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buttonsandbooks's reviews
1255 reviews
Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage
4.0
I freaking loved Done and Dusted. So much so that I added the next book in the series - Swift and Saddled - to my TBR immediately after. About 100 pages or so into this one, I had to look up the third book, confirm it's about the couple I thought it would be and add that one to my list. They're that good!
Ada Hart is free from a bad marriage and the last thing she needs is some dude to take care of her. She's making it as an interior designer on her own terms and this gig she's landed at Rebel Blue Ranch is her ticket out of the San Francisco area and into the giant world of career opportunities awaiting her. She's exchanged emails with the owner of the guest ranch at Rebel Blue and is looking forward to meeting Weston tomorrow, but first she's trying to have dinner in the town watering hole and prepping for her meeting. Until the most attractive man with the best dimples walks in and the two kiss. Explosively. Wildly enough, she finds out the next day he's also her boss. Oof. She never misses business with pleasure and she's never wanted to put down roots so this should be fine. Until it isn't and he gets under her skin.
This was very sweet. It had its wonderfully spicy moments, but was overall relatively tame, but incredibly romantic. It wasn't as unputdownable as the first for me, but was still a great read and I can't wait for the third!
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Ada Hart is free from a bad marriage and the last thing she needs is some dude to take care of her. She's making it as an interior designer on her own terms and this gig she's landed at Rebel Blue Ranch is her ticket out of the San Francisco area and into the giant world of career opportunities awaiting her. She's exchanged emails with the owner of the guest ranch at Rebel Blue and is looking forward to meeting Weston tomorrow, but first she's trying to have dinner in the town watering hole and prepping for her meeting. Until the most attractive man with the best dimples walks in and the two kiss. Explosively. Wildly enough, she finds out the next day he's also her boss. Oof. She never misses business with pleasure and she's never wanted to put down roots so this should be fine. Until it isn't and he gets under her skin.
This was very sweet. It had its wonderfully spicy moments, but was overall relatively tame, but incredibly romantic. It wasn't as unputdownable as the first for me, but was still a great read and I can't wait for the third!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alien Abduction for Beginners by Skye MacKinnon
3.0
Again, grabbed this from stuff your airpods day and saw aliens. I freaking dig this completely outlandish stories. Ever since Ice Planet Barbarians.
Three clueless aliens are taking a course on completing a successful human abduction. They have failed many times so getting a passing grade is most important to them. They abduct a human female and scare the crap out of her initially but when talks of probing enter the conversation, she's suddenly intrigued.
Wow. Just wow. This is pure alien smut but quick and totally worth if it you're remotely intrigued. Read if you like:
✅ Reverse harem
✅ Aliens
✅ Humor
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Three clueless aliens are taking a course on completing a successful human abduction. They have failed many times so getting a passing grade is most important to them. They abduct a human female and scare the crap out of her initially but when talks of probing enter the conversation, she's suddenly intrigued.
Wow. Just wow. This is pure alien smut but quick and totally worth if it you're remotely intrigued. Read if you like:
✅ Reverse harem
✅ Aliens
✅ Humor
⭐⭐⭐
A Love Song for Liars by Piper Lawson
2.0
I snagged this on a stuff your airpods day. I didn't do much looking into it, as is my norm on these days. 😂
Annie is the high school aged daughter of a famous rock and roller. Her dad, Jax Jameson, was a famous guitarist and is now retired with a wife and a toddler aged daughter. His protege, Tyler, lives in their pool house. He's also on high school but hangs with the popular clique that Annie isn't part of. They used to be best friends but now, they're acquaintances who now how best to hurt one another despite their mutual attraction.
Meh. This was fine. I don't care for the whole sexually active high schoolers stuff. It just feels weird and a little dirty. This one left on a cliffhanger. I won't pick up the next unless I accidentally do it on another stuff your airpods day.
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Annie is the high school aged daughter of a famous rock and roller. Her dad, Jax Jameson, was a famous guitarist and is now retired with a wife and a toddler aged daughter. His protege, Tyler, lives in their pool house. He's also on high school but hangs with the popular clique that Annie isn't part of. They used to be best friends but now, they're acquaintances who now how best to hurt one another despite their mutual attraction.
Meh. This was fine. I don't care for the whole sexually active high schoolers stuff. It just feels weird and a little dirty. This one left on a cliffhanger. I won't pick up the next unless I accidentally do it on another stuff your airpods day.
⭐⭐
Renegade by Laramie Briscoe
2.0
I grabbed this on a stuff your airpods day and as previously established, I don't tend to have great luck with those. This one happened to be in a series I never thought I'd read again.
