Friday, January 1, 2021

2021 Genre/Trope Reading Challenge

Happy New Year my fellow Book Dragons! Welcome to my 2nd Annual Genre/Trope Reading Challenge! Yes.. I added genre into the mix this year.. 😉

So... without further adieu... I present to you my 2021 Genre/Trope Reading Challenge!


1. Small Town: More Than Second Chances by Sara Jane Woodley
2. Amnesia: Memories of You by Jess Mastorakos
3. RomCom: One Choice I'd Never Make by Remi Carrington
4. Christmas: The Holiday Ex-Files by Jennifer Peel
5. Southern Charm: Rescue a Stubborn Heart by Cindy Roland Anderson
6. Fantasy/Urban Fantasy: Countess of Glass by Hazel Linwood
7. Opposites Attract: Promises at Pyramid Rock by Jess Mastorakos
8. Regency: Romancing Daphne by Sarah M. Eden
9. Contemporary: The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams
10. Single Parent: The Mostly Real McCoy by Julie Christianson
11. Pirates: Trapped and Liberated by Bree Wolf
12. Steampunk: Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts by Nancy Campbell Allen
13. Tear Jerker: Silent Partner by Jennifer Peel
14. Suspense: Conspiracy by Rebecca Deel
15. Novella: Little Lost Love Letter by Shari L. Tapscott

If you're a fan of any or all of these genre/tropes, feel free to join me! If you do a blog post, make sure you share the link in the comments so I can add it to my post.

2021 Genre/Trope Challenge Participants:

Emily - Seriously Sweet Reads

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!

2021 Reading Challenge

Happy New Year my fellow Book Dragons! Welcome to my 5th Annual Reading Challenge! Are you ready to see what I've chosen for this year's challenge? Yes? Sweet!

Allow me to share with you KJ's Book Nook 2021 Reading Challenge!


1. A book you've read but never reviewed: Shadow Redemption by Rebecca Deel
2. A book with food on the cover: An Unlikely Love Story by Ellie Hall
3. A book with less than 1000 reviews on Goodreads: More Than Second Chances by Sara Jane Woodley
4. A book with Q, X or Z in the title: Magic in the Mix by Trish LeBaron
5. A book with a heart or diamond on the cover: The Love Potion by Becky Monson
6. A book with a five word title: One Choice I'd Never Make by Remi Carrington
7. Start a new series: Treasured in Turtle Bay by Jess Mastorakos
8. An anticipated release of 2021: Silent Partner by Jennifer Peel
9. A 2020 Swoony Award winner: The Match by Sarah Adams
10. A book you chose with your eyes closed: Three Things I'd Never Do by Remi Carrington
11. A book by a USA Today Best Selling Author: All's Fair in Love and Blood by Jennifer Peel
12. A book that made you laugh out loud: Just His Secretary by Donna Jeffries
13. A book from last year's TBR list: Coffee Shop Girl by Katie Cross
14 A book recommended by a favorite blogger: On Her Own by N.J. Ricks
15. Any book of your choice: Breaking All the Rules by Cindy Roland Anderson

Does this challenge sound like one you would love to try to accomplish? If so, feel free to join me! If you do a blog post, make sure you share the link in the comments so I can add it to my post.

2021 Reading Challenge Participants:

Emily - Seriously Sweet Reads

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!
Thursday, November 26, 2020

Adored by You by Jess Mastorakos

 

Synopsis:

Can the sergeant and the celebrity get their second chance?

Sergeant Noah West was eighteen years old the last time he saw Paige Walker. He joined the Marines for a more stable life and she left to chase her movie star dreams. But no matter where the Marine Corps sends him, he can't help but hope that their paths might one day cross again.

Paige was catapulted into stardom when she landed the role of a lifetime on what would become one of prime time’s biggest medical dramas. After eight years on the show, she’s ready for a change. There’s just one problem—no one thinks she can play anything other than the role that made her famous.

In a happy twist of fate, Noah and Paige are reunited thanks to a film opportunity in San Diego. She'll need his help to secure the part, but Noah isn't willing to let their relationship be purely business. As old fires spark back to life, can they pick up where they left off despite the scars from their time apart?

