booksandmeforevermore13's reviews
305 reviews

Johnny Kavanagh, the man that you are. I have no words to express how much I love this man and how utterly perfect he is.

I kept putting off reading this book after the way Binding 13 ended because I was so nervous about how things would progress from that point. And this book literally broke me within the first few chapters alone. Everything that went on in those first few chapters was so much more intense than the entire first book. I had to just stop doing anything and sit with my head in my hands.

I felt so many emotions while listening to this, and I had to keep stopping to gather my thoughts while listening to the audiobook. The audiobook made the experience that much more intense, and I strongly recommend it. The narrators were beyond perfect for the book and did a wonderful job of making you feel everything all the characters were feeling. The level of anxiety and helplessness I felt on behalf of the Lynch siblings. The things they went through were just too much for anyone their age to have experienced.

Just like in the first book, I could feel all the emotions of the characters so deeply, not just Shannon but also other characters. My heart broke for Joey, and I was literally in tears whenever I was reading about him and what he was feeling and going through, even while just reading about it from Johnny and Shannon's POV. I don't know how I'll handle reading his book and hearing about his feelings from his own POV.

Johnny Kavanagh is literally the best book boyfriend, and you can't convince me otherwise. He went above and beyond, not just for Shannon but for her entire family. The lengths he goes to in this book for Shannon made me so emotional. I truly adored the bond Johnny formed with all of Shannon's siblings as the story progressed, and it was so heartwarming to see how much he genuinely cared about them and wanted to protect them too.

We see so much growth in Shannon here too. From being the scared girl in binding 13 to realizing that she deserves so much more for herself. She learns to stand up for herself and what she wants. To defend Johnny and her friends. Even after everything she went through, she was always there for the people in her life—her siblings, her friends, and Johnny.

I was so pissed initially at Darren and their mom for the way things were turning out, but oh God, did she take the stand when it was most needed and did what had to be done to protect her kids. It was so terrible the way things went on, but somehow that gave Shannon and her siblings the new start that they so desperately needed. Darren came around eventually too, and that made me warm up to him.

Johnny's parents were literally the best, and the way they handled the whole situation for them all made me so happy.

I honestly don't know how Chloe has managed to write a book where I'm crying one minute but laughing so hard that my stomach hurts the next. There was such an amazing balance to everything.

The side characters added so much to the story, and it wasn't just about Johnny and Shannon but about all the characters in their lives. We get so much more insight into the lives of the side characters—a better understanding of Claire, Gibsie, Lizzy, and Joey—that makes you curious to know more about their lives. I love Gibsie so much and he is even more chaotic in this book.

Johnny and Shannon's relationship grew so gradually and beautifully, and they were both so supportive of each other. They helped each other through everything. Johnny gave Shannon the space to be herself and explore herself, and basically he just couldn't say no to anything she wanted, which was so sweet and also helped Shannon come out of her shell and ask for things for once, knowing that Johnny would stay by her no matter what. Shannon stood by Johnny's side through his recovery, and all the time doubts about his future in rugby crept in. She gave him the assurance to take the step to go follow his dreams, knowing that she'd wait for him to return.

I can never get over this book and these characters. Like I said for the first book, though this book was really long and the audiobook was divided into two parts, I didn't feel that way once, and that tells you how engaging this book was, and it keeps you hooked from the first page right till the very end and leaves you wanting more.

After a string of bad PR incidents with her last few clients, Juliette is currently on the verge of losing her job. Deciding to give her one last chance, her boss assigns her to Hollywood's most loved celebrity, singer/songwriter Simon Bennett, thinking there is no way anyone could have a conflict with someone like him.

Simon Bennett is always happy, tries to see the best in every situation, and is a pretty agreeable person in general. Which is why he agreed to do a concert film in the first place. But now the filmmakers seem to be wanting more out of their deal and want to do interviews regarding his past and his upbringing, which is a topic Simon absolutely does not want to visit. When he has trouble getting through to the team, he hires someone who can help enforce those boundaries.

However, their initial meeting doesn't seem very promising, as Simon finds Juliette to be too negative and closed off, wondering if she's a good fit for him, and Juliette finds Simon's personality a little too chipper and is convinced that it is all an act because no one can be happy all the time.

At first, the two of them don't seem to be getting along too well, with Jules still feeling like Simon is putting on an act and Simon not knowing how to make Jules just relax. But as time goes by, they get more comfortable with each other, and eventually, they decide to act on their attraction when they can no longer seem to deny it. But Jules doesn't want anyone to know about them until the concert film is done, knowing what the implications of that would be for both of them, and Simon reluctantly agrees to her wishes.

Simon and Juliette have both had a tough childhood that has shaped them into the people they are today. And though there were similarities in their situations, their outlook on life couldn't be more different after what they went through. Juliette became tough and stopped letting anyone in, not wanting to let her guard down, while Simon wanted to appreciate everything good he was able to achieve in spite of his situations and how he overcame them. But these, in turn, became their strengths.

Their relationship grew so well over the course of the book. I liked that the romance didn't take away from the plot or from their individual growth. After keeping things about their pasts guarded for so long, both of them finally felt the confidence to be vulnerable with each other and talk about it. Jules eventually starts feeling more comfortable and not like she's always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I really loved the moments when Jules was in her PR mode and didn't let anyone walk all over her or undermine Simon's wishes.

I loved the side characters and how they were more like family. I enjoyed the appearances Simon's brothers made, how supportive they were, and how they talked sense into him when needed.

Thank you, Samantha Chase and Valentine PR, for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

♾️⭐️
It is Just My Luck to get the ARC for my most anticipated King sibling's book during my birthday month. Lena has totally outdone herself with this one. I've been so eager to know Abel's story right from the time I first read about him in the Sullivan family series, and he is now my favorite MMC written by Lena. I feel like I'm still reeling from the feelings I'm feeling after finishing this book.

Sloane moved to Outtertowner with her kids to get a fresh start. But the house she was living in gets burned down, forcing her to move into her granddad's cramped-up cabin with him and the twins. She needs access to her money to rebuild the house, but in order to do so, she needs to get married. The solution comes to her when she overhears Abel, her boss and the owner of the brewery she works at, talking about his bank loan getting rejected due to his criminal history.

Sloane comes up with a mutually beneficial plan that would help them both with their respective issues. Sloane and the kids move in with Abel and soon fall into a new routine. As time goes by and the two start working together on getting their issues sorted while convincing the town that their marriage isn't fake, they slowly start having real feelings for each other.

Abel is the biggest softie, and I just want to cry because he is so perfect. My heart broke for this man and how misunderstood he was. Feeling like he didn't fit in his own hometown and how people saw him and avoided him because of his past. The shame, guilt, and regrets that he still carried had convinced him that he didn't deserve anything good in his life. This man had a heart of gold and would literally do anything for the people he loved, which he did. And Abel stress baking???? God, as if he wasn't already hot enough as it is.

Sloane was literally sunshine personified, and I loved how she loved pushing Abel's buttons and getting under his skin. Even having gone through such a bad situation with her ex, Sloane never let that stop her from being kind, passionate, understanding, fiercely loyal, and supportive. I liked that she never assumed or judged Abel for his past and was unaffected by his grumpy behavior. She always stood by his side through everything and felt so protective towards him. She gave him the reassurance he needed and gave him the space to slowly open up and come out of his shell.

Ben and Tillie were the cutest kids, and they both had their own kind of bond with Abel. As someone whose past has defined how people see him and keep their distance from him, watching Sloane's kids look at him with a feeling of awe and trust right from that first meeting was so heartwarming. When Tillie immediately held on to his hand the first time she met him without any fear, it made me so emotional.

Going from being someone who was unsure how to be around Sloane's kids to blending into their lives so seamlessly, Abel took on the role of being their dad without even realizing it. And it showed how much they meant to him when he chose them over himself and his own happiness too. I legit cried when Tillie called him dad that first time and when Ben gave him that pep talk. The moments Sloane, Abel, and the kids spent together felt so natural, and they just fit together.

That robe scene in the very first chapter made me laugh so hard. The caveman-themed room at Wild Iris B&B was so hilarious. All the "my wife" moments had me grinning like an idiot because it was just freaking perfect. The brew he made for Sloane turned me into a gooey puddle.

Every book in the Kings/Sullivans series is incomplete without the Bluebirds organizing some event or celebration, and the wedding shower in this book was just so cute and really helped Abel feel a sense of belonging for the first time in years.

