Humbugged by Pippa Grant and Lili Valente

"A mall Santa broke my heart, stole my coffee mug, and killed my reindeer dreams."

Description

He’s the world’s most alpha Marine and the last man I should be letting jingle my bells this holiday season. 

So why does Clint O’Dell keep running through my thoughts wearing nothing but a Santa hat? And why do I stupidly agree that we should be Christmas friends with benefits?

Someone must have spiked my eggnog. 

I don’t do Marines. 

Or Santas. 

I learned my lesson about both the hard way. 

But when Clint steps in to rescue me—from a murderous goose, a rogue reindeer, and the ghost of Christmas Right Now causing trouble in my bakery—I can’t help but wonder if we’re meant to be more than friends. 

If maybe Clint is the holiday miracle I’ve been praying for…or if all the magic will disappear with the season.

Humbugged is a laugh out loud holiday romp featuring a Marine with a heart of gold and a baker in need of a hero. Complete with the world's most awkward Christmas caroling, a photoshoot with furry friends, and more naughty baked goods than is good or decent.

This is the 4th book in the Happy Cat/O’Dell brothers series that I've reviewed previously.

I have to start out by saying that Clint is my favorite O’Dell brother. He’s a cute (HOT), funny marine who protects Noelle from animals and possible ghosts. Noelle has had a hard time since moving to Happy Cat between being a magnet for animals and with her cakes and cookies having trouble staying in one piece.

We first see Noelle in Blake and Hope’s book (Hitched) as she delivers an unfortunately broken cake and later is swarmed by hungry raccoons. They are super cute together. Based on how she appeared in Hitched, I wasn’t sure that I was going to like her, but Noelle is a brave woman who made the choice to move forward and try to be happy despite some struggles. Clint calls her Cupcake and it is adorable. Seeing their relationship progress gave me the feels in all the best ways. I got an early copy for a review and I can’t recommend this book (and series in general) enough..

Like the other books in the series it is full of humor and animal fun. There is also a running theme of Chuck Norris type memes and jokes that cracked me up throughout. Some of my favorite quotes include these gems:

"Have you tried one of Noelle's chocolate chip cookie bars yet? Not to meme myself or anything but I baked them with a single smolder."

 "Though how we got on this subject, I have no idea."  "You threatened my carrot. My carrot was unafraid. Flirting ensued."

Plus many more... but if I put in that many in I would no longer be quoting, I would just be copying and pasting the entire book and if I recall correctly that is illegal. A funny, cute, holiday cheer filled read.

You can get your copy on Amazon! You have to buy it when it first comes out but it should be on Kindle Unlimited soon! Maybe just buy yourself a Christmas gift and buy the entire series? They're all so good and cute and funny that you'd really be doing yourself a favor and if you can't treat yourself at Christmas are you really doing the holiday season right?

Tis the Season for Christmas Romance Novels

Guys. It isn't even Thanksgiving yet and I've already started with the Christmas romance novels. Because they are freaking adorable! It's like Hallmark but in book form and much more dirty. I love it.

My latest read was the Reindeer Falls series by Jana Aston. They're short and sweet and can probably all be finished in a day if you're determined. The female characters, the Winter sisters, are funny and have Christmas themed names (Holly, Ginger, and Noel). I love me some good Christmas feelings and reading these made me want to put up a tree and I haven't even gotten a new one yet (my pre-lit tree died last year and I mourn it's poor fake tree death).

The Boss Who Stole Christmas is about Holly, who thinks her young, hot boss is a Grinch. Oh boy will she find out otherwise.

If You Give a Jerk a Gingerbread is about Ginger and a baking competition she entered and she starts out thinking one of her competitors is a jackal. However, he is very cute and persuasive.

The One Night Stand Before Christmas is about Noel who wakes up to Santa's suit on her floor. Noel and Santa got a little naughty and took holiday spirit to a whole other level.

Christmas fun all around!

As usual with most books I read these days, the series is free on KU, otherwise if you would be buying the books right now it's $6.97 for all 3.

Love Me Tomorrow by Maria Luis

Love Me Tomorrow (on Amazon)

Description

They call her America’s Sweetheart.
And me? I’m the so-called “inked god” she dumped on TV.

I’ve tried to forget her. I’ve tried to move on.

Until I discover that her family is opening a new restaurant next to my tattoo parlor.

If I were a gentleman, I’d offer my congratulations and go my own way.
If I were a gentleman, I’d let her be . . . but I’m not.

Savannah Rose may claim I’m nothing more than a friend, but that slight hitch in her breath whenever I get too close says that America’s sweetheart is nothing but a liar.

All it takes is one scorching kiss, and I vow in her ear: “You’re going to beg. Beg me to touch you, beg me to give you more, and if you’re real good, maybe I’ll do it all over again before you have to beg for that too.”

I’m no gentleman.
But Savannah Rose? She’s no one’s sweetheart but mine.

LOVE ME TOMORROW is a steamy slow burn romance with a splash of the forbidden. It's the third and final book in the highly anticipated series, Put A Ring On It, and can be read as a standalone.

