Plum Valley Cowboys Book 3: Unconventional Hearts by Emmy Sanders

 

Plum Valley Cowboys Book 3

One summer. Three men. The proposal that ropes them together.

Cooper

I came to Texas with a single goal: to find my bio-dad before the end of summer. Instead, I found Will, a spitfire of a man with sharp blue eyes and a swoon-worthy drawl. When he proposes adding benefits to our newfound friendship, I’m all in.

The problem? I’m smitten. With not one, but two men. Because Will has a friend that makes me smile like no other. My time in Plum Valley is coming to an end, but if I’m not careful, I’ll be leaving my heart behind when I go.

Will

Spending summer break back home with my best friend was not supposed to be complicated. But then Tru and I kissed, and for the first time, I don’t know where we stand. Now Cooper, the new ranch hand, is mixed up in matters, and I’m even less sure of what it all means.

The three of us fit together effortlessly, but I worry it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. I don’t know how to get out of this tangled mess, and truth be told, I’m not sure I want to.

Tru

To me, it’s simple. Will and I are exploring what it means to go from friends to more. But as an asexual man, there are certain activities I’m uninterested in. Will likes Cooper, and Cooper is all about Will. And me? I have no problem sharing.

But as summer ticks down, I learn a few lessons. One, I feel more at home in Plum Valley than anywhere else. Two, I’ve been harboring major feelings for Will. And three, Cooper’s infectious optimism isn’t something I’m ready to part with.

Time’s almost up. Yet I’m nowhere near ready to say goodbye.

Unconventional Hearts is a lighthearted poly romance between a Southern charmer with a hero complex, a blunt-as-can-be sweetheart who doesn’t need saving, and a lovable golden retriever of a man who has a song for every occasion. There is no cheating and one very HEA. It’s book 3 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60897289-unconventional-hearts

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Will’s turn! Kinda funny to go from book one where he was born and see him growing up to getting his own book now as an adult. Will is exactly the guy you expect after seeing him as a kid. Full of heart and standing up for those he loves. This adult Will is about to head home for the summer from college with his best friend by his side. A best friend who he has been having some feelings for, especially after they shared a recent kiss. Tru is asexual but that doesn’t mean he is looking for love. He just never imagined that the spark he rarely gets would be with his best friend. And he wants more of it. He also knows that he loves to see Will happy too. And when they first arrive in Texas and before they move their friendship to more, he sees how will looks at Cooper. The new guy on the farm. Cooper has come to Plum Valley to look for his father. He never knew the man, but after losing his mom earlier in the year, he wants to at least get some answers. What he never expects is to find Will and Tru. He immediately gets sparks of attraction with Will, especially after they hook up. But then there is Tru. And the more the friendship between them becomes stronger, the harder it is to remember that by end of summer he’ll be leaving. It may take these three a hot minute to figure what they are to one another and what they could be, but I loved seeing how the bond them form together gets stronger. The three of them worked together so well. No jealousy and no feeling left out. They fit in the way that made them all comfortable and were able to give one another exactly what they needed. Another great story in this series!

Plum Valley Cowboys Book 2: Virgin Hearts by Emmy Sanders

 

Plum Valley Cowboys Book 2

Can an inexperienced cowboy wrangle the adult movie star of his dreams?

Hawthorne

I’ve lived in the same small town my entire life. And I like it, for the most part: being a rancher, taking care of my chickens, and even my meddlesome family. What I don’t like are the limited dating options. I’m gay, and at thirty-six-years-old, I’ve never been with a man.

When I enter a contest to win my favorite adult entertainer’s support for our town’s first Pride Parade, I never expect to win. And I definitely never expect to find myself in a friends-with-benefits relationship with the man.

The problem is, I quickly realize I want more. But could someone as confident, sexy, and independent as Silver ever consider building a life with a simple cowboy like me?

Mateo

My work is my life. Filming under the moniker Silver, I’m happy enough. I’m making good money, I’m free from my crummy past, I’m well on my way to the career I actually dream about, and I’m not looking for any complications.

Enter Hawthorne Moore, with his sweet-as-molasses drawl, that adorable gap-toothed smile, and the beautiful way in which he begs, and suddenly, I find myself getting in too deep. And that’s a problem, because I’ve spent years building up these walls around my heart, and I don’t know how to bust them down.

Can I work through my trauma and lasso myself a cowboy, or will I lose the only man who’s ever loved me?

Virgin Hearts is a friends-with-benefits-to-more romance that includes a flirty performer, risqué photo shoots amongst peeping bovine, an endearing cowboy whose cock (ahem, rooster) rises at dawn, dom/sub undertones, and one very HEA. It’s book 2 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60636716-virgin-hearts

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

It took Hawthorne a long time to figure out he was. Growing up in a town where being gay was treated with negativity was a big part of that. And watching his brother’s best friend be mistreated just added to it. But things have changed and are continuing to change. And with those changes, Hawthorne can be who he is. Though that doesn’t mean finding love is easy. So when his nephew wants to have throw the town’s first pride parade as a surprise to his dads, Hawthorne of course agrees. And when it comes to funding well he has a crazy idea. Enter a contest that his favorite adult entertainer is throwing with his company. Winning is a long shot…until it isn’t. And Hawthorne never expects to connect with the man behind the persona of Silver. Mateo is everything Hawthorne could want in a man. But can he convince Matteo to take a chance on them? Mateo never expected to have feelings for Hawthorne. He has always kept a wall up to avoid love for many reasons. But Hawthorne threatens to break them down bit by bit. And Mateo is truly helpless to stop it. So can he get past his trauma and let him fall for his cowboy? I really loved getting to know these two. Hawthorne is so sweet and definitely deserves someone to love him for who he is. And same for Mateo! His childhood was anything but nice and he has so done so much to overcome it. He definitely deserves the love that has always been denied to him. These two were just adorable and I loved watching them fall head over heels for one another!

Plum Valley Cowboys Book 1: Fool Hearts by Emmy Sanders

 

Plum Valley Cowboys Book 1

Best friends. Unrequited love. A story that spans decades.

Wyatt

At twelve, he was my best friend. At sixteen, he became my crush. And now, at thirty-four, he’s the man I’m still pining after.

Falling in love with Easton was never part of the plan. But now that I’ve done it, I can’t seem to stop. It doesn’t help that we’re living under the same roof. Or that Easton is so dang sweet I want to lick him from head to toe.

But Easton is straight, and all the cattle in Texas won’t change the fact that he’ll never look at me the way I see him. I want someone who can love me back. And I won’t be able to find that while I’m hung up on my best friend.

It’s time to find a way to say goodbye.

Easton

I always knew I was a little bit different than everybody else. When kids my age were hooking up, all I wanted to do was sit on the ranch with Wyatt and plot out our future. I didn’t need anyone else.

When Wyatt leaves Plum Valley, he takes a piece of me with him. When he returns at the moment I need him most, he helps me to heal and feel whole again. We have a good life now, Wyatt and I, best friends still after all these years.

So when I happen to catch my friend down on his knees in the barn, I don’t understand why, all of a sudden, I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be. Now, I can’t stop wondering and wanting.

But would taking that chance with Wyatt risk the best thing in my life?

Fool Hearts is a small-town, longtime friends to lovers romance with a whole lot of pining, a bi-awakening in a barn, swoon-worthy cowboys, a roller coaster of emotions, and one very HEA. It’s book 1 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60387417-fool-hearts

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Wyatt and Easton have been best friends their entire lives. Growing up together, nothing could tear them apart. You couldn’t find one without the other. So when Wyatt realized he was in love with Easton when they were teenagers, he wasn’t surprised. But he knew heartbreak was inevitable. Because Easton had never looked at him that way. And with their town making it clear they didn’t really like anyone who was anything but straight, Wyatt knew that one day he would have to leave. Wyatt and Easton’s love story spans over years. The ups and downs of so many life events. Like when Easton actually looked at someone and fell in love and it wasn’t Wyatt. Like Wyatt leaving when he knew he couldn’t stay and watch his best friend be with someone else and the town finding out Wyatt was gay. But despite the obstacles, they held close to one another. Especially when there comes a day when Easton needs Wyatt to come home. Despite the years going by with these two being nothing more than friends, it becomes oh so satisfying when that day finally arrives. Because it is clear that these two were always meant to be together. It just took them a bit to get to that point at the same time. But I loved their friendship and how it developed into so much more. It was a deeper love by the time they got a chance to acknowledge what they were to one another. Just a great story all around!

Assistant to the Villain Book 1: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

 

Assistant to the Villain Book 1

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123257687-assistant-to-the-villain#SocialReviews

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My Review: 4/5 Stars

Evie is in desperate need of work so she can support her sick father and little sister. She just never expected to literally fall into the arms of her next employer. Or that her new boss would be the one known as The Villain. The evil guy causing all sorts of havoc in the kingdom. She is the assistant of The Villain…and she loves it. There is definitely more to her boss than meets the eye. And the more she gets to know him and those who are also in his employment, the more she believes that she is exactly where she belongs. And that maybe this villain isn’t so bad. Well, mostly. And when there seems to be a spy amongst their midsts, she’ll do whatever she can to help track them down. This story was actually quite hilarious. It’s definitely a more humor fantasy than anything else. What office humor would look like in a fantasy world. And Evie is hysterical. She’s clumsy, funny, sarcastic, smart, and just overall a really good person. I loved trying to guess what she was going to do or say next. Especially when it comes to The Villain. Oh, and his point of view scenes were so fantastic as well. I loved seeing his reactions to Evie. I’m sensing a bit of a slow burn forming for these two. Feelings are definitely there, but fully acting on them is doing to take a while is my guess. We have an interesting world and characters! I also thought we had a lot of fun twists in this story as well. I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes. 

Northern Roots Atlantic Book 4: Hollow Heart by Eve Holmes

 

Northern Roots Atlantic Book 4

Not everything that looks broken needs to be fixed — it just needs the right conditions to grow

Growing up on the red sand beaches and farm fields of Prince Edward Island, Silas Gallant and Levi Campbell were each other's whole world. They were best friends who understood each other in a way no one else ever could.

But as the easy freedom of childhood gave way to the weight of expectation, the life they shared slowly began to shift. Levi left the island to chase a future in agricultural technology and a world bigger than the fields he grew up in, while Silas stayed, rooted in the safety of his family's potato farm, and in the belief that people will always leave.

Years of silence and hurt pass before their distance closes, and Levi finds himself contracted to support a farm back on PEI. On the same red soil he once ran with his best friend. Old hurt lingers, turning familiarity into tension neither of them knows how to navigate — until slowly, they begin to let each other back in, and question if they ever truly split apart.

Among summer sunsets, red sand beaches, lighthouses, and open fields, Silas and Levi begin to find each other again — learning that they were never meant to stand on opposite sides of the same ground.

And that without each other, their hearts could never be whole.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250019349-hollow-heart

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

I am obsessed with this series. Each book just gets better and better. I adored getting to know Levi and Silas. Their story begins as children. Two best friends who understood one another in ways many couldn’t. Especially for Silas who struggles in a number of ways but Levi has endless patience for his best friend. Their love story is a wonderful slow burn as these two grow up together and soon find themselves lost to one another as distance becomes their enemy. Then, Levi returns. And it’s time to repair the hurt and distance between them. And in doing so, they may just realize that this deep friendship of theirs can be so much more if they are brave enough to try. I loved these two. I couldn’t put this book down. This series is just filled with beautiful and complex characters. Their journeys in life can be rough at times but when they find the one they are meant to be by their side, they become so much stronger. I loved watching them overcome the obstacles that hold them back and come out the other side being exactly who they were meant to be. I loved seeing how Levi and Silas’s friendship may have had their obstacles and they had to find their way back to one another. And then when they do, they learn even more about themselves and who they could be together. A wonderful story. I couldn’t put it down!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Peach State Fratbros Book 3: For Frat’s Sake by Devon McCormack & Riley Hart

 

Peach State Frat Bros Book 3

DAX

Miles Tanner hates me for no reason.

