From USA Today bestselling author Claudia Burgoa comes a best friend’s little sister, single dad romance featuring a hot doctor and his sweet little daughter.
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I’ve been in love with Benedict Farrow since I was fourteen years old.
He’s my older brother’s best friend.
One night we almost crossed that line.
One night I almost got everything I wanted.
Now he’s moved back to our small town—a hot single dad with a daughter.
But I have finally moved on. I have a boyfriend who I actually like.
I let Benedict go—Didn’t I?
Hot, arrogant, confident Dr. Benedict Farrow is out of my life.
At least, I think he is.
But when he makes me laugh, I wonder if I ever got over him.
There’s no one who knows me better than him.
How can someone I loved so much cause me so much pain now?
If we went there again, it would ruin everything.
Where We Belong is an angsty-filled story of forbidden love, second chances, and the healing power of family. This is a must-read for fans of small-town romances and hot doctors with a heart of gold.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . WHERE WE BELONG (Paradise Bay Billionaire Brothers, #8) . . .My first trip to Paradise Bay. The small town was home to both our Bene and Cora. But six months ago Cora pulled away from Bene and Bernie. She left their lives without a word. Yes, three years ago Bene and Cora's relationship changed. Cora was hurt by something she had no control over. Bene did not seem to have much control in the situation either.
Cora was Bene's best friends little sister. With that said the two still had a strong relationship. Cora was Aunt Cora to his little girl. She was a present in his life until it all change six month ago. She walked away. She did not look back and now, she is in a relationship with a man no one has met.
Could Cora have a type of man? Could she be just stepping into another role like the one she had with Bene? Can she truly escape her feelings for the one man that make her sing? Can Cora find happiness outside of Paradise Bay? Will she repair what was broken between her and Bene? These are just a few of the questions that will be answered when you read Where We Belong.
Something that will be of interest. There are some great couples that you meet along the journey of Cora and Bene. There were some family dynamics that were explored or touched upon. There were other invents of interest. If you have not read any of the other books of the series you may feel the need to do so. This story itself stands alone. I just want to know more.
My first memory is of breaking my mom’s heart. Yea, people know me as the good-time guy, the guy with the jokes, the deejay who's always up for a party. But underneath all of that, I’m the guy who lets people down wherever I go.
The one person who sees past all my bullshit is Lucy. She always has, since we were thirteen and she hated my guts. But I’ve never hated her. Lucy is my ideal in every way-- gorgeous and funny and smart and takes no shit with an ass that won’t quit. Too bad she’s also my stepsister.
But don’t worry, ma. Nothing to see here. Afterall, Lucy can’t stand me, so when we go roadtripping together, nothing will happen, right?
Except it does. And neither one of us is ready for the fallout.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . UNINHIBITED (Bainbridge University, #3) . . . We step into the world of Bainbridge University. Our new adults embark on a new world and make their way through it the best they can. At Bainbridge University, we meet four young men that have forged a bond between them that was more than the family they were born into. This time we meet Whit. Whit and Lucy have a history unlike that of the other brothers in the chapel.
Whit finds himself 13-year-old and share a confidence with a 13-year-old Lucy. The two of them meet in summer camp over next several years. The cement a friendship that could have been more, but one of them have some strong future goals. This ends what could have been growing between the two. Years later is where we find Whit in all his glory. He is not very motivated in his direction, but he can cook, he is a great friends, and he love his mom. And he has mental health issues. These issues are touched upon in the story but not beat to death. I am not sure if that was a good or bad thing. That matter of mental health can create an issue. I think the way Andi has it works with this story.
Lucy. She is a different subject matter. She felt that her goals for life were the only thing. She had plans to be something more. She had her steps planned out. She never and he never anticipated they would see each other again so soon. One evening. One party. One morning after. Two phone calls to two people brings them both back into each other orbit on a regular basis.
Watching the two of them grow more together was beautiful. Their struggles and disappointments were shared. They were indeed friends. Friends that became more. Their bond was strong and drove each to do that extra to show support to the other.
Thank you Andi. I am so anticipating the next brother's story. I have had a delightful journey with the first three brothers.
*****
For more information about Andi Burns and her books, visit her website:
When Nia Nash got involved with Drake Paradise, heir to the Paradise Construction empire, she never thought that she’d end up raising their son alone.
Hurt and furious, she’s spent four years trying to forget everything about him. From the way his piercing blue eyes would follow her every move, to the way he set her body on fire with only one kiss. Drake Paradise not only broke her heart, but he changed the course of her life forever.
