Perfectly Imperfect Us by Marika Ray

Synopsis:

How’s an ordinary girl to keep her cool when an international male model moves in next door?

Ava

With hard work and a complete belief in myself, combined with enough time to build momentum, I’d been able to create quite an online following with my beauty channel. If only my fans knew my makeup skills were born from a desperate need to cover up my secret. They would have never known any better had that stupid model not shown up next door and cat-walked his way into my life with his sculpted cheekbones and his sea glass eyes.

Ryder
Modeling was an interesting sport. Some of the most beautiful women were actually quite ugly under all the glamour. Coming home to Nickel Bay, I saw that sometimes the most ordinary women were truly the most beautiful. Ava is exactly that. Gorgeous. Even after we become friends and her secret is exposed publicly. Unfortunately, I’m to blame for that and I’m not sure she’ll ever forgive me. Why can’t she see past her perception of perfect?

My Review: 5 Stars

So, I am sitting here staring at my computer screen thinking... Holy crap! What just happened?! 

Y'all! The feels! All. The. Feels! One minute I'm sitting in my big comfy chair, reading away, swooning and letting out all kinds of dreamy sighs. The next? My heart is in the pit of my stomach, breaking, while I'm deep breathing and trying to calm myself down so I don't throw my kindle. Literally. My bookish friend had to talk me down from the ledge and tell me to... keep reading! It gets better! As you can probably guess, I pushed on. 

Holy Hannah! I won't go into detail because y'all need to experience this amazing book for yourself. But MAN! Do I love Ava! She is one feisty, sassy, phenomenal heroine that quickly became one of my top favorites. If you finish reading this book and you don't love her, we can't be friends. She is seriously the best! 

And Ryder. Ryder, Ryder, Ryder. I loved him. And then I hated him. But then I loved him again. This man really knows how to test the limits of my forgiveness. He deserved at least a billion Gibbs slaps during part of the book. I told him he would have to do something huge if he was ever going to get back on my good side. Spoiler alert. He's one of my favorite heroes! *dreamy sigh*

You guys, I'm not lying when I say that I absolutely loved this book. And it's not just because it's swoony and had me feeling all the feels. The life lessons in this book are so real, so raw, so eloquently written that you can't help but absorb every little bit of it. You get to see things from others perspective. You get to see what they go through on a daily basis. I may or may not have gotten a little teary eyed with little Parker. Ms. Ray has a home run on her hands with Perfectly Imperfect Us. It. Was. Fantastic!

If you guys haven't read this series yet, then you are definitely missing out. I loved seeing all our friends from Nickle Bay. I seriously cannot get enough of them! I cannot wait for the next book to be released. This is one of those times that I have to remind myself that writing takes time. But y'all! It's going to be hard waiting! Haha. Oh! And am I the only one that's hoping the mysterious Ben will end of getting his own book?! Please tell me I'm not! 

Now for the moment we've all been waiting for... my casting! Y'all... I have been DYING to use him for awhile now. Isn't he gorgeous?! Aren't THEY gorgeous?! *dreamy sigh*

Summer/100K Page Views Mystery Box!

'Ello my fellow Book Dragons! How are you? I hope everyone is staying safe and sane during this crazy time! 

I know I promised a few months ago that I would do a mystery box for reaching 100K page views but then life and COVID happened. However, that's not going to stop me from keeping my promise to you guys! 

I may or may not have gone a teeny bit overboard this time but, you know, this is kinda huge for me! Never in a million years would I have ever thought that so many people would want to hear from little ol' me about all the books I love. My blog started because of a summer reading challenge in 2014 as a way to get free books and it literally exploded from there. 

A few years ago, I lost track of what I wanted my blog to be. I started going with the mass majority because I seemed to be getting a lot more attention if I did. It went from being all of my reviews to nothing but promotions and giveaways hosted by other bloggers. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But I was promoting authors that I didn't even read instead of promoting the ones I love. 

In 2019, I decided all of that was going to change. I was going to take my blog back. That was the beginning of me losing most of my following. I would be lying if I didn't say I struggled with it. But over the last year and a half, I've slowly come to terms with it. Mine may not be one of the more popular blogs, but you know what? This is me. 

