Audiobook review: The Cinnamon Spiced Inn by Harper Graham

 

August 28, 2025 by Bookouture

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Love is the sweetest spice of all.

A fiery, coffee-loving city girl. A laid-back handyman with irresistible hazel eyes. Is this a recipe for disaster? Find out in this totally cozy and unputdownable enemies-to-lovers romance in the small town of your dreams! Gilmore Girls + spice + everything autumn = 🔥

Self-confessed coffee addict and food writer Madison has convinced herself she belongs in NYC. But then she’s called back to the small town of Maple Falls to save her childhood home, The Cinnamon Spice Inn. She’s NOT looking forward to seeing her ex, Zach—now a sexy bearded handyman who knows exactly how to push her buttons. But she won’t let anything distract her from the inn’s relaunch… right?

Zach is frustrated in more ways than one when his latest job brings him face-to-face with the girl who got away. He’s already agreed to renovate her family’s inn and he’s nothing if not a man of his word. But the last thing he wants is to work side-by-side with that stubborn, infuriating—fine, totally gorgeous—red-head.

Sparks fly as they prepare for the big Halloween opening. Will Madison save The Cinnamon Spice Inn and have a second chance at love, or will it all go up in flames?

Grab your favourite spiced latte and settle in with this steamy romance, packed with small-town charm, scorching chemistry, and the perfect HEA. If you love Laurie Gilmore, Emily Henry, cozy autumn vibes and plenty of spice, this is perfect for you!

MY REVIEW:

The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A small town romance. second chance romance. I enjoyed the audiobook that I got to review from NetGalley. The narrator was pleasant to listen to. It was like a Hallmark movie in Autumn and Halloween. But with a little spice.
I wanted to be there and tasting all the foods and drinks that they talked about. Also to smell everything.

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Blog Tour: Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

 

April 8, 2025 by Second Sky

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Welcome to Enchantra. There’s only one rule: Never, ever trust your heart.

When Genevieve Grimm’s mother is killed, Genevieve wants answers nobody can give… until she receives an invitation to Enchantra, a cursed palace filled with temptations and illusions.

Arrogant and dangerously handsome, Rowin Silver meets her at the door and refuses to let her inside. But Genevieve finds her own way in… And soon realizes her mistake.

Enchantra is a twisted labyrinth of marble and thorns, where Rowin’s family are trapped forever in a deadly game. Now, Genevieve must win or die.

Rowin offers her a deal. They can compete together… if they convince everyone watching that they’re desperately in love.

Genevieve knows she can’t trust Rowin, but she’ll do whatever it takes to survive. As they hunt and hide together, Genevieve tries to ignore the desire burning between them. She absolutely cannot fall for this man. Cannot forget that she’s only pretending to be in love.

After all, it was Rowin who taught her Enchantra’s first rule… Never, ever trust your heart.

Packed with deadly intrigue and spicy romance, Enchantra will transport you to a world of feisty heroines and morally gray love interests, fake dating, forbidden desire and family secrets. If you love books by Kerri Maniscalco, Carissa Broadbent and Lauren Roberts, prepare to discover your new romantasy obsession.

MY REVIEW:

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the 2nd book of Wicked Games. I enjoyed the first book a lot so of course had to sign up for this book.
Genevieve got an invitation for a place in Italy. There she meets Rowin and he doesn't want her there and slams the door in heer face but she finds a way in.
Rowin and his family are playing a deadly game and she is caught in it, In order for her to win she needs Rowin's help and they must make it look like they are in love.
There are so many deadly games ahd Rowin's family tries to kill her.
It s fast paced and alot of thrills throughout the book. Rowin and Genevieve have an attraction that they both are fighting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for the book to review.

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Kaylie Smith is a writer and lover of all things magical and fantasy. She grew up in Louisiana where she frequently haunted bookstores and practiced her writing craft. After getting her degree in graphic design, she decided to fully pursue her dream of being an author, and the first book in her YA fantasy series, A RUINOUS FATE, debuts in January 2023 from Disney Hyperion. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found at home with her menagerie of animals, fussing over her houseplants, or annoying people about astrology.


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Book Review: The Renter by Serena Pier

 

 publication November 14, 2024

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Dani and Adam are both picking up the pieces. She is living at home in the Geneva Lake area of Wisconsin for the summer after a career failure, and he is seeking distance from Chicago after his divorce. Neither expected to have a summer romance, yet the cottage he rents becomes the catalyst, bringing them together and inciting what's supposed to be a casual summer fling until they discover mutual connections, threatening their sexy whirlwind.

The Renter does not end in a traditional happy ending for a romance novel. The happy ending comes in the series' last book, The One.

Romance Tropes: Age Gap, Alpha Hero, Billionaire, Small Town, Unequal Social Status, Coming of Age, Instalust, Meet Cute, Second Chance, Forbidden, Love Triangle

SAGA Series

Finding yourself is a saga. Or at least for Dani Sommer it is. The SAGA series (The Townie, The Renter, The Client, The Reporter, and The One) follows Dani through the rollercoaster of her twenties, with many personal and professional ups and downs. Each book features a new relationship and love interest ... or two. Dani ends each book being stronger, smarter, and more in tune with her needs and desires.

The SAGA Series stands for Sorin, Adam, Gideon & Auden - the main male characters of each book.

Sorin - The Townie - Prequel

Adam - The Renter - Book #1

Gideon - The Client - Book #2

Auden - The Reporter - Book #3

??? - The One - Book #4

The SAGA Series is coming of age fiction with strong romantic themes. Each book also explores different spice styles and romance tropes. The traditional happy ending for a romance novel comes in the series' last book, The One.

MY REVIEW:

The Renter by Serena Pier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved Dani. She lost her job after sink9ing money into a company and goes back home to live with her parents until she gets back on her feet. While out with friends they stop at her Aunt's house to grab some food only to find out there is a Renter there. A hot guy who she is instantly attracted to.
Adam is taking a break from his business after a divorce and getting some much needed rest.
The chemistry between these 2 was amazing and he is a great guy that just wants to help her get her career moving. Once he goes back to his business though he is a changed person and maybe someone Dani doesn't know. There is a lot of spice in this book.

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Serena Pier

Website

http://www.serenapier.com

Genre

Romance, Fiction, Ebooks

Writing under the pen name Serena Pier is a wine lover, coffee snob & wife. With Midwestern roots, her stories are primarily set in and around Chicago. Serena is deeply fascinated by power dynamics; her stories always explore unequal social status.

Book Review: Saving Us by Krista Swanson

 

publication October 23, 2024

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Grumpy billionaire.

Sunshiny flower shop girl.

When their two worlds collide, sparks fly, but will love bloom?

Gage

Gage is too busy and power-hungry for love. Heir to a billion-dollar empire, he has a string of failed relationships in his past. With one divorce and another love triangle gone bad, finding love is not on his horizon. But when he literally runs into the flower shop girl before their meeting, something seems to change for him. He can’t get her, or her body, off his mind, and his days as a bachelor might be numbered.

Harper

Harper dreams of owning her own flower shop. But that and living in NYC takes more money than a shop girl can make, so she moonlights as a server in a fancy club. Her jobs are from completely different worlds and she likes it that way. When the grumpy client from the shop, the one she shared a steamy one-night stand with, finds her working at the club, things get messy. As she starts chipping away at his tough exterior, she realizes she is setting herself up for failure. And she can’t live with another.

But when their new relationship seems to be on the right track, it gets tested in the toughest of ways and they’re left fighting for each other.

Who will save who?

MY REVIEW:

Saving Us: The Billionaire Brothers of NY Duology Book One by Krista Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and could not get enough.
Harper works in a florist shop and loves making flower arrangements. Her dream is to open her own business. Gage is a billionaire who runs his family business with his brother.
The brothers end up going to the flower shop to look at arrangements for their office. You can feel the chemistry between Gage and Harper almost from the beginning.
Neither one was looking for anything and the banter between these 2 was a lot of fun.
Thank you to the publisher for a great book.

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Krista Swanson

BornThe United States

Website

https://www.kristaswansonauthor.com/

Genre

Romance

Krista Swanson lives in New Jersey with her husband. They have three children, but only one is left to get out of the nest. Once they do, travel across the US and Europe is in their plans. She loves the beach, mainly the Jersey beaches, which she feels don’t get the love they deserve.

When she’s not writing, she is most definitely reading. Her lifelong love of reading romances gave her all of the ideas busting to get out of her brain. While doing either, though, the mug in hand will not have coffee in it. The blasphemy—it will be tea!

She’s newish at the social media thing, but working hard at it. You can find her on TikTok and Instagram at kristareadsandwrites. Also hop on over and join her Facebook reader’s group, Krista Swanson’s Booklover’s Besties. You can also sign up for her newsletter on any of those platforms.