2019 ARCs – Page 2

Years ago, bestselling author Jack “Jock” Steele lost his girlfriend and baby in a horrific accident that drove a wedge between Jock and his family, keeping him from sharing a devastating secret. An aging philanthropist saved him from the brink of despair, and for a decade Jock cared for his ailing friend who became his family. Now his friend has passed away and left him a fortune—on the condition that he publishes another book. Jock is floundering, unsure how to rebuild the life he’d walked away from, much less find his muse, have another relationship with a woman, or even think about having a family of his own. But he can’t get his sweet, sexy new friend, single-mother Daphne Zablonski out of his head, and her adorable toddler must know something he doesn’t, because she wraps her tiny fingers around his heart and won’t let go
Daphne has been through the wringer with her ex-husband and doesn’t believe true love is in the cards for her. Friends she can handle, but letting a man see her mom bod naked? Especially someone as strikingly handsome and unbelievably sexy as Jock? No, thank you. Besides, she has a toddler to chase after and enough fictional boyfriends to fill her lonely nights. If only her book boyfriends could make her body tingle the way one look from her mysterious neighbor does
As Jock and Daphne’s friendship turns to something too tempting to deny, their lives take an unexpected turn. Can a man who has lost everything find redemption with a woman who has everything to lose? And then there’s that secret…

RELEASE DATE: September 9, 2020

First off MF is not new to me in any way. She’s been one of my very first many moons ago and I’ve read enough of her books to be filly invested. That said, I was scared to read this because I just had a feeling it was going to be very emotional. Once I dived it I couldn’t stop, beware right away that you probably want to have tissue near because I cried my little eyes out. What a heartbreaking story of two people who have over come so much differently yet same pain.

The heroine is a single mom not only kind of starting over but more importantly, starting over after not only her heart was broken but for her daughter. To be with a man that did that to her and her child, BROKE MY HEART. The hero, my gosh the hero I loved through and through, he wasn’t broken but u fixable, every time he ran from the heroines little daughter my heart was torn, when I found out his past and to why he is the way he is NO ONE should ever suffer through that. The pain he endured is unimaginable, yet he was still living day by day, maybe not so much living but alive and taking it day by day. When these two collided it’s been a year and more in the making. Watching little Hadley with her Dock (Hero’s name is Jack but the man he took care of called him Jock for the hecks of it and it kept in honor of him) but little Hadley the heroines daughter calls him Dock. It’s the sweetest thing in the world. The fun part about all this is that both hero and heroine come from being twins. This beautiful story broke my heart over and over. I hung to every page, anticipation, the kisses, the little girl with her big broken man…heartwarming and I deem this book on my TOP 2020 MUST READ list!

TOP 2020 MUST READ!
Romance: ♡♡♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Book 1 in Series
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

2020 ARCs, 5 STAR, Age-Gap Romance, Angsty, Fake Relationship, Friends-To-Lovers, Rom-Com, September 2020 Reviews, Sizzling, TOP 2020 MUST READ

R E V I E W ➠ Flirting with 40 by K. Bromberg

September 7, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2020

Not my first read by the author and I have to be honest I was a little worried about reading this because I really do not like the hero to be the younger one. At the beginning I was set to put it into a category but the more I read the more I freaking fell in love with Slade. My god did I fall hard!

This is not your typical hero younger heroine older romance because it’s so much more. Not only does the heroine in here gain everything back mainly herself thanks for the hero but she teaches him a few things along the way. The hero is a 31 year old that is a new Cardiac Surgeon and the heroine is a 39 year old woman working for the came company looking for that promotion, a company that wants to take it back or rather forward tot he youth. She is a divorcee to a man that not only didn’t know her but also left her for a younger woman who is her identical twin almost. When she ends up in a bar alone trying to nurse her no not broken heart but the new manager hired, who is out to get her…Slade slides in just as he belonged there from the beginning. Their conversation is not to typical and when she meant to blow him off to leave her alone because why would a younger very sexy man want to be talking to her old grumpy ass she is surprised to learn quick that Slade is not a push over and a man who is genuinely a good human being. These two get into all kinds of trouble and the main kind of it all, the love trouble. I can’t say more because honestly this is a book to live through…I promise you that you will LOVE this no matter what type of reader you are. It’s fun, flirty, genuine, romantic, funny, heart breaking, sweet…it has it all. I am so happy I gave this my all because I got all from it. p.s. beware of their stolen kisses, stolen touches and the real real feeling of two people genuinely interested in one another and the BUTTERFLIES!

TOP 2020 MUST READ!
Romance: ♡♡♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

2020 ARCs, 5 STAR, Angsty, Cliffhanger, Dark Romance, Enemy-To-Lovers, Mysery, September 2020 Reviews, Sizzling, Slow Burn, Suspense Romance

R E V I E W ➠ My Fallen Saint by J. Kenner

September 7, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

(Fallen Saint #1)

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

His touch is her sin.
Her love is his salvation
Charismatic. Confident. Powerful. Controlling
A brilliant investor with a Midas touch, Devlin Saint turned a modest inherited fortune into billions, and now operates one of the world’s foremost international philanthropic organizations. He’s a man determined to help the underprivileged, to fight injustice, and to make the world a better place. And that, at least is true
It’s not, however, the full truth
Because Devlin Saint is a man with a dangerous secret. One he’ll do whatever it takes to protect. And when investigative reporter Ellie Holmes turns her attention to an unsolved murder, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and passion as Devlin draws her closer and closer. But as the intensity and sensuality of their relationship grows, so do Ellie’s suspicions. Until she is no longer certain if the heat between her and Devlin is real, or only a facade he constructed to hide his dark and twisted secrets.

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2020

Not my first read by the author. She’s actually one of my first 5 author’s I read gosh many moons ago so to say I am very familiar with her writing is little to say. I am aware of her style and do enjoy both the suspense and BDSM kink style she does well.

I am not going to lie but this almost turned me off completely. It’s one thing for the heroine to have something with another random guy but just her being THAT type of woman, is a HUGE turn off for me. Sets the mood for me for the rest of the book and something I don’t look forward to because any ‘romantic’ relationship with the hero is tainted for me. Personal opinion so not saying someone doesn’t like that type of debacle at the beginning of the book. To say I was surprised it didn’t turn towards the ‘me cringing if they sleep with other people is an understatement. I was actually expecting it while the heroine is strong yes but to me at times overbearing, I mean fits perfect since she is an ex-cop turned reporter. But the heroine is definitely hard I will say that, stubborn and yet at the end of part one (YES THIS IS A CLIFFY) we see a very vulnerable side of her. The hero is two faced and no not in the way you’re thinking. I don’t want to give out anything since this is a mystery suspense Romance with a lot of Angst, i will say that. It’s catching and entertaining, I was a little put off at the beginning won’t lie, but throughout the book I was swept away from the suspense and mystery. Everything you think is ISN’T. p.s. the cliffy kind of was not a WOW to me, I went in forgetting it’s one and predicted the ending once I realized. Also we have to wait till January 2021 so like 4 years in reader world for part 2! Will be worth it because this book is a J. Kenner through and through!!

Romance: ♡♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Book 1 of Series
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

2020 ARCs, 5 STAR, August 2020 Reviews, Firefighter Romance, Friends-To-Lovers, Sizzling, Slow Burn, Suspense Romance, Triggers

R E V I E W ➠ Say It Ain’t So by Lani Lynn Vale

September 3, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

(SWAT Generation 2.0 #9)

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

AMAZON

He should’ve never left his house. He should’ve stayed at home. He has a legitimate excuse—he’s running a fever and he’s fairly sure he’s developing pneumonia. He should have called in sick…but he doesn’t.
He goes to work, because his team is relying on him.
First, he has to sign about eight thousand calendars—all from women who purchased said calendars to benefit the Fallen Officer fundraiser. And when he’s done with that, he has to endure a television interview along with the rest of the SWAT team seeing as they made national news with their ‘Hot SWAT’ calendar that’s sold a million copies to women all over the world.
Needless to say, when Samuel Adams walks into the pharmacy hours later, he only has one thing on his mind. Ibuprofen.
Sadly, he never gets to the Ibuprofen. Mostly because before he gets there, he finds a junkie waving a gun around threatening to kill anybody that moves.
He’s running a fever. That has to be the reason that the girl in the corner begins cursing up a storm and drawing the junkie’s attention. Has to be.

RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2020

Not my first read by the author, love all her books I’ve read and a long time fan of her books. This is Book 9 and I ‘ve read all the previous books as well.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one but learned that you never know what to expect from a LLV book. It’s always a fun, sexy and sweet surprise. This one was no different, right off the bat when their little VERY UNIQUE cute-meet happened. This is a unique story because of the medical condition of the heroine and not knew that the hero is alpha yes but in his own unique way himself. His dedication, loyalty and heart is something every man should strive to have. The side characters in this are perfectly pared, the scenes, actions..even a little suspense. All in all I don’t want to give out too much because this one was really unexpectedly unique in the best ways possible.

Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Book 9 in Series
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

2020 ARCs, 3.5 STAR OR BELLOW, Angsty, August 2020 Reviews, Friends-To-Lovers, Second Chance Romance, Single Mom, Slow Burn, Small Town Romance

R E V I E W ➠ Homebound by Kata Cuic

September 3, 2020September 8, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

A second-chance romance set in the heart of Appalachia that will make you root for first love, forgiveness, and family.
Lenore Wheeler knows what a hard life, heartbreak, and failure tastes like. Heading home to the backwoods Appalachian town she swore she’d never return to with her young daughter in tow, she can’t imagine her future getting much bleaker.
Then she comes face-to-face with the one man she never expected to see again.
Jesse Yates was supposed to escape the mountains, make something of himself, and attain every dream Lenore destroyed. He’s determined to wear down her resolve and win her back, but she’s got a secret to keep and reasons to keep her old flame at arm’s length.
Lenore already broke her own heart to save Jesse, but she’ll do anything to protect her daughter from the same fate.
Except fate has a funny way of working out, especially when all roads lead to home.

RELEASE DATE: September 9, 2020

NEW to me author and books. I found this on one of the email’s I get from GiveMe Books PR listings I recieve and the blurb really appealed to me. So I thought why not give this a try.

I had a huge issue from the beginning with this, now this is probably just me and my taste but the accent in this book DROVE ME TO THE EDGE I’m sorry it really did, I enjoyed the writing and chanters but the accent I can’t even explain what the accent is but every YOU was a YA and now I can’t unsee the YA when I read anything else. I’ve never read anything with this type of accent and it did not work for me, it distracted me the whole book and I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the story line. This is a second chance, hero is the new principal and heroine the new teacher at their hometown. The hero and heroine share a past, a lot of it and a lot more than anyone would have guessed. Again, that accent really prevented me to even pay too much detailed attention, and I will say that if you don’t mind that type then you’ll love this because it really was great writing and the story line along with the characters. Unfortunately I don’t know if I would try the author again.

Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags on top of this page!

2020 ARCs, 5 STAR, August 2020 Reviews, Brother's Best Friend, Friends-To-Lovers, MUST READS!, Second Chance Romance, Single Dad, Sizzling

R E V I E W ➠ Penthouse Prince by Kendall Ryan

September 3, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

A delicious new single dad standalone romance from New York Times bestseller Kendall Ryan!
Lexington Dane was my brother’s best friend growing up.
We did everything together.
He taught me how to throw a punch, how to change a tire…and he taught me how to kiss. I fell hard and fast, and gave him all my firsts.
I promised I’d wait for him…
But I’m done waiting, because he went off to college and never came back. He took his fancy business degree and moved to New York City, where he promptly became a real estate mogul—turning every penthouse and apartment project he touched into gold.
It’s been ten years, and now he’s back and needs a favor…someone to watch his little girl. That’s right, the cocky penthouse prince and heartbreaker extraordinaire Lexington is back with an adorable two-year-old daughter. Guess who he wants to watch her?
I’ve never been able to say no to him. I might agree to be the nanny for his precious little angel, but there’s no way in hell I’m falling for her hot-as-sin daddy.

RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2020

Not my first read by the author, and I have read a lot of her books and love her writing style. This one was sweet, sexy and just so SEXY! The hero was every single-dad dream you can think of.

I love Kendall’s Hero’s but this one was super extra. Not only a single dad but handsome and so alpha in a sweet way, the way he melts for his daughter melts your heart. And when the heroine came in the picture it was odd at first because she stood her ground but I guess I would give in too if it was this hero. Their normal Nanny/Employer relationship blurs when the hero realizes what he missed out on by leaving the heroine so many years ago. Hiding back then from the brother and then leaving her the way he did, he truly is remorseful and it’s super sweet. I just swooned left and right with him. When they did get together it was so magical and sexy, everything they did was on point and again SWOONED all over the place. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this!

A MUST READ!
Romance: ♡♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

2020 ARCs, 5 STAR, August 2020 Reviews, Friends-To-Lovers, Mysery, Office-Romance, Sizzling, Suspense Romance, TOP 2020 MUST READ

R E V I E W ➠ Seconds by Freya Barker

August 31, 2020by The Guide To Romance Novels2 Comments

(The Salvation Society)

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

Love, life…death—a few seconds can change everything.
I’m a criminal defense lawyer determined to build my own firm from the ground up.
My ex, the new prosecutor, complicates things; especially when the animosity between us infects the whole courtroom.
Then I meet Callum—my brother’s friend, a bounty hunter, and the accused in my new case.
The charge—sexual battery.
The supposed victim—a bail jumper he’s been chasing halfway across the country.
My instincts tell me he’s innocent, which I set about proving, but I didn’t expect to fall for him in the process.
Our mutual attraction becomes a tempting complication neither of us can resist.
When a body turns up, Callum and I realize a war is raging around us; and one of us is the target. With an ex-husband eager to take me down, and a woman determined to ruin Callum, we need to figure out who the perpetrator is…before time runs out.

RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2020

Not my first read by the author, little secret but I’ve been reading this author for years and loved all her books I’ve read. So when I saw she was giving us a (The Salvation Society) book I jumped right on it, I really liked all the books of hers I’ve read her writing style a lot and so I just signed up didn’t look at anything 🙂

I fell in love with this from page one, I kind of knew because again I really love this author’s writing style. These characters were mature, sexy, smart…they fit well together and the story line was fantastic lots of suspense and action mixed with a whole lot of romance. Romance between two adults hat have put their careers first hand and okay with that, until they ran into each other…literally. It kind of all went from there, Callum is a bounty hunter and accused of sexual harassment on accounts from someone he brought in and Reagan our heroine is GAH loved her, she is a criminal defense attorney and also they both have someone in common, the heroine’s brother is friends with the hero. So all mixed together you get lots of actions, real REAL romance and everything in between. I would highly recommend this book, can not wait to get a paperback of it and re-read this!

TOP 2020 MUS TREAD!
Romance: ♡♡♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: (The Salvation Society)
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

2020 ARCs, 4.5 STAR, Angsty, Fake Relationship, Friends-To-Lovers, Second Chance Romance, Slow Burn

R E V I E W ➠ Pants On Fire by Lacey Black

August 30, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

Cricket
Success is what you make of it. That’s my motto and the premise of my speech; the one I’m heading back to Southern Illinois University to give at my college alumni reunion. As the morning co-host of Good Morning, San Francisco, I was asked to be one of the keynote speakers, and while I’m honored to do so, there’s only one problem. The other speaker is Danny Ohara, my former boyfriend. Throw in an issue with my credit card that leaves me stuck at the airport, no rental car in sight, until a familiar face appears like a guardian angel in sexy black glasses.
Here’s my dilemma with my attraction to Rueben Rigsby, my airport savior and old friend from college: I’m not supposed to be attracted to him. At all. He’s my ex’s former roommate. Yet that doesn’t stop my big mouth from lying about the status of our relationship when we come face-to-face with said former roommate. As in, we have one.
Together.
Ruebe
I don’t know why I agreed to come back to SIU for the alumni reunion, but I’m damn sure glad I did. When I found the familiar face stranded at the airport, I readily agreed to give her a ride. It’s great to catch up with Cricket Hill, as we make our way back to the place we ultimately met. What I’m not prepared for is this overwhelming attraction I feel for her. I’m not supposed to notice how amazing her butt looks in a pair of black yoga pants. She’s a friend. Period
But Cricket has other plans. When she lies about our budding relationship to my former roommate and her ex, I have no choice but to go along with it to save face. I have to pretend to be her boyfriend. I mean, it’s one little white lie, right?

RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2020

Not my first read by the author, and I got this book in preparation for another.

Cricket and Reuben have been friends for a decade, and their relationship has always been platonic until one day turned into Reuben ending up being Crickets boyfriend and line get blurred. Just when you least expect it, love has a way of finding each persona and bringing them together even if it’s in hard circumstances, some funny…but this turned out to be a beautiful slow burn I enjoyed very much!

Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑

2020 ARCs, 4 STAR, Angsty, August 2020 Reviews, Friends-To-Lovers, New To Me Author, Single Dad, Slow Burn, Tear Jerker

R E V I E W ➠ Faithless by Megan Green

August 30, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

AMAZON

When life gives you lemons…
You better shield your eyes, because you’re about to get sprayed right in the face.
The day my wife sat me down and told me she wanted a divorce, I was certain things couldn’t possibly get any worse. Forty-eight hours later, I’d find out just how wrong I was.
Now, instead of being a divorced father of two, I’m a widower, left trying to pick up the pieces of my wife’s affair.
The last person I should turn to for help?
My wife’s estranged sister, Kate.
Kate is everything Felicity wasn’t. And no matter how wrong I know it is, I can’t help the attraction that sparks between us.
Felicity destroyed my faith in love. Will her sister be able to restore it?

Faithless is an emotional new standalone romance set in Corinne Michael’s bestselling Salvation Society world.

RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2020

NEW to me author and books! I was drawn to this by the blurb and of course the cover is pretty awesome too!

This one was SUPER emotional and the angst, pain but so sweet at times and romantic. The hero Shane is actually married in this, his wife not only tells him that she wants a divorce but also leaving him for another man. The worse part of all this isn’t so much the pain from that but the pain from losing her all together, from a car accident. I was a mess with all this. All the questions he had will forever be left unanswered. The heroine is the estranged sister of his dead wife, Kate. I can’t explain how I felt about her, it was a 50/50 something I couldn’t fully connect with her. Needless to say these two were very REAL and the events, something that you will keep reading faster to find out what happens.

Courage, faith, loss, grieve, second-chance and passion in all the senses. I would warn you that this is SLOW BURN and a painful one at that. Single Dad / Widower trying to figure out how to love again, how to give his heart.

Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑

2020 ARCs, 5 STAR, Angsty, August 2020 Reviews, Enemy-To-Lovers, Friends-To-Lovers, MUST READS!, Single Mom, Slow Burn

R E V I E W ➠ The Anti-Boyfriend by Penelope Ward

August 29, 2020by The Guide To Romance NovelsLeave a Comment

GOODREADS

AUTHOR WEBSITE

At first, my neighbor Deacon frustrated me.
Sure, he was great-looking and friendly.
But our walls were thin, and on occasion, he’d bring women to his place and keep me awake while he “entertained” them.
As a single mother to an infant, I didn’t appreciate it.
So, finally it was my turn.
When my daughter wouldn’t stop wailing one night, Mr. Manwhore came knocking on my door.
Miraculously, at the sound of his voice, Sunny stopped crying. And when he held her…she eventually fell asleep in his arms.
Deacon was rough on the exterior, but apparently on the inside? Mr. Single-and-Ready-to-Mingle was a baby whisperer.
After that night, we became friends.
He’d go for coffee runs. Come over to chat. Normal friend stuff.
But over time, our conversations ran deeper. We got closer.
Until one night we crossed the line.
Our friendship turned into a complicated mess.
I’d gone and fallen for a guy who’d sworn off commitment and kids.
I knew Deacon was starting to care for me too, even though Sunny and I didn’t fit into any plan he’d ever imagined for himself.
He was wrong for me—so wrong that I’d dubbed him the “anti-boyfriend.”
Then why did I wish more than anything that I could be the one woman to change him?

RELEASE DATE: August 31, 2020

Not my first read by the author and I have read every single one of her books. I was honored to receive a ARC and review this beauty. I will say that from the title and a couple reviews I read I was a little skeptical due to me having a ‘reading block’ issue when it comes to Hero’s that are man-whores or sleep with other people, there was one of two parts where I kind of read little faster and bypassed it because I really wanted to give this a full shot and thank gosh I did because once I went over that tiny bump this book BLEW ME AWAY! This single man who comes off as rough, player and everything that the heroine hated, has one of the biggest hearts and when he held her daughter Sunny and showed her part of his heart, mine grew ten times bigger for him! This Angsty-Single-Mom SLOW BURN was the right amount of all,

Carys and Deacon from the beginning were like water and oil, one a single mother trying to make it day by the the other a man-whore who’s “entertainment” was something she would have rather not ever heard. It went from player to the connection and friendship they form, I can’t explain it but I wanted them to just be together so bad and the slow burn was almost unbearable but perfect in the best ways. I -ave to say that this book is a MUST READ!

A MUST READ!
Romance: ♡♡♡
Steamy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: NA
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Type: All Tags on top of this page!
Recommended: ☑ HIGHLY ☑

Category: 2019 ARCs

R E V I E W ➠ Tempted by Love by Melissa Foster

R E V I E W ➠ Flirting with 40 by K. Bromberg

R E V I E W ➠ My Fallen Saint by J. Kenner

R E V I E W ➠ Say It Ain’t So by Lani Lynn Vale

R E V I E W ➠ Homebound by Kata Cuic

R E V I E W ➠ Penthouse Prince by Kendall Ryan

R E V I E W ➠ Seconds by Freya Barker

R E V I E W ➠ Pants On Fire by Lacey Black

R E V I E W ➠ Faithless by Megan Green

R E V I E W ➠ The Anti-Boyfriend by Penelope Ward