Speakeasy Taproom Book 2: Heartwood by J.H. Croix

Speakeasy Taproom Book 2

She needs a fresh start. He wants a second chance…

My new job as a chef in a small town was supposed to be my ticket to peace and quiet. I didn’t expect to run into the former hockey star who gave me the hottest nights of my life. And, oops, he’s sort-of my new boss. So much for keeping my past where it belongs.

Ty still thinks I’m the fun party girl. He has no idea how much things have changed. One thing that hasn’t changed: the spark between us. It’s hotter than the blowtorch I use on my crème brûlée.

I’m already keeping secrets, so what’s one more? Our tryst is forbidden, it’s fun, and it gets complicated as fast as you can say “check, please.” I didn’t expect to have a future with Ty. And I definitely didn’t expect to have a baby with him.

Some falls are harder than others. But it depends on who’s there to catch you... 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58247843-heartwood

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Belle's last year hasn't been easy. After an incident that led to her a night in the hospital she has been doing whatever she can in the last year to get her life together. One bad night resulted in a wake up call that she needed to take care of herself better. Turns out she has a Bipolar disorder and after years of stress and being a people pleaser, she realizes that in order to take care of herself it is time for a change. That change resulted in working as a chef at Speakeasy. She loves to cook and is excited to be a chef there. It's time for a fresh start and to figure out what she wants to do and who she wants to be. What she doesn't expect is to see Ty. Her old college hookup who is managing the bar. The chemistry between them is still super intense and possibly more so after years apart. It isn't long until the two of them give in to their feelings and this time they may want a little more than simple hook ups. But Belle has a lot she is still working through and though she told Ty about what happened to her, she didn't reveal all her secrets. As for Ty, he never expected to see Belle again but is glad she is here. He is enjoying his life at Speakeasy though he could do a little less with his father constantly calling him to tell him how to run his life. Loved Belle and Ty's story! They were such great characters and their story had some pretty great twists and turns. That opening prologue alone had me hooked wanting to find out exactly what happened to Belle. Book two of this series is great and I can't wait for more! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Speakeasy Taproom Book 1: Touchtstone by Karen Stivali

Speakeasy Taproom Book 1

Sam doesn't think love is in the cards. The cards disagree.

When Phoebe Stevens' life implodes in a spectacularly public fashion, she's desperate to escape Manhattan. So the offer of a job setting up a new Vermont gastropub couldn’t come at a better time. Driving a U-Haul on winding mountain roads is Phoebe's personal version of hell. But when the caretaker of her guesthouse answers the door tousled, shirtless, and baking cinnamon rolls, her first impression of Vermont dramatically improves.

Sam Trembley believes everyone gets one true love, but he’s already blown his chance. He's spent five years avoiding relationships. Now he’s back in Colebury where sunrise tarot draws and moonlit hikes soothe his soul. But why do the tarot cards keep showing him this nonsense about soulmates? Could it have anything to do with the jaded city girl on his doorstep?

Playing tour guide is fun, but taste-testing her culinary creations as she shimmies her luscious hips around his kitchen is downright irresistible. Soon their chemistry burns hotter than the pub's wood-fired oven.

Has fate brought them together for a summer of love...or a lifetime of happiness?

Touchstone contains craving-inducing menu planning, a sassy white witch grandma, seismic sexy times, and tarot cards on a mission to prove soulmates are real.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57831141-touchstone

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My Review: 5/5 Stars  

First book of the Speakeasy Taproom from the World of True North was great! What a way to kick off the series. How can anyone not like Sam and Phoebe? They were such great and sweet characters. Phoebe finds herself moving to Vermont after a very public break up with her jerk of a boyfriend (now obviously ex) goes viral. Lucky for her, her friend Audrey as a solution. Speakeasy is looking for a chef to create the menu for the bar. Phoebe jumps at the opportunity to escape New York, the internet, and do something she loves. Seeing as her now ex-boyfriend not only dumped her for another woman but took their business with him. And this leads Phoebe to Sam. Sam who is renting out the guest house and who has not too long ago moved back to Colebury to help his grandmother and her sister with their shop. Sam isn't the only one with a messy love life. The woman he thought was his soulmate left him behind 5 years earlier. He hasn't had the heart to try again in love believing she was it. That is, until he meets Phoebe. Even his tarot cards and his grandmother's intuition and "woo woo" as Sam calls it, know that Phoebe and Sam are meant to be. But can the two of them put their past hurts in the past and embrace their future? Their connection is there, but do they have the courage to hold on to it? I really loved this one! It was definitely the perfect one to start the series and introduce us to Speakeasy. You can't help but love Sam and his sweet persona. Phoebe is this awesome chef who may not always have believed in love but you see how being with Sam makes her think differently. Then there is Puck, the best cat ever LOL. I also loved the energy, tarot cards, and crystals beliefs that came with Sam and his family. It was so refreshing and different and I'm super tempted to dig out my own tarot cards to do a reading. I'm looking forward to the rest of this series! I cannot wait! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bloodshed Academy: Year Three by Jean L. Grey

Bloodshed Academy Book 3

A society that you can't escape... or you can die trying

Embracing her wolf, Raven became stronger than she ever imagined, but the next challenges she must face could break her.