Now he’s back and demanding to be a part of their son's life, the son that he once had no interest in. Or so Nia thought. Refusing to let Drake in is not an option when he has power and money to his name.
As Drake mourns his own losses and tries to navigate his new roles in his business and professional life, they are both forced to deal with everything they thought they knew, and the whole truth that begins to unravel.
Can Nia ever trust Drake again? Can they figure out a way to turn their lives into their own paradise?
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . ALMOST PARADISE . . . Drake? Drake? Where did I hear that name from? Ahhhhh. I got it. He had a brief appearance in a previous Sola book. He had a look on his face of loss, but what did he lose. We find that out in this story that for me was worth the wait.
Paradise was a lot of hard work
Almost Paradise - Paradise was a lot of hard work Drake Paradise has gotten the biggest surprise of his life and a very big disappointment. It has been four years since he has seen the one woman that had captured his heart. She just up and left his life. She took something that was very valuable to him when she left. He had no idea until the day he went to a birthday party at the last place he wanted to be. This one event changes his life.
Nia was moving in with her life. She had the love of her family. She had a job she loved. And her greatest love was that with her son Carter. No matter that her biggest heartbreak came from his father. She would never regret the relationship she had with him.
Just when Nia was moving forward with her life. Her past comes back and demands a very large chunk of her current life.
I love watching how all things began to unfold for Drake, Nia, and Carter. I loved the instant love Drake had for his son. I loved the interactions between Audre and Wyatt. What I did not like there were no answers to what was the excuse Mr Paradise had for the wrongs he committed to his own son.
I got the mini read on the couple and found it to be a good complement but still no insight to the questions we were left with at the end of the original story. I do look forward to any more news on the Paradise family.
I love getting new stories from Evelyn Sola. She keeps it real and entertaining.
Reasons I enjoyed this book: Realistic Entertaining Page-turner Wonderful characters Easy-to-read Strong female Cute kids Protective family
I learned early in life that love is an illusion-- it’s a tool people use to get what they want. I never trusted anyone until I met the three guys that would become my best friends, my true family.
Aside from them, I’ve kept my guard up...until her.
The last week of our senior year in high school, I fell hard and fast for a girl I had no business wanting. We spent one incredible night together...and then, nothing. I awoke alone the next morning with no trace of her in my bed.
To say I’ve been fucking up my life ever since is an understatement. I come from chaos, so that's what I’ll become. There was only one time I thought I had a shot at something better and...well, look how that turned out.
So, I’ll party my way through college, and worry about the consequences later.
But unexpectedly, the woman I fell for turns back up in my life, and it turns out that our night together had consequences of its own.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . UNKNOWN (Bainbridge University, #2) . . . We step into the world of Bainbridge University. Our new adults embark on a new world and make their way through it the best they can. At Bainbridge University, we meet four young men that have forged a bond between them that was more than the family they were born into. In Unknown we experience life through Knox's eyes. Life had taught him early what to expect and love was not real. Then life shows him another lesson. Will he learn his lesson? Or will the early lessons win out?
Knox was lost and out of control. He did have a compass. He was self-aware. He just could not stop. He was spiraling and his friends/brothers knew it. The was so much damage and neglect that he could not see his way past it all, except. There were two exceptions. Soon to become three. His little brother, Rona, his lost love, Willa, and one beautiful surprise, Rose.
Willa find that her already hectic, unsettled world becomes bearable with the meeting of Knox the last few days of school. The two of them find a connection. The connection takes them on a whirlwind of meeting. They connected and bond on a soul deep level. All this changes with one action of someone we don't even get to meet. The pushes Willa to run. All of that gets compounded by the actions of another very spiteful person. That puts Willa on a new and very different path for her life.
Willa and Knox find their way into each other lives again eighteen months later. This brings some heavy emotions of shock, jealousy, anger, hatred, concern, confusion, and love. Love pure and strong.
What I did not like about the story was the timeline and age issue. I find myself drawn in by details. For Knox to have been only a year younger than Ty, he should have been 20. That means a year and half before could he have been 18. I don't know why my head gets stuck with ages, dates, and time lapses. That is my cross to bare when I read. It did not spoil the story for me.
*****
For more information about Andi Burns and her books, visit her website:
WARRIOR REDEEMED Cadi Warriors, #9 by Stephanie West September 26th 2023 Science Fiction, Romance
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Ava had long ago given up hope of being rescued from the scaly aliens. She’d have to be her own hero. So, when her captors start evacuating, she sees her chance at freedom. Living in the wilds of a foreign planet is better than the abuse she and her fellow humans suffer. Except, the escape doesn’t go exactly as planned.
