is the second book in the Jerk duet. The first book, The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks, begins the duet. It’s written in a podcast format that our heroine, Lucky, gives about falling for professional surfing jerk Ollie. The Day the Jerk Started Falling is Ollie’s response to Lucky’s podcast. The first half of the book is in podcast format. The second half of the book takes place in the present. I loved the podcast format, but I also loved getting to know where Ollie and Lucky were now.

Ollie’s podcast surprised me a bit. It wasn’t a complete retelling of Lucky’s. Ollie responded to Lucky’s admissions and also gave us some of his own. I liked knowing what the jerk was up to all that time. I loved getting his reactions and feelings. I wasn’t expecting to be so swayed by them. Dare I say Ollie wasn’t really a jerk? Anyway. It was fun to be in those first days of their relationship and to see how Ollie saw it collapse.

What I loved even more than the podcast was what happened after. It was a wild ride in only the way Max Monroe can take us on one. There was humor, emotion, and well, more humor. It was really delightful. I wish things would have stayed in this moment for a while longer. Before I knew it, we stepped a bit into the future and were back to podcasts. They were cute and I loved them. I just would have liked some more non-podcast time with the couple. It was special in a way you can’t always get from the podcast format.

The Day the Jerk Started Falling was a fun way to end the Jerk duet. I loved getting closure to Ollie and Lucky’s relationship. I truly enjoyed the podcast format of this series and how it made it stand out from others. It’s definitely a must read.

Review: Best Laid Plans (L.K. Farlow)

Best Laid Plans
Author: L.K. Farlow
Publication Date: October 16, 2018
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

The summer before my senior year of high school I had only one goal: to make Alden Warner see me as more than his best friend’s annoying little sister.

Finally, my wish came true and he noticed me. In a big way. Too bad that the next morning he had no memory of our night together, leaving me heartbroken, and as I later discovered…pregnant.

For the last four years, I’ve been rocking the single mom thing, making sure my daughter comes first. In fact, everything is going fine—until Alden storms back into my life, as my new boss.

His reappearance wasn’t something I planned for. Add my nosy, meddlesome three-year-old and an overprotective brother, and I’m obviously in way over my head.

My only hope now is that I can sway Alden to see things my way…but you know what they say about the best laid plans…


I’m fairly new to L.K. Farlow’s books. Best Laid Plans is only the second book by I have read of hers, yet I already know Farlow is an author I’m going to be spending a lot more time with. For some reason, the first thing that pops in my head when I think of how to describe her writing is that it flows well. That really doesn’t adequately describe it. It’s fun and romantic. It’s also emotional without being too angsty. When I start reading one of her books, I don’t want to stop. The two I’ve read have just been so much fun!

Best Laid Plans is an accidental/surprise pregnancy mixed with older brother’s best friend love story. Natalie and Alden have a drunken teenage hook up that results in pregnancy. When Natalie finds out she’s pregnant, she makes the tough decision not to tell Alden for multiple reasons. Four years later, Alden’s back in town and he is ready to make a move on the one girl he couldn’t have growing up. Natalie loves the attention Alden’s giving her, but she knows things might change when she tells him who Tatum’s father is.

I really liked how the accidental pregnancy and reveal to Alden was handled in Best Laid Plans. It was easy to understand how hard Natalie’s decision had been for her and how well thought out her choices were. I also thought the way Alden responded was perfect. There wasn’t instant forgiveness, but there was acceptance. It was how I imagine real life might be in this situation. I also loved how it all worked out.

For those of you who like reading about single parents and young children in a romance, you would love this book! Tatum is so stinking adorable. She was sweet, sassy, and her comments made me smile so much. I love when the children in a love story make it that much sweeter.

The only small hole in the story for me was how no one in Natalie’s family even suspected that Alden could be Tatum’s father. That didn’t make sense to me because Tatum supposedly resembled Alden more than she did Natalie. I think there might have been a hint of suspicion since Alden had been Nate’s friend since childhood.

Overall, Best Laid Plans was a great romance novel with a lot of heart. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Review: Reveling in Sin (Meghan March)

Reveling in Sin
Series: Sin, #3
Author: Meghan March
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Red Dress Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Whitney Gable is the kind of woman you fight to the death to protect.
To keep.
To cherish.
I’ve finally learned my lesson, and it’s time to prove I’m the man who’s worthy of her.
I don’t care what it takes, because failure is not an option.
No matter who or what stands in our way—this time, she’ll be mine forever.


Meghan March is known for her amazing cliffhangers and jaw dropping reveals. In this final installment of the Sin series, she delivered on those reveals. If you could see my face now, you would see a look of shock and surprise. I was expecting something big to happen, but I was not expecting so many different things! The newly exposed truths and twists in the story blew my mind. I did not see most of them coming. I also didn’t expect a couple cameos by some of my favorite Meghan March characters. Reveling in Sin was an exciting end to Whitney and Lincoln’s saga.

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Villains

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s is Villians (favorite, best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil, etc.) . I am going with Favorite Villains. They kind of encompass the best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil all in one. Here they are!

1. Grizz
Nine Minutes Trilogy
Author: Beth Flynn

I think I must have had Stockholm syndrome just like Ginny because I somehow ended up loving Grizz even though I should have hated him.

2. Amy
Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn

Amy is one of those villains you can’t help but love to hate. She’s crafty and horrible, but you just can’t hate on her genius. Or at least I can’t. Without her, this book would have been BORING.

3. President Snow
The Hunger Games Trilogy
Author: Suzanne Collins

President Snow gets a spot on this list simply because the description of the roses and blood… Just ick! He creeped me out and was utterly memorable.

4. Anthony Bear
The Iron Tiara (and Nine Minutes Trilogy)
Author: Beth Flynn

Beth Flynn knows how to write a villain. She can make you fall in love with someone who you know you should hate. Anthony Bear is another Grizz.

5. Nate DeLuca
Combative Series
Author: Jay McLean

All I can say is I love Nate DeLuca when I should be hating him.

6. Evelyn Hugo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

This might seem like an odd choice, but in my mind Evelyn Hugo is a villain. She used methods only a villain would use to get what she wanted. I loved hating her!

7. Fig Coxbury
Bad Mommy
Tarryn Fisher

Fig might just be my favorite psycho ever.

8. Hannibal Lector
Hannibal Lector Series
Author: Thomas Harris

There is no one quite as creepy and gross as Hannibal Lector. Eating people. EWWWW!

9. Kaz
Six of Crows Duology
Author: Leigh Bardugo

Kaz is like a modern day Robin Hood. He’s guilty of some sins, but his are for the good of many. That’s why he makes my list.

10. Spontaneous Combustion
Spontaneous
Author: Aaron Starmer

I chose spontaneous combustion because it’s horrifying to think of people spontaneously combusting, yet unique.

Review: Big Stick (Kelly Jamieson)

Big Stick
Series: Aces Hockey, #7
Author: Kelly Jamieson
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Loveswept
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Sports
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased review.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

A brooding hockey hunk learns to embrace life—and love—from a single mom who takes the world one puck at a time.

Big move . . . Jodie’s motto is “Don’t wait for the perfect moment – take the moment and make it perfect.” And that’s just what she decides to do when she moves to Chicago with her two-year-old daughter. Now all Jodie needs is a place to live, and her best friend’s boyfriend has just the answer.

Big stick . . . Nick Balachov has zero interest in socializing, partying, or flirting right now. It’s not that he doesn’t like women. He loves them. It’s just that hockey, casual hookups, and hanging out at home are enough for him these days. Now Nick has a big problem – because the woman living in his empty coach house is a major distraction.

Big deal? The more Nick tries to keep his distance, the more Jodie needs him – around the house, that is. First he helps with the snowstorm, then the power outage. Nick even finds himself trying to impress her little girl. What the hell is wrong with him? Jodie represents everything Nick doesn’t want. But maybe she’s just what he needs. . . .


