Isle of Kala Book 1: The Way You Lie by Crea Reitan

 

Isle of Kala Book 1

Sometimes a happy ending comes with heartbreak. 

Falling in love with my father’s best friend wasn’t on my to-do list. Yes, he’s hot. Sure, I’ve been flirting with him since I was sixteen. Of course I’d be down for a little fun.

When Laiken begins returning my flirting, things get heated. It was supposed to be sexy fun and nothing more. We weren’t planning on making this a forever thing.

But falling in love isn’t a choice.

As it turns out, not everyone agrees and sometimes disapproval is loud, painful, and heartbreaking.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234179770-the-way-you-lie

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

In this universe of series from Crea, the Isle of Kala has been its own main character. We’ve visited the islands so many times and have met super interesting characters. And I’m so glad to see that these characters are getting their own books! We are kicking this off with Laiken and Elijah aka Lie. For those who are familiar with Crea’s books, you might remember them from a few books. Specifically from The Crease. Now we get to back up from that time to see how these two got together and what exactly happened. Laiken has been in Lie’s life since the day he was born. He is the son of Laiken’s best friend, Nathan. For a very long time, Laiken has only seen Lie as just that. His best friend’s child. But when Lie returns from college, suddenly Laiken sees him as someone completely new. An adult home and figuring out his life. It’s the first time Laiken realizes he is attracted to Lie and he knows he will never be able to do anything about it. It crosses so many lines. Meanwhile, Lie has flirted with Laiken since he was a teenager and realized he liked guys. He knew Laiken would never take it seriously, but lately he notices Laiken looking back at hime. And the moment these two cross the line and kiss, it’s all over for them. They know they can never be together for real or let Nathan know they dared be more. But before they know it, they are falling for one another. Hard. And it’s only a matter of time until everything is revealed. It was really great to get their story after getting pieces of it in other books. We know things blow up but watching these two fall in love is very sweet. They know what it will look like to others seeing them get together, but they both know the truth. This wasn’t planned nor was it ever a thing until now. We also get a piece of a few others like Cash and Onyx and that ending has me demanding for their book to come faster! Can’t wait to see what other stories get told!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Evermore Trilogy (book 1): Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

 

Evermore Book 1

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead. 

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price. 

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests. 

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215109788-rose-in-chains

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

I’ve really loved Julie Soto’s contemporary romances so far and I was super excited for her to venture in some romance fantasy. And she didn’t disappoint! I will say it took me a minute to truly get into the story and world she created, but once I hit a point, I was in. The world she created is super interesting with the types of magic. The story follows Briony, princess of the Eversuns as she realizes that her brother is dead and her kingdom is falling. And when it does, her and many others are captured by the Bomardsun. There are some brutal enemies on that side and she finds herself and others set out in a bidding war to claim their bodies and their magic. But she never expects to be won by Toven. The boy she went to school with and began having feelings for despite the enemies vibe they have going on. But it isn’t long until she realizes that Toven and his family are playing some other game in this war. And Briony just needs to survive in any way possible. Even if it means working with Toven in this new surprising way. There is definitely a lot going on here and with that ending, I’m very excited to see how this story progresses. Lot of politics and deception and magic. There are so pretty harsh topics involved as well. But this story definitely feels like a beginning. I hope to see Briony grow more as a character and by the end, I think we are starting to get there. There is a lot of potential in this series and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bewitched Book 2.5 The Curse that Binds by Laura Thalassa

 

Bewitched Book 2.5

The stunning prequel to the USA Today bestselling Bewitched series. Two thousand years before there was Selene, there was Roxilana. Her love fated, her life doomed, and her story forgotten—until now.

When young Roxilana first hears a voice in her head, she thinks she has gone mad. The truth, however, is stranger still. Because Memnon, the boy who speaks to her, claims he is real. Not only that, he insists they both are god-touched soul mates with the ability to wield magic.

As wild as his claims are, they gradually come to pass. First, Roxilana’s power Awakens. Then his. But nothing is nearly as startling as the day Memnon, now the sorcerer king of the Sarmatians, arrives at Roxilana’s doorstep, proclaiming the witch his wife and shepherding her off to his homeland.