While fleeing, Ava runs right into the cause of her captors’ flight. The aliens infiltrating the base are strange. The exotic man towering over her is built like a tank. Literally, he is covered from head to toe in bony armor. Even more amazing, he is there to rescue her people. Too bad she can’t go with them.
Scala didn’t plan on finding his mate when he infiltrated the enemy outpost. He never wanted a mate or to settle down. Then he discovered the brave female captive. When she runs, he chases, desperate to save the human female from herself.
Giving in to the growing hunger is out of the question. There is a mission to accomplish, and only a savage beast would pounce on a vulnerable, newly liberated female. Apparently, he is a beast.
Ava cuts to the quick, softening Scala’s hardened shell, making it impossible to resist her. She is his weakness and his redemption.
“You forgot Yitu’s things?!” Vicarius Kur hissed as he paused stride in the hangar and spun toward her. Anger sparked in the outpost commander’s beady yellow eyes, his scaly tail thumping the floor threateningly.
Leaving the bag behind had been a last minute but calculated move. Kur literally just sprang this trip on her, not that he ever told her any of his plans ahead of time. The scaly asshole was all demands and swift reprisals if she didn’t act fast enough. Still, when Kur told her to pack, she assumed he meant just his travel gear, but he meant Yitu’s as well. It was completely unexpected. Kur never took his son anywhere. It was an even bigger surprise that she and Lucas were coming, too. In the two years since she’d awoken on this godforsaken planet and been made the Vicarius’ slave, she’d never been taken anywhere outside of Fuzyre.
It only confirmed what she suspected; something was going on. For the last few days, the mood in the outpost was more tense than usual and Kur was twice as surly. Now the Vicarius and his top lieutenants were loading into the massive ship in the seaside hangar.
I knew it. This is what we were waiting for.
She was accustomed to her enslavement and even the abuse, but that didn’t mean she accepted any of it. There was no disputing, she along with dozens of men and women were abducted from Earth. She’d seen the wrecked spaceship at the bottom of the canyon, when the alien lizards pulled her out of the freaky pod. She’d witnessed firsthand the volcanoes, green clouds, and the planet reminiscent of Saturn hanging in the sky. It all screamed this was not Earth. She clearly remembered the debilitating terror and clutching Lucas tight as the overgrown iguanas herded them into a cruiser. Anyone who resisted died. Anyone who refused to get the language implant died. Anyone who didn’t work died. This was her reality. She’d lived it. Except there was no way in hell she was living the rest of her life like this.
I don’t fucking accept any of it!
The thoughts and memories swiftly shifted through her mind like a pep talk. Her hand tightened on Lucas’s and Ava focused on the yellow-eyed scaly bastard.
“Apologies, Vicarius. I will run with Lucas to fetch it right now. I’m sorry for my stupidity,” she swiftly bowed her head.
Kur tugged Lucas away and shoved him toward the loading ship.
“We will be quick.” She again reached for Lucas, her panic rising.
“Go get it!” Vicarius Kur hissed, slapping her across the face.
Ava staggered backward. Her cheek stung and stars flickered before her eyes. At least the Jurou Biljana’s claws hadn’t connected with her cheek, but his next blow would flay skin.
Pain that had nothing to do with her cheek ripped through Ava as she looked at Lucas being led onto the lizard’s ship. The plan was falling to shit. He was supposed to be by her side. She really had no intention of going to fetch the bag. They were supposed to be escaping the outpost.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . WARRIOR REDEEMED (Cadi Warriors, #9) . . . I have found me a new class of aliens to want more of. And by the way I think that David Brenin would be a very good narrator for this series. After finishing Warrior Redeemed, I want to get this series under my reading cap. I will be going back to the beginning and binging them all. The vivid detail. The world that was building before my eyes was fantastic. I would not say perfect, but it was the imperfections that made me want more.
Ava won me over before I finished the first chapter. Scala was different, yet he was not. He was strong, protective, and maybe a little outside of his comfort zone. Luka and Yitu were darling. Then there were enemies that became allies. That was a story all in itself. Then there was the Vicarius. He got everything and more. The other couples from previous stories (I assume) were interesting to see from my one side. I want to know more about the Cadi Warriors.
Thank you Stephanie for the world you built and allowing me that opportunity to see a new universe through your eyes/imagination.
Read the Cadi Warriors series from the beginning: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Lm0XjE Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/cadiwarriors For more information about Stephanie West and her books, visit her website: https://stephaniewestauthor.com/
EIGHTYEARS GONE by Cate Beauman RELEASE DATE: September 20th 2023
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A steamy second chance…
Jagger Tennyson never had it easy, but that all changes when Dr. Steven Evans knocks on his front door. Leaving poverty and hopelessness behind, Jagger creates a life he’s been too afraid to dream of. But tragedy strikes late one night, and everything falls apart. Jagger is forced to walk away, leaving the woman he loves.
Grace Evans grew up with wealth and privilege, but she’s no stranger to loss and pain. When she meets the gorgeous boy from the wrong side of the tracks, everything changes for the better. Grace has never loved anyone the way she loves Jagger. But he vanishes on the night that nearly destroys her.
Eight years later, Jagger comes home, and nothing is how it was supposed to be. Dreams were shattered, and trust was broken, but he wants to make things right. He’ll do whatever it takes to fight for Grace, but proving he still loves her won’t be easy.
When tragedy befalls Grace again, Jagger can help her pick up the pieces. But can Grace forgive the past?
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . EIGHT YEARS GONE . . . I felt honored to pick up a new read from Cate Beauman. This was a little new for her I hear. This was more romance and less action. This was a second chance romance that span some years. Childhood to adults these two had something more between them than lost opportunities. Grace and Jagger were going to begin a journey that was left incomplete. I want to give nothing away. I do want to say that it was well worth the two days it took for me to complete this story. It also has me wanting more stories like this from Cate.
I found the characters engaging and responsive. I found that both primary and secondary characters had been full and rich. There was many words in the silence and in the sidelines. Each event lead me closer to that something. If you know nothing more than this, wealth cannot stop grief, violence, tragedy, loss, or pain. We all have to experience life as it comes. Its how we handle it that will tell who we are and what we are made of.
Author Info Cate Beauman is the multi-award-winning, international bestselling author of The Bodyguards of L.A. County series and the Carter Island Novels. She is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense and contemporary stories.
Cate’s novels have been named Readers’ Favorite Five Star books and have won the Booksellers’ Best Award, Maggie Award for Excellence, the Holt Medallion Award, two-time Aspen Gold Medal, two-time Readers’ Favorite International Gold Medal, three-time Readers’ Favorite International Silver Medal, and the Readers’ Crown Award.
Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband and their St. Bernard, Jack.
To make things worse, she has no idea who I am or how our lives have intersected.
I tell myself none of that matters. We’re attending the same university, but we’ll never see each other. Different years, different majors, and different social circles mean I can stay in the shadows and out of her way.
Until I can’t.
A few weeks into the semester, she needs a tutor, and I’m the only one available.
But it’s fine. I can do my job without getting involved in her life, or getting lost in her pretty gray eyes. At least, that’s what I tell myself. All too soon, I'm falling hard for a woman I have no business wanting. She’s perfect for me in every way and loves me like no one else ever has. The problem is, I’m keeping a secret that will ruin everything.
I need to tell her who I am--there’s no way around it. But I know that the moment I do, I'll break her heart beyond repair. And she’ll shatter mine, too.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Review of . . . UNCOVERED (Bainbridge University, #1) . . . We step into the world of Bainbridge University. Our new adults embark on a new world and make their way through it the best they can. At Bainbridge University, we meet four young men that have forged a bond between them that was more than the family they were born into. Our first stand-up guy was Ty. Ty had the world on his shoulders. He was young, wealthy, and in a family that did not see him until it suited them. We tap the screen to watch as Ty's story unfolds. His story would be nothing without Phoebe.
Phoebe and Ty shared a tragic past, only one knew about the connection. Phoebe's world changed with the actions of someone she never met. Ty's conscience and heart would not allow for the tragic incident to destroy the bright future that could have been ahead of the young girl, Phoebe. With time and patience Ty was able to make some moves to get the young woman, now, to have a chance at the future she had planned for herself years ago.
Phoebe's world changed the day her brother died. Her world was still upended by the deeds of others years later. Now, she has the chance to move forward with her life and dreams. In none of those dreams did she think she would have more than her hopes and dreams. Nothing prepared her for actually going to school, meeting new friends, making connections, needing a tutor, and falling in love. Nothing prepared her for her world to come crashing down around her again.
Phoebe and Ty were interesting characters. I loved Ty because he was able to be more than what his family was. He had a heart and compassion. He was more than the rich and privileged. Phoebe had to learn to grow and fly. She took some hits and with time she was able to grow.
The writing was good but there was something about some of the transitions and the way the ebook was formatted that threw me off. Even with these things I did enjoy the story enough to finish it.
*****
For more information about Andi Burns and her books, visit her website:
