A Vampire's Valentine Surprise by Kristen Painter

Delaney Ellingham is feeling run down. But that’s not a surprise since she’s prepping to be in three different categories in the Valentine’s Day bake off. One in which her arch enemy’s daughter (who she actually likes) is also participating albeit in a different division. But is it just stress or something more sinister.

This is the novella in this series that made me realize that I really just need to stop reading Painter’s interstitials; I do not like them. The regular books are super fun, fast, and fluffy but when that gets compressed into a novella, it is just fast with not as much of the fun.

Two stars

Follows The Vampire’s Fake Fiancée
Followed by The Shifter Romances the Writer

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
This novella came out January 11th, 2016
Opinions are my own

Game of Hearts by Cathy Yardley

I don't love the trope of my best friend's sibling (unless that is not the source of the tension) and this one didn't really make me change my mind. Yardley is a really good writer and I am very much enjoying this series but this book was not as good as the first two. I mean, even though Kyla Summers and Jericho Salomon are adults, there's some stupid reason why they're not supposed to get together; her brother doesn't want them to. I mean, Jericho also has some motorcycle club (clean cut, not SOA) issues that he's dealing with and being back in his home town to help Kyla out is bringing up some old memories that he thought were long out of his head, but those aren't nearly as much of the focus. I also didn't like that Kyla's brother never really seemed to get that her passion wasn't the garage. I get that that is probably true to life but I do like my romances to have an all around HEA (with an HFN being an okay substitute.)

Fours stars

Follows One True Pairing

Followed by What Happens at Con

This book came out January 30th, 2018

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible Escape

Opinions are my own

Fries and Alibis by Trixie Silvertale

 Mitzi Moon is an orphan but one who just received an unexpected inheritance, a bookstore in a small town she's never heard of. This part of her family had never contacted her before but, what the heck, her life sort of sucks right now so why not get out? And she makes a super positive first impression in town... first the sheriff tries to roust her because he thinks she's a vagrant and then, when he trips, she falls on top of him. Plus there's a body that shows up behind her new building which turns out to have a mysterious connection to Mitzi and her grandmother's ghost... life gets weird fast.
Mitzi is somewhat brash, especially in her own head which we get to hear. The narrator really gets into this role adding a ton of sounds and energy that adds to this feeling about Mitzi. The story ended up being a little fractured but a fun story all the same. 

Three stars

Followed by Tattoos and Clues

This book came out July 30th, 2019

Borrowed as audiobook from RB Digital

Opinions are my own

Love Lies by Cynthia St. Aubin

I'm guessing this series may continue after this book but this would be an okay stopping point. It would not be an okay starting point; I highly suggest reading the other two books first. This is sort of a cozy mystery (no description of the murder) series but with open door sex (you see it on the page) that wraps up Hannalore "Hanna" Harvey's romance with Mark Abernathy and her ultimate choice in whether or not she wants to become a werewolf. In this book, she meets Mark's father, a demigod, a unicorn, and many more famous people ripped from the pages of our history books. Is the world-building a little shaky? Yes. Are some of the plot points a little loose? In places. But if you're reading for that, you're not going to enjoy this book anyway. It didn't suck me in like the first book did but it still retained the zaniness and humor that other books in the series had and I really like Hanna as a character. She was a little shaky after a divorce when the books started but really grew into a woman who vacillated between two men (sort of) which normally annoys me but St. Aubin made it pretty clear who Hanna was going to end up with and followed through without too much shilly-shallying. 

Three stars

Follows Love Sucks

Followed by Love Binds

This book came out October 27th

ARC kindly provided by Oliver Heber Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige

It took me awhile to get into this book. Possibly, it's my reading temperament at the moment but part of it was sort of not being captured by the characters until a few chapters in (there was almost too MUCH information about them without creating any depth). But, boy, am I glad I stuck it out. The Big Bad is sort of obvious from the beginning but it is an emotional journey to see how Vivi, who doesn't know that she's a witch, and saddled-with-an-overachieving-witch-family-legacy Scarlett will band together with the other Kappa Rho Nus in order to save them all.

The joys in this book were the way Morgan wove together some familiar themes (sororities, witches, sisterhood, opposites becoming friends) in what feels like a fresh way. Teenage drama with a resolution that still leaves room for a sequel.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 3rdARC kindly provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Happily Hereafter by Nova Nelson

 If you wanted a Parks-and-Rec-type finale to this Eastwind, you got it. Everyone in Eastwind is acting strange and it's really bothering Nora. At least she's getting to spend some time with her father (even if she is a acting like a teenager around him.) The weirdness is hyped by a string of mysterious notes that seem to hint at something dire coming to town. Something that will affect Nora personally. As she moves from note to note, we get to see almost every major character (or ponder on them) from the series.
A sweet, if somewhat insubstantial, story to end the series. I skipped quite a few books in the middle (I just wanted to see how the series ended without all of the push and pull of a sort-of-love-triangle) but didn't feel like I missed anything.

Three stars
This book came out January 31st, 2020

Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Love Sucks by Cynthia St. Aubin

Hannalore "Hanna" Harvey is still reeling from the news she found out in the first book (I highly recommend reading that book before this one.) She's not sure she wants to make any big choices at this point in her life but that doesn't sit well with her boss and love interest Mark Abernathy. In fact, he decides to make himself scarce for a good portion of the book leaving Hanna with some quirky characters including some names that almost every reader will know. She is suddenly also besieged by suitors, most of whom she doesn't really want.
A light, fun read. Hanna does have some feelings (and interactions) with the man who is being built up to be the overall hero of the series so if that gives you feelings of squick, this may not be the series for you. A little crazy, lots of mythical creatures, perfect reading for when you need a book just to pick up and plow through.

Three and a half stars
Follows Love Bites
Followed by Love Lies
This book came out May 19th, 2020
Ebook from Kindle
Opinions are my own