Beaker Brothers Ranch is part dairy farm, part animal sanctuary, even more so since the gorgeous town vet keeps finding more misfits to deliver to Deanโs door. Even if he wasnโt a fumbling mess whenever the Doc came around, heโd never say no.
Beaker Brothers has always been a place where even the most awkward of the world can find their home.
With his happily ever after on the line, Dean will need to grow some bull-sized balls and go after the man of his dreams.
But hey, with a pygmy goat as a wingman, itโs in the bag… right?
Loosely connected to the Love in Play series, Dean is the older brother of Alan Beaker, Banana Ball player and MC in Totally Opposed, Love in Play book 3.
*****
Review:
I loved this one sooo much – the unconventional farm animals, the way Dean can’t say no to Preston & how he calls him Doc, the way everyone on the farm supports each other. It’s just ALL the sweetness and I couldn’t get enough.
There is a little drama with Preston’s past that was unexpected but it works. Leading to a few extra heartwarming moments for our guys. Not that they need any help! Their friendship developing into something more is *sigh*
Jackson’s newest is a slow-burn, small town romance with all the feels and quirkiness I could want. Like her Love in Play series, it’s not going to be for everyone. But I’m here for every fluffy, feel good moment and I am ready for the next book. Gimme, gimme now!
Rule #1: Donโt become a bodyguard to the kid you used to bully.ย
In my defense, I didnโt know it wasย thatย kid. I barely remember high school. But Kai Jacinto remembers everything.
Rule #2: Donโt let him pretend he doesnโt need you.
Kaiโs got a stalker. Heโs already been attackedโtwiceโbut he still acts like this is just a mild inconvenience. Heโs rich, arrogant, and pushes my buttons like heโs trying to set off a bomb. Unfortunately for both of us, I donโt walk away from the job.
Rule #3: Donโt get distracted by how gorgeous he is.
Iโm straight. Allegedly. But Kaiโs grown into a man I canโt ignoreโbrilliant, funny, and hotter than sin, straightness be damned. And the more I see of the beautiful, fragile man heโs become, the more determined I am to keep him safe.
Rule #4: Donโt let him know youโve fallen.
Iโve been through war zones, gun fights, and more ambushes than I can count, but nothing prepared me for the mess Kaiโs made of my heart. Heโs mine to protect. Mine to crave. Mine to ruin if Iโm not careful.
But Iโll burn the world down before I let anyone touch him again. And Iโll break every damn rule Iโve got, just to make him mine.
Rival for Rent is Book 1 in the Heartbreakers Anonymous series. Itโs an enemies to lovers, bully to bodyguard, bisexual awakening romance with high heat, forced proximity, and opposites attract energy.
*****
Review:
Mason is struggling after the end of his military career but finds a purpose in protecting an old schoolmate. Even if he is hostile and unwilling to accept Mason’s help, or take the threat to his safety seriously. I liked how patient Mason is with Kai at the beginning and how the tables turn in the second half. I think that they are a good match – Mason taking care of Kai and Kai boosting up Mason. It’s super sweet. And steamy too ๐
I did have a few issues. I felt like Kai forgave Mason a bit too quickly for the way he was in high school, which could have been better explored. And considering some of the things that happened in the Marines I was also a bit surprised at Mason’s “bi-awakening”. The bad guy also seemed a bit far fetched, a little too convenient – good romance with a bit of suspense but not necessarily a good romantic suspense story.
Overall, tho, I did enjoy their stories purely on Kai and Mason today. The way they are forced to spend time together, getting to know the men they have become. I also liked the way the suspense element was well paced and woven smoothly into their romance. With the fun epilogue I’m gonna be looking for the next book.
Baseball means everything to me. Iโve worked my whole life to make it to the majors, putting in the hours to improve my game, and sacrificing nearly everything along the way. Including being honest about who I am.
Then the rookie, Knox Singleton, showed up.
We told ourselves it was just a fling, that we were just having a good time. But it stopped feeling casual a lot faster than I expected.
When he got traded mid-season, I tried to play it cool. Pretended like I didnโt have feelings for him. We agreed to move on, but I still thought about him often.