My Review: 5 Stars

When it comes to reading, one of my favorite sayings is: You can't read all day... unless you start in the morning! Guess what I've been doing most of the day?! That's right! Reading! What else was I supposed to do when my body decided I had had enough sleep at 3:26am?! Haha. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one that loves when a book can sweep you off your feet and give you that much needed break from reality. That's exactly what happened while reading this book. The second chance romance trope is one of my favorites. There's just something about seeing two people who are meant to be together, reunite and finally get their HEA. 

I thought I was going to have a hard time relating to Paige. But I really shouldn't have been worried. I absolutely adored her and Noah. Their reunion was 8 years in the making and I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning. Their fun, easy going vibe made it easy to relate to them. They both were selfless and had the biggest hearts. Making others happy is what made them happy. They are truly perfect for each other. They are definitely one of my favorite couples in this series.

I loved seeing all our favorite Marines and their families in this book. Today, being Thanksgiving, was the perfect day to read it. It made the Thanksgiving weekend in the book extra special. It's a little bittersweet to see this series end, but this was the perfect ending to an amazing series. I'm so glad that Ms. Mastorakos isn't ready to say goodbye to our friends forever. I'm looking forward to their cameos in the next series. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us! 

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

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Marine's Mission by Rebecca Deel

 

Synopsis:

When Gigi Warren lands in the crosshairs of terrorists, she turns to a Marine with the lethal skills necessary to keep her alive. Owen Montgomery will do whatever it takes to bring down the terrorist organization threatening the woman he loves and protect national security, but he never expected to partner with Gigi on a mission so dangerous neither may survive. To defend the country he loves and the woman he adores, Owen may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My Review: 4 Stars

It always feels like Christmas when a favorite author releases a new book. I get excited, let out a little squeal and do a little happy dance. There's nothing better than diving into a new book! 

Owen's and Gigi's story did not disappoint. It was face-paced and action-packed from the very beginning. I have been intrigued by these two since they were introduced in Security Breach. The chemistry between them leaves no doubt to the reader that there's some kind of history between them. After loving each other from afar, they decided it was finally time to take that leap into the unknown. I really enjoyed watching these two figure out their relationship and where it would lead. The ending was super cute.  

And it's always fun to see old friends from previous books. They never disappoint when it comes to razzing the hero of the book. I was excited to see more of the Texas team in this one. I can't wait until we get their books. I'm mostly looking forward to Jesse's book... 😉

Sadly, there was something that kept me from really loving this book. This is the second book, that I can think of off the top of my head, where one of the characters turned out to be the complete opposite of who they usually are. Maddox, who is an over-the-top Alpha male, would never consider sending in a civilian with absolutely zero training or experience into this kind of situation where there's an extremely high possibility of her getting killed. There was no backup for Owen and Gigi to speak of. Everyone was on the outside with no way to get to them quickly. This is not the style of the Fortress teams that we all know and love. I love that the heroines are far from pushovers, but there are times that they are put in situations that they would never actually be in.

Now don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy this book. I had a hard time putting it down. Ms. Deel is a master a keeping me on the edge of my seat wondering what's going to happen with each turn of the page. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! Jackson's book is another one that I've been dying to read! I. Can't. Wait! 

And of course I can't forget my casting. I'm not going to lie... this one was hard! I had to make sure I've never used these two in any of my other reviews! Haha. But I do love them! What do you think?!

Sunday, November 15, 2020

2020 Swoony Awards - Let the Voting Begin Y'all!

 Welcome to the 2020 Swoony Awards! 



The Swoony Awards are a Reader’s Choice Award recognizing excellence in clean secular, wholesome romance. We wanted a way to show our appreciation to these awesome authors who write the kind of books that we love. It’s also a great way to find new books and a good go-to when looking for something fun to read.

As you may know, last year we switched up the voting process. Some loved it, while others did not. Now, don't hate us, but the voting is going to be different again this year. We've loved that it's been a surprise the last couple of years and we wanted to continue having it be a surprise. We think we've figured out a way to engage everyone from our Goodreads list as well as our Google list.

How are we going to do that? Well, we are going to be doing TWO voting rounds this year.

For the FIRST round, if you're on Goodreads you can vote for your favorite books on our 2020 Swoony Award list. Here's the link: tinyurl.com/2020SwoonyAwards. You can vote for up to 100 books. 

If you're not on Goodreads, you can vote through our Google Form. Here's the link: tinyurl.com/2020SwoonyAwardsGoogle. If you're using the Google Form, all you'll need to do is enter in the title and author. There's no limit to the amount of books you can vote for.

For the SECOND round, we will be taking the top FIVE books from each category and adding them to a NEW Google Form. You will be able to vote for up to THREE books in each category. We know some of you did not like voting via the Google Form last year, but we think it was because you had to physically type in your votes under specific categories, which was probably overwhelming. This year, we're trying to make it easier for everyone. All you'll need to do is choose from the books already listed.

Voting for ROUND 1 is OPEN and will END on December 5, 2020. Voting for ROUND 2 will START on December 12, 2020 and END on December 31, 2020. 

Winners will be announced the first part of January 2021.

The eligibility has not changed. But to refresh your memory...

Eligibility
-ONLY books PUBLISHED January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 are eligible.
-Books must be published OR have arc reviews before nomination. Since the award is based on readers having actually read and enjoyed the book(s) they are voting for, the book has to have been published or arcs read in order to receive votes.
-Intimacy: No sex, no/low closed door/fade-to-black, no/low innuendo, nothing crude or crass. G-PG13.
-Language: None/mild (No F words or other explicit language) nothing overly crude.
-Violence: Mild/low.
-Page Count: 100 pages or higher, anthologies are okay. No short stories. No collections.
-Age: Only Young Adult, New Adult and Adult. NO children’s or middle grade.
-Religious: No Christian fiction, some *very mild* religious elements may be allowed.

We're all looking forward to the Swoony Awards this year and hope you are as well! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Happy voting Book Dragons!
Sunday, November 1, 2020

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...


Jess Mastorakos writes clean military romance books that feature heroes with heart and the strong women they love. She is a proud Marine wife and mama of four. The happy family is currently stationed in Hawaii. She loves her coffee in a glitter tumbler and planning with an erasable pen.

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Ever since I discovered Rebecca Deel, I've had my eyes open for more military and/or personal security books. *Newsflash* The majority of the ones out there are NOT clean. It was a VERY happy day when I discovered Jess Mastorakos through another author's newsletter. Please don't ask me who it was because I am racking my brain and cannot remember! Haha. But whoever it was, I will be forever grateful for them featuring her. She was quickly added to my favorites and auto-buy lists. 

I was going to feature the first book in the series in my post but then I read Believing in You. I hadn't even finished the book before I decided I was switching out the books. You will definitely thank me.. I promise! And if you don't? Well.. then I don't know if we can be friends. 😉


How do you make a long-distance relationship last? Don't fall for your brother's best friend.

While on deployment, Jake Murphy takes to online dating hoping to find someone to share forever with back home. His connection with a beautiful kindergarten teacher is everything he was looking for. That is, until he realizes she's his best friend's sister.

After being dumped by her high school sweetheart, Ivy Brooks gets pushed into online dating by her well-meaning friends. Despite her reluctance, she hits it off with a handsome Marine. Too bad her brother would never be cool with her dating one of his friends... especially after what happened last time.

Jake and Ivy know they shouldn't keep talking, but late-night flirting and inside jokes leave them both glued to their phones. Their secret is bound to come out sooner or later. Will their love survive the fallout?

You can check out my review here.

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!
Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Christmas with You by Jess Mastorakos

 


Synopsis:

Marine Staff Sergeant Charles Cooper is desperate. When he idiotically made up a fake girlfriend to appease his grandmother, he hadn’t counted on Grandma Jean flying halfway across the country to meet her at Christmas. With only a few days until the big family dinner, he needs a girlfriend. Fast.

Angie Black can think of few people who get under her skin more than Cooper. Unfortunately, she has to tolerate him since their best friends are married to each other. When Cooper asks her to be his fake girlfriend for a family dinner, Angie agrees only because she could use a fake boyfriend herself. Her entire office is invited to the wedding of their boss, and he happens to also be her ex.

Their fake relationship seems to solve both of their problems. That is, until unexpected feelings arise. With his deployment looming, will they figure out that they're meant to be before they find themselves half a world apart?

My Review: 5 Stars

Have you ever started a series that is so good that you wish someone would create a “pause life” remote so you can stop everything and just read? That’s where I’m at right now. I want to sit in my comfy chair with my hot cocoa and sweet treats and just read. Life can be tough when you don't want to adult. 😉 

If you follow my blog, you know that I am not a fan of the fake relationship trope. But since all the books I've read in this series have been amazing, I thought what the heck. Let's give it a go. Y'all Ms. Mastorakos is making a liar out of me! I ended up loving this book! I guess I just haven't been reading the right authors. 😉

I absolutely adored Cooper and Angie! Their bantering back and forth had me giggling and made me root for them even more. I loved watching their relationship develop from kinda enemies to friends to something more. Both of them had been in a bad relationship and were so focused on not falling into the same trap again that they didn't realize they were falling in love. They're definitely favorites of mine. 😊

And can we talk about Grandma Jean for just a second? Y'all she was the best! She was always up to something when it came to Cooper and Angie. Sneaky and full of mischief. I loved the role she played in getting them together. It was perfect!

Christmas with You was a great addition to an amazing series. If you're looking for a fun series to escape into, I highly recommend this one. I'm going to have a major book hangover once I finish this series. I am so glad that I discovered Ms. Mastorakos! Her books are just what I needed right now.

And of course I can't forget about my casting! What do you think?!

Monday, October 26, 2020

In Name Only by Jennifer Peel

 


Synopsis:

He gave his name to protect her. All she wanted was his heart.

Dani Kramer used to think growing up in foster homes was the most difficult thing she would ever have to do until all her dreams come true. Married to the love of her life, Dr. Brock Holland, and running a foundation that specializes in finding jobs for kids out of foster care, Dani seems to have it all. What no one knows is that it could all go away tomorrow if anyone finds out about the precious secret she carries.

For Brock Holland, military doctor, life has always been about duty to his career and country. But when he’s captured during a joint allied training mission, thoughts of Dani, his best friend, the woman he’s tried for years not to fall in love with, help him not only survive but reevaluate his priorities. However, when he returns home, he finds Dani is pregnant. In a cruel twist, duty calls again. He must marry Dani to save her from becoming a political pawn in a dangerous game she didn’t know she had signed up to play.

But who will protect Dani’s and Brock’s hearts from each other? Or will they discover their marriage is more than only sharing a last name?

My Review: 5+ Stars!

You guys. I am speechless. Where do I even begin with my review? What can I say that's going to do this book justice? 

I knew going into this book that Brock and Dani's journey was going to be intense. But I was not prepared for it being wrought with so much pain and heartache. But with pain, comes strength. With ugliness comes beauty. With heartache comes love. This book is phenomenal! Here it is, days later, and I'm still thinking about everything Brock and Dani went through to get to where they are. Their love is a love worth fighting for. A love that was put through the refiners fire to become the most beautiful love they could ever imagine. Their story will stick with me for a long, long time to come. 

I can say that, without a doubt, the Pine Falls series is definitely one of my favorites. It's so real, so raw, so beautiful. I have fallen in love with every single one of the characters. I'm excited for Brant and Kinsley's journey. I have a feeling that theirs is going to be the toughest one of all. And I'll be right there by their sides, encouraging them and hanging on every single word. 

I am in serious awe of Ms. Peel's talent. She has an extraordinary gift when it comes to telling her stories. From the moment you start reading her books, you are transported to the setting of that book where you live, eat and breathe with her characters. You feel every single emotion that they feel. You will laugh with them, cry with them, celebrate their triumphs, mourn their losses and cheer them on as they fight for their friendships, their love and their happily ever after.

There is so much more I could say about this book. But this is one of those times where less is more. My advice to you would be to grab a box of tissues, have a pint of cookie dough or your favorite comfort food on hand, open your heart, open your mind, let yourself feel, just be. It's not going to be easy, but it IS going to be worth it. 


Content warning: This book contains sensitive material related to PTSD, brief military violence, and pregnancy. For more detailed descriptions that include spoiler alerts see the authors blog on her website.