My blog is a way to show all the amazing authors I adore how much I love their books. It's a way for me to shout their names from the rooftops in hopes of reaching readers who haven't heard of their books yet. It's a way for me to share new authors I have discovered and give you ideas of which of their books to try first. It's a way for me to show them how much I appreciate all their blood, sweat, tears and love that they put into every single one of their books.  

My blog is also a way I can interact with other Book Dragons like myself. I cannot tell you how many people I have met since I discovered my love of reading. Some of them have become the best of friends. Whether or not we have "met", I just want to let you know that I absolute adore each and every one of you! I get excited when I get to interact with any of you. Whether it be here on my blog, Facebook page or even Goodreads. Getting to know others, sharing the love of the same authors, the same books, and discovering new authors is one of the best things ever! At least for me it is. Haha. 

This mystery box is my way of saying THANK YOU to all of my bookish friends and followers! Without you guys, my blog probably wouldn't exist anymore. Thanks for sticking with me for the last 6 years! Here's to many more years to come! 

Now, without further adieu, I give you the GIVEAWAY! 

U.S. residents only.

Good luck and happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hidden Gems

Welcome to Hidden Gems hosted by KJ's Book Nook! Once a month I'll feature a new to me author that I've discovered and fell in love with their books. I'll share the author's bio, one of my favorite books of theirs and a review.

For this month's Hidden Gems I am going to choose...

Jacqueline Winters

Jacqueline Winters has been writing since she was nine when she'd sneak stacks of paper from her grandma's closet and fill them with adventure. She grew up in Small-Town Nebraska, and spent a decade living in beautiful Alaska. She writes contemporary sweet romances and contemporary romantic suspense.

She's a sucker for happily ever after's, has a sweet tooth that can be sated with cupcakes, and firmly believes sangria was possibly the best invention ever. On a relaxing evening, you can find her at her computer writing her next novel with her dog poking his adorable head out from beneath the desk.

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I've had Jacqueline Winters on my radar for awhile now. But for some reason or another I just never gave her a try. While looking for small town romances, her Sunset Ridge series popped up. The title is what finally had me taking that leap. Y'all, I am so glad that I did! I devoured that series in a few days. It was SO fun! I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series. September can't get here fast enough! 

It was hard to decide which book of hers to feature. But I finally decided on My Favorite Moosetake. Y'all it was awesome! I loved it!

A sous chef with her life in limbo, the Army veteran who broke her heart, and their second chance at forever.

Sous chef Tessa Whitmore has always had it all figured out, and she’s never been afraid to go after what she wants. When she’s selected to be a contestant on the reality cooking competition show Order Up: Las Vegas, it never occurs to her that she won’t take first place.

Or that she would be betrayed.

Instead of winning the chance to run her own kitchen in a highly respected chef’s restaurant, she’s booted from the competition. Disqualified for cheating, Tessa is too mortified to do anything but hide until her innocence is proven. Unannounced, she flees to Sunset Ridge to the lodge she and her sisters inherited earlier in the summer.

But everything turns sideways when she discovers Liam is back.

Army veteran Liam Davies has never stopped loving Tessa. Eight years, three deployments, and thousands of miles of distance was not enough to erase what they had. Tired of running and ready to settle down, the only thing that made sense was to move back home.

He always knew she’d come back someday. But he didn’t expect her to show up so soon after the Whitmore sisters reopened the lodge. Now that she’s back in his life, he has no plans of letting her go a second time.

But there’s something Tessa isn’t telling him. Liam’s determined to get to the bottom of it, even though the truth might destroy their second chance at happily ever after.

You can check out my review here.

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!

Anonymoosely Yours by Jacqueline Winters

Synopsis:

A single mom putting her life back together after an unexpected divorce, an Army veteran who’s secretly been in love with her, and the decision that risks their friendship in the pursuit of more.

Sophie Whitmore fled with her daughter Caroline to Sunset Ridge, Alaska months after her now ex-husband left her for another woman. She’s worked hard to rebuild her life in the new town alongside her sisters, running a lodge the three inherited more than a year ago.

Her priorities are clear: provide Caroline a real home, run a marathon, and learn to embrace whatever life throws at her on her own. She relied on a man once before—she won’t risk making that mistake twice. That last one would be a whole lot easier to stick to if she wasn’t starting to feel … more for her best friend, Denver.

Army veteran Denver Grant moved back to his hometown a year ago after giving up on finding love. His plan to settle into a quiet routine and focus on his increasingly popular mystery writing career was thrown the day he met Sophie.

He accepted her friendship and kept his growing love for her a secret as he waited for her heart to heal. But he’s waited long enough. He wants more. He devises a plan to a plan to play Sophie’s secret admirer, testing the waters before he lays it all on the line.

But love doesn’t follow any plan.

My Review: 5 Stars

Confession. Single parent is one of my all time favorite tropes. I've talked to a few friends who aren't as crazy about them as I am and I've come to the conclusion that it's because I'm single with no kids. But I AM a proud auntie of 18 nieces and nephews. This girl right here is truly blessed! 

For five years, Sophie's life was ruled by her ex-husband. If it didn't fit he's needs, she wasn't allowed to do it. He changed her from the person she was to the person he needed her to be at the time he needed her to be it. She was miserable and the only bright spot was her daughter, Caroline. Divorcing her ex-husband and moving to Alaska to help run the lodge was the best thing for Sophie. She's finally able to start over and become the person she wants to be. 

From the moment Denver laid eyes on Sophie, it was love at first sight and he knew that she would be his wife some day. The problem? Her ex did a number on her and she's more skittish than a baby colt. He knows he'll need to take things slow but he's up for the challenge. After all, friendship helps build a solid foundation for a relationship. He's determined to help her figure out who she is and help her realize how great they can be together.  

While I have been dying to read Sophie and Denver's story, I'm not going to lie, it was a bit slow going for me. I totally understood why it was so hard for Sophie to move forward and start living again, but it also broke my heart because she had an amazing man standing right in front of her. The further along in the story I got, the more I loved it. Sophie and Denver were perfect for each other. And I absolutely adored his relationship with Caroline. He seemed to know his girls better than their own family did. I loved watching their story unfold. 

In case you're wondering, I'm still loving Sunset Ridge. It has been such a fun escape from reality. I still love Ed and was introduced to Sherlock, Denver's dog. He's the perfect companion for a mystery writer. And he get's bonus points for loving Caroline as much as Denver does. 

I was excited to discover that this series isn't over yet. But I'm scared to read the next book. Why? Because it's Ryder's book. Who's Ryder, you ask? He's Denver's super grumpy younger brother. And when I say grumpy, I mean GRUMPY! I have a feeling it's going to take A LOT for our heroine to win this man over! I'm calling it right now. He's going to be puddy in her hands and he won't like it one bit. 

I'm so glad that I finally gave Ms. Winters a chance. I have been loving her books! I'm looking forward to reading more by her! 

As for my casting, I'm in love! These two are perfect! What do you think?

My Favorite Moosetake by Jacqueline Winters

Synopsis:

A sous chef with her life in limbo, the Army veteran who broke her heart, and their second chance at forever.

Sous chef Tessa Whitmore has always had it all figured out, and she’s never been afraid to go after what she wants. When she’s selected to be a contestant on the reality cooking competition show Order Up: Las Vegas, it never occurs to her that she won’t take first place.

Or that she would be betrayed.

Instead of winning the chance to run her own kitchen in a highly respected chef’s restaurant, she’s booted from the competition. Disqualified for cheating, Tessa is too mortified to do anything but hide until her innocence is proven. Unannounced, she flees to Sunset Ridge to the lodge she and her sisters inherited earlier in the summer.

But everything turns sideways when she discovers Liam is back.

Army veteran Liam Davies has never stopped loving Tessa. Eight years, three deployments, and thousands of miles of distance was not enough to erase what they had. Tired of running and ready to settle down, the only thing that made sense was to move back home.

He always knew she’d come back someday. But he didn’t expect her to show up so soon after the Whitmore sisters reopened the lodge. Now that she’s back in his life, he has no plans of letting her go a second time.

But there’s something Tessa isn’t telling him. Liam’s determined to get to the bottom of it, even though the truth might destroy their second chance at happily ever after.

