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.

Mini Reviews: Face Off (Hunter) and The Bride’s Runaway Billionaire (Grant)

The past week has been full of new releases. Here are mini reviews for two of those recent releases.

Face Off
Series: Seattle Serpents, #2
Author: Teagan Hunter
Publication Date: January 18, 2024
Publisher: Teagan Hunter
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Face Off was a fun, flirty read. I adored the characters and their entire relationship. Lucas Lawson was a hockey player and well-known ladies man who was also a sweetheart who took care of those he loved or those he knew needed extra help. He was the sunshine to Rory’s grump. Rory, Auden’s twin sister from the first book in this series, did not believe in love. She was a veterinarian who didn’t have time for love or feelings in general. Lawson and Rory were a surprising match that worked in the best ways. The way they got to know each other beyond their initial impressions was a lot of fun. I especially loved Daisy the dog and how she brought them together. Lawson and Rory’s romance so swoony and adorable. I also loved seeing all of the Seattle Serpent players again. The team text message chat was just as fun as the last book. I’m excited to find out what comes next in the series for Hayes.

The Bride’s Runaway Billionaire
Series: Three BFFs and a Wedding, #3
Author: Pippa Grant
Publication Date: January 18, 2024
Publisher: Bang Laugh Love LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I have loved this series, so I was happy to finally get Emma’s story. It was so much fun finding out what happened on her honeymoon after she didn’t get married and who got her pregnant. That man being a celebrity made things complicated in the best way. I loved how Emma and Jonas reconnected, reignited their friendship, and fell in love. Jonas meeting their son Bash and quickly learning to be a father was so sweet. Bash was hilarious and acted age appropriate. Yolko Uno was a hilarious side character/pet. I loved all of the characters from the previous books lending a helping hand with their support and humor. I also loved that characters from The Last Eligible Billionaire make some appearances. This was such a fun book to read.

Mini Reviews: The Enforcer (Keelan), Bossy Devil (Ivers), and Behind the Net (Archer)

I’ve been in a sports romance reading mood. Here are three mini reviews for hockey novels I’ve read lately. Surprisingly, they all have kind of a second chance vibe to them. That’s not my favorite trope, but it worked for all of these.

The Enforcer
Series: Lakeside University, #1
Author: Avery Keelan
Publication Date: June 23, 2022
Publisher: Avery Keelan
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

I’m normally not a big second chance romance reader because there are usually a lot of flashbacks. Thank goodness this one didn’t have any since there were only two years between them breaking up and getting back together. I loved Nash and Violet’s romance. I felt a true connection between them. They had their issues, especially moving on from the past, but they worked hard on them together. Sometimes Nash drove me nuts with his avoidance of stuff, but he was trying. Their relationship was really passionate, too. Although, I could have done without the “petal” nickname because it made me want to gag. And I wasn’t bothered by what both Nash and Violet did when they weren’t together, but it will rub some people wrong. They weren’t saints. That made their romance feel more real to me, though. Overall, a great start to the series. I was disappointed to find out I couldn’t binge the rest of the books, as they seem to be unavailable anywhere. 🙁

Bossy Devil
Series: Nashville Devils, #5
Author: Melissa Ivers
Publication Date: January 5, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

Late last year I binged the first four books in the Nashville Devils series. They were so much fun, and I couldn’t wait for the next book – even though it was Gordon’s, and I wasn’t that fond of his character. He changed my mind pretty quickly in this book. His father had a huge impact on his life in ways he couldn’t even imagine. I immediately loved Riley. She was a strong, single mother. She guarded her heart and her daughter with all she had. I loved that Gordon’s reuniting with Riley brought the things that mattered to him back into focus and corrected some wrongs between them. I also loved that the flashbacks were kept to a minimum and this book focused on their reuniting and love in the present. This book was a great addition to this steamy hockey romance series. 

Behind the Net
Series: Vancouver Storm, #1
Author: Stephanie Archer
Publication Date: June 30, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

My thoughts:

Behind the Net was good, but it could have been great. It fell prey to the current trend of being overly long. I adored the characters, loved their backstory, felt their connection, got irritated at their dumb choices, and loved the places the romance and story went. It just didn’t need to be 424 pages. The first half of the book could have been edited down a bit because there wasn’t enough going on there besides set up and Jaime and Pippa’s longing. I want to try the second book because it’s about Pippa’s sister, but I’m hesitant knowing that one is about the same length as this book. 

 

Review: Otherwise Engaged (Avery Keelan)

Otherwise Engaged
Author: Avery Keelan
Publication Date: December 2, 2021
Publisher: Avery Keelan
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis:

THAYER
I thought inventing a boyfriend would help get me out of trouble, but it landed me in more.

My little white lie put me in the crosshairs of Bennett Bradford. Satan in a suit. He might be easy on the eyes, but he’s rough on the heart. I learned that one the hard way.

Suddenly, there’s a gigantic rock on my left ring finger that’s as fake as our relationship—but our chemistry is all too real.

At least there’s no risk of me falling for him… right?

BENNETT
Thayer Montgomery sold me out back in high school, so I cut her out and never looked back.

Now my business is in peril, and I’ll do whatever it takes to save it. Even if that means faking an engagement for a couple of months to repair my so-called reputation.

Luckily, I know the perfect pretend fiancée. Thayer would pass anyone’s background check anywhere, any time. And getting revenge? Well, that’s just a bonus.

She might not want to play along with the charade, but I have leverage—and she won’t have a choice.

Author’s Note: Otherwise Engaged is a high-heat, enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement standalone novel with a HEA and no cliffhanger.


I’ve been on an Avery Keelan book binge lately and this is my favorite yet. There was something so fun and magical about this book for me. It easily could have been a run of the mill dramatic marriage of convenience romance between wealthy people, but it managed to standout from other books like it. 

Thayer and Bennett were childhood friends bordering on childhood sweethearts until their friendship fell apart and turned them into enemies. They grew up in the upper echelon of New York society. Thayer was seen as a maneater with a successful business partnership with her twin sister, Quinn. In reality, she was someone who didn’t settle for less than she deserved. Bennett was a known womanizer with a successful business. He was actually struggling to keep his place in society and his company afloat. In order to save face and business contacts, Thayer and Bennett are forced into a fake relationship that has them missing what almost was in high school and changing the future for them. 

The enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes in this book were on point. The vibe was perfect. I wouldn’t call it angsty, but there was this tension between the characters and frustration at what was going down that seemed to have a life of its own. The animosity and dislike between Thayer and Bennett led to some fun banter and entertaining situations. Underneath the hate between them was clearly love, and I enjoyed how everything that was going on around them pushed them to see that. I also really enjoyed the plot surrounding Bennett’s business and Thayer’s sister’s upcoming wedding to her ex-boyfriend. The only thing about this book that I didn’t love was that it fell into the flashback trap with the second chance romance aspect of the book. The flashbacks were distracting and didn’t do anything for me. They could have been left out. Other than that, I adored this book and it even managed to surprise me. I wouldn’t mind any of the side characters (besides Adam) getting their own story.

Mini Reviews: After the Storm (Pavlov), The Rules of Dating My One-Night Stand (Ward & Keeland), The Office Guest (Whitney G.)

I’m back with more mini reviews for some recent KU reads.

After the Storm
Series: Cottonwood Cove, #5
Author: Laura Pavlov
Publication Date: November 16, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

My thoughts:

Laura Pavlov finished this series out strong with After the Storm. I’ve been waiting for Cade’s story since the very beginning, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved how Pavlov set up this second chance romance. We get a prologue about the first time they met, jump right into the now after that, and no flashbacks! Everything was in the present, but we got Cade and Presley’s history through mature conversations. Five years of longing made sense in their case. I loved how they worked through it. I did think things between them went too quickly towards the end, but that didn’t have too much of an effect on the enjoyment factor. If you’ve read this series, you know I’m leaving out a major piece of the puzzle – Gracie, Cade’s daughter. She was so adorable, and I loved how she worked into their romance. I loved the bond Presley built with her. Like I said, this was a great way to end the series.

