Claire KingsleyBesprekingen

Obsession Falls is the first book in the "Haven Brothers" series. I really enjoyed this book and I do recommend the audiobook if you can get access to it. I was very intrigued with this one, and as this is a new to me author, I did put this one off a bit more than I normally would have liked. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to truly enjoy it. This was also part of my 2024 Romanceopoly choice for the week.

Obsession Falls is a romantic suspense of sorts. It deals with a stalker and the mystery of who is behind it. We also have a sweet romance that develops between our characters. It hard knowing what you will get into with a grumpy sunshine romance but this author really delivered on this one here. I found their story to be such a solid one. We see the way in which they connect to one another. I didn't have any issues with either character although the heroine could be a bit naive. The romance was low angst which I wasn't expecting it. I do see the appeal of this author though and I am curious to see what the author will be delivering with this series.

The plot of the story was fascinating. I always seem to enjoy a stalker theme to the villain and for the most part the identity of the villain was kept quiet at least until the third act. I did enjoy seeing the way that the plot was developed here. I do think there could have been a bit better focus on the suspense at times as it seemed to fade into the background a bit more than I would have liked it to be.

Overall I enjoyed Obsession Falls and it was such a solid read that delivered great edgy feels and some powerful chemistry. A great small town gem.

Characters were mildly annoying especially towards the end

This was alright. Your typical romance. I hate romances where the main couple are busy dating/sleeping with other people. And there's a lot of that in this book. I didn't like Selene - they should have just told her to get stuffed. And Braxton was dumb if he didn't consider what would change and how it would affect everyone BEFORE he started a relationship. It was all very dramatic. And I didn't really like Kylie or Braxton enough for me to care.

This was so emotional and I’m glad that the author didn’t do, hey! I know we just met but let’s get it on, have a baby, and quick elopement all in less than a month. Especially with all the hurdles they had to face with sister in law and so on. But I started this in the bath and I kept adding hot water to the cold just so I didn't have to get up, dry myself, dress, and find a quiet comfortable spot to continue reading, LOL.

They were both into each other, everyone saw it and it was great. He was amazing dad, always tried to support his daughter in whatever. I like how his daughter was the focus in a lot of the family settings and she kind of went from person to person getting the attention she needed and the reassurance that they still cared for her.

Roland and Zoe were high school sweethearts and married when they were young and had nothing. Roland was driven to work hard and make his own success apart from his family. Zoe left him and they divorced. She went to work for his family at their winery and Roland stayed away in the city immersing himself in work. When a crisis brings him home, will they find out that they were still meant for each other?

This story is pretty predictable. Since it is a romance, we know that this second chance will come out with them together in the end. There is some set up for the other siblings in the family as well as the mother. I liked the writing and will keep on with the series.

This book has fun characters, even the evil one, but the plot was so unbelievable I might have sprained my eyeballs rolling them constantly. It's a quick read, and I was prepared for the billionaire-fake romance tropes, but the whole sperm donation part and its denouement knocked this rating down for me. I'd consider reading more books from this author because the writing was good and I liked the characters.

Elias Stoneheart doesn’t have a heart for Christmas. Elias has a heart for making money. Making money is success. His next goal is to be CFO at DataStream. His boss, Nigel Ferguson, wants him to make a land deal happen for a new data center. A colleague in competition for the CFO position is not securing the agreement. Elias is positive he can achieve the purchase with ease. At least those were his thoughts before he heard the land was the family farm of his high school sweetheart Isabelle Cook.

Isabelle Cook loves her parents, the family farm, and especially the family farm at Christmas. Christmas in Tilikum is the Cook family farm. Everyone knows the Cook family farm is Tilikum’s Christmas Village. The farm is where the community purchases their Christmas trees and wreaths and shops for home-baked holiday treats, candies, decorations, and gifts from vendors. More importantly, it is where families have come for generations for children to see Santa. But the family farm is in debt. Wasn’t Isabelle under enough pressure before Elias came to town?

Some of my favorite descriptions of emotions were…

"I hated feelings. They were messy and irrational."
"The last thing I needed…for the night was to let my emotions take me on a sleigh ride through the forest of old memories."
"I was knee deep in a blizzard of emotion."

As if there isn’t enough heartwarming romance in a small town Christmas Village, let’s not forget that you’ll also enjoy the hilarious antics of Horace, the donkey. Don’t miss it!

There is an epilogue at the end of the novel, followed by the download availability of a Christmas Bonus Epilogue. Regardless of the author and/or publisher’s reason, I am not a fan of epilogue downloads. Enough said.

I read the novel as a stand-alone contemporary romance. For those familiar with the Bailey Brothers series, the author advises it overlaps with Book 6, "Rewriting the Stars."

This was a fun family drama with lots of hilarious characters and tons of heart.

In this book we meet the Miles Family. The oldest brother, Roland, is called home from his big shot life in San Francisco to help with the family vineyard. He loves his family, but doesn't get along with his father and tends to avoid home. And also because his ex wife Zoe works for the family vineyard. But when he hears they're on the verge of losing the vineyard, he heads home. At first Roland and Zoe attempt to be cordial. But it soon becomes clear that they both still have strong feelings for the other. Have they changed enough to take a second chance on love?

Okay, so first thing ... I don't normally like second chance romance stories. But I absolutely LOVED this one. I loved all the characters. I loved the problems, situations and dilemmas they all faced. But I mostly loved the way that Roland and Zoe handled their problems. They had an open and honest conversation, both taking whatever blame that happened in the first place to blow their marriage apart and both making changes to avoid future problems. It was such a refreshing look a couple trying to make a fresh start with each other. Roland was a bit iffy at first. He was kind of arrogant and a bit unpleasant, but he changed the longer he was at home. Zoe was justifiably concerned about her place in the family once Roland returned. She never got whiny or irritating or unnecessarily stubborn the way some books can be. Both characters ended up being favorites. This author did a good job in showing how a young couple just needed some time to grow before being able to handle a mature love.

This book also opens up a new world of characters that goes on for 2 series. I can't wait to read about each and every new person we meet.

Baby sister who has always been in love with her big brother’s best friend. The best friend who purposely never “saw” the baby sister. But once he did, it was game over for him.

In book 1, we get the story of the oldest Miles sibling, Roland. That was a second chance story. In this book, we get the youngest sibling, Brynn. Brynn is closest with Cooper, six years her senior. She is and always has been “his” baby, from the moment she was born. Cooper’s best friend Chase has been around longer than Brynn. So of course she grew up having a crush on him. But one day, Chase finally sees her and it’s love. But he wants to make sure it’s okay with Cooper first. Unfortunately Cooper catches Brynn and Chase together first and is NOT happy. The rest of the family seemingly is okay, until Brynn and Chase decide to marry.

This story tells the struggles of the baby child proving to her family she’s no longer a baby as well as a reformed screw up being changed by love, but still is seen as the screw up. Brynn and Chase know they’re it for each other, but have a harder time convincing others of that fact. Most of their struggles are from outside forces. They’re a sweet couple once they get together.

Chase is a favorite of mine. He was around a lot in book one so this newer, tamed version of him was just a bonus. Brynn was a bit more problematic for me. I didn’t love her. And though Chase lets her get away with it, there is a moment when she lets him down in a big way.

But overall, this was a cute book and it continued the family drama started by the deadbeat father in the first book. He unfortunately isn’t done with them yet. We’ll see what’s next in the next book, one I’m eager to get to.

Cooper's story was adorable. He met a woman just like him who could calm his "tornado" energy.

With book 1 being a second chance romance and book 2 being a "falling for older brother's best friend" romance, I was wondering what we'd get with Cooper. And of course he'd "catch" a runaway bride ... sort of.

Amelia is left at the altar and escapes to the local bar ... still in her wedding dress. She runs into Cooper and the rest is history. The two were made for each other, Amelia even able to understand "Cooper Speak" in a way no one other than Chase can. But when things seem too perfect, Amelia begins to have doubts. And for the first time, Cooper doesn't want to let a woman go. But will he be able to make her stay?

