Amalie Warner wants another shot to prove that she can be a successful writer. After hitting the bestseller’s list nine years ago, she’s lost her spark. Feeling pressure from her father to leave her writing behind and to work for her family’s lucrative hotel business, she’s desperate to find inspiration for her next big idea, something that challenges and excites her, something real.

Enter Julian Smoke, a failed tennis player making a dream run for the US Open. After a chance meeting at a bar, Amalie hates him instantly. He’s cocky and arrogant, but Amalie knows his story could be her big break. Could he be more?

Everyone knows that in tennis, love means zero, but these two are about to change that.

Title: Painting the Lines
Author: Ashley R. King
Series: Ace of Hearts (Book 1)
Pages: 272
Genre(s): Contemporary, Romcom, Sports Romance, Enemies to Lovers
Hot Buttons: n/a

Release Date: 17th August, 2020

Ohmigosh - so good

5 stars

What a treat this book was! It’s the first book from Ashley R. King that I’ve read but I loved her style, humour and storytelling, so it definitely won’t be the last.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen another sports romance book with tennis as the sport in question - although I’m not sure why not. I personally love tennis, but if you’re not a fan, you’ll be in good company because neither is our heroine, Amalie. We also never get bogged down in tennis detail and only the Big 4 are mentioned by name and very infrequently at that.

I LOVE an enemies to lovers story and this is what we get here as Amalie and Julian dislike each other almost from first sight. But it’s the best kind of enemies - bickering and snipping at each other while trying to ignore their growing attraction.

To say this is a slow burn is doing a massive disservice to the author’s ability to grow and build the sexual chemistry and tension between our couple until it’s almost a living, breathing character in itself. Believe me, everyone was frustrated but in the best possible way. It was so wonderful - they way their bickering turned playful and how they both dealt with their feelings. Oh, and how Paul cockblocked the couple at every turn!

When we finally get there, it’s deliciously sexy with equally delicious feels. Happy sighs.

The book really put me in mind of the film, The Cutting Edge. It had that same relationship dynamic, the same humour and the same excitement of the underdog. I laughed out loud on occasion during the story and was just as nervous for Julian as he returned to the tennis circuit. I was along for the ride and completely committed to our couple and their lives.

This is the kind of book I expect to stay with me for a long time. Once finished, I had that same excitement as if I’d just finished watching a wonderful tennis tournament or seeing a happy film. It’s very much a fairytale ending and I was here for it completely. And there was an epilogue which made me an even happier bunny.

If you’re looking for a well-written romance with characters you’ll fall for and feel for, laughs and love, leaving you within all round happy feeling - then this is the book for you. I loved it and the tennis was just the cherry on top. 5 stars.

 

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The right life is the one you never see coming.

I had it all. The luxury apartment, hot dates, and the big office to go with long nights at work.

Life was perfect.

But after a one-night stand, two little lines on a pregnancy test, and three lost legal cases later…

Well, overnight I went from career lawyer to single mom.

It’s okay, I can do it. I’m ready to face this alone until…

Along comes Nathaniel Chadwick. Billionaire adrenaline junky. Everyone’s favorite playboy… and my sister’s brother-in-law.

He’s as hot as he is jaded. When it comes to relationships and family, he’d rather jump off a cliff.

I wrote him off long ago, except since he learned about the baby he’s been by my side.

Is it pregnancy hormones or is there something real happening between us?

I didn’t expect any of this...most of all him.

Title: Didn't Expect You
Author: Claudia Burgoa
Series: Against All Odds (Book 2)
Pages: 347
Genre(s): Romantic Comedy, Romcom, Contemporary, US, Friends to Lovers, Surprise Baby
Hot Buttons: n/a

Release Date: 16th September, 2020


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Another fantastic read

5 stars

My first experience of Claudia Burgoa was the novel that precedes this one in the Against All Odds series, Wrong Text, Right Love. Each novel stands completely alone from the other, but I absolutely adored Wrong Text, and would highly recommend that book as much as I do this one.

Because this book was just as delicious as the first book in the series. Said series follows siblings Persephone, Nyx and Eros (their parents are slightly quirky!) as they go through challenges, find their forever person, and live their happily ever afters. Persy’s story is Wrong Text, Right Love while Eros’s story comes next in Love Like Her.

Nyx is the boring, dependable one in the family. She’s sensible, she plans and she keeps her wilder siblings in check. Yet recently, she’s been looking for some excitement in her life. She might not be a fan of her organisational tendencies but I fell head over heels for her and her smart and sensible ways. I love a fellow list-lover! And Nyx was far from boring. She might not be as extroverted and wild as her sister and brother, but she was odd in her own way and so much more interesting than she gave herself credit for.

Nate. Well - at first he started off like you would expect anyone billed as an adrenaline junkie, playboy to. Then he started to reveal his layers. His baggage and the reasons for the way he acted and thought. And the reasons he thought he needed to ‘fix’ himself before he would be worthy of Nyx.