The Rules of Dating My One-Night Stand
Series: The Law of Opposites Attract, #3
Author: Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland
Publisher: C. Scott Publishing Corp.
Publication Date:
November 12, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

This was a good addition to this series. Meeting the right woman at the right-ish time made Owen come to some new realization and I loved how that made him grow as a character. I liked Devyn. She was a great older sister and stepped up and in when her siblings needed her. She was a little wishy washy at times, but it was understandable. There was a sweetness between her and Owen. I also liked what she learned in this one. Plus, her mischievous siblings were a lot of fun. I enjoyed how everything worked out in the end.

The Office Guest
Series: Holiday Homecoming, #2
Author: Whitney G. 
Publication Date: December 1, 2023
Publisher: WGW Books, LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

This was a fun read from Whitney G. I loved the characters and their story. My only complaints are that it was kind of confusing in the beginning (maybe based on the blurb) and I wish it had been a full-length novel and not a novella. I felt like it would have been even better if everything was more fleshed out. I felt like there were some moments and things missing I would have liked to have read about.

Review: The Moon and Back (Ginger Scott)

The Moon and Back
Author: Ginger Scott

Publication Date: October 5, 2023
Publisher: Little Miss Write, LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC provided by WordSmith Publicity and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Synopsis:

Johnny Bishop crashed into my life like a hurricane. Not once, but twice.

The first time, we were teenagers. He was the star quarterback destined to save our small town’s high school team. I was the music nerd desperate to shine, but always falling short.

Until him.

Johnny was good at football, but he was great at music. And when I realized we shared a love of performing, I fell for his charm. I drank in his words and was hypnotized by the way he sang. I was never fully in the spotlight with him, but the way he held onto me and kept me close felt good enough. His star was bright enough for both of us, and his dreams were worth all the risks, even if they were my dreams first.

But when he left our town–leaving me in it–the damage in his wake was devastating. I spent a decade trying to piece together my broken heart. A decade trying to avoid his music, a nearly impossible feat considering he was selling out arenas and piling up Grammys. While he tore through city after city, I built a quiet life as a music teacher in my hometown.

I’d made peace with the fact that a now famous rockstar once held my hand and told me he loved me. But when he shows up unannounced, begging for help, I’m sucked right back into his gravitational pull.

I want to hate him. I want to punish him for turning his back on me. But I can’t when he’s so broken. And the more time we spend in our present talking about our past, the more I start to wonder if maybe Johnny left to save us all from the storm.

Maybe that story about me and the famous rockstar has a lot more story to be told.


The Moon and Back was exactly what I’ve come to expect from Ginger Scott: an emotionally compelling, addictive read with just the right amount of angst. I was immediately sucked into Brynne’s life and her relationship with Johnny over the years. Second chance romances don’t work for me a lot of the time because I am usually more interested in the present than the past. That wasn’t the case for this book. The past chapters accented the present chapters and helped build the story in a way I both loved and appreciated.

Brynne and Johnny’s relationship was complicated. It didn’t matter what timeline I was reading, there were things pushing them apart while they were trying to hang onto each other. Sometimes it was outside forces, sometimes it was themselves. Nothing was simple with the secrets and feelings they were keeping from each other. Getting to know Brynne and Johnny in the past was important to this story because it showed how they developed a friendship and love for each other. It showed the struggles they each faced. The present was all about getting back to that friendship and love while also answering some big questions. Everything that was revealed in these chapters gave new insight into the past, reshaped Brynne’s understanding of everything, made her fall more in love, and brought them back together. When all was said and done, I was left feeling happy for Brynne and Johnny. They deserved to be happy after everything they had been through.

