Tag: family

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#BookReview: Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey

Christmas Love Angle. Let me be crystal clear as someone more trained in mathematics than most who happens to work in a field that is technically a sub-discipline of mathematics: For three (or more, really) straight people, there can never be a true love triangle. There can only be a love *angle*. A triangle, by definition, has three sides and three intersecting points. For a romantic love triangle to exist, at least one person involved must be romantically attracted to both of the other two – even if unrequited. With three straight people, no matter the combination of either gender, it will thus never happen. Thus, this book is about a love *angle*, not a love “triangle”, as all of our central characters here are straight.

Now, possible (likely) pedantry aside, this was still a fun Kristen Bailey Christmas book. A bit spicier than a Sarah Morgan Christmas book, with far more sexual innuendo (but you knew that from the title, or should have :D), with quite a bit more comedy, and really at least as much heart to it as Morgan’s annual tales.

Now Jeff, why do you bring up another author in this review? Well, because in both cases they’re both United Kingdom based, with tales primarily based on that side of the “pond” and are fairly consistent in releasing a Christmas book every year, generally within a few weeks of each other. Meaning I tend to read them pretty close and indeed read this one barely ten days after reading Morgan’s latest, so it is fresh on my mind. 🙂

Overall this book hit about as expected – meaning I had a great time and think most readers will too, but if you’re one that doesn’t like cussing or jalapeno (at least) level spice (to be clear, this is nowhere near ghost level, even habanero is debatable, which is why I went with jalapeno)… maybe stick with Morgan’s books. But hey, if you *prefer* the occasional fuck – both in word and in deed – Bailey is going to be right up your alley bringing her version of… well, Big *Nick* Energy. 😀 (Ok, it had to be done once I realized I was kinda walking myself into that one. :D)

I would say that long time fans of Bailey will enjoy this one, and also that if you’re new to Bailey, this is a fun book that is fairly typical of her overall style, even as she writes a few books every year – not just her annual Christmas book. As someone who has been reading her stuff for a few years now, I can honestly say that they’re all fun and if you enjoy this one and are new to Bailey, you’re going to have a fun time reading through her back catalog.

As always, read the book for yourself and let us know what you think by leaving your own review wherever you see this one. Even if you think I’m completely wrong in my thoughts on this book, feel free to call me out in your review if you think I need it. Overall, more reviews reach more readers and help sell more books, so please, help both me and you and help Bailey continue to be able to write more books for us. 🙂

Very much recommended.

This review of Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey was originally written on October 21, 2025.

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#BlogTour: The Hidden Daughter by Soraya Lane

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a strong tale that brings new elements to this series while also setting up its conclusion brilliantly. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Hidden Daughter by Soraya Lane.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / PageBound.co / TheStoryGraph.com), SubStack, and YouTube:

Strong Penultimate Book In Series Brings In New Elements. This entire series of Lane combining both her historical side and her romance side have been truly excellent, and this one is no different there. What makes this one different from the rest of the series is that this one actually takes place comfortably outside the shadow of WWII… and is perhaps one of the more powerful books in the series because of this. Indeed, while it can sometimes be hard for modern audiences nearly a century removed from wartime horrors and tribulations to fully understand all that is happening inside a WWII setting, no matter how good the storyteller is, in bringing the story out of that particular shadow and in using a tragedy that is still rare but at least more relatable than total war, Lane makes this particular tale perhaps all that much easier to fully understand the depth of the tragedy here.

Once again, both historical and contemporary elements are done well and perhaps here blended even more seamlessly than the other books, due to the precise nature of what is happening within this one. Foodies will love the restaurant talk of having our FMC be a chef, and indeed her entire story is richly layered with all too relatable drama for far too many. Even the MMC, while not given remotely equal screen time, manages to have the main point of his backstory developed enough to be quite the gut punch when it is fully revealed.

Perhaps most exciting for fans who have been with this standalone-yet-interconnected-ish series since the beginning is the stinger in the epilogue here. On a scale ranging from “makes you not want the next tale at all to Infinity War’s “I need the next tale RIGHT TBIS FUCKING SECOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, this one ends not far off Infinity War’s level of build. With no release date given for the next book!