And that’s where the magic of this novel happens. Both Nyx and Nate are aware of their attraction to each other - but circumstances, meddling family, unexpected pregnancies - kept them both from taking that next step with each other. As such, this is a pretty slow burn tale, but it’s a subtle burn, too. You watch all the little things that the pair do for each other. How they are perfect for each other and balance each other out. Before you or they realise it, we have love. And you will believe it. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get a wee bit sappy over it.

You’ll also laugh. A lot. I surprised myself by getting a little sniffly only to find myself laughing out loud (actually out loud) in the next sentence. So you get real love, real emotions and real laughter. Is there anything else you need in a romance?

As with the first book, the writing style really pulls you in, and you feel invested in the story from the first chapter. I also felt that there was a great lesson in the story - but not in a special edition of Saved by the Bell kinda way. It just made you think - about your own life and what’s important to you.

My delight with Claudia Burgoa continues with this smashing book. I loved it from the first page to the last, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun story with just enough depth, angst and deliciousness. Definitely another winner. 5 stars.

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AUTHOR BIO!

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author.

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breath away.

She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her youngest two children. She has a sweet Bichon, Macey, who thinks she's the ruler of the house. She's only partially right.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At night, I like to binge-watch shows with his equal geek husband.

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I guess I give good….text.

Sex talk is my job. I’m an influencer. I run a popular blog where I give all kinds of dating tips, and girls all over the world thank me for helping them with their love lives.

I wish I could follow my own advice because my love life is totally dead. I just drunk texted my ex-boyfriend… except, I didn’t. That text ended up going to someone else.

Oops.

This new relationship is almost picture-perfect, just like my online life. I guess I give good…text.
He doesn’t have to put up with my colorful personality--as my hot next-door neighbor describes me. Or my messy schedule.

This long-distance relationship is the best thing that’s happened to me and I plan to keep it that way.

Until we agree to meet up, and I’m freaking out.

When he meets the real me, will he hate me forever?

Or will we be one day telling our grandkids about that wrong text, right love?

Wrong Text, Right Love is a cute rom-com of two secret lovers who prepare to risk it all for love. Claudia Burgoa brings the flirty fun in this cozy novel of risking it all for romance.

Title: Wrong Text, Right Love
Author: Claudia Burgoa
Series: Against All Odds (Book 1)
Pages: 274
Genre(s): Romantic Comedy, Romcom, Contemporary, US, Secret Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers
Hot Buttons: n/a

Release Date: 11th June, 2020


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Such an enjoyable book - loved it!

5 stars

Good God - this book slayed me. I feel like I might have had some sort of profound epiphany from reading this book. Obviously, I’m a romantic and believe in love - but this book just made me confident in the fact that there’s a lid for every pot, and that you can find your perfect guy if you just be yourself. 🥰

This is the first book I’ve read by Claudio Burgoa and yet somehow she managed to get into my head and write a love story about two impossibly imperfect people that I immediately fell in love with.  Although I’m the polar opposite of Persy - she's wild, confident, mouthy, extroverted - I connected with her. Her fears are my fears. I found myself saying “same, girl” throughout the book - which was nice, if embarrassing. She was quirky - but in such a way that made her endearing rather than irritating. I could keep waxing lyrical about her - but simply put, I loved her.

Ford is equally delicious. He’s a grumpy introvert - irritated by Persy and everything she stands for. He’s also a card carrying commitment-phobe. Relationships are a four letter word for him. And unlike other heroes who are supposedly anti-relationship, Ford is ride-or-die with that shit. Yet he can’t help be intrigued by Persy and slowly but surely, it progresses into something more.

I suppose this is a slow-burn kind of romance. It’s the progression of disliking to tolerating, to a tentative sort of friendship through to best friends. And then… Yet there’s not much of the sex - or even kissing; Just one sex scene tacked on at the end. And while I am always down for a sex scene - this book lost absolutely nothing by not having much. It's about so much more.

I loved the texting - both because it’s cute as a button but also because it’s fun to read a story with a mix of normal storytelling, texting and the occasional podcast episode. We get both perspectives - his and hers - and it’s in first person, present tense. Add to that, it’s written in a very chatty, informal way. I felt it was almost like we were having a conversation with the characters and they were explaining to us, as a reader, what was happening in their lives. That makes it a really quick read. Those pages keep turning and I couldn’t put this book down. I actually got the rage when I had to put the book down to attend to life stuff. Once I’d finished the book, I felt genuinely bereft. What am I going to do with my life now? Well apart from take life advice from Persy and go find my very own Ford, that is.

I’ve a funny feeling that Ms Burgoa is going to be my next obsession. If her other books are even half as good as this one, then I’m all in. And if Nyx, Eros, Nate et al get their own books, too, then I might just keel over in happiness!  This book left me feeling hopeful, happy and with that lovely feeling of butterflies in your stomach just like falling in love. 5 stars and very highly recommended.

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AUTHOR BIO!

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author.

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breath away.

