Audiobook Review for The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett, Heather Firth (Narrator), Connor Crais (Narrator)

 

The Cedar Creek Thunder #1

The Game Changer by Julia Jarrett, Heather Firth (Narrator), Connor Crais (Narrator)

Published:   February 10, 2026 by Julia Jarrett

Genre:  Sports Romance, Baseball, Workplace Romance

Taken from Goodreads:  I hired a single mom to help make my small town fall in love with a baseball team. And now I’m the one falling in love…with her.

Buying a small town baseball team might seem an odd choice for a millionaire tech developer, but I welcome the challenge.

Moving back to my hometown and reviving the once-beloved Cedar Creek Thunder is an impulsive attempt to find a deeper purpose, and a life that is measured in happiness rather than dollars.

A chance encounter with the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen has my temperature rising from more than the tea she’s spilled on me. When she walks into my office for an interview later that morning, it quickly becomes clear there’s no one better suited for the job.

Isla Forrester should be off limits, but with a smile that pierces my soul, the single mom is fire wrapped up in sweet temptation. I’ve always had thick walls around my heart, but Isla and her son are breaking them down.

Now my sole purpose is getting her to believe that loving her is no challenge at all.

My Thoughts:  I love listening to audiobooks.  The Game Changer is the perfect book to listen to.   A big part of why I enjoyed it so much is the amazing narrators.  They were perfect.  The characters were brought to life as I listened, and the story was so much fun to hear.   I will look for more from Heather Firth and Connor Crais as narrators.

On to the story… it was perfect.   I loved getting to know the characters and how they approached life.  The fact that both characters were not perfect made them so much more realistic.  I like the fact that from the beginning they had something in common, although they did not realize how much they truly had in common.  

 Baseball and a workplace romance…the perfect book to enjoy.

Thank you to Hambright PR for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Cover Reveal for A Strange & Terrible Wonder by Nichole Louise

 

A Strange & Terrible Wonder
Nichole Louise
Publication date: August 18th 2026
Genres: Adult, Historical

Eleanor Dare, daughter of Roanoke’s Governor John White, has no choice but to accompany her overly ambitious husband Ananias and her idealist, yet inexperienced father to England’s new colony. Manteo of Croatoan wants nothing more than to cast off his association with the English and return home. Haunted by memories of an unexplainable event, he sets out to find the truth about what was brought to Roanoke by the English two years before as a weapon against the Spanish.

Based on real people who vanished from history, Eleanor and Manteo form a taboo friendship as they work against unseen forces to end the violent and otherworldly attacks upon the settlement. In the midst of this survival scenario, both Eleanor and Manteo—once powerless and marginalized in England, emerge as unlikely leaders of the ravaged colony.

Blending 16th century science, occult, and the impacts of early colonialism, A Strange and Terrible Wonder reimagines what became of the Lost Colony.

Author Bio:

Nichole Louise is a speculative historical fiction writer and book reviewer (NicholeLouise.com). Raven Rock (2023), a prequel to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was recognized by Writer’s Digest, the Historical Fiction Company, and the CIBAs. Her articles and book reviews have appeared in the Journal of the American Revolution. Her second title, A Strange and Terrible Wonder (2026) is a historical folk horror tale exploring the Lost Colony of Roanoke. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, gaming, and volunteering at Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram

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Book Review for The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen

 

The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen

Published:  July 28, 2026 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Witches, Young Adult

Taken from Goodreads:  Rule 1: When the trees whisper, listen. 

Rule 2: Don't go into the woods alone. 

In the small mountain town of Whisper Ridge, the girls were inseparable. Joey, Quinn, Sophie, and Elena. Together, they channeled magic in the woods, living by six simple rules. The first when the trees whisper, listen. 

But all rules are forgotten, all bonds broken, when Quinn is found dead in the trees. 

In the aftermath, the friends scattered. All except Joey, who still can't move on. Until now, over a decade later, she again hears the trees whisper. 

Those woods remember some of Quinn's last words, and for the first time, Joey realizes she may learn the truth of what happened to her best friend. And so, the friends return to Whisper Ridge, to the woods that once held their magic and their secrets. But unearthing the truth about Quinn puts them all in danger, and in order to survive they'll need to channel their power for the first time in fifteen years to finally put the past to rest.

 

My Thoughts:  Four main characters that are chosen to hold magic.   There is a book with the spells that gives them magic.  One of them dies, the others all go their separate ways in their grief.   When pulled back together, secrets are shared, lives are intertwined, and answers are found.

The Whisper is unique.  It is not your typical witchy book.   There are glimpses into the spells they do but most of the story is about who killed Quinn.  There are twists and turns, I had no idea who the killer was until close to the end of the book.   With each turn, I would learn more about a character and the surrounding characters which would make someone else look guilty.   I enjoyed the not knowing.

I would label this as young adult, but not too young.  There is some more adult topics such as suicide, alcoholism, and death that is a touchy subject.   These are done carefully but they are all a big part of the story. 

Thank you Sourcebooks for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Audiobook Review for I've Got a Crush on You: Darling Springs, Book 2 by Lauren Blakely

 

Darling Springs #2

I've Got a Crush on You: Darling Springs, Book 2 by Lauren Blakely

Published:  July 28, 2026 by Lauren Blakely Books

Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Rom Com

 

Taken from Goodreads:  My secret workplace romance starts innocently enough…at a birthday party.

But when a rowdy partier knocks me into a lake and a sexy stranger comes to my rescue–my night becomes one to remember.

A night so steamy I almost forget why I’ve sworn off men after a failed workplace romance.

But I’m focusing on my shiny new future—my dog-training business is suddenly the hottest thing in town, thanks to a new actress client.

Trouble is, the brand new doggy daycare in Darling Springs that I’ve contracted with…is owned by none other than my sexy stranger. Thanks, fate.

Sawyer turns out to be a total grump in a tailored suit, no matter how sunshine-y I am. Even when he squeezes that hard body past me as I bring donuts to work. Or when he pretends he’s not roaming his dark eyes over me as I teach Fido to sit, stay and come.

But when I need a dance partner for the town fundraiser that my client’s roped me into, I sense an opportunity. And, it turns out Mr. Serious Boss is up for dance lessons.

Then the entire Dirty Dancing experience.

Giving into our chemistry once won’t hurt. Two might be pushing it. By the seventh, it’s undeniable—I’ve got a crush on him too.

Workplace romance, oops my one-night-stand is my new co-worker, small town rom com, forbidden romance, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, fighting the feelings, quirky side characters, swoony learning-to-dance scenes.

 

My Thoughts: I love listening to Rom Com romances.  They are at the top of my favorite list for audiobooks.  This one is perfect. I love the narrators who brought the characters to life.  The story is fun, sexy, flirty, and steamy.  I listened to the audiobook while working and I know that I laughed out loud and blushed numerous times.

The chemistry between Sawyer and Willa was super-hot from their first hook-up.  I was excited to see them fight the attraction while it just grew hotter and hotter.  Their banter was entertaining, their sexy times were so steamy, and their friendship was very real and respectful. 

This is book 2 in the series and I did not read (listen) to book 1 but I did not miss anything. I am excited to get my hands on book 3.

Thank you Hambright PR for an audiobook copy of the book via BookFunnel in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Her books have been featured in US Weekly and People. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter by clicking here!

Book Review for Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel

 

Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel

Published:  July 28, 2026 by Gallery Books

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Paris, Romance, WWII

 

Taken from Goodreads:  Nine Americans in Paris. Seven intertwined love stories. One City of Light.

Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time—but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she’s ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.

Rock star Jackson Quick’s glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn’t toured in a decade. This week, he’ll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who he is at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.

Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades—including Jackson Quick’s biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he’s ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died—but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he’s on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he’s written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other—and to tell her he came back for her?

Henry’s granddaughter, Melody, has just discovered that her husband of twenty years, Gilles, a French cosmetics executive, is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone?

These intertwining stories—plus several others—unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light.

 

My Thoughts:  Meet Me in Paris is an amazing story.   There are a lot of characters all in Paris for various reasons but all of them are looking for something.   Those somethings are all different, for different reasons.  At first I thought, whoa this is a lot to grasp, a lot of stories, a lot of characters, but it was not.   The stories were easy to follow, easy to lose yourself in, and easy to get invested in.   I cared about each and every character. 

The book is not all love and life stories; there is some heaviness.   The talk of war is never light but this talked of relationships and love found.   The talk of cancer is never easy, but the author did a careful job of respecting the topic and being truthful while telling those characters stories. 

I could not put Meet Me in Paris down.  I even took it to work and found moments here and there when I could read a few pages or even a chapter.   I did not want to leave the characters or the beautiful, enchanting Paris.

Kristin Harmel is a must-read author and Meet Me in Paris is a must-read book. 

Thank you Gallery Books for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Purchase your own copy on Amazon 

Book Tour for The Plus One Pact by Suzy Langevin

 

Title: The Plus One Pact

Author: Suzy Langevin

Genre: Best Friends Brother; Slow Burn; Fake Dating/Dating Pact; Plus Sized Heroine; Mental Health Rep; He Falls First; Summer Romance; Wedding Theme

Release Date: July 21, 2026 

When Alyssa gets an invite to her best friend/hopeless crush's wedding, she enlists the help of Jeff, her best friend's hot but highly anxious brother, to join a 'plus one pact' and get them both through wedding season in one piece. Their arrangement leads to an unexpected connection, and they'll both need to decide it they're ready to put aside their fears and take their relationship from pact partners to perfect match.

"The Plus One Pact is a warm, funny romance about letting go of old insecurities and taking a chance on something unexpected. Suzy Langevin writes characters you care about and a love story that feels genuine, hopeful, and quietly affirming." Arden Joy, author of the Much Ado About Love Series.

Suzy Langevin loves love, even though she forgot how to say it in Latin when she was a contestant on Jeopardy! And she channels that love into writing happy ever afters where people are loved because of, not in spite of, the things they see as their flaws. She is the winner of the 2024 RWA Golden Heart Award, and her short fiction has been featured in several anthologies and magazines. Suzy lives and writes in central Massachusetts, and does, in fact, run on Dunkin'. For information on available titles and upcoming releases, visit www.suzylangevin.com, and follow her on Instagram @suzylangevinwrites.

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Available Now !! Everything We Couldn't Say by Emma Scott

 

Everything We Couldn't Say by Emma Scott is now live! From USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author Emma Scott comes an all-new emotional, angsty coming-of-age love story in the same universe as Little Pieces of Light. They were supposed to be rivals. They weren't supposed to fall in love. Harper Bennett has fought for every inch of her life: for her dreams, her brother, and the roof over their heads. The Novus Science Prize is her ticket to a brilliant future, and she won't let anything stand in her way. Especially not Orion Mercer. Golden boy. Heir to one of Castle Hill's elite Big Five families. Orion is all effortless charm, endless jokes, and a future already written within a billion-dollar chemical empire. But Orion isn't what Harper expected. Behind the polished confidence is a secret battle he's been fighting alone and a musical talent no one saw coming. Harper sees through his mask, while Orion sees her not as charity or competition, but as the only honest thing in a world built on winning. Late nights in the lab give way to shared music and unspoken truths, and their rivalry softens into something deeper. Then a party ends in tragedy, a trusted mentor makes a dangerous offer, and when the truth explodes on awards night, Harper and Orion must decide who they are without the prize…and whether love is worth risking everything. Download today! https://books2read.com/EWCSes Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4uj1dVC