Review: Make Me Fall (Fallbank #1) by Cass Scotka

Make Me Fall

Author: Cass Scotka

Series: Fallbank #1

Publisher: Totally Bound

Published: July 18, 2023

Source: ARC for review

Love in a logging town can make anyone fall.

Life in Fallbank, Oregon, is simple and quiet, exactly how Bridget Wildes likes it. She has other things to focus on, like hustling to keep her family store from closing. The age-old rumor that her family is descended from witches makes not getting run out of town difficult enough. She has no time for love, friends or distractions. And the new lumberjack in town is most definitely a distraction.

Jack Thompson has yet to meet a woman who didn’t want his money more than him, so why bother dating? He needs to stay focused on researching whether Timber Logging Company would be a good investment for his family’s business. Who cares if his shy new neighbor is gorgeous and could use a little assistance in how to grow her shop’s profits? After all, his father’s plans include buying out TLC and putting the locals out of work—not boosting Fallbank’s economy.

How can Bridget love someone who’s determined to destroy her small-town way of life? How can Jack dismantle Fallbank when he’s falling in love with not only the way people live there but also Bridget? Well…love and logging will keep anybody on their toes.

Review: Wild Island Love (The Steeles at Silver Island #5) by Melissa Foster

Wild Island Love

Author: Melissa Foster

Series: The Steeles at Silver Island #5

Publisher: World Literary Press

Published: August 2, 2023

Source: ARC for review

Sparks fly between a PR rep and an A-list actor who want nothing to do with each other.

Leni Steele might be looking for love, but she’s definitely not looking to be someone’s fake date. Especially not one of the most infuriatingly handsome and annoyingly cocky actors on the planet, Duncan Raz. But when the owner of the PR firm for which she works forces her to walk the red carpet on his arm, she has no choice. Neither wants to be there, much less with each other. They’re like oil and water, and he gets on her last nerve. But after a few tequila shots, that’s not all he gets on. What was supposed to be one date turns into a media frenzy they can’t afford to ignore, and Leni has no other option than to continue the ruse. All the fake kisses, furtive glances, and seductive touches eventually start to feel very real. But Raz didn’t earn his A-list-actor status for nothing. Is he just doing what he does best? Playing a role? Or is Leni the leading lady in Raz’s real-life love story?

Review: Dove (Emerald Mafia #1) by Jennifer Luna

Dove

Author: Jennifer Luna

Series: Emerald Mafia #1

Publisher: Totally Bound

Published: June 6, 2023

Source: arc for review

He wants to protect her from his world, but her past is their biggest threat.

After the traumatic and mysterious death of a close family friend, Emma Marshall flees the prying eyes in her hometown, opting for the anonymity of Manhattan life. Once there, she buries herself in ramen noodle dinners and rigorous academics. When she’s attacked on the street and issued a strange, veiled threat, she takes her defense into her own hands. But involving herself with a man like Jack is far from safe.

Jack O’Connell thinks of love as a liability. In his line of work, caring for someone would only give his enemies a weakness to exploit. But when Emma walks into his gym for a self-defense lesson, she unknowingly threatens the armor he’s curated. Try as he might, he can’t keep himself away. Their chemistry is electric, and she could be everything that he needs.

As Jack delves into her secrets, he finds they might be somehow connected to his dark world, even though he has fought desperately to protect her from it. To his horror, Emma becomes caught in a sinister web that entraps the two of them, threatening their very lives.

Review: How Sweet It Is (Nantucket Island #1) by Gen Ryan

How Sweet It Is

Author: Gen Ryan

Series: Nantucket Island #1

Publisher: Totally Bound

Published: April 25, 2023

Source: arc for review

Will Lydia and Ty be able to rekindle their relationship? Or will Lydia’s time in the big city spoil the one true love she’s ever had?

Living on the small island of Nantucket might have been the idea of perfection for some, but Lydia Duncan? She craved the big city life. She left behind her family and the man she knew she would have spent the rest of her life with to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer.

At twenty-eight, Lydia is a big-shot lawyer, but when her father dies, she’s left with no choice but to go back to the one place she ran away from—home.

Ty Rue watched Lydia walk away but never forgot her. Over the past ten years his love for her has only gotten stronger. Now that she’s home, he’ll do anything he can to make her realize what it’s like to be an island girl and to be in love. Two things that she once did so well.

Will Lydia and Ty be able to rekindle their relationship? Or will Lydia’s time in the big city spoil the one true love she’s ever had?

Review: For the Love of Whiskey (The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch #2) by Melissa Foster

For the Love of Whiskey

Author: Melissa Foster

Series: The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch #2

Published: April 19, 2023

Publisher: World Literary Press

Source: arc for review

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster comes The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch, a small-town, big-family series of standalone romance novels featuring fiercely loyal, insanely sexy bikers who give horses—and people—a second chance. Buckle up for a wild ride in Hope Valley, Colorado, as these big-hearted badasses and their sassy sisters wrangle in their forever loves. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and always a happily ever after.

Callahan “Cowboy” Whiskey is a natural-born protector, a Dark Knights biker, and a hell of a rancher. What happens when he falls for a woman who has no idea who she really is?

When Sullivan Tate escaped from a cult, leaving behind the only life she’d ever known, she thought she’d already endured the most difficult things she’d ever have to deal with. She knew she needed to figure out who she was, but she hadn’t expected to fall for overprotective and sexy-as-hell Callahan “Cowboy” Whiskey along the way. How can she give her heart to a man who has always known exactly who he is, when she’s only just begun figuring that out about herself?

Review: No Reservations (Holiday Falls #2) by Elizabeth Coldwell

No Reservations

Author: Elizabeth Coldwell

Series: Holiday Falls

Publisher: Totally Bound

Published: April 18, 2023

Source: arc for review

She’s plumb lucky to have found a hot younger man, but will the age difference get in the way?

Miranda Hickman has successfully run the Maltby Farm Inn, the top-rated bed and breakfast spot in Holiday Falls, since her husband walked out on her for another woman. She can cope with most problems, but a plumbing emergency requires professional help, and that’s when Zach Peters walks into her life.

They make an instant connection, and Miranda finds herself having the best sex of her life. Zach is cute and capable, but he’s also thirteen years younger than Miranda, and he can’t stay with one woman for too long. It doesn’t seem like it should be a problem, but as the relationship progresses, Miranda begins to realize it’s a lot to navigate. Is it her imagination, or does Zach not want to be seen out with her in Holiday Falls? She doesn’t want to be his dirty secret, but will her reservations hold her back from being with a man who makes her feel like no one else ever has?

Review: Closed for Christmas (Holiday Falls #1) by Elizabeth Coldwell

Closed for Christmas

Author: Elizabeth Coldwell

Series: Holiday Falls #1

Publisher: Totally Bound

Published: December 20, 2022

Source: arc for review

She's going to Holiday Falls to close him down, but will he open her heart?

When Lori Lawrence arrives in the quaint town of Holiday Falls just before Christmas, her task is to assess whether the town’s underperforming bookstore deserves to be kept open. There’s no room for sentiment in the company she works for, yet she finds herself strangely drawn to the bookshop’s manager, the handsome and idiosyncratic Henry Cole. He doesn’t believe in loyalty schemes and hi-tech innovations, but he’s created an inviting space for everyone who loves books and reading.

This should be a straightforward job, but the heaviest snowfall in years leaves Lori stuck in town, and as the days go by and it seems like she’ll never be able to leave, she begins to see Henry’s way of running things with new eyes.

It’s not long before their feelings for one another deepen, but Henry has no idea of Lori’s true intentions. What will happen when he discovers the real reason why she’s in Holiday Falls?