readers_sea's reviews
448 reviews

Engaging enough!

This book follows Annie and Mark. It's their wedding day and while at the altar, Annie sees someone she doesn't recognize. As the night goes on, she learns that this man has been asking questions and no one knows who invited him.

I felt this one was a bit predictable, but it'll be easily forgettable for me. The beginning was a bit slow, but once the pacing picked up it was more entertaining. The dual timelines did get confusing, since we followed different POVs, but it never indicated that at the start of the chapters.

Overall, it was okay, and easy to get through. A couple things did still surprise me, so I do think it would be worth a try.

Thea and Shep deserve absolutely everything!! They are precious and I love them. I am so so happy they found each other.

Thea is very guarded, and no one knows why. She lives under the radar - no banks, no social media, nothing. Constantly looking over her shoulder as she is hiding from her past. She has learned to do as much as she can on her own, but when a leaking pipe reveals itself as a much bigger issue, she is forced to hire Shep to get the job done. 

Shep is the perfect man - clearly written by a woman. He owns the best construction company in Sparrow Falls. From the first moment he seen Thea, he was intrigued but no one knows much about her. He is determined to get her to trust him. He is gentle and kind to her every step of the way and never pushes her. He knows nothing about her past but sees how she reacts to people and wants to build a connection with her so she has someone she can let her guard down with. When she agrees for him to work on her pipes, he immediately gets to work - on the house and Thea's trust.

I loved watching Thea slowly trust Shep. Learning about her past and why she was so guarded made my heart hurt for her. Seeing how gentle and attentive Shep was with her, was everything she needed. Shep was perfect and I loved that Thea was able to get that hope from someone. Thea slowly opened up and found the family she needed in Sparrow Falls. 

This book took me on a ride! So many ups and so many turns. I loved every minute of it. The plot was the perfect pace. The suspense/mystery was perfectly balanced with the romance. There was never a dull moment, and I never wanted to put it down.

Sparrow Falls is the most wonderful small town, and I cannot wait to see who/what the rest of the series will bring!

Layla and Simon... what can I say?

Layla is the owner of a "fancy lady garment" (iykyk) store in the small town of Dixon Creek. She is divorced, but living her life and doing what she needs to do. Of course, being in a small town some people don't agree with her choice in store that she is running as a single woman (eye roll!!). Her sister Gemma is getting married - that should be her focus, but with her ex-husband being the mayor... well, things get interesting when there seems to be an issue when she is denied for a bigger space in town and then told her current shop may not be hers for much longer. Yikes.

In comes Simon! Simon is hired security for Gemma's wedding since they have some big names attending. He is from London and the first time he meets Layla is quite interesting when she mistakes him for being paparazzi (oops).

Layla and Simon are out in town together when she starts getting razzed about her shop. She's telling Simon what's going on when two women (because all small towns need the nosey elderly women) approach them. They start talking to Layla how a single woman like she shouldn't be running a shop like she is, but she immediately blurts out that Simon is actually her boyfriend so she isn't single - hoping Simon will play along. Thank goodness he does! As the word gets around town, their story escalates and now they're telling everyone that they're engaged... Nothing could go wrong now.

Simon agrees to pretend to be Layla's fake fiancé and the story kicks off!

I really enjoyed Layla. She really was an independent woman doing what she could to be happy and do what she loves. Simon was a nice balance to Layla. I feel like they brought out different sides to each other and it was refreshing. They agreed that even though their engagement was fake, it didn't mean that they couldn't have a good time like Simon was in time... because that always works, right?

You really can't help but love Simon and Layla. They were a great match, and I loved how supportive Simon was to Layla because she deserved it! Their chemistry was amazing and flow of their relationship growing was so well done. As the lines blurred, you can't help but hope everything works out for everyone!

This was such a fun read and so entertaining. The main couple, the side characters, the setting, and the plot were all so engaging. Really enjoyed my time with this one!

Ryder and Vanessa were a lot of fun!

Vanessa is newly divorced and staying at the beach house she got in the settlement. She's trying to find herself again and learn who she is without her ex-husband. Despite being 35 years old, when she goes out and catches the attention of a 25-year-old waiter, she can't help but be curious. Ryder is adamant that he wants Vanessa. He wants to get to know her... on many levels. Eventually they give in, but Vanessa is still conflicted.

