Book Review: The Unwanted Wife by L. Steele (The Davenports Book 1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Marriage of Convenience • Brother's Best Friend • Secretly in Love • Curvy FMC • Billionaire Romance • Fake Marriage • Slow Burn • Small Business Owner • Virgin FMC

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Format: eBook

Series: Davenports Book 1

    Skylar has always wanted to own a bakery and she has finally got it open and is the sole employee. This means that she does all the prep-work and day to day. Her items taste amazing, everyone loves the items and their unique names...but without better marketing there is no way she will be able to keep it, even with her bother as her biggest supporter. Until his best friend Nathan comes in and offers her all the money she could possibly need in order exchange for being his wife for 1 year. He needs a wife to become CEO of his grandfather's company and she needs the funds. Perfect, and with a set deadline. 

    This is another Tiktok made me read it and I love a good marriage of convenience. This one had a fun twist with her brother (not incest) way that was unexpected. Not that her husband was her brother's best friend, but you will see. This is a cute and sexy brother's best friend marriage of convenience where they were both secretly in love all along, but were hiding it from...only themselves. 

    I love the names of her pastries so much. They absolutely stole the show for me. Probably because this adorable little curvy virgin had dirty booktok names for all her items. It was cute, and made me want to try all of them. It doesn't surprise me at all that all she really needed was better marketing, because the premise was great for this bakery. 

    There are spice scenes in this book, but they happen late in the book. I loved how this book ended, although it was on a bit of a bittersweet note. I can't wait to see what happens with her later in the series, because no way does that background character get to stay single. I also love that the epilogue immediately tells us who the next relationship in the series will be between. 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $5.99 by clicking here. 

⭐ You'll Love This Book If You Enjoy:

• Marriage of convenience romances
• Brother's best friend
• Secretly in love all along
• Billionaire romance
• Curvy heroines
• Small-town bakeries
• BookTok humor
• Slow-burn romance with open-door spice
• Fake relationships that become real
• Connected romance series

Book Review: Hex, Love, and Rock & Roll by Kat Turner (Coven Daughters Book 1)

 Genre: Paranormal Romance / Contemporary Fantasy

Tropes: Celebrity Romance, Age Gap, Accidental Curse, Witchy Magic, Grumpy/Skeptic Hero, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn Tension

Spice Level: 🌶🌶

Format: Physical Copy

Series: Coven Daughters Book 1

                Helen is desperate. Her yoga studio is failing after a disastrous investment. Her best friend can barely look at her. So when she’s offered the chance at a money spell, she takes it. The witch gives her a choice: Left or right. Choose wrong, and there will be consequences. Helen chooses. She’s gifted enchanted crystals and strict instructions: bless one with good intentions and gift it properly. Skip a step, and a curse follows. And somehow? She accidentally hexes her celebrity crush. Brian. The Brian. The only problem? He doesn’t believe in magic. Now they’re stuck together trying to break a curse he isn’t even convinced exists.

                This is a paranormal age-gap celebrity romance with strong magical elements and plenty of spice. It takes a minute to really get going—but in the best way. The tension builds steadily. There’s delicious back-and-forth, stubbornness, denial, and just enough chaos to keep you turning pages. I genuinely wondered how the author would wrap everything up as the ending approached. They absolutely did. The couple’s arc feels complete, satisfying, and earned—while still leaving plenty of magical threads open for future books in the series.

                I loved the characters and the world building in the story and will absolutely read on at some point. The author does an amazing job of describing everything the characters are going through and I especially loved the astral-projection scenes.

                This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $3.99 by clicking here.

You’ll Love This If You Enjoy:

• Witchy vibes with real consequences
• Celebrity romances with tension
• Age-gap dynamics
• Slow burn that turns spicy
• Magic that feels vivid and dangerous
• Emotional payoff with a satisfying ending

I really enjoyed this one and will absolutely continue the series when I’m in the mood for more magic.

Book Review: A Billionaire Butler for Christmas by Dobi Daniels (Dexington Christmas Billionaires Book 2)

     Emily's world comes crashing down when some rich snob gets her fired for getting a coffee for a friend at work. Then her car is towed because that same jerk had it towed for where she parked it. Then she gets a notice at her apartment that she has to move. To make matters worse when she shows up to the job interview she runs into him again. Things could not possibly get worse. 

    This is another Hallmarky book. It is all the feels and very cutesy. Butler who is loaded's family asks him to help at a Christmas event. After a string of bad luck with one fiery woman the peace of party-planning shouldn't be too bad. 

    It was a completely adorable low spice contemporary romance. No trigger warnings here other than a crazy ex. Well...crazy ex brother in law? Unless you count age-gap as a trigger. Then there is a bit of an age gap with the characters. 

    I would absolutely read more by this author in the future. This is book 2 in a series, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything not starting at book 1. From what I can tell thee books can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. 

    The characters are sweet, the MMC isn't afraid to apologize, and things are well communicated no matter the stage in the relationship Emily and Geoffrey are at. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $5.99 by clicking here. 

Book Review: Stolen by the Mafia King by Evie Rose (London Mafia Bosses Book)

     I had planned the perfect escape. Everything down to the last detail. The night before the wedding where my brother was selling me to pay off his debts I would leave out the window of my room. All I had to do was get to a waiting ride-share vehicle I ordered from my phone and get to the airport. Australia here I come. But, I didn't count on the mafia king being interested in this wedding. Or abducting me during my escape. Back at his house he gives me a chance. Make it to the door before him and I'm free. Don't and I'm his for 24 sinful hours. 

    This book was one I got during one "Stuff Your Kindle" day or another. It is a fast, but spicy, read. I absolutely loved from start to epilogue. It is an open door dark age gap romance. There are stalking aspects. Not Phantom level, but definitely there. It's adorable. Like I said, I loved it, just letting you know since trigger warnings exist for a reason. 

    I will say this is not a rape situation. Everything done, while pushing boundaries, is completely consensual. Well....everything sexual. 

    The characters are great and I'm really trying not to give everything away as it was a quick read. Loved the not one but 2 epilogues jumping into the future and was so yes. Also how the brother situation was handled. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here.