Me—lovable, easygoing, sexy-as-hell Dax Armstrong, always there when a fellow fratbro needs a hand…or if that fratbro would like to enjoy more than just my hand…

Miles is the broody artist-type who just got off probation for starting the fire at Sigma Alpha.

Basically, a walking red flag.

But for a guy who’s always looking to start a fight with me, I can’t wrap my mind around a night when I was a little too tipsy and he helped me back to Alpha Theta Mu.

Since then, he’s hot and cold. One minute he’s telling me to stay away from him. The next, he moves in for a touch.

Or a kiss.

In these unguarded moments, all those problematic, confusing red flags fade to the background.

Maybe he’s right and I shouldn’t mess with him, but for frat’s sake…where’s the fun in that?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242284253-for-frat-s-sake

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Definitely my favorite of the series so far! I absolutely fell in love with Miles and Dax and just everything about their story. And I loved seeing how these two fell for one another, especially when they seem like such opposites. Miles currently has a reputation at school for being a loner and the guy whose prank accidentally caused a fire at one of the frat houses. Since then, no one really seems to really think much of him past what they’ve seen. Especially when he acts more grumpy than anything and clearly has stay away vibes. But there is a lot more to Miles than that. First off, there was more to that accident than anyone knows and second, Dax seems to be the only one who realize that Miles wears a mask. Dax has never had a problem with anyone. Everyone seems to like him just fine. Except for his dad and now Miles. He is sunshine and outgoing and can’t seem to get why Miles act like a super nice guy one minute but brushes him off the next. And the more their paths cross, the more Dax wants to know. Neither are prepared for attraction between them to spark so brightly or the feelings that follow after. But these two carry a lot more hurt and grief than anyone truly knows. They understand one another so well and for the first time, the two of them find safety in the other’s presence. Absolutely loved their dynamic. These two simply just needed one another. Needed to find their person who they can let their guard down. I loved getting to know them and watch them fall so hard for one another through all the hard things they are going through. Great story! And I’m looking forward to the next book!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bridge Kingdom Book 6: The Tempest Blade by Danielle L. Jensen

 

The Bridge Kingdom Book 6

A fugitive on the run, Ahnna has one goal: return to Ithicana with warning of the greatest threat her homeland has ever faced. But as she escapes into the wilderness, it is with the man who broke her heart hunting at her heels—and James wants more than justice. He wants revenge.

Desperate to prove his loyalty to his family, James ventures into dangerous territory to capture his father’s killer. But the longer he follows Ahnna’s trail, the more his certainty of her guilt is tested—and the more the passion they once shared reignites.

As schemes twist tighter and war brews, Ahnna and James discover that the enemy isn’t each other—it is the masterminds manipulating them both in pursuit of power. Yet their greatest obstacle remains, because their loyalties are to opposing sides in the battle to come. As the storms of the Tempest Seas lower their defenses, James and Ahnna must choose where their hearts lie: on the battlefield, or in each other’s arms.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239779236-the-tempest-blade

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Now that is how you end a series! Oh man, that was so good! Especially after that last cliffhanger, I had no idea how anything was going to play off. Last we left off, Ahnna was running for her life after being framed for killing the king of Harendell. The plan so perfectly set that even James, the man she had fallen in love with, believes she is guilty. But there are several other moving pieces going on. The real villains have spun so many threads of deception that finding the truths and evidence will fall not to just Ahnna and James, but to our other favorites of the series: Lara, Aren, Keris, and Zarrah. Going for no spoilers here, but this story was just so great. And it was super long in the best way. It was fast paced, we got to see multiple point of views, and it was just something that kept you on your toes the entire read. Just when you think you figured one thing out, something else happened. I was constantly wondering how Ahnna and James were going to make it through the story with a happy ending when so much was against them. But I loved how it all played it out in the end. It was a satisfying way to end the series and James and Ahnna were the best to bring this series to a close. I loved their dynamic and how they grew so much in this book and even the last. And that after everything, the love they had for one another just became stronger. Great story all around and I am going to miss being in this world!