Wolf.e by Paisley Hope | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Wolf.e by Paisley Hope 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Evermore

Publication date: 28th August 2025

Blurb:

Gabriel Wolfe, fallen dark angel and president of the Hounds of Hell motorcycle club, has lived a life shrouded in darkness. Haunted by a traumatic past, chaos is the only way he makes sense of the world.

He craves it to feel stable. Whole.

But everything changes when he meets Brinley Rose Beaumont. With her raven hair and molten eyes, she ignites a fire within him that he never knew existed. Wolfe's meticulously controlled world soon begins to unravel, and he finds himself drawn to Brinley with an intensity that borders on obsession.

Now, Brinley is all he sees. And Wolfe will stop at nothing to make her his.

Review:

I loved this book so much.

Brinley Rose Beaumont is a clean cut girl who was always warned about the motorcycle club in her home city. Following a break up with her long-term boyfriend, she heads back home to fix up her late parents house and decide what to do next.

After bumping into her childhood best friend Layla, she is shocked to discover that Layla is soon to be married to Ax, a member of said motorcycle club. Accompanying Layla to the clubhouse one night, she meets Gabriel Wolfe, president of the club, and Gabriel uncharacteristically takes a liking to her.

This book was everything. The character development for both of them was fantastic. I especially loved Brinley's. I adored the romance that blossomed between them - we love a man who is down bad!

I haven't really read a lot of motorcycle club books but if you like Sons of Anarchy and want a spicy romance in that vein, this is for you.

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey | Book Review

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Title & Author: The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey 

My rating: 3/5

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication date: 16th July 2024

Blurb:

Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.

Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.

Review:

I adored Fangirl Down and as soon as I heard the little mention of Burgess and Tallulah, I knew their book would be next and I was excited. 

Burgess, a 37 year old ice hockey player has offered Tallulah, the 26 year old best friend of his best friend, a job as his au pair whilst she does her degree. He has joint custody of his twelve year old daughter and needs a little help.

I loved hearing about Tallulah's backstory and it did break my heart. I really felt like I understood her reluctance when it came to working for Burgess. Obviously a relationship develops between the two and not without it's ups and downs.

Burgess is giving typical book boyfriend but I honestly felt like the plot was a little thin in comparison to Fangirl Down. 

I do enjoy an age gap romance and I loved the development between these two. Bring on the next book! 

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey | Book Review

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Title & Author: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Harper360

Publication date: 13th February 2024

Blurb:

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

Review:

This is one of those books I'd seen everywhere for ages and now that I've read it, I am fuming that I didn't read it sooner. Although maybe the universe planned for me to read it this year because I would understand it more.

Josephine runs her family's golf shop and is a pretty big fan girl of one high-profile golfer, Wells Whitaker. Once upon a time he was at the top of his game but his downfall is currently happening. Josephine's loyalty has never wavered though.

Events ensue and Wells hires Josephine as his caddy for the next tournament. She is the one who has always believed in him, plus, with a hurricane wiping out the golf shop, she needs the money for renovations.

Imagine my surprise to read that Josephine has type 1 diabetes. As the parent of a child who was diagnosed with T1D at the beginning of this year and our lives have been consumed with it, I knew Bailey had lived experience with this and it wasn't just written through research alone. If you don't know anything about T1D and love a romance novel, this book is so factually accurate, it made my heart happy.

What also made my heart happy? The development of Wells' character with Josephine's help and their relationship as a whole. 

Just beautiful and I am getting stuck straight into the rest of the series.

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a proof copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Bantam

Publication date: 14th August 2025

Blurb:

Who would you trust with the future?

The year is 2050. In the teeth of a climate catastrophe, the world is left with a drastic solution: one global leader to steer it through the coming apocalypse.

The final two candidates are ex-US President Lockwood, and Solomon, the world’s first political artificial intelligence.

As whispers of a global conspiracy emerge, investigative journalist Marcus Tully find himself at the centre of it – when Solomon’s creator turns up murdered.

Overnight, one investigation becomes two, and it’s not just the result of the election that’s at stake but the future of the species. Suddenly humanity must make an impossible choice – between salvation, or freedom.

Review:

It's the year 2050 and there is a global election about to take place. Who would you vote for - an ex-U.S. president or an A.I. artilect?

Marcus Tully is an investigative journalist who lost his pregnant wife in a deadly heatwave on the Persian Gulf a decade prior. Never wanting to give up on finding out the truth about what really happened to his wife and what caused the heatwave, Tully starts to unravel information that suggests that it was a conspiracy.

When Martha, the A.I. artilect's creator is killed, Tully is brought in to try and find out who killed her and why, but then both this investigation and the investigation into his wife's death start to intertwine.

I have never read a book like this before and I loved it. I don't read dystopian fiction for ages but then when I go back to it, I remember how much I love it. This is in the not too distant future but how the technology works feels like it could be real and that honestly scared me a little. 

Not only is it dystopian, but it mixed in another genre I love - murder mystery. I love that shock of finding out information and twists and a little bit of doubt like, is this a red herring?

Really enjoyable and thought-provoking!

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo | Book Review

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Title & Author: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Vintage

Publication date: 3rd July 2025

Blurb:

Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor and an even better serial killer. She’s made it her mission in life to track down predatory men on campus and kill them and she’s preparing for her biggest murder yet.

Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year at college – keeping her head down and focussing on work. But when her roommate Allison is assaulted at a party Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay.

When police start investigating the spate of local deaths, Scarlett starts to realise it’s only a matter of time before her secret life is exposed and everything she’s built comes crashing down with it…

Review: 

Layne Fargo can do no wrong. I became a little obsessed with The Favourites when I read it back in January so I was very excited to read They Never Learn, even though the genre is very different.

They Never Learn is dual POV with alternating chapters from Carly, a new university student and Scarlett, an academic at the university. 

Carly becomes quick friends with her roommate Allison and Allison's childhood friend Wes. She is a bit of a wallflower and doesn't really capture anyone's attention whereas Allison is the opposite. 

Scarlett is a serial killer whose focus is on men who mistreat women or abuse their powers. The opening to this book totally gripped me and never let go, right up to the final page.

The two stories come together in a way that surprised me and as someone who doesn't really care for men except my husband, these men made me ANGRY, more so because every single one felt real. These situations are real situations that people currently experience and HAVE experienced for years.

If you are a fan of Dexter but want more queer, feminist, vigilante type women who seek revenge on men, this book is for you. There were moments where my jaw dropped and I had to stare at the wall, the build up and chase had me locked in and the short, plot heavy chapters kept me hooked.

Bravo! (Trigger warnings for murder, rape and sexual abuse.)