I don’t know if this review is even making sense at this point. This is a hard book to review without giving too much away. If there was anything I wanted you to take away from reading this review, it would be that I loved The Moon and Back. Ginger Scott is an excellent storyteller who knows how to weave emotion into her romances to truly make you feel like you’re in the story. If you enjoy second chance romances involving fallen rockstars or childhood sweethearts with a little bit of angst and grit, you need to read this book.

Review: Resting Scrooge Face (Meghan Quinn)

Resting Scrooge Face
Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: November 29, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Romantic Comedy

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a festive short romance about old flames and mistaken identities.

After a bad breakup, Nola wants nothing to do with Christmas, especially in her quaint hometown of Bright Harbor, Maine. Infuriatingly charming and cheery, Nola’s surroundings only worsen her sour mood.

To make matters worse, Caleb, the boy who broke her heart years ago, is all grown up and still living in town. While doing her best to avoid him, Nola bumps into the local mailman, who gives her a mysterious letter. And when she finds that the writer is a fellow Scrooge, she can’t help but feel her spirit lifting.

Nola writes back to her new pen pal—who, unbeknownst to Nola, is none other than Caleb. When Caleb gets a response hand delivered by the mailman, he’s intrigued by the mystery sender. A friendly correspondence develops—and quickly turns flirtatious.

Although Nola and Caleb claim they can’t stand each other, they can’t deny the simmering attraction that brought them together in the first place.

Can these nameless pen pals write their own love story—or will they be too caught up with the ghosts of their Christmases past to find a future together?


This little novella warmed my heart. It was seven chapters of Meghan Quinn fun. Nola and Caleb were doing everything to avoid each other while forces were trying to rekindle their love. I loved the letters and everything about this one. The only thing I wanted was more! I could have read a much longer book about this couple. I loved how the narrators brought the story to life. Oh, and fans of Untying the Knot and of all the books set in Port Snow are going to love the setting and characters.

Review: Untying the Knot (Meghan Quinn)

Untying the Knot
Author: Meghan Quinn

Publication Date: November 15, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis: 

A spin-off from the #1 Amazon bestsellers, A Not So Meet Cute and So Not Meant To Be, USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn brings you a heart-warming, yet hilarious full-length novel on what life is like after the happily ever after.

Ryot Bisley is my husband.

Yes, the former third baseman for the Chicago Bobbies and absolute heart throb of the Windy City. That Ryot Bisley.

The first time I ran into him, he was grumpy, a horrific host, and left me on his sofa with nothing but a nylon baseball flag to use as a blanket.

The second time, he reluctantly bought me dinner, stared at my chest the entire night, and still sported that permanent frown.

The third time . . . well, that was a game changer. His smile captured me, his teasing charmed me, and his touches excited me.

So when he was called up to the majors that didn’t stop us from knocking it out of the park and all the way down the aisle.

Eleven years later…I’d love to say we’re happy as ever but the man who sent me dirty text messages every day is long gone and Mr. Frowny Face is back.

He’s so focused on trying to build a life after baseball that he doesn’t see the life we’ve already created together. . .so I make the hard decision and serve him divorce papers.

Problem is…my husband refuses to accept those papers. Instead, he has a new game plan that makes untying the knot of our marriage a little tricky. And just when I thought I wanted to be traded . . . he’s slowly, tantalizingly roping me back in.


I don’t think I have ever been tortured by a Meghan Quinn book quite like Untying the Knot. A relationship on the brink of death is always a hard read, but she really put me through some stuff with this one. I kept having to take emotional breaks while at the same time couldn’t put it down. My heart broke for Myla and Ryot over and over again. I somehow loved and hated them both. I was a freaking mess while reading this book.

Untying the Knot starts out with the beginning of the end for Myla and Ryot’s marriage. Myla wants out and Ryot doesn’t understand why. They both still love each other. The story progresses from there and the present is woven in with flashbacks of the way they met and fell in love. There are some traditional Meghan Quinn hilariously awkward moments and fun texts in the past.  There are even some comedic moments in the present that I couldn’t completely laugh at because of the tension between Myla and Ryot. Normally, I’m not a fan of flashbacks, but I loved them in this book. They lightened a more seriously toned romance and made me fall in love with Myla and Ryot. They also made it easier to understand the choices that Myla and Ryot made and how they got to where they were now. Even while reading the tough parts, I couldn’t wait to find out how they would get back on track. (Not a spoiler that they would get back on track — it’s a romance after all.)

So, yeah. This was an emotional read. It hit me hard and made me sad a lot. It also lifted me back up and gave me hope. That’s the perfect combination for a romance on the brink of death. I ended up being really happy with how everything worked out for Myla and Ryot and the journey Quinn took them on. I loved the way characters from A Not So Meet Cute, So Not Meant to Be, and a certain Chicago Bobbies team showed up to support Myla and Ryot and the story. I loved Ryot’s brother Banner and mostly loved Myla’s BFF Nichole. I really need Quinn to write a book for either of them so I can get some updates because the end of this book almost felt like a cliffhanger to me. Almost. Anyways. This was a fantastic book by Quinn. I loved seeing her flex her romance writing muscles and give us a trope she hasn’t before.

Series Review: Gold Rush Ranch (Elsie Silver)

If you’re like me, you are signed up for a ton of authors’ newsletters. One week, I got about five of them from various authors and they were all pimping a new release, Heartless by Elsie Silver. When I saw it for that fifth time, I decided to read the blurb and then jump in. It started an Elsie Silver binge for me. I read that book and the first one in that series. Then, I went back further and started her debut novel of her first series, Gold Rush Ranch. I feel like other than those newsletters recommending Heartless I haven’t heard anything about Elsie Silver. If I hadn’t maybe there’s a good you haven’t, so I decided to give you all a series review for her first series.

Off to the Races
Series: Gold Rush Ranch, #1
Author: Elsie Silver
Publication Date: April 29, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Westerns

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I’m impressed. For a debut romance, the writing was great. I loved the characters and the plot of the story. The banter between Billie and Vaughn was so much fun. All of their bickering at the beginning led to an explosive romance. I was surprised by how much I loved the working racehorse ranch setting and the racing world Silver created in general. I would say that I can’t wait to see where Silver’s writing goes, but I’ve already read her two latest releases in her Chestnut Springs series and know it’s only gotten better. I can’t wait to binge read the rest of this series.

Out of the Gate
Series: Gold Rush Ranch, #1.5
Author: Elsie Silver
Publication Date: March 23, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Westerns

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I actually read this one last when it looks like it was released first. This was a fun novella about Vaughn’s grandfather and grandmother falling in love. They were an age gap romance that was short and sweet.

A Photo Finish
Series: Gold Rush Ranch, #2
Author: Elsie Silver
Publication Date: August 13, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Military Romance, Westerns

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

This book is one of the reasons I wanted to read this series. Violet is the sister from the Chestnut Springs series. She obviously came first, but that’s not how I read the series. I wanted to know her and Cole’s story since her brothers talk about how awesome they both are. Their story surprised me. I wasn’t expecting them to connect the way they originally did. I loved the ups and downs of their romance and the second chance they got. They were perfect together. The only thing I wanted that I didn’t get was to see Cole meeting Violet’s brothers. I want that so bad! Maybe Silver will write a novella/scene just for that? Maybe she already has? I need to do some investigating. Anyways. I loved this book.