Now weโre teammates again on a brand-new expansion team in Portland, and itโs as though things never ended between us.
Heโs still the guy who makes everything feel effortless.
The guy Iโve never stopped thinking about.
This time, I donโt want to hide who I am. I want him, and I want the world to know.
Just when Iโm ready to come out, my past throws a curveball I never saw coming.
At first Knox and Crew get involved in a sexual relationship but it doesn’t take them long to become friends and then something more. Life throws them a curve ball tho with a trade for Knox to a new city just when they were starting to develop feelings for each other. And it just … sucks! It hurt me to see them face up to the idea that it ended just when it was starting. And oh my heart as they have to deal with their separation. And when things change yet again … so sweet!
This is the first for me from either of these authors and I enjoyed it bunches. It’s got a lot of steam but there are feels too. I will say, I’m not sure where we’re going to go from here. Crew and Knox have already been thru so much and it is going to break my heart if they have more struggles between them as a couple. I get that there may be some issues with their careers or families or whatnot but I really want them to be able to settle into a HEA together. No more drama for their relationship! ๐
*****
Author Info:
Meet Kimberly Knight:
Kimberly Knight is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives in the Central Valley of California with her loving husband, who is a great research assistant, and young daughter who keeps her on her toes.
Rachel Lyn Adams is a USA Today Bestselling author who was born in Southern California and currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, five children, and a crazy number of fur babies. In 2017, she took a chance and published her very first book. Little did she know just how much that decision would change her life.
Tiger Lilies and Tight Endsis a contemporary sports romance, where our hero unexpectedly finds his best friend’s little sister on his doorstep needing a place to hide out from her ex and the world. The only problem, she’s not so little anymore . . .
Tiger Lilies and Tight Ends
Tampa Tarpons series
by Kathryn Andrews
Blurb:
When fate delivers a roommate . . . donโt block it.
Tyler Quinn
There is a beautiful woman unexpectedly living in my house. A woman I sort of know because sheโs my best friendโs little sister. Although, sheโs definitely not so little anymore.
My entire professional career, Iโve been the starting tight end for the Tampa Tarpons. Life as a football player keeps me in the spotlight, when my preference is the dark. Through unfortunate past experiences, I guard my privacy and donโt do roommates, ever. But when my best friend calls and says he needs a favor, I donโt say no. Although I wish I had. Now sheโs here, with her gorgeous turquoise eyes, big trusting smile, and taking up my spot on my couch. Iโve established the rules for how this is going to go, but as time passes and she opens up, I find itโs becoming harder and harder not to break them.
Lily Kent
If I know one thing for certain, Iโm never dating another football player again.
After walking away from a very long and expired relationship, I needed a place to stay to plan out my life. My new life. I can work anywhere, so when my brother suggests crashing with his best friend Tyler, I say,โYes.โ Who doesnโt love palm trees, sunshine, and an attractive roommate? Tyler is the definition of tall, dark, and handsome, but the best part is heโs also kind. He makes me feel grounded when everything else feels upside down. He makes me feel things I wasnโt expecting. I know I said no more athletes, but in those moments when his hand grazes my back or when he makes me laugh, I wonder about my plans. Maybe I should change them, maybe we should, after all, fate did lead me to his door.
I find it so hard to put this author’s books down and finish them basically in a day. Sibling’s best friend is a popular trope for a reason and Andrews delivers. It’s sweet as Tyler slowly lets someone else in to his life and Lily finds herself again after years in a unfulfilling relationship. And I enjoyed getting to know them right alongside them as they find themselves spending time together.
Like in Wildflowers and Wide Receivers there are third act troubles, which you can see coming a mile away. Knowing Tyler’s past, it makes sense and I appreciate that Lily is understanding even through her hurt. I like how it is resolved and how they work their way through it.
My only complaint is that we needed more of the guys interacting. Their friendships were such a highlight of W&WR and while they are there for Tyler I wanted even more of their group together. There’s something about that found family, bro love that is just so appealing to me ๐
This is the second of Andrews’s that I’ve read but definitely won’t be the last. I enjoy the characters and while their stories are messy they have fun and feels and a good dose of heat. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!