I enjoyed this novella. I felt there was a good balance of emotion and spice. Vanessa just came out of something difficult, so it made sense that she wouldn't want to just into things right away. Ryder was patient and understanding. I liked that the novella wasn't all spice. We still got to watch Vanessa discover things about herself and relearn who she was. We also got to see Ryder be supportive of that. 

I enjoyed their balance together and the overall story.

Maren Moore is perfect at sports romance, and I will not be told otherwise.

This book follows Addie and Grant through a very "A Cinderella Story" -esque book! We open up with ArtGirl (Addie) and OrleansU11 (Grant) meeting through an anonymous forum on their school website. They instantly hit it off with amazing banter. Eventually they find themselves talking constantly every day, getting to know each other - well, besides who they really are. Grant asks Addie to meet many times in person, but that isn't something she wants to do. She likes the anonymity of their conversations and don't want that pressure of knowing. They confide in each other about their struggles and Addie tells him about her Stepfather forcing her to get married to keep her mother's bakery - the only thing she has left of her late mother. Grant offers to marry her instead but then suddenly, ArtGirl goes silent, and Grant has no idea what to do. He felt she was the only person who truly knew him, with no standards or expectations but without knowing who she really is - he can't find her.

Nine months go by, and Addie is still working at the bakery, but Amos and Earl - who also work at the bakery - see that she is stressed and encourages her to have a college experience, to go out to a party and just give it a try. Addie is reluctant because she much prefers to stay home, but she goes anyways. Instead of actually joining the party she finds solace on the back deck where it's quiet and empty - there she draws in her sketchpad and can tell Ams and Earl she went to the party.

As she is enjoying her time on the porch, suddenly out of nowhere a guy comes bursting out and is attempting to pee over the railing... So of course she needs to make her presence known. They hang out for a bit and see that they click instantly, but once it hits midnight Addie is out oof there! Only... she leaves behind her sketchbook and doesn't give this guy her name.

A couple weeks go by, and porch guy aka Grant wants to find the girl he spent that night hanging out on the porch with. He knows nothing about her BUT he does have her sketchbook which he has no realized is likely ArtGirl who ghosted him months ago... So, he does the only thing he can do. Make a million posters looking for  ArtGirl saying that he has something of hers that she very likely wants back to put all over the school. He tells her to reach out where they first started talking if she wants it back... aka the school's anonymous forum they started talking on those many months ago.

Addie does reach out and confides in him about her being forced to get married in two weeks to save her mother's bakery, but Grant never forgets the offer to marry her first. And there we have the beginning of the story...

I really enjoyed Grant and Addie! From the beginning their banter was unmatched (something that Maren Moore always does amazingly)! I loved how supportive they were for each other and how much they were able to communicate. Both characters were perfect for each other, and although they came from different worlds, they had so much understanding for each other.

Grant was a total sweetheart and protective of Addie. I loved that Addie found someone she could rely on. For so much of her time, she was alone, but Grant would never let her feel that way again. It went both ways though! Addie seen Grant as more than just an athlete and he needed that.

Their connection was palpable, and you couldn't help but root for them the whole time. Through it all, their trust and communication were amazing. Even the side characters were so sweet and added a lot to the story.

Overall, I loved it and cannot wait to visit Orleans University again in the future! 

I really enjoyed this one! Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I kinda just had it and the premise of a wild love life and honestly being in chaos just sounded fun - so I picked it up... Then suddenly... I read it all. In a day... HOW?! No clue, but that just goes to show how easy to read and entertaining it was.

This book follows Amanda Dean (obviously?) as she navigates her relationships. She always thought she was unlucky in love and we get to follow different times in her life and relationships that led her to think that way. From the highs of romance starting and the lows of how they ended.

The reality and rawness of this book was so real! Amanda was very relatable and while she proclaimed herself to be "a self-proclaimed bi disaster", I feel like everyone will be able to see a little bit of themselves in her.

Watching Amanda grow up and mature throughout her different relationships was so much fun! The balance of all the emotions were so well done. I loved the storytelling and how the author got you to love Amanda and all the side characters as well. Even the platonic relationships that Amanda forms throughout her life was so important.

I loved that there were lessons in every relationship. You always left the relationship learning a little more about Amanda and seeing how she became the woman on her wedding day. I couldn't stop rooting for Amanda to find the happiness she deserved - even when she felt like she didn't deserve it.

I genuinely couldn't put this book down and it was so easy to read! I was nervous with the jumping of timelines that it would've been hard to follow but I didn't feel that way at all. I always knew where we were and who we were with. The format going between timelines also just made sense.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this one!

