Kaelie's Reads

Saddle Up by Kim Loraine Clint Ryker has it all. His dad has all but promised him the ranch when he retires. His mama loves the woman he plans to marry. And his almost-fiancee? She's the perfect finishing touch to the life he's got planned out for himself. Except all hell breaks loose when she takes off with one of the ranch hands and most of the Ryker Ranch money in her pocket. Heartbroken and trust demolished, Clint doesn't know if he'll ever find love again. Until Ever Wilson walks onto his property with designs on producing a reality TV show with his ranch as the star. Her plan? Send a cast of city slickers to the ranch to learn how to saddle up like a real cowboy. The pay-off? Enough money to replace what his thieving ex took, and tourist income for years to come. It sounds like a great idea, until he starts falling for the one woman he can't have. Ever. My Review: My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book I really enjoyed this boo...

Why You Should Never Kiss Your Boss by Erin Nicholas An opposites attract, workplace rom com You really should never kiss your boss…probably… Ben Torres is a better-than-a-Boy-Scout, trauma surgeon extraordinaire. Who just punched a patient in the face. Jessica Bradford is the director of the ER. His boss. And the one who put him up on a pedestal. She’s also the person most freaked out by his insistence that he’s quit for good. She’s determined to do whatever it takes to bring him back. First order of business is prying his perfect ass off the bar stool… and keeping her huge crush on him under control. Except he refuses to move until she agrees to—and then loses—a bet for 48 hours of her undivided attention. Okay, she can handle this. How much trouble could they possibly get into in two days? And how much could she possibly enjoy that trouble? She’s not the type to actually fall in love with a charming playboy who’s only out for a good time. Or so she thought. this book w...

Undeniable by Jenna Hartley Connor is my opposite in almost every way. I’m a bookworm; he’s a bodyguard. I have trouble speaking up for myself; he’s direct, brash even. But the more I get to know my new pen pal, the more I see beneath the former navy SEAL’s tough exterior. He’s a hero, and he’s hurting. But he’s also so much more than he gives himself credit for. It doesn’t matter that we live on opposite sides of the country and have never laid eyes on each other. We talk every day, sometimes for hours. Our attraction is undeniable, and our growing connection is becoming impossible to ignore. But when Connor asks to meet, I can’t help but worry that our chemistry won’t be enough. That I won’t be enough. * Undeniable was previously published as a 40,000 word novella, Unwritten. It has since been expanded to and reimagined to a full-length novel of over 70,000 words, though the feel of the story remains the same. My Review: My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is an arc review pro...

Playing Hard to Get by Monica Murphy Knox Maguire is the king of our college campus. Star offensive tight end on the football team. He is the complete opposite of me in every way. I'm quiet. He's loud. I'm shy. He's definitely not. Everyone loves him. No one knows me. Fresh out of a breakup, I don't really trust him, and why should I? Knox is the ultimate player. When I become his English tutor, I tell myself we need to keep things between us strictly business. Watching my mother deal with my ex-athlete father long, long ago taught me to stay far away from that type of man. Yet Knox is impossible to resist. Next thing I know, we're getting hot and heavy in the library—and that was never part of the plan. When Knox admits he can't stop thinking about me, I have a realization. I can't stop thinking about him either. Instead of keeping my distance, I pull him in closer. Until somehow, we're spending all of our time together and I find mys...

Secret Tutor by Amber Heart Why did I have to get assigned to the new football star? Chase Francis is the best wide receiver our school has ever seen. Tall, confident, built like a Greek God. You know the type I’m talking about. Well it turns out Mr. Hotshot is failing Math class. Can you guess which ‘lucky’ lady has the pleasure of tutoring him until he passes? But there’s a problem. A big problem. I used to date Logan - the team’s starting quarterback. Logan is a mean, lying, manipulative piece of work who will say anything to get you on his side. Friends I’ve known longer than him turned on me… He turned me into an outcast! If Chase thinks I’m going to put up with his attitude, he’s got another thing coming. I will not give him a free pass and I will not be distracted by his tight, athletic body… Snap out of it, Claire! He’ll lose his scholarship and be permanently benched if he doesn’t get his act together. How do I get this cocky bad boy to hear my side of the story?...