This story was super cute. I love Cooper so much. There were times when he had me both crying and laughing. His story was well worth the wait.

So good to see Leo get his happily ever after. He was the "Hidden" Miles because he stayed hidden from the world. Throughout the series, he was seen as the recluse of the family. He wouldn't leave the family property after being terribly burned while serving in the military. His family feared they were losing him more and more each day. But we find out that Leo isn't quite as lonely as it seems. He's an active online gamer and has friends online, one special friend in particular. When they accidentally run into each other in the real world, it's the start of a beautiful love story.

I really enjoyed this story, but there were parts that I admit I didn't love. When the inevitable "drama" comes between them, I'm not crazy about how Hannah handles it. I mean, I get there was a lot going on with her as well, but still. She had helped Leo overcome a lot but he still had struggles apart from what most other people had to deal with and deserved a bit more leeway and understanding. Especially since a lot of the "drama" as a lack of communication/misunderstanding anyway.

But that was just a small part. The rest was a sweet love story between two people who needed each other more than they realized. They saved each other and out of that, a beautiful love was born.

As usual, Cooper was the star of this book. I love his character so much. This series would not have been the same without him.

This is a "Beauty tames the beast" story. In this one, we meet second oldest Bailey brother Evan. The "Lone Wolf" of the crew. The one who was inexplicably grumpy and reclusive. He meets his match when Fiona Gallagher falls into his life. Fiona is the daughter of the man who sold Evan a stolen car, and stole his dreams of being able to famously flip it. But when an opportunity arises for a new car, Fiona and Evan go on a road trip that changes everything. Fiona is bright and bubbly to Evan's dark and broody. But for whatever reason, he finds he likes having her around.

I really enjoyed this story. Fiona had every reason to hate life, but she remained so bright and optimistic. She became a bit of a lifeline for Evan and he became the one person she could count on. They were a sweet pair.

Asher and Grace had a great story. But it was sad and tragic and they both needed therapy a lot sooner than they got it and for a lot longer. However, it was good they were able to find their way back to each other after the events of the first book.

A nice bridge from the Miles books into these Bailey books. We got to know Grace as the half sibling to the Miles family. And now we get to know her story. This book takes place a few years before we meet Grace in the Miles books. It tells the story of the mysterious fiance she never wants to talk about. It ends on a cliffhanger so you definitely need to be ready for the next book. But it's a good start.

Another good entry into this series. I loved the characters. But the book was a little slow and boring at times. But still good. I will say that the mystery in that town is starting to get more and more intriguing. It sometimes was more exciting than the romance. I have to wait on the next book and that's a bummer. I'm ready to see what happens next with Logan and his love. I'm sure everyone is 98% sure who it is (*cough* Cara). But I guess we'll see!

Book 1 in the Jetty Beach series. It's about Nicole and Ryan, who had both been away from the small town for awhile. Nicole left right after high school with her high school sweetheart and stayed with him for 10 years until she caught him cheating. Ryan had been away having a successful career as a photographer, but had also been burned by love. The two meet again after a lifetime apart, except this time, sparks fly. But is their burgeoning love enough to heal the wounds they're both carrying?

I read this one after reading Miles family and Bailey family. Such a big difference between this time and the more recent ones. But I did recognize a similar style. And while I didn't completely love this one, it was a good intro into this world. It as a bit shorter than the more recent books and I can see there were a lot of ends left dangling that some of the more recent books would have snipped. For instance, I would have liked to have seen more closure/revenge on the ex.

Ooh, I did catch a shout out to our favorite Miles family winery in this book. That was cute. And with 7 books in this series, I think we've met characters from at least the next 2-3 books. So if I'm right, I'm excited to see how Melissa, Cody, and Hunter find love.

Book 2 in Jetty Beach series. Rich playboy Jackson meets small town teacher Melissa. They decide on a hot week long fling, but then decide not to end it. But his world is too crazy for Melissa and she pushes him away. What will it take for him to win her back?

