I woke up in Vegas with hazy memories of the night before and the hottest hockey player alive wrapped around me.
Some people come to the city of sin for gambling and partying—I did one better and left as Mrs. Travis Bennett. My annoyingly handsome and charming neighbor has been asking me out for weeks. After nearly costing me my gymnastics career, I’ve tried to stay far away from the hot, cocky hockey player. And now I’m legally bound to him.
When the media gets wind of our whirlwind romance, we agree to stay married until my season starts to avoid a PR nightmare. I think it’s a mistake. He thinks it’s fate. And he’s doing everything he can to prove me wrong.
In public, I’m wearing his ring and his jersey. At home, he’s walking around shirtless, packing my lunches, and trying his best to make my heart race. Unfortunately, he’s succeeding. This game of pretend is starting to feel a lot more real.
My new husband is keeping score, and he won’t stop until he wins my heart.
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🏒Review🏒 Travis is a man that any woman would be lucky to have as not only he is great at the big gestures but he is also there for the little things that make Hannah’s life easier. From the moment he saw her he was all in, but it will take an impromptu wedding for Hannah to give him a chance as getting married was the easy part and now he needs to show her that he is the man she needs.
With the challenges that life has thrown at her Hannah has had no other option than to fend for herself and her sister. She has enough complications in her life and believes that the last thing she needs is an impromptu marriage and a husband who doesn’t want to let her go however with everything he does and says he makes it more difficult to keep her distance with every passing day.
Travis and Hannah fit into each other’s lives like they are meant to be there. He understands the challenges she faces and wants to be there for her while she supports him both when it comes to his career and emotionally when it matters the most. These characters and their relationship draw you in and they are surrounded by a great cast of secondary characters who add humor and support as required.
Bailey Hart has mastered the art of staying small. A lighthouse-bookstore, a quiet life in Coral Bell Cove, and enough romance novels to drown out the heartbreak she swore she’d never repeat. She’s sworn off big leaps, big risks, and especially the boy who once left her love note—and her heart—on full display.
Crew Wright was supposed to have it all. The charming quarterback with a Southern smile and a future paved in stadium lights… until an injury sent everything crashing down. Now he’s back home to heal his shoulder, his pride, and the parts of himself he buried beneath fame. He’s not expecting Bailey—the girl who saw him before the world ever did.
What starts as borrowed tools, paint-splattered afternoons, and late-night confessions quickly turns into something neither of them can outrun. Bailey wants to protect her heart. Crew wants a second chance to prove he won’t break it.
But when old wounds reopen and the world comes calling for him again, they’ll have to decide if love is something you chase… or something you stay for.
At First Play is a slow-burn, banter-filled, small-town romance about forgiveness, falling again, and finding the one person who feels like home—no matter how far you’ve run.
Brooke’s Bliss by Lexi Blake is now live in audio!
Narrated by: Kitty Bang, Ryan West & Lee Samuels
Brooke Harper thought she would make it big in New York City, but she knew her heart would always be back in her hometown of Bliss, Colorado. She’d intended to come home as the big-shot fashion designer she’d always wanted to be, but her dream job turned into a nightmare, and now she’s crawling home to lick her wounds. When she meets up with two hot cowboys one night at Hell on Wheels, she decides they’re just what she needs to get her groove back.
Bailey Kent hasn’t stopped thinking about Brooke since he met her years before when he first visited Bliss. She’s his dream woman, and now she’s within reach. She responds so beautifully not only to him, but to his brother. They’ve shared women all their lives, but both know Brooke is the one. There’s only one problem. She’s his muse, but she sees him as a way station, not the destination on this journey she’s taking.
Only one problem? Shane Kent knows his brother sometimes doesn’t see the bigger picture. Bay’s head and heart are wrapped up in his art, and it’s Shane’s job to remember the reality of whatever situation they’re in, and this time it’s big trouble. Their last job took them to a ranch that might have been selling more than cattle. Shane witnessed something criminal and they ran, but their old crew is looking for them and he’s worried they’ll find Brooke, too. And then there’s the fact that they once hit on her sister-in-law and her brothers hate them….
It’ll take a miracle to bring these three together, so it’s a good thing Bliss is known for them.
🎧Review🎧 Brooke left Bliss with big dreams of a career in fashion only to find the industry and the people in it aren’t what she expected. She has returned to her hometown trying to overcome what she went through and deciding what comes next.
Bay and Shane are brothers who have always known they were destined to share one woman. When they uncover some information at the ranch they were working on they head home to Bliss hoping the danger stays in the past. They have had feelings for Brooke for a while so when their paths lead them all back to Bliss they are finally going to pursue the woman they have always wanted.
