Title: Fight
Author: Sloane St. James
Publisher: Slowburn
Genre: Romance:
Pages: 384
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Fight

Callahan is a firefighter, and he and his team fight wildfires, which can be extremely dangerous. The team is very close, which makes sense since they spend so much time away from home. He isn’t interested in a relationship, especially after the last woman he dated cheated on him.
Prescott has nothing except what she can fit in her car. She has run away from her past and is ready to start a new life. On her first night, she meets Callahan, and they immediately hit it off.
Later, Callahan discovers that Prescott isn’t just new in town, she also works as a nurse. One night, they find themselves stranded together in a dangerous situation, and their relationship begins to grow.

Review

This is the first book in the Sky Ridge Hotshots series, written by three different authors. I think it’s really cool that multiple authors collaborated on one series. The first book is written by Sloane St. James. The entire series focuses on firefighters, and I just realized that I’ve never read a book about firefighters before, at least not that I can remember.

I loved this book from the start. The chemistry between Prescott and Callahan was amazing. Neither of them is looking for a relationship, but as the saying goes, you find love when you least expect it, and that’s exactly what happens here. The romance was really well done, and I enjoyed the writing style a lot. This was my first time reading a book by Sloane St. James (I think), and I was pleasantly surprised. I’ll definitely consider reading more of her work in the future.

I also liked the suspense in the story. Prescott has a mysterious past, and Callahan tries to figure out what she’s hiding—and whether she might already be married. Since he has been cheated on before, he wants to avoid going through that again. The final part of the book was especially good. When something happens to Prescott, they end up in a dangerous situation together and are forced to hide. That moment pushes them to open up and finally talk about their feelings.

I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t give this a 5/5 rating, because I clearly loved it. But I usually reserve 5 stars for books that completely blow me away. So a 4/5 is still a very strong rating for me.

I’m definitely excited to read the next books in the series, written by Paisley Hope and Danielle Baker.

The post Fight – Sloane St. James | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: It seemed like a good idea
Author: Lauren Blakely
Publisher: Cosmo Reads
Genre: Romance
Pages: 432
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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It Seemed Like A Good Idea

Ripley and Hannah are twins. Ripley owns a lavender farm, while Hannah is an actress. Now, Hannah is going to film her new movie at Ripley’s farm. Because they are identical twins, Ripley also needs a bodyguard. That’s when she finds out who will be protecting her for the next few weeks—it’s Banks, the guy she met not too long ago, who suddenly ghosted her.

When Banks discovers that Ripley is his next client, he feels conflicted. He wants to stay professional, but that becomes very difficult when you’re around someone 24/7.

Review

I was looking for new books to read when I came across this one. The cover looked cute, and the story sounded even cuter. So the moment this book was released, I got it.

I love small-town romance stories, they never get old. I really liked that Ripley owns a lavender farm. I’ve read books about characters who own farms before, but never a lavender farm. I even started imagining what that would be like. I love lavender, so I immediately loved the setting. Small towns in books are always the cutest. Everyone helps each other, and it kind of reminds me of where I grew up, just without the lavender farm.

The characters were very likable. I enjoyed their personalities, and together they were great. There was so much chemistry between them, and I absolutely loved the banter. It had everything I needed. There’s also a bit of a side story about a movie being filmed in this small town, so it’s like small-town charm meets Hollywood vibes. It was really fun.

The reason I didn’t give this a 5/5 rating is because, toward the end, it felt a bit underwhelming, more “just okay” than amazing. It was still good, but the first half (or even more than half) was so strong that the ending didn’t quite match it. That said, something interesting does happen toward the end. Just when I thought it would be a slow and average ending, the author added some action. I mean, since Banks is a bodyguard, I expected a bit more action overall, maybe involving crazy fans or the press. A little more of that would have made it even better.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book. It was definitely a page-turner, and I think it’s the perfect read for spring.

Apparently, this is going to be the first book in the Darling Springs series. I looked it up, and the next book is already set to be released in August, which is only five months away. I also checked the synopsis, and it sounds so good.

The post It Seemed Like A Good Idea – Lauren Blakely | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Shatter me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 338
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Shatter Me

Diseases are destroying the population, food is scarce, birds no longer fly, and even the clouds are the wrong color. But Juliette has problems of her own. She is different—and dangerous. If anyone touches her, that person could die. Because of this, she was taken from her parents and locked in a cell. She has been there for years. One day, she is given a cellmate named Adam. They know each other from school, though Adam doesn’t know that Juliette once had a crush on him. Meanwhile, the army wants to use Juliette and her powers as a weapon. Now, she is faced with a choice: join them and fight, or try to escape.

Review

Years ago, when these books first came out, I really wanted to read them. But then I forgot about the series (sorry). Recently, I heard someone talking about it again, and I decided to finally start reading it. I’m planning to read everything in the correct order—starting with book one, then book 1.5, then book two, and so on.

I loved this book. I’m still debating whether I should give it 5/5 hearts instead of 4/5. I really enjoyed the overall vibe. You feel sorry for Juliette because her touch is fatal, and she hates having these powers. Everyone is afraid of her and keeps their distance.

Then there’s Adam, her crush. Juliette isn’t sure if she can trust him, and honestly, I’m a little suspicious too. I keep wondering if he has some kind of hidden agenda. I guess I’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out. Still, I really like them together.

The world they live in is harsh. Food is scarce, books are being banned, and the government is trying to control everything. Juliette wants to fight against this regime. And as we all know, when people are controlled for too long, they eventually fight back.

Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this book. Everything just worked for me. I also saw that there were plans for a TV show, but there haven’t been any updates in years. I really hope they don’t abandon the idea, because this story could be amazing on screen if done right.

This is exactly the kind of book I needed right now, and I can’t wait to continue the series. I guess I really love dystopian stories. So far, I’m obsessed, and I just hope the rest of the series won’t disappoint. The writing is great, and I’m very curious to see what happens next.

The post Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Saving 6
Author: Chloe Walsh
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre: Drama, Romance
Pages: 496
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Saving 6

Joey Lynch’s life is not easy. His older brother has just run away from home, and now he feels the need to protect his little sister and younger brothers. Their father is an alcoholic who hits their mother and the children. Joey wants to protect everyone before their father beats someone to death, but that means Joey is the one who gets hurt.

When Aoife saw Joey for the first time, she fell in love. But Joey never wanted to be in a relationship. He tells her that he is not good enough for her. Aoife starts dating another guy because she is done waiting for him, but she still has feelings for Joey. Aoife wants to help him and make sure he is not destroying himself.

Review

This is the third book in the Boys of Tommen series written by Chloe Walsh. All of these books are very intense. They deal with themes like domestic abuse, bullying, and addiction.

When I read the first book in this series, I was in shock. I had no idea what the books were really about. All I knew was that they were very sad and extremely popular. I had no idea what was going to happen, and by the end of the first book I was in tears. That book basically ruined me. The second book was also very sad, and this one was no different.

I felt really sorry for Joey. He was trying to protect his siblings from their abusive father, and their mother was depressed. Because of that, Joey had to take care of her and the entire family. He was cooking, making money, and feeding the baby in the middle of the night. He was still so young and had to go through all of that.

I also liked Aoife. She has feelings for Joey and feels the need to help him, especially when she finds out he is doing drugs and what is happening at his house. She sees him a lot since they are in the same class, and Joey works at Aoife’s father’s garage, so she is always keeping an eye on him. She doesn’t judge him—she just tries to help him.

Again, this book was both beautiful and heartbreaking. I liked that we could read Joey’s side of the story. The book starts when Joey is around twelve years old, from the moment his older brother Darren runs away. From there, you read about everything that happens in his life over the next few years.

There is another book about Joey, Redeeming 6, which is the next book in the series. I really want to read it soon. I kind of know what is going to happen to him, but I would still like to read his side of the story. I want to know what he was thinking when Shannon almost dies and during everything that happens after that.

The post Saving 6 – Chloe Walsh | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: The Paradise Problem
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Romance
Pages: 352
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

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The Paradise Problem

Anna is a struggling painter who has just lost her job at a convenience store. A day later, Liam is standing in front of her. Years ago, Anna married Liam just so she could live in a certain apartment. They barely saw each other, they were only married on paper.

The last time they saw each other was two years ago, and now he is standing in front of her again. He tells her that they never got a divorce and that he needs her. Liam is attending a wedding soon, and he needs Anna to pretend to be his wife. In exchange, he is willing to pay her a lot of money, which would solve all of her financial problems.

Review

I was trying to get out of a reading slump when I saw this book on my wishlist and decided that it might be the one that would finally end my slump.

