Curves for Days Release Day and Review

Curves For Days

by: Laura Moher

Synopsis from Goodreads

How is Rose Barnes supposed to build the home (and life) of her dreams when her big, burly contractor keeps scowling at her?

Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she's the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.

Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn't deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus's gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.

As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose's house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time...

My Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't even know where to start.... This book ignited all the feels. I was cracking up at Rosie's smart responses one minute and literally sobbing at another scene a second later. The characters in this story embedded themselves into my heart without warning. I was hooked. Literally sat for 5 hrs. reading until I was finished because I just couldn't put it down. I love the alternating viewpoints because I feel like that brought more life to both Rosie and Angus. This story had some spice, which I love but also real-life struggles that hit just a little too close to home. This was a phenomenal read, and I would 100% recommend!! Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride but in the best way possible!!

 

Champion by Michelle Mankin - Cover Reveal

Title: CHAMPION

Author: Michelle Mankin
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance

Tropes: Forbidden/Age Gap/Best Friend's Dad

Cover Design (eBook): Lori Jackson Designs &

Danielle Leigh

Cover Design (Full Wrap): Lori Jackson Designs

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster

Release Date: August 31, 2023

BLURB

The winningest—not to mention most arrogant—quarterback in football history, Champion Valentine gets what he wants when and how he wants it, except when it involves a certain exotic dancer.

Electra Miller’s life is the opposite of charmed. One terrible tragic night, she lost everything that meant anything to her. Forced to abandon her dream, she works hard as the headliner at Fantasy. Stripping isn’t Juilliard, but it pays the rent and no one there asks uncomfortable questions about her past. Her secrets remain her own, even her crush on the blond, blue-eyed, and gorgeous Texas Lonestars QB.

Champion wants Electra.

Electra wants Champion just as badly, though she can never admit it. The secrets she keeps aren’t only her own.

What happens when a living legend who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer meets a beautiful dancer eighteen years younger than him who just can't tell him yes?

You guessed it.

Game on.

One with an outcome that might change everything and not just for the two of them.

ADD TO GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

MICHELLE MANKIN is the New York Times bestselling author of over 40 romance novels. Romance that rocks the heart. Text ROCK BOOK to 33777 for release alerts and a chance to win a signed paperback on release days-US only.

When Michelle isn't prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock and Nola funk music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend.

All her books are free in kindleunlimited. https://geni.us/MichelleMankinKUAmazon

Copy and paste the following into your browser to receive a cool NL with bonus scenes exclusive to subscribers: https://geni.us/MankinNewsletter

AUTHOR LINKS

AMAZON

NEWSLETTER

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TIKTOK

Upcoming Book Reviews - Pre-Order Links

                              

Hello fellow Book Nerds, Leah here!  

Today I am sharing some of the awesome books that I have had the honor of reviewing for NetGalley so far this year.  I am obsessed with both of these stories, and I look forward to sharing my reviews with all of you.  I have provided below a few links for you to use.  You can add both books to your Goodreads TBR shelf and both Amazon and Barnes & Noble pre-order links are here.  Keep an eye on the blog for reviews, coming soon!

Release Date: August 22, 2023

Goodreads (Add to your TBR) | Amazon (Pre-Order) | Barnes & Noble (Pre-Order)

Amazon Synopsis: 

Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she's the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.

Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn't deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus's gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.

As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose's house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time...

Release Date: January 16, 2024

Goodreads (Add to your TBR) | Amazon (Pre-Order) | Barnes & Noble (Pre-Order)

Amazon Synopsis: 

Presley Ayers is not the woman you bring on a camping trip. An accomplished concierge at an exclusive hotel in Great Falls, MI, she knows more about the top ten places for champagne and caviar than she does about the best hiking boots to go stomping around near Lake Michigan. But when she surprises her boyfriend of eight months with a vacation to the Get Lost Lodge and he dumps her instead, Presley decides to rough it solo and take the trip herself.

When Beckett Keller helps the gorgeous woman off the rickety boat and onto Lodge territory, it’s clear to him she's made a mistake. She doesn’t like hiking, fishing, or nature in general, so why did she go on this trip? He’s got other things on his mind though—a crumbling lodge, and his own plans and dreams that are forever deferred—so he doesn’t have time for Ms. Fish-Out-of-Water. Even so, neither Beckett nor Presley can help that inexplicable draw they feel towards each other. He’s all rough stubble and plaid shirts, while she’s all high heels and brand-name athleisurewear.

But you know what they say about opposites.

