Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

 

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Description:

As a production assistant for the Puppy Cup, Hailey Lincoln knows all things puppies and football. So when Seattle Lumberjacks star quarterback Cole Bennett asks for PR help, she agrees. She’s not swayed by Cole’s good looks or stellar career, but by the puppies they can help. Okay, maybe she’s swayed just a tiny bit by his good looks.

Winning at puppy football, however, is only the start. If she really wants to win—the game, the man, and the warm, welcoming family he takes for granted—she needs to pull out all the stops. And Cole, who’s spent his entire life playing a game, has to realize that losing at football isn’t nearly as catastrophic as losing the woman he loves

 

 

Review:

Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore is another one of her fun cute romances, featuring wonderful adorable dogs, not to mention some hunks along the way. Hailey Lincoln, our heroine, is a production assistant who runs the annual Puppy Cup, which coincides with official pro football cup.  While in the planning stages with her co-worker, Penny, Hailey is shocked to see Cole Bennett (our hero & gorgeous hunk), the Seattle Lumberjacks star quarterback, walking into to her office.

Cole is determined to win this year’s Puppy Cup to help break their football team’s cursed luck, and he knows that the woman standing in front of him is undefeated for a few years; neither have met, though that is about to change. Hailey is not swayed by Cole’s charm, but agrees to work with him to help him select dogs for his team; Hailey only cares about making sure all the cute puppies get adopted.  When Cole tries to use his charm, which never fails, she tells him all the things he does wrong on the football field.  Though he is shocked how much she knows, he laughs and follows her to the elevator, with the pregnant dog she is taking care of; but to their dismay the elevator breaks, leaving them stuck and the dog is about to give birth to puppies.   It was a funny and cute.

What follows is a sweet romance that develops between Cole and Hailey, and the fun with all the puppies was adorable.  I got a kick out of Hailey getting Cole to take care of Phillip (a dog that was suffering anxiety), as well as getting another dog set up with Cole’s football friend.  As their relationship grows, Hailey (who has no family) gets to meet Cole’s wonderful family, and they welcome her with open arms. They all enjoy Hailey easily setting in, especially since she has an uncanny ability to see what the players are doing wrong.  Football is the major importance for the family, with Cole worried that his family will be upset, as his shoulder injury is not healing the way it should. 

Ruff and Tumble was a fun sweet heartwarming romance with a couple that sizzled, but I totally adored how Hailey took care of the dogs/puppies, which was so much fun.  Lucy Gilmore gave us some great secondary characters, besides Hailey and Cole; such as Penny, Regina, Garrett and Cole’s family.  Ruff and Tumble was so very well written by Lucy Gilmore. If you love puppies, and a sweet romance, you should read this enjoyable story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Virgin Game Plan (Rules of Love)by Lauren Blakely-Review tour

The Virgin Game Plan (Rules of Love 2) by Lauren Blakely -Review tour

THE VIRGIN GAME PLAN
Rules of Love 2
by Lauren Blakely
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance
Release Date: June 9, 2021

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55748340-the-virgin-game-plan

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 9, 2021

The woman I want is as off-limits as they come.

I had an excuse two years ago when I met her on campus. She interviewed me for a story on major league baseball’s rising stars, and we shared a hot, passionate night that ended far too soon, and without a mention of who her father was.

Now I know the innocent but sexy woman I can’t stop thinking about is the coach’s daughter.

That means her dad is the guy who determines if I bat fourth in the starting lineup in every game, or ride the bench.

All the more reason to resist alluring, confident, brainy Reese every time I run into the reporter-turned-sports publicist.

That ought to be easy enough, until the time she confesses she’s still carrying her V card, and she’s been wanting me to cash it in since the day we met.

Staying away from her is going to be harder than resisting a fastball down the middle.

Especially since I’m pretty sure she’s the one who got away, and letting her slip through my fingers again would be a rookie mistake.