Like book 1, this one was kind of short and abrupt and left a lot of ends dangling. I think it needed a bit more to flesh out certain aspects of it. Like his relationship with his family. Doesn’t seem like any of his family even met Melissa. I know he had issues with them, but they were jut missing. For the most part, this was a bit better than the first book. The beginning was cute. But the end fell apart for me a bit.

Dr. Cody meets his match in child of hippies Clover. She teaches him to trust his gut and go with his instincts sometimes rather than by the book. He teaches her that running isn't the answer.

This book was good up to a point. This was a fun couple ... up to a point. But Clover had some pretty serious issues and really pushed Cody's boundaries. That whole sex in the strip club was a bit much. And then Clover kind of turns into a nightmare for a minute. That was actually kind of jarring. But she comes to her senses eventually.

Like the with first two books in this series, they're so short and I think a lot more could be handled with more pages. But a lot gets rushed through and brushed aside and makes you feel like some important steps have been skipped in order to get to the HEA.

The long awaited Logan book! I did not disappoint. It’s brand new, so I don’t want to give any kind of hints and spoilers as to what it’s about. But, if you’ve been following the series, it should come as no surprise as who his woman ends up being. And it’s very interesting to see how they work through, past, and despite their past issues. They both have a lot of baggage and it’s very interesting how well they understand each other. I’m not gonna say anything else, but definitely pick this up and read it right away if you’ve read the other books in this series.

Very cute and happy. I enjoyed this. Solid 3.5 stars.

I really liked this one. Weston was so disgusting and Kendra was so patient. I loved watching them fall in love.

Book 3 in the Book Boyfriends series. I loved Caleb so much in the first two books and I was really looking forward to him getting his love story. But Linnea was unexpected. The age difference and the nanny thing didn’t bother me. But it was just really weird that she was the baby sister of his dead wife. I just couldn’t get over that aspect. Aside from that, they had a cute enough romance, I suppose. Just weird. I just didn’t love the idea of them being together. And I didn’t love the way Caleb had doubts about whether or not he would still be with Melanie if she were still alive. I just thought that was needlessly dragging her character when she wasn’t around to defend herself just for the sake of making Linnea be his one true love.

Weston saved this book for me. I was really glad to see more of him, especially the bonus chapter at the end.

Overall, I still love the characters in the series. I was just disappointed a little with how things ended up for Caleb. I’m happy that he ended up happy and with a big family, but it’s just awkward.

William and Ivy. What an interesting pair they turned out to be. And what an interesting spin on what could’ve been just a regular love story.

William and Ivy meet when Ivy discovers that William appears to be stalking her. William does not deny this. He claims he’s been sent to protect her. Sent by who, no one knows. William basically sounds crazy. But he knows things about Ivy. Things that no one else knows. So while she doesn’t initially totally believe him, she can’t help but be drawn to him and for some reason, she actually trusts him. And from that trust, love grows. But when Williams beliefs are challenged, will Ivy ultimately believe him?

This book will have you believing in the impossible at first. But just about everything has a logical explanation and you see that it isn’t as crazy as it initially seemed. What the story is is a cute and touching tale of two people who are just meant to be together and their coming together defied all odds and logic. They both had to take leaps of faith to be together and that’s where the real magic of the story happens.

I waited so long for this one. And it was worth the wait. We see all the mysteries get solved and see everyone get happy endings … and then some. Such a great way to end this series. As you would expect, the Haven brothers are next to find love. And we took a fun trip back to Jetty Beach in this one. But best of all, we got a great love story that defied all the odds.

I had high hopes for this, I really did but then suddenly when I thought it was all fine and dandy after reading ¼ through on, it started to spiral downwards… fast. The whole instant love (instant boyfriend, instant everything), I need you to meet my family so we can have babies wasn't doing it for me. Don't get me wrong I love the beginning stages of Cooper and Amelia relationship and could easily see why they mash so well together but if anyone knows me, instant love can kill any book for me and it killed it this hard for me. It's a shame because my expectations were so high and I was left utterly disappointed because I love love love "Broken Miles". I guess you can't win them all.