I liked the story, although I don’t always enjoy the fake dating trope. I guess that’s just a personal preference. The story started off great and I was immediately hooked. At first, it was a bit confusing. Anna and Liam were married, yet they seemed happy that they were going to get a divorce? Thankfully, the situation was explained pretty quickly.

The characters were likable enough. They both had reasons to pretend they were a happily married couple, even though they were basically strangers who were only married on paper. Anna needed money for her father’s treatment, and Liam needed Anna so he could secure his inheritance. I especially liked the moments when it was just the two of them and they started to bond and get to know each other. There was definitely chemistry between the two main characters, but sometimes I felt like something was missing. I’m not exactly sure what it was.

There were also several side characters, and they were a lot less likable. The worst of them all was Liam’s father. The whole family is incredibly rich and spoiled. I mean, Liam’s sister is getting married on a private island, and they go all out. They can basically just throw money at their problems. I have nothing against rich people, but I really didn’t like the side characters. They were just super annoying. At one point, I honestly wanted to hit Liam’s father in the face with a chair or something.

Overall, I think this was just an okay book for me. Maybe it was because I was still partly in a reading slump, so I’m trying not to be too harsh and say it was “meh.” I think that’s why I’m giving it 3/5 stars (or hearts). But I can still safely say that this is my least favorite Christina Lauren book. Their other books usually have me giggling and blushing, but that didn’t happen with this one.

The post The Paradise Problem – Christina Lauren | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: God of Malice
Author: Rina Kent
Publisher: Bloom Books
Genre: Dark Romance
Pages: 576
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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God of Malice

Glyndon is an artist, just like her mother, and a student at King University. She has just lost her best friend, Devlin, and is really struggling. One night, she returns to the cliff where Devlin killed himself and considers jumping. But then she meets Killian, and he is different. He doesn’t feel emotions the way most people do, and his favorite color is red—the color of blood. When he was only seven years old, he killed a mouse just to feel something inside. Now Killian wants her to be his, and he is not taking no for an answer. Glyndon isn’t interested, but that doesn’t stop him.

Review

Before I joined a book club, I didn’t read many dark romances. But the other women in my book club are big fans, so I decided to give the genre a try. By exploring different tropes within dark romance, I discovered what I should avoid and what I enjoy. They also recommended God of Malice to me.

I want to start this review by saying that dark romance isn’t for everyone. Like the name suggests, it’s dark, and there is always a list of trigger warnings available. I never thought I would like dark romance because I prefer happy, fluffy romances in real life. But apparently, I don’t mind dark romance as long as it stays fictional.

It started off very dark, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue. The first chapter made me feel a little sick, to be honest. But at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading because I really liked Rina Kent’s writing style. It was so easy to read, and I just couldn’t put it down. I think I finished it in two nights (or maybe three).

Killian is everything I don’t like in a man, but somehow I didn’t mind his weird and disgusting behavior in this book. He forces people into things, doesn’t take no for an answer, and doesn’t mind hurting or even killing someone. He is part of the Heathens Club, and the guys in this club are not known for their sweet behavior.

Glyndon is basically the opposite. She’s a bit shy, maybe, and very innocent. She’s still a virgin at nineteen years old and dreams of having a fairytale love story.

I have to admit that there was a lot of smut in this book. Sometimes I don’t like that, especially when there isn’t much of a story and it’s just smut. I prefer books that have an actual plot, and I think this book definitely has a story. Glyndon’s brothers are not happy about Killian, and there is mafia involvement. I especially liked the part where one hundred people were trying to get into the Heathens Club, and Glyndon was one of them.

There are a lot of side characters, and this story made me curious about their stories as well, so I will definitely be reading the other books. Seriously, one of my book club members welcomed me to the dark side after saying that I secretly liked this one. It might have been one of the best dark romances I’ve read so far. It was well written — there is character development, there is smut, and there is also a solid story. I think this book basically had everything it needed, and I’m curious to find out what’s going to happen in the rest of the series.

The post God of Malice – Rina Kent | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Wild Wager
Author: Sofia Aves
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Genre: Romance
Pages: 332
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

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Wild Wager

West meets Lanie for the very first time when she is picking up his niece, and he immediately falls in love. He can’t stay away from her and soon finds the perfect excuse to invite her over to his ranch, there are wolves, and Lanie is an expert on them. She spent a very long time in Alaska observing a pack of wolves for research.

