Well, I officially went back to work in the office full time last week, and I think you can guess how that went. It took me… four days? to finish Twice Shy. And not because I wasn’t interested. Life getting in the way of my reading. So silly.

Anyways, I read six books last week: a couple 5-stars, a couple 4-stars, and a couple of 3-stars.

Just a reminder, my rating scale is as follows:
Five-star: I LOVED this book and would highly recommend it to anyone that asked me for a recommendation. I believe the writing is quality, the characters are so loveable that you can’t help but love their story, and the plot has little or no gaps in my opinion. A five-star book often results in a re-read because I loved it so much.
Four-star: I really liked this book and would recommend it to most readers. The writing is good, the character development is great, and the plot has just a few areas that I think needed more development.
Three-star: I liked this book. I wouldn’t necessarily re-read it again, but I didn’t stop reading because I felt compelled to find out what happened. There might be errors or other editorial complaints.
Two-star: This book was not for me. I couldn’t get into it for whatever reason. There were likely many things that turned me off, including but not limited to: a poor choice in POV, character development, flow, energy, attention grabbing, etc. I would not recommend this book to my friends.
One-star: Likely, a one-star is a DNF book for me. There were too many problems. Would not recommend this book to anyone.

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

Blurb:

Can you find real love when you’ve always got your head in the clouds?

Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.

Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn’t the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who’s as grouchy as he is gorgeous–and it turns out he has a very different vision for the property’s future.

Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley’s scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one’s comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.

Rating: 5 Stars

This novel by Sarah Hogle was beautiful in all of its simplicity.

Maybell and Wesley end up inheriting the same house… SURPRISE. They’re stuck with each other. Wesley has one idea about what they should do with the property, and Maybell has a completely different idea. At first, it doesn’t matter what their plans are, because Aunt Violet has collected so many things over the last several decades that they have their work cut out for the them. The house is unlivable.

Maybell and Wesley ended up being the person the other one needed. I love that each character had layers and layers, and that they peeled away those layers however they could. Maybell spends her time escaping reality by being in the clouds, and Wesley tries to avoid reality altogether by being grumpy and cold. Maybell’s a chatter box. Wesley hardly says anything at all. But they both tell each other things they’ve never shared with any other soul. And it’s BEAUTIFUL.

This book is a wonderful reminder that things aren’t always what they seem, from your perspective, in the one spot where you stand. And sometimes, the most unlikely people have a soul deep connection, if only you look hard enough.

Close Quarters: A Billionaire Romance by Kandi Steiner

Blurb:

From bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes a fresh and captivating billionaire romance about a reserved photographer and the powerful CEO who has to have her…
My boyfriend’s billionaire boss always gets what he wants.
Menacingly handsome and unquestionably powerful, Theo Whitman need only snap his fingers to have a flock of supermodels fall at his feet. So when his steel gray eyes first meet mine, I expect him to pass right over me, to not give so much as a second thought to my presence.
Instead, he sees me.
Truly sees me.
And for a girl who prefers to hide behind her camera lens, it’s the most unnerving experience of my life.
Until he asks me to stay on his yacht for the summer.
All I have to do to earn my keep is be Theo’s on-call photographer when he has guests, and I’ll get a free ride through the Mediterranean with my boyfriend. Easy peasy.
Still, my skin prickles in warning when I say yes.
As the humid days fade into balmy nights, I can’t seem to avoid Theo. And when he finds me, it’s like a rabbit running into a wolf.
His intense gaze immobilizes me. The way he speaks strips me bare. Every brush of his skin sears me like a violent flame.
My boyfriend’s billionaire boss always gets what he wants.
And this time, I think he wants me.

Rating: 5 Stars

This was my first read by Kandi Steiner and I loved it! The characters were compelling, complex, and interesting. There was an air of mysterious that made it so I never fully trusted any of the characters, which meant the big reveal was a great surprise. There was a bit of mystery and suspense that was unexpected but worked really well in this story.

Aspen is a recent college graduate off on her first big adventure, a pack on her back and a camera around her neck. She’s going to go off and explore Europe while her boyfriend works as a deck hand for the summer, but when billionaire CEO Theo meets her, he can’t let her get off the boat, so he offers her a job.

She spends her days wandering around the cities where the yacht is docked, photographing people in their real elements. She captures real beauty, in an authentic way. She sees people. And Theo sees her. For the first time in her life, she is pulled out of her shy shell, but in a way that makes her feel safe, and that leaves her feeling guilty… because she’s on the boat with her BOYFRIEND.

Okay, well, we all know the boyfriend doesn’t last (no spoilers…). Theo and Aspen travel the Mediterranean Sea, through France and Italy, eating food, seeing sights, exploring life beyond the limits. Theo is constantly taking Aspen shopping and making her eat – and obviously, what girl wouldn’t love that? But more than that? They’re able to open up to each other and share their struggles, hopes, and dreams. Did they build a foundation that can survive the tests of the sea?? Definitely give it a read!

The Wrong Game by Kandi Steiner

Blurb:

Two season tickets.
One genius idea.
Zero interest in a relationship.

The plan is simple: a brand new, hot, preferably funny, definitely single male will fill one of those seats for every Bears game at Soldier Field. And I’ll fill the other.

I can’t think of a better way to use the season passes I’d bought for my ex-husband. I am a woman of plans, and this one’s foolproof.

Until Zach Bowen offers to be my practice round.

He’s infuriating. Presumptuous and overbearing. And absolutely, undeniably gorgeous. Any woman with a heartbeat would be attracted to him, and mine picks up speed every time he speaks.

But as I said, I’m a woman of plans — and I’m not backing down on this one.

One night. One game. And then, his time’s up.

He can try to change the rules, but here’s the truth: he can’t win if he’s playing the wrong game.

The Wrong Game is a stand-alone, angsty, enemies-to-lovers sports romance.

Rating: 4 Stars

Immediately following my first Kandi Steiner read, I grabbed this book from Kindle Unlimited and devoured it.

These characters had depth and were incredibly unique. Gemma and Zach were instantly attracted to one another, but Gemma had her walls up. Her previous relationship did NOT end on good terms, which left her believing there was no such thing as happily ever after. Zach was waiting for a connection like he saw between his parents, a love for the ages. When he took one look at Gemma, after eavesdropping on her plans to hookup with a different guy every Sunday, he had to do something. He saw the walls she put up, he saw the fear in her eyes. He didn’t know why, but he knew she wasn’t ready to (or wanting to, let’s be honest) hookup with random people.

But how do you convince someone, a very detail-oriented planner, that their plan stinks?

You volunteer as tribute?

And when their one night is over, what does Zach do? He holds on tight, in any way that he can think of.

Getting Gemma to admit even a little hint of feelings for Zach is like pulling teeth, but he’s such a sweet main character, and he gives her the space she needs (with a few jealous feelings and one meddling best friend thrown in).

In the end, Gemma has some things to work through before her heart is ready for love with Zach, and Zach is crushed.

This book had fun pop culture references, football, and the love of family. Some trigger warnings: Cancer, the death of a spouse, cheating, childhood cancer.

Exit Through the Jungle by Alicia Crofton

Blurb:

Save me now. Love me later.

Jolie Boulard is one of Instagram’s top influencers and appears to have it all, but she’s broke and desperate in real life. She decides a trip to Costa Rica is just what she needs to revamp her brand, but her plans veer off course when a selfie goes wrong.

Kai Greene isn’t looking for trouble, but trouble keeps finding him. He didn’t mean to kidnap the girl. It was an accident, really. Now he must betray his own brother to protect a jewelry heiress.

A clash of fate brings Jolie and Kai together in an escape through the jungle. Lost, scared and a little turned on, sparks fly when Jolie gets a taste of Kai’s wild side. Can their passion withstand the trouble that finds Kai at every turn?

Rating: 4 Stars

Jolie and Kai are such an odd-ball couple, but Alicia Crofton really brings the chemistry and it makes this book work.

Jolie is a standard millennial trying to make it as an Instagram influencers, to avoid a stuffy 9-5 job working under her uber wealthy dad. Her sponsors begin to drop like flies, and Jolie takes one last chance to re-vamp her brand by taking a mostly spontaneous trip to Costa Rica.

Kai’s home visiting his family following the passing of his father, with the sole goal of helping his older brother keep their coffee roasting business afloat. Turns out, he ends up with a tone of illegal drugs in his warehouse because of the stupid brother, coupled with a debt to the neighboring business (due to blackmail regarding illegal drugs), and Kai is stuck.

In his normal life, it’s safe to assume Kai plays it safe. He is economical (he has a flip phone and a studio apartment in the city!). He works in finance. He hardly dates.

And now, he’s stuck rescuing his family, protecting them around every corner from danger, including self-inflicted danger caused by his older brother’s harebrained ideas.

When these two main characters collide, quite literally, their lives change. Kai becomes a kidnapper, and Jolie becomes a fighter with a soft side for her kidnapper. Turns out, Kai isn’t very good at kidnapping, and Jolie isn’t very good at being kidnapped, and they end up running away and lost in the jungle for several days.

Enter: jaguars, monkeys, sloths, ants, injuries, steamy chemistry, and too much self control for Jolie’s preference.

Give this book a read to find out if they make it out alive, and check out Exit Through Tortuga Bay, out August 13th!

Other books this week:

I received an ARC of Because You’re Mine by Layla Hagen, and you can read my honest review here!

I also read The Boss(hole) by Penelope Bloom this week… a solid, light and funny 3 star read, if that’s what you’re in need of!

What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments!