Review: Murder Road (Simone St. James)

Murder Road
Author: Simone St. James
Publication Date: March 5, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.


Oh, boy. What did I get myself into? Those were some of my first thoughts when I started reading this book. Murder Road was intense! I was creeped out and stressed out within the first 10%. I was reading it at night and decided quickly that this book was going to be a daytime read only. Just when I thought things were calming down, the intensity would increase again. Murder Road was one of those books that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. It kept me entertained, guessing, and worried for the characters the entire time I was reading. I loved how it managed to surprise me at times when I thought I knew what was coming. The revelations were surprising, and I loved the ending. This book exactly what I’ve come to expect from St. James and is a new favorite of mine from this author.

Mini Reviews: Head Over Heels (Sorensen), The Summer You Found Me (O’Roark)

Head Over Heels
Series: Wilder Family, #2
Author: Karla Sorensen
Publication Date: January 24, 2024
Publisher: Dutch Girl Publishing, LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Head Over Heels was Karla Sorensen’s writing at its best. It starts out with a fun meet cute and then builds into a more emotional romance than I was expecting. Ivy was this prickly, rich woman who was figuring out that the life her father had maneuvered her into might not be the one she wanted and that the love he gave might not be enough. Cameron upped the ante when it comes to Wilder men. He was kind, patient, and an overall great person. His family life was in upheaval due his father living with a terminal cancer diagnosis. These two were going through so much emotionally. Meeting and falling in love only added another thing to their plates, but it was a good thing. The way they supported and loved each other felt even more special due what they were going through. I shed some tears throughout this one, but it was well worth it.

The Summer You Found Me
Series: The Summer, #3
Author: Elizabeth O’Roark
Publication Date: January 25, 2024
Publisher: Elizabeth O’Roark
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I want to say I loved reading this book. You would think I did with that 5-star rating. The Summer You Found Me was a tough book to read. I knew it would be going in with Kate as the female MC. She’s a recovering drug addict who walked out on her marriage and has returned from rehab because her husband has served her with divorce papers. She wants him back and is willing to go to any means to make it happen, but he’s already moved on. Beck is her ex’s best friend. He sees Kate as his but hasn’t acted on it because of his friendship with Caleb. When Kate returns to town, he becomes her support system making lines, boundaries, and wants blur for both of them. Kate was the narrator the majority of the time and she has a mean streak that makes her unlikable 90% of the time. Being in her head is tough. While I didn’t always love reading her POV, I was greatly impressed by Elizabeth O’Roark’s ability to write such a character. Experiencing Kate’s growth was as tortuous as it was impressive. I don’t have as much to say about Beck. He was strong and steady, an easy character to love. Kate and Beck’s relationship was messy, but there was something tender underneath it all. The Summer I Found You was an emotionally heavy read that will stick with me for a long time.

WWW Wednesday: February 28, 2024

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

This week has BUSY. Friday and Sunday we went to watch the UW WBB team play their last home games of the year. It was the first time we have been since COVID hit in 2020, so it was a lot of fun. I didn’t realize how much I had missed going. That is probably because I have had all of my daughter’s games to go to. Sunday, we also met up with my parents after the game for lunch. It was nice to catch up with them in person. The biggest thing that happened this past week is that I now have a teen driver. It’s both exciting and bittersweet. I am officially no longer the mom taxi. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t realize it would make me so sad at the same time feeling relief of not having to drive to the school multiple times a day. I treasured that time talking to my kid in the car. I guess teenagers have to become more independent at some point, but it is still hard. I’m excited for her and know she will be a good driver. Other than that, I’ve been trying to get NetGalley ARCs read but haven’t been doing the best job because my husband has been watching HBO’s Ballers on Netflix and it sucks me in. There are so many characters making bad decisions on that show. I can’t decide if I love or hate it. 

WHAT DID YOU JUST FINISH READING?

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

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I just finished up an ARC of If You Hate Me by Helena Hunting. This book is for fans of her steamier reads, like Pucked.

I’m currently reading an ARC of A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston.

I will be reading an ARC of Dishonestly Yours by Krista & Becca Ritchie.

Top Ten Tuesday: Titles with Things Found in Nature

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 topic is:

Titles with Things Found in Nature
(Submitted by Jessica @ a GREAT read)
1. The Talk of Coyote Canyon 
2. The House on Biscayne Bay
3. What the Wind Knows
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures
5. Shattered Stars
6. Into the Tide
7. In the Weeds
8. Candy Colored Sky
9. A Step Past Darkness
10. The Dandelion Diary

Review: Ice Cold Player (Nikki Hall)

Ice Cold Player
Series: Beyond the Ice, #1
Author: Nikki Hall
Publication Date: February 23, 2024
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC provided by WordSmith Publicity and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

A deal with the devil…

Gavin
Anyone but her. Eva Adams—the entitled, picture-perfect cheer princess. Incapable of empathy, patently manipulative, and absolutely beautiful. I can’t afford her drama—I just want to play my last year of hockey without being kicked out of TU, but there she is on my first day back. Crying. In a weak moment, I make her an offer. An agreement I never thought she’d take. Except she surprises me, and now I’m faced with a dilemma. Protect my secrets…or win the girl.

Eva
Anyone but him. Gavin King—the rebellious, coffee-slinging hockey god. Arrogant, irreverent, and way hotter than he has any right to be. Despite the lady tingles, I’d be happy to spend my last year at TU without seeing his face—or his tattoos—again. It should be easy. I have cheer, I have my friends, and I have nowhere to live. To my eternal frustration, he offers me a solution…for a price. When I take the deal, I can’t help wondering what else I’ll give him before the end.

Ice Cold Player is the first book in the Beyond the Ice series of interconnected standalones featuring the hockey players of Teagan University—an enemies to lovers, he falls first, forced proximity, college hockey romance with plenty of heat.


It was surprising when Mac and Eva didn’t get a happy ending or even a relationship in Play Maker, the last book in the Wild Card series. I think I can speak for Wild Card series fans when I say we hoped they would be end game. Then Blue stole Mac’s heart in the best way and Eva had some interesting interactions with Gavin at her favorite coffee shop. After that, I couldn’t be mad about Eva and Mac not ending up together. I had a feeling Eva and Gavin’s distaste for each other was going to lead to some amazing chemistry. I was right and it led to a great start to this new spin-off series.

Eva was a confident, attention attracting cheerleader. She was in the process of rebuilding old friendships and looking for a new place to live. The last place she ever thought she would end up living was with her coffee house nemesis / hockey player Gavin. Gavin was a busy guy between hockey and keeping up with his brother. He knew letting Eva and her duck move into his hockey house was a gamble, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from offering it. She hates him and can’t stand her privilege, but behind all that hate was a raging attraction. I loved seeing it combust. The two of them pushed and pulled against each other until they ended up together. I loved how it all happened and how they supported each other when it mattered most.

While Eva and Gavin were the center of attention in this book, others also had their time to shine. Henry the duck stole the show half the time. Then there were Gavin’s roommates. I’m highly intrigued by them, especially Cole. I’m glad he’s getting a book next. Oh, and Eva’s best friend Stephen was a lot of fun, too. I even enjoyed Gavin’s brother who could have easily been someone I disliked.

The only thing I might even complain a tiny bit about was how easily and neatly everything wrapped up for Eva and Gavin in the end. It was almost too easy for them. That being said, this is a sports romance, and I didn’t expect them to go through the ringer or anything. I liked that it a nice, light read.

It was very fun being back at TU with some favorite characters and some great new ones. I love what Nikki Hall did with Eva and Gavin’s romance. I can’t wait to read Cole’s book hopefully soonish.

Review: The Tomboy and the Captain (Ginger Scott)

The Tomboy and the Captain
Series: The Final Score, #1
Author: Ginger Scott
Publication Date: February 22, 2024
Publisher: Little Miss Write LLC
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC provided by WordSmith Publicity and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

It was supposed to be my year, but then he made a bet that I couldn’t refuse…

A star senior on the Tiff U volleyball team, it’s been my goal to come back strong after an injury that nearly took me out of the game. But I’m Laney freaking Price, and I’m taking my shot to make it on the new pro women’s team, despite the lack of support from my father.

The problem? Cutter McCreary. He is the Captain of the Tiff U hockey team, all-around loveable guy, and a total player. And did I mention a complete thorn in my side since freshman year? Yeah…that guy. His charms don’t tempt me.

Until…a mix up with our housing situation forces us into a bit of a predicament. We were both promised a room. The same room.

His proposal? A bet. We split the room in half—for now. Whoever falls in love with the other first has to move out. The winner gets to stay. But when strategic glances turn into late night talks, and fake kisses start to feel real, I’m finding myself without a game plan. And winning suddenly doesn’t feel like the only thing that matters.


Ginger Scott is a chameleon when it comes to writing. While her last book felt heavy and angsty, The Tomboy and the Captain felt lighter and fun. I flew through it, reading it in one sitting.

I adored the characters. Laney was a talented college volleyball player whose confidence had taken a little bit of hit with an injury. Cutter was the hockey team’s Captain and most sought-after campus hottie. Cutter is not Laney’s favorite person and when they accidentally end up renting the same room all bets are ON. They are both determined to end up the sole inhabitant of the room. First, they have to find a way to get along while they share the room, and that’s where the fun comes.

These two don’t hate each other the way Laney wants them to. I loved how they got to know each other better and the emotional connection they made. Most of the time things were fun and flirty, but there were also some harder things they had to deal with. They way they got through those things together made my heart happy. Their romance was so sweet. 

The side characters were great. Ivy, Laney’s best friend, was driven when it came to her school and work but also highly entertaining. Ivy’s brother Matt was obnoxious but in a way that made me both laugh and shake my head. Cutter’s mom and brothers made me smile a lot. Laney and Cutter had a good group of people surrounding and supporting them.

I had such a good time reading The Tomboy and the Captain. New adult sports romance is where Ginger Scott’s writing shines the most for me and she knocked this one out of the park. If you enjoy college sports romances, you won’t want to miss this one. 

Review: The Messy Life of Jane Tanner (Brenda Novak)

The Messy Life of Jane Tanner
Series: Coyote Canyon, #3
Author: Brenda Novak

Publication Date: February 20, 2023
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Synopsis: 

When your life is chaotic, what’s one more complication?

Jane Tanner’s friends are settling down, while she’s been settling for less. She longs for adventure and the big city, but caring for her ailing grandfather means she’s shackled to her small town. She’s excited her vintage gift shop is finally up and running, but it’s not enough.

Longing to fulfill at least one dream—to become a mother before her biological clock ticks out—Jane drunkenly propositions the worst possible candidate for Dad. Kurt Elway is off-limits with a capital O. He’s a good friend, but he’s too young, too busy running his family’s ranch. Plus, he and Jane’s sister, Kate, used to date.  That kind of off-limits.

Unbeknownst to Jane, Kurt’s pining for her. When he’s fully on board to father her baby, she sees him in a new light. Then lingering baggage between Kate and Kurt suddenly surfaces and Jane is reminded of just how messy life is. But…so is parenting. Maybe it’s time to embrace the mess?


The Messy Life of Jane Tanner was the perfect name for this book. Poor Jane Tanner’s life wasn’t what she wanted it to be, and she made it even messier. She was willing to do what it took to get what she wanted: to be a mother now, to choose who fathered her child (Kurt Elway), and to travel when the grandfather she’s caring for passes. Jane wasn’t quite ready for the consequences of her wants and actions. She didn’t think about some of the ramifications and how her choices affected others. 

I liked Jane for the most part. She was a great friend and family member. Jane was kind and caring. She was one of those people who was able to love people despite their flaws. The way she cared for and helped out her family was sweet. Jane wasn’t perfect, though. She could be envious and jealous at times and didn’t always think things through. The way she reacted to some of the stuff with Kurt bugged me, but I could understand her feelings and enjoyed watching her figure things out. 

Kurt was the highlight of this romance for me. He was smitten with Jane, and he didn’t let anything anyone said change that. He thought long and hard about the decisions he made, and I loved how he stood up for what he wanted. I also enjoyed seeing Kurt’s relationships with Brant and his other brother as well as his parents and friends. 

The romance between Jane and Kurt was full steam ahead and yet also a bit of a slow burn due to the whole baby thing and it taking a while for Jane to figure things out. Kurt fell first, obviously, so it was fun waiting for Jane to catch up. Kurt did a lot of lot of sweet and supportive things along the way. The progression of their relationship was great. 

One thing that surprised me about this book was Averil. She’s a character I’ve loved to hate. I liked that she got a little bit of a storyline in this book and that she is growing as a character. I never thought I’d say this, but I hope she gets the next book in this series. 

Overall, this was a great romance. Friends falling in love while trying to make one’s dream of being a parent happen was an entertaining plot, especially with all of the friends and family involved. 

WWW Wednesday: February 21, 2024

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve done a WWW Wednesday post. In those weeks, life has become a little less busy for a moment. Basketball season ended for my high schooler. That was bittersweet for us all because we will miss watching the girls play and miss the seniors who will be graduating this June. We also got a weekend off of soccer games because of the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend. It was nice to not know what to do with ourselves for a weekend. My husband and I also celebrated another year of wedded bliss. I went to lunch one day with my daughter and sister. I don’t often get to spend time with my sister without the rest of my extended family, so that was extra special. My daughter and I also went to see the movie Argyle. It was a lot of fun. I applied for a job I’m interested in and would be perfect for me, so cross your fingers I get an interview. That’s about it. A lot of fun packed into the long weekend.

WHAT DID YOU JUST FINISH READING?

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I read an ARC of Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow and I was SUPER impressed by this debut. 

I am reading an ARC of The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center now. 

I think I’m going to continue with my ARC reading spree and read Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon next.

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Superpowers I Wish I Had

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 topic is:

Bookish Superpowers I Wish I Had
(Submitted by Cathy @WhatCathyReadNext)

I decided to have some fun with this.

I would like the ability to…
1. add on facial features to people who do not have them on illustrated covers because they are creepy without them.
2. magically change all of the illustrated people on covers to real people.
3. make it so that Amazon doesn’t automatically change a book’s cover when it gets a new cover.
4. stop authors from giving their old books new discreet covers.
5. stop publishers from publishing old indie releases with new covers and just give those amazing authors NEW book deals.
6. set a rule with publishers that if they do republish an old book an add bonus content that the bonus content needs to be something juicy that adds to the book.
7. make it so I’m approved for all the NetGalley ARCs I request (in a timely manner).
8. write an amazing review for the books I read quickly.
9. speed up the slow pace some books have.
10. know if a book is worth reading before starting it.

Review: Nothing But It All (Adriana Locke)

Nothing But It All
Author: Adriana Locke

Publication Date: February 20, 2024
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

From USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke comes a warm and romantic novel about a marriage in trouble, two conspiring kids, and the meaning of long-lasting love.

After twenty years, the cracks in Lauren Reed’s marriage are showing. She and her husband, Jack, feel more like roommates than a loving couple. What they have in common are two wonderful teenagers, Michael and Maddie, and the same wistful question: When did it all go wrong? Now that Lauren’s decided to get on with her life―alone―divorce is inevitable.

Not to the kids. They aren’t giving up so easily.

Michael and Maddie have conspired with their grandfather to bring everyone together for a vacation in the family’s favorite summer getaway, a rustic lakeside cabin in Story Brook, Ohio. Awkward? Yep. A little deceptive? Sure. But as far as traps go, Lauren and Jack agree―the meddlers couldn’t have set one that was more scenic or filled with so many bittersweet memories.

This trip is going to be life-changing for the whole family. Fourteen days of hope, heartbreak, and unexpected possibilities―like maybe falling in love all over again.


Oh, boy. Nothing But It All was an emotional ride. This book is a second chance romance for a couple on the verge of divorce. Locke’s writing was at its best. I felt everything this couple was going through: the resentment, the hurt, the confusion, the fear, the love, the hope. It was all there, and it all made perfect sense. I understood Lauren’s frustrations and the choices she made. I also understood Jack’s decisions and his confusion. These two were a mess and I loved what their family did to help steer them in the right direction. I loved the realizations they came to about each other and themselves. The deep love and attraction Lauren and Jack had was still there, they just had to figure out how to move past their mistakes and make changes for the future. My only possible complaint was that maybe things wrapped up too smoothly in the end, but it’s a romance novel so that was pretty much expected. Nothing But It All was a fantastic marriage in crisis romance.