My Review: 5 Stars

Confession. Alaska has never been on my list of places to visit. Something about the below freezing temperatures doesn't appeal to this girl. But the more time I spend in Sunset Ridge, the more I want to visit one day... as long as it's in the summertime. 

I'm not going to lie, I was a bit hesitant to start Tessa's story. The woman is stubborn, set in her ways and kind of scary. She was so focused on her career that she didn't realize, until the reality TV show, life was passing her by. She had forgotten about the 17 year old girl who not only fell in love with but planned out her entire life with the handsome Liam. She forgot about the girl who used to be close to her sisters. She forgot about the adventurous girl who knew how to live life to the fullest. She might not know how to get all of that back, but she sure is going to try. 

Liam never forgot his first and only love. Making the decision to join the Army so Tessa could live out her dream was one of the hardest decisions he has ever made. But he knew it was the right one. He didn't want her to resent him later on in life. He knew, if it was meant to be, fate would bring them back together one day. When he heard that the Whitmore girls had reopened the lodge after their aunt's death, he knew it was time to put his plan into action. The man pulled out all the stops and didn't spare any expense when it came to winning back the woman he loves. 

*dreamy sigh*

My advice? Grab some chocolate, curl up in your comfy reading spot and let yourself be transported to Sunset Ridge Lodge. This was a fun one! I can't wait to read it again. 

And I just have to say... gotta love that Ed! He made their first meeting in 13 years very memorable. If fate was an animal, it would be Ed the moose! Haha. And Raven! I loved that sweet girl! I've never owned a dog because I am not a poop picking up kind of person but I wanted her to snuggle up to me while I was reading. I'm hoping that we get to meet more dogs in this series. 

Y'all, I absolutely adored this book. It was a great addition to this series. I loved seeing old characters and meeting new ones. I can't wait to read Sophie and Denver's book next! I have a feeling theirs is going to be my favorite of the series.

After only reading two books, Ms. Winters has joined my autobuy list. I'm really looking forward to reading her other books. And I'm still wondering why it took me so long to read them. Silver lining? I now have several of them to read!

And no review of mine would be complete without my casting. What do you think? Personally? I think they're perfect!

Moose Be Love by Jacqueline Winters

Synopsis:

He was only supposed to convince her to stay. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan.

When Cadence Whitmore and her two sisters inherit the Sunset Ridge Lodge, their immediate plan is to sell it. They’re spread out all over the country, and not one of them is willing to move to Alaska to run an inn they haven’t visited in thirteen years.

But Cadence is the only sister who makes the mistake of visiting. The longer she’s in town—and around the kind and attractive caretaker, Ford Harris--the more she yearns to stay. Convincing her sisters to keep the lodge instead of selling it, however, might be an impossible feat.

Ford’s younger sister is the only family he has left, and he’d do anything to help make her dreams come true. It’s the single reason he agrees to the death bed wish of Patty Whitmore. If he can convince Cadence to keep the lodge, he’ll receive the money he needs to help put his sister through her dream college.

He never planned to fall in love with anyone ever again—especially not Cadence. He’s lost too many loved ones in his lifetime. Yet, he can’t deny how right they are for each other. But if she finds out the secret he’s been keeping, it might cost him everything.

My Review: 5 Stars

Confession. Normally when I read a book it's because the synopsis grabbed my attention. But, that did not happen today. The whole reason I grabbed this book was because of the title. When I first saw it, it made me giggle. Before I even got to the synopsis, I took a screen shot of the cover and sent it to one of my bookish friends. I told her to keep her fingers crossed that I had found a winner. I don't know why, but I really wanted to love this book. 

From the moment I started reading, I was transported to the small town of Sunset Ridge where I spent the day. I ignored anything and everything that had to do with adulting. I couldn't even be bothered with making food. The only reason I ate breakfast was because it was popcorn and I could eat it and read at the same time. That seems to be my go to food when a book sucks me in and my body is screaming for sustenance.

I quickly fell in love with Cadence and Ford. They were fantastic characters and I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. When they first met, they both thought they knew what they wanted. But little did they know that fate had something else in store for them. I loved watching their relationship grow from friends into something more. Neither one of them realized at first that they were what was missing in each others lives. They complimented each other and pushed each other to find what and who made them happy. They loved fiercely and would sacrifice their own happiness if it would help out another family member. These two were perfect for each other. 

