New Release Review: Hart's Landing by Melanie Harlow

 

Hart's Landing by Melanie Harlow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adore author Melanie Harlow’s writing and I’ve been so excited for this new series. Mila and Everett’s story was excellent and I could not put it down. Everett was such a fantastic guy and I loved his golden retriever personality and how he was such a great distraction and companion for Mila as she was caring for her terrible mother. The banter and flirting was top-notch and their friends were fun and I’m looking forward to getting their stories as well.

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New Release Review: Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

 

Title: Taylor's Father

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend's Father

Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance

Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine

Release Date: February 22, 2026

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.

Tate was also vacationing alone.

He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.

I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.

I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.

But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.

The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.

Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.

But we continued to run into each other.

And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.

While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.

I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.

Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?

Well, four years later, Taylor got married.

He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.

What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.

My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

$3.99 for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 

AUDIO

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

 

A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

17-YEAR AGE GAP

BEST GUY FRIEND'S FATHER

SINGLE DAD

FORBIDDEN

SECOND CHANCE

PROTECTIVE HERO

SASSY HEROINE

My review: 5 stars!

Author Penelope Ward is one of my favorites, and I absolutely loved Taylor's Father. Age gap is not a trope I seek out, but this was so well done and such a great story that I am glad I didn't miss this one. It was messy, complicated, and such a fantastic tale. I listened to the audiobook, done in duet by Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke and I enjoyed their performances so much.

AUTHOR BIO

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK
X

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

SEE ALL BOOKS HERE

New Release Review: Thrown for a Loop by Sarina Bownen

 

Thrown for a Loop by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yay for a new hockey series from one of my favorite authors, Sarina Bowen! I really enjoyed Zoe and Chase's story, told through alternating past and present chapters. I believe this is the first time I've read about a former ice skater-turned-skating coach and this was super fun since ice skating is one of my favorite sports to watch. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the performances of Brooke Bloomingdale and Ryan Hudson. The genuine camaraderie of the team and the friendship that formed between Darcy and Zoe was amusing and super fun to read.

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Trope Reveal: The Girlfriend Zone by Lauren Blakely

 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes the next standalone hockey romance in her Love and Hockey series, THE GIRLFRIEND ZONE! This sexy, coach’s daughter, one who got away, age gap, forbidden hockey romance brings all the feels, heat and spice! Releasing March 26th in all formats, and free to read in Kindle Unlimited, check out the tropes below and pre-order your copy today!

⭐ Coach’s Daughter
💨 The One Who Got Away
💥 Starts with a Bang
🧡 Second Chance Vibes
🖐️ Hand Necklaces
❤️‍🔥 Man Obsessed
💙 Age Gap
🚫 Forbidden
🏒 Hockey Romance
😍 Infatuation at First Sight
🛏️ Forced Proximity
🌶️ Red-Hot Spankings
💻 Workplace
🐾 All of the Cute Dogs

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/TheGirlfriendZoneAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/TGZAudible
Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke narrate in duet!

About THE GIRLFRIEND ZONE (Coming 3/26/2025):

In my defense, I had no idea the tattooed, glasses-wearing, soulful hottie I spent one perfect day—and one unforgettable night—with was a hockey star on my father’s team.

And Miles didn’t know I was the coach’s daughter.

That’s the point of a “no-work-talk” date.

But now? He's as forbidden to me as I am to him.

When I land a new gig as the team photographer, we vow to keep it professional. We mostly succeed…except for that time after a game when he couldn’t keep his talented hands off me. But I swear, it won’t happen again.

Too much is at stake—I can’t risk my heart or my father’s team.

But when I’m asked to dog-sit Miles’s pack of rescue pups for a few weeks, I discover there’s more to him than I ever imagined—a man who’s genuine, thoughtful, and irresistibly real.

He looks at me like he can’t believe his luck. Touches me like he never wants to let go. And listens to my hopes and fears.

My heart’s getting dangerously attached. But if I follow it… am I putting everyone’s dreams on the line?

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

✦ Amazon ➜ https://blkly.pub/TheGirlfriendZoneAMZ
✦ Audible ➜ https://blkly.pub/TGZAudible
Samantha Brentmoor & Jason Clarke narrate in duet!

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party. 

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com 

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks

New Release Review: The Drummer's Heart by Penelope Ward

 

Title: The Drummer's Heart

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Rockstar Hero/"My Wife"/Small Town

Close Proximity/Slow Burn/One Bed

Release Date: February 23, 2025

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE novel…

Don’t say her name.

That was the one rule my bandmates followed, because they knew how much it messed me up to think about her, especially on tour.

My ex, Nicole.

The one who got away and the woman who still owned every piece of my heart.

After our divorce, I threw myself into the rock scene, trying to forget my heartbreak.

Three years after we split, a phone call from Nicole changed everything.

She told me her grandmother wasn’t doing well.

Mimi was still family to me, and she apparently had one wish before dying: to spend time with us—Nicole and me.

With Mimi’s caretaker away on vacation, it would be the ideal time for us to move in with her for a couple of weeks.

Of course, I couldn’t refuse.

But there was a catch.

Nicole apparently never told her that we’d gotten a divorce.

She hadn’t believed Mimi could handle it, because her grandmother loved me so much.

So, not only would I have to see Nicole again, but I’d be pretending to still be her husband.

Two weeks in a tiny house in a small town with the woman who broke my heart. Or was it me who broke hers?

It was complicated.

And it was about to be a heck of a lot more complicated sharing one bed in the guest room with a woman who wasn’t mine anymore.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

Only $3.99 for a limited time and 

FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

AUDIOBOOK

Model Paperback and Hardcovers also available!

Read the first standalone in this series, The Rocker’s Muse FREE in KU and binge this complete duology!

https://amzn.to/3E9BdGB

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

ROCKSTAR HERO

"MY WIFE"

SMALL TOWN

CLOSE PROXIMITY

SLOW BURN

ONE BED

My review: 5 stars

After reading The Rocker's Muse and loving it, I was so excited to dive into The Drummer's Heart and get Atticus and Nicole's story. This story was so well balanced - there was heat and heart and just the right amount of angst. I adored Mimi and how her situation brought them back together. I was able to listen to an advance audiobook, and Sebastian York and Angelina Rocca were excellent. 

AUTHOR BIO

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK
TWITTER

OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

NOW ALL AVAILABLE TO READ IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

AUDIOBOOK

SEE ALL BOOKS HERE

Audiobook Review: This Much is True by Adriana Locke

 

This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh this was perfection! Sweet and sexy small town second chance romance checks all my boxes and was just what I needed for a plane ride- I devoured it in one sitting. I also listened to the audiobook and it was fantastic! Narrators Shiloh James and Lance Greenfield gave great performances as Laina and Luke- I enjoyed it so much! I listened at 1.3X which is perfectly conversational for me.

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New Release Audiobook Review: The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely

 

The Accidental Dating Experiment by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited when I saw that Lauren Blakely's latest romantic comedy was included with my Audible membership so I rushed to download it, especially since the narrators were two of my favorites- Andi Arndt and Jacob Morgan. As with all Blakely books, the banter and spice was on point. Juliet and Monroe's chemistry was so great and I loved the setup with the romance podcast cohosts working together on a renovation of a cottage in a darling small town. Narrators Arndt and Morgan were fantastic and added so much to the story for me.

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New Release: This Much is True by Adriana Locke

 

When celebrity Laina Kelley bolted from her small hometown church on her wedding day, she ran to the first place that came to mind—to the home of the local farrier, a gorgeous playboy who just so happens to be her first love ... and biggest frenemy. 

This Much Is True by Adriana Locke is now live! 

USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke delivers a new “sweet and spicy!” standalone romance about a runaway bride who finds herself in the arms, and horse barn, of her deliciously handsome frenemy—who just so happens to be her first love.

This isn’t your average romance. It begins with me in a wedding dress, just not at an altar …

I never expected to be a runaway bride. I also never thought I’d end up on my ex’s doorstep to flee from said wedding. Now that I’m here, it’s easy to find the key in an old boot by the door and let myself inside. It’s not breaking and entering if I have a key, right?

It’s safe to say that Luke Marshall didn’t expect to find me on his couch in my wedding dress, my veil over my face in tears. He has no choice but to listen to my panic-induced plea for salvation. It’s only a matter of time before the tabloids get wind of my disappearing act, and my life is over.

Luke takes pity on me and says I can stay… on one condition.

I can’t sing for my supper—I have to earn it. I have to work in the barn alongside him, up to my elbows in horse manure. Oh—and because there’s only one bed, I get the couch.

This works … in theory. However, when sparks start flying, and the small-town farrier asks me to stay, I’ll have to decide between my life as a pop star or a second chance with my first love.

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49SPq5R

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/TMIT

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ukwoFJ

My review: 5 stars!

Oh this was perfection! Sweet and sexy small town chance romance checks all my boxes and was just what I needed for a plane ride- I devoured it in one sitting.

Meet Adriana

USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestselling author Adriana Locke writes contemporary romances about the two things she knows best—big families and small towns. Her stories are about ordinary people finding extraordinary love with the perfect combination of heart, heat, and humor.

She loves connecting with readers, fall weather, football, reading alpha heroes, everything pumpkin, and pretending to garden.

Hailing from a tiny town in the Midwest, Adriana spends her free time with her high school sweetheart (who she married over twenty years ago) and their four sons (who truly are her best work). Her kitchen may be a perpetual disaster, and if all else fails, there is always pizza.

 

Connect with Adriana 

Website: www.adrianalocke.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8379774.Adriana_Locke

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Adriana-Locke/author/B00NPBY8FE/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoradrianalocke

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksbyadrianalocke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoradrianalocke

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authoralocke

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adrianalockewrites 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/adriana-locke

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoradrianalo

Other: https://www.youtube.com/adrianalocke

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/adrianalocke