West built everything on his ranch after he quit the rodeo lifestyle. After a terrible accident, he decided to move away from the cameras and live in peace on his ranch, surrounded by people he likes.

Review

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC. When I was looking for new books on NetGalley, I found this one and got pretty excited. I mean, I am a huge cowboy romance fan, so of course I had to apply. I was so happy to read it.

As you can see, I gave this book a three-star rating. I wasn’t sure what rating I would end up giving it. Let’s start with the story. The story is okay. I love a cowboy romance, and this book definitely fits that genre, but in my opinion it got a little boring at times, unfortunately.

It started off strong, though. During the first few pages and chapters, I really thought I was going to enjoy this book a lot. I was already mentally giving it a four-star rating. Then the story slowed down, and I suddenly found myself losing interest. However, toward the ending, especially during the rodeo event, it became a lot more interesting again.

And then there was a side story about someone trying to sabotage him and his ranch, which was pretty interesting. I think I needed a little bit more of that.

The characters were okay, I guess. Lanie was more likable than West. West sometimes came across as a bit of a man-child, and it annoyed me. He acted like an annoying little kid at times.

There was also a strong love-at-first-sight element. I don’t have a huge issue with the instant-love trope, but I definitely had to roll my eyes at certain moments. What do you mean you’re already imagining her living in your house after just a few hours or days?

Overall, this book was a mix of things I liked and things I didn’t. I wish there had been less instant love and a bit more action, especially when it came to the sabotage storyline or something similar.

This is the first book in the Valiant Peak Rodeo series, and at the moment I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the rest of the series, but luckily I have time to decide. The first book releases on 16 March 2026.

The post Wild Wager – Sofia Aves | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: The Cherry Crush Flower Shop
Author: Harper Graham
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Romance
Pages: 330
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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The Cherry Crush Flower Shop

Zoe Hart owns her own flower shop in Maple Falls, the small town where she grew up. Jackson has recently returned to Maple Falls after completing his military service. They have been friends for years and have always had feelings for each other, but both were too afraid to make a move.

Review

Last week, I decided to create an account on NetGalley to see if there were any ARCs that sounded interesting. That’s when I found this book. It immediately reminded me of the Laurie Gilmore books, mostly because of the cover, but also the title. It was basically screaming my name.I decided to apply, and not long after, I got approved. So thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture! Of course, I will still be giving my honest opinion.

I was definitely right about the Laurie Gilmore vibes. There are other businesses in Maple Falls with similar names to those in Laurie Gilmore’s books, which made the comparison even stronger. The story really captures that small-town setting with plenty of cozy vibes.

Zoe Hart owns a cute flower shop and has an adorable cat—already two bonus points for me, since I love both of those things. Jackson has just returned home from military service and now runs a llama sanctuary. He hopes to turn it into a place where other veterans can come and stay.The llamas have been helping him cope, as he’s carrying a lot of emotional baggage of his own.

They both have feelings for each other and have had a crush on one another since they were teenagers, which is really cute. However, they were always too scared to take the next step. Now that they’re older, Jackson still holds back from pursuing a relationship with Zoe because he carries a lot of trauma and believes she deserves better.

They are both wonderful characters, and there’s plenty of chemistry between them right from the beginning. And in case you’re wondering: these books do have some spice, but not as much, or as detailed, as the Laurie Gilmore books.

Before reading this book, I was in a terrible reading slump. Every book I picked up just didn’t feel right, and it honestly made me feel a bit down. But the second I started this one, my reading slump disappeared. I’m not kidding—I couldn’t stop reading.I absolutely flew through this book and finished it in about one to one and a half days, which is pretty impressive for me.

Overall, I thought this was a really cute romance, and it even gave me a bit of springtime vibes—which I definitely needed. I read this book while it was literally freezing outside all day, and now I’m really looking forward to spring.This is a great read if you want something cozy that will put you in a spring mood.

Just a quick reminder: this book is the third installment in the Maple Falls series. However, it isn’t necessary to read the books in order to enjoy the story.

The post The Cherry Crush Flower Shop – Harper Graham | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Keep it in the Family
Author: John Marrs
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 380
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

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Keep it in the Family

Mia and Finn have just bought a new house, but it needs a lot of renovation. It’s a very old house, and no one has lived in it for decades. During the renovation, two shocking things happen.

First, Mia discovers that she is pregnant. Second, she finds a disturbing message somewhere in the house that says, “Save the children from the attic.” Of course, this completely creeps her out, so she and Finn decide to check the attic to see if there’s anything there.