This was a perfecttt slow burn, with the tension building as the story progresses and finally leading to some AMAZING spice as always. I loved how Sloane took the lead here when Abel was uncertain, and she wasn't shy to ask for what she wanted.

The mystery involving the King family and their mom that started in Whip's book continues here, and some very shocking revelations come to light that have blown everything the Kings have known to be true all their lives, and I am so invested in finding out alongside the Kings what truly went down all those years ago.

The Sullivans and Kings teaming up the way they did?????? I was NOT ready for that, and I was kicking my feet and screaming like a maniac. Also, I NEED a sneak peek into the Nemesis Nucleus group chat in the next books.

Royal King's book is up next, and I've been dying to know his secrets right from One Look and to know what Lark helped him out with.

Thank you, Lena, for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review 💗 You made my whole month with this absolute masterpiece.

This was my first book by Willow Aster and it most definitely won't be my last.
I'm a sucker for single dad romance so I was so thrilled to start this. And this was a great start to the series for sure.

Weston Shaw is the star quarterback for the Colorado Mustangs and after two consecutive super bowl wins, is at the top of his career, enjoying his single life. And though all the partying and hooking up seem to have lost its appeal lately, he isn't ready for a relationship yet and wants to focus on his career. But all that changes when he gets a call one day, letting him know his two month-old son is at the hospital.

When he rushes to the hospital, thinking this is some mistake, he comes across Sadie Chapman, who is his son Caleb's aunt. Sadie, who Caleb seems really attached to and who knows way more about his needs than Weston does. Forced into an unconventional situation, Weston and Sadie decide to put their own differences and dislike for each other aside for Caleb's sake.

When the truth of the situation slowly sinks in, Weston dives headfirst into being present in Caleb's life, taking on the role of a father overnight, and dealing with how this sudden change will clash with his current life, while Sadie deals with her own uncertainties about the situation, her future, and her emotions.

Together, they slowly find their footing amidst all the chaos while making sure none of it affects Caleb. As they spend more time together raising Caleb, Sadie starts seeing Weston for who he really is which makes her question everything she had made up in her mind about him.

Tropes:
NFL Quarterback
Single Dad
Enemies-to-Lovers
Secret Baby
Forced Proximity
Small Town

Weston was so different from what everyone perceived him to be. And though there might have been some truth to his playboy ways, he was already on a path to be done with that lifestyle before he even met Sadie and Caleb. Weston was someone you could blindly rely on. He never stopped trying, and when he cared about someone, he went above and beyond. Watching his relationship grow with Caleb was so heartwarming. He accepted his feelings for Sadie, but stepped back when he knew she wasn't ready. But he didn't give up on them either; he let her know where he stood while he waited for her to catch up.

My heart broke for Sadie and the situation she was dealing with. It couldn't have been easy for her, but Weston was extremely understanding and supportive and gave her the space she needed to deal with stuff. I could understand her conflicting emotions throughout the book. Anger, guilt, confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. But she loved Caleb with everything she had and put her own pride and differences aside for his sake. 

Caleb was the cutest kid and was so loved by everyone. He had everyone wrapped around his little finger. Watching him form a relationship with the new people in his life left me with a huge smile on my face.

I really loved the single dad player's group. They were so supportive of each other but also gave each other shit all the time. The banter between them was hilarious, and the concept of starting that playbook was interesting. I adored Silver Hills. All the places around town and how they were described made the town seem so magical.

There was some hint of a mystery as to why Weston didn't know about his son earlier, which kept me invested.

What I had a slight issue with were the conflicting feelings or thoughts we get about Sasha from everyone who knew her, including herself.

Thank you to the author and Valentine PR for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One night and an accident led to Rhodes losing everything and left her with scars as a reminder. Her home, her family, her innocence. Now, years later, she has returned to the her old home to face her past and start over. Here, she comes across her brother's grumpy best friend - Anson Hunt who is now working on restoring her old home. She tries to form a friendship with him only to get shot down every time. Anson chooses to avoid her, until he finds her in a vulnerable situation and rushes to help her.