Her fate is everything ardent Roxi could have hoped for. But there are things Memnon hasn’t told her—about his magic, about life as a Sarmatian and what, as queen, she will be asked to endure. Roxilana’s trials are only beginning. And as she’ll soon discover, there is nothing so dangerous as love mixed with power. For while the combination can build empires and shape legacies, it also has the potential to destroy everything in its path. And, if they’re not careful, Roxilana and Memnon could be destroyed along with it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/136287169-the-curse-that-binds

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

While this book is actually a prequel to the series, I actually do recommend reading it after the first two books. It avoids spoilers and you really get to experience what the characters are going through in their current lives. So like I said, this story is the prequel. We get to rewind in time to see how Roxi and Memnon’s story truly began and how it ended before we meet them in Bewitched. And it was great! We learn a lot about these two characters. How they met, how they found one another, and the lives they spent together before they were betrayed. And the biggest thing we see with them, is just how much they loved one another and what they were willing to do for the other. We also understand their magic just a bit better and how they end up how they are in present day. It definitely made me understand Memnon a lot better. To see how he was and how his magic truly affected him. But we could also see how devoted to Roxi he was. And the same with her to him. She may not have always loved certain things he did. Violence is something she never enjoyed but at the end of the day, she loved Memnon more. I really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing how their story began. I really have been enjoying this series and it was nice to slip back into it since it has been a while. And it made me more excited for book 3! You definitely want to check this story out if you have enjoyed the series so far!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love in Maplewood Book 9: Something Cryptid This Way Comes by Susan Scott Shelley

 

Love in Maplewood Book 9

Trevor Casal loves Maplewood and will do anything for its residents, including hosting the town’s first Cryptid Night to kick off the month-long Halloween festivities. After all, Mabel, Maplewood’s own monster, is a tourist attraction, and this is an opportunity to increase business for his inn, his family legacy. But the event, and a rash of new sightings, brings his best friend Bram, a cryptid investigator, to town. Trevor worries that spending so much time together will give away his secret… he's been in love with Bram for years.

Bram Macleod’s fascination with cryptids began at the age of ten, and his first encounter with Maplewood’s resident monster. In the years since his pro football career ended, he’s devoted his time to documenting investigations and myths on his podcast. With Cryptid Night, Bram is returning to Maplewood after twenty-five years away. He’s eager to dive into investigating and to spend time with Trevor. But lately, he’s starting seeing his best friend in a new light… one that feels a lot like love.

As Bram and Trevor investigate the cryptid sightings and get immersed in Halloween activities, their feelings for each other become harder to ignore. Crossing that line threatens to change everything, including the friendship they depend on.

Something Cryptid This Way Comes is a low angst, in-love-with-my-best-friend story with matchmaking family and friends, tricks, treats, a guard dog who likes everyone, so many plaid shirts, bedtime stories as a form of wooing, and a love forged from friendship... with the help of the "Maplewood Monster".

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230289083-something-cryptid-this-way-comes

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Trevor has been in love with his best friends since they were teenagers. But he has never had the courage to tell him. Instead he watched Bram leave Maplewood to pursue his pro football career and then later his investigation career on myths for his podcast. Only seeing him a few times a year and keeping in touch the best they could. But when Bram’s aunt calls asking him to come to Maplewood to look into other cryptids she and her friends saw, he can’t resist. And thought Trevor is thrilled to see Bram, he also knows he has to try and hide he feelings from him. Bram is thrilled to be back in Maplewood for the main reason that is Trevor. For a while now he is starting to realize that his feelings for Trevor aren’t strictly friends vibes. He wants more but does Trevor feel the same? Well it’s time to figure that out. They’ll be spending a lot of time together investigating and getting ready for all the Halloween activities. And the more time they spend together, the more Bram confirms that he wants more with Trevor. And it’s only a matter of time until their feelings are brought to the surface. I really enjoyed Bram and Trevor’s story! It was clear that these two were definitely in love with one another and just needed that push to tell one another. And I’m glad they finally got their chance. This book was also fun exploring the mystery that is Mabel that is teased so much in the series. A great addition to this series and I’m looking forward to the final book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Reveal!

 

One kiss can change everything! The Bro Date by Charli Meadows is coming August 7th!

Preorder & Sign Up Today!

Cover Designer: Ariadna Basulto with Chaotic Creatives

Toby

For years, I’ve been pining after someone I can never have—my best friend, Shane. The thought of confessing my feelings and possibly losing him is so gut-wrenching that I’ve hidden my true identity from everyone, including myself.

Until now. 

While staying with my grandparents for spring break—away from the testosterone-filled house I share with Shane and two other roommates—I decide I’m finally ready to pursue my attraction to guys. When I get back to campus, I download a gay dating app to meet people. 

Shane’s overprotective side flares to life, and he starts to stalk me on my dates, making sure I’m safe and swooping in to rescue me from disaster after disaster. When that protective streak turns into possessiveness, and he asks to kiss me, I have to pinch myself. 

Is this the happily ever after of my dreams, or is Shane just leading me on to eventually rip out my heart when he realizes he isn’t gay? 

Shane

There’s always been one ray of sunshine in my otherwise dark existence—my best friend, Toby. But when he returns from a trip to Florida and confides in me that he’s gay and wants to start dating guys, irrational jealousy takes hold of me.

