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).

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

Treasured in Turtle Bay by Jess Mastorakos

Love the One You're With by Jennifer Peel

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What are some of your favorite reads from February? 

Treasured in Turtle Bay by Jess Mastorakos

 

Synopsis:

It’s all fun and games until their fake relationship sparks real feelings.

Molly Whitman’s carefully arranged life unravels when her fiancé dumps her right before their wedding. Now she’s headed to Hawaii on the honeymoon of a lifetime—alone.

Helicopter Crew Chief Roman Russo has never thought of himself as a knight in shining armor. But when Molly forgets to cancel some honeymoon activities and needs someone to stand in as her husband, he’s right there to save the day.

Armed with her fake husband and three weeks of sand, sun, and sightseeing, Molly intends to forget the past and move forward. But is pretending to be married to this handsome Marine clouding her vision of the future?

My Review: 5 Stars

There's no better feeling than opening up your email and finding a book you've been dying to get your hands on sitting in your inbox waiting to be read. I may or may not have squealed and did a little happy dance as I jumped out of bed to hurry to complete my "must do" chores before sitting down and devouring this book.

If Hawaii hadn't already been on my bucket list, this book would have sealed the deal. From the moment I started reading, I felt like I was right there with Molly and Roman experiencing everything they did and watching them fall in love.

Molly and Roman, while polar opposites, are pretty perfect for each other. They balance each other out and make each other better. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop. I confess that I had one of those goofy grins on my face the majority of the time I was reading this book and I lost count of how many times I let out little dreamy sighs. Y'all! That epilogue was perfect!

I absolutely loved every minute I spent in Turtle Bay. And in case anyone is wondering, I totally looked up Turtle Bay Resort the moment I finished reading this book! Y'all! One word... GORGEOUS! 😍

I am extremely excited about this new series! I cannot wait for Mac's story. I'm definitely intrigued. This is one of those times that I have to remind myself... "Writing takes time!" I'm not going to lie... I am horrible when it comes to waiting for the next book by a favorite author to be released.

Y'all. I have loved every book I've read of Ms. Mastorakos' and I highly recommend checking out these sweet romances. I can't get enough of them!

I know I say this all the time but come on! How can I not say it?! I am loving these two! Aren't they perfect?! *dreamy sigh*

The Love Potion by Becky Monson

 

Synopsis:

Can a magic love potion help her see what’s right in front of her?

Ally Hawkins, ever cheerful and always willing to see the bright side of things, has never had a date for Valentine’s Day. But this is her year. She can feel it in her little optimistic heart. Even if she, a full-grown woman, resorts to believing in a love potion she bought at a county fair. After all, the day she accidently got some of the smelly concoction on herself, the object of her desire asked her out to lunch. That can’t be a coincidence, can it?

But ever since the potion came into her life, Josh Wise, Ally’s coworker and office BFF, has been acting strange. He’s been pulling away from her, and she finds that she’s missing his playful antics and the way he can always make her laugh and smile. The potion, it would seem, is lifting the curtain on a reality that Ally has been blind to. But will she recognize what’s been right in front of her all along before it’s too late?

My Review: 4 Stars

Confession. I have never really been a big fan of Valentine's Day. To me, it's just another day. And I'm sure if Ally ever heard me saying that, she would be appalled! 🤣

Ally is such a sweet, fun character. I think we all could use a friend like Ally. She's always looking for the best in people, even when they don't deserve it. She's extremely optimistic and looking on the bright side comes easy for her. It's one of the many things her best friend, Josh, loves about her. 

Y'all. Josh is seriously the best. He's very supportive of Ally and her happiness. You can tell from the very beginning he only wants the best for her. I think I fell in love with him from the start. 

While there was some romance in the book, the main part of the story (at least for me), was watching Ally become a better version of herself. One where she doesn't lose her optimism but is able to see things without the rose-colored glasses on. Her "Ah-ha!" moment with Hazel was the best! ❤️

I really enjoyed this book. It was super cute! But I found myself wanting just a little bit more. An epilogue would've been perfect. Maybe of a certain special date? 😉

I just realized while I was reading that I haven't read very many of Ms. Monson's books. I have loved all the ones I've read so far. I see some binge reading happening in the near future!