*****
Author Info:
Kathryn Andrews is a #1 Inspirational Romance Bestselling Author who loves stories that end with a happily ever after. She started writing at age seven and never stopped. Kathryn is known for Chasing Clouds, the Starving for Southern series, and her much loved Hale Brothers series. Her stories are sweet, southern, and fall into the genres of chi-lit, contemporary romance, sports romance, and southern fiction.
Kathryn graduated from the University of South Florida with degrees in Biology and Chemistry, and currently lives in Tampa, Florida. She spends her days as a sales director for a medical device company and her nights lost in her love of fictional characters.
When Kathryn is not crafting beautiful worlds that incorporate some of her most favorite real life places, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two young sons, while drinking iced coffee and enjoying the sun.
The right man for a longtime cowboy might be a city slicker.
Joe
I’ve been going into Max’s Place for twenty years, but tonight’s different. There’s a stranger at the bar with city-fancy clothes, wide shoulders, and the face of a fallen angel. I’m just an ordinary cowhand. Being gay’s the most noteworthy thing about me, so I don’t expect much. But when his eyes light on mine and he invites me to ride in his classic ’67 Mustang, I figure what the hell. If he’s a serial killer, what a way to go. And if he’s not, then a couple of my cowboy dreams might finally come true.
Sylvester
I grew up here in these Colorado foothills, but I haven’t been back since I was ten. Now I’ve inherited my grandfather’s neglected ranch, and I can’t decide whether to sell it or stay. I stop in at the only gay bar in fifty miles, wondering if I can have a decent life as an out gay man in this county. And there coming in the door is the kind of tall, lean, working cowboy who pushes all my buttons. I don’t know if Joe will be a reason to stay or a one night stand, but I’m going to have fun tonight.
Cowboy Dreams is a 36,000 word novella about two solitary men in their 40s figuring out how unexpectedly well they fit together, in bed and out of it.
**All royalties from this book through December 2025 will be donated bi-monthly toNova Ukraine – a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine**
*****
Review:
Cowboy Dreams starts with all the steam as Joe and Sylvester pick each other up at the bar but they feel a connection that with time and closeness eventually develops into something deeper. There is a bit of an insta-love thing going on but it’s to be expected in a shorter story.
I do kinda wish this one had been a full novel because I really liked these two. I liked them as people and I liked the idea of them as a couple, so I wanted to see even more of their time together as they grew closer. But for a novella I’m still satisfied – it has feels, it has heat, and it has a satisfying (if not quite complete) HEA.
Harper is a new author for me but this won’t be my last read. Her characters are interesting, the story flows well, and the writing is smooth, feels real, and has a good mix of feels & heat. Hopefully, we come back to the Circle K so we can get an update on these two but regardless I’ll be keeping an eye out for more.
USA Today bestselling author Laura Pavlov delivers a spicy enemies-to-lovers romance about a billionaire developer and a small-town entrepreneur battling their desires in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
You, Me, and Forever
Blushing series
by Laura Pavlov
Blurb:
Myles St. James is tearing my world apart.
Wish Iโd known that before I slept with him.
It was supposed to be a one-night stand.
Like I knew anything about those.
But I needed to blow off steam.
My ex had just gotten engaged.
My dry spell was nearing six months.
And my booming wedding planning businessโthe one I started with my bestieโwas about to lose its favorite venue to some bulldozer-happy developer from New York.
The Seaside Inn is such a special place.
My second home.
And ever since that famous singer got married there, people are flocking to Blushing, Alaska, for their own weddings too.
Guess whose fling turns out to be the hotshot real estate guy?
But he isnโt what I expected.
And sleeping with the enemy doesnโt feel nearly as wrong as it should.
Because Myles St. James is rocking my world.
Too bad giving in to him could mean giving up my dreams.
I’m not sure what to say except that I loved this one so much. It has a huge small town allure, with an eclectic group of friends, a well endowed moose (?), a porcupine that just wants to cuddle, and a bridezilla or two.
Myles, for all his big city swagger, fits in so well and quickly finds himself charmed just as I was. Especially with Montana, who is saucy, fun, and keeps him on his toes. From a one night stand to enemies to friends to more, their interactions are so entertaining. And for all his talk about not being relationship material, Myles sure knows how to be there for others. Not just Montana, but everyone. He just has to learn to have a little faith in himself and see it too.
Pavlov’s newest is quirky, humorous, and steamy. It’s got a wide range of feels and while their journey is predictable it is also all sorts of satisfying. I really couldn’t have loved this more and I’m excited to see where we go next in Blushing.
*****
Author Info:
Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves to hear from readers!
Theyโve been in an intimate relationship for three years.
Theyโve just never met.
Will Campbell has been in an interesting relationship for the last three yearsโwith a woman he doesnโt know. Every time heโs worked the kissing booth at a Sweetbriar Ridge festival, heโs been kissed by the same mysterious woman. Itโs the same thing every timeโa steamy kiss that leaves you wanting more and then a disappearing act. But this year? He vows to stop her and convince her to do more than just kiss and run.
Being mysterious is fun, but Sloane Donovan is tired of the kiss and run game sheโs been playing for years. It might have all started as a dare, but now she wants more. Now that her sister is Sweetbriar Ridgeโs newest resident, she has even more reasons to visit, and she vows that at the next festival she wonโt run away after the kiss. But maybe she doesnโt have to wait until a festival to find the sexy man who kisses like a dream. Maybe she can just drive around Sweetbriar Ridge until she finds him.
With the next festival on the horizon, Will has a plan. But that plan goes out the window when he unexpectedly runs into his mystery woman. This time, heโs determined not to let her get away, so he does the only thing he can think ofโkiss her. And he keeps kissing, hoping sheโll choose to give them a real chance.
I liked Sloane and Will together – how they met and kept coming together, how the are formally finally formally introduced, and the way things work out for them. But I did have a few problems.
Both characters came across as a bit immature. I’m not sure how old Sloane’s supposed to be, and she recognizes her own immaturity, but I struggled a bit with her. And I did not like AT ALL how people treated Will. It was almost like he was a child … or a joke to them. He’s enthusiastic and a bit clumsy but I can’t tell if his immaturity was on him or the way that other people interacted with him. I felt like he deserved so much better.
Overall not my favorite by Chase but still a solid story. I felt like they had a pretty solid romance between them and it had its moments of quirky fun. Returning readers will love seeing all of the Donovans and seeing the big loving family come together for Sloane and Will.
*****
Author Info:
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance thatโs hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than eighty titles under her belt โ including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017 and THE WEDDING SEASON which was a Hallmark wedding movie in 2023! Sheโs a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80โs rock. When sheโs not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire when she should be writing, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Mayleneโฆoh, and spending time with her husband of 32 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.
Deacon Slater was my high school crushโthe bad boy with haunted eyes that made my heart skip a beat. But in our small town, the Slater name is synonymous with trouble, and Deke lived up to it when he landed in prison a few years after graduation.
He served his time and now he’s back, living in the apartment above mine, covered in ink and even more intriguing than before.
As the owner of Sugar Rush bakery, I’m used to building bridges with my muffins and cookies. I’ve seen cowboys nearly come to blows over the last lemon bar. But Deke wants nothing to do with my treats…or me. He keeps his distance, barely speaking when I knock on his door.
Until the day he doesn’t have a choice.
He’s there when I need him, stepping in to protect me, showing me the caring man beneath his rough edges.
We couldn’t be more different. I’m a curvy ray of sunshine in a pink apron and he’s a stoic, tattooed carpenter in work boots. But the more walls we tear down, the closer we get. And piece by piece, we discover how well we fit.
But when darkness from his past comes looking for him, what we’re building could all fall apart. Because this time, trouble isn’t just circling Deacon Slater.
Deacon is back after a few years in prison. Between his record and his less than respectable family, he’s struggling with how he’s perceived by others in his small home town. And his sweet downstairs neighbor, his childhood crush.
Phoebe had a thing for Deacon when they were kids, and a decade away hasn’t changed it much. Kindness and understanding, and a few sweet treats, has them developing a friendship of sorts. That develops into something more.
Like See It Through, the characters just shine in this series. Both Phoebe and Deacon have some baggage from their pasts (granted his is heavier than hers) but with time and patience they figure things out. And work to create a healthy, long term relationship. Wolf delivers another story that is emotional, steamy, and oh so satisfying.