The culling was coming. Only the strongest survive, and with it, the potential to change everything and everyone around her.

Now Raven and her friends must make decisions unlike anything they ever could have imagined. Their choices would set the course of a war. Their enemies were many, and even unknown. Once again, Raven was left with no other options. If she doesn't take a stand, she would lose everything she held close.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54189201-bloodshed-academy

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My Review: 3/5 Stars

The final book of the Bloodshed Academy, but is actually not the last. With an ending like that the story wasn't completely resolved. And I looked it up and found out there is a spin-off. So this story follows Raven and the gang as they continue to figure out the Elite's plans and stay alive. The group also become even closer, which was a nice twist to the story. And Raven and Rage set a date for their wedding. Secrets are revealed but there is still a lot of things missing by the end. I was hoping for it to be wrapped up but alas it was not. There was also a lot more action in this one since Raven had to face her culling at the school, which is a series of fights to earn your spot. An interesting series for sure. 

Bloodshed Academy: Year Two by Jen L. Grey

Bloodshed Academy Book 2

Some secrets kill ... others bring a fate worse than death

Barely dealing with her shifter abilities, Raven had to navigate college. Her journey so far has uncovered a world beyond her wildest expectations.

Not only did she constantly have to prove her worth to the students and faculty at Bloodshed, but she also had to balance her love life, a secret society with a hidden agenda, and three of the most elite guys at school.

When all the secrets around her are exposed, and everything Raven's facing comes to a head ... she has to pick what's worth fighting for. Her life and her choices, or her place in the world around her.

Vampire Diaries meets Daughter of the Moon in YEAR TWO, a steamy academy romance story for readers that love snark and strong alphas.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53605193-bloodshed-academy

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My Review: 3/5 Stars

It's year two for Raven at Bloodshed Academy and things have gotten weirder. After a mysterious note left behind by an organization called the Elite, Raven has tried to put it behind her the last several months. She doesn't know who they are, but she wants no part of it. However, after witnessing something that the Elite may know about, she decides she can't keep hiding from them. And she can't be hiding the notes from her mate, Rage. So together, they look into the Elite to see what is going on. Surprising faces come with messages and they believe perhaps they are helping but it isn't long until they realize something is wrong. It will take her newfound family to find out the truth. There is also the secrets her parents are keeping from her. Bloodshed Academy is anything but normal but at least with her friends and mate by her side, Raven believes they can do anything. Definitely interesting this world. This is my third series with Jen L. Grey and though her series tend to have some similarities between them when it comes to shifters and other paranormals, this one I think (so far that I've read) has the most interesting cast of characters and paranormals. One more book to go and I'm looking forward to finding out the answers to all these mysteries and secrets.  

Bloodshed Academy: Year One by Jen L. Grey

Bloodshed Academy Book 1

Only the strongest survive ... most of the time

Raven may be a shifter, but she's always felt separate from her wolf. She never knew it should be different. Then, a stranger showed up in her hometown, turning her world upside down and recruiting her for the elite Bloodshed Academy.

Everything she's ever known gets challenged, and Raven found herself in impossible situations. Making matters worse was the fact that one of the strongest alphas at school caught her eye. And he made her feel things she didn't understand.

The school may only recruit the best of the best, the strongest in their world, but there was something more about Raven. When push comes to shove, she had to decide if she's willing to fight for what she's come to love ... or run from a life she couldn't quite accept.

Vampire Diaries meets Daughter of the Moon in YEAR ONE, a steamy academy romance story for readers that love snark and strong alphas.

Scroll up and one-click to start this academy romance today.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53328701-bloodshed-academy

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My Review: 3/5 Stars 

Raven is a wolf shifter but most days she feels so separate from her wolf. She is constantly fighting to stay in control and thought that was just how it was supposed to be. Her life in her small town and pack is simple: if you are female you can't be an alpha so get used to it. She'll be the perfect girlfriend to the guy who is the alpha heir and maybe down the line she will find a way to be happy. But everything changes when a recruiter from Bloodshed Academy comes. The elite school looks for those of the supernatural worlds who are meant to be strong leaders. And she is blown away when the recruiter isn't there for the next alpha to be, but her. But from the moment she gets there she realizes there is more to being shifter than she could have imagined and she will do what it takes to be in sync with her wolf. This story has some great hilarious characters like Cole and Jess, the vampire and fae Raven befriends. And don't forget Damien, the bear shifter who despite his gruff and loner personality, who is actually becomes a great friend to Raven as well. And then there is Rage, the wolf shifter that Raven is immediately drawn to and isn't quite sure why. She'll make a lot of enemies but she'll gain a lot of friends. And there is something else going on at this school but I guess we'll have to wait and find out what!

