Given up on love, Ellie is surprised when she meets Charlie, a cute little dog in need of a home. The problem is, Emily, a woman rivalling Ellie for Charlie’s love and attention. When Ellie and Emily find a compromise to letting Charlie decide who he wants to go home with, Ellie finds herself falling for more than just Charlie.
Such a sweet, simple, cute story about finding love and taking chances. If Ellie hadn’t taken a shine to Charlie, she may never had met Emily and so it was all a chance of fate. I love stories like this. It was every day, it was normal, and it was believable. Animals have a great power in bringing out the best in humans and bringing them together, and Charlie was the perfect matchmaker. He truly knew what he wanted and that was a loving home with two wonderful people, so he made sure those two people loved him and in turn they would find a mutual interest in one another.
Emily and Ellie were sort of opposites but that really made them perfect for one another. A perfect rom-com plot and characters meant this had me smiling, and feeling all warm and fuzzy with each turn of the page. I laughed so much at Ellie because she really did pout and sulk sometimes, and not without reason. Her sister trying to set her up and then trying to engineer things with Emily too made Ellie react in the best ways, and the slight tension between her and Emily when it came to Charlie was brilliant.
I loved every second of this and will definitely read it again and again. Just a simple sweet story that will melt your heart.
After being caught up in political scandal and serving time in prison for the crime, Nadine’s life is anything from what she imagined as she struggles with no money, being hated by the entire country, and trying to get a job. When she manages to secure a lowly position in retail, she is surprised to find Bella, a colleague, is nice to her despite knowing who she is. When Bella becomes more of a friend, helping Nadine in her time of need, Nadine could never have imagined how Bella was going to change her life, and as Bella gets to know Nadine, it is clear that all is not as it would seem.
I absolutely adored this and want to thank Quinn for writing such a poignant story. I say that because this is so much more than a story about just accepting someone with some flaws. It teaches a lot about not judging others when you don’t know what happened, but also not to discourage yourself and that you need to love yourself and believe in yourself. I loved Nadine, and I felt all the sympathy in the world for her but I admired all she’d been through, overcome, and achieved, whether guilty or not. It is a credit to Quinn’s writing but you just knew there wasn’t something quite right about the story surrounding Nadine, but you didn’t want to judge. I could literally put myself in her shoes when everything was being explained and Bella was finding out the truth about her.
Bella is the most important character though. Not only does she put aside her own thoughts and feelings on the matter in an attempt to try and be kind and friendly to someone who needed that but she was so smart, clever, and cute. I really found myself identifying with Bella. Life had been anything but easy and yet she still tried, she was bold, brave, but most importantly accepting. She judged, as we all do, but still gave Nadine a chance and when she did she really found someone and something special. Nadine really gave Bella a chance to develop, and Bella did that on her own, with only a very light need of encouragement from Nadine. It really went to show just how much someone can influence you and give you hope, whether you know them personally or have distanced encounters with them, and for me that was such a special thing. I understood and could totally relate, especially when Bella would have that powerful moment, then take a knock.
The connection between Nadine and Bella was very special. They both had insecurities for very different reasons and those did influence their actions and decisions. Again, I found this very relatable and so whilst enjoying the cute moments they shared when opening up to one another, I completely found I was emotionally there with them when they were having those down, low, or harder moments too.
This was such an exciting story but cute and sweet to. I am so glad happiness found its way to Bella and Nadine and I hope we will see them again in future! I can’t recommend this romance enough and I don’t think my words can do justice to just how good this story was, so you’ll totally need to experience it for yourself and I know you will understand and love it just as much.
The Mercy Chronicles combines two standalone stories, The Power of Mercy and A Lover’s Mercy which centre on Mai Redstone, otherwise known as crime fighting superheroine ‘Mercy’ and Xóchitl, a hunter for an elite law-enforcement team. As Mercy fights crime and winds up in danger, Xóchitl is there to support her and together they will make the world a better place.
I had already read A Lover’s Mercy but hadn’t discovered Mercy’s origin story so not only was it great to re-read an action packed adventure I had previously enjoyed, but to get insight into the characters and how they found themselves in the position in which they found themselves in the sequel was exciting. Mercy’s story is deeply emotional, and with all the twists and turns in the plot, when the truth is revealed it is quite the shock.
I loved being on that path of discovery, then re-reading A Lover’s Mercy and enjoying it with more knowledge and from a different perspective. What I like about these stories is they are something different. They incorporate many elements and genres in terms of superheroines, fantasy, magical, mystical scenarios with science fiction edge that make a rounded story with just a touch of romance.