*****
Author Info:
Julia Wolf writes sexy rockers, broken bad boys, snarky heroines, and bad ass women. She’s a firm believer in happily ever afters, no matter how rocky the road is to get there.
Julia lives in Maryland with her husband and three crazy, beautiful children. When she’s not writing romance, she’s reading it. Some of her favorite things are, in no particular order: goats, books, coffee, and Target.
A sexy, small town, single dad, roommates to lovers romance from bestselling author, Chelle Sloan.
Roommate’s Guide to Love
Guide to Love series
by Chelle Sloan
Blurb:
GUIDE TO LOVE RULE #6: Flings are temporary. Falling for the single dad could be forever.
I believe the saying is “never say never.” To that I say hold my beer.
I never thought I’d quit my job as a middle school teacher because of a group of unpleasant parents, yet I did with my middle finger in the air and no regrets.
Now I’m back in the small town in Tennessee where I grew up unsure of the future, facing temptation on a daily basis in the form of Porter McCoy.
For years, we’ve had the perfect โsituationship.โ I couldnโt get enough of the flirty bar owner and neither of us wanted anything serious. So twice a year when I came to visit my family, we’d do our thing. It was deliciously sexy with no strings attached.
Yet when an unexpected surprise lands on his doorstep in a pink dress and a baby carrier, everything changesโespecially after he asks me to move in with him to help raise his niece.
Somehow I agree, but under one conditionโwhat we had is no more. Because sleeping together and living together is a little too much like a relationship. Something neither of us are looking for.
Porter agrees, but soon I realize I underestimated my strength to resist the newly single dad.
Because it should be illegal for him to cuddle her shirtless.
Or walk around the house in just a towel.
And when we share a look, I remember what it felt like when he kissed me.
Which now brings me to my latest never: I never thought I’d fall in love with Porter McCoy.
Known for her witty sense of humor, Chelle Sloan is a former sports editor who after years in the newspaper business, decided to become a romance author. You know, because thatโs the normal path to writing happily ever afters.
An Ohio native, sheโs fiercely loyal to Cleveland sports, is the owner of way too many tumblers and will be a New Kids on the Block fan until the day she dies. She does her best writing at Panera, or anywhere thatโs not her office.
When sheโs not writing, you can find her in the kitchen attempting to become a baker, fixing up her condo (badly and by watching YouTube videos), or falling in love with a book.
As for her own happily ever after? Maybe one dayโฆ
From New York Times Bestselling author Kristen Proby comes When We Break, a small-town, cowboy, heroine in danger romance, set in Bitterroot Valley!
When We Break
Blackwells of Montana series
by Kristen Proby
Blurb:
Beckett
Iโve seen the gorgeous redhead with the big black dog that never leaves her side around town. Sheโs impossible to miss with that lush red hair and perfect green eyes. But itโs when she opens her plump lips and the sound of Ireland comes out of her kissable mouth that I know Iโm a goner. I know sheโs the one for me and Iโll do whatever it takes to make Skyla Gallagher mine. I can be a patient man and all I want in the world is to worship every bit of her, inside and out.
Skyla
I moved to the lovely town of Bitterroot Valley, Montana because I needed a safe place. I left my life in New York as a prima ballerina after an injury that I never fully healed from, and to escape the obsession of a madman. I adore this new community, but I must admit that Beckett Blackwell is the very best part. I love his kindness, his patience, and his thoughtfulness. But most of all, I canโt get enough of the way he worships my body, and then does everything he can to pamper me afterwards. Beckett is a drug that Iโve become addicted to. But will my stalker find me in Montana, ruining everything weโve started together, before we have had our chance at forever?
Kristen Proby is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over seventy published titles. She debuted in 2012, captivating fans with spicy contemporary romance about families and friends with plenty of swoony love. She also writes paranormal romance and suggests you keep the lights on while reading them.
When not under deadline, Kristen enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies, riding her bike, relaxing with embroidery, trying her hand at painting, and, of course, enjoying her beautiful home in the mountains of Montana.
Romantic Reads and Such 