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

Love the One You're With by Jennifer Peel

 

Synopsis:

Is it love or is it reality?

Kasie Baldwin’s life is not turning out how she expected. Separating from Jake, her husband of seventeen years, and living back home with her momma were not in her plans. She for sure never saw herself getting mixed up in a reality TV show. And she definitely never thought she’d be breaking and entering into the self-appointed queen of Nashville’s house. Yet here she is. But perhaps all the trouble is exactly what Kasie and Jake need to repair their marriage—maybe, just maybe, their love is the most real thing of all.

My Review: 5 Stars

Confession. I have a very strong dislike of reality TV shows. I just can't watch them. I was a bit hesitant going into this book because of said show, but I shouldn't have been worried. The reality TV angle was definitely NOT what I was expecting it to be and I ended up loving the book!

Y'all... Kasie is my kind of gal! She's easy to relate to, she keeps it real, she loves fiercely, she protects what is hers and will do anything, and I mean anything, for her family and friends. This woman has a heart of gold! Definitely one of my favorite heroines!

As for Jake... *dreamy sigh* He quickly became a favorite of mine as well! I loved that he not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk. He may have been a putz, but when he finally woke up, he had no problem showing Kasie just how much she really meant to him. Their journey was absolutely beautiful! 

And can we just take a minute to talk about the chemistry that was flying off the pages?! YOWZERS! Between Kasie and Jake and Abs and Dallas, I kept turning into a big ol' pile of goo! Y'all. I cannot WAIT for Abs and Dallas's book! I have a feeling it's going to be hot... hot... HOT! 

I wasn't going to say anything about Vivian, but I will. Karma. That. Is. All! 🤣

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Ms. Peel is a phenomenal author. I know the moment I pick up one of her books, I will be held hostage until the very end. Nothing ever gets done when I'm reading her books. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next! 

As for my casting... y'all... I'm in love with these two! What do you think? 

Book of the Month - February 2021

 

Welcome to

KJ's Book Nook

Book of the Month! 

From the moment I started reading this book, I was hooked! I could not devour it fast enough! This book was one of those that I wanted all my bookish friends to drop whatever they were reading and start reading it right that very second! This is one of those books that you don't forget. This book is the reason that I tried to talk the other Swoony Award hosts into allowing all of us to choose TWO books for our 2020 Swoony Awards. This book is the whole reason I started my Book of the Month. Because, y'all! If I could give this book a Swoony Award right now, I would! It. Is. That. Good! 

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!

Swoony 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).

It's been over a year since I've done a Swoon Worthy Spotlight and decided earlier this month that I was going to bring it back! I'm excited! It's the little things in life! Hehe.

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

All's Fair in Love and Blood by Jennifer Peel

Coffee Shop Girl by Katie Cross

Romancing Daphne by Sarah M. Eden

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What are some of your favorite reads from January? 

Book of the Month 411!

Y'all! Are you ready for all the details on my Book of the Month? Yes? Sweet! Here's how it all came to be! 

2020 may have been a horrible year for most of us, but it was not a horrible year for books. In fact, there were SO many AMAZING books released last year that I just couldn't keep up! 

After we announced the 2020 Swoony Award winners, I not only started thinking about all the books I could've given my Swoony to, but all the ones I really wanted to see win. So I had an idea. 

Remember when I said a few months ago that I was going to be giving away a Swoony Mystery box? Well, I decided to tweak it just a bit. Instead of giving away a mystery box, I'm going to do a monthly giveaway featuring all the books I wanted to either give mine to or wanted to see win. 

So... here's the 411 on the giveaway...

The giveaway will not only be opened to US residents, but Internationally as well. As long as you can receive electronic gifts from Amazon, you're eligible. US residents will have the choice of a physical package or an electronic gift. 

What am I giving away you ask? The electronic gift will be an ebook of the Book of the Month along with an Amazon gift card to purchase your favorite reading treat. The physical package will be a paperback copy of the Book of the Month and one of my favorite reading treats. 

To enter to win, you'll comment on my blog post, my Facebook post or my Instagram post. You'll receive an extra entry for tagging one friend on Facebook and one friend on Instagram. The counting of entries is new for me since I usually do a Rafflecopter so I don't want to get too crazy with the entry choices. Haha. 

And that's it! It's that simple! I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to do more than one post for entries by sharing a favorite line from the book or something like that maybe once a week or once every two weeks. But don't worry, you'll know when I know. 😉

You guys! I can't wait to share these book with you! Keep your eyes open on February 1st for my very first Book of the Month! 

Until then... Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons! 

All's Fair in Love and Blood by Jennifer Peel

 

Synopsis:

They are both out for blood, but could it end in love?

Scarlett Armstrong and Kane Hudson have a tangled past involving not only their families but their own failed love affair. Now, eight years later, to make things more complicated, they’re both in the running to become the next CEO of Scarlett’s family’s business, Armstrong Labs, a privately held blood plasma company. It all comes down to who presents the best business plan to the board of directors.

For Scarlett, it’s a matter of continuing her family’s legacy and hoping that her father will be proud of her once and for all. After all, she’s spent her entire life pushing her own dreams aside preparing for this role. And perhaps she would like a little sweet revenge against the man who stole her heart and never gave it back. Kane, on the other hand, is determined to reach his goal of becoming the CEO of a Fortune 500 company before his forty-fifth birthday and proving to Scarlett she’s meant to follow her own dreams.

But things don’t go according to plan for either Scarlett or Kane when they realize that perhaps they’re fighting for the wrong thing. With love and blood on the line, which one will come out on top?

My Review: 5+ Stars!

Y'all, I feel like this book should come with warnings. Lots and lots of warnings. Out of the goodness of my heart, I'll provide you with some of the warnings someone should have given me before I started this book.

*WARNING*

1. You may or may not need tissues before you dive into this book.
2. You may or may not want to have a tub of cookie dough waiting for you in your fridge so you can eat your feelings. (True story.)
3. You may or may not need to wrap your kindle in bubble wrap incase you decide you need to throw it across the room.
4. You may or may not be blown away with the emotional rollercoaster you're about to embark on.
5. You may or may not want to read this book at the same time as one of your bestest book buddies because you are probably going to need some emotional support along the way.
6. You may or may not have the mother of all book hangovers once you finish this book.

This book, right here, has ruined all other books for me for the unforeseeable future. I'm going to need to reread lots and lots of old favorites in order to give any new books a fighting chance of me loving them. Not sorry authors! I'm doing this for your own good! 😂

If you couldn't already guess, I absolutely LOVE this book! From the moment I picked it up, there was no putting it down! I skipped meals, stayed up way too late reading and pretty much ignored the world around me. No one existed except my new best friends, Scarlett and Kane. Oh how I adored these two!

Scarlett was such an amazing heroine! Y'all, I had real tears, both sad and happy ones, falling down my face for her. It didn't matter what life threw at her or that it was constantly knocking her down. She got right back up and kept pushing forward. She had every right in the world to be angry and bitter but she always, always took the higher road, even if she didn't want too. She has got to be the most selfless heroine ever and she makes me want to be a better person.

Kane was such a phenomenal hero! I think we all need a Kane in our lives. From the very beginning, and I mean VERY beginning, he was Team Scarlett. This man loves her fiercely, protects her with every fiber of his being, helps her to not only see herself but love herself, is willing to sacrifice his own happiness to make sure she is as happy as she can possibly be. He is the best of the best. It's no wonder they are perfect for each other!

And can we PLEASE take a moment to talk about the sizzling chemistry that was flying off the pages from the start?! It was hot, hot, hot! Oh holy Hannah! That first kiss! *dreamy sigh* Talk about a million butterflies and turning into a big ol' pile of goo. WOWZERS! This book has the BEST kissing scenes!

I am in awe of Ms. Peel's talent! I swear, it feels like every time I think I've found my new favorite book of hers, she turns to her next couple and says: "Hold my Dr. Pepper. I'm about to prove her wrong... again!" I will forever be grateful to one of my best bookish friends for introducing me to her books. I cannot WAIT to see what she has in store for us next!

As for my casting, I think we all need to take a moment to admire these two. I. Am. In. LOVE! *dreamy sigh* Aren't they perfect?! 

Content: Mild language. Sizzling kisses. Clean!