And I have to give a shout out to Ed and Riggs. Y'all, those two almost stole the show. Between Ed's window licking fetish and Riggs' ninja moves, they had me guessing what in the world they would do next. I'm sure they'll keep the residents of Sunset Ridge on their toes. Haha.

This is a great start to a fun series I'm sure I'm going to love. I have the other two books already downloaded to my kindle, waiting for me to dive right in. I see sleepless nights and all day read-a-thons in my very near future.

Ms. Winters has been on my radar for a little while now and after reading this book, I'm wondering why in the world it took me so long to give her a try. I'm definitely looking forward to reading her other books and seeing what else she has in store for us. 

And y'all. Can we take a minute to admire these two? I think they are perfect! What do you think?

Facial Recognition by Jennifer Peel

Synopsis:

For her, it was love at first sight. For him, love wasn't an option.

Twenty years ago, Gracie Cartwright became the first prom queen in the history of Pecan Orchard High School to be stood up. Now, she's on a mission to plan the ultimate high school reunion and get the prom night she always envisioned. All she has to do is find the perfect date. But after going on thirty-five blind dates, she's losing hope that she'll find Mr. Right--or at least Mr. Right Now. Then Brooks Hamilton, the man she knew she was meant to marry, walks into her spa for a facial massage. Too bad she's never forgiven him for standing her up at prom all those years ago. If that isn't enough, she finds out he's dating her nemesis and he's a divorce lawyer who doesn't believe in marriage. And what's worse is, he doesn't recognize her.

However, when Brooks's estranged father falls ill, the pair are thrown together and sparks fly when the old friends butt heads about almost everything. But despite the tension, it doesn't take long for Brooks to recognize that maybe he made a huge mistake letting Gracie go all those years ago. But is it enough for him to let his guard down and admit he was wrong about relationships and give Gracie the prom night she always dreamed of? Or will they miss out on the love that's been right in front of their faces the entire time?

My Review: 5 Stars

I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately but, where do I start with this review?!

One of the best feelings in the world is seeing one of your favorite authors release their newest book baby. I'm not going to lie, this girl right here did all kinds of squealing and happy dancing around her bedroom while cancelling any and all plans that would take away from reading this book. I knew the moment I picked it up, I would not be putting it down until I finished it. Somewhere between the beginning and ending of chapter one, I was transported to Pecan Orchard where I was able to immerse myself in all things Gracie and Brooks.

I felt an instant connection to Gracie. She and I could bond over bad first dates. One of my bad dates involved Disneyland, chicken and my little purse. Long story. But I still remember driving away from his house, waving goodbye and smiling at him while saying under my breath... no wonder you're divorced. You're poor ex-wife. And don't even get me started on the guy who's divorce wasn't final (he slipped and mentioned it) who tried to order my food for me because what I chose wasn't "healthy" enough for him. The jerk wouldn't even let me get dessert. How rude is that?! Buuuuuut... I digress. Gracie is one of the best heroines ever. It should come as no surprise that she quickly became one of my favorites. We could all use a Gracie in our lives!

While I loved Gracie instantly, Brooks was a different story. It took a little while for me to warm up to him. I lost count of how many times I wanted to Gibbs slap the man upside the head with a cast iron skillet. To say he knew how to push my buttons is an understatement. But once he stopped being a putz and started opening up, I found myself slowly falling in love with him as well. Even though I really dislike everything he did, I understood his reasons why. Love, patience and forgiveness play a huge role for both Brooks and Gracie. Their story is heartachingly beautiful and I loved every minute of it.

The thing that made this already amazing book even better is the side characters. Y'all they had me busting out laughing at times. They said and did all the right things when it came to Gracie. They were hilarious and so fun! I'm glad we have two more books in this series. I'm nowhere near ready to say goodbye to my new best friends!

Y'all, I can always count on Ms. Peel to deliver a phenomenal book. She really knows how to write a good love story that will have you feeling all the feels and thinking about all the characters long after you close the book. I don't know about you, but I look forward to reading her books over and over and over again. It's no wonder she's one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

And of course I can't forget my casting. Y'all... I'm in love with these two! What do you think?