•••••

REVIEW:THE VIRGIN GAME PLAN is the second instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult RULES OF LOVE erotic, sports, romance series. This is journalist/pod caster Reese Fallon, and professional baseball player for the LA Bandits Holden Kingsley’s story line. THE VIRGIN GAME PLAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Holden and Reese) THE VIRGIN GAME PLAN follows the forbidden relationship between twenty-four year old Reese Fallon, and twenty-five year old Holden Kingsley. Two years earlier Reese Fallon landed an interview with up and coming baseball star Holden Kingsey but an almost one night stand ended when an early storm finds our hero jetting to the next game, and Reese gets a job offer in South America. Fast forward to present day where Holden’s professional career lands him in San Francisco where he will reconnect with our story line heroine but all is not well when they discover that Reese’s estranged father is the new manager of Holden’s baseball team, and Reese is none too pleased to face the man that destroyed her family and her thoughts on love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Holden and Reese, and the potential fall-out as the forbidden aspect of their relationship may affect both of their careers going forward.

The relationship between Holden and Reese is one of second chances but their timing was off two years earlier. Neither one stepped into another relationship in their two years apart, and reconnecting was easy as their feelings for one another grew during their time apart. Reese has remained a virgin, and Holden is the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Reese’s father Edward Thompson, and his new wife Becky; Reese’s best friends Layla, Tia, and Grant Blackwood (catcher for the San Francisco Cougars) Crosby and Nadia (The Rules of Friend with Benefits / The Virgin Rule Book ); Declan Steele, Chance, Grant’s sister Sierra as well as several members of both teams. Grant and Declan’s duet begins with Scoring With Him.

THE VIRGIN GAME PLAN is a story of reconnecting and relationships; family and friendships, acceptance and love. The premise is engaging, inviting and realistic ; the characters are feisty and fun; the romance is captivating and tender.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October she’ll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletterlaurenblakely.com/newsletter

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

 

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Hot on the Ice by Anna Sugden – a Review

Hot on the Ice by Anna Sugden – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Apple

 

Description:
Lily Eddison is on the way to making it—her personalized, gourmet chocolates are in high demand. She has it all going on…until her landlord pulls the rug out from under her. Now she needs investors but the last person she expects or wants to save the day is the oh-so-hot, but arrogant, pro-hockey player Dante “Fireman” Taylor.

Hockey is Dante’s life and as the Docker’s star defensemen, he has no time for love. An opportunity to invest in Lily’s dream is just business, even though he can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous chocolatier. Despite his reluctance to be in a relationship, Dante and Lily move from partners to friends to lovers and he’s all in… Until an obsessive fan’s revenge tanks their romance and it’s dead on the ice.

Great hockey players know they have to take more shots on goal to score a hat trick and Dante gives it his all to prove to Lily that off the ice, she’s the only one for him.

 

Review:

Hot on the Ice by Anna Sugden has two of my favourites; hockey and chocolate.  I knew from those items this book was going to be a winner and I was right.  Hot on the Ice captured my interest from beginning to end with Lily and Dante.  Their adventure was fast paced and electric. The chemistry between the two even though hostile in the beginning was sizzling.  As their adventure moved forward it only got hotter.  Little wonder Dante’s nickname is Fireman!  Woohoo can he start a fire with one little look! 

Lily and Dante have a history and I’m glad Ms. Sugden takes the time to really let us learn their backstory because it plays a major role in their current situation and what’s to come thanks to a crazy stalker fan of Dante’s who doesn’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer.  Thanks to stalker fan Sheree, she tosses poor Dante’s plans of a do over with Lily into precarious waters and almost causes Dante to loose Lily for a second time in his life. I like how both characters had great friends who rallied behind them to help solve the problem of stalker fan and hopefully pave the way for a reconciliation for Dante and Lily.  What’s the old saying 3rd times a charm?  LOL!! Well in Dante’s case it really was. 