I like that the focus is on the plot, the crime fighting and serving justice but incorporating insecurities in strong powerful characters because emotions get in everyone’s way. I really enjoyed getting to know Mercy from the beginning, with an intimacy which then fed more life into A Lover’s Mercy than I had experienced the first time reading it. I highly recommend these two stories, and being able to read them in one collection was just an added bonus. If you haven’t checked them out yet, this would be a great way to do so, and have an action packed adventure at the same time.
Back with Aeryn on a new adventure that sees her fighting to survive in a world that may just fall apart. Aeryn steps up to fight against the dark before it is too late. Calling on friends and allies both old and new, Aeryn takes on the impossible, making sacrifices and decisions that are the hardest she will ever have to face but will the ultimate costs be worth it?
I love this series and it has been one hell of an adventure so far! This is the fourth book in the series and you will benefit from the reading the previous books before embarking on this ending to what has been an emotional and trying challenge for Aeryn. That said, I do hope we may see Aeryn in future because I love her character and all she has achieved so far. I think her future will be an even bigger adventure (if that is even possible) and hope we get to be a part of that one too.
With this story, I wasn’t sure how Karen was going to bring everything together and I can safely say I am amazed, intrigued and I was not disappointed. Aeryn’s been through too much to lose but it was touch and go, and at times my heart skipped a beat wondering what was really going to become of her and whether she perhaps had met her match when it came to the darkness. That alone kept me on the edge of my seat, but when all the pieces came together and all was revealed, it was so good and better than I could have even imagined.
This is a great ending to a fantastic fantasy series. I have enjoyed my time being a part of Aeryn’s exciting adventure and really hope there will be more in future, a different adventure, because I am so ready to join at Aeryn’s side again. It has been quite the experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, so hope anyone else reading the series has felt the same. I highly recommend this series, and even if fantasy isn’t really your thing, hopefully if you give this a try you’ll find fantasy is a real adventure for the heart and mind.
Find out about the books I am reading this week in the video below:
For more information about the books and the wonderful authors who wrote them, click on the links below for author profiles or to purchase a copy of the book:
Dex is heartbroken following her best friend, Grace, getting married. Although she still carries a flame for Grace, Dex knows they will never be but that doesn’t stop her being at Grace’s beck and call. When she meets Emma, things change for Dex but Emma struggles with her closeness to Grace. Dex is faced with the dilemma of loving her best friend and what that means for her Emma when Emma gives her an ultimatum. The wrong choice and it is Dex who is going to lose her chance for a happy ending.
WOW! Now this was a total dilemma of a story!!! The complications facing Dex were some of the toughest I ever read about and I could feel the intensity of the situation building as the tension grew between Grace and Emma. Now, funnily enough I could literally put myself in all of their shoes and sympathise. Dex was torn between two people she loved in different but the same way. Grace was fearing change and loss of someone who had always been there for her. And Emma was just innocently trying to find happiness with a woman she had developed feelings for. I was hooked, completely and couldn’t put it down.
This was like the ultimate story, where no one is the villain and everything is just a real-life realistic type of mess. Change affects everyone and as proved in Dex, Emma and Grace’s story, it can be anything from big life changes, to meeting someone who takes your attention that had previously been focused elsewhere. I adored how Dena has explored a triangle of a relationship in a very different way between friends, lovers, and rivals. It was so good and I couldn’t even pick a side.
Although I sympathised with Grace, I spent a lot of time annoyed at her and wishing she would give Emma and Dex a fair chance, but it wasn’t all on her. Dex was equally responsible for the misunderstandings and her involvement in Grace’s life that was getting in her way of her own happiness. Dex’s struggles broke my heart though. Being torn between your best friend and potential happiness with someone as amazing as Emma was a tough decision. I could understand why she didn’t want to do as Emma was asking and tell Grace to back off, because getting over someone you have unrequited feelings for is not an easy thing, especially when they are so important as a friend. It broke my heart that they were all pushing the situation to the point someone was going to get hurt, rather than working it out and all trying to get along from the start.
I really loved this story and couldn’t get enough of it. I hope we will see Emma and Dex again in future because I love them together and am excited to see what the future has planned for them. I highly recommend this story, it is a great romance with lots of drama, angst, and so many cute moments between friends and lovers. This is my favourite Dena Blake story to date and I absolutely adored it.