Which just means you have time to either read this book (if you’ve already been following along) or the entire series (if you haven’t) before the finale comes seemingly at some point in 2026. (Pure somewhat educated guess there.) When you read them, make sure to write your own reviews wherever you see this one. I clearly think this book and the entire series are truly excellent, and I’d love to see what you think too.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Hidden Daughter by Soraya Lane”

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#BookReview: Love By Design by Maddie Evans

Atypical Romance Offers Solid Trilogy Conclusion. This is a very atypical romance that some could potentially see as problematic… and others could possibly very easily feel all too seen in. And that all centers on our FMC here.

In the characterization of her rigidity of habit and how completely clueless she is socially, Evans here presents one version of a condition not named in the description, so it would be a spoiler to reveal here. To this writer, living in the real world with the same condition, the characterization here is perhaps a touch stereotypical… and yet while my own life and romances therein have been *wildly* different than portrayed here… I’m also aware enough of others living with this to know that there are indeed very likely some, perhaps many, who will feel quite seen in this characterization and indeed perhaps find hope that they too can find a love as portrayed herein.

Other irritations – and truly, these are *simply* irritations that your mileage will absolutely vary on – are that the author for some reason or another seems to have written “Disney” and then hit Replace All on the manuscript with a fictional name – that is how blatant the descriptions of the company are to real life, yet with the fictional name for the company. There are a few different reasons I can think of even off the top of my head that an author may choose to do this, but it was an irritant every time I encountered it and it did take away from the story a touch… which is unfortunate, given how critical it is at one point.

The other irritant is far more minor in its presentation… and yet it is also one I know many readers will want to be aware of, as it can be a deal breaker for some: without *actually* diving into spoiler territory, let’s just say there is a certain surprise in the epilogue that at least was hinted at briefly in the earlier text that it could potentially be a possibility in this exact situation, so at least it wasn’t a situation of the book before that moment either never mentioning this at all or even outright saying this wasn’t wanted at all.

To be clear though, this really was a solid romance of a very atypical form, between someone who thought he was going to be a priest and thus never have a romantic relationship and someone for whom relationships had always been rather difficult. Indeed, it is these exact two characterizations coming together that actually make this story as strong as it is, as it offers hope to so very many who perhaps are in similar boats of being on the verge of hopelessness for their own potential romances.

Another thing that was done quite well here is the integration of many elements of the Catholic faith, perhaps obvious with a potential priest as the MMC and with the author being so openly Catholic herself. Still, this is one element where at least some readers will want to be aware of up front and can make your own decision to thus read this book or not based on your own thoughts on the Catholic Church. Once again, I’m simply asking you, now that you’ve read this far into my own review, to simply leave this book be if you’re going to give it one star just because it features Catholicism and shows it so favorably or, more actually, normally.

The non-romance drama with the Brighthead Crafters is done very well once again, and this is where the trilogy conclusion comes to bear with both humor and heart, as is to typical of Evans.

Ultimately this really is a quite strong, if also very atypical, romance and a solid conclusion to this trilogy. So pick all three books up, read them, and leave a review for each wherever you find this review. Let us all know what you think – even if you think I’m a complete moron in my thoughts about these books, feel free to tag me anywhere and let me know! I’m just excited that you’re actually reading them, no matter what you think of them. 🙂

Very much recommended.

This review of Love By Design by Maddie Evans was originally written on October 10, 2025.

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#BookReview: A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan

Another Solid Sarah Morgan Christmas Tale. The sun rises in the East. The grass is green. Some politician in your country is being an idiot. Some celebrity said something stupid. Baby animals doing cute things in short videos. The clock showing the same numbers twice every day. The tide comes in and goes away. Ohio State Football being severely overrated. Some things you can just count on, day after day, year after year. They just seem like they’re *always* going to be there, longer than the pyramids of Egypt.

Sarah Morgan writing a 300 ish page Christmas novel that feels like a warm blanket at a cozy fireside with the beverage of your choice on the table beside you and your cat (or dog, if you prefer) curled up at your feet is one of those things, and here, she doesn’t disappoint at all.

As usual, there is at least a touch of drama. A touch of romance. But at its heart is a family coming together for Christmas, and as usual yes, there is at least an element of a road trip involved for some of them.

Indeed, about the only thing to turn anyone off from this book or any of Morgan’s other Christmas romances is that she isn’t exactly a warm glass of milk level spice author. More of a jalapeno or so, *maybe* up to a habanero at certain key moments, but never more than once or twice or so per book. And even then, absent those scenes… yeah, about as spicy as a good eggnog. One where it is blended so well that you get all the flavors of the bourbon and rum and cognac without any burn whatsoever.

Seriously, if you’re looking for a Christmas romance author that you can just buy every year and not have to worry about quality or consistency and just *know* you’re going to get an enjoyable tale long enough to really sink into and spend a few hours with… Sarah Morgan absolutely belongs at the top of that list, and this book, her 2025 entrant here, is no different.

Very much recommended.

This review of A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan was originally written on October 9, 2025.

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#BookReview: Good Days Bad Days by Emily Bleeker

All Too Real. I’ve been reading Bleeker’s books since her debut, WRECKAGE, many years ago now. I even finally got a chance to meet her IRL at Walt Disney World last year when we both randomly happened to be there. (For what its worth, I’m there frequently, living just 2.5 hrs away. In fact, the reason I’m writing this review less than 24 hrs before this book comes out rather than last week is because I was at Disney yet again late last week.) All of Bleeker’s books have been great, and this one is no exception. Several have hit close to home, either because of her Southern roots showing through or just because we’re similar in age and thus have seen a lot of the same events from similar generational views or for some other random reason.

This one is no different there. Something that despite knowing each other for several years now and despite how public I am about my admiration of one of my grandfathers in particular, I’m not *as* public about is that I actually lost three of the four grandparents I knew in my life – my natural maternal grandmother and grandfather and my maternal step grandfather – to dementia long before we lost their actual bodies. Yes, that includes the WWII hero grandfather that I knew as a simple Southern farmer the last 20 years of his life. The one that I could not bear to see in the nursing home losing his mind, so chose to stay away and preserve those memories of that strong southern farmer I had known before that point.

So yeah, this book, partially about a daughter’s experience with her mother who is now suffering dementia hit as all *too* real, particularly when it came to one particular interaction deeper in the text that is a spoiler to reveal.

Bleeker hits all the perfect notes here, particularly for someone in a more… challenging… relationship with her parents before the dementia strikes. All the anger, the fear, the desperation, the longing, the heartbreak… it is all there and captured so well, and yet done in an overall women’s fiction tale that never gets *too* dark or heavy, instead turning to different issues in other relationships both new and old to more fully flesh out the overall story.

The addition of the historical fiction timeline also works quite well here, as we get to see the grandmother and grandfather in their prime, including several of their own life changing experiences before kids came into the picture.

As someone who has long sought the memories of his grandparents lost long ago to first dementia and then death, the historical timeline – and its intersection with the present day timeline, which was executed to near breathtaking (and very dusty room) perfection – was truly remarkable.

This is one that I could very easily see recommending to my mom and “second mom” – one of my mom’s oldest sisters – as they could most likely identify with this particular tale even more strongly than I did, having done so much of the caregiving for their parents in those years, including frequent nursing home visits. As this is an unfortunately far too common occurrence in the US these days… Bleeker could well have the biggest hit of her career to date on her hands, if that particular community starts spreading this book.

With apologies for making this review have so much of *me* in it. But, two things here: 1) Every review should *always* be about the reader’s experience with the book, and thus I needed to explain my history to explain my experience with this text and 2) my own history here really is far too common these days, at least at the very high “grandson of someone who developed dementia” level, and thus I really do think that explaining that these types of readers in particular will find much here actually does help further a review’s primary purpose: to help authors sell books. So even though so much of *me* is interwoven here, I think it actually both works and, for me, is necessary here. But maybe I’m blinded by narcissism or some such here and am an absolute idiot. You should read this book for yourself and absolutely feel free to call me out when you write your own review if you think that is the case. Let us know *your* experience with this book, even if it differs dramatically from my own. Between all of us, we can begin to get a more clear picture of exactly what this book is and is not, and that is always a beautiful thing to behold.

Very much recommended.

This review of Good Days Bad Days by Emily Bleeker was originally written on October 6, 2025.

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#BookReview: Broken Bayou by Jennifer Moorhead

Excellent Debut. This is one of those books I randomly picked up as an Amazon First Read… and then only read it over a year after its initial publication when I was getting ready to read its sequel as an Advance Review Copy.

Y’all… I missed out. This book is truly quite excellent, with a solid plot revolving around a broken woman from a small town having to go back to said town to hide from new problems… and ultimately have a reckoning with past ones too.

As someone from a “small” (yet thriving and growing) Southern town who has indeed seen many more rural towns actively dying off largely similarly to how the town in this book is portrayed, this absolutely strikes as a fictional book that is uncomfortably all too real.

The mysteries of both the past and the present work remarkably well as our lead character tries to reconcile her memories with what she actually sees in front of her today, and along the way we get some very dusty rooms in more ways than one.

Oh, and the murders themselves? I’ve seen more chilling in books… but this is certainly one I’d never seen used in any other book, and is pretty damn chilling itself.

Very much recommended.

This review of Broken Bayou by Jennifer Moorhead was originally written on September 30, 2025.

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#BookReview: One Tiny Cry by Christina Delay

Rare / Possibly Unique Twist Ending Elevates Great Tale To Exceptional. The very subtitle Joffe Books chose to put on this book of “a brand new totally addictive psychological thriller with a shocking final twist” gives away that there is one here, so I feel zero remorse for mentioning that in the title of this review. If you as the reader of my review feel that it is a spoiler even as generic as it is worded… well, that is on you. 🙂

As to the actual tale here, it really is exactly what Joffe’s marketing people claim: very addictive. This is a story with a seemingly normal ish character with a particular job and a fun quirk gets an ominous threat to return to her home town… where things go from bad to worse. There are reasons she left… and she didn’t even have any clue what was actually going on here.

Blending elements of the classic The Lottery tale (at least in overall feel and foreshadowing) with the far more recent Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (featuring a fictional yet all too real version of my own real-world home County outside of Atlanta), this is absolutely a tale psychological thriller fans are going to eat up.

And then that ending. Wow. And yes, I’m returning to it and you’re still not going to have any actual idea what is happening with what I’m about to say about it. I’ve seen other authors achieve a similar bone-chilling, almost horrific twist, but I’m not going to name the author or book or situation… because that would begin to give you an idea here. Similarly, there is one book in particular that gets tossed around in the zeitgeist quite a bit these days that *actually* bears remarkable resemblance here… but even though that limits the books in question to only a handful or so, I’m not going to give any hints other than what I’ve already said.

Delay did an great job with this tale overall. It was dark and creepy, yet also had its more lighthearted moments, particularly where the quirk I mentioned above shines through. It had several tender moments which really help explain the ultimate motivations of our main character, and both of these play into making the final twist all that it is.

Finally, as this *is* a sub 250 page book with a *lot* going on… this is absolutely one of those “quick read” books perfect for when you want to read and want to be absorbed into a tale… but also don’t have a lot of time for it, for whatever reason. Or maybe you’re the opposite and looking for something to kill a few hours while sitting on a beach or poolside somewhere or (more accurately for the fall/ coming winter season at least for some of us in the Northern Hemisphere as this book is released in early October, maybe by a fireside) chilling out. Either way, this book is going to be one you’re going to want to read.

When you do, I very much encourage you to write your own review. It doesn’t have to be long. Just 26 words will be accepted anywhere you’re reading this review. This paragraph alone clocks in at 49 words. Just tell us what you thought, in whatever words you have.

Very much recommended.

This review of One Tiny Cry by Christina Delay was originally written on September 30, 2025.

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#BookReview: Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan

Solid Slow Burn Romance. This is one of those romances where both people come into it with some pretty hefty emotional baggage – that each is very cognizant of their own and knows they need to work on, thus providing most of the actual drama here. Those looking for external drama/ suspense will only find the barest touch, deep in the text, and thus this may not be the book for you if that is something you *must* have.

For those looking for a more laid back “I’ve gone through hell and need to heal myself, but this person is extremely interesting” type romance, this is much closer to that kind of feel, and I think you’ll like it quite a bit. It *is* the third book in a series and possibly the finale of a trilogy, but it also works decently well as a standalone, so long as you don’t mind previous characters showing up and thus knowing that prior couples from other romance novels actually (shockingly! -note the dripping sarcasm there) wound up together.

The presence of a minor yet recurring (and somewhat essential, at least in the endgame) non-binary character is one of those things that some will actively buy the book specifically because it has this kind of character, and others will actively avoid this book for exactly the same reasons. You do you, no judgement at all here – unless you one star the book because of this character. That, I absolutely condemn you to some minor irritation for a day over. After all, I’ve now warned you about this, and you chose to read the book anyway.

Regardless of what you thought though, please do leave a review wherever you see this one after reading the book yourself. I’d love to hear what you think.

Oh, and a note about the “spice level”: Apparently Sullivan is known for closed-door romances, and this is exactly that. Things get a touch more interesting than basic kissing, so I think I’d rate this somewhere around a poblano pepper or so. It may cause some heart palpitations for some and yet be quite bland indeed for others, but for most it will work well enough to provide a solid flavor without being overwhelming.

Very much recommended.

This review of Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan was originally written on September 30, 2025.

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#BookReview: Deep Blue Lies by Gregg Dunnett

Perfect Blend Of Travel And Psychological Thriller. Quite simply, this book is amazing. It stumbles out of the gate perhaps a step or two first establishing Ava – and this could well have been a *me* problem here – but once we get to Greece (where the vast majority of the book takes place), it really opens up and becomes exactly what I said in the title here: a perfect blend of travel and psychological thriller.

The Greek island setting is used superbly and makes you wish you could be there… and the vivid descriptions make you think you are. (Which is awesome as fall turns to winter and we all long for our next summery vacation. :D) This is one of those books where the setting really does come into its own and really helps accentuate the story, and that is always awesome to see.

And the story itself… wow. There’s a lot going on here, and yet Dunnett manages to make this tale as much about self discovery as in solving the mystery of what the hell is going on on this island… and that is exactly what makes the book work as well as it does. The mystery/ suspense elements here are great on their own, but it really is the self discovery aspects that *really* make them pop, and when combined with the strong setting really set this book apart.

This book is perfect for readers new to Dunnett… and at least a worthy disctraction for his fans who are almost foaming at the mouth with excitement waiting for his next Detective Erica Sands thriller due to how the previous book – the last book Dunnett released before this one – left off. And yes, you should absolutely join us in reading that series too so that you can be as vocal as we are in demanding the next book there. Because I’m living proof that peer pressure on authors eventually gets you what you want… but that’s a whole other story. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Deep Blue Lies by Gregg Dunnett was originally written on September 29, 2025.

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#BookReview: You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan

A Mullet Of Christmas Romance Not Even Until The Middle, Then Hockey Romance In The Back. In total, this book absolutely works. Now, it won’t be for the “clean” / “sweet” crowd – if the fucking cussing in Chapter 2 doesn’t throw you out, the habanero spice not much later will. But for those who don’t mind a dude that cusses like a … well, an athlete… and who *want* the spice… hey, this may be exactly what you’re after as a whole book.

Now, there are reasons I titled this book a “mullet” and I mention that it works “as a whole book”. And those reasons all center around the fact that it feels almost like a merger between a 140 ish page Christmas novella and a 180 ish page Hockey short novel, with enough of a merger that it works… but also because of what it actually is, isn’t going to be fully want many (either direction, Christmas or Hockey) really want.

Now, some people can absolutely rock mullets and absolutely make them work. Here, I think Sullivan actually does a reasonable job of exactly that. maybe not quite a David Bowie mullet, but certainly a Billy Ray Cyrus Achy Breaky Heart mullet. (Which, to be clear, as a not-quite-10yo Son of the South in that era, *all* of my friends wanted to sport that particular mullet there for a minute.)

Basically, as long as you come into this book expecting a spicy romance more generally, I think you’re going to enjoy this book. If you come in expecting it to be 100% either one of its main components… you’re likely not going to enjoy it as much. I do think you’ll enjoy whichever component you’re here for, and based on the cover I expect that will be the Christmas “novella” that doesn’t quite hit the 50% mark of this text. But if Hockey romance isn’t your thing… that just-over-half won’t be *as* compelling to you.

All I ask here is that if this review makes you want to read this book, go in knowing what I’ve told you… and don’t 1 star or 2 star this tale because it has cussing or because it is a bit spicy or because it isn’t fully one trope or another. Judge it, as I have, on its totality, and still discuss in your review what issues you may have had with it. PLEASE discuss the cussing and the spice, if you enjoyed it or if you had a problem with it. Not everyone will see this review. But don’t 1 or 2 star the book just because of those things.

Overall, a solid enough mullet of a romance story, and I for one will be continuing to read Ms. Sullivan’s books to see where she goes next.

Recommended.

This review of You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan was originally written on September 24, 2025.