At first, they don’t find anything unusual. But then they discover several suitcases. When they open them, they find the bodies of young children.

Review

Honestly, I had no idea how to rate this book. At certain points, I was really into the story and thought it was good. At other times, I felt confused and distracted. Because of that, it was hard to decide on a rating. In the end, I chose to give it an average of three stars (or hearts).

The story is pretty interesting and very twisted. You read from multiple perspectives, which I really liked. The story is told from Mia’s and Finn’s points of view, but also from Dave and Debbie’s perspective (Finn’s parents). You even go back in time and read chapters from the murderer’s point of view, although at first you don’t know who that is.

That said, it’s not very hard to guess, since there aren’t many characters. I personally guessed the wrong person, but at the same time I wasn’t surprised when the real identity of the murderer was revealed.

The characters are absolutely crazy and mostly unlikable, which honestly made all of them feel like suspects. The only character I truly liked was Mia, mostly because I felt sorry for her. The rest of them were genuinely sick in the head.They were incredibly mean to her and constantly gaslighting her. I honestly would have run away. I understand that she was pregnant, but it didn’t even feel like she truly cared about Finn anymore. She would have been better off on her own.

The chapters written from the murderer’s point of view are absolutely insane. He or she explains why they are killing these innocent children, and the reasoning is complete nonsense. The murderer is incredibly creepy—maybe even worse than the killers I’ve read about in other thriller books.

Still, there were some real “oh my god” moments. Certain scenes genuinely caught me by surprise, and I really liked that. Even though the story was a bit predictable, some details still shocked me. I also loved that the chapters were very short—I’m a big fan of short chapters.

Overall, I think this was just an okay thriller for me. It was hard to connect with any of the characters because they were all pretty terrible. The story was a bit predictable, but it did have a few surprising moments. If you’re in the mood for a twisted story about a murderer who kills children for a disturbing and irrational reason, this might be a book you’d want to read.

The post Keep it In the Family – John Marrs | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants
Author: Brooke Benson
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 196
Genre: Romance
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants

Chloe has just landed a new job—and she was the only applicant for a reason. The boss of the company, Daniel, is known for being extremely grumpy. He has gone through at least ten assistants in the past few years.

The moment Chloe steps into his office on her first day, Daniel sends her home to change. Apparently, her clothes are too colorful and not formal or professional enough. The day only gets worse when she spills coffee all over important documents and is forced to retype everything before the end of the day.

But Chloe isn’t the kind of person who lets her boss walk all over her, so she stands up to him. He may have lost his wife a few years ago, but that doesn’t give him the right to be rude to everyone. Over time, Chloe also grows closer to Daniel’s daughter. They start spending time together and get to know each other outside of work as well.

Review

This was a cute little love story. It has less than 200 pages, so it’s much shorter than most of the books I usually read, but that was actually quite nice.

I liked the characters. Daniel’s daughter was super cute and basically tried to find a new girlfriend for her father. Daniel is very grumpy, mostly because he lost his wife years ago. But Chloe opens his eyes. He suddenly starts acting nicer to everyone, which comes as a shock because everyone knows him as the angry, grumpy CEO. He also truly cared about Chloe when she was sick. Underneath all that grumpiness, there’s actually a man with a big heart who genuinely cares about others.

The story was short but nice. For readers who prefer romance without spice, this is the perfect book. It’s a closed-door romance, so nothing spicy happens on the page. There is chemistry between the main characters, although I didn’t always feel it. Sometimes the chemistry was definitely there, and other times it felt like they were just colleagues.

I’m giving this book 4 stars, although it might be closer to 3.5 stars. Unfortunately, I can’t give half stars on Goodreads. The story was cute, but I don’t know if it’s just me or if I simply haven’t found the right short romance yet—romance books under 200 pages rarely really hit me. When I read a romance novel, I want to giggle, blush, and maybe even scream a little, and that just didn’t happen with this book.That said, I still liked it more than the last book I read (The Stopover by T.L. Swan), so it deserved a higher rating.

The author of this book, Brooke Benson, has written many similar books, and I’m definitely planning to read more of her work. These books are perfect when you want to read something quickly and you’re not in the mood for a 400+ page novel. They also seem like the perfect kind of books to take with you on your next vacation.

The post Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants – Brooke Benson | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.