The Front Runner
Series: Gold Rush Ranch, #3
Author: Elsie Silver
Publication Date: December 3, 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Westerns

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

My thoughts:

Never did I think I would want a book for Stefan Dalca. He seemed like a slime ball in the first couple of books. I loved seeing a different side of him with vet Mira. He grew on me in the best way. I also loved getting to know the serious vet. Their chemistry was fantastic. They both had complicated families. I loved how that was worked into the story, especially with Stefan’s sister. The only thing I didn’t love about this book was the way Billie (from the first book) came across. She got better toward the end, but it made me sad because I loved her in the first couple of books.

A False Start
Series: Gold Rush Ranch, #4
Author: Elsie Silver
Publication Date: March 18, 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Westerns

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I’m so glad Silver decided to give Stefan’s sister Nadia her own book. It was a great way to finish out the series. I adored Nadia and Griffin’s romance from the start. There is a fourteen-year age gap between them, and Griffin is Stefan’s best friend. Those are not the only hurdles these two face. Both have tumultuous pasts that could threaten their relationship. I loved how Nadia was trying to make herself a better person and into who she wanted to be. I loved Griffin’s quiet gruffness. They had amazing chemistry and were adorable together. I loved the way they faced their challenges.

Overall thoughts on Gold Rush Ranch:

I love this author. I love her rove her writing. I love her characters and their romances. I loved this series. I didn’t have any idea I would enjoy a series set around racehorses and racing, but I did. I can’t wait for the next Chestnut Springs book. Elsie Silver might just be my favorite new author of the year…

Review: A Little Too Late (Sarina Bowen)

A Little Too Late
Series: Madigan Mountain, #1
Author: Sarina Bowen

Publication Date: October 4, 2022
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Synopsis: 

New from twenty-time USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen!

How to behave when the guy who broke your heart two thousand miles away turns up in your office:

One: Don’t drop your lucky coffee cup in shock, even though it’s been ten years.

Two: Don’t get defensive when he asks how you ended up working his family’s ski mountain… and why you kept it a secret.

Three: Give him the worst room in the resort. He deserves it for suddenly waltzing back in like he owns the place. (Which he kind of does.)

Four, five, six, seven, eight and nine: Do not kiss him in the hot tub.

Ten: Try to keep your heart intact after you break all of your rules.

Because Reed is leaving again. Hate can’t turn back into love. And it’s a little too late…


The Madigan Mountain series is off to a strong start with A Little Too Late. I loved this book. It proved once again why Sarina Bowen is one of my favorite, go-to authors. Here is what I loved about this book:

  • Sarina Bowen’s writing is as amazing as ever.
  • The mountain ski resort setting was cool. Living a couple of hours from a few in my state and having a family (not me!) who skis I could understand some of the things that were happening or could possibly happen. I also loved the plot around the selling of the resort.
  • Ava and Reed were easy to root for. Their second chance romance was a bit emotional, and I wanted them to get back together. Their reconnecting and new romance made me happy.
  • I loved how Ava was written. She was an intelligent woman who knew her heart and what she wanted. I loved how mean she was to Reed in the beginning.
  • Reed was smart when it came to business, but he was an idiot when it came to family and love. I loved when he finally figured out what he had been missing out on and what he would be.
  • I loved the side characters. Ava’s friends were awesome. I hope they will be finding love alongside Reed’s brothers in this series. (I haven’t read the blurbs for the next two books because I like to go in blind.) I also liked Reed’s assistant. His family is still a little bit of a mystery, but their story in interesting.
  • This is a second chance romance so there were some flashbacks. I don’t like flashbacks, but I didn’t hate them here. I actually appreciate the way Bowen did them. It’s third person omniscient and made it easy to switch timelines without feeling lost. I also felt like they were needed a little for this particular storyline.

Overall, this was a fantastic start to what is bound to be an amazing series with Rebecca Yarros and Devney Perry adding books two and three. I loved what they did last time they collaborated, and I have a feeling this series is going to be even better. I can’t wait to read the next couple of books.

CW: death of a parent, loss of a pregnancy