The chemistry between them is off the charts, the romance is heartwarming, the suspense is intriguing and it was fun to spend time with this trio as well as the other characters we have come to know. Kitty Bang, Lee Samuels and Ryan West were a perfect choice to narrate this story as they bring out the personalities of the characters as well as the depth of the love between them.
I’m the last single LeBlanc brother—famous in New Orleans for being a successful CEO…and a total man-whore. Becoming a single dad wasn’t on my to-do list…until my one-night stand drops my newborn daughter on my doorstep.
Suddenly, my world revolves around Charlotte: snuggling, changing diapers, preparing bottles. I’m running on little to no sleep and can barely focus.
So when I space out during Piper’s pitch, she assumes I’m hungover. Given my reputation, I can’t blame her—but it still annoys me. So even though her pitch was great, I kick her out of my office. I don’t need complications. Especially not one as attractive as Piper.
However, gossip travels fast in the French Quarter. When Piper discovers the truth behind my exhaustion and apologizes, I give her a second chance. I invite her to my penthouse to redo the pitch…except I’m far more focused on her cleavage, her smile, and the way she instantly connects with my daughter.
I shouldn’t want Piper. I can’t afford distractions. But the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to remember that she is off limits.
Murder, mulled wine, and Christmas chaos in a small New Zealand town.
In Willowby, the annual “Twelve Tables of Christmas” feast at St. Agatha’s Parish Hall is the highlight of the summer holiday season. With themed tables, lavish dishes, and fierce competition for the coveted Golden Ladle Award, the community is ready to celebrate in style.
But the festivities come to a shocking halt when Trevor Pike, the arrogant Chair of the Garden Society, collapses after sipping poisoned mulled wine. Known for his sharp tongue and endless feuds, Trevor made enemies at every table — leaving almost everyone a suspect.
Café owner and amateur sleuth Tamsin Blake is determined to uncover the truth while juggling gingerbread Santas, café gossip, and even an ugly Christmas jumper contest. With Iris by her side, Inspector Crumpet squawking unhelpfully, and Detective Sergeant Cal Morgan frowning at her interference, Tamsin must untangle a web of secrets before the holiday season is ruined.
Full of festive flavor, quirky characters, and twisty clues, A Feast to Die For is the perfect holiday cozy mystery for fans of small-town whodunnits, culinary sleuths, and Christmas stories with a summery Southern Hemisphere twist.
I’ve always been powerless. It was a lesson I learned early on and have been forced to adapt to my lot in life. There was no other way.
Until he breezed into my life with a fire in his eyes and retribution screaming from his soul. He would have put it right for any woman, especially considering I was working at his family’s brothel. When our eyes locked and he looked over my bruised body, he could see my broken soul when no one else had bothered to look.
From that moment he took on my demons, both past and present, and showed me the power in being at his side while showering me with riches unknown for a woman like me. When the ribbons and tattered paper of my life fall around us, they mix with the blood of those who did me wrong, including his brother. Angelo Amate stole my heart with one look, and I swore my loyalty and my love to him. They are the only presents I have to give.
ANGELO
I’ve always been powerful. I was bred and taught my entire life to wield my power with ruthless precision for my family. There was no other way.
Until she caught my eye, a broken doll who desperately needed protection. Second Circle should have been a place where she was safe, where my family’s name protected her, where she had the power to choose her path. But it was my own blood who pulled her into the depths of hell and rained violence upon her already fragile soul.
From that moment I vowed to be her shield and her sword because one look was all it took for her to become mine, my entire world. I’ll avenge her battered body and put her shattered soul back together while ensuring the life I breathe into her will never be without power or prestige. Her love is the only thing I ask for in return, but it’s of no consequence if she doesn’t give it willingly since she’ll look so pretty in a gilded cage. I own every inch of Dove, just as she rules me.
Raised in foster care Dove has learnt the hard way that the only one she can depend on is herself and has worked for everything she has. While working at an adult club Angelo comes to her rescue and takes her to his home however she stopped believing in fairy tales and Prince Charming long ago.
Angelo was enchanted by Dove from their first meeting and knows that she is meant to be his even if it means crossing his family. He is determined to show her that she is destined to be his queen but that means showing how strong and worthy she is until she believes it as well.
Angelo is protective, possessive and will do anything for the woman he loves and when it is required Dove shows how strong and resilient she truly is. This story has an underlying dark premise and includes great chemistry, an all-encompassing love and a few surprises.
🔥Newly appointed Co-Guardians 🔥Enemies-to-Lovers 🔥Grumpy/Grumpy 🔥Unexpected Parenthood 🔥Hockey Romance 🔥Found Family 🔥Opposites Attract 🔥Slow Burn
As a star left-winger for the Pittsburgh Titans, Atlas Karolak thrives on the ice but keeps his personal life uncomplicated. That all changes when tragedy strikes, pushing him into an unlikely partnership that tests his patience, challenges his heart, and threatens to rewrite everything he thought he knew about love and family.
Playing professional hockey wasn’t just a dream, it was the only one that ever mattered. I’ve worked my whole life for this career, and now that I’m playing for the Pittsburgh Titans, I’m exactly where I want to be. My life feels complete.
Until the day it doesn’t.
Losing my best friend to cancer shatters me in ways I didn’t see coming. And as I’m trying to figure out how to say goodbye, I’m blindsided again—because he’s named me and Maddie St. James as joint guardians of his daughter.
Maddie and I… we’re not friends. We’re barely acquaintances. If I’m oil, she’s water, and we’ve never managed to mix without friction. But for the sake of a little girl who’s already lost too much, we need to find neutral ground and figure out how to co-parent.
Are we capable? I’d like to think so. Are we scared out of our minds? Without a doubt. Can we put our differences aside and work together? Honestly, it depends on the day. But when stress turns into stolen glances, which turn into nights we can’t take back, our partnership gets a whole lot more complicated.
Because what started as obligation is starting to feel a lot like forever.
BLURB: Power Playis a hate-to-love you romance featuring a playboy hero who’s always ready for a good time and a strait-laced heroine who’s not in the mood for his shenanigans.
Life’s a party, right? It is for me, at least while I’m playing hockey for the Bainbridge Wolves. Once graduation rolls around and reality sets in, I’ll be off to grad school and one step closer to the life my dad has mapped out for me. Until then, I’m going to enjoy every second of college life.
Everything changed when she became the accidental target of a prank gone wrong, and now the one girl I want for more than one night loathes me. I’ve tried to ignore my growing feelings, but that’s impossible. Everywhere I go, there she is—the hockey house, our training facility, and even in my dreams. No matter how much I try to change her opinion, she still hates me. But she doesn’t hate the things we do together when no one else is around.
It turns out, fighting and foreplay have a lot in common, but for once just having a good time isn’t enough. I want serious. I want forever. I just have to convince her that I can be more, that I can be everything she needs.
Power Play is the third book in Season Two of the Bainbridge U Hockey series, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you love party boy heroes with charm to spare, and heroines who don’t have the time or the patience for anyone’s nonsense, then get ready to watch Blue Halliday fall hard and fast for Liza DeWalt.
𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐚 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟑) by USA Today Bestselling Author Louise Bay is coming on January 6th, 2026! He’s an uptight New Yorker. She’s a real-as-it-gets farm girl from Colorado. They’re from different worlds, but their worlds are about to collide.
Marry the right girl. From the right family. With the right last name.
I’m Jack Alden—the only son of the Alden dynasty. The kind of New York family that’s been around since ships were made of wood and fortunes were built on steel.
My mother’s been trying to find me a “suitable” wife for years.
So naturally, I fall for a woman who couldn’t care less about any of it.
Iris Williams.
I first saw her at the New York City Ballet—crying in the stalls like the music had cracked her open. She didn’t know who I was. She wasn’t performing for anyone. She was just… real.
One night with her, and I remembered what it felt like to actually breathe.
Then she disappeared.
Months later, I find her again—on a fruit farm in the middle of Colorado, hurling raspberries at me like she’s auditioning for a food fight. Turns out, Iris is smart, stubborn, and not remotely impressed by a billionaire with a trust fund and an overbearing mother.
She makes me laugh.
She makes me think.
And for the first time in my life, I want something that isn’t written in my family’s history books.
But old money comes with old rules.
And loving Iris means breaking every single one.
They say you can’t choose where you come from.
Maybe not.
But you can choose who you fight for.
And this time, I’m choosing her.
Because when it comes to Iris Williams—I don’t just love.
Tropes: Holiday Romance, One Bed, Forced Proximity
Grumpy (Her)/Sunshine (Him), Snowed In
Release Date: December 9, 2025
BLURB
For a solid five years, Jasper Madden has done nothing but look the other way when it comes to Calliope Hodges. At first, she was way too young for him, barely eighteen the first time he laid eyes on her. It also didn’t help that he’d witnessed her at the lowest of lows, practically making peace with rock bottom.
But as time goes by, he realizes that Calliope is different. She’s a brave, stunning young woman that has slowly captured his heart while he was watching from the shadows.
He knows that it’ll take time for her to realize that he’s not the enemy, but instead her saving grace. So he decides to play the long game.
For years, he’s waited in the periphery for her to be ready. He stands right there, knowing that one day she’ll look up and finally see him as the man that is desperately in love with her.
But that chip on her shoulder keeps her from looking everywhere but his direction.
Luck finally leans his way when she moves in next door, and a battle of the neighbors ensues.
Where she sees war in the form of a friendly holiday decorating competition, he sees the opportunity of a lifetime.
All it takes is one bed, a freak snowstorm, and a Christmas miracle for her to realize that he’s been there all along. A silent knight in shining armor willing to take on the world just to make sure she never has to feel unworthy ever again.
Callie comes across as abrasive and sarcastic but there is so much more to her than that. Due to her past she doesn’t’ allow many people close but when it comes to those she cares about there is nothing she wouldn’t do for them with no consideration for what it means for her. She knows how she is viewed by others which ensures that she has her walls up and that includes Jasper, her neighbor.
Jasper was attracted to Callie from their first meeting but between the emotional and physical scars of his past as well as the age gap the best thing he can do for her is deny them. That becomes more difficult when she becomes his neighbor and goes out of her way to pull pranks that are sure to get a reaction and brings out the protective instincts that she inspires in him.
The battle between Jasper and Callie was humorous but it was the emotional connection between them that made their relationship special. They have both been through so much and they know exactly what the other needs when it comes to love and life.
Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today Bestsellers.
Stefan Talbot likes order and control. He approaches his life with the same meticulous precision that he uses to put paint on his canvas. Nothing good comes from chaos, and that is why he has refused to allow himself to get close to Jennifer Waters. They are like fire and ice. Though she is younger, her talent as an artist is unquestionable. But she lives her life like she paints—with wild, passionate abandon. It is intoxicating and terrifying, and he can’t get her out of his head.
Jennifer ran from Bliss to put Stef behind her. She had come to the mountain town seeking a mentor but found much more than she bargained for. Cool and distant, Stef was like a marble statue and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break through his shell. She moved to Dallas to start over, but nothing is going as planned. When the art gallery where she works is robbed and a precious painting is stolen, Jen is accused of the theft. Jen is thrilled when her bail is met, until she realizes her savior is Stef and he has a few conditions. First and foremost, she has to return to Bliss.
Against the backdrop of the Winter Festival, Stef and Jen’s attraction catches fire. But the dark forces behind the robbery in Dallas have followed Jen home. A criminal syndicate believes she still has the stolen painting and they’ll kill to get their hands on it.
Stefan is the billionaire artist who not only craves control, but he needs it. Due to his past he lives a life of structure and order so even though he gave into his attraction to Jennifer she is too young and too impulsive to ever be more.
Jen has loved Stefan for as long as she can remember. She thought that their night together was a beginning not an end but after he broke her heart she knows that she can’t be around him every day wanting more so she heads to Dallas to work at an art gallery.
Stefan may have let her leave, but he is not about to just set her free. When she is accused of a crime she didn’t commit he steps in and brings her back to Bliss where she belongs. He had no intention of getting involved with her again, but he is unable to deny the chemistry between them. When danger follows her home will he be able to keep her safe?
Through the performance of Lee Samuels you can feel the conflict that Stefan is feeling while Kitty Bang brings out both the turmoil Jen is experiencing when it comes to her feelings for Stefan.
When dealing with demons, the devil’s in the details…
Stealing mystical and arcane artifacts is a dangerous business, especially for a human, but Zoey Wharton is an exceptional thief. The trick to staying alive is having friends in all the wrong places. While having a witch and a werewolf on the payroll helps, being partners with a vampire really opens doors.
Zoey and Daniel were childhood sweethearts until a violent car crash took his life and left her shattered. When Daniel returned from the grave as a vampire, his only interest in Zoey was in keeping her safely apart from the secrets of his dark world. He has vowed to protect her, but his heart seems as cold as the night he calls home.
Five years later, a mysterious new client named Lucas Halfer offers Zoey a fortune to steal the Light of Alhorra. The search for the Light leads Zoey into the arms of an earthbound faery prince. Devinshea Quinn sweeps her off her feet, showing her everything the supernatural world has to offer, but Daniel still calls to her heart.
As the true nature of the Light is revealed, Zoey discovers Halfer is a demon and much more than money is at stake. Per her contract, she must give him the Light or spend an eternity in Hell. What’s a girl to do except fight for her soul…and her heart.
🎧Review🎧 Zoey is independent and determined to make it on her own merits despite the reputation her family holds when it comes to helping others secure what belongs to him. She has an assorted group of paranormal beings in her team which includes the sorceress skills of Sarah, Daniel a vampire who was her first love, Neil who is a werewolf and Dev a fae prince.
She has recently taken on a new assignment that will bring financial prosperity to them but when she finds out who her employer really is the subtle clause could mean the downfall for them all. She also finds herself torn between Daniel whose romance was derailed due to other worldly reasons and Dev her current romance which brings its own set of complication.
This is the first installment of a new series that takes us on an action-packed adventure filled with heat, surprises, suspense, witty humor and captivating characters which will leave you wanting more. The narration by Kitty Bang does not disappoint as she brings out all the quirks of each characters and allows us to get to know them better.
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Lexi Blake
Kari's Book Reviews and Revelations 