Mini Reviews: Broke Down, The Spanish Love Deception, and Drag Me Up

I've read a few books lately that I want to talk about, but I don't think I'm quite in the mood to write an entire long-form review. So...here we are with mini reviews! :)

Broke Down by Sharan Daire

Source: KindleUnlimited.

My car broke down on an icy road in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got no money in the bank, no place to stay, and no food for my kids. Can it get any worse?

Sure. A police car pulls up.

The county sheriff calls his twin brother to tow my car for repairs that'll probably cost more than the beater is worth. They say don’t worry about it. They only want to help.

Sure they do.

These gorgeous guys just happen to have two friends who own a luxurious motel called Little Cypress Lodge. I walk into this incredible hotel and it's like I've entered a new fantasy world. It's warm, there's plenty of food for my kids, and they say I can stay. For free. As long as I need a place.

The four of them even want to hire me to do some modeling work for their new fashion line. Crazy, right?

Me. The broke down, homeless single mom.

If I can keep up the act long enough to make some deposits on a new place, I can start a new life for me and my kids. If I don't lose my heart first.

Goodreads | Amazon

**Available through KindleUnlimited!**

I picked this one up as a brain candy read right before the new Mariana Zapata book released. I started it and it was so fun. Then the MZ book released, so I put this one aside for a few days before picking it back up. It was just as easy to get into the second time as it was the first. It doesn't have loads of depth, and it falls on rather simple tropes that tend to be present in books like this, but it really did hit the spot. If you're looking for a quick read that will make you smile and, yeah, probably roll your eyes too...but that's part of its charm, then I say definitely give this one a try!

3 stars - A fun, brain candy RH!

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Source: KindleUnlimited.

A wedding. A trip to Spain. The most infuriating man. And three days of pretending. Or in other words, a plan that will never work.

Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year.

That would certainly be tomorrow’s headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call.

Four weeks wasn’t a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic–from NYC and all the way to Spain–for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along my charade. But that didn’t mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6’4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me.

Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister’s wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie?

Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.

The Spanish Love Deception is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romantic comedy. Perfect for those looking for a steamy slow-burn romance with the sweetest Happily Ever After.

Goodreads | Amazon

**Available through KindleUnlimited!**

Before I say anything else, I must tell y'all that THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. It was such an absolute delight. So many of my favorite romance tropes thrown into one beautiful book: grumpy hero, fake relationship, office romance, SLOW BURN! I'd been looking forward to reading this one, and I'm so glad it delivered. I give it 4.5 stars (rounding up to 5) only because of a couple of tiny things that don't entirely matter but did take it from being a definite favorite to only a *contender* for favorite. Even so, I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the tropes I listed, and also to fans of Mariana Zapata.

4.5 stars - A delightful slow burn romance!

Drag Me Up (Gods of Hunger #1) by R.M. Virtues

Source: Purchased.

They say he’s a myth...

And Hades prefers it that way. He may do all the work, and Zeus may get all the credit, but at least it allows Hades to preserve the one thing he truly cares to have: his solitude. The mere mention of the Wraith of Khaos Falls is enough to keep order, and he is rarely forced to leave the shadows of Casino Asphodel.

She belongs in the spotlight...

And Persephone clawed her way out of Demeter’s shadow to reach it. Now she’s lead in Calliope’s Cirque production but not without great cost, and there is not enough money in the world to pay off the debt accrued for the simple mistake of trusting Zeus. Though it’s easier to ignore the bars when she still has room to fly.

Landing a residency at the legendary Casino Asphodel is everything she trained for. Meeting a man she’d been convinced didn’t exist? She could never be prepared for that. Hades isn’t prepared for her either, but it’s soon evident they’re a force when together. He gives her a soft place to land, and she makes him want to reach for the stars. But when Zeus ups the stakes, they must be willing to go all in, even if it means coming down from the sky. Or stepping into the light.

Goodreads | Amazon

I've been seeing this book all over Twitter lately, and I was intrigued enough to download the sample. Then, of course, the sample intrigued me enough that I bought the ebook. And I must say that I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed it. Mostly because the romance was so well done. Hades and Persephone (yes, THE Hades and Persephone!) connect right away, and I love that neither of them play games with each other as they ease their way into a relationship. It was sweet and lovely. Drag Me Up also uses Greek mythology in a unique way. I liked it, but I wish I'd been more drawn to the inner workings of it all. Maybe as the series goes and I get to know the characters better, I'll grow more interested in that aspect. Overall, I really liked Drag Me Up and I'm excited to read more of the series as it releases! I definitely recommend y'all give this book a try!!

3 stars - A well done Hades & Persephone romance!

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata ~ Review

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

Source: KindleUnlimimted.

Losing people you love is hard.

Aurora De La Torre knows moving back to a place that was once home isn’t going to be easy.

Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be.

But a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart.

Checking out her landlord across the driveway just might cure it too.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

I am always excited for new Mariana Zapata books. She's one of my favorite authors. An auto-buy and an auto-read. So when All Rhodes Lead Here released the Friday before Easter, I spent the weekend savoring it. And let me tell you that I absolutely LOVED IT, I LOVED IT SO MUCH, Y'ALL.

I don't even know how to get my thoughts together to form sentences in paragraphs that are organized and make sense. It's why it's taken mem a couple weeks to even try writing this review. So instead I think I'm going to do a little list of specific things that made this book such perfection.

- The main character, Aurora. She's kind and laid back and self aware and she cries. She cries sometimes, not in a dramatic way or anything, but in a way that I thought was genuine and just made her sweet character all that much more realistic to me. I loved her.

- Amos. He's such a little sweetheart, and I think I enjoyed the bond and friendship he formed with Aurora somewhere around as much as I enjoyed the romance. It was the kind of thing that warmed my heart and put a smile on my face.

- Rhodes, of course. He's gruff and a bit of a grumpy hero, but as Aurora grows on him, he easily grew on me. And it was so natural. Like I blinked and BAM I was head over heels for Rhodes. I especially love how caring and sweet he could be for Aurora. Double especially because he had to learn gentler behavior because that was what Aurora needed.

- All the friends. Clara and Jackie. Yuki and her sister. Johnny. All of them. While Aurora, Rhodes, and Amos were the focus, their friends (and family) added to the world beautifully.

- Aurora's connection to her mother. The way she still deals with her grief so many years later. Just lovely.

- The ROMANCE. The way this book has my whole heart, I cannot even say. I mentioned Rhodes learning to be gentler, but he also learns to show affection regularly. He decided he was devoted and that was that, he was in and ready for the long haul. He said things and MEANT THEM. He proved he meant them. He backed them up. It's a slow burn, but that means they had a foundation built strong like a Taylor Swift bridge. 

I could probably gush about this book all day, but I need to stop somewhere. It's probably obvious at this point, but I adored All Rhodes Lead Here. As of right now, it is the best book I've read this year. Honestly, it just might be my new favorite MZ book...though I have to think about it because that's a big decision. But it's definitely up there with Wait For It for me! I'll just have to re-read the paperback I already bought until I know... :)

5 stars - A new all-time favorite!

What Are You Currently Reading? (11)

Hi there, friends! It's been aboooout a month since I last did one of these posts, so I figured it was time for another. Since then, I've been my regular mood-reading self. Meaning, I mostly spent time reading whatever I could get to hold my attention as I waited for the next Mariana Zapata book because that was released a couple of weeks ago and her books are auto-reads for me.

So yeah. I think that kind of makes it obvious what I'm about to say I'm reading this weekend, hmm?

First up...

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

Losing people you love is hard.

Aurora De La Torre knows moving back to a place that was once home isn’t going to be easy.

Starting your whole life over probably isn’t supposed to be.

But a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart.

Checking out her landlord across the driveway just might cure it too.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

How much I've read: nothing yet, lol

Thoughts: As I'm writing this, the book JUST released earlier today, so I haven't had the chance to start it yet. But I'm so excited!!! The perfect way to spend my long holiday weekend. It's on my Kindle, waiting to be started. And goodness knows this is going to be a good one, as pretty much all of MZ's books are!

I'm also reading...

Broke Down by Sharan Daire

My car broke down on an icy road in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got no money in the bank, no place to stay, and no food for my kids. Can it get any worse?

Sure. A police car pulls up.

The county sheriff calls his twin brother to tow my car for repairs that'll probably cost more than the beater is worth. They say don’t worry about it. They only want to help.

Sure they do.

These gorgeous guys just happen to have two friends who own a luxurious motel called Little Cypress Lodge. I walk into this incredible hotel and it's like I've entered a new fantasy world. It's warm, there's plenty of food for my kids, and they say I can stay. For free. As long as I need a place.

The four of them even want to hire me to do some modeling work for their new fashion line. Crazy, right?

Me. The broke down, homeless single mom.

If I can keep up the act long enough to make some deposits on a new place, I can start a new life for me and my kids. If I don't lose my heart first.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

How much I've read: 101 pages / 32%

Thoughts: This is such a fun RH brain candy read. Which is exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. Things are really just starting to get rolling, but I'm enjoying the characters so far, and I'm looking forward to finishing the story! I'll probably finish it after I read ARLH though... because idk if I can help myself long enough to finish this one first, even though I am really liking it...lol

That's what I'm reading this weekend! What do you think? And I'd love to know what y'all are reading?! :)

Focused (Ward Sisters #1) by Karla Sorensen ~ Review

Focused (Ward Sisters #1) by Karla Sorensen

Source: KindleUnlimited.

If you've ever seen your teenage crush ten years later, and he turns out to be a complete jerk, then you know how Molly Ward feels.

The last time she saw Noah Griffin was the regrettable day that she decided to climb into his bedroom window and turn her unrequited crush into something more.

That day was bad enough, but things are about to get worse.

Noah has become one of the best football players in the country, and he’s just landed on Molly’s front step.

As a new addition to the Washington Wolves roster, Noah's presence is the key to Molly’s promotion in the front office.

The problem is, Noah wants nothing to do with Molly, and his surly attitude is making her job very difficult.

But he's got another thing coming if he thinks Molly will be intimidated by one grumpy football player, no matter how much he hates being around her.

Once these two go head to head, their mutual dislike explodes into undeniable chemistry. But with what they have at stake, they just might detonate everything else along with it.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

Lately I've been trying to fill my reading time with anything that will hold my attention as I wait for the new Mariana Zapata book. Therefore, I was naturally looking for something that would scratch that kind of itch when I picked what to read. And I remembered a friend saying that Focused gave her The Wall of Winnipeg and Me vibes, so I gave it a chance. And you know, I'm glad I did. Because I really enjoyed this book.

In regards to the Winnipeg vibes, I could totally see it. The main male character, Noah, is a super focused defensive football player. So focused that he lives, breathes, and sleeps football. 100% football all the time. Watching film, working out, at practice, focused. And because of this it takes him a little longer to realize the chemistry and feelings brewing between himself and the main female character, Molly.

As a whole, there was a whole lot I liked about Focused. I enjoyed Molly and Noah, and since the book is dual POV this is always nice. I also liked the side characters--Molly's family, Noah's grandmother, the people from the show that hung around all the time. I also liked that there wasn't really a time in the book where I felt like things were too slow. It didn't drag even a little. 

And of course, the biggest thing I loved about Focused was the romance. It was a more medium burn--not instant but not drawn out enough to really be considered a slow burn for me either. But it was sweet to see them grow comfortable with each other after their initial unpleasantness. And I ADORED how much Noah cared for Molly. It took him a little bit to get there, but once he was there? It was the best. Thinking about it now makes me so happy, it was that good. 

My only criticism for Focused would be that we didn't get to know much about Noah and Molly's past. This is a second chance (already a hard sell for me), but we don't know all the much about their first chance other than it was a mistake. We know they were neighbors, and we know ~the incident~ but I'd have liked to know more. I think it could have given them more depth. 

Overall, Focused was a sports romance well worth the read. A delightful medium burn with a dash of enemies to lovers and a grumpy hero that was easy to grow to love. I'd only planned to read this book and then move onto something else, but I've already started book 2 in the Ward Sisters series because I couldn't help myself!

4 stars - A delightful sports romance with a loveable grumpy hero!

Forever Never by Lucy Score ~ Review

Source: KindleUnlimited.

Forever Never by Lucy Score

You don’t fall for your brother’s high school sweetheart, your boss’s daughter, or your ex-wife’s best friend. Especially when they’re all the same woman.

Under Brick Callan’s mile-wide chest beats a loyal heart with a few cracks in it. He’s the steadfast, overprotective type. Especially when it comes to the one woman he can never have. It’s a long, complicated history punctuated by fights, friendship, family, and an attraction that strains his iron willpower.

When Remi Ford returns to Mackinac Island in the dead of winter with a secret, Brick makes it his mission to find out what put the shadows in those green eyes. Even if it means breaking down the walls he’s built between them. Even if it means falling for the one girl he’ll never get over.

The free-spirited artist just needs to lay low for a few weeks so she can figure a way out of this nightmare. She’s definitely not staying. Not when the man who broke her teenage heart into splinters keeps showing up at her parents’ dinner table. Remi doesn’t need broody, bearded Brick riding to her rescue…again. Not when it will put them both in danger, costing them much more than their hearts.

Author’s Note: Frenemies-to-lovers. Opposites attract. Slow burn. Girl in danger. Glorious, glorious banter. Fighting as foreplay. Small-town shenanigans. Big, grumpy, pining, overprotective hero. Wild-child, trouble-finding heroine who keeps on pushing the hero’s buttons. Steam Level: Lava. Suspense: Nail-biting. Feels: Big time.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

After reading and enjoying Rock Bottom Girl, I've been wanting to pick up another Lucy Score novel. So when an ad for Forever Never came up on my Facebook timeline I couldn't help but download the sample. And right after finishing the sample I couldn't help but download the whole book. And now that I've read it, I can say that it was, in fact, quite good.

There were a few things that this book did very well. First was the premise: the lively, lovable woman come back to town with a big problem and the burly guy who pines after her forcing himself in to help. It was a slow burn, which I love. And there was an angst factor that I was in the mood for.

Second was the characters. Lucy Score is so good at writing interesting characters. They're fun and quirky but also realistically flawed. Take Remi's sister, for instance, and her marriage--flawed but in a way that was real and not the end all be all. It was just...like life.

Third was Remi and Brick together. I LOVED them together. I loved how Brick wanted her. How he cared and watched and helped and was solid and always there for her. And Remi, I really loved Remi. She'd loved him forever and I felt so much for her as they slowly found their way together. 

Fourth, this book did a fantastic job of hooking me. I love me a chunky book, but the way I flew through it last weekend was awesome.

All that said, there were some aspects of Forever Never that didn't quite work out for me. Most of them can be summed up by my adoration for Remi--I don't feel like she got what she deserved. She took a lot of verbal hits in this book, which I respect because that's the name of the angst game, but I don't feel like anyone (particularly her sister and Brick) gave her the apologies she deserved. The only one who tried hard enough was AUDREY, of all people, and even that I'd have liked a little more--but it didn't bother me nearly as much since in the grand scheme Audrey shouldn't have mattered.

I was especially disappointed by how little groveling Brick did. He married her best friend. When he'd clearly loved Remi all along. (Not a spoiler, he's obviously head over heels from page 1.) And instead of Brick winning Remi over, we get Remi trying to win him over. Remi is always the one who has to be understanding and I just wanted better for her.

Overall, Forever Never was a good story that I had a good time reading, but it could have been better. And I'll definitely be picking up another Lucy Score novel (lol since originally writing this review I have and it was very enjoyable). If she can get me THIS into a second chance romance (aka not one of my favorite tropes at all--so take this entire review with that grain of salt), I have hope that I can find another novel in her backlist to love. 

3.5 stars - Not a favorite, but I really liked this one & the main couple was so perfect for each other!

What Are You Currently Reading? (10)

 

lol remember when I started this post series and I said I'd make a better graphic at some point? And here we are, over a year later, and I'm still using this rough graphic. Sigh. But I digress.

Hello, friends! It's been a hot minute since I made one of these posts. My last one was on HALLOWEEN. Goodness. Suffice it to say I've read quite a few books since then. In 2021 alone I've read 15 books so far. My GR goal is 75, so I'm keeping up alright so far. Still the same moody reader as always.

And SPEAKING of mood reading, let's get into what I'm reading this weekend, shall we?

First up, I'm reading...

The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book three in her Blood and Ash series…

She's been the victim and the survivor…

Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.

The enemy and the warrior…

Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head.

A lover and heartmate…

But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.

And now she will become Queen…

Goodreads | Amazon

How much I've read: 23%

Thoughts: So basically Jennifer L. Armentrout sat down to write this book & said to herself "this is going to be THE BEST BOOK." It's so freaking good. It starts with a bang and does. not. stop. It's interesting and the romance is perfect and dear goodness I love Kieran. And I'm only 23% in. AHHH.

And because my attention span is garbage I am ALSO reading...

Forever Never by Lucy Score

You don’t fall for your brother’s high school sweetheart, your boss’s daughter, or your ex-wife’s best friend. Especially when they’re all the same woman.

Under Brick Callan’s mile-wide chest beats a loyal heart with a few cracks in it. He’s the steadfast, overprotective type. Especially when it comes to the one woman he can never have. It’s a long, complicated history punctuated by fights, friendship, family, and an attraction that strains his iron willpower.

When Remi Ford returns to Mackinac Island in the dead of winter with a secret, Brick makes it his mission to find out what put the shadows in those green eyes. Even if it means breaking down the walls he’s built between them. Even if it means falling for the one girl he’ll never get over.

The free-spirited artist just needs to lay low for a few weeks so she can figure a way out of this nightmare. She’s definitely not staying. Not when the man who broke her teenage heart into splinters keeps showing up at her parents’ dinner table. Remi doesn’t need broody, bearded Brick riding to her rescue…again. Not when it will put them both in danger, costing them much more than their hearts.

Author’s Note: Frenemies-to-lovers. Opposites attract. Slow burn. Girl in danger. Glorious, glorious banter. Fighting as foreplay. Small-town shenanigans. Big, grumpy, pining, overprotective hero. Wild-child, trouble-finding heroine who keeps on pushing the hero’s buttons. Steam Level: Lava. Suspense: Nail-biting. Feels: Big time.

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

How much I've read: 78 pages / 14%

Thoughts: Since I'm reading and loving TCOGB, I was not looking for another book to read. But of course I stumbled on an ad for this one on Facebook and couldn't help but download the sample to peek at while I was at work on Friday. And now here I am with the whole book downloaded from KindleUnlimited, 14% in and so curious about where it's going. I really enjoyed Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score, so I have high hopes I'll like this one too. And so far, so good. I love how hung up Brick is on Remi. I am so here for the pining. And I'm curious about the details of what's going on with her. It's all shaping up to be pretty good!

So yeah, I have two monstrously large books to tackle this weekend. Now, I'd love to know what y'all are reading?! :)

Pack Heat Volumes 1-3 by Sam Hall ~ Review

Source: Downloaded through KindleUnlimited.

Pack Heat Volumes 1-3 by Sam Hall

What's a girl to do. Jules is down on her luck, desperate for work when she stumbles onto the little town of Sanctuary. They offer her work, a place to stay, a steady source of income and them: a legion of hot men all looking for their mate. She's given the green light, no, outright encouraged to select as many as tickle her fancy to create a harem from.
If you like super, super steamy reverse harem romance, sinfully hot werewolves who are ready to please, you'll like the Pack Heat series. 18+ only because these pages are scorching with frightening regularity!

Goodreads | Amazon

*Available through KindleUnlimited!*

I realize that this is three books in one, but since I read this omnibus version, the separation between books didn't mean much--I binged the whole thing. So I going to review this all together as one big book. I found this one in a thread on FB for recs of reverse harems where females were rare. The rest went down the way things normally do for me--I downloaded the sample, liked it enough to want more, and then grabbed the entire book. As a whole, I have very mixed feelings about Pack Heat.

This is one of those books that ended up in the middle of the road for me. There was stuff I LOVED, but there was other stuff that put me off. 

Let's start with the stuff I loved:

- The premise. This was the whole reason I picked up the book in the first place. It was a promising idea, and it did deliver in the ways I care about most. The RH romance was great. They were all devoted and loyal. The ultimate goal was happiness with their pack.

- The harem. These guys were so worth everything. Understanding, hot, caring, and protective all while letting Julie do whatever she needed to do to find her footing and figure things out. And there was such a variation of personalities that I think were displayed well throughout the entire trilogy. 

- The growth of the relationships. There is a whole heck of a lot of insta-lust (and just a lot of lust in general, which I'll mention later), but the rest of the important emotions took time to develop and I appreciated that. I also greatly respect that Julie had a mind to that as she selected her pack. 

- I especially love the evolution of things with Hawk and Jack. I'm not going to say too much because it's quite the experience to read, but that was my FAVORITE. 

- I appreciated that she didn't end up with everyone she was interested early on. *not saying anything more for the sake of not spoiling!*

Now for what didn't quite work for me:

- I feel like there was a lot I didn't care about. This is likely a personal preference, but a lot of what made up the ~big serious plot~ didn't entice me too much beyond how it affected Julie and her pack. I skimmed through a bunch to get to the stuff I cared about in the later portion of the trilogy (book 3).

- Sylvan...I wanted to like him especially, when we learned about what his bite meant but I got over that super quick. There was so much about him that turned me off. I felt for his situation, but...meh. Maybe in future books he'll be redeemed for me? idk. But in this trilogy I wasn't a fan.

- Okay. So. I am not afraid of steam or smut or straight up erotica. But in this series, I was here for the building of the relationships--like I said in the first half of this review. However, this trilogy is so heavily filled with sex. It wasn't bad. They were great, well written scenes. But once we got to the third book and important things are supposed to be happening and things were already hindered for me...it just got too repetitive. I'm conflicted about listing this, though, because this is entirely a mood thing. Like if I re-read I probably won't be too bothered because I won't have to wade through all the sex to get to the important emotional bits--and I also know how important a lot of those scenes are. But for my first read-through, particularly in the third book, it was only okay.

Overall, Pack Heat was like crack for me. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. I loved the premise and the evolution of the relationships. But I also had to skim more than I'd prefer to get through to the stuff I liked the best. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a super steamy, fast-burn RH read. I did like it a whole lot. And I'll most likely be picking up the next book in the series. But this was not a favorite for me. 

3.5 stars - Super steamy fast-burn RH that I liked but unfortunately didn't love

Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1) by Hannah McBride ~ Review

Source: eARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1) by Hannah McBride

A survivor on the run

Barely escaping with her life, Skye Markham and her mother flee their sadistic pack and seek sanctuary within Blackwater. Against all odds, Skye tries to create a new life for herself. A life she thought only existed in dreams is now within reach.

An alpha with a pack to protect

Remy Holt has spent years guarding his pack - his family - from threats as the next alpha in line. When the Blackwater pack decides to help the Markhams, Skye becomes one of his own … In more ways than one, if his wolf has anything to say about it.

A bond unlike any other

As Skye and Remy’s lives collide, the shifter world starts to implode. Missing shifters, a dying population, and pack wars are causing their sanctuary to crumble around them. Skye thought she was finally safe … but maybe there’s no such thing.

Goodreads | Amazon 

*Available through Kindle Unlimited!*

I've been trying to think of what to say in this review for a while. I've read the book twice and I still have trouble finding good words. So instead of "writing a review" per se, I'm going to make a list of things I loved about this book--because I really did love Sanctum.

- I LOVE SHIFTERS. I love many paranormal creatures, but shifters have a special place in my heart for their possessiveness and tendency toward soulmates. And the shifters introduced in this series were *chef's kiss* exactly my kind of thing.

- It was so easy to get interested in the story. I'm always here for the romance, but even before Skye met Remy I was pulled into her life and what she was going through. I was all in to be here for her journey from page 1.

- Of course, the romance is lovely. Skye and Remy make the perfect couple. They are the cutest and complement each other endlessly well. Remy is patient and caring while Skye is strong and calming. Together, they can do anything and I'm excited to see that as the series continues.

- All of the characters. Their friends, families, and pack. So good. Even the villains were written in a way that I hated them just right. I especially loved Larkin and Katy--them two with Skye are the best friendship trio.

- I said it was easy to get interested in the story, and that was true. But it's also so easy for this world to feel like home. As I said, I've read this book twice and the second time around was so comforting. That's a sign of a GREAT read for me--when I can pick it up again and again and enjoy it all the same without getting bored. 

Overall, I truly loved Sanctum. It's a story of romance, strength, and finding your place when you least expect it. I'm looking forward to falling for the story even more as the series continues!

5 stars - Strong start to a series I cannot wait to devour!