Stalking his dates may start by accident, but after the first time, I willingly lurk in the shadows, watching him. Protecting him. None of these losers deserve Toby, and when he continues to get hurt by them, I can’t take it any longer. I guess I’ll have to be the one to show him how special he is and what he deserves.

When one heated kiss turns into a series of dates, I find myself falling for my best friend and questioning everything. Will this be the beginning of something beautiful, or am I doomed to lose the only good thing in my life?

Author Bio:

Charli Meadows is an obsessive reader, avid Bookstagrammer-turned PA, and now an author herself. Lover of all things romance, she plans to write a little bit of everything but make it sweet and spicy.

You can usually find Charli working her boring corporate job or at home playing video games. When she’s not reading, writing, or daydreaming about books, that is.

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Walking on Broken Paths by Amy Aislin

Desperate to escape the pain of his brother’s death, Jesse Melnik ran—but he couldn’t outrun the grief, no matter how much distance he put between himself and his past. Now, after fifteen years of trying, he’s finally ready to face his hometown of Charlottetown again.

He expects the memories of his brother to hover in every corner of his family’s sailboat and whisper in every sea-tinged breeze.

What he doesn’t expect is Parker Willis, the best friend he left behind without a word the day he fled.

And he certainly doesn’t expect old feelings to resurface.

Parker’s been stuck in a rut since his father died three months ago. Every day is the try to keep his father’s dinner cruise business afloat so he can chip away at Dad’s debts, all while working a job that leaves him more frustrated than satisfied.

Then Parker’s routine shatters in the best way Jesse Melnik returns to Prince Edward Island for the summer, all six feet three inches of gorgeous hockey player.

Now, that’s different.

Jesse kickstarts Parker’s heart.

Parker makes Jesse feel again.

And although both men are a little bit damaged from struggling down the broken path of loss, maybe—just maybe—if they can lean on each other, they’ll learn to move forward at last.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234341631-walking-on-broken-paths

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

After Jesse lost his brother he couldn’t stand being home. So he ran far away and lived his hockey dreams. But after 15 years, it was time to finally come home. At least for the summer. But coming home means facing what he left behind and who he left behind. Like Parker. His best friend since they were kids, Jesse was so caught up in his grief, he couldn’t bear to stay in touch with him either. But reuniting with Parker feels like he never left and all those old feelings start coming back. But Jesse is still righting so many wrongs from how he spent the last fifteen years. His grief made him lash out in terrible ways and even though he has been doing his best to change, he still doesn’t feel like it erases his past. So as much as he wants to be with Parker, does he deserve it? Parker, meanwhile, has been facing his own problems. He lost his dad only a few months ago and he has been drowning ever since. He left a job he loved to keep his dad’s business alive and out of debt. There is so much he still wants to do but how can he do that when he is still grieving? But then Jesse walks back into his life and this time, he won’t let him go. Not without a fight. I adored these two. Broken in similar yet different ways, it was clear they have always loved one another and it so sweet that they finally are back together. They finally get a chance to explore the feelings that both were too young and scared to admit. And as they spend this summer together reconnecting and moving on from so many hurts, it heals them both in ways they only ever hoped for. Loved, loved this story! It was just so good and I loved getting to know these two characters. You don’t want to miss this one!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fallen Gargoyles MC Book 4: Jet by Willow Thomas

 

Fallen Gargoyles MC Book 4

Falling in love with my club brother was not something I had planned.

Jet

If I had known that a drunken one-night stand with my club brother would change my life, I would have done it a lot sooner.

If only Fizz felt the same way.

He can barely look at me.

Until he gets himself into trouble, and we have to go into hiding.

The two of us alone in a cabin in the woods. Yeah, I’m gonna win him over and make him realize that we’re not done.

We’ll never be done.

Fizz

Sex with Jet was a mistake.

Because now I want to do it again and again and again.

My job and relationships don’t mix. Jet may be a biker, but he’s also a nurse. His job is all about bringing new life into the world, and my job is the exact opposite.

When I make a mistake and accidentally put Jet at risk, we have to go into hiding.

This is exactly why I need to keep my distance.

Even if he is doing everything he can to make me change my mind.

Jet is the final book in the Fallen Gargoyle series.

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My Review: 3/5 Stars

Fizz and Jet have been best friends for a long time, but never crossed the line as more. But after a drunken night hook up, Jet realizes that this is what they should have been doing all along. He knows they’re endgame. Now to convince Fizz. Fizz may have feelings for Jet, but his job in the Fallen Gargoyles is too dangerous. He doesn’t want to bring danger to anyone, especially Jet. So they can’t be together. But when both their lives are in danger and they are stuck in a cabin together, well it’s time to figure things out. Like with all these books in this series, I would love them to be longer! They are just so short. But they are sweet and funny and have interesting characters. Sad to see the series end, but it’s been fun!