Swoon Worthy Spotlights!

Welcome to Swoon Worthy Spotlights hosted by KJ's Book Nook! 

Once a month I'll feature 1-3 of my favorite books that I have read during the month. I'll share the cover(s) and my review(s).

Yes... I know there's more than 3 but I had an amazing month for reading! 

For this month I'm going to choose... 

The Mostly Real McCoy by Julie Christianson

More Than Second Chances by Sara Jane Woodley

Rescue a Stubborn Heart by Cindy Roland Anderson

One Choice I'd Never Make by Remi Carrington

The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams

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What are some of your favorite reads from May? 

The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams

 

Synopsis:

I have found rock bottom. It’s here, moving in with my older brother because I’m too broke to afford to live on my own. But that’s okay because we’ve always been close and I think I’m going to have fun living with him again.

That is until I meet Cooper…

Turns out, my brother has very strong opinions on the idea of me dating his best friend and is dead set against it. According to him, Cooper is everything I should stay away from: flirtatious, adventurous, non-committal, and freaking hot. (I added that last part because I feel like you need the whole picture.) My brother is right, though. I should stay away from Cooper James and his pretty blue eyes. He’s the opposite of what I need right now.

Nah—Who am I kidding? I’m going for him.

My Review: 5 Stars

Y'all. I have been on a roll lately and reading all kinds of good books that I absolutely adore. I'm always afraid that after so many good books, I'll get duds. While searching for my next book, I remembered I had not read the It Happened in Nashville series. Crisis averted for at least 2 more books... 😉

Oh my gosh. You guys.. I absolutely adore Lucy! She's seriously awesome. I want to be like her when I grow up. She's the in for a penny, in for a pound kind of gal. She might care about what people think in the beginning and then it's screw it! I know what I want, I know what will make me happy and I'm going for it dang it!

As for Cooper. Y'all prepare to swoon and bust out laughing at his antics. That man is the best thing to happen to Lucy besides Levi. He pushes her, he lifts her up, he stands behind her and he loves her wholeheartedly.. quirks, awkwardness and all. Everyone deserves a Cooper in their lives!

Y'all know how big of a sucker I am when it comes to single parent tropes. They are probably one of my favorites. I love seeing the interaction between the child(ren) and the love interest. Cooper and Levi were seriously the cutest! I think I fell in love with Cooper a little more each time he was with Levi. 

I cannot wait to read Jessie and Drew's book. I already love how feisty Jessie is and I'm looking forward to Drew meeting his match. It's going to be very entertaining, that's for sure!

One of the things I love most of about Ms. Adams' books is how real and relatable they are. I could totally see myself doing some of the things her beloved characters do. She's one of the best when it comes to writing awkward, loveable heroines. These heroines are quickly becoming favorites of mine. 

I have seriously loved every single book I've read by Ms. Adams. I need to stop making myself wait so long to read them. It's really not fair to either of us. Haha. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next! 

As for my casting, y'all. I am in love! What do you think?! 

Rescue a Stubborn Heart by Cindy Roland Anderson

 

Synopsis:

She doesn’t believe true love is real.
He thinks he’s too broken for love.
Everything changes when two stubborn hearts meet.

On the run from her ex-husband’s twisted family, Finley seeks help from Jaxon Hudson, the Navy SEAL who rescued her three years ago. Even though she only knew him for a few hours, it was long enough for her to fall in love. But Jaxon’s imminent deployment squashed any hope of a relationship, and he walked away, taking a piece of her heart with him.

Now Finley is older and wiser and not looking for love. So when Jaxon proposes a marriage of convenience and offers the protection of his name, but not his heart, Finley accepts the terms.

There’s only one problem, the spark they had three years ago never died out...placing her in danger of falling for him all over again.

My Review: 5 Stars!

Oh my heart! Y'all! I can't even with this book! I. Can't. Even! 😍

Where do I begin?! 

I fell in love with Jaxon when he made his appearance in Catch a Falling Star. There was just something about him that drew me in. I knew from that moment, it was going to take someone pretty amazing to rescue our hero. I never imagined it would be under the guise of him rescuing her. 

From the moment Jaxon and Finley met, there was a strong, undeniable connection between the two of them. The pull toward each other was strong, but it just wasn't their time and life ended up taking them in different directions. But life has a way of bringing people back together when they need it the most. 

Y'all. There are no words to express how much I love Jaxon and Finley! Their story was so heartachingly beautiful and tugged at my heart strings. The journey back to each other wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. It was filled with hurt, pain, guilt, and doubt. But along the way they found peace, happiness, trust, love, and family. Watching these two broken souls get their happily ever after had me feeling all the feels. The chemistry between these two was sizzling and their kisses had me melting into a big ol' pile of goo! YOWZERS! 😍

Can we just take a moment to talk about little Gracie? She is such a sweet little bundle of joy who melted the hearts of all the Hudson's. Watching Jaxon with her made my heart smile and had me letting out little dreamy sighs. It was adorable! 😍

I am loving this series! I cannot wait to get my hands on Walker and Briar's story. Y'all. The hardest part about loving a series like this is waiting for the next book to be released. Oh how I wish I could just snap my fingers and their book would appear in my hands. But alas, that wish never comes true. I have to keep reminding myself that writing takes time. 

