Review: My Forever Cowboy by Diane J. Reed

Book description via the author's website: 

Just when you least expect it, love finds you forever…Avery Smart doesn’t believe in “forever cowboys.” Especially after her father died young in a tragic rodeo accident, and she watched all her girlfriends get their hearts broken by love ’em and leave ’em types in Stetsons and spurs. But when she returns to her hometown of Bandits Hollow, Colorado to take pictures of cowboys for her lucrative photography business, a new light is shed on the darkroom of her heart by Grant Hollow. He’s one professional bull rider who not only intends to stick around for the right woman–he’s determined to lasso her heart for good.

My Forever Cowboy is a prequel novella in the My Cowboy Series of contemporary western romances set in the Rocky Mountains.

My review: 

My Forever Cowboy is such a fun read. It may be short, but it's powerful. The characters were amazing and I even got to see a few familiar faces from previous slightly interconnecting stories from this author. The two main characters, Avery and Grant, have great chemistry and it was very entertaining watching Avery try to fight their connection. I do love the way they met... talk about a meet cute lol! I am definitely a sucker for a good cowboy romance and was totally blown away by the way the story could read as a contemporary cowboy romance, yet still have that ethereal beautiful mystical feeling weaved throughout, that I have come to love and expect from Reed's books. It's also got lots of fun, flirty, and silly bits to leave you smiling a mile wide. Literally everything I look for in a book and somehow packed within just around a hundred pages. I highly recommend My Forever Cowboy!  

** I received this book from the author. I voluntarily chose to write this honest review.**

Check out the author's website for more information on her books: https://dianejreed.com/ 

Review: Wilder Girls by Rory Power

First of all the cover is amazing! As soon as I saw it I needed to know more about this book. Wilder Girls instantly had me wrapped up in this new strange world, in which these girls are quarantined on an island and all have wild and crazy things happening to their bodies, also known as the Tox. The main three characters are very interesting especially since I still felt as if I still wasn't quite sure about who some of them truly were by the end of the story. I really like the writing style and the dual points of view. The atmosphere is perfectly creepy and a little tense leaving you with a sense of urgency to find out what will happen to these girls. I've heard it described as a female version of Lord of the Flies and find this to be a pretty accurate description. The ending was a bit disappointing only because it was rather open ended and there's no mention of a second book so far. The tone was fitting, but with so many things left in the balance still and so many questions left unanswered I am definitely hoping there will be a sequel. Overall Wilder Girls is a serious page-turner! * I won an advanced copy of this book through bookishfirst. This is my honest and voluntary review. **

Review: Lander Ridge by Diane J. Reed

Book description from the author's website: 

For the cutthroat cowboy who wins at everything, losing his heart to the only woman who can reach his soul is the greatest risk of all…

Lander Iron Feather’s fierce business strategies have made him one of the richest ranchers in the West, dominating all that he touches. But when the beautiful former model Nicky Box returns to Bandits Hollow to reform the Wilson Ranch School for Wayward Boys and Girls, suddenly Lander is forced to face the terrible abuse he suffered there as a teen. Lander’s seething hatred for the school’s wealthy owner is largely responsible for fueling his business success, yet now he has the chance to combine forces with Nicky to turn the place around for the sake of the school’s orphans. But doing so means opening his heart—to the kids, to the wounds inside himself, and most of all, to Nicky. When the school is confronted with a shocking closure, Lander must dig deep inside to redefine what “winning”, and the magic of falling in love, really means. 

My review:

Lander Ridge is stunning, magical, and compelling. I absolutely love Diane J. Reed's writing style. As with her previous books, Lander Ridge instantly transported me into the story with the almost tangible scenes. There is one word in particular that seems to come to mind... mystical. It's just this overwhelming sense of magic and wonder that flows throughout the entire story. It's like I'm there and can feel the chills when I hear the owl's call, or the amazement when something beautiful and haunting happens. The characters are some of my all-time reading favorites. I was super excited to get to know Lander better in this book after getting glimpses of him in the previous two. It was also fun to catch up with Dillion, Barrett, and their ladies a bit as well. Getting back to Lander though, he is such a tortured soul who is more than just a bit rough around the edges, but with a secretly kind and longing heart. *SWOON!* I love how easily the author seems to be able to weave together the past and make the characters destiny seem so amazingly intertwined. I can definitely tell she believes in soulmates and it shines through in her writing. The witty banter is probably my favorite part and actually had me smiling while I read. My husband wanted to know what I was smiling so big about lol. Although there are definitely some heart wrenching moments as well that had me very emotional. I was entranced from the first page to the last. I highly recommend Lander Ridge!

P.S. I loved reading the author's note at the end of the book about the sacred trees. So cool! Make sure if you read Lander Ridge to check that part out too.

** I received this book from the author. I voluntarily chose to write this honest review.**

Review: Barefoot Beach by Debbie Mason

Description from the author's website: 

From the USA Today bestselling author of the Harmony Harbor series comes a beautiful summer romance that will keep you reading until the sun goes down!

Can a summer of love make up for a lifetime of secrets?

Wedding fever has taken over Harmony Harbor this summer, and the local matchmakers have set their sights on Theia Lawson, a former navy pilot who’s in town for a stay at Greystone Manor. And while Theia’s got her reasons to put this small town behind her as fast as she can, there’s a certain tall, dark, and irresistible man that she can’t seem to get off her mind.

Firefighter Marco DiRossi wants to beat the matchmakers at their own game so he conspires with Theia to pretend they’ve already fallen in love. It’s only for the summer. What could go wrong? Yet as the beach season draws to a close, Marco and Theia find their pretend relationship has led to a very real attraction. But when a secret from the past is revealed, jeopardizing everything they hold dear, can this unlikely couple find their way to a happily-ever-after?

My review: 

I absolutely loved Barefoot Beach! There were plenty of funny moments as well as a lots of mystery and suspense. My favorite element of course is the romance. I loved how much fun Theia and Marco had together! The fact that it starts out as him getting on her nerves, then turns into a fake relationship, then they start to want more is just so enjoyable. Not to mention Marco is definitely swoon worthy! It adds even more to his appeal that he likes Theia for her strengths, determination, and exactly who she is, not just her looks. They have great chemistry together and I really like their witty banter. I have read all of the books in this series and enjoyed every last one, so it's no surprise that I loved this one just as much, and was happy to get to catch up with old friends from the previous books as well. I cannot wait to see what's going to happen in the next book, although I believe it is going to be the last of the series and I will be sad to see it end. I've really come to look forward to reading about and rooting for both the Gallaghers and the DiRossi's. I hope that they all get their happily ever after. Highly recommended!

** I received an advanced copy of this book. I willingly chose to write this honest review. **