Anson is an ex profiler who is now working for his best friend's construction company in Sparrow Falls, away from his old life, where no one recognizes him or can find him. He tries his best to keep his distance from everyone in town and reveal nothing about himself after what went down in his past. He meets Rhodes, who is his best friend's sister when he starts working on restoring her house and they do not start off on a great note. Anson decides that he is going to keep his distance from Rhodes but his plans fly out the window when he finds her falling apart and reaches out to help her.

As the progress on the house continues, Anson and Rhodes start forming a friendship. But someone in town isn't too thrilled about Rhodes restoring her house and start bringing up memories from her past. As they start getting bolder with each incident, Anson decides to stay closer to keep her safe. But when the attacks take a serious turn, Anson has no choice but to let his profiler side take over in order to find the person behind all the attacks before it's too late.

Meanwhile, the serial unaliver from Anson's last case, which was left unsolved seems to have resurfaced now and is killing his way right to Sparrow Falls - to Anson. Will Anson be able to find out who he is this time before it's too late? Will he be able to save Rhodes and himself?

Review:
I've been waiting for Anson's story ever since he was mentioned in the Lost & Found series and the major role he plays in Ashes of You to help Lawson. And he was totally worth the wait.

After losing everything during his last case as a profiler, Anson now wants to spend his time far away from everyone he knew. He keeps his focus strictly on his work so he doesn't have any time or energy to think about all his mistakes, regrets and loss. He tries to stay away from Rhodes because he thinks he doesn't deserve to feel peace or happiness again but he can't seem to stay away from her for long. I really liked his friendship with Shep and how the Colsons never stopped trying to get him to join them for family dinners. It was nice to see how he slowly found his place after everything he'd been through.

Rhodes was a strong character who has been through so much at a very young age. And though the Colsons took her in, she deals with the guilt of having this new life and this second amazing family when her she couldn't save her own family. Her working on her old house was her way of putting them to rest and finding peace. But she hasn't let her past stop her from trying and helping everyone out in her community. She wasn't a damsel in distress either, always giving back and standing up for herself.

Rhodes and Anson were both dealing with trauma from their past, and though the situations were very different, their feelings of guilt and loss was something they could relate to which led to their connection. As Rhodes slowly opens up to Anson about things she has never voiced out, something shifts in their relationship. Gradually, Anson opens up about his past too, letting Rhodes know all that went down in his past that has made him the person he is today. Having gone through similar situations and having an understanding of what it's like to lose people and the guilt that follows, Rhodes and Anson were able to help each other see things from a new perspective in their lives which helped them come to terms with their past and try to start a future together.

I love the Colsons. A family of foster kids who've all been through their fair share of crap before being taken under by Nora Colson. Absolutely loved Lotti and she stole the show.

Biscuit was a wonderful addition to this story and I loved his growth in the book too. From being a rescue and having trust issues to finding his home and his people. That scene where he drags Anson through the mud was hilarious.

The suspense in Catherine's books always keeps me on edge but this one took it a step further. There was no way I could've seen that twist coming and somehow they all tied up together so well that I was just stunned. I was so doubtful about every single side character and the reveal still blew my mind away.

So excited for Shep and Thea's book.

3.5/5⭐️

The Lumberjack is the final book in the Game of Chance series. This was an interesting read but fell kind of flat for me cuz I hadn't read the previous books in the series. So that's partly on me.

I thought this was a standalone that could be read on it's own but there seemed to be a lot of backstory that was already covered in the previous books for Jack and April and it seemed like the scene was already set for them, with them pining after each other for 5 years and already having this bond/connection which I couldn't relate to since, again, I started the series with this book.

However, I feel like the author could've slowly eased us into their relationship rather than getting into it too early in the book which made me feel like I started a book midway through the story, especially with the amnesia trope.

After April suffers from a terrible accident which leads to her temporarily losing her memories and she has no recollection of the last five years of her life, but she feels this sort of familiarity and connection towards Jack. She then finds out that they've both been attracted to each other for years but avoided taking it further for their own reasons. For April it's because he's her boss and after being in a loveless marriage for far too long, she didn't want to get into another relationship and also the fact that Jack was younger than her. For Jack, he had his insecurities that she would reject him and that he would be too intense for her given his past as a Special Forces Soldier, and knowing what a huge role April played in the success of his business that he didn't want things to get awkward and for her to leave. The accident puts things into perspective for both of them about how short life is and how stupid they were to keep denying their feelings for so long.

