Well, summer is in full swing and it’s hard to believe the kiddos are heading back to school in just a couple of weeks. The temperatures have been hot around these parts, but the tomatoes are a-turnin’ and I am one happy girl. After several months of a book funk, I can finally say that my reading mojo is back. I should have known that a dose of romance was what I was lacking. If you find yourself in a book funk, I highly recommend shaking up your genres and choosing something that speaks to your heart, not your head.
Chestnut Springs series – Highly Recommend!
Oh man, this series is everything!!! If you like romance, you need these books in your life. Thank you so much Becca, for making Flawless your pick for A Dose of Romance Book Club. You cured my book funk, gave me some incredible characters to swoon over, and made me a generally happier person this month!
All 4 books (book 5 is set to release this October) are stand-alone but the characters and their stories intertwine in every book, so I recommend reading them in order. They all take place in Chestnut Springs, Canada – the perfect backdrop for these small town, dirty talking, possessive heroes and their strong, smart-mouthed, and sassy heroines. They include short texting strings that are bound to make you smile or laugh and the banter is spot-on! They all have Harvey Eaton – the most wonderful and inclusive patriarch; he was an amazing character and I wish he could have his own book. And they all bring the HEAT, ladies. You’re gonna need a firehouse and maybe some fresh panties along the way. I mean, we have wranglers and chaps, my friends. Nuff said. They are all currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
Flawless – 5 Stars (5 Hearts!)
After a few mistakes that jeopardize his career, professional bull rider, Rhett Eaton, is put under supervision by his agent’s daughter, Summer Hamilton.
Summer was a relatable, 25 year-old recent grad trying to prove herself to her father and everyone else. Rhett is a 32 year-old, care-free cowboy that follows his own set of rules. Their chemistry was undeniable and their banter was fresh and spectacular. Fair warning, there is a whipped cream scene that will send you running to the store to recreate.
Tidbits: Romance, small town, western, forced proximity, small age gap, boss’ daughter, dual POV.
Heartless – 4.5 Stars (4 Hearts!)
Cade Eaton, Rhett’s older brother, is a 38 year-old uptight father who has been stuck as the caretaker of his family since his mom died when he was a young man. Willa is a 25 year-old firecracker, Summer Hamilton’s best friend, and nanny to Cade’s son Luke.
Heartless had some seriously possessive man power and I loved it! There were brilliant one-liners between Cade and Willa that were out of left field and nailed their shock factor. Willa’s relationship with Luke was the sweetest and I adored Cade as the protective father he was – your ovaries are on warning, my friends. There are also some steamy hot tub scenes that will melt them panties.
Tidbits: Romance, age gap, small town, grumpy & sunshine, single dad, western, dual POV.
Powerless – 4 Stars (3 Hearts!)
Jasper Gervais, honorary brother of Rhett and Cade and hockey superstar, and Sloane, cousin to the Eaton’s and professional ballerina, have been close friends since they were kids. Sloane has been pining for Jasper, but he has never matched her feelings. That is until Sloane is preparing to marry a douchebag of a man, and Jasper rescues her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
Powerless was an excruciatingly slow burn! Jasper and Sloane were constantly getting in each others way and were driving me nuts with their “we’re just friends.” But hang on to your hat rodeo queens, because Jasper turns into a whole different man between the sheets. We even have some edging scenes to light those panties on fire. Although Powerless was my least favorite of the series, it was still a great story.
Tibits: Romance, small town, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, forced proximity, pining, dual POV.
Reckless – 5 Stars (5 Hearts!)
Theo Silva is a 26 year-old cocky bull rider and Rhett Eaton’s protégé. Winter Hamilton, Summer’s 28 year-old sister, is a doctor in the midst of a divorce. When the unlikely pair share a single steamy night together with no strings attached, neither expects that they will be bound together by two pink lines.
This is the best surprise baby romance that I’ve ever read and I generally LOATHE them. My ovaries betrayed me and I want Theo to be my baby daddy. This was my favorite book of the series. Winter was such an ice queen in Flawless, that I was worried I would never like her story, but GAHHHHH, I loved it so much! Theo was the perfect hero for her. When he found out about Vivi (their daughter), he didn’t blink an eye and stepped in to be exactly what Winter needed. And their heat was soooooo good – just take my panties, Theo! (Or at least what’s left of them.)
Tidbits: Romance, small town, western, bull riding, older heroine, reverse grumpy & sunshine, dual POV.
Georgie, All Along – 3.5 Stars (3 Hearts!)
Georgie is used to putting everyone else before herself, so when she suddenly finds herself without a job or home in L.A., she is forced back to her small hometown. This change in life events provokes her to contemplate what and who does she really want to be and do with her life. When she discovers a fictional artifact from high school that her and her best friend wrote together, she takes it as a sign that it could be her guidebook to figuring out her life. However, Georgie never expects to be stuck in a living situation with the brother of her high school crush.
The first half of this book was very slow and to be honest I wanted to quit. The second half was much better and overall I felt like it was a good story, but pretty forgettable. Georgie and Levi were cute, but Levi was definitely the star of the book.
Tidbits: Romance, grumpy & sunshine, forced proximity, late-20’s characters, dual POV.
Looking for more book recommendations? Check out all of my book posts here!
What’s the last book series that you couldn’t stop reading?
Becca @ Life’s a Pearl
I love everything about these reviews!!! 😍😍😍 Trust in Elsie Silver to need new panties and make us love tropes we usually hate 😂
Wow! So Flawless is your runner up pick to Reckless 😱👏🏻
This is the last series I could not stop reading lol. I have a feeling the one I’m currently reading (Dark Hearts by Jagger Cole) could be too 🤞🏻
ASHLEY
Well definitely keep me posted! Now you know that the baseline is needing new panties. Anything less than that is subpar. 😂