Moonshine Task Force agent Renegade (aka Ryan IRL) has had a crush on his best friend's older sister for as long as he can remember. So when Whitney shows an interest at the bar one night, Ryan can't believe his good luck. He ensures she's sober enough to consent and they're off to the races - sans birth control because she "can't get pregnant". Obviously that was a lie told by her ex and now Whit has to decide how she's going to parent with her younger man.
This was fine. It was quick enough. The accents were a lot for me, but I was familiar enough with this series and these men who think they're hard asses. 😂
⭐⭐
Moonshine Task Force agent Renegade (aka Ryan IRL) has had a crush on his best friend's older sister for as long as he can remember. So when Whitney shows an interest at the bar one night, Ryan can't believe his good luck. He ensures she's sober enough to consent and they're off to the races - sans birth control because she "can't get pregnant". Obviously that was a lie told by her ex and now Whit has to decide how she's going to parent with her younger man.
This was fine. It was quick enough. The accents were a lot for me, but I was familiar enough with this series and these men who think they're hard asses. 😂
⭐⭐
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
4.0
Have you ever read a book, not cried during, but then sobbed after? That's a bit where I was when I finished this one. I read the author's note that this was loosely based on her husband passing away in 2016 and my heart broke for her.
Losing her husband when she was 38 years old was never the plan for Kate Whittaker. But that's what happens to Kate and her young son Charlie. The two soldier on through the throes of grief and fortunately, her boss and Cam's close friend Hugh is there for them both. On a work trip that goes awry, Kate and Hugh end up staying in a cottage for three days, just the two of them. It's there that the reality of her loss and her situation with Hugh finally come to Kate. Now she has to decide if moving on and being happy like Cam wanted is something she wants too.
This was definitely not your conventional romance read, but somehow was quite possibly more romantic than most. That sounds strange to say but the love that Kate and Cam had was so sweet and moving and the way he wanted more for her, and so did Hugh, was everything.
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Losing her husband when she was 38 years old was never the plan for Kate Whittaker. But that's what happens to Kate and her young son Charlie. The two soldier on through the throes of grief and fortunately, her boss and Cam's close friend Hugh is there for them both. On a work trip that goes awry, Kate and Hugh end up staying in a cottage for three days, just the two of them. It's there that the reality of her loss and her situation with Hugh finally come to Kate. Now she has to decide if moving on and being happy like Cam wanted is something she wants too.
This was definitely not your conventional romance read, but somehow was quite possibly more romantic than most. That sounds strange to say but the love that Kate and Cam had was so sweet and moving and the way he wanted more for her, and so did Hugh, was everything.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Vineyard Valentine by Nina Bocci
2.0
I snagged this Audible Original when it was recommended based on previous reads. This was also super short so I decided it was worth a shot.
With her vineyard set to host a Valentine's Day event for singles, Eloisa is dead set on hosting an anti Valentine's Day event so those who aren't looking for a relationship. She can't stand the holiday so she decides to take it on herself. When a mysterious man shows up and charms her, Eloisa may just change her mind about the day after all.
This was super quick. I barely felt like I had time to get into the story before it was over.
⭐⭐
With her vineyard set to host a Valentine's Day event for singles, Eloisa is dead set on hosting an anti Valentine's Day event so those who aren't looking for a relationship. She can't stand the holiday so she decides to take it on herself. When a mysterious man shows up and charms her, Eloisa may just change her mind about the day after all.
This was super quick. I barely felt like I had time to get into the story before it was over.
⭐⭐
Maybe This Time by Cara Bastone
3.0
This was another Audible Original that was written by Cara Bastone. After reading Ready or Not, I want to keep grabbing her books. I loved that one so much. I was also very excited to see Noah Reid narrated this one! I loved him in Schitt's Creek.
When June falls through a wormhole 80+ years in the future during a solar flare event, she's hopeless and lonely and thinks there's no way she's getting back home. Until one day when she magically is connected via cell phone to fellow teacher Mikey, who she used to be friends with as children. In present day, her anxiety is too extreme to open up to or even talk to Miley, but future June has no such problem. They'll have to work together to figure out a way to keep June from going through the wormhole and find their way to one another.
This was really cute and the narration was fantastic. I loved all the cast and background noises, making it a total movie for the mind. This was a fun, light read.
⭐⭐⭐
When June falls through a wormhole 80+ years in the future during a solar flare event, she's hopeless and lonely and thinks there's no way she's getting back home. Until one day when she magically is connected via cell phone to fellow teacher Mikey, who she used to be friends with as children. In present day, her anxiety is too extreme to open up to or even talk to Miley, but future June has no such problem. They'll have to work together to figure out a way to keep June from going through the wormhole and find their way to one another.
This was really cute and the narration was fantastic. I loved all the cast and background noises, making it a total movie for the mind. This was a fun, light read.