Hot on the Ice was a fairly quick read for me. Like I said, hockey and chocolate as part of the story I couldn’t go wrong. Toss in two well crafted characters who had great chemistry and just clicked from the get go only propelled the story forward, kept it interesting and page turning all the way through.  Her secondary characters added another solid layer to Dante and Lily’s story, giving us more info on both and allowing the story to just keep rolling along. Now I’m wondering if Ms. Sugden will continue with another hockey book based on two of the secondary characters we meet along the way because there seemed to be enough hints that these two like each other and could have something more down the road. Guess I’ll have to wait and see. It also helped that Ms. Sugden tossed in a good amount of hockey talk and play along with some really delicious chocolate making talk/scenes as well.  All I wanted to do was watch hockey and eat chocolate afterwards, LoL!!  If anyone is as big a hockey fan and chocolate fan as I am then Hot on the Ice won’t disappoint at all.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush & Kelly Anne Blount – a Review

In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush & Kelly Anne Blount – a Review

 

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Description:
Willow
Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. But one unlucky injury and now I’m down…but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab–a boatload of rehab–and who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team?

Of course, the infuriatingly hot captain of the team seems to think I’m nothing but sequins and twirls. What’s a girl to do but put him in his place? Game on.

Brodie
Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships–hopefully in front of major college scouts, too–so what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie?

Of course, the distractingly sexy skater thinks I’m nothing but a testosterone-laced competitive streak. And surely she’s only biding her time to heal, then she’s gone. Game over.

 

Review:

It’s been a while since I’ve read any Young Adult stories so took me a while to wrap my head around this one.  Thankfully it was based around my favourite sport of hockey so it helped to pull me in and get me into the story.  In the Penalty Box features Willow a figure skater who suffered a devastating injury that knocks her off the Olympic team and Brodie a star hockey player hoping to make a college team with a full scholarship.  Thanks to a chance meeting with Brodie, Willow finds herself on the town’s hockey team as their star goalie.  Yes a figure skater turns hockey player, I really liked that twist in this story. 

Of course becoming their star goalie isn’t an easy task as at first the guys are hesitant about a figure skater becoming a goalie and she’s a girl to top things off.  However, Willow has a feisty, competitive and spunky attitude about her that quickly wins the majority of the team over.  The more she’s around the guys and playing goalie she learns what it’s like to be on a real team and is enjoying herself.  She finds herself torn between her love of figure skating and the love of hockey she’s developing.  On top of all this she’s hopelessly falling for the teams captain Brodie. 

Brodie is you typical jock on the ice. He’s got everything it takes to be a star hockey player including the charms on and off the ice.  Hockey is his life and his escape from what’s going on in his home life.  If it wasn’t for hockey and his teammates Brodie would’ve been lost like his father after his mom died in a bad accident.  Enter Willow the figure skater, Brodie sees something in her that he believes can transform her into the goalie the team needs.  Convincing Willow that she can do this and helping to train her, Brodie finds himself hopelessly falling for her even though he’s sworn off relationships off the ice. 

Both Brodie and Willow have a lot going on in their lives off the ice.  Willow with her injury and wanting back on an Olympic team and Brodie dealing with his father throwing their lives away after his mom died.  Together they wind up leaning on each other and supporting one another through thick and thin.  Spending all this time with each other both on and off the ice they begin to develop feelings for one another and have to keep their budding romance a secret as the coach put out a no fraternizing with teammates order.  Of course there’s your typical teen drama that happens and the drama that comes about when the team finds out they’ve been lying about their romance.  In the end everything does work itself out and Willow and Brodie get their HEA. 

If you’re a fan of the young adult genre and the sport of hockey then this one’s for you.

Until next time, happy reading everyone!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Marcie

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The Player’s Game by Alice Gaines – a Review

The Player’s Game by Alice Gaines – a Review

 

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Description:
I’ve got to admit, life is sweet these days. As a starting NFL quarterback, I do okay, and I haven’t been lacking for female companionship. But I’d give it all up in a heartbeat if I could get back the woman I loved and lost—my ex-wife, Katy. Now I’m at a wedding, watching one of my best friends tie the knot. I’m happy for him—really. I just wish things had turned out better when I’d taken that walk down the aisle. Still, those days are over. I’m on my way up to my room when I run into my ex in the elevator. It’s like karma. Has to be. Only she’s with some random guy, who’s getting a little too handsy for my liking. I can’t help myself—I have to say something. Something that ruins her night…and mine, too. Now, I’m sitting alone in my hotel room, when suddenly, Katy’s at my door, complaining that I ruined her 30th birthday. Her solution—that I give her the night of sexual adventure I’d derailed in the elevator. I never was very good at saying no to her…

