Genre: Contemporary

#OctobeRec Fest Review #1 ~ Grip ~ Kennedy Ryan

Welcome to OctobeRec Fest. I started this as a nod to Oktoberfest (books & beer…heaven, am I right?!?) so I’ll spending the month of October reading a few of the many, many books I’ve procured thanks to you, my blogging friends. Title: Grip Author: Kennedy Ryan Recommended by: Ali @Black Heart Reviews Grip (well actually its prequel, Flow) served as my intro to Kennedy Ryan. And you do need to read Flow first to see how things started. But Grip was fan-freakin-tastic. And I became an instant fan of Kennedy Ryan. Highlights: Characters Grip and Bristol, 8 years later, are still in each other’s orbits. Bristol is now a music agent and Grip, as Bristol foretold, is a star. I admire […]

Posted 16 October, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 7 Comments

Audio Review ~ Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words ~ Tara Sivec & Andi Arndt

Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words was, in a word, hysterical. If you’ve read Tara Sivec before, you know you’re going to get laugh-out-loud humor. And even though Heidi’s story was a joint effort with Andi Arndt, there was plenty of humor. Seriously. Heidi is a good girl. She’s not a prude and the word prim comes to mind but that feels derogatory. I think she’s been sheltered and has always done what was expected of her. A good girl. So when she finds herself at a crossroads, thanks to being fired from her position as a kindergarten teacher, she chooses the road less traveled. Now, that wasn’t intentional on Heidi’s part but it was a hilarious journey. And you’ll […]

Posted 9 October, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 7 Comments

Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ Johnny ~ JA Huss

In Johnny, everything became clear. Er…sort of. Well, I understand Johnny better anyway. It was quite a crazy ride. And although I didn’t think it was possible, Johnny became my favorite Bossy brother. 😉 LOL, yeah, we sure did get some answers, but things didn’t exactly get all that clear anyway. I do agree that we got to understand Johnny better, and he actually became my favorite Bossy brother, too. Who would have thought? You and I agreeing like that 😉 I don’t know what I thought was going to happen when Johnny set off on this mission but it wasn’t rescuing a girl left in a dungeon to die. So I was immediately on edge. But I did appreciate […]

Posted 7 October, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 5 Comments

Audio Review ~ White Knight ~ Meghan March

Although not as suspenseful as its predecessor, White Knight was an engaging and exciting conclusion to the duet. And, of course, Ardnt and York were perfect!! White Knight picked up where Black Sheep ended. Good thing since I’d been biting my nails anxiously awaiting the continuation of that scene. It was shocking but not for the reasons I’d been anticipating. Once things are cleared up between Drew/Memphis and Cannon, the story took a turn. Memphis’s original purpose for insinuating herself into Cannon’s life changes and Cannon works to prove he’ll do whatever he can to get her the answers she needs. He also has to prove to his family – his father and brother – that he’s worthy. But he wants to […]

Posted 30 September, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

ARC Review ~ All the Better Part of Me ~ Molly Ringle

All the Better Part of Me was a rather heartwarming read. Witnessing Sinter figure out his sexuality and deal with the repercussions was compelling even if I did get frustrated with him at times. He was, in all honesty, doing the best he could given the “tools” he had. Highlights: Characters Sinter immediately captivated me. His love of 80’s music, Shakespeare, and emo-style of dressing felt familiar and comfortable. And his career as an actor made his flair for the dramatic realistic. I adored Sinter’s best friend, Andy. He was such a perfect fit for Sinter…understanding, supportive, all the things a best friend should be. The supporting cast was pretty great as well. From Fiona and Sebastian to Daniel and […]

Posted 18 September, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review ~ You’d Be Mine ~ Erin Hahn

You’d Be Mine was a sweet, emotional, coming-of-age story from new-to-me author, Erin Hahn. Obviously the blurb hooked me but EHahn delivered on that promise. I look forward to reading more from her. You know that Shakespeare quote, “…some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em?” That’s essentially Annie and Clay. Annie was born into a famous and talented music family. Clay was from a farm family. Annie had music in her genes and a last name that was familiar. Clay was talented but also in the right place at the right time with the right face. Both suffered immeasurable loss and both dealt with that loss in their own ways. A summer tour together […]

Posted 16 September, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 8 Comments

ARC Review ~ A Beautiful Risk ~ Colette Dixon

A Beautiful Risk is a well-written, compelling story with engaging characters! This was a great introduction to CDixon and I look forward to continuing the Love at Lincolnfield series. When we first meet Passi, she’s spending the day at a spa attempting to keep her mind off a terribly tragic anniversary. We also meet Magnus there since they happened to bump into each other…literally. These two have an immediate chemistry, share a little flirtation, and a hot kiss but neither expect to see one another again. However, the following Monday, Passi learns Magnus is the new Risk Manager at her hospital. The relationship between these two is full of starts and stutters. They’ve both been burned by love and Passi […]

Posted 9 September, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 8 Comments

Audio Review ~ Black Sheep ~ Meghan March

Wow! Wow! Wow! Black Sheep was intense. MMarch certainly knows how to dial up the suspense and tension while keeping the hot factor in perfect balance. Arndt and York brought Drew and Cannon to life brilliantly, proving yet again why they’re two of my favorite narrators. Highlights: Characters Drew is a character to admire. She’s determined to figure out what happened to her dad, putting her life on the line for revenge/justice. She’s smart and daring both of which draw Cannon. Cannon is the black sheep of his family. He’s the illegitimate son of a mafia kingpin but refuses to dirty himself. He even went against his father’s orders and is still paying for it. Drew and Cannon shouldn’t be […]

Posted 3 September, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 8 Comments

ARC Review ~ Seduced by Second Chances ~ Reese Ryan (@ReeseRyanWrites)

Seduced by Second Chances was the best of the series so far! Jessie and Gideon’s story was compelling and RRyan’s continuation of Teresa and Liam’s story had me rooting for them rather than wanting to bang my head against a wall. RRyan is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed her storytelling so much I one-clicked a few titles from her back list. 😉 Highlights Characters Yay for diversity! Jessie and Gideon knew each other as teens. See, he dated Jessie’s older sister. But Jessie always harbored a strong crush. But even when there was nothing in their way, there was something in their way. All these years later, they haven’t been able to forget one another. Cheers to second chances! […]

Posted 2 September, 2019 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 8 Comments

ARC Review ~ Butterfly in Frost ~ Sylvia Day #Giveaway

I was thrilled to see SDay was releasing something new and Butterfly in Frost didn’t disappoint. It was riveting and emotional and surprising as well. SDay demonstrated her writing prowess, solidifying her spot as one of my favorite authors. When we meet Teagan we can see she’s suffering but we’re not privy to all the details. She’s made a fresh start in Seattle, has new friends and new routines. However, when she meets Garrett, he turns her newly ordered world on its head and it seems he’s exactly what Teagan needed. Garrett is also struggling emotionally…and professionally. Meeting Teagan injects the hope and passion his life seemed to be lacking. As we witness Garrett and Teagan get acquainted and see […]