Jack decides to take April back to his place to recover after she gets discharged and they get into a relationship the same day. It felt too rushed especially not having any backstory or insight into their relationship. I felt too disconnected from these two to relate. Also, they kept mentioning that April was older than Jack and though we knew her age to be 46 yo, but Jack's age isn't mentioned till the end here.

These two get into a relationship and once the dust settles on that, the suspense aspect of the book takes the lead with someone from Cal, Jack, Bob and Chappy's past coming back for revenge and using the women as bait to lure them in. And then it's a race to save these women and how the villain has laid out a meticulous plan that he's worked on for years and has thought about everything to make sure the men can't escape.

Reading the things this guy did to the women was terrible and made me want to beat him up myself. But the women stayed strong and did everything they could to not lose it and fought till the end. April was the real star here with how she managed the whole situation and got them all the help and played the major role in getting them to safety.

We see characters from other series join the men to help them track the women and they plan out the rescue mission and execute it.

The ending shows us how all the couples are doing after a few years and ties up the series pretty well. And reading the little snippets of the other couples has got me interested in their books now.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh god my hearttttt!! This book ripped my heart out and then put it back together. It legit made me cry and feel soooo much for these characters. I wanted to give Rafael the biggest, tightest hug. Nico.. I love that kid to bits. And Ellie.. she is the sweetest, purest soul and I'm so happy that these three somehow found their way and ended up together.

This book made me so emotional and my heart broke for all these characters, especially Rafe. God this man. I wish he could see himself the way we saw him. My heart ached for how he wanted to try so hard to connect with Nico but just seemed so lost and how every rejection wounded him a little more but his world always revolved around his son.

The trip was the perfect setting for these 3 to be away from everyone else and spend time together and understand each other and bond. The trip made Nico and Rafe bridge the distance they had when Rafe slowly starting opening up to Nico to help him understand where he comes from and why he is the way he is and does the things he does.

Rafe has a traumatic past and he tried so hard to be the person he thought he had to be due to his abandonment issues. How he hid his true feelings and suppressed his insecurities behind his smiles and trying to be the most popular person so no one would cast him aside again. How these feelings led to his relationship with his ex-wife and how her betrayal was another one to his list that messed him up.

We see Rafe totally giving up on himself and his only purpose and focus being Nico. How he stopped trying, living, and wanting. When he slowly starts opening up about all the things he keep hidden out of fear, embarrassment, and shame, he starts acknowledging how these patterns and behavior were causing more harm to him. But it is when he sees similar patterns in Nico that he realizes he needs to change that example for Nico's sake so he doesn't grow up feeling the way Rafe did.

There was a lot of self reflection and character growth for Rafe and Ellie played a major role in it. She accepted him for him without judging him for his habits, gave him a safe space to gradually open up, showed him that he was loved and accepted for who he was so he didn't need to be anyone but himself, and constantly reassured him knowing his issues and insecurities. Rafe also worked on himself in order to stop sabotaging himself so he could choose a life with Ellie without his past holding him back.

Ellie was such a strong and amazing character. She has her own scars from her past. Both visible and invisible. She has had her own struggles that she worked really hard to overcome and though its a constant battle, she never gives up. I truly loved the TS reference with respect to her scars and her tattoo and it made me tear up. After being betrayed by someone so close to her the way she had been, it took immense courage to get back out there and work on your dreams and that made me so proud of Ellie for not giving up.

Ellie really helped Rafe and Nico find their footing again and finally brought Rafe's smiles back after a long time. I loved seeing how happy it made Rafe feel knowing Ellie had a crush on him for years back in high school cuz that man totally deserves to feel that way.

This book wasn't about fixing each other but about realizing you need help and actively working on it because you want to be a better person not just for yourself, but so you can do justice to the people in your life and set the right example. It was about the constant support you provide to let the other know that you've got their back while they work on themselves. It's about choosing someone for exactly who they are, flaws, scars and all. It was about learning to let go of the past, learning from it but not letting it stop you from reaching out for the future you want.

The rage I felt on behalf of Rafe and Ellie towards certain characters and then the satisfaction I felt towards the end for them getting what they deserved. Just like book 1, I absolutelly loved the side characters and their interactions. They added so much to the story. Rafe's relationship with Julian was so precious.

Again, this book had some really sensitive topics like self harm which the author handled really well.

It was a slow burn and the spice was HAWT af. Especialllyyy while listening to the audiobook. The way Noah B. Perez said "Good girls always come first" has altered my brain permanently. I have to mention that the narrators Noah B. Perez and Vanessa Edwin were incredible and so perfect for these characters.

Holly is looking for The One, after spending years waiting for a man to make the move she was hoping he would. Almost nearing 30, she is done wasting her time and wants to settle down, so she starts going on blind dates with the men she matches on an app, but they don't seem to be getting her the results she was hoping for. The only constant being the restaurant she prefers having all her dates at.

When a date goes particularly badly, Jax, a bartender at the restaurant comes to her rescue. As a self-proclaimed player himself who is also well versed in reading people, he gives Holly some tips on what went wrong and what signs she needed to look for. When all his predictions turn out to be true, Holly decides that she might not know what she's doing, but maybe with Jax's help she can stop having to suffer through terrible dates if she knew what to look for.

Jax has just quit his job at the bar in hopes of pursuing his dream of setting up his own wilderness guide business, and while he is certified as a guide, he has no idea how to set up the business and promote it to the right crowd. Jax and Holly come to an arrangement where Holly will use her experience to help Jax set up his business and in return, Jax will help her with what she is doing wrong when it comes to dating so she can find the one.

Jax has own past and a bad example of a father which is why he stays far away from anything to do with love or relationships. He is sure that he has no intentions of ever settling down which makes him the perfect person to help Holly out as there won't be any other expectations since Holly isn't interested in anything casual.

As these two strike up a friendship while helping each other out, they slowly start revealing more of themselves to each other in the process. The more they get to know each other, the more they start questioning themselves whether the idea of love and relationship they've held on to for so long is what they still believe in?

This story was really relatable for me and it helped put a lot of things into perspective for myself too. I could see where Holly was coming from and she was such a relatable character who tried to be what she thought others wanted her to be and molded her personality as such with each person. And though she was eager to settle down, she didn't have a clear idea of what she actually wanted in her partner.

Jax put it into words so well how her initial Hit list didn't explain what she wanted in her partner and how the things in her list weren't what truly mattered for a lifelong commitment and in order to know what that was, she needed to know who she was in the first place. Not the person who tries to blend into who others want her to be. This in turn leads them to Holly's quit list, which is a list of things she wants to quit doing that are getting in the way of finding her purpose and happiness.

This was a story about self reflection and discovery. It wasn't about fixing things for the other but about getting to know each other and guiding the other towards the right path. About acknowledging your flaws and also acknowledging your worth and working towards finding someone who complements you, not completes you. Someone who chooses you for you and doesn't try to fit you into a box of their liking.

Given Jax's past and the example he has seen all his life, his choice to never get into such a situation was understandable. But as his friendship with Holly progresses, he finds himself slowly developing feelings for her when he starts getting to learn more about Holly while she's also discovering herself. This makes him question whether he wants to keep living the way he always has because of his fears or does he want to take the steps to work hard to be the kind of person who can commit to Holly.

No third act breakup which I always love. These two always had clear and open communication and were realistic in terms of what they wanted. I also love how despite being someone who avoided being confrontations, Holly finally put Dylan in his place and chose herself.

♾️⭐️

I have no words to explain how obsessed I am with this book. I feel like I have sooo much to say but it doesn't seem to justify just how much I loved this book. It's basically become my whole personality. I was cackling just like Lark was cuz this was hilarious AF. All the fecking stars in the world for this masterpiece.

This book follows Lark Montague (Sloane's best friend) and Lachlan Kane (Rowan's older brother).
Lachlan has been working as a contract killer for years as a way to pay off his debt to the man who saved him and his brothers from a difficult situation years ago. But now he wants to be done with that life for good. However, when he screws up one of the jobs which leads to a major fallout for his boss with his biggest client, any chances of him being able to get himself away from this life seems lost. The only person who claims to be able to help him out is also the one person he can't stand... Lark Montague.

When someone starts killing off people close to Lark's family and all the signs seems to point to Lachlan, her family seems to want to neutralize this threat, which also puts the other Kane brothers at risk. So, in order to save them, Lark proposes the idea of getting married in order to keep her family from killing Lachlan and finding the real killer while also helping him out with his situation with his boss.

Between trying to convince her family about their relationship and working together to find out who is after her family, Lachlan and Lark spend a lot of time together, and the line between fake and real starts to blur the more they get to know each other.

If I thought Sloane was unhinged, Lark made her look really tame comparatively. She was fucking hilarious, a total badass, and the absolute fecking best. I truly wish I could be best friends with Lark, Sloane and Rose. Literally the best girl gang. Lark is the kind of friend everyone needs in their life who would do ANYTHINGGG for you.

Lark puts her own spin on being the sunshine in this particular grumpy x sunshine situation by also being a serial ki... "multiple deleter". She also took DIY to a whole new level and I'm totally here for it. I truly aspire to be her level of petty and vengeful in life buttttt... make it sparkly.

Ethel was the star in this book from the start, right till the end. Gotta give it to her for all the plotting, scheming and meddling she did. She just loved to watch the world burn. I think I would totally vibe with her.

I KNEWWW the TW said Pizza and Beer would be ruined but damnnnn I couldn't have even imagined that and yet, it was well deserved. The snow globe scene was epic especially when Lark clarifies the use of snowflakes and asks Lachlan to give it a good shake.

I loved how despite having such a rocky start, Lark and Lachlan were the PERFECTTT fit for each other. The banter between Lark and Lachlan was top notch. All the Keanu Reeves references were hysterical, especially the John Wick references. The way Lachlan kept trying to help Lark out in every way he could when she had trouble sleeping was so endearing. How he didn't just expect her to forgive him but he kept working on earning it and didn't move forward with anything despite the tension and attraction between them because he didn't want to start things off that way. Knowing what little he knew about Lark's past, he never pushed her to tell him about it, but always gave her pieces of himself first so she felt comfortable.

Lark was literally sunshine personified, who always wanted the people around her to be at ease and happy. She gave them her complete attention and celebrated the small things in their lives while never letting anyone see what truly went on in her head so no one would have to worry about her. She puts her own happiness on hold when she decides to marry Lachlan, all so she could ensure Sloane gets her happily ever after. But behind all the smiles and laughs, Lark is still haunted by her past and has her own secrets that she has kept from everyone, including her best friend Sloane. And though she is tough as nails and faces everything head on, she also hides her uncertainties and vulnerabilities from the world so no one can ever use them against her which makes her such a captivating and relatable character.

Lachlan was EVERYTHINGGGGG. That man is simply the best. The love he has for his brothers and Lark was so clear in everything he did. He tries to hide away his feelings from everyone so they don't see the toll his past and his work has taken on him, or the constant worry he has for his brothers. His first meeting with Lark was less than ideal which led to them staying far away from each other for years until they had no choice but to get together to keep his brothers safe. But once he starts paying attention to Lark and seeing her for who she really is rather than his initial assumptions, he can't help but feel a pull towards her which only keeps growing the more he learns about her. The sleep retreat, the leather harness, the safe for Lark's trophies, the gift he made for her, oohh and the man he tied up and tortured for her obviously (Y'all need to seriously take tips from Lachlan on how to grovel cuz that was on another level) they all just made me swoon. I need a man like Lachlan in my life or I'd rather be single.

This was a slow burn BUT the tension between these two was off the charts and had me fanning myself... and when the spice finally hits... OMFGGG... it fucking HITSSSS... Also, that bonus scene????? FECKING CHRIST JESUSSSS🔥🔥🔥

I have no idea what to expect from the last book in this series given how things ended in this one. I'm not sure my heart will survive it. I'm so in love with Fionn and Rose already and I NEED to know what happens after that ending.

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Re-read: Audiobook
Date: 14th June
So I picked up the audiobook righttttt after I finished the book cuz I loved this book soo much and I couldn't bear to be done with it yet, and let me tell you.. the audiobook is FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. You HAVE to give it a try cuz it just makes the the experience 100x better.

I was already a fan of Samantha Brentmoor and I think she's so damn talented and brilliant as a narrator. Eric Nolan was the perfectttt narrator for Lachlan and I legit couldn't function while listening to this. The narration especially during the spicy scenes blew my goddamn mind cuz OH. My. Fucking. GODDDD!!!