 

 Review:

The Player’s Game by Alice Gaines is a fast, flirty, and sexy as hell adventure between Katy and Grant.  Their adventure begins from the beginning of the story and the chemistry between the two characters immediately flies off the pages. I honestly thought my e-reader was going to overheat a few times 😉 It’s obvious the two still have it bad for each other and probably never should’ve got divorced.  It’s over the course of their adventure we find out just what derailed their marriage and that no matter how much they try to keep it just physical between them, you can see how feelings start to sneak up on both Katy and Grant.  Before long it’s very clear they never got over the other and are still deep down where it counts in love with each other.  The fun, well they’ve been having fun with each other since chapter one, but the real fun of having to deal with these feelings again and figure out just what they plan to do with them is what creates a ‘can’t put the book down, need to find out what they do’ kind of feeling and what do you know, before I knew it I was done the book.  Yes, Grant and Katy’s adventure flew through the pages of this one.  It was one hot and fun rollercoaster that you couldn’t put down until you knew how it ended.  

Grant and Katy are both fun characters, with strong, big personalities and yes sometimes they clash, but in the end they work as a unit.  Grant is protective, giving and so loving with Katy, and Katy just loves Grant and wants to do right by him and make him happy.  She’s the type of character who can get into some sort of trouble just from staring at someone wrong and then the antics begin. I loved 2 scenes with Katy, the first where she’s pounding on hotel room doors hunting down Grant for ruining her 30th birthday plans, and then at the hospital when she’s sneaking into the ER, nabbing a workers swipe card and racing around the ER looking for an injured Grant. Seriously the girl needs to stop attracting trouble, lol!  If you love sports themed stories with a main couple that brings the heat the whole time and keeps you entertained from beginning to end. Then this one’s for you, just make sure to have a fan and a glass of ice water with you!! 

Until next time, happy reading everyone.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Publisher

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Hometown Hero by Liza Kendall – a Review

Hometown Hero by Liza Kendall – a Review

 

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Description:
Andrew “Ace” Braddock is a player in every sense of the word. The center fielder for the Austin Lone Stars, he’s also been at the center of numerous sports scandals involving beer, bars, and baseball bunnies. But when he takes the fall for a teammate, Ace wakes up in the hospital, injured and in serious trouble. He’s sent to lie low and recover at his family ranch in Silverlake, Texas, where he’s saddled with his worst nightmare: his high school nemesis–a beautiful nurse who refuses to play doctor with him.

Mia Adams has no time to fool around. The daughter of Silverlake’s high school baseball coach has three jobs and a pile of debt left behind by her missing ex. The very last thing she wants is to spend her time indulging hometown hero Easy Ace Braddock. If she didn’t need the money, she’d have nothing to do with the guy from her past who stole her dad’s time, attention, and love away from her before leaving for the major leagues.

As Mia does her best to corral the irrepressible Ace, keep a sense of humor, and fight her unwelcome attraction to him, he charms, sidesteps, and outmaneuvers her. Will the onetime enemies find love at home base, right in the town where they grew up?

 

 

Review:

Hometown Hero by Liza Kendall is the 3rd book in her sweet Silverlake Ranch series. Having enjoyed the first two books in this series, and I was looking forward to reading Hometown Hero, and am happy to say that I loved this one too. Liza Kendall continues to rise up on my list of must-read authors for fun pure romances.

Ace Braddock, our hero, is a famous pro baseball player, who breaks his ankle in a car crash.  Ace has not been home to Silverlake, Texas for a long time, with little contact with his brothers and sister.  But now he is ordered by his agent and team to go home and recuperate, as well as stay out of trouble.  Ace is a player in every sense of the word, either with women, drinking with his friends, or his ego.