Big Stick is the seventh book in Kelly Jamieson’s Aces Hockey series. This time it’s Nick’s time to shine. When Nick and Jodie meet at his buddy Hallsy’s party, neither is particularly impressed with each other. Jodie’s too talkative for Nick, and Nick’s too grumpy for Jodie. When Hallsy asks Nick to help Jodie out by letting her and her daughter stay in his coach house, he isn’t exactly ecstatic about his new neighbors. Slowly, as he gets to know Jodie and Zyana, his feelings start to change.

It was so great to be back in the Aces Hockey world. Kelly Jamieson’s writing is always impressive. I’m not one for third person point of view, but somehow, she writes it so that I don’t even notice it! I love how she makes what could be a light and fluffy romance a little deeper and more emotional. Her characters in Big Stick were special ones.

I adored Nick’s character. He was a grouchy grump, and it came across cute in this story — especially with Jodie’s daughter Zyana. He thought he was mean and nasty, but he was actually a gentle giant. I liked how both Jodie and Zyana brought that out in Nick. Nick had his issues, but in general he was a great guy.

What made this book cool in my eyes was Jodie. She was a smart, independent woman who went after what she wanted. She owned a successful business and was a single mother. Jodie had her family with Zyana (I’m still not sure how to pronounce that one!) and was content. She didn’t need a man in her life, but she wouldn’t mind finding a partner in life. I liked her attitude about romance and her relationship with Nick. It was refreshing.

I can’t leave out Zyana. Zyana was a doll in only way young children can be. She was sassy, smart, and a total nightmare at times. I loved the part she played in Jodie and Nick’s romance. It was so sweet! I did have a couple of questions about her abilities, though. I think it was mentioned that she was 2 years old at one point. She seemed older than that to me. I would have guessed 3 or maybe even 4 years old. Maybe I’m just forgetting how toddlers act or maybe Zyana was ahead of the curve. I don’t know. I just remember being a little shocked at how young she was.

If you’re a fan of hockey romances and have yet to read one of Kelly Jamieson’s, you’re missing out. She’s a fantastic writer who creates strong characters with a lot of heart. Her stories are easy to fall in love with. Big Stick was one those.

Review: The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks (Max Monroe)

The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks
Series: Jerks, #1
Author: Max Monroe
Publication Date: October 18, 2018
Publisher: Max Monroe LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

I’m Luciana Wright.

Everyone calls me Lucky, but when it comes to love, I’m anything but.

I have a long history of dating the wrong men.
You know the ones I’m talking about.

The beautiful, charming guys who are quite literally too good to be true.

The ones who are impulsive in love and prefer short flings over long-term relationships.

I’m talking about the jerks.

The guys who taste so good, but are so very bad.

After going through the most ridiculous breakup in the history of breakups, I thought I’d learned my lesson. I officially put myself into jerk rehab and committed to changing my ways.

But, let’s be real here, love is never that easy.

Especially when an arrogant, charming, he-devil of a sexy alpha man gets involved.

Aussie accent.
Tanned skin.
Muscular, surfer bod.
Gorgeous brown eyes.

And the kind of sexy smile that brings women to their knees.
Oh, did I mention that he’s also my best friend’s brother?
Yeah. This story, my story, it’s a real doozy you guys.

The day I stopped falling for jerks, I met Oliver Arsen—the biggest jerk of all.


The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks was classic Max Monroe. It was a romantic comedy with a new twist in the way it was told. The entire story was doled out to the reader in podcast format by Lucky. This form of delivery was incredibly cool. Even though I was reading it, I felt like I was listening to it. That probably sounds weird, but it was awesome.

Lucky was an easy character to relate to. Her thoughts and behavior reminded me of my own navigation through the ups and downs of relationships. I loved how she realized that she had a broken picker set to jerk mode but realized it and made an effort to change her ways. I also just really liked her character in general. She was slightly uptight, but also fun. I liked how the podcast gave life to her mannerisms. It was just fun to experience a character this way.

Ollie…Well, I loved what I got to know of him. Ollie was that cool guy that everyone loves, but there was more to him than his cocky confidence. He had a sweet side that was… well, sweet. Ollie seemed like a guy who knew what he wanted and went after it. I loved the way he pursued Lucky. It was a lot of fun.

There were a lot of other fun things about this book, too. The setting was amazing and inspiring. I loved both Lucky and Ollie’s jobs. The combination of them was cool. I liked how they fit both their personalities and their relationship.

While The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks was an entertaining read, it was also filled with emotion — especially toward the end. I was surprised by it. I guess I wasn’t really expecting it. I should have been because this is the first part in a duet. I wasn’t, though. It hit me harder than I expected. I was left needing to know how Lucky and Ollie’s relationship plays out rather than just wanting to know. I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book! I’m looking forward to answers and getting Ollie’s perspective.

I adored The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks. Max Monroe books are my reading happy place. I know other Max Monroe addicts will love this book as much as I did.

Series Review: The Sweetest Thing (Sierra Hill)

A while back I reviewed two of the books from Sierra Hill’s The Sweetest Thing series. I really enjoyed those two books, and I knew I wanted to go back and read the rest of the series. Last week I finally had time to make that happen.

Sweetness (#1) ★ ★ ★ ★

Sweetness is the story of a privileged college basketball player who falls in love with a girl whose life isn’t so easy. Ainsley has Cade changing his womanizing ways, but his past may come back to ruin their relationship. This book was a classic NA sports romance. I loved the ASU setting (I went there!), and the characters. It was a sweet romance with just the right amount of angst.

Sweet Girl (#2) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Sweet Girl was my favorite book in this series. Cade’s younger sister Kylah falls for his teammate Van. Things start out with a forbidden crush for Kylah as Van has a long-distance girlfriend. When Van is betrayed, Kylah has the opportunity to go for her man. It was just super cute and sweet. It reminded me of first love and all of the things that come with it. I adored both Kylah and Van. (Oh, and Van lived in the same dorm I did in college! Talk about a blast from the past seeing its name in print.)

Sweet Summer Love (#3) ★ ★ ★ ½

This was the first book I read by Sierra Hill back in 2017. It’s about Cade’s roommate/teammate Carver. Carver is quite the ladies’ man. When he graduates from college and is drafted by the NBA, it returns him to his hometown of Seattle (Hey! I live here! Another reason to love this series!) where he’s reunited with Logan, the girl who broke his heart. I really enjoyed reading this book, but I had some issues with it.

Sweet Disaster (#4) ★ ★ ★ ★

Remember Kylah from Sweet Girl? Sweet Disaster is her wild twin sister Kady’s book. Kady takes an impromptu trip to Europe where she ends up stuck in Italy with no funds. She reaches out to Cade who hooks her up with Gavin who is playing basketball there. The two end up traveling together and falling in love. This book was sweet in a different way than Kylah’s book. It was about two people finally finding their person that they fit with. It was also sexier than the other books in the series.

Sweet Little Lies (#5) ★ ★ ★ ½

I read Sweet Little Lies back at the beginning of 2018. It is Ainsley’s best friend Mica and Cady’s roommate Lance’s story. Mica and Lance had insane chemistry. Their love story wasn’t as easy as ones in the prior books. Sierra Hill touched on deeper issues like interracial dating and addiction. I really loved the romance aspect of the story, but I wanted it to go deeper than it did on the addiction front.

Thoughts on the entire The Sweetest Thing series:

Despite the ups and downs of the ratings of these books, I loved this series. It was classic NA college sports romance. Sierra Hill is a great writer. She includes just the right amount of angst in her love stories without going overboard. I especially loved this series because it’s set at my alma mater, ASU. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good new adult romance.