I Make My Own Fun by Hannah Beer | 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: I Make My Own Fun by Hannah Beer

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Publication date: 6th March 2025

Blurb:

She's the woman who has everything. But she wants more. She wants you...

Everyone knows Marina, the A-list movie star. But very few know Marina, the absolute monster.

Years at the top have proved that whatever Marina wants, she gets. But when she meets bartender Anna, Marina discovers something that can't be bought: Anna's affection. As Anna remains unmoved, Marina's advances become more desperate - and her obsession more dangerous.

The price of fame is heavy - and someone will have to pay for it...

Review:

Oh I absolutely LOVED this. Literally right from the beginning, I thought "this is going to be fun". It is very much a "rich people doing questionable things" type of book.

Marina is an English movie star in her late twenties. She has been acting for years and has amassed a huge amount of fans. Think "A-lister" with a high profile relationship (more PR than actual relationship) and she is used to getting anything she wants. 

Following an event, she meets bartender Anna and the two spend the night together. Marina becomes obsessed with Anna but does so from afar, truly believing that something more will happen between them.

I love characters like Marina. She is not nice, has a huge ego, speaks horrendously towards her assistant Jules but I thought she was brilliant and her behaviour had me laughing at some parts - I'm not sure what that says about me?! 

There are a few mixed media aspects in this book too like news articles and snippets of fan threads about Marina. I, for my sins, love celebrity gossip and theories and this made her character seem so real.

The obsession Marina has towards Anna kept me hooked because you know they both see what happened between them completely differently. I couldn't wait for the culmination of events and it was better than I thought it was going to be.

The Care Package by Leigh Suznovich | Book Review

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

Title & Author: The Care Package by Leigh Suznovich 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 18th March 2025

Blurb:

Tania Castillo has been making it on her own for most of her life after enduring a whole lot of tragedy. She definitely does not want to get involved with her flirty, gorgeous co-worker Carlo, no matter how charming and funny he is. Workplace romances just get too messy. When disaster strikes though, he’s there for her in a way no one ever really has been before, and her walls start to crumble. Can he be the peace she has always been desperately searching for?

Carlo Hernandez has been pining for Tania from the moment he saw her walk into their work over a year ago. She politely refused him when he asked her out though, and that was that. Over a year later, she finds herself in a bind that only he can help with. Suddenly, he’s living with his dream woman and her mischievous cats. As their relationship heats up and deepens, he hopes to make her his forever roommate.

Review:

I read The Parcel (the first in the Special Delivery duet) last year and absolutely loved Taran and Lyra so I was excited for Taran's best friend Carlo's book as he seemed interesting in the glimpse of him that we got in The Parcel.

Carlo works for FedEx and over the last year has develop a bit of a crush on Tania who came to work at the same company. She has however, always rebutted his advances as she refuses to mix work and play.

Tania has had to overcome a lot of hurdles in her life. Her parents passed away in a car accident and growing up in the foster system meant that she had to put barriers up and protect her peace. Her own family member is Celeste, her foster sister who is currently wrongly incarcerated.

Following an incident at her apartment where her adorable kitties flooded the place, she finds herself with nowhere to live. Carlo has a guest room so it feels like the perfect solution. He won't see her be homeless and vows to put his feelings aside.

What I love about this book is firstly, the character growth. Carlo and Tania both discover their passions and what they want to achieve in life through each others support. Secondly, the focus on fighting men who abuse their power against women, and finally, both of our main characters families orginate from Spain and El Salvador. Because of this, you really get this sense of family from Carlo's side and although Tania lost her parents young, her going back to Spain to discover where her family grew up is beautiful.

These really give Carlo and Tania this huge, rich background.

A beautiful follow up to The Parcel!

Among The Willows by Jennifer L Strand | Book Review

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

Title & Author: Among The Willows by Jennifer L Strand 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 21st March 2025

Blurb:

He’s a cage fighting cowboy who never stopped loving his best friend, but all she’s ever done is run.

Romy Miller is a laid-off teacher who hasn’t been home in twelve years. Not since she hooked up with her best guy friend and ran off to college. She has cut all ties to Willows, including her narcissistic father, but when she receives a collect call from her older sister in jail asking for help, she decides there is no choice but to return home.

Since his childhood crush, Romy, broke his heart, Jude Larsen hasn’t been home to the family ranch. Instead, he channeled all his frustration and self-worth into a championship MMA career. That is, until he receives a call from his uncle the ranch is now a crime scene and Romy’s sister is behind bars.

Now both are returning to Willows. While Jude brings his training camp to the ranch in preparation for the biggest fight of his career, Romy embarks on a relentless quest to clear her sister's name. What neither of them knows is that someone else isn't happy that she's returned and will stop at nothing to ensure she doesn't find the truth.

Review:

I was a thriller girlie first and foremost before discovering my love of romances (cowboy romance in particular!). I have read my fair share of cowboy romances and sometimes they can either feel a bit samey or just miss the mark. Among The Willows is like a breath of fresh air. As I was reading I had that feeling of "I will read anything this author writes. I am now obsessed". 

Romy is a teacher who has recently been laid off and has also discovered that her boyfriend has been cheating on her for the last four months. As if things weren't bad enough, she receives a call from her sister Hazel who is in a penitentiary after allegedly shooting and killing her boyfriend. Romy then returns to her hometown, somewhere she hasn't stepped foot in in the last twelve years.

Rhys Larsen is a big shot MMA fighter who used to work at the ranch in Romy's hometown. He also hasn't been back in twelve years, since the morning after he and Romy finally spent the night together at the age of eighteen, then she ghosted him.

This book is just everything. You have small town romance, second chances, a male main character who has been pining for the last twelve years but also that thriller/crime element that I love with regards to Romy's sister. 

It is a spicy read, and those scenes are incredible, but the plot is so full that you don't want to put it down. Perfection.

The Favourites by Layne Fargo | Book Review

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Title & Author: The Favourites by Layne Fargo 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Chatto & Windus

Publication date: 16th January 2025

Blurb:

Everyone thinks Heath Rocha was my first love. He wasn't. My first love was figure skating.

Katarina Shaw has always known she’s destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating – and each other – to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating fans with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style and rollercoaster relationship.

Until, at the Olympic Games, as the world holds its breath, a shocking incident instantly destroys their partnership.

Ten years later, an unauthorised tell-all documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha. If Kat wants to own her story, she must break her silence. As Kat’s account of her dramatic rise and fall alternates with scandalous interviews from the film, The Favourites spins into a dance between passion, ambition and what it truly means to win.

Sensational rumours have haunted Kat and Heath’s every step for years, but the truth may be even more outrageous than the headlines.

Review:

The Favourites is kind of a modern retelling of Wuthering Heights set in the world of competitive figure skating and I fell in love. So much so that I read it on my Kindle, purchased the hardcover, went on to purchase the Goldsboro special edition and then listened to the audio.

The Favourites was one of my most anticipated book releases of 2025 but it totally blew my expectations out of the water and there is no doubt that it's up there as one of my favourite books ever. I haven't felt this way since I read The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo.

I know nothing about figure skating but feel like I learnt a lot through this novel. The Favourites is told from the point of view of Katarina Shaw, who is recounting her skating career and personal life; from her childhood and meeting Heath Rocha, who would become her skating partner (and much more than that!) up to present day. 

There is also a documentary being made about Katarina and Heath so we have snippets of thoughts and opinions from other skaters, judges and coaches who knew the couple at the height of their careers. (When listening to the audio version, I have to say that Johnny Weir's narration of Ellis Dean was fantastic!) I absolutely love the depth that this adds to the book and it helps build the suspense of what happened next in their lives.

I was totally enthralled by this world, the relationship between Katarina and Heath (which is not at all plain sailing) and the intensity between them but also the love for figure skating, particularly on Katarina's part, and the drama in the skating world when it gets to competitive level.

I feel like my words cannot do justice for how this book made me feel. Just incredible! 

Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto | Book Review

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

Title & Author: Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto 

Genre: Romance 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 14th February 2024

Blurb:

Hudson Hayes, star defenseman for the DC Stars, needs help. He’s been looking for a private chef for months but keeps coming up short. With the NHL season starting and no prospects in sight, he’s close to giving up.

Madeline Galloway needs a job. Recently let go from her executive chef position in Las Vegas, she’s desperate as can be when she reaches out to an old acquaintance about a possible job opportunity…. in Washington DC.

After hitting it off with her prospective employer, the blond hockey star who seems to have a heart of gold, she and her daughter, Lucy, make the move east.

The rules were simple: no personal relationships. No falling for the romantic guy who always made her smile, even if they are living together and spending all their free time with each other.

After a kiss on New Year’s Eve, everything changes. The lines blur. Being Hudson’s friend—and only his friend—is the last thing on her mind.

And when Hudson learns American Sign Language for her Lucy? It might be a slap shot to Madeline's heart.

Review:

Oh, Hudson, Madeline and Lucy - my heart! 

When I read the first book in the DC Stars series, Face Off, it was my first time reading a Chelsea Curto book. I instantly fell in love with Maverick and Emmy but with Curto's writing style too. So much so that I went back to read her Love Through A Lens series where, again, I fell in love with all of the characters. Her characters have a bit of a crossover throughout the books so I felt excited for the next one, Power Play and then obviously for Slap Shot.

Slap Shot follows Hudson Hayes and Madeline Galloway. Hudson is a DC Stars player looking for a personal chef who he can trust. Madeline is a chef in Las Vegas whose restaurant is being bought over and is therefore out of a job. We met Madeline briefly in a previous book where she took her daughter Lucy to a Stars game (even though she is not a fan of the sport herself!).

Madeline ends up relocating with her daughter and working for Hudson. This is a slow burn but so beautifully done. Madeline's daughter is Deaf and she has lost trust following her husband leaving them for this reason. Hudson has been in a state of sadness since the passing of his mother and having Madeline and Lucy in his life brings back his spark.

Curto really has a way of writing that hits your emotions and has you falling for these characters. Not only do I adore the romantic developments between the main characters but I love the friendships too. The girl's group who have each others backs, give advice and have a laugh but the men's friendship is so refreshing and wholesome.

This is a beautiful read and I just want to go back and re-read all of Chelsea Curto's books now while I wait for more DC Stars novels.

Offside Rule by Maeve Hazel | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eBook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Author & Title: Offside Rule by Maeve Hazel

Genre: Romance 

My rating: 4/5

Publication date: 16th January 2025

Blurb: 

With rules strictly prohibiting referee/player relationships, Arianna and Xavier face an impossible choice.

Fiery and focused.

Arianna Esposito is a single mother under pressure. As a European football referee, she loves her job—but she struggles with an old injury and the guilt over moments she's missing with her young daughter. The last thing she expects is for a charming young football player to make her believe in love again. Arianna finds herself torn between the world she's carefully built and the risky promise of something more.

Dedicated and passionate.

Xavier Kavalle is a rising star in European football, doing his best to shoulder the weight of his team’s success. As he prepares his teammates for their shot at the championship, he finds inspiration in an unexpected place—the referee he can’t keep his eyes off of. She’s talented, fiercely independent, and everything he never knew he needed. Under mounting pressure, can Xavier step up to be everything his team—and Arianna—needs?

As the championship approaches, will they play it safe or defy the rules to pursue the kind of love they long for?

Review:

This is the cutest novella! I love a sports romance anyway so I knew this would be right up my street.

Nineteen-year-old Xavier Kavalle plays for a European football team. He is good enough to be captain but that role has gone to his cousin (who isn't the best player on the team) just because his dad is the team's coach. Despite this, he stays positive and confident in his team's ability.

Arianna Esposito is a twenty-five-year-old widow and mum to four-year-old Giulia. She is also a football referee who takes her job very seriously. The two cross paths one evening after she makes a football comment to Xavier whilst he's watching replays, then he realises she actually knows her stuff when he discovers she is refereeing his next match. 

There is an instant spark between the two of them but with their age gap, the fact that a ref cannot get involved with a player and the fact that Arianna has a child, could their relationship work?

The character of Xavier was so lovely for someone so young and I really enjoyed the scenes between Xavier and Giulia. Arianna's feelings regarding being torn between her career and her family were written very well and you could feel her turmoil. I love novellas because I can just fly through the story but at the same time I feel sad when I am loving them because I just want to read about these characters forever.

This is a sweet, short read that any romance lover will enjoy! 

Powerless by Elsie Silver | Book Review

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Title & Author: Powerless by Elsie Silver

Genre: Romance

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication date: 6th April 2023

Blurb:

Two childhood best friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything.

I've been living in the friend zone for years now.

To Jasper Gervais's fans, he's just the hockey heartthrob on TV. But to me, he's still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold. The man I've loved in secret for years.

So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he's the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I'm there to return the favour.

But the more time alone we spend together, the more I start to realise that Jasper isn't looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn't touching me like one, either.

He acts like he wants me.

But after years of turning me away, he's going to need to prove it...

Review: 

I loved both Flawless and Heartless so ended up speeding my way through the series. Usually I wouldn't be a big series reader, but I have just loved all these characters so much and never want to say goodbye! 

Powerless follows the story of Jasper, a childhood friend of the Eaton boys. He is an NHL player and we learn about how he came to live with Harvey and his family following Jasper's troubles with his own parents. Sloane is a prima ballerina and is a cousin of the Eaton's so Jasper has known her since she was ten-years-old.

From what we have seen of Jasper in the previous two books, we know he is very quiet and reserved so I was excited to see a bit more of him. In Heartless, we learned that Sloane had recently gotten engaged but didn't seem happy about it so I was eager to learn more about that.

Sloane's father is a businessman and her engagement to Sterling was essentially a business transaction. She has been in love with Jasper since she first laid eyes on him at ten years of age but she was under the impression that Jasper didn't feel the same way.

I don't usually like a childhood friends to lovers trope but this was beautiful. It was so wonderful to get into Jasper's mind and for both he and Sloane to overcome things together. I thought no one could beat Cade but Jasper Gervais is up there!

The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels | Book Review

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Title & Author: The Christmas Swap by Talia Samuels

Genre: LGBTQIA+ romance

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph 

Publication date: 21st September 2023

Blurb:

It's the perfect Christmas love story.

Margot Murray is a newly single, high-flying businesswoman with no interest in a cutesy seasonal romance.

Ben Gibson is an unlucky-in-love sweetheart in need of a woman to bring home for the holidays.

Together, they make a pact: Margot gets a blissful week away from London in a picture-perfect manor, in exchange for posing as Ben's girlfriend.

The story can only go one way. Margot is sure to fall in love for real.

And she does.

With Ben's sister, Ellie.

What could possibly go wrong?

Review:

I am loving festive romances at the minute and I'm sure we have all read our fair share of the fake dating trope where they go to one of their families homes for Christmas and end up falling in love for real.

The Christmas Swap is a slight twist on that. Ben is one of Margot's clients and she plays the role of doting girlfriend at Ben's family's country estate over Christmas. Ben doesn't want to be dealing with the questions about why he is still single in his mid-30s and Margot was due to go on holiday with her girlfriend but they have since broken up.

When they arrive at Ben's family home, his sister Ellie instantly thinks Margot is lying. She's heard hushed conversations and thinks that Margot may be a gold digger, not that they aren't really in a relationship. A romance does blossom between the two women and the whole story is just so interesting to read. Ellie's sleuthing and misunderstanding was brilliant to follow because you could absolutely see how it all made sense to her but was totally off the mark.

There is so much depth to both Ellie and Margot, and Margot's emotionally abusive past relationship was tackled really well. This is a really refreshing take on the fake dating trope!