Stirred Up by Leigh Suznovich | Book Review

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

Title & Author: Stirred Up by Leigh Suznovich 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 9th December 2025

Blurb: 

Gage Cabrera is married to his work running his family’s beloved bar, El Abrevadero. His past has him not wanting to commit to any relationship, he’s content to go home to his funny birds. That is, until his ailing dad sets an ultimatum: get married, or I won’t turn ownership of the bar over to you when I retire. Gage is at a loss, until Celeste comes charging into his life with a personality as fiery as her hair.

Celeste Martino is trying to get her life back together and moving forward after a four month stint in prison on an unjust charge. The trying experience has made her endometriosis flare up, but she has no healthcare. After commiserating with Gage, who she has started to like visiting at his bar, he comes up with a plan: get married so he can inherit his bar, and she can go on his healthcare.

As with any carefully laid plan, it goes off script and lines start to get stirred up when they find everything they could have ever wanted in each other. Can these two people who are so scared of romance make a marriage work for real?

Review: 

We all know I am a serial four star giver but there was genuinely nothing I disliked about Stirred Up so it gets an instant five stars from me.

I read, and loved, the Special Delivery duet - The Parcel and The Care Package - and was delighted when I heard that there was actually going to be another book focusing on the sister of a character in The Care Package. From what we heard of Celeste in The Care Package, I knew she would be an interesting character to delve into and boy, was I right! Suznovich has developed this character perfectly.

Celeste has recently been released from prison after her charge of breaking a man's nose after he inappropriately touched her, was reduced to a misdemeanor and has to attend anger management classes. She has also been recently diagnosed with endometriosis and requires an operation to help with her pain but with no health insurance, that will prove difficult.

Gage runs his father's bar and is good friends with Carlo, the boyfriend of Celeste's sister. He knows he will become the owner of the bar soon due to his father's declining health, but his dad doesn't want the bar to be his life. He wants Gage to find love and get married and for everything to be balanced.

He needs a wife, she needs health insurance - the two could help each other out surely?

I absolutely adored these two. Celeste is probably my favourite FMC I have read about in a while. She is so headstrong and her issues with anger, trauma, trust and endometriosis are tackled fantastically. I love how her relationship with Gage changes her for the better and she learns to trust someone other than her sister.

Gage's family dynamic and all of their support for them, taking Celeste in so she feels like a part of them too is beautiful. Especially for someone like Celeste who has never really felt that.

In true Leigh Suznovich style, there are some of the most mouth-watering descriptions of food and I feel like I want to go to El Abrevadero immediately! 

Everyone needs to go read not just this book, but The Parcel and The Care Package too.

Burn The Breeze by June Lark | Book Review

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

Title & Author: Burn The Breeze by June Lark 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 23rd October 2025

Blurb:

Lina Larsen used to believe in love at first sight. That is, until a one-night stand went terribly wrong. What makes it worse, he’s now working on her family ranch, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to get rid of him.

Reed Ownstead thought he was getting back at his ex-wife when he brought the spitfire barrel racer home, only to discover he was way over his head. When his ex and daughter move to Willows, he decides to follow and get a job at Thornbrush Ranch, only to find it was the home of the rodeo star he wronged.

Now with a stalker following Lina on the rodeo circuit, vandals terrorizing the ranch, and Reed needing to take custody of his daughter, they have no choice but to be forced together. Stuck in a trailer on the road, temptation quickly becomes a whole lot stronger than hate.

When it turns out that land and lives are at stake back home, Lina must face the biggest race of her life—to save those she loves most or watch it all go up in smoke.

Review:

It felt like I read Among The Willows, the first book in the Thornbrush Ranch series ages ago when really it was only back in March. Cowboy romances are my favourite and I loved that book so I was really excited for Lina and Reed's book.

Lina Larsen is a barrel racer and she is so badass. I love a strong female character and she and Reed Ownstead have a bit of a rocky meeting. When Lina discovers her dad has employed Reed on the ranch, she is determined to drive him away.

Reed, however, is battling his own demons and is trying to get full custody of his five year old daughter Penn. His mother is involved with Junior, who popped up in the previous book.

When Lina discovers that she has a stalker and her dad asks for Reed's help by chaperoning her on her competition circuit, the close proximity has them realising their true feelings for each other.

I loved going back to this group of characters and I always enjoy that there is a sort of crime aspect to these books. Perfect for me who loves all things crime, thriller and romance.

Bring on Sage's book! 

King Of Obsession by Jessica Jude | Book Review

[I received an eARC copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: King Of Obsession by Jessica Jude

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 4th November 2025

Blurb:

Rhett

Being a rockstar has been the dream since the first time I picked up a guitar. The fame, the lights, the rush of playing sold-out concerts. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

But reaching that dream means keeping my past buried. To pull it off, I need someone to play along. Someone the world will believe. Lucky for me, I already know the perfect girl.

Unlucky for me? She wants nothing to do with me.

So now I have to do what I do best—charm her until she wants me as much as I want her.

It’s only for six weeks. What could possibly go wrong?

Saylor

Rhett Cole was my first kiss. My first heartbreak. The boy I couldn’t forget, no matter how hard I tried. When he walked away eleven years ago, I learned the hard way that fairy tales don’t come true for girls like me.

Now he’s back, more famous than ever, asking me for the impossible. Be his fake girlfriend for six weeks? Spend hours stuck on a tour bus with him? Share his bed?

Oh, and offering enough money to cover my bills for the next year.

It sounds simple. But nothing about Rhett Cole has ever been simple.

I’ve heard his promises before. And if I let him get close again, I know exactly how this ends.

But the more I push him away, the harder it gets to remember what’s fake… and what’s dangerously real.

Review:

King Of Obsession is the third book in the Hand of Revenge series, although you don't need to have read the first two to enjoy this one (I didn't but will definitely be going back to read them!) 

Saylor is recently separated from her military husband and works at a charity job that she really enjoys. When she is made redundant, she is nervous about how to pay the bills, especially now military housing support is stopping.

Rhett Cole is a "nepo baby" rockstar who has recently signed a record deal with a label which has taken a chance on him. His contract specifically states that he is to have a squeaky clean image so he hides the fact that he had recently completed a stint in rehab.

Rhett and Saylor bump into each other and while Saylor pretends she doesn't recognise him, Rhett definitely remembers her. She is the girl he had a thing with back at summer camp over a decade ago.

After not being able to stop thinking about Saylor, Rhett has a proposition for her - come along on tour, pretend to be his girlfriend and keep him on the straight and narrow. Saylor however is still angry with him for not getting in touch with her after summer camp. But this job could really help her financially...

I ate this book up. I forgot how much I love a rockstar romance and this one is done very well. It isn't all fluffy and rainbows, the pace was great, especially when it came to the two of them acknowledging their past.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series! 

Cowboy Casual by Holly Renee | Book Review

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

Title & Author: Cowboy Casual by Holly Renee 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 7th October 2025

Blurb:

Blaire Monroe is the only woman I've ever loved, and the only one I've let break my heart.

It's been ten years since she ran from this town, chasing a life that didn't include the cowboy next door who blurred the line between best friend and something more.

Now she's back.

Fresh off a busted engagement and hiding out on her grandmother's crumbling strawberry farm like the past never happened.

Like she doesn't still linger in every part of me I've spent years trying to erase.

But Blaire isn't the kind of girl you forget.

She's wildfire: reckless, untamed, and impossible to hold without getting scorched.

We collide the second we're in the same room.

Too much heat. Too much history. Not nearly enough distance.

The tension crackles, the pull is impossible, and before long, we're right back where we swore we'd never be—pressed against the wall, her hands in my hair, my mouth on hers like I've been starving for a decade.

I tell myself I can handle it.

But the truth is, this cowboy was never meant for casual.

Not with her. And sure as hell not again.

Review:

Cowboy Casual is the first book in the Calloway Ranch series and oh my goodness, I can't wait for more! I love when the first in a series makes you also adore the supporting characters and gets you excited for their books.

Blaire Monroe has just discovered that her fiancé Grant has been cheating on her for the past year. Her father, Senator Monroe, took her from her life on her grandmother June's strawberry farm a decade ago, promising her a great education, good job and the promise of marrying a good man.

On discovering Grant's infidelity, she goes back to June's, and very quickly bumps into her childhood sweetheart, cowboy Colt Calloway, who was all too happy for her to leave all those years ago. She has never understood why and is still hurt by it.

I LOVED this! Colt is a mustached single dad and his book is a proper slow burn, second chance romance.

The supporting characters are fantastic and the relationship between Blaire and Colt was written very well, and properly explored both of their feelings both now and what happened ten years ago.

I love when a single dad book does not just forget about the child. Colt's daughter Ruby was a big part of the book and even how Blaire integrated into her life was so sweet.

I can't wait for Hunter's book!

Revolve by Bal Khabra | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Revolve by Bal Khabra 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: 14th October 2025

Blurb:

Sierra Romanova was an Olympic figure skater before a life-altering accident left her with panic attacks every time she enters the rink. Now, back for her final year at Dalton University, she's ready to reclaim the spotlight.

Kicked off his hockey team for reckless behaviour, Dylan Donovan has little to no chance of making it to the National Hockey League draft. But Dylan's whole world revolves around the ice so, if hockey is forbidden, at least there's figure skating.

When Sierra finds herself in desperate need of a new partner, the only person who can match her skill is none other than the cocky hockey player who refuses to cut her any slack.

On the ice, their chemistry is electric. But can they stand the heat off the rink?

Review:

I absolutely loved Collide and Spiral, the previous two books in the Off The Ice series, but I think Revolve might just be my favourite!

Dylan Donovan has been suspended from the hockey team for failing a drug test which also includes no rink time at all. Sierra Romanova is a talented figure skater who is getting back into skating following a brutal fall. She is determined to compete again but after her previous partner just left her following the accident, she needs to find someone quick.

What she doesn't realise is that before ice hockey, Dylan used to skate with his sister so the two are put together thanks to their coaches. 

Both characters backstories are very emotional, Sierra with her accident and Dylan with his parents. Dylan is a typical playboy but something is different about Sierra and I particularly enjoyed how she really was not sold on him at the beginning. Their relationship development was beautiful.

Sierra is such a strong character and you could feel her turmoil about not being enough and how she thought about her scars. Dylan was just what she needed.

A really lovely romance!