Carries Book Reviews

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

https://amzn.to/3MiZP0MLove You Right
Julia Kent
(Love You, Maine)
Publication date: April 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

A missed opportunity five years ago makes for an unexpected encounter now between two people meant for each other – but who square off in a very public battle of wills in the small town of Love You, Maine, where every day is Valentine’s Day. Can love conquer all in a town steeped in it?

Kell Luview refuses to be a sucker at love again. Five years ago, he left D.C. with his tail between his legs and his heart broken. Fiercely protective of his small town in rural Maine, he’s determined to save the family tree business and avoid his feelings at all costs, no matter how much he longs to solve the mystery of what happened in D.C.

L.A. native Rachel Hart hates being underestimated almost as much as she hates this small town. She has two goals on this trip: get out of the cheesy tourist trap of Love You, Maine with a completed business deal, and avoid running into Kell, her old friend from D.C. who never became an old flame because of a huge misunderstanding.

One that still aches.

When her rental car breaks down on a logging road and Kell comes to her rescue, it’s clear he’s a changed man – and not for the good. Grumpy and reserved, he pushes all her buttons, still stubbornly convinced she betrayed him all those years ago. He’s never forgiven her, and she’s never forgiven herself for carrying a torch for him.

An embarrassing incident gets the town gossip mill going when residents wrongly assume Kell and Rachel are the newest couple to find love in the most romantic place on Earth. But the townsfolk aren’t wrong for long…

As Rachel breaks through his defenses and charms the town, he faces his biggest fear: all those pesky feelings he’s been avoiding.

Because they’re all about Rachel now.

And maybe they always were.

Can Kell and Rachel fight their growing attraction in the one place in the world where you can’t avoid love?

If you’re looking for a fun read about enemies to lovers, forced proximity, heroines who get their comeuppance and sworn bachelors felled by unexpected true love, featuring a hot bearded lumberjack impervious to poison ivy, and a city-slicker, jaded career woman with a penchant for great coffee, set in a small town in New England – then this is your book.

Grab a cup of (properly good) coffee, a can of hot cocoa mix, a jar of Fluff and maybe some calamine lotion (just in case), and get your happymeter ready as you read the very first book in New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s Love You, Maine series – where love isn’t just a feeling – it’s a way of life.

✓Standalone

✓Enemies to Lovers

✓Small town romance

✓Lumberjack and city slicker outsider

… and a cat named Calamine

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

FREE October 23-November 27, 2023

Series Prequel LOVE YOU WRONG is also free.

Whispersync the audio for $7.49

—

EXCERPT:

“Kell,” she whispered against his mouth. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For this.” She motioned at the romantic dinner he’d created for the two of them, the wide table in this conference room an ample spread for a…

Ample spread.

“We haven’t even had dinner. Thank me after.”

She batted her eyelashes. “Is that an offer?”

“Rachel,” he said, moving his hand from her waist to cup her ass. “That’s more than an offer.”

He started to kiss her again, but she put her fingers on his lips. “If we don’t eat dinner first, we’ll never eat. And I have a meeting here in this very room, to try to pitch the deal again, in three days. Boundaries, Kell – boundaries. I refuse to have sex on this conference table.”

“The thought never, ever occurred to me,” he lied.

“Liar.”

“Caught.”

With a deep laugh he adored, she reached for the bottle of wine. “How about you uncork this and we start with a lovely glass.”

“Fine. The table is off the table.”

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter / Bookbub / Amazon

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Bourbon Street Bachelor
Melissa Chambers
(Broussard Brothers, #3)
Publication date: October 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Calliope’s been hurt too many times to let another man in, but Quentin Broussard’s about to turn her world upside down.

Calliope Koch sat on top of the world back in high school. Her dad treated her like a princess, so she believed she was one. Every guy wanted to be with her and every girl wanted to be her. But oh, how the mighty do fall…

Fast forward fourteen years, and Calliope has lost her father to another family. She’s been dumped more times than she can count. The only thing keeping her going is the dream of running her own clothing boutique. But the same guy who caused one of those breakups is taking that dream from her.

It’s Quentin Broussard, the older, artistic, mysterious Broussard brother who left home when he was eighteen. Three years ago, he called her quirky and convinced his brother to break up with her. Now he’s back in New Orleans and trying to take something from her once again.

She won’t fall victim to another Broussard brother’s smooth moves, no matter how hard this one’s knocking on her door. And she’ll try to ignore the fact that he’s making her feel like the princess she once believed she was.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

He narrowed his gaze. “I remember something from that night we first met.”

She gave him a look like she was warning him not to go there, but there was also something in her eyes that told him to proceed forward.

“We had a connection.”

She gave him half a smile through pursed lips. “Oh, okay. Sure. Is this the same connection you have with those repeat customers you were talking about before?”

“I think you felt it, too,” he said, taking a risk.

“I was dating your brother at the time.”

“I know. That’s why I excused myself from our conversation.”

She furrowed her brow.

“I’m not making this up. I felt something.”

She rolled her eyes, and then gave him a look, trying to hold back a smile.

“Didn’t you feel it, too?” he asked.

“You’re calling me a cheater?”

“It’s not cheating to feel a spark with someone else.”

“With your boyfriend’s brother? I’d say it is,” she said.

“Then would you say you cheated on Braxton?”

She huffed a laugh. “You’re insane.”

“I might be a little bit.”

She shook her head at him. “I don’t know why you’re trying so hard here. I told you I’m a mess.”

“Maybe that’s what I like about you,” he said.

“Is that your thing? Fixing the wings of broken little birds?”

He considered her. “I’m not aware that I have a thing. I just know I was really disappointed when you didn’t show up over there today.”

She stared at him a bit longer and then stood up. “I think you should go.”

He stayed seated, looking up at her, trying to stop himself from saying the next words that were begging to come out of his mouth, because he never did this, but he actually wanted to this time. “Let me take you on a date.”

She motioned toward the door. “Go back to your party.”

“I’m having way more fun here.”

She rubbed her forehead. “Seriously, Quentin. Nothing ends well where I’m involved. Now’s your chance to run.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Mull this over. Think about it for a month. If after a month, you’re still interested, give me a call.” She held out her hand. “I’ll give you my number.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and handed it to her. She typed into it and then handed the phone back to him. “Now will you leave?”

He looked down at the table like there were options for him sitting there. “What if I wanna call you tomorrow?”

“One month. You can call me in one month and not a day before.”

That actually worked out perfectly for him. He was getting ready to head back to Colorado for a few weeks to close up his business with his partner, Steve, and get the rest of his stuff moved back to New Orleans. This would give him something to look forward to when he got back to town.

He stood up. “I guess I’ll take the deal.”

She walked to the front door and opened it, standing with her hands behind her back, messing with the door knob, looking both confident and vulnerable all at the same time. He’d never wanted to kiss a woman more in his life, and he wasn’t about to wait a month to do it.

He walked over to her, slid his hand around the back of her neck, and then planted one on her. She made a noise like she was taken by surprise, but then she settled in, sliding both of her hands into his hair. She pulled him to her as she settled against the door, perking up his midsection. He was about to sport wood right there on the streets of New Orleans. He pulled away while he still had control.

She put her hand over her mouth, touching her fingertips to her lips like she was checking that they were still there. So it wasn’t just him who had felt chemistry like an erupting volcano.

He leaned in. “How about you think about that for the next month.” He backed away, giving her one last glance before heading to his truck. How he was going to make it thirty days was beyond him.

Author Bio:

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Group / Facebook Page / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram / Amazon

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

His Assistant’s New York Awakening
Emmy Grayson
Published by: Harlequin Presents
Publication date: October 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Will the CEO be able to resist when she lays her passion on the boardroom table? Find out in this steamy office romance from Emmy Grayson.

He’s utterly off-limits…

and the only man she’s ever wanted!

Temporary assistant Evolet Grey has precisely the skills and experience to help Damon Bradford win the biggest contract in his company’s history. But she’s also maddeningly attractive and testing the iron grip the Manhattan CEO always has on his self-control…

Putting her needs first has never come easily to innocent Evolet. But she can barely think straight in her new boss’s presence! She’d be putting everything on the line by revealing the powerful attraction Damon has awoken, but would walking away from it be the biggest risk of all?

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Harlequin

—

EXCERPT:

The music slid over Damon Bradford’s skin like a lover’s caress. He sipped his cocktail, the smooth taste of gin lingering on his tongue. Better to focus on that then the slow, languid heat spreading through his veins as he watched her.

The cellist.

Music had never been an important part of his life. He knew the difference between classical and rock, paid hefty sums for bands and singers to perform at the various functions he hosted throughout the year. But the actual music had always been background noise.

Whereas this…the rich, somber notes of her solo rising and falling with perfect precision, the languid tempo encouraging listeners to slow down, to forget the demands of life for just a moment…

It was unlike anything he’d ever heard before.

Just like the woman behind the cello was unlike anyone he had ever encountered before.

Author Bio:

Emmy’s interest in romance can be traced back to her love of Nancy Drew books, when she tried to solve the mysteries of her favorite detective while rereading the romantic chapters with Ned Nickerson. Fast-forward a few years when she discovered a worn copy of “A Rose in Winter” by Kathleen Woodiwiss on her mother’s bookshelf, and she was hooked. Over 20 years later, Harlequin Presents made her dream come true by offering her a contract for her first book.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Double Cross My Heart
Quirah Casey
Publication date: July 15th 2024
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance

Double cross my heart… and hope to survive.

I’m known as the architect.

But not even I could fix the damage the piton gang threatens to do to the structure of my barricaded heart.

The piton gang is a faceless enigma. Or at least they were until they kidnapped me. When they make me an offer I can’t refuse, I find myself thrown into their world.

It’s simple, we’ll help each other take my father down. We’ll steal his fortune and then we’ll part ways.

At least that’s what they think. They aren’t aware that I plan on double crossing them. Because after being betrayed one too many times I know it’s me versus the world.

Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

But as I find myself in the clutches of the three most tempting men I’ve ever met, suddenly my plans are thrown out the window.

Double Cross My Heart is a standalone reverse harem romance with a fierce heroine and a trio made up of temptation and deceit.

Pre-order

Author Bio:

Quirah is still a new author, but not new to writing. She has been writing since the first grade, and has been winning awards since kindergarten, when she told her teacher about her trip to Chicago. Her teacher wrote down the story for her and she won the young authors contest at 5 years old! Quirah plans on working hard in the next couple of years to publish as many books as possible from her chöąts world.

In the meantime, catch up and follow Quirah online at the following links below.

Quirah’s Reader Group / Book Cover Group / Facebook Author Page / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram

—

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

The Travelling City
Adrienne Miller
(The Travelling City, #1)
Publication date: April 21st 2023
Genres: Action, Adult, Adventure, Fantasy

After a hundred years of watching humans make bad decisions, anyone would be sick of their job as peacekeeper.

Reihan, a seaver created to deal with humans who lose control over their manifestation abilities, is no exception.

Worse still, virtually all humans in the Travelling City can manifest.

That is, shape reality according to their more or less well-formed and often poorly thought-out designs.

That alone would be enough to keep her busy, but then there are people like Phillippe.

Phillippe, who drenched himself in the city’s collective subconscious to strengthen his inborn powers.

Even though he shouldn’t be, he seems fine, crowned as the new star escort in the Brothel of Transformative Curiosities.

But Reihan has seen this story play out before. And Phillippe is far too charming, far too kind, and far too inconsolable for her to simply look away.

The Travelling City is a dark fantasy mystery packed with romance and even more existential dread; set in a whimsical, bizarre and ever-changing world. You’ll love the Travelling City if you’re looking for:

• Character-driven fantasy books
• A queer approach to gender
• Dark themes
• A painfully beautiful world
• A Grumpy and Sunshine romance dynamic
• A magic system that reflects the characters ’psychology
• Ambiguous but ultimately lovable characters
• Moral and existential philosophy

Epic Indie review: “Wielding a psychedelic array of bizarre imagery and space-distorting magic, The Travelling City boasts a truly fantastical setting for readers to dive in to. In a world where humans can manifest new realities for themselves, Adrienne Miller tests the limits of how weird and unfamiliar she can make her debut world, and it’s in this uniqueness that the book finds its shine […] the indie space is blessed to have another author trying new things.”

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”, she asked. She hadn’t expected that she would struggle to read Phillippe’s mood. Frustration gnawed at the edges of her desire, making her wonder if it wasn’t easier to retreat now that they could still laugh it off.

“Yes”, he replied, half-closing his eyes. He lowered his head to hers, impossibly slowly, impossibly softly, lashes fluttering against his cheek.

“Sometimes that’s all I want.”

He hesitated as if he was waiting for a single word to tear him down. Instead, she closed her eyes and softly kissed the side of his mouth. Phillippe didn’t tense and he didn’t move. He held her back in perfect equilibrium, and Reihan waited, one moment, another, time passing them by like a stranger. Then Phillippe breathed in and moved his lips against hers in a painfully gentle descent. She felt longing, sharp and tangy, on her fingertips as they held onto Phillippe’s arms and on her lips that Phillippe caressed with painful slowness.

Author Bio:

Adrienne Miller writes in the genre of Dark Fantasy; combining beautiful aesthetics with existential dread. Her stories feature complex romances, found family dynamics, and storylines centred on world mysteries.

She has grown up with both classic and new Fantasy, from Michael Moorcok’s Eternal Hero series, Michael’s Scott’s “Thraxas” magical detective romps, to quiet and heart-felt Science-Fantasy by Becky Chambers.

The Travelling City is inspired by her love for the imaginative worlds of old-school role-playing games like Planescape Torment and the intricate character work of urban fantasy authors like Holly Black.

Website / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter / TikTok

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

—