Amy Award

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt like I was looking at myself 20 years ago. I was a tween librarian in Colorado who is fat. Didn’t have the football playing best friend but that just made this all that much better. I love that this book centered around a fat girl. Not a curvy girl, a fat girl. And that romance and sex were completely allowed and rejoiced. This book is pretty gosh darn predictable. Based on tropes and the way you expect a romance to happen, it’s all right there. However, what was nice is when the event that everybody knows is coming happens, it’s the way they deal with it. The way they say I’m not apologizing. The way of taking a stand against the harsh criticisms of others. I loved everything about this book and I’m glad it’s a series. Can’t wait for the next one.… (meer)

I love me a good anthology to get sucked into and this one was full of incredible hot characters with adorable pets. I will highlight just a few that I read to show how incredibly sweet and swoon worthy this anthology is.

Tess’ Tasty Treats by Kameron Claire: This story was sweet and leaves you craving more. We get Tess and Logan’s meet cute and how Logan knows she’s his one. He pursues her because in his mind there is no other, but it does leave you hanging because their full story is coming soon and I will be patiently ( ok maybe not patiently but sort of) waiting to get my hands on it.


Ruff Day for The Rockstar by Christina Hovland:
Irina and Knox have Ben together for a while now and though their story was a whirl wind, it was absolute perfection. In this quick read Irina is going to help out at an animal shelter and asks her rockstar husband to go with her, but we find out his reason why he just can’t go to these events with her and it will absolutely melt your heart. Knox has wanted a dog since he was little but life and circumstances has kept him from getting the dog he deemed Waffles. Irina loves her husband so much and adores that he wants a dog but they agreed now isn’t the time, or is it? I loved these two so much and their Waffles.

There are so many more quick reads to fall in love with by incredible authors.… (meer)

Trixie moves back to her childhood home, next door to Chris' dad. Chris is the QB of the Denver Mustangs and has always loved Trixie. Trixie asks him to be her fake boyfriend for their 10-year class reunion. He is more than willing to help. Now if he can admit his love for her and she can realize her love for him, it will be perfect. Until Trixie gets fired from her job because of a video of them. Will this be the final straw for Trixie? Can she save her reputation? What will Chris do?

I enjoyed this book. I loved how Trixie kept chickens and a rooster as pets. They keep her place lively. I loved these characters. While Trixie was confident in her day-to-day life, when it came to her love life, she was anything but. Chris kept taking her out so they could practice being a couple. Trixie has her eyes opened. Chris' brothers were a blast as they provide advice and interference. His sister knows how it all goes if they would just listen to her. I did enjoy seeing the bullies get their comeuppance.

I look forward to the whole series.… (meer)

*This is a review of Playing By Heart by Sylvie Stewart - part of the Holiday Heart-On Anthology.

Cute and sweet
5 stars

I’m a big fan of Sylvie Stewart - she’s great at filling her stories with a combination of comedy and likeable, relatable characters. While this is the first short story of hers I’ve read - she still manages to make it everything I hoped and expected. But that’s not to say it didn’t leave me wanting more - but in the best possible way.

At a Christmas in July pet pageant (I mean, why the hell not?) Kat luck turns around when her crush turns up with his adorable dog. Better yet, he’s in a bind and the only one who can help him out, is Kat! And cue the music!

I liked both our characters instantly and they have the cutest chemistry. It’s quite nice to read a story with such innocent smittenness. It’s not that the story is innocent (although there’s only kissing), it’s just that they’re so totally adorable that it feels fresh.

For such a short story, I still definitely believed in their connection. Of course I wanted more. And of course I wish it was longer. But I was sucked in immediately and was left satisfied and with a smile on my face. I couldn’t ask for much more.

—-

Playing By Heart is Sylvie Stewart’s contribution in the larger Holiday Heart-On anthology. This set of 18 festive stories has been pulled together to raise money and awareness for women’s heart health. 100% of proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement. There’s a whole set of different stories (averaging around 40 pages each) with different styles, tones and steam levels.

In this anthology you’ll also get:

🎅🏻 Playing by Heart by Sylvie Stewart
🎅🏻 Better than Christmas by Brenda St John Brown and Serena Bell
🎅🏻 Hang Your Heart by Arell Rivers
🎅🏻 Hockey Hotties Heart-On by Piper Rayne
🎅🏻 Hell of a Heart-On by Marika Ray
🎅🏻 Hardware Hard-On by Tracey Pedersen
🎅🏻 Christmas Eve with KXBZ by Roxie Noir
🎅🏻 Heartly in Love by MK Meredith
🎅🏻 Love by Chance by Claire Marti
🎅🏻 Christmas Cabin by Elizabeth Lynx
🎅🏻 Mistletoe Wishes by Stina Lindenblatt
🎅🏻 Rock Hard Around the Christmas Tree by Tawdra Kandle
🎅🏻 Always Be My Babka by Melonie Johnson
🎅🏻 Hooking Her Heart by Sophia Henry
🎅🏻 Santa Claus is Coming by Hope Ellis
🎅🏻 Heart-On for Her Beaver by Dylann Crush
🎅🏻 Heart Healthy Hot Sticky Buns by Kameron Claire
🎅🏻 Ants in Santa’s Pants by Amy Award… (meer)