You guys. If you haven't read any of Ms. Anderson's books then you are definitely missing out. She's an amazing author and I have loved everything I've read of hers. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next! 

As for my casting... *dreamy sigh* I am seriously in love! What do you think?!

Shadow Redemption by Rebecca Deel

 

Synopsis:

After surviving a nightmare, supermodel Ruth Monihan's past is firmly in her rearview mirror. But when unwanted gifts threaten to drag her back into the darkness, she turns to a tall, dark, and deadly operative with fire-tested skills and courage to unmask a stalker with a lethal agenda.

Living and working in the shadows is a matter of survival for Fortress operative Ben Martin. But when the woman who rocked his world asks for help, the battle-hardened warrior walks into the limelight, triggering a cascade of events that may conclude with their deaths.

My Review: 3.5 Stars

Y'all know how much I love Ms. Deel's books. So imagine my surprise when I realize that I never reviewed one of them. Gotta love a reason to reread books by a favorite author. 

Ruth and Ben both have demons in their past that they have a hard time with. Both think that they are broken and not good enough to have someone special in their lives. But past trauma is what paves the path from friendship to something more. 

I absolutely adored these two and loved watching them not only grow stronger as individuals, but also as a couple. These two were made for each other. Both knew what the other one was experiencing and knew just what to say and how to help each other. These two are definitely favorites of mine! 

While I loved these two, I do have to say, there were a few things that held me back from completely loving it. 

I was really disappointed with Bridget and Trace for the way they treated Ben. The way they reacted to the news of Ben and Ruth becoming a couple was ridiculous. Neither one of them thought Ben was "good enough" for her because of his past that they knew nothing about. I struggled with it because it wasn't true to their characters. 

I was also disappointed in the few plot points that were left unresolved (there's no resolution for the second half of the "mystery"), as well as some inconsistencies (in the previous book Ruth doesn't have any allergies but in this one she's death allergic to strawberries and she also spent time in Bayside with Sorensen in the previous book but doesn't know who he is in the book), and grammatical errors that should've been caught my beta readers and/or an editor. Had I not loved Ben and Ruth so much, I probably would've given it a lower rating. 

I seriously cannot get enough of Ms. Deel's books. They're all favorites that I can read over and over again. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! 

And of course I cannot forget my casting. I absolutely LOVE these two! What do you think?!

The Mostly Real McCoy by Julie Christianson

 

Synopsis:

Single-dad Mac needs a temporary nanny for his daughter, Daisy. I need a second job until my promotion kicks in. Since our arrangement is only for one month, I am positive I won’t get attached. Medium positive. Okay, I’m negative.

This is a terrible idea.

Because I can’t give Mac and Daisy what they need, and I won’t risk breaking their hearts, but his green eyes and her crooked pigtails have me dreaming about forever. And who can resist a dad buying pink ballerina tights after a day spent in a hard hat?

The thing is Mac is a fixer, and I need to repair my own life. Better yet, I don’t want to feel broken. So it’s a good thing the worst has already happened to me. Nothing will hurt more now. Water can’t get wetter. That’s what I keep telling myself.

Too bad I’m all wrong...

My Review: 5 Stars

Y'all. It's probably a good thing that I got everything thing done that I needed to get done for the day before I started this book. Why? Because the moment I started reading, there was no way I was putting this book down until I finished it.

I was quickly swept away to Apple Valley where I lived and breathed all things Brooke, Mac and Daisy. Oh how I adored these three! They had me busting out laughing (literally and now my neighbors think I'm even more crazy), getting teary-eyed (it's not all sunshine and rainbows), swoonying (that first kiss... yowzers), and letting out little dreamy sighs (I couldn't help it!) throughout the entire book. I loved their journey of self discovery, of healing, of strength, of family, of being their for each other even if it's sitting on the sidelines and cheering them on. Their journey was absolutely beautiful! I loved every single minute of this book.

I do have to say that little Daisy kinda stole the show for me. Watching her blossom and grow under Brooke's care was seriously the sweetest thing ever. I just can't with all her cuteness! And her names! MeeMaw and PeePaw. Y'all! I lost it! I seriously love Daisy! Haha.

I will admit that I was kinda sad when the book ended. I was not ready to say goodbye to Brooke, Mac and Daisy. Thank goodness this is a series and I'll get to catch up with them soon! I am dying to get my hands on Emi and Nash's book. Y'all. I can already tell that Emi doesn't stand a chance. Nash is a go getter and he always gets what he wants. I'm already planning on clearing my schedule when their book is released. I have a feeling I'm going to be sucked in again. Hehe.

I am SO glad that I found Ms. Christianson while searching Amazon for new authors to try. The moment I read the synopsis, I was stalking her until release day. I highly recommend grabbing this one! It is SO good!

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