The Last Drive Home(Golden City,#3)

 

 

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

  Thank you to the author,Casandra Moll for letting be part of ARC Team!  All opinions are my own.

 

 

04.07.26 

Liam Montgomery is a veteran MLB shortstop, a devoted father, and Golden City’s sunshine. He’s spent the last decade focusing on his game and his daughter, committed to avoiding women and relationships. When his longtime nanny leaves to pursue a new career, Liam is stuck sorting through a string of disappointing hires and a pile of lackluster applications—an unwelcome distraction in what should be his hard-earned retirement year. 

Until he meets her. 

Tessa Hastings takes care of everyone—her four adult siblings who can’t seem to grow up and the families she nannies for. But Tess has never learned to accept the same care she so freely gives. When she’s suddenly let go from her current position, she finds herself searching for a new job to ground her while quietly drowning in a relationship that's been just "good enough" for far too long. 

When Liam takes a chance interviewing a friend of a friend, Tess shows up and they realize they’ve met before—weeks ago when Sammy, the Montgomery’s family dog, ran away from Liam and into Tessa’s ice cream-filled arms. Now, as the two grow closer and lines start to blur, both realize the ways they’ve protected themselves all this time might be the very reason they’re afraid to swing at something real.
Because sometimes love doesn't come right down the middle. 

Sometimes, it forces you to chase it.

 🌷

 
Baseball is one of my favorite sports. When I came across this book, it captured my attention right away. The title was what first caught my eye, followed by the cover. I’m so glad that I got a chance to read this book. I liked the story's pacing and the way the relationship between Tessa and Liam developed. It was realistic. When I started reading The Last Drive Home, I wondered how long it would take them to confess the attraction that the two of them felt for one another. I could practically feel the tension between them. I was rotting for the two of them. 

I haven’t read the other book in the series, but now that I read The Last Drive Home, I can’t wait to read the others. I loved Liam, I loved the way he took care of his daughter, Ruthie; he was such an amazing dad, and the way that he looked out for Tessa. The way he looked out for Tessa; that’s when I knew that his feelings went deeper than he was willing to admit. I feel like everyone but him could see it. Among all the characters in the book, Tessa, Liam, and Ruthie were my favorites. If I were asked to pick a favorite, I don’t think I could choose. I loved the bond that Tessa formed with Ruthie. I think that she needed someone like Tessa in her life. 

 
I felt so many different emotions while reading this book. I loved how caring Tessa was, the way she took care of Ruthie, and the way she looked out for her family. It’s one of the reasons that I felt that Liam and Tessa were perfect for each other. The Last Drive Home is one of those books where the minor characters stand out as well, and you find yourself wanting to learn more about them. I would highly recommend this book for romance fans! I’m eager to see what Cassandra has in store for us next!

Remarkably Bright Creatures.

 

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. 

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. 

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late. 

  🌷

 
Remarkably Bright Creatures is unlike any book that I read before. It touched me in so many ways. I've been hearing about this book for a while. My friend and I finally decided to buddy read this book. I'm so glad that we did. It was interesting to read the book from the Octopus's perspective. I liked the way that he described everything, and I loved his view on humans. I knew that Octopuses are smart creatures, but I had no idea how much. I did my own research after finishing the book. Marcellus was one of my favorite characters in the book, and the way he bonded with Tova was so bittersweet. 

Tova was another character I adored, and I liked how much she cared about her job and Marcellus. The way those two communicated had me smile every time. You never think that an Octopus and a human could have that special bond, and they do. That was one of my favorite things about this book: the connection between Tova and Marcellus. Long after I turned the last page, I was still thinking about the two of them. Marcellus and Tova are the two characters that you won’t forget. I think friendship is just what the two of them needed. 

I liked the way Van Pelt intertwined Marcellus, Tova, and Cameron’s stories. I was also curious to find out what happened to Tova’s son, Erik. I was also eager to see if Cameron would be able to locate his father. There were a few slow parts, but I loved most of it. Now that I read the book, I’m excited for the movie to come out. Remarkably Bright Creatures is a book that will stay with you.

Then There Was You.

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 Thank you to the author, S.L Scott and The Author Agency, for providing me with EARC,in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

 

The time is now. 

I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to smile, to laugh, and to really live. Until I met him.
Heart-stoppingly handsome. Totally forbidden. Keats Matthews looked at me like I was something special. 

He was escaping his past. I wanted to escape my present. Together, we fell hard and fast and knew we had found forever. Or so we thought … 

Six years later, his shoulders are broader than I remembered, his charming smile thaws my frozen heart, and it’s so tempting to run my fingers through his hair like I did years ago. But it’s the tenderness and warmth in his brown eyes that remind me of the forever we almost shared.
It’s magic when we’re together again. Our chemistry has only magnified. Seeing him, confident and more irresistible than ever, has me falling for him all over again and hoping for a second chance.
But he still believes our timing was off before. He’s wrong. It was the secret I kept hidden that was our undoing. Time hasn’t healed old wounds, and not everything hidden has come to light. When it does, we’ll stand together or fall apart. Either way, we must find out.

 🌷

 
I loved Sosie and Keats’s story. Don’t you just love those names? They are so unique, just like the characters. Then There Was You is a story where you know that you are going to love the characters from the moment that you meet them. That’s the feeling I got from Sosie and Keats. This is the type of romance book that I love. I have read a lot of romance books, but this one… it was so raw and so beautiful, and I saw Keats and Sosie’s story play out like a movie in my mind. I rooted for them throughout the book; these two belong together. 