Mia Adams, our heroine, is a nurse, who has other jobs to pay the many debts her ex left her.  She is offered a job by Declan Braddock (the team is going to pay for her services as a ‘sober companion’) to be keep a close eye on Ace, and make sure no drinking and staying out of trouble.  Mia makes it known she does not like Ace, especially since he is wild and a player; but most of all because her baseball coach father, always looked at Ace as a son, and sort of ignored her.

What follows heartwarming small-town romance bringing together an unlikely couple that was never in their destiny.  Ace and Mia were totally different, complete opposites; but the attraction between them was obvious, with both determined not to act on it.  In the beginning, I wasn’t crazy about Ace, as he had such an enormous ego, and thought he could do whatever he wanted, despite his family and Mia trying to tame the wild child, whom everyone else idolized.  Early on, Mia became very frustrated, as Ace did what he wanted, and even went to the bar to drink.  In a short time, Ace finds himself very interested in Mia, and why she is working so many jobs.  A friendship builds between them, as Ace learns more about how her ex took all her money and left her totally broke.  He decides to find a way to help her, especially now that he is starting to fall for her.  But as the norm for Ace, he screws things up, and causes Mia to be angry and walk away.  Can he convince her to give him a chance to change, and be the one for her?

It was fun watching Ace get himself into trouble with Mia, and his family so many times.  The bantering between him and Mia was fun too. I loved seeing the Braddock (Declan, Rhett, Jake, Lila, Charley, Jules) family again.  I got a kick out of the two dogs in the story, Declan’s dog Grouchy and Mia’s father’s dog, Stetson.  I did like towards the later part of the book, Declan and Ace slowly begin to bond, as they used to be when they were younger. 

Liza Kendall once again gives us another sweet emotional romance, with a small-town atmosphere, and another Braddock family member finding love.  Hometown Hero was a fun story, with fantastic characters.  If you enjoy pure romances, then look no further then Liza Kendall.  I suggest you read Hometown Hero.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Ask Me to Game by Zoe Forward – Review & Giveaway

Ask Me to Game by Zoe Forward – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Emma Duarte just volunteered to be the ultimate badass. She agreed to try out for an elite eGaming team to draw out the criminal mastermind behind the dangerous, illegal underworld of video gaming. The problem? She doesn’t know jack about the game she has to pose as an expert of. Second problem? Michael Harrison, her new brother-in-law and ill-advised one-night stand the night Emma’s sister married Michael’s brother, has been hired to train her.

Michael Harrison loves seeing straitlaced Emma off-kilter. Sure, she rebuffs him every chance she gets, but that just makes it more challenging—and fun. But at the end of the day, the goal is to get her on the Dynasty eGaming team and catch a criminal. Michael already lost his brother to this underworld, and he won’t lose Emma too.

 

 

Review:

Ask Me to Game by Zoe Forward is the 3rd book in her Game Lords series. I have read the first two books in this series, and enjoyed them both.  Ask Me to Game was another wonderful addition to this series, which could be the best one yet.

We get to see all the recurring characters from the first two books, as the story continues to revolve around finding the mysterious Symphis, the evil leader of the Gamelords, who has threatened all of our heroines, if they don’t give him what he wants.  In Ask Me to Game, Emma (Tori’s sister) is our heroine, as well as assistant to Jake and Noah; she is very organized and good at her job. Because the team, working with the FBI, is at its wits end, unable to find out who is Symphis; they decide to enlist Emma to go undercover; she is willing, though unlike Tori and Becca, she is not a gamer.

Michael Harrison, our hero and Noah’s brother, steps up to teach Emma what she needs to do in game tournament, in order to get into the Dynasty e-gaming team and Symphis.  Michael, lost his younger brother because of Symphis, and is determined to make sure Emma is safe.  Michael and Emma find it hard to ignore their attraction to each other, as the chemistry between them is hot; but both try not to succumb to their feelings while they are on the hunt.

What follows is an exciting, suspenseful and fun story. Once again, I am amazed how well Zoe Forward continues to describe the gaming industry, giving us a wonderful insight to that industry.   I loved Michael and Emma together, though due to the circumstances was a slow build romance. It was great to see many of the wonderful recurring characters from the previous books, especially Noah, Jake, Tori, Becca, Quan, Sam, just to name a few. 

