Dog-Eared Daydreams

Enemies on Tap is the first book in the Sweet Salvation Brewery series by author Avery Flynn and follows the stories of triplets who try to save a family-owned brewery left to them by their late uncle and want to prove that they are more than the negative reputation their family has had to live with for generations. The first book focuses on the oldest of the three sisters and is a second chance romance she shares with the one guy she once thought saw beyond her last name only to have him unable to defend her when she needed him most.  When Miranda Sweet left Salvation, Virginia after high school graduation, she never thought she would have to return to the town that had nothing good to say about her or her family or have to face the townsfolk who had nothing better to do but gossip about her and her kin. However, when her Uncle Julian leaves the Sweet Salvation Brewery to her and her sisters, she decides this may be the opportunity to prove to her employer that she can tu...

Note: This ARC was provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In the Fire is the second book in the In the Kitchen series by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels, and for anyone who read my review for the first book, In the Raw , you'll remember that I quite liked it and was anticipating the release of the sequel. Well, the minute I noticed that the ARC was available for review on NetGalley, I simply couldn't help myself... I clicked faster than a shopaholic could grab a pair of shoes that were half off. ^.^  This sequel is set eight years after the events in book one, whose ending may have given a somewhat hopeful kind of feeling for lovers Ethan Martin and Jamie Lassiter, but since In the Fire is more of a second chance romance, you can probably tell that things went somewhat awry while Jamie and Ethan were apart. Aside from being a second chance romance, there's also a dose of suspense thrown in there so that was a definite bonus s...

Note: This ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Billionaire's Club: New York Boxed Set (The 100 Shades Hotter Edition) consists of three books, each one about the very single, very rich, and very hot Morrow brothers. The books were previously released individually and this boxed set has been touted as "expanded" and "hotter" than the originals. Not having read the single releases before, I can't really vouch for whether the ones in the boxed set are indeed "expanded" and "hotter" versions but they're definitely not lacking in the steaminess department and based on the total number of pages here and the ones posted for the individual books on Goodreads, these appear to be longer. ^.^ The Billion Dollar Bachelor is the first book in the set and is the story of Jax Morrow, the oldest brother and CEO of Morrow Incorporated, and Pandora Garret, the only daughter of one ...

Note: This ARC was provided by Patchwork Press Cooperative via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Lush is the second book in the Pleasure at Home series by Beth Yarnall. I'm glad that Cal Sellers and Lucy Monroe, both supporting characters from the first book, finally get their turn in the spotlight because that scene in the hospital from Rush  piqued my interest. ^.^ And I definitely liked Lush much more than I did its predecessor, thanks to the well-paced story and characters that felt real and that shared a true love and affection for one another. Cal and Lucy were once involved but when Lucy catches Cal in a compromising position, she walks out on him and their short-lived relationship. She gets married and has a daughter, Poppy, but finds out her marriage was a sham after suffering through her husband's abuse and learning he's a polygamist. She desperately needs a job to provide for herself and Poppy but Cal doesn't give her her old hosting jo...

The Pleasure at Home series by author Beth Yarnall is about the cast and crew of a home shopping show by the same name, one that specializes in promoting and selling adult toys. The first book, Rush , focuses on the popular host of the show, Miyuki Price-Jones, and the man assigned to protect her from an obsessed stalker and an ultra-conservative group protesting the show, Lucas Vega.  There's an instant attraction between Mi and Lucas and while that's something that many can relate to, the intensity of Lucas' feelings for Mi in the very short amount of time they were together was a tad difficult for me to believe, especially since Mi has secrets she refuses to share willingly and Lucas has an issue with secretive women. I also didn't feel like they clicked as a romantic couple, so not only did it feel like their feelings from lust to love were rushed but also a bit forced. All that being said, I did like the suspense thriller aspect of the book. The show b...

Note: This ARC was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. "You underestimate your charms." "'My charms?' Hannah giggled. She giggled only for me." "Yes, your charms. You know, the charms I threw over my whole life for." Whoa. I thought Night Owl was a roller coaster read but Last Light , the second book in the Night Owl trilogy by bestselling author M. Pierce, left me grasping for a coherent thought after I was done reading it. Just like with the first book, I read this in one sitting because there was no way I was going to let life get in the way of my time with Matt Sky and Hannah Catalano. And, sadly, I can't really go into much detail about what happens in this sequel because I refuse to spoil the ride for those of you who have been waiting for it for over a year or however long it's been since you finished book one. ^.^ "A psycho , they called me. They were right. Th...

"I already knew that the price of great pleasure is great pain." (Matt) Don't you just hate it when your To-Be-Read (TBR) list is so freaking long that you lose track of all those great books that you should have read as soon as they were released but never got around to doing so? Well, that's what ALMOST happened with Night Owl , the debut novel of M. Pierce and the first book in the Night Owl trilogy. When I noticed the second book in the series available for review on NetGalley, I suddenly remembered its predecessor, still stuck somewhere on my TBR list. So, when I was approved to review Last Light , I FINALLY did what I should have done last year and read Night Owl . Better late than never (even if it does make me want to smack myself for not realizing the error of my ways earlier)! ^.^ "He was a puzzle, and the more I opened up to him, the more closed he seemed to me." (Hannah) When Matt Sky and Hannah Catalano, aka as Night Owl and Lit...

When I saw that bestselling author J.M. Darhower had released a sequel to Extinguish , I was happily surprised. After reading the first book more than a year ago, I wondered if a second book would ever come to fruition but was still immensely satisfied with how the original story had ended. It was one of my favorite reads for 2013 and I consider it one of the best novellas I've ever come across. But now we have Reignite , the second and, presumably, final book in the series, and oh, how I fell for the story of Luce and Serah all over again. ♥ If you've already read the first book, then Lucifer (aka Luce) being the lead male character of this series shouldn't be a surprise. For those of you who have yet to read Extinguish , may I suggest you go ahead and do so. Please don't let the idea of having history's most infamous fallen angel being the star of the story stop you. It shouldn't matter whether you believe in God or not; you simply need to be able to ...

Magnolia Blossoms by Rhonda R. Dennis came as a recommendation from bestselling author L.B. Simmons on her Facebook page and since it was a mere $.99 (I so love it when books are on sale!), I went ahead and made the Amazon purchase using my never been used debit card. Go me! ^.^ This book is a steal at that price but it's only meant to be that way for a week and by the time I post this review, the week be almost done. Still, the new price ($4.99) will be well worth it because  Magnolia Blossoms  has to be one of the funniest and most original stories I've had the pleasure of reading in quite awhile. ♥ Thirty two-year-old Magnolia Picasso Berrybush (yes, that really is her name) could have probably given the lead character of Betty in the hit series Yo soy Betty, la fea (aka Ugly Betty and i ♥ Betty La Fea ) a run for her money. She knows she doesn't have much going on physically. She has buck teeth, is stick thin, doesn't shave her armpits and legs, and dresses...

Note: This ebook was provided by AuthorBuzz via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm going to be very upfront--I'm a sucker for almost anything that has to do with dogs. I grew up in a family that's always had at least one dog and now I care for a few of my own (plus a couple of cats and some fish). My heart has a special spot for dogs and I tend to enjoy books, fiction or otherwise, that are about my favorite four-legged, furry friends. ^.^ When I saw Almost Perfect on NetGalley, I knew I simply had to sink my proverbial teeth into it and I'm glad it was available for review. This was sweet story about seventy-year-old Bess Rutledge, a famous breeder and trainer of standard poodles and owner of Umpawaug Kennels, and teenager Benny Neusner, a student at a nearby therapeutic school, New Hope School, for young people with special needs. Bess has officially retired from both breeding and training poodles and has sold all her dogs except for the one ...

Note: This ebook was provided by Patchwork Press Cooperative via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. There were two things about Without You Here that immediately grabbed my attention: the cover and the synopsis. There was something about the tale of a twenty-something young woman and a forty-something man in mourning that had me clicking my mouse on NetGalley, requesting the publisher to grant me permission to read and review it. While this wasn't a terrible read, it did flounder a bit and not all my expectations were met. Henrietta Berlynn "Ettie" McInenny breaks up with her boyfriend at the beginning of the story and makes her way to a nearby bar. There she notices a sad but good looking older man and decides to sit next to him. She's flirty and finally catches his attention when she continues trying to make conversation with him. They spend what was supposed to be a one-night stand together but she gives him her number and he invites her to an...

Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unethical is the first book in the Drexler University series and the debut novel of author Jennifer Blackwood. It's about two young people who were once very much in love but, both feeling betrayed for two different reasons, had their relationship come to an abrupt end. Now, they find themselves in the very same university as pre-med students, are thrown together in the same Medical Ethics class, and are up for the same internship. Will the fact that they're still both in love with each other allow them to have that second chance at forever or will the two years of bitterness after their split prevent them from finding happiness again? Two years ago, Payton Daniels' life changed forever and she did the one thing she felt she needed to do: run away. She moved to a different state, changed her family name from Cooper to her mother's maiden name, and left behind...

Note: This ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Before I start with my actual review for the book, I would just like to personally thank the author, A.M. Arthur, for her kindness. She generously offered for me to read the ARC of this book after I posted my reviews for the first four books, all of which I loved. ^.^ I'm such a fan of this series, so you can imagine just how thrilled I was that I was able to read the ARC and fall in love with the story and characters. So, thank you again, A.M. Arthur! ♥ Foundation of Trust is the fifth book in the Cost of Repairs series by A.M. Arthur and tells the story of two people, who were together only to be torn apart by circumstances beyond their control, trying to find their way back to having what they once had. However, even second chance love stories have difficulty getting to their happily-ever-afters when the person you loved most and thought you knew best turns out to be someone you didn't k...

Note: This ARC was provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Stand By You is the third book in the Belonging series by A.M. Arthur, featuring Romy Myers, who was introduced in the first book, No Such Thing , as Ezra Kelley's friend, and Brendan Walker, who was introduced in the second book, Maybe This Time , as Donner Davis' closest friend. Their story begins in book two and while you don't necessarily have to read it in order to understand and appreciate this third one, I recommend that you read Maybe This Time . Heck, just read the series from the beginning. ^.^ Romy Myers was abused, tortured, and kept against his will by an ex but he was rescued by Ezra Kelley, Donner Davis, and Brendan Walker. He never filed charges and he still lives with the after effects of his time trapped in a relationship he was desperate to get out of. Ever since his stepmother forced him out of their family home at the age of 15, Romy has relied on sex ...

Maybe This Time is the second book in the Belonging series by A.M. Arthur and spotlights Ezra Kelley and Donner Davis' story. Ezra was introduced to readers in the first book, No Such Thing , and I, personally, found the guy to be quite a scene stealer. ^.^ I would never have thought that Alessandro Silva and Jaime Winters' flirty friend had such a dark past. Ezra Kelley doesn't do relationships. He prefers one-night stands and quickies that don't have any strings attached. He likes being in control but lives his life like a rudderless boat without any specific direction. He isn't close to his family and his father has never made a secret of just how much of a disappointment Ezra has always been and has never been accepting of his son's sexuality. Ezra doesn't know what he wants to do with the rest of his life but one thing he does know is that he wants Donner Davis in his bed. Donner Davis has worked at the Pot O'Gold for years, enjoying his pos...

No Such Thing is the first book in the Belonging series by A.M. Arthur, and while it's been on my TBR list ever since I fell in love with the author's other series, Cost of Repairs , I had to move it up on the list because the upcoming third installment was suddenly approved for me to review on NetGalley. ^.^ Alessandro "Alé" Silva returns to Perch Creek, the small town where he lived with the foster parents who treated him like their own son, in order to help out his foster mother and the two new foster children living with her. He's quickly able to find a job at Baker's Dozen and his boss is not only a talented baker but also happens to have a younger brother who catches Alé's eye.  James "Jaime" Winters wants to the live kind of life he's always dreamed of. For too many years, he was in and out of hospitals because of his heart condition. Even with his new heart, he's spending most of his time studying for his online degree...

Note: This ebook was provided by Patchwork Press Cooperative via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Four Weeks Till Forever by Nadia Lee is the first book in The Pryce Family series, a spin-off of her highly successful Hearts on the Line series. This is my first Nadia Lee book and while it may have been a spin-off of an already established series, it read pretty well as a standalone. Still, based on my track record, I'm already tempted to read the books that came before this one just so I have a better idea of what was going on with everyone else mentioned in this book. ^.^ Hilary Rosenberg is a highly dedicated and efficient executive assistant to one of the most successful men in the country. She's worked hard to get to this point in her life, yet she can never seem to escape the shadow of her family's reputation. She doesn't want to be a "Rosenberg girl" because she wants to believe she's so much more than what her late mother was ...

Note: This ARC (for the paperback edition) was provided by Forever Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Elite is the first book in the new adult (NA)  Eagle Elite series by bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken. This series appears to be very different from the Ruin series that I'm a huge fan of and that isn't necessarily a bad thing because no one really wants authors to just keep rehashing the same stuff they have in one series and put them in another with different characters and settings. That would get way too boring for bookaholics. Based on this first book, the series has characters that are complex and an overall story that is intriguing and original. Let's hope that this is, indeed, a sign of good things to come...and yes, I know that four books have already been released after this one but if you're new to the series and you're like me, the first book sets your expectations for the rest of the series. Elite certainly raises...