Paola Santiago Book 2: Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Paola Santiago Book 2

Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she'd expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what's worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can't escape the feeling that she's all alone in the world.

Pao has no one to tell that she's having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante's abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman.

Pao's search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?

Once again Tehlor Kay Mejia draws on her Mexican heritage to tell a wild and wondrous story that combines creatures from folklore with modern-day challenges. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41713214-paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares

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My Review: 4.5 Stars

Things have changed since Paola's adventure and battle against La Llorona. She is still trying to understand everything that happened and while she is processing she finds herself set apart from her best friends, Dante and Emma. For Emma, Paola has felt like she was holding her friend back when Emma finds a place she truly belongs. Not wanting to ruin her friend's happiness, she takes a step back. Not realizing that her being away from Emma was hurting Emma just as much. As for Dante, the tension between them is one that she has no idea how to decipher. Yet she learns that Dante is horribly mad at her because the adventure they had has only made things worse on his abuela and he doesn't know where to place his anger except toward his best friend. Then there is the fact that her mom has a boyfriend and Paola's nightmares are back and worse than ever. But everything changes when Dante's abuela falls mysteriously ill and the only way to save her is to face the nightmares and monsters once more. Including finding Paola's father who she hasn't seen since she was very young. Everything is connected. Can Paola find a way to save her friend's abuela and save her relationships with her best friends? This was a nice sequel to the last book! But poor Paola faces so many harsh things. Her heart was constantly breaking between things changing with her mom and with Dante. But the only thing she could do was to keep her chin up and keep fighting. Loved the twists and turns of this story and with an ending like that, it looks like there is definitely another book on the way. Can't wait!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  

St. Rosetta Academy Book 2: Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon

St. Rosetta Academy Book 2

From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the second installment in a brand-new series set an elite boarding school that’s a contemporary spin on fairy tales, this one a delightful, romantic twist on The Frog Prince.

Caterina LaValle is determined to show she’s still the queen of St. Rosetta’s Academy. Sure, her crown may be slightly askew after her ex-boyfriend, Alaric, cheated on her, but she’s a LaValle. She’ll find a way to march right back in there, her hands clutching the strings to the whole puppet show. This time, she’s going to be untouchable.

Rahul Chopra knows that moment he shared with Caterina LaValle at the winter formal meant something. Surely she feels it, too. He’s a little uncertain how someone like him (socially inept to a point way past “adorkable”) could fit into her world, but he’s loved Caterina for years. He knows they’ll find a way.

When Caterina finds out Alaric is taking a supermodel to the upcoming gala, she knows she cannot arrive without the perfect date. But the thought of taking another superficial St. R’s boy exhausts her. The solution? Sweet-but-clueless Rahul Chopra and a mysterious pot of hair gel with the power to alter the wearer into whatever his heart desires.

When Rahul tries it, he transforms instantly into RC—debonair, handsome, and charming. But transformation comes with a price: As Rahul enjoys his new social standing, the line between his two personas begins to blur. Will he give up everything, including Caterina, to remain RC? Or will this unlikely pair find their way back to each other? 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55710737-of-princes-and-promises

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

Loved diving back into this series! I loved book one and was super excited to read book two. So this story follows Rahul and Caterina. Caterina has built this mask and persona for everyone to see. She was told to never trust anyone and to protect the family name. And when her heart is broken and she is humiliated, she knows she has to pull herself together. Rahul has loved Caterina from a far, but his social anxiety has always held him back. He can't seem to understand people quite right and his brain likes to follow the more logical path. It makes connecting with others challenging, despite having some great friends. But he knows there is something between him and Caterina. At the winter formal he saw past her icy exterior when she let him hold her as they danced. But can he get her to open up to him again? When Caterina needs the perfect date to a gala coming up, she looks to the boy who held her and made her feel safe. But Rahul isn't exactly prepped to attend fancy galas. She asks him if he is willing to help her and he jumps at the chance to spend time with Caterina whatever that entails. Soon Rahul goes under a bit of a magical transformation. He becomes RJ, someone who is confident and cool and can be in Caterina's circle. But the poor Rahul acts as RJ the more he loses himself. And soon Caterina realizes that she isn't falling for RJ, but Rahul. The boy who saw who she really is first. Can she bring him back to her? Or will he lose who he truly is? This book was so fun and I read it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I love this group of characters and Rahul and Caterina's story was so great. It had so many twists and turns as well, that I don't want to mention because of spoilers! But there were some pretty neat surprises. Can't wait for book three!