The Recovery. Nicole Falls. 2020. 197 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I’ve been waiting for Parker’s story for a while. She is easily the most elusive member of the trio of her, Geffri, and Blair. Between The Changeup and The Restart, it’s very clear that she has some major turmoil and the build-up of anticipation was real. As the third book in the New Beginnings series, The Recovery continues its pattern of following a woman athlete’s career and personal life. For her part, Parker is a former track star turned golf novice looking to establish herself as a great. Her day job, however, is being nanny to three kids under 7 while fighting off an attraction to their widower father, Kelly. So while she spends her days staving off tantrums and keeping her bedroom eyes in check, Parker devotes nearly all the rest of her time to honing her skills as an up-and-coming golfer on a tour circuit. I readily fell into Parker’s story because she’s so likable. She’s a calmer balance to Blair and Geffri’s personalities, but isn’t quite mousy nor a pushover. She can get hype like them, but between catering to little kids all day and spending her…

On the Rebound. Alexandra Warren. 2020. 225 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Alexandra Warren is back with a great (and anticipated) return to the Tennessee Trojans’ saga. Instead of centering two players, On the Rebound features Trojans’ Kage Steele and Bleu Taylor, a sports reporter with a budding show of her own. Kage is entering his second season and has the pressure of proving he’s still worth the trouble he caused the previous season. Bleu has a key rule for herself – don’t date active athletes. So while her current bae is a former baller turned sports commentator, that was only possible once he retired. When things go left in her relationship, Kage turns the dial up on his pursuit, hoping to be a redeemable exception to Bleu’s rule. To be fair, Kage isn’t a complete sleaze. He’s actually a pretty decent friend to Bleu as she navigates some of the complications dropped into her lap by other people’s recklessness. But the fact that the two aren’t as unacquainted as Bleu would like to think means that they have an obvious chemistry to dance around. The drama factor in the book is more than evident. Between Bleu’s relationship troubles and Kage’s…

It’s The Chase For Me. Christina C. Jones. 2020. Warm Hues Creative. 90 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] You know that feeling when you keep running into someone you really are trying to escape? That’s January. And the guy she bumped into — and subsequently caused to spill coffee on himself — just keeps popping up everywhere around town. It wouldn’t be so terrible if they hadn’t had a one night stand and swore not to see each other again. It’s the Chase for Me is the perfect Halloween read to me. Jones released this at a time when daily life seems like a never-ending nightmare, so I appreciate the Halloween season without the spookiness. This definitely reads more as comedic romance, and easy to lose yourself in. Main characters Chase and January are relatable and so easy to laugh at. It reads almost like a series of unfortunate events in their lives, and while I want things to get sorted out, I absolutely laughed at their bad fate. Readers first glimpse of January was in Me + Somebody’s Son, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Her intro in this book isn’t quite glamorous, and somehow she’s off kilter throughout the rest of…

Loving MAN. Bailey West. 2020. 224 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Sometimes you just want to read something a little messy. The world outside my window is obviously imploding, so a bit of catharsis is always appreciated. The description for Loving MAN certainly supplied that — a pregnancy from a short-lived fling, and then another woman on top of that? Add in the food aspect, and I was ready to jump in. Loving MAN, at almost all turns, wasn’t what I expected. That’s not a bad thing, though. It’s usually easy to figure out a few of the plot points with certain tropes in romance, so I was prepared to adjust my expectations accordingly. However, West starts the book with significant bombshells, then takes the rest of the book in a direction that while unexpected, was appreciated. Xander and Angel are two lost souls. They share a passion that’s not about romance — food; he’s a renowned chef and she’s an internationally trained chocolatier. Life circumstances have pulled them both away the kitchen and have them questioning if they’ll find themselves back ever, let alone in the near future. And yes, this is a romance, so there’s obviously tension around their…

Come Inside. ShanicexLola. 2020. SXL Publications. 144 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Kiyah’s reputation as the office “Ice Queen” might be on shaky ground. After being tricked into attending her company’s masquerade party by her work BFF, she finds herself face to face with the man she lusts for across the board room table, Nixon. It’s certainly hard to turn down an open invitation to sate her curiosity, but then what? The rapport and banter between Nixon and Kiyah is matter-of-fact, which makes their flirting more entertaining. Neither really holds any of their cards, so the result is refreshing while still leaving something to be anticipated. It’s clear that Kiyah can’t help but give in to her more carnal desires where Nixon is concerned, but she’s reluctant to give in fully at the risk of heartbreak. This presents most of the conflict in the book because she’s rarely fully invested. Kiyah’s “Ice Queen” title is most certainly deserved; she’s a workaholic and only maintains superficial relationships with nearly everyone in her life. To that end, a lot of the book centered on her willingness and ability to lean more into life in general. She is still dealing with the emotional aftermath…