⭐⭐⭐
Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros
5.0
Consider me a Rebecca Yarros super fan. I'm here for the fantasy, but also here for the military romance. To date, everything I've read of hers has been worthwhile. Her writing is always emotional and beautifully conveyed.
"All great and precious things are lonely." So says the Alzheimer's ridden Art, father of Cam, Xander and Sullivan. Cam knows this moreso than others. He's left the military after 9 years and at 28 years old, has reluctantly returned to his hometown of Alba, Colorado, a place he swore he'd never come back after burying his brother Sully and being blamed by everyone for his death. After receiving a voicemail from his estranged father begging him for a DNR, Cam is back to take on his surviving brother and fight for what Art wants. But coming home means facing Sully's ex girlfriend and the girl Can always wanted but could t have, Willow. He doesn't deserve her, he never has. But maybe coming home will have Cam make peace with who he is and he can see Willow again and make peace with his choices there as well. Or maybe not.
This was lovely. I loved the premise of him coming home for his dad and the concept of free will and choice. I was happy to see Cam respect Willow's choices and how much he grew up in his time away from home. This was an incredibly story about forgiveness, love and living.
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"All great and precious things are lonely." So says the Alzheimer's ridden Art, father of Cam, Xander and Sullivan. Cam knows this moreso than others. He's left the military after 9 years and at 28 years old, has reluctantly returned to his hometown of Alba, Colorado, a place he swore he'd never come back after burying his brother Sully and being blamed by everyone for his death. After receiving a voicemail from his estranged father begging him for a DNR, Cam is back to take on his surviving brother and fight for what Art wants. But coming home means facing Sully's ex girlfriend and the girl Can always wanted but could t have, Willow. He doesn't deserve her, he never has. But maybe coming home will have Cam make peace with who he is and he can see Willow again and make peace with his choices there as well. Or maybe not.
This was lovely. I loved the premise of him coming home for his dad and the concept of free will and choice. I was happy to see Cam respect Willow's choices and how much he grew up in his time away from home. This was an incredibly story about forgiveness, love and living.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
2.0
I picked this up because I saw so many great reviews and it was on sale with Audible. Why not?
Evie needs a job to support her family. Her father is ill with an incurable disease that is sickening their entire town. Despite her better judgment, she decides to get a job as assistant to the town villain. He's wanted for many a murder. He's clearly dangerous. But she needs this job. As she works for him and gets to know him, she sees another side of the man. And for his part, the villain recognizes something in Evie that he can't seem to escape.
I couldn't get into this to save my life. I thought it was just me until my good friend told me she was struggling as well. I don't know why, but this just felt like it dragged on and on for me.
⭐⭐
Evie needs a job to support her family. Her father is ill with an incurable disease that is sickening their entire town. Despite her better judgment, she decides to get a job as assistant to the town villain. He's wanted for many a murder. He's clearly dangerous. But she needs this job. As she works for him and gets to know him, she sees another side of the man. And for his part, the villain recognizes something in Evie that he can't seem to escape.
I couldn't get into this to save my life. I thought it was just me until my good friend told me she was struggling as well. I don't know why, but this just felt like it dragged on and on for me.
⭐⭐
The Wedding Proposal by John Swansiger
3.0
I saw this Audible original and thought I'd give it a shot. At the time, my current audiobook wasn't working that well for me so I figured a short break might help.
What do you do when life gives your lemons? Well, Hanna decides to pay it forward in the most generous way possible. After her fiance calls off their wedding two weeks out, Hanna is devastated and tried to recoup her money unsuccessfully. Since that didn't pan out, she decided to donate her wedding to a worthwhile couple. When she meets Eric and overhears his family's story, she decides his sister and her fiance are the perfect pair. Alongside Eric, she works to replan the wedding to be more to the engaged couple's liking. After a while, it seems Hanna is getting more out of the experience than she previously thought possible. And maybe everything happens for a reason.
This was sweet and super engaging with the full cast and background noises, etc. It felt like watching in some ways. My only downside to this one is that we didn't get more at the end.
⭐⭐⭐
What do you do when life gives your lemons? Well, Hanna decides to pay it forward in the most generous way possible. After her fiance calls off their wedding two weeks out, Hanna is devastated and tried to recoup her money unsuccessfully. Since that didn't pan out, she decided to donate her wedding to a worthwhile couple. When she meets Eric and overhears his family's story, she decides his sister and her fiance are the perfect pair. Alongside Eric, she works to replan the wedding to be more to the engaged couple's liking. After a while, it seems Hanna is getting more out of the experience than she previously thought possible. And maybe everything happens for a reason.
This was sweet and super engaging with the full cast and background noises, etc. It felt like watching in some ways. My only downside to this one is that we didn't get more at the end.
⭐⭐⭐