I liked how Sosie and Keats met, and it didn’t take long to see how powerful their connection was. The way S.L. Scott described their emotions and connection, I felt those emotions, as if I were part of the story. It was a beautifully written love story, and I couldn’t get enough. Then There Was You is the type of story that will have you turning the pages until the last page. This is the book that I read when I couldn’t sleep. I loved escaping into Sosie and Keats’s story. 

This was a very moving and emotional book, and I loved everything about it. I loved the way that the author described the setting; I pictured myself there. I loved both Sosie and Keats, but of the two, Sosie is the one who went the furthest. She had endured so much. I loved that Keats supported her every step of the way. Then There Was You is the story I wish I could give more than five stars to. I would highly recommend it for romance fans. This was my second book by S.L. Scott, and I can’t wait to check out her others.

The Sound That Found Me.

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

  4.5★

 Thank you to the author, Jillian Marie for providing me with E -ARC in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own. 

 

 

At sixteen, Heather Brown meets a boy on vacation who changes the way the world sounds. One summer. One connection. And then it’s over—before either of them knows how to hold on. 

Fifteen years later, Heather’s life looks exactly the way it’s supposed to. She’s engaged. Her career is thriving. Her future is mapped out in sensible, adult decisions. What she doesn’t have is the feeling she’s spent years convincing herself she outgrew. 

Bradley Hart carried it with him. 

He turned that summer into music—and the music into a career. Now a rising star, Bradley’s songs are built on memory, longing, and the girl who taught him what it meant to feel something that deep for the first time. 

When Heather hears one of his songs, it doesn’t feel like nostalgia. It feels like a message. 

Reaching out reconnects them in a way that’s immediate, complicated, and impossible to ignore—but timing has teeth now. Heather isn’t free. Bradley isn’t just a memory. And choosing him would mean unraveling a life she’s already promised to someone else. 

This time, the question isn’t whether first love lasts. 

It’s whether telling the truth—about who you were, who you became, and who you still want to be—is worth everything it might cost.

 🌷

 
I'm in love. 

I shouldn't be surprised, since this isn't the first book I've read by the author. The Sound That Found Me had me going through so many different emotions, and I still cannot get the story out of my mind. Heather and Bradley’s story played in my mind like a favorite song. I loved how Jillian connected music to their love story in this book. I was rooting for the two of them from the moment that Heather heard Bradley’s song. Those two belonged together, and I hoped that they would find a way to be together. 

The Sound That Found Me is the type of book that I love when it comes to second-chance romance. I love that they found each other through music. I adored the connection between Bradley and Heather, and as a reader, you wanted them to end up together. Even though Heather was with someone else at the time, they didn’t seem to have the connection that Bradley and Heather did. I loved the character development in this story, especially for Heather; she went a long way from who she was at the beginning. I was so absorbed in this story that I felt as if I were there with Heather and Bradley. 

 

 I loved the friendship from Tory and Nico; they reminded me of my best friends. I’m so glad that Heather had them. In general, I was on edge of my seat for most of the book, and there was part of them that didn’t want to end. I’m already eager for Jillian’s next book.

Interception.

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

   Thank you to author,Emily Louise and Rattle The Stars PR, for opportunity to be part of  ARC Team!  

 

03.25.26   

 

 

Everything was just fine. Until he showed up. Then my world came crashing down around me. 

 
Jackson Bentford was something from my past, a mere memory of a love that I left behind in college. He was the picture-perfect boyfriend, and the reason I became the version of myself I always yearned for. We were madly in love, ready to commit to one another for a lifetime, but secrets managed to make everything fall apart at the seams. Five years later, I moved on to bigger and better things. I’m with a man I love and I’m advancing in my career at ESPN. My life was exactly the way it should have been. 

Then I was blindsided – Jackson strolling back into my life without any warning with his captivating smile, and body that looks like it was carved by the Greek Gods. I should have known that our first interaction after so many years apart would have been intense, but I didn’t realize how life altering his presence would become. 

I, Hillary Brown, knew he was trouble. I knew he would bring nothing but uncertainty into my life, but that didn’t stop me from accepting his friendship. Perhaps it’s for closure. Perhaps it was because my heart couldn’t say no to him, even after all this time. 

No matter how many times I reminded myself that he was simply a friend, it seems I was falling in love with him all over again. 

So what happens when I can’t contain my feelings for my ex-boyfriend, while maintaining a relationship with my current boyfriend? What happens when the secrets I buried five years ago resurrect? 

I should have listened to the warning bells. I should have never let Jackson Bentford back into my life.

   🌷

 

In the past couple of years, I’ve fallen in love with sports romance. I read a few books. When I heard about Interception, I knew that I had to check it out. Just the blurb had me intrigued and wondering about what was going to happen with Hillary and Jackson. This story ended up being so much more than I expected. I was not prepared for the emotions that I would experience while reading this book. Interception is not a story I will forget. I adored Hillary and Jackson’s story, but my heart broke for the two of them on multiple occasions, and I also wanted them to find their way to each other. Their story was inspirational in so many ways. 

b> Interception was a breathtaking debut novel. Emily Louise did an outstanding job of describing everything, especially Hillary and Jackson’s emotions throughout. Even though I couldn’t even begin imