readers_sea's reviews
402 reviews

Knox and Avery were perfect!!

There were so many aspects to love in this book. Firstly, I loved the different sports. Gymnastics and motocross aren't sports I see a lot in romance books. I also loved how the author got them both to try the other sport! It made for a lot of sweet moments.

Both characters were so layered and deep, which I didn't expect. I truly enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching them grow on each other as they unpacked another layer. I was rooting for Knox and Avery the entire book! Both as individuals and as a couple. The growth was amazing, their relationship was so well-paced, their banter had me kicking their legs, their romance had been swooning, and even the side characters were so great! Each character added more and more to the story.

It was so addicting to read and I couldn't get enough. Such a well-balanced book with amazing characters and tropes. 

It wasn't bad, I was just looking for more.

I think the foundation and setup were great, but I needed the story to be fleshed out a bit more. I feel like this is a fairly short book where a lot tried to happen. Since it was a fast book, it made for a lot of missed opportunities and information. For example, Stone and Emerson knew each other since they were younger and while it was briefly touched on their childhood together and why they went their separate ways, I wish we got more resolution with that. Especially because I felt like that situation was pretty messed up anyway.

I wanted to root for Emerson and Stone as a couple, but I felt like there was a lot of miscommunication and rush moments. If they slowed down a bit, I think there would have been a lot more moments to enjoy. Emerson also kind of just accepted a lot of things and brushed them under the rug IMO and that was more things I wanted to be fleshed out instead of glossed over as a "yeah it was this person, oh well" sort of moment.

Overall, the book wasn't bad and I liked the tropes, I just wanted more and wish we got more time with them so their moments didn't need to be rushed.

I love a good grump x sunshine, fake dating, reformed playboy moment!

You could see the instant connection from the second we met Grayson & Jovana. Even though Grayson never thought he would be the person to settle down (despite creating the "marriage" arm of the dating app he made with his buds). he can't deny that he can't stop thinking about Jovana.

When she steps in to help his company after a PR scandal, he really can't deny things. I loved their connection and vulnerability with each other. I think the mindsets of both characters fit them, but I loved their character development. I couldn't help but root for them the entire time!

I also loved seeing our couple from book 1!

Evan and Melanie were a fun pair!

I didn't know what to expect when I saw that this was between an influencer and a fisherman. I knew it was going to be an interesting pair, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It was a very laugh-out-loud book that did have its serious and deeper moments. 

From the start, Evan and Melanie immediately don't like each other and get off on the wrong foot. But with no other place to go, there is some forced proximity. Watching their grump x sunshine interaction was very amusing and entertaining. 

Chloe and Will were perfect, add in Ava and it was everything I could have wanted!

Will is a busy goalie and single father and Chloe is Ava's kindergarten teacher. Will is continuously finding himself in situations where he cannot find a reliable nanny to help with Ava, but Chloe willingly offers to help him out since he already knows Ava! 

From the beginning, you can see the connection between Chloe and Will is undeniable. The way you can instantly see how much Chloe cares for Ava is heartwarming. I loved seeing them all open up and get comfortable together. Seeing how much Will is able to trust Chloe, even after all his failed nannies, was the best! The forced proximity was so fun and the pacing was so well done! I really was never bored and just wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next. I couldn't help but root for this little family the whole time.

The perfect sports, single dad, nanny, forced proximity romance!!

I enjoyed Penny & Luke!

I always love a good single-parent moment and I loved seeing Penny help Luke and Everlee. I always love seeing the non-parent form a bond and care for the child. You could tell from the beginning how much Penny cared for both Everlee and Luke. Their chemistry was amazingly well done and you couldn't help but root for them throughout all the hardship that they needed to go through. 

Seeing the character growth for both characters was so well done. Watching Penny gain her confidence in who she was and how Luke was able to trust Penny and create a family with her and Everlee. 

It was super fast-paced and easy to read. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a quick sports romance.

Rhodes and Anson were literally so perfect!!!

I didn't know what to expect when I started this one, but I got so invested in these characters faster than I thought I would! Anson is so grumpy and has a hard past that he still isn't ready to talk about. Rhodes also has a hard past but is working to learn to live with it. While they are both still struggling and on different roads with their grief, they quickly find understanding within each other. They realize that things between them are just easier than they are with other people, AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF WATCHING THEM DISCOVER THAT!!!

The dynamic between Rhodes and Anson was so fun!! Rhodes was pure sunshine and loved everyone, whereas Anson was very grumpy and broody and pushed everyone away because he preferred to be alone. Watching their walls start to break down and be honest with each other had me rooting so hard for this romance! I thought their story was so authentic. Their pain and pasts felt so real, and I was so sad for both of them.

I also became so obsessed with the small town and side characters!! Rhodes has a lot of siblings and sibling banter is one of my favorite things in books! It definitely brought some lightheartedness to a book that talked about some heavy topics.

This book 100% kept me on my toes with the mystery getting uncovered as well! I never felt like the mystery overshadowed the romance, or vice versa, which is amazing! It was such a well-balanced read and so easy to dive into. Cannot wait for the next book in Sparrow Falls!!

This was such a fun concept! This was also my first book from the author, so that was exciting.

I really enjoyed the banter between Max & Sophie! The whole premise of being objectors was also so different and added a lot of lightheartedness to the book. I liked how different their personalities were. While neither wanted a relationship, you could see how easy it was between them and that their chemistry was definitely there.

For a second, I thought that this book wasn't going to have a third-act breakup, and it was set up so nicely to not have one!! But of course - it did and I did not like it at all... I felt like it was just a cop-out to force the characters to speak about their feelings. I also felt like the third-act conflict made the ending seem rushed because there wasn't a whole lot left in the book, so the resolution came so quickly that the conflict seemed pointless to me.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and am interested in reading more from the author!

AHHH LOVE REID AND VIA!!!

First thing, Reid is definitely not a 21-year-old boy. No way do they exist like that, but I guess that's why fictional men are always better. Second, I had a lot of mixed feelings on a lot of things and felt that the book could've been a bit shorter but I still really enjoyed it.

Okay, so this book follows Via after she gets divorced and moves across the country to a small town in Maine (i think it's Maine). She completely changes her life and career, but she is hopeful that she is where she was always meant to be. On her first week there, her sister convinces her to get dressed up and go out now that she is single, and although she is hesitant she does it anyway. Via doesn't expect anything to come out of this night until she locks eyes with Reid in a bar full of people as he is there celebrating his 21st birthday. One thing leads to another which leads to a one-night stand, where both characters did enjoy themselves but also never thought they would see each other ever again... even if deep down, they both wanted to.

Eventually, they do run into each other again and this time Reid doesn't let Via get away from him that easily. Time and time again he proves to her how much he wants to truly get to know her, that he is serious about her and wants more than a one-night stand.

I understood where Via was coming from. With their 11-year age gap and being recently divorced, Via is hesitant to pursue anything. She wants to focus on finding herself, but also can't deny the draw she has towards Reid. They start by getting to know each other and eventually can't help their feelings for each other.

Reid was basically perfect and wonderful. No faults from him and I miss him already.

The only reason this wasn't a 5-star for me was because of personal preferences. I don't like when books give into the stigma of "missing out" when you get married young - coming from someone who did get married young, so this is definitely biased. I also thought some parts were unnecessary and made the book longer than it needed to be but I will not specify to avoid spoilers. Lastly, I felt the promo of this book focused on things that weren't super relevant to the actual book so I was left waiting for some things that I felt were just brushed over when I expected for it to play a bigger part in the book.

Overall, I did love this book! It was so easy to read, even though it was on the longer side, I still found myself flying through it. I loved the characters and their growth throughout the book. Reid is perfect. I was rooting for them the whole time and I am also excited for the next book based on the little peek we already got.

Exactly what I wanted... my entire heart and soul ripped from my body :)

This book... man, THIS BOOK!!!!

Where do I even start? What can I say?! Nothing will do this book justice. First off, I recommend going in absolute blind!!!! I did, and I felt like everything just hit harder because I had not a single clue about ANYTHING that was going to happen. Secondly, I think I may have just found a new favorite of all time book... I don't know how to move on from this. It hurt so much, but I want to read it all over again.

This book was everything. It had the romance to root for, the relationships you loved to watch grow, the pain of reality because life isn't perfect or easy, the sweet and heartwarming moments, the gut-wrenching sadness, and the addictiveness that made you want to keep reading it all day.

These characters will live in my heart forever and this book will officially live in my head rent-free. I loved every single thing about it. Every single page. That is all I can say because I don't want to say too much. Honestly, just please read it if you enjoy pain.