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Five-Star Reads for August 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? Xerxes Ascendant Adelaide Blaike (House Epsilon #2) I’ve been anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this story since I finished book 1 and screamed. A lot. Luckily, Blaike doesn’t draw out that particular cliffhanger for too long; instead, she hits readers with the expected and…
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Five-Star Reads for June 2024
All In Kate Hawthorne (Trophy Doms New York #1) If my favorite recurring theme of Hawthorne’s writing is the depiction of kink and power dynamics beyond the simple trappings of a scene, a close runner-up is her nontraditional villain redemption arcs. After all, Kale is never a villain in Dalton and Ivey’s story, simply a…
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Five-Star Reads for February 2024
The Trouble With Cowboys Jodi Payne & B.A. Tortuga (Sin Deep #2) Sam and Thomas are two of my favorite romance characters pretty much ever, so returning to their world is always like getting a warm hug. Kacey is nothing like Sam, however, and his reasons for arriving in New York City are just as…
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Book Review: Underdog (In Vino Veritas) by L.A. Witt
Read my reviews of previous books in the In Vino Veritas series: Wildfire by Garrett Leigh | Counterpoint by J.E. Birk | Unmanageable by Leslie McAdam Read my reviews of the previous series set in the same world, Vino & Veritas. This book has the feel of elements of an opposites-attract romance, but differing circumstances in life don’t necessarily…
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Book Review: Scoreless Game (On the Board #2) by Anna Zabo & L.A. Witt
Read my review of the first book in the On the Board series, Rookie Mistake. I generally try to stay away from overt cliches in my book reviews, but sometimes I can’t resist a few when I’m taking notes to myself as I read. This book is far from cliché, but the emotional impact hits…
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Book Review: Rookie Mistake (On the Board #1) by Anna Zabo & L.A. Witt
For some reason, hockey romances are one of the few “sports romance” categories I can stand. Something about the typical attitudes and personalities of hockey players makes them more palatable than those of other sports players, and perhaps because it’s a sport I know just enough to be interested in but not enough to be…
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Review: Vino & Veritas Series (multiple authors)
This post includes reviews of books in the Vino & Veritas series: Featherbed (#1) by Annabeth Albert Heartscape (#2) by Garrett Leigh Headstrong (#3) by Eden Finley Aftermath (#5) by L. A. Witt Turnabout (#9) by Laurel Greer Daybreak (#12) by Kate Hawthorne Heartsong (#13) by A. E. Wasp Stronghold (#14) by Ana Ashley Limelight…
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Review: Gentlemen of the Emerald City Series by L. A. Witt
This post includes reviews of the books in the Gentlemen of the Emerald City series: Luca (#1) Cole (#2) Bryce (#3) Marco (#4) Andre (#5) Hunter (#6) Luca (Book 1) I hadn’t read anything by Witt in a while, so I decided to rectify that with her newest contemporary romance series. The sex work element…
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Review: Bold Brew Series (multiple authors)
This post contains reviews of the currently available books in the Bold Brew series: Cup of Joe (#1) by Annabeth Albert Puppuccino (#2) by Allison Temple Perfect Matcha (#3) by Erin McLellan Vanilla Steamer (#4) by Crystal Lacy Order Up (#5) by Wendy Qualls Silky Smooth (#6) by A. M. Arthur Fair Trade (#7) by…
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Review: Werewolves of Chernobyl by K.A. Merikan & L.A. Witt
I enjoy both these authors and the recent miniseries about Chernobyl on HBO, so this book pinged my interest when I stumbled across it. While I lean toward vampires rather than werewolves in my paranormal romance tastes, the premise intrigued me immediately. The human character, Quinn, annoyed me at the beginning. He starts a bit…
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Review: New Hand (Bluewater Bay #23) by L.A. Witt
#SaveWolfsLanding As amazing as it was to see so many recurring characters appear in one place in this book, I figured out pretty quickly that it’s because the series was coming to a close. I’d be more devastated, but this was definitely a long series and I loved every bit of the ride. (That being…
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Review: Get a Grip (Bluewater Bay #19) by L.A. Witt
Even though the main characters had their traditional “meet cute” in person, this story made effective use of modern dating apps to ensure that they got back together. In fact, this entire series has been modern in that the characters are not to be separated from their smartphones, even the Bluewater Bay inhabitants and not…
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Review: Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt
One of the things I love most about this series is the diversity of characters. This doesn’t refer to just skin color, or occupation, or whether the character is famous or “normal,” but also in terms of personal history. In this case, Scott is a guy who hasn’t had a serious relationship in decades, and…
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Review: Lights, Camera, Cupid! (Bluewater Bay #6)
“Just Another Day” by L.A. Witt: I loved this quick check-in with our first Bluewater Bay couple, actors Carter and Levi. Levi is his usual cantankerous and loveable self, Carter is still too perfect for words, and I’d be jealous of those cats if I didn’t own three ridiculous Siamese of my own. Also, those…
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Review: Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov & L.A. Witt
As a professional author and former fanfic writer, this novel was an odd sort of wish-fullfillment romance that I never knew I wanted. Reading it was both fascinating and oddly bizarre, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Reading about other authors and their process is always an interesting experience, because I believe there’s no “one, true…
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Review: Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt
This is an excellent introduction to the Bluewater Bay shared-universe romance series, giving us just enough information about the town of Bluewater Bay and the television show Wolf’s Landing to provide a taste for more. This book also does a great job of showing how major Hollywood stars are human just like anybody else, with very…