The Project by Amber Heart Why did I have to get partnered with the football superstar? Dean Harper is the best running back our school has had in years. Tall, confident, too handsome for his own good. You know the type I’m talking about. All the girls practically worship the ground he walks on. Any one of them would kill to be as ‘lucky’ as me. Who wouldn’t want to be forced to spend the next six weeks with him? But I’ve got enough on my plate without having to worry about falling in love with a smoking hot football pro. I’ve just got to hold myself together and not get distracted by his toned, muscular body… Ahh, it’s happening already! If he thinks I’m going to do all of the work, he’s got another thing coming. Just because he’s good at throwing a football around, it doesn’t mean he’s getting a free pass with me! The professor will fail us both if he doesn’t pull his weight. How do I get this bad boy to cooperate? More importantly, how do I stop myself from falling for...

Twisted Pride by Cora Reilly Remo Falcone is beyond redemption. As Capo of the Camorra he rules with a brutal hand over his territory – a territory the Chicago Outfit breached. Now Remo is out for retribution. A wedding is sacred, stealing a bride sacrilegious. Serafina is the niece of the Boss of the Outfit, and her hand has been promised in marriage for years, but kidnapped in her wedding dress on her way to church by Remo, Serafina quickly realizes that she can’t hope for saving. Yet, even in the hands of the cruelest man she knows, she is determined to cling to her pride, and Remo soon understands that the woman at his mercy might not be as easy to break as he thought. A ruthless man on a quest to destroy the Outfit by breaking someone they are supposed to protect. A woman intent on bringing a monster to his knees. Two families that will never be the same. My Review: My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a very good  book. The book is very good, and I would recom...

Sin by Serena Akeroyd TIFFANY He’s a manwhore.  The first time I see him, he’s wiping another woman’s juices off his mouth.  He should repel me.  Instead, he’s a challenge. A game I want to win.  It starts off as just sex. What else would he be good for?  But we both catch feelings.  Then, somehow, the sex becomes something more.  And then I lose everything.  I’m toppled from my ‘society princess’ throne as my family is torn to shreds. My socialite circle abandons me. I’m lost, alone, but my dark knight doesn’t forsake me in my hour of need. I never believed in soul mates.  Not until him.  Not until he rode into my life; blood on his fists, rage in his eyes, and vengeance in his heart. I never knew my Prince Charming would ride a hog.  I’ll take that over a castle any day… SIN is the third book in the eleven-book ‘A Dark & Dirty Sinners’ MC’ series.  It is  not  a standalone.  My Review: My...

Link by Serena Akeroyd LILY He’s rough.  He’s ready.  I’m neither.  I’m a sacrificial lamb just waiting to be slaughtered. A socialite spawned by a sadist whose life’s work is to cause misery in others.  My life is a prison cell, until  he  helps me find the key.  He’s not as dark or as dirty as they say he is.  His roughness stirs something in me.  Something primal.  Something no socialite should crave.  He’s a brother in an MC, a world that should be alien to me but somehow, it’s my first real home. It has rules and regulations that make no sense to me, but  one  thing is clear:  Society princesses and MC brothers aren’t a match made in heaven.  But I’m fine with ruling over hell instead…  LINK is the second book in the eleven-book ‘A Dark & Dirty Sinners’ MC’ series.  It is  not  a standalone. My Review: My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book is really good I really enjo...

Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning Friday Night Lights   meets Morgan Matson's  The Unexpected Everything  in this contemporary debut where  swoon worthy   romance meets underdog sports story. When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop. With no other options, Liv is forced to transfer to the nearest public school, Northland, where she'll have to convince its coach she deserves a spot on the softball team, all while facing both her ex  and  the teammates of the girl she punched... Every. Single. Day. Enter Grey, the injured star quarterback with amazing hair and a foolproof plan: if Liv joins the football team as his temporary replacement, he'll make sure she gets a spot on the softball team in the spring. But it will take more than just a flawless spiral for Liv to find...

Hard to Love by W. Winters She was too good for this world. I was too much of a bastard to push her away. I grew up in this life, and now I run these streets. Blood and violence taint everything I touch. Everything but her. She was my constant through it all. Just a touch would singe and soothe. Just a look would tempt and torment. She became my escape and my addiction. I only survived because she was by my side. I should’ve known better than to indulge. I should’ve known better than to let her fall for me. It was only a matter of time before the danger bled into what we had. I was Laura’s downfall. Problem was, she was mine too.   My Review: Mood? tense Dark emotional Pace?   medium Plot- or character-driven?   A mix Strong character development?    Yes   Loveable characters?   Yes Diverse cast of characters?   N/a Flaws of characters a main focus?   Yes My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my 3rd series that I have read fro...

Stark Springs Academy Complete Series by Ali Dean Binge read this enemies to lovers sports romance series! A feisty ski racer meets her match in a cocky snowboarder at a boarding school for elite winter athletes in this fast-paced trilogy! Set includes the complete series: (1) Black Diamond (2) Double Black (3) Black Ice. It's not a place for the weak No one here tolerates wimps. If you can't handle it, leave. Welcome to Stark Springs, Colorado, home to the most talented young athletes in the world. When Roxie Slade snaps into a pair of skis, there's no one on Sugarville Mountain in Vermont who can keep up with her. Not even the boys. Still, Roxie was shocked when she received a scholarship to Stark Springs Academy, a boarding school that churns out Olympians in each graduating class. Entering as a high school junior, Roxie can't wait to learn from renowned coaches and train with the fastest ski racers from all over the globe. But upon arrival, Roxie disco...

Curvy Girls Can't Date Cowboys by Kelsie Stelting The one thing my parents can’t shelter me from is my heart. I nearly died the summer of my eighth-grade year, and ever since then, my parents have done everything they could to keep me healthy. Now I’m a senior, and instead of feeling safe, I’m suffocating. When my parents take my twin sisters out of town for an audition, I have my chance to show them that I’m responsible. That I can go to college on my own and start a life outside of their organic food store and Emerson Academy. All I have to do is turn in all my assignments and have a few quiet nights at home. No problem. That is, until my video project partner decides to be a total flake. Ray may be hot and fill out a pair of Wrangler jeans like nobody’s business, but he is not ruining my chance at freedom. I go to his family’s ranch to get his help, but instead discover something else. Could everything my parents taught me be wrong? Unless I act fast, my quiet week...

Curvy Girls Can't Date Billionaires by Kelsie Stelting There are three things I hate: rich people, boys, and Kai Rush. Kai happens to be all three. He and his dad have all the money in the world from the game app they created, and what do they do with it? They buy private helicopters and flaunt their brand new Teslas. Never mind that people like my mom and I work multiple jobs just to keep our crappy apartment and pay for back medical bills because my dad ran scared and left us alone. So when my mom tells me we have a new cleaning job at the Rush’s before school, I’m peeved. When he starts texting me, I’m floored. Fit billionaires like him and plus-sized scholarship kids like me barely belong at Emerson Academy together, much less in the same message thread. How can I get him to see I'm not the catch he thinks I am? More importantly, how can I get my heart to stay on the same page?   My Review: Mood?  lighthearted Pace?   medium Plot- or character-driven? ...

Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks by Kelsie Stelting Curvy girls deserve happily ever afters too. I’m a big girl, “plus-sized,” whatever. I’m sick of hearing about it, especially since my doctor diagnosed me with PCOS. So when Mean Girl Merritt shot her mouth off about how fat people should just lose weight, I couldn’t take it anymore. And now I’ve got a huge problem. To prove curvy girls like me can get happily-ever-afters too, I have to get our school’s quarterback, Beckett Langley, to take me to homecoming. And he doesn’t know I even exist. But it’s not hopeless. Four other girls just like me are willing to help, because enough is enough. I will not lose this bet.   My Review: Mood?  lighthearted Pace?   medium Plot- or character-driven?   A mix Strong character development?    Yes   Loveable characters?   Yes Diverse cast of characters?   N/a Flaws of characters a main focus?   Yes My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love this ...

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West Lacey Barnes has dreamed of being an actress for as long as she can remember. So when she gets the opportunity to star in a movie alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, she doesn’t hesitate to accept the part. But Lacey quickly learns that life in the spotlight isn’t as picture perfect as she imagined. She’s having trouble bonding with her costars, her father has hired the definition of a choir boy, Donavan Lake, to tutor her, and somewhere along the way she’s lost her acting mojo. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, it looks like someone on set is deliberately trying to sabotage her. As Lacey’s world spins out of control, it feels like the only person she can count on—whether it’s helping her try to unravel the mystery of who is out to get her or snap her out of her acting funk—is Donavan. But what she doesn’t count on is this straight-laced boy becoming another distraction. With her entire future riding ...

Lucky in Love by Kasie West Maddie's not impulsive. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment — She wins! In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret? With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love. My Review: Mood?  lighthearted Pace?   medium Plot- or character-driven?   A mix Strong character development?    Yes   Loveable characters? ...