Saturday, December 26, 2020

Review Round Up ~ December 26


Coming Soon/New Releases:

Off Beat (Forgotten Flounders, #1)Off Beat by J.C. Hannigan

3.75 stars - Would Recommend

Review Copy Purchased

Off Beat is the first read in a new series by J C Hannigan, an author I've enjoyed in the past.
I was glad to meet Calum, Harper, Asher, and the cast of character surrounding them.

Off Beat is a bit of a different read in that it doesn't follow the traditional story arc. Ms Hannigan has us jump into the story at the beginning of the conflict - When Calum returns to his hometown after being away for 9 years. She does an excellent job of using flashbacks to build the history needed to have us rooting for Calum and Harper to have a much needed second chance.

It was sweet to see Calum try to work his way back into Harper's good graces, but it was almost too easy. I kept waiting for something to go wrong. One thing I missed/wanted to see a bit more of was just how Calum's career was impacting the changes in his life. We see him get put into sitiuations that could have made things more difficult for him, but he reapeatedly makes the right choice (yay Calum!), but there is a bit of a unresolved question about how his new life gets introduced to the public.

As much as this is Calum and Harper's story, it's also an opportunity to meet Calum's band mates (Dare and Evan) and family who we hopefully see more of in future books. There are several stings that could be pulled for interesting and dynamic stories that I hope we see soon. 

Foreplayer (Rookie Rebels, #4)Foreplayer by Kate Meader

My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a Friend

Review Copy Provided by Author

Ms Meader has another winner with Foreplayer, the latest addition to the Rookie Rebels series. This book has a strong tie in to the original Rebels series, so long time readers will appreciate getting to see what everyone is up to.

I enjoyed getting to meet Mia and Cal. They were a bit of an unlikely pair at first, but it was fun watching them become friends and lay the foundation for more. Both have baggage and the excellent secondary cast helps them get it figured out and take the blinders off.

My one “complaint” - and that’s really too strong of a word- is that this is supposed to be a stand alone, but it relies heavily on back story created in previous books (especially the original Rebels) that may leave new readers a bit in the dark. Ms Meader does a good job of pulling in pertinent details, but there are still portions that are vague.

Overall, this is a solid, feel good read. There were definitely moments when i found myself cheering for both characters along with times when I wanted to shake sense into them. There were good lessons learned, old friends to catch up with, and even a new character to get to know. I am very curious about where the next Rookie Rebel will take us. 

Amazon - Will Release December 29, 2020



Boone (Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas, #3)Boone by Emily March

3.5 stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy Provided by Publisher via Net Galley

Boone McBride has been a consistent secondary character in both the Eternity Springs and McBrides of Texas series - it was fun to see him finally get his own book.

We’ve known from the beginning that Boone was a deeper well than he made himself out to be, but here we learn just how deep those still waters run. It was sweet to see him take his experiences and help someone else in the form of Hannah Dupree.

This book is a vehicle for catching us up on where a few of the previous main couples are now, but it was done in a way that was organic to Boone and Hannah’s story. As with all Eternity Springs books, there is an overall message of hope and healing. Some of the hard work is glossed over, but it worked for the message here.

From the references to Boone’s sisters and a couple of other secondary characters mentioned, I don’t think we are done with Eternity Springs or Enchanted Canyon. I am looking forward to seeing where we may be going next.

Amazon - Will Release December 29, 2020

FREE READS:



'Tis the Season for Romance'Tis the Season for Romance by Sawyer Bennett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anthology Received as a Free download

This was a great Holiday anthology offered for free by several favorite authors. Some of the entries are full novellas that give peaks or introductions to series by the authors and I think those were my favorites.

Code name grace - 4 stars
A fun quick glimpse into the world of Jameson Force Security!

Boyfriend - 4 stars
Okay, I want more of Weston and Abi! This was a fun short story and I would love to see more.

The detour - 4 stars
Another story where I want more! I want to know Nick’s back story and what happened after Harley got that text??

The Right One -3.5 stars
Some editing issues made parts of this one confusing. I also felt like we were missing pieces of the puzzle.

Blind date - 3.5 stars
A cute read that’s obviously part of a series. I’m curious to know more.

Christmas in Quincy - 4 stars
What a fun introduction to a new town! I loved Cleo and Austin! I am curious to learn more about Quincy, the Eden family, and maybe even the guys of Garrison security?

Honor - 4 stars
This is part of a series, and reading this novella has me super curious! Nick and Jordan are entertaining characters and it was fun to see them fall for each other

A Mayson Family Christmas - 3.5 stars
This is a series catch up. If you are not up to date on Ms Rose’s stories, you will definitely be a bit lost.

Shielding Jayme - 4 stars
This is a sweet read that has me curious to read more from the author


View all my reviews

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