The second half of the book upped the tension, with the excitement escalated as Emma found herself threatened by Symphis, but it was a great ending as she and Michael managed to discover the truth.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and you should read all three books this to enjoy the story.

Ask Me to Game was a fast-paced, fun enjoyable story; wonderful couple, great secondary characters, as well as filled with excitement and suspense

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

 

Award winning author, Zoe Forward is a hopeless romantic who can’t decide between paranormal and contemporary romance. So, she writes both. Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.

When she’s not typing at her laptop, she’s cheering her son on at baseball, chasing after the toddler or cleaning up the newest pet mess from the menagerie that occupies her house. She’s a board-certified veterinarian. You can ask her about your pet’s problem, but be warned she’s into integrative medicine so her answer might involve treatments you’ve never heard of.

She’s madly in love with her globe trotting conservation ecologist husband and she’s happiest when he returns to their home base.

 

 

Zoe Forward is graciously offering a $20 Gift Card to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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Mismatched in Mayhem by L.E. Rico – a Review

Mismatched in Mayhem by L.E. Rico – a Review

 

Amazon  / B&N / Kobo /   Google Play

 

Description:
Welcome to Mayhem, Minnesota, with its sweater-wearing cats and ultra-competitive trivia nights. Where love really does conquer all…if you’ll let it.

Walker O’Halloran is finally ready to shed her “wild child” persona. Bartending at her family’s pub, babysitting her adorable niece and nephews, and getting her degree during the day. What she doesn’t do is date–or even think about dating. Ever. Until he walks into her bar, looking like a former Mr. Quarterback of the Football Team and Student Council President all rolled into one. No, thank you.

Mason Stevens has a secret—and it prevents him from knowing if someone is truly interested in him, or just what he can do for them. Until he meets Walker. She’s the first person in ages who doesn’t recognize him, and her grouchy attitude feels like the greatest challenge of his life. And he’s ready for it.

But the more time they spend together, the more he’s desperate to come clean—it’s just never the right time. Until the paparazzi do it for him…

 


Review:

Mismatched in Mayhem begins with Walker O’Halloran working in the family pub.  She lives with one of her sisters, works, and adores her niece and nephews.  While closing up one night, Walker sees that a young man, Mason Stevens, has been left behind by his friends.  When Mason tries to secure a ride home, Walker tells him he’ll never get an Uber out that far to take him back to the university, and offers to give him a ride.  While on the trip home, they make small talk and Walker sees Mason as a person she would never be attracted to.  Walker is in a self imposed exile, if you will, from dating.  To say she’s surprised to find herself thinking about him after she drops him off is a bit of an understatement.

Mason finds himself almost immediately attracted to Walker, and also finds himself happy that she doesn’t recognize him.  When Mason sets out to get to know Walker better, she throws up all kinds of walls, but eventually relents and meets him for a ‘picnic’.  In Mayhem, Minnesota.  In the winter.  When she arrives at the picnic, what she finds leaves her surprised and enchanted.  While the two of them spend time together, she finds herself wondering….what if…..

Walker has blamed herself for her father’s death and doesn’t think she is entitled to be happy.  Mason knows she’s hiding something and sets out to break down her walls.  However, when Mason’s true identity is later revealed and misunderstandings arise, Walker does what she always does.  She shuts down and shuts everyone out.  Mason finds himself miserable not being with Walker, until, surprisingly, his parents give him a pep talk that will change their lives forever.  Mason then makes it his mission to get Walker back and to prove to her that they are indeed not mismatched.

Mismatched in Mayhem is a nicely written story.  Walker is snarky and sassy and loyal.  Mason has struggled his entire life wondering if people like him for him, or for what he can offer them.  Mason also has a brother with special needs that Walker helps out in a big way, which only makes Mason love her more.  The secondary characters are awesome and quirky and leave you laughing out loud at times.  I also had no idea that this was part of a series, so this can totally be read as a stand alone.  I will, however, go back and read the others in the series.  It’s that good.  If you’re a fan of contemporary romance with some steam and a lot of humor, you won’t go wrong with this one.  Well done, Lauren Rico!  Very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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