She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her youngest two children. She has a sweet Bichon, Macey, who thinks she's the ruler of the house. She's only partially right.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At night, I like to binge-watch shows with his equal geek husband.

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Rebecca Halstead has never been a bridesmaid, but she can certainly relate to the expression “always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” As one of Chicago’s top wedding planners, Rebecca has had a front row seat to countless ceremonies, yet her own walk down the aisle has started to feel like nothing more than a little girl’s fantasy. She’s the wallflower who, thanks to a clean bill of health from her oncologist, wants to live life to the fullest. If only she knew how.

Brody Dixon hasn’t heard the word “no” since he was drafted by the NFL. With cover model looks and an arm that’s earned him two Super Bowl MVPs, Brody can have his pick of women. But as the next celebrity bachelor on American Sweetheart, both his agent and publicist want him to clean up his image before the show begins. If only he knew how.

Then fate, and an impulsive wager, bring these two opposites together until an unlikely alliance is formed. For the next two months, Brody will get a crash course in romance. In return, he agrees to help Rebecca break out of her carefully constructed shell. On paper it makes perfect sense. But as they struggle to teach each other, Brody and Rebecca just might discover that falling in love is the most important lesson of all.

Title: Save the Date
Author: Ann Marie Walker
Series: Wild Wedding Series Book 3
Pages: 271
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, romcom, Romantic Comedy, Friends to Lovers, Brother's Friend
Hot Buttons: previous battle with cancer <-- highlight to reveal (may contain spoilers)

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Wonderfully marvellous

5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read of Ann Marie Walker’s and, after finishing, I’ve already got more of her backlist in my Amazon basket, ready to get to reading. I loved every minute of this book and Ms Walker’s writing style.

Save the Date is the third book in the Wild Wedding series after Black Tie Optional (Cole and Olivia) and Icing on the Cake (Cassie and Hank). Both previous couples - and their friend Conor - appear quite a lot in this book as they’re related to, or friends with, Brody and Rebecca. I loved catching up with both couples - and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t even read the previous books! When reading any series, I love to read catch-ups with previously beloved characters and Ms Walker knows exactly how I like them to be. Still happy and still horny. As soon as I’ve read the first two books in the series I plan to re-read this one and I’m sure I’ll love the scenes involving the previous couples even more.

But onto the main show of this book - Brody and Rebecca.

I loved Rebecca. She was an enticing mix of lots of different contrasts. Sweet yet sexy. Shy yet ballsy. Confident yet filled with doubt. It made her all the more relatable as I think we’re all different depending on the situations we’re in or who we’re with. And that’s also what I liked - that Brody seemed to be the one that she could let loose and be herself with. That he could inspire such comfort to experience all her highs.

You could be forgiven for thinking that due to Rebecca’s previous illness, there might be melancholic moments in this book. Not so. Her cancer isn’t really touched on all that much and while it’s the reason for her desire to ‘live on the wild side’ - and obviously affects her outlook, and how others (okay, mainly just her big brother) treat her - it’s just another part of what makes up Rebecca. I was also pleased that I didn’t get too emotional over her cancer - but did find some of the statements quite poignant - and think I really should be following Rebecca’s lead in living life to the fullest.

The first time we meet Brody - he’s pretty much a douche. Also a bit clueless and with an ego the size of Texas. But I still really liked him. He’s terribly cheesy and so damn cocky - but that just means I get to watch him fall further when he gets hit by Cupid’s arrow. Am I a wee bit sadistic? It would appear so! His ‘transformation’ was subtle but also a massive 180. It was lovely to watch. I’m going to go ‘off the charts’ sappy here, when I say that the whole thing really gave me the feels and made me really believe in love. Awwww!

The whole book was cute and quirky and funny enough to inspire some laughs. It was never silly - okay, maybe on occasion, especially with Conor! - but it just was so wonderfully feel-good. And a shout-out to the epic bro-banter. Love me some hilarious man chat!

If I’m being super picky - I’m going to admit that I’m not sure I really understood the logic of how a bet about a date turned into the pair spending every day together, going to work, looking at houses, learning to dance etc. But I also don’t care because I was enjoying myself too much!

And it was a wee bit of a shame that we only got a highlight reel page or so, about some of the fun things that Brody and Rebecca had done during the time of the television show filming. But again, just a small niggle that also didn’t change my rating of this book.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading this book - and it was definitely the kind of story I was thinking about whenever I happened to put it down - and even now I’m finished. Very much a recommended read if you like fun, uplifting romantic comedies with great chemistry, banter and a smidge of sexiness. 5 stars.

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Ann Marie Walker writes steamy books about sexy boys. She's a fan of fancy cocktails, anything chocolate, and 80s rom-coms. Her super power is connecting any situation to an episode of Friends and she thinks all coffee cups should be the size of a bowl. If it's December she can be found watching Love Actually but the rest of the year you can find her at AnnMarieWalker.com where she would be happy to talk to you about alpha males, lemon drop martinis or supermodel David Gandy. Ann Marie attended the University of Notre Dame and currently lives in Chicago.

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