                                Leah❤

My Review of Leo and Red's Amazing Adventures

Title: Leo & Red's Amazing Adventures

Author: Abhiram Rode

Published On: June 6, 2022

Publisher: Notion Press

Source: Digitial (NetGalley)

Pages: 126

Synopsis:

Leo and Red have a sense of adventure that is matched only by their sense of doing the right thing. They explore the Element Kingdom to root out evil. Their journey of gathering the ancient relics and stopping the impending doom is complete with excitement and adventure. Starting from being naive young children, Leo and Red battle demons and dark magic to become the world's most powerful magicians and protectors.

I knew as I started to read through this book, that there was something different about this author.  I did not do any research before requesting this book from NetGalley.  I saw children's fiction, middle grade, and sci-fi and I thought that I would check it out.  I am a 5th grade ELA teacher and my students write their own Sci-Fi stories in my class snd I was hoping to find a book to share with them if they are interested in that genre.  But as I was reading, something seemed similar to me and I felt like I was reading a student's story.  Sure enough, the author of this book is 8 years old.  That is freaking amazing that he was able to combine all of his skills and publish this book.  I had a few students this school year that could have easily published their writings.  With that being said, I did struggle a bit trying to figure out which character was which and what their purpose was in the story.  However, overall, I am very pleased with this aspiring author for doing what he enjoys and getting his first book published!  Kudos to you, Abhiram!  

My Thoughts
⭐⭐⭐

I want to start by saying awesome job writing a book so young. I am a 5th-grade teacher and my students write Sci-fi stories during one of our units.  I was interested to see how this story played out. Great use of dialogue and the story progression is definitely there.  The vocabulary used was also a plus for such a young author. I'd like to see more character descriptions to better understand their purpose. Also, great use of illustrations throughout.  The advanced copy of my Kindle did not do the illustrations justice.  Overall this was a great 1st book and I know your stories will keep growing. Thank you for sharing your talents!

Amazon

So this will temporarily be the end of my Review streak.  I have one more book that I read in July, but I am saving my review to share in the book blitz coming in September, so keep an eye out for that.  So I was able to read 9 total books in July and I have started more for August.  I will be posting reviews as I complete them.  I will also be popping in randomly to share thoughts and other random things!  Thank you so much for checking out my reviews and remember, I am always looking for new recommendations!

Until next time Book Nerds!

Leah❤

My Review of Pacific Persuasion

Title: Pacific Persuasion

Author: Sofia Aves

Published On: August 8, 2022

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Source: Digital (NetGalley)

Pages: 93

Synopsis:

Head of security on the South Sea Mermaid, Kai Walker, hates having drugs on his ship. But when travelers begin to overdose and he can’t find the source, Kai suspects everyone, including his absentee dinner partner, Pearl. He can’t work out if she’s a tempting distraction or an intentional diversion. He’s keen to keep his threats close, even if it means a planned seduction to catch her in the act.

US DEA Agent Pearl Hamilton is determined to focus on the assignment she's been set. No sexy-as-sin security officer on a bewitching south sea cruise is going to turn her head, regardless of how good he looks in a uniform. That is until she discovers how much fun she can have with a pair of handcuffs and a stolen room key...

So let's continue on this spicy review trail for another story.  This one sparked my interest because of the whole man in uniform romance.  I was really interested to give this one a read.  It was a short and to-the-point story, which I really liked.  I also see that Sofia has a whole group of stories in the Passport to Pleasure series all released one after another starting with Hot Highland Fling which was released on Monday.  Pacific Persuasion comes out Next Monday. So there will be a new release each Monday for the month of August.

My Thoughts
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Steamy! I really enjoyed this fast-paced read. Covered all the bases and wasn't long and drawn out. Really enjoyed the character progression and the twist that the plot took. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early edition! Look forward to the rest of the series. (Short and Sweet, just like this book!)

This title is currently not on GoodReads!!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

So are you going to check out this Passport to Pleasure series?  I know I will be checking out the other books, so look out for those reviews in the future.

Tomorrow, I will be switching gears and reviewing Leo and Red's Amazing Adventures by Abhiram Rode.  Have an awesome Wednesday and I will see you all tomorrow!

Leah❤

 

My review of The Two Week Stand

Title: The Two Week Stand
Author: Samantha Towle
Published On: April 2, 2021

Publisher: Audible Studies

Source: Audiobook

Time: 7 hrs and 50 minutes

Synopsis:

From New York Times best-selling author Samantha Towle comes a sizzling beach romance, that will leave you hot in all the right places….

Dillon Dawson loves to write romance despite her latest relationship ending with her traveling to the Maldives alone on what was supposed to be her honeymoon. Now, the only thing she wants is two weeks of uninterrupted peace and quiet with absolutely no men in sight.

West Oakley doesn’t even believe that romance exists, and he has no desire to convince himself otherwise. The only reason he’s heading to the Maldives is to escape a scandal and spend time on an island where no one knows who he is.

But plans change, and when West takes one look at Dillon, another idea forms in his mind — a no-strings two-week stand. Even though Dillon knows their sexual chemistry is explosive, her romantic heart is torn.

Can she really spend 14 nights in the arms of a god-like West, making all of her fantasies come true, only to walk away at the end of it?

Or can Dillon turn this two-week stand into more than an unexpected holiday fling, convincing West that romance does exist after all?

I'm back!  I took a day of rest, but I am here to finish my July reads reviews.  I am so excited to say that I was able to read 9 books in 2 weeks, well technically 18 days!!  So are you all ready for this spicy one!!  I saw a video on Tik Tok of a back-and-forth text about this book and I knew that I needed to read this.  So I searched it on Amazon and saw that I could get it on Audible.  I downloaded it with one of my credits and then decided it was a good way to be able to "read" while everyone was sleeping and I wasn't able to see my Kindle in the dark.  I have an old-school original Kindle with no backlight, lol.  So I popped in my AirPods one day while I was folding some laundry and I was hooked.  I could not get enough of this story.  I think listening to voices made the story even more steamy.  However, the male version of the female voice made me cringe.  I would have preferred that the female voice actor just speak her parts during the male chapters.  It was not good and it was almost comically which took away from the steaminess.  Really that is my only complaint because this was an awesome read and I absolutely loved it! 

 My Thoughts
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

FIRE! Samantha Towle, you are a spicy girl! I listened to this story through Audible and I was not disappointed. Dillon and West have a steamy two-week holiday together and I could not get enough of it. I think listening to the narrators read through the story, even though still made me blush, would have been a whole lot different had I been reading those words for myself. I really liked the altering viewpoints the chapters took. My heart was shattered at one point and I didn't think I was going to recover. I felt every emotion. I am an emotional being. I also really liked that Samantha had an epilogue at the end. I love to find out what happens next. Awesome steamy read!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound 

This title is FREE with Kindle Unlimited!!

So I want to know if you have Kindle Unlimited, is it worth it?  I am debating on getting it once I finish some of the review ARCS that I have.  Let me know your thoughts.

So I hope that you enjoyed this spicy review and let me know if you are into these types of stories.  If you have any other recommendations to fit this genre, please let me know!

Have an awesome Tuesday!  I can't believe that it is already August and I go back to school very soon!  I will be back tomorrow with another spicy review of Pacific Persuasionby Sofia Aves.

Leah❤

My review of A Guide to Being Just Friends

Title: A Guide to Being Just Friends 
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Published On: January 17, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Digital (NetGalley)
Pages: 336

Synopsis:

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus are living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?

Welcome to day 5 of my review spree.  Today I am excited to share this upcoming release with you all.  I was granted early access to A Guide to Being Just Friends which will be released in January of 2023.  I started this book on July 20th and for some reason, it was taking me a long time to get through some of the beginning chapters.  It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying it but it seemed like the progression was taking some time.  I finished on the 27th and oh my goodness, I can not even begin how shattered my heart became in the last few chapters.  I realized that the slow progression of the story was actually allowing me time to become connected with these characters without knowing it.  Needless to say, the tears were flowing, but I really am a hopeless romantic, corny sap!  I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to checking out the 2 previous stories in this series.  Each book focuses solely on each of the 3 Jansen brothers (Noah, Chris, and Wes)

My Thoughts
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow! This was a great read. I didn't realize that this was a part of a series, but I would say that it did not affect this story at all. This could definitely be a stand-alone. I love the character progression throughout. The story started, with what I thought to be very predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised with the twists that the plot took. There were times I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was wrong. I really liked that because it made me want to continue to read to see what was going to happen next. I'm kind of sad to know that this was the last in the Jansen brother series but I am so excited to go back and read the other two. I really felt true emotions for these characters as they were exploring new friendships or maybe more. I have to admit, the last few chapters really tugged on the heartstrings and I was not sure how this story was going to end. Tears were shed because I felt my heart shattering for this character because I felt like I knew them personally. I really love when a book can draw the reader in like that. I didn't realize how connected I felt until the tears were rolling. I think Sophie Sullivan is super talented with her words and I am pleased to say that she has a new fan. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read an ARC of this upcoming story! 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound 

So are you interested in checking out Sophie's other books before this one comes out, check them out below! (click each cover to take you to the Goodreads page for each one)  Let me know if you check them out!  I will be reading both, so definitely look out for those reviews to come!

Have an amazing Sunday!  Keep an eye out for my next review coming soon!  Currently working on 2 more books.  I am so happy to be back in the book world and I am so thankful for NetGalley and Publishers for allowing me access to these amazing books to help keep this fire going!

Leah❤