 I liked Theo and Kit. Many years ago, they were together, but after a slightly dramatic and a lot of miscommunications they stopped talking until years later they end up on the same scheduled trip. What could go wrong?

It was enjoyable enough, but I also feel like there was a lot of wasted potential here. With the entire group of people on the trip w them, I feel like they just popped in and out whenever it was convenient, or the author needed something to happen.

I do wish Theo and Kit talked more before they escalated, but emotions run high, so it seems reasonable to me. The story did get a bit repetitive at times, which made me want to skim through the same conversations that they were having, but overall, I enjoyed them. I liked how they got to relearn each other and discover that they were still in love. The setting of different adventures was also a lot of fun, but I did get confused on where we were sometimes LOL but I think that was more of a me problem.

Overall, I enjoyed it. Nothing ground breaking but enjoyable. 

It was okaaay...

I felt like this book could have been significantly shorter. I felt like it was going in circles a lot about whether or not these characters could/wanted to be together. I couldn't really feel their connection throughout the book, and it felt a bit forced. I enjoyed moments that they had together, but the book as a whole seemed a bit repetitive. I also didn't like how the ending/resolution of an all-or-nothing was resolved. I felt like one character definitely had to lose a lot, even though they didn't say that.

In the end, it was okay. The romance wasn't my favorite and I did enjoy the side characters and the friendships. I listened to it on audio so it was easy to get through, but I also didn't love the narration. Not sure if the rating would've been different if I hadn't read it via audio. Not a loss, but not a win. It is what it is. Don't think it'll be super memorable for me 

Entertaining and easy to read!

The spice was giving and the characters were easy to root for!

Kaylee loved the world of MMA and she was great at it. Until she stops training and attempts to leave that world behind after her world is turned upside down. Unable to completely leave the world behind, she ends up working at the front desk of an MMA gym but still refuses to train. In comes Miguel. He met Kaylee once before her world was turned upside down, but never got her number so he couldn't even attempt to contact her. Imagine his surprise of walking into the gym he has been training at for a while and seeing Kaylee at the front desk.

Miguel is a pro fighter, but his upcoming fight requires for him to master MMA as well. He learns who Kaylee is, and is on a mission to get to know her better while also learning from one of the best. The only problem is that Kaylee left MMA behind and doesn't even want to train Miguel.

I enjoyed reading the story between Kaylee and Miguel. I thought Kaylee and her grief was so genuine and well done. I couldn't help but root for her the entire time. Watching her find her passions again was amazing! I didn't know what to expect from Miguel as a character, but I ended up really enjoying him as well. I thought they had a well-balanced relationship. 

The spice was spicyyy and the characters were easy to love. Quick read and enjoyable.

Nash + Emerson were perfect! Add in Cutler aka Beefcake, and you really couldn't go wrong.

I loved Nash and Emerson from the first time we met them! You could instantly tell that their dynamic was going to be a story worth telling and reading. Although their first meeting was a bit unexpected for both characters, they quickly overcame that and seen the connection that they instantly had for each other past the attraction.

Watching Emerson built relationships with everyone in Magnolia Falls had me cheering her on the whole time! She definitely did not have it easy prior to coming to this small town, but she learned fast that there was a lot of something special in Magnolia Falls. I loved watching Emerson discover herself all over again and fall in love with life (and other people haha). The relationship she built with Cutler was honestly one of the best parts of this book. With Cutler growing up without a mother, it was sweet to see how much he trusted and was able to open up to Emerson about things he never brought up to anyone else. ALSO!!!! SUNNY?!? Cutler was smoooooth with the nicknames and lines he was feeding everyone! LOVED HIM!

I honestly thought that Nash was going to be a tough one to crack but watching him fall and not know what to do about it was truly so entertaining. I loved his group chat with his boys! It honestly had me laughing while reading!! Nash was truly a wonderful man who wanted nothing more than to give the best to his son as a single father. He was mature and understanding. I loved the communication that he had with Emerson. Even in those stressful times when he thought he needed space or distance, in the end he still realized who he wanted and how he was going to get it.

Wonderfully heartwarming story set in the perfect small town of Magnolia Falls with the hunk of a single dad Nash and his smooth son Cutler aka Beefcake! Not knowing how their life is going to change with the new interim pediatrician moving in next door - Emerson who just needed a small get away from her old life that just blew up in her face to figure out her next steps.