Olive has relocated to a small town to restart her life after a fallout, giving up her fame for a job in café where she meets River. As a local musician, River finds they have a common ground with music, even if they do have their differences, and from that they manage to develop a relationship. When Olive is offered the opportunity to follow her dreams again after gentle encouragement back in to the spot light from River, will she make the right choice?
A sweet little romance story filled with drama, angst, and decisions for the characters that could just change their lives. As the second book in the Jems and Jamz series, I haven’t read the first book in the series but I didn’t find it impacted on my enjoyment or understanding of the story in A Second Chance so it can be read as a standalone story.
Olive and River had their moments, from cute to intense and it was really Olive who had the most to lose and the choices to make. Making the wrong choice was going to hurt the one person who had supported her even though they’d gotten off to a difficult start and she was faced with the decision of being selfish or making a sacrifice depending on what she really wanted.
I love the simplicity of this romance. It was easy to follow, had cute moments, heated moments, and all the drama you would expect from a typical romance. I really enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more of the series.
Book Description: The room is dark, except for the streetlights coming through the blinds. I can barely see her, but I feel her. She pushes me up against the wall and we kiss harder than we ever have before. I’ve been waiting so long for it to happen, and finally, it’s going to. Then the bedroom door flies open, and someone screams her name…
Britton Walsh has never had a home. After a lifetime in the care system, she doesn’t expect she’ll ever find one. But beginning her senior year with new foster parents in a new city, means starting over yet again. Tom and Cate Cahill seem okay. The hitch? Their daughter, Avery.
Beautiful, popular and cool, Avery is everything Britton is not. She’s all Britton could ever ask for in a sister, or even a friend––but having survived without either for so long, Britton knows the way her heart races whenever Avery enters the room can only mean one thing…
But Avery has a secret. Something that is eating away at her and stopping her letting anyone in, least of all Britton. Will Avery’s insistence on punishing herself for a mistake in her past make Britton’s last year of high school, and finding a place to call home, impossible? Can two such different people ever find common ground, friendship, or maybe even something more?
An unforgettable new adult lesbian romance for fans of Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters, Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen, or Nancy Garden’s classic young adult coming out novel, Annie on My Mind.
New Adult novel: recommended for 17+ due to mature themes and sexual content.
Author Bio: Kristen Zimmer is a New Jersey-based freelance writer and editor. A member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, she holds a B.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from Montclair State University. When not busy writing or burying her nose in books of the YA/New Adult fiction persuasion, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family, which includes two adorable black Lab mixes and a very patient Better Half.
Britton has finally found the home she has been dreaming of after years in the system, but when Britton develops feelings for her foster family’s daughter, Avery, she can’t believe the hand fate has dealt her. Conflicted by her feelings for Avery, Britton tries to navigate her new life and home, unaware that Avery has secrets of her own. As they grow closer and the truth comes out, can Britton help Avery get over her guilt and can they have something more.
Such a cute and sweet story that had lots of things to keep the characters and the reader on their toes. I contemplated a lot of the dilemmas of both Britton and Avery’s situations alongside them. I completely understood Britton’s hesitations and wariness of her feelings for Avery for fear of loss of the dreams she’d always had, and yet I also understood Avery’s guilt about past events that haunted her and affected her way more than I could have imagined.
There was a lot of heartache and drama surrounding the story, from the past for both Britton and Avery. As these past events became knowledgeable to each of them it helped to form their bond. For Britton, learning of those experiences and having Avery open up to her was clear that was what started to make her feel at home. Avery just accepted her, which when I first met Avery I wasn’t sure she would. I very much judged Avery and thought I was going to spend the whole story taking Britton’s side against all the people making life hard for her in a new place but Avery really surprised me and I loved her as soon as I encountered her first interactions with Britton.
Together, Britton and Avery were sweet and they were total opposites that just worked. Avery was good for Britton because despite all she was carrying on her shoulders, she was strong and confident, encouraging Britton to get past all her fears. But equally, Britton was good for Avery because she provided her the chance to be listened to and work through her demons without judgment or fear of further guilt and blame. I loved the relationship they had both to start and when it further developed.
This is a lovely young adult type story but I loved it, every second and find myself smiling at many of the moments they shared. It was magical in so many ways and proved that unexpected love and good things do happen if you just take a chance and believe they will. This was my first story by Kristen but I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what she brings us in the future, including, hopefully, more from Britton and Avery.