This is the last book in the "Put a Ring On It" series. We first met Owen in Tempt Me With Forever (a NOLA Heart Novel) which focuses on Owen's brother Gage (who we see more of in this book... yay!) and what happens at the very end leads into this series.

Savannah feels bound by duty to family and doesn't see herself as being able to be with Owen. She's dealing with not only coming off of the reality dating show the series is named after, but with trying to be there for her sister who was hit with some devastating news right before the show was set to film.

When Owen showed up the first day of filming he is devastated when she kicks him off almost instantly. They have a history but her sense of duty to family keeps her from going after what she wants. When her father wants to expand their business Savannah and Owen are forced to see each other more than either would like at first.

It is steamy and kind of angsty. I love Savannah's cute jerk of a cat, Pablo and some of the scenes involving him are hilarious. Savannah is for sure a cat lady and Owen doesn't know what to think about that (other than a real annoyance for Pablo). Savannah and Owen both have secrets that put a strain on their relationship and it is in the time they spend together and the truth behind those secrets that will ultimately bring them together and make them stronger.

I loved finally unmasking who "Celebrity Tea Presents" is that we see in the first two books Hold Me Today and Kiss Me Tonight. I recommend the entire series and reading from the beginning because it lets you get to know each of the couples, but I will say that Dom and Aspen  in Kiss Me Tonight is still my favorite.

The entire series is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Caught in the Flames by Kacey Shea

Caught in the Flames by Kacey Shea

Description

I love firemen.

Heroic. Selfless. Brave.

Not to mention the uniform with those damn sexy pants…I can’t get enough.

Imagine my surprise when local fire captain, Chase Matthews, wanders into my yard on moving day. I’ve hit real estate gold. Hot as sin with that all-knowing smirk creates an instant spark. Welcome to the neighborhood never looked so good.

But dating a firefighter isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Chase keeps me at distance even when I attempt to break down his walls. A friendship with the nosy eccentric woman down the street reveals there’s more to Chase than he’s willing to share. I’m playing with fire and bound to get burned.

Secrets unfold.

Truths are brought to light.

Can I handle the heat? Or will my love for this man prove that sometimes even good girls have to burn down the house?

This standalone contemporary romance by Kacey Shea took a turn I wasn't expecting. It's not the typical romance where you have one hero. There is a bit of a... love triangle? I guess that's the closest thing to call it. But trust me, I was happy with how this story ended. I was annoyed with Callie at times for some of her poor decisions, but I also understood where she was coming from.

I loved the characters even when I didn't particularly like them. That's hard to do in a book. The older lady Callie befriends is amazing and I loved her so much. There were plenty of moments that made me laugh and more that had me sighing or swooning. There is some mystery- what is Chase hiding? Who is that bitchy pancake girl? And how in the hell did Callie's house catch fire?!

Worth the time and the read.

Click here for your copy-- Free on KU
The second book in the series, Caught in the Lies, is released on October 3rd. It's prequel/short story One Hot Night is also available (for FREE)!

Series Saturday- Happy Cat

Each book in the Happy Cat/O'Dell brothers series is standalone and you don't need to read the previous books to understand what is going on, but it is worth it if you read them in order. Mostly so you get some more humorous backstory. All have HEA's.

Hosed is the first book in the series. Ryan O'Dell is a firefighter and Cassie Sunderwell returns to her small town to run her sister's sex toy factory while her sister Savannah takes a vacation after she finds her husband doing something... awkwardly sexual and illegal with a sheep. It's weird and funny and Ryan's pet raccoon George Cooney offers plenty of comic relief. I love that raccoon. Things keep going wrong with the factory and some people in town don't want the factory there at all, so there is some sabotage and mystery mixed in.

Hammered, the 2nd book in the series, is about Jace O'Dell and Olivia Moonbeam. Jace feels like he isn't good enough and Olivia is innocence and light. More animal humor is added with the found hedgehog Princess Von Spooksalot, an alpaca named Chewpaca, and of course George Cooney. This one is a bit different because just as Jace and Olivia get together things get sidetracked by Jace's ex telling him she is pregnant- part of this is seen in Hosed so there is a bit of overlap. This story has some mystery, kidnapping, and plenty of funny moments.

Hitched, the 3rd book in the series, comes out September 3rd and I already have it preordered. When Hitched is released the books will temporarily be taken off Kindle Unlimited until the 7th, so if you're a KU subscriber and can deal with waiting a few days you have that option. I have no patience for a series I love so I bought Hosed and Hammered at the same time when Hammered was released. When Hammered was released Hosed went on sale for 99 cents so you may be able to get a deal again on the latest release.

In Hitched we get the story of Blake and Hope, who we see more of in Hammered. I love these brothers so much and I'm interested in learning why Blake and Hope don't get along. Hope works with animals and Blake is the fixer in town (while also trying to start his winery) so whenever anything breaks down around Hope, which is a lot because if she touches anything electronic it basically combusts. Hope needs Blake's help to keep her animals... by marrying her. Her grandmother died, and in order to keep her grandmother's animals, per a stipulation in her grandmothers will the grandchild who gets married first gets the animals. Hope is at risk of losing everything to her cousin Kyle so her solution is to ask Blake for his help. After all, they had been married once for 24 hours?! I'm looking forward to this one. Join me in binge reading on September 3rd!

Hosed
Hammered
Hitched
Humbugged- Coming December 2019 (I'm super excited for this one!)

America's Geekheart by Pippa Grant

Description

Remember that time you accidentally sexted your in-laws?

Yeah. I just did that. Except worse. Now my million social media followers are reading and sharing the rude, smartass message I meant to send privately to my little sister...and I’m officially public enemy number one.

I’m Beck Ryder. Former boy bander. Underwear model. Fashion mogul. And I just buried my entire leg in my mouth—not just my foot—modern internet style, and publicly insulted my sister’s neighbor.

Sarah Dempsey.

Also known as the woman of my dreams, who loves geeky TV shows, baseball, and giraffes, who’s just as turned on by food as I am, and who has a huge secret that I didn’t see coming.

Now it's time to grovel and apologize publicly on social media and hope that those same followers who helped start the raging shitstorm will help calm the waters.

Because Sarah doesn’t want the spotlight. For very good reasons that I can’t tell you right now and trying to convince her to be my fake girlfriend to fix this mess and make me look like less of a jackass is worse than taking a kick to the nuts by Jackie Chan.

And I thought modeling underwear made me feel naked.

Trying to start a relationship in the era of the twitterazzi isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

America’s Geekheart is a rockin’ fun romantic comedy featuring a billionaire fashion mogul who got his start modeling underwear, the geeky girl next door with a secret the size of California, and more superstitions and secrets than you can shake a baseball bat at. It stands alone with no cheating or cliffhangers.

I have such a crush on the fictional Beck Ryder. I mean, just look at the model on the cover. He's beautiful... those eyes. The character is even better. He is funny, sweet, and loves food. And I mean loves food. We would get along really well as we got snacks and watched baseball together.

After the horrible social media use Beck is able to find Sarah to apologize because his sister (and Sarah's neighbor) is friends with her online. Sarah is smart and has a science blog. She deals a lot with insecurity about a crappy his school experience and everything she had to deal with growing up in the spotlight because of her parents. Beck understands public scrutiny and helps her move forward in the sweetest ways. Both of them are hilarious.

This is my favorite read to keep coming back to when I need something happy and funny. It's a palate cleanser for me if I read something angsty and want to clear the feels from my brain. It never fails to make me happy, even if I'm just skipping around to my favorite scenes. Fair warning, with the amount of food mentioned, reading this also tends to make me hungry.

Get your copy here! Bonus-- if you have Kindle Unlimited it's free!

Romance Novels Are My Weakness

Dudes.

I. Love. Romance novels.

Yes, I am aware of the ridiculousness of 

some of these covers and titles.

I am addicted. I'm going to get a little TMI here, so fair warning. If any of my family is reading this please stop now. I'm begging you. Turn away, because I don't want to have to look you in the eye if you read this. Unless you want to talk about favorite romance novels in detail in return. Then we can talk. OK, last chance.... here we go.

I've been married for 13 years now and reading romance novels has added some spice back into the bedroom. It has been wonderful and freeing and has given me some ideas into things I wanted to try. If I could get my husband to read some, or at least my favorite scenes, I would be the happiest woman... I'm working on it. Seriously, if any guys are reading this, you need to get on the romance novel train. It will change your life. Or your significant other's life. Improve your A game and give you some ideas if ya know what I mean. 😉

Yes, some are insanely cheesy and telling someone some of these romance titles is embarrassing. So sometimes instead of telling someone I'm reading a book with an obvious romance title like "Sugar Daddy" I'll just say that I'm "reading a trashy romance novel... and I love it." Then if they also like romance novels and want to know I'll tell them. Because then I know they understand the guilty pleasure.

As a woman it almost feels a little... empowering? Highly recommend. Plus, there's something for everyone! Don't want to read actual sex scenes but still want the romance? Want a lot of comedy with your romance? Want some super explicit sex scenes? There's plenty out there! Kinks for everyone!

Take a risk and find a romance novel that is your style. It will change your life!

Currently listening to:

Sexy Motherpucker by Lili Valente

Hello Again!

Well hello again 2 years later! How did that happen? I kind of stopped reading for a while (for mom/lazy reasons?) and did other stuff. But since I got a new Kindle and Kindle Unlimited earlier this year I've been on a nonstop reading addiction. Basically all of them have been romance novels. I can't stop. But that will be another post for another day. I just wanted to say I'll be back because I have a lot... and I mean A LOT of books to review and share. Seriously, my Goodreads book challenge list for this year is bananas. And I've read multiple books more than once.

I was originally going to try to read 10 books this year. I've read 178 so far. 178! Well, 179 if you count a 50 something page book (One Hot Night is a free... novella? by Kacey Shea which is like a preview to Caught in the Lies which will be released this fall), but I don't because it was so short.

I'll have lots of reviews heading your way soon if you're interested. SOON!

If you want to see my slightly embarrassing list for this year, check out the link below! I've used a lot of exclamation points in this post! So many!

2019 Reading Challenge

Laura has completed her goal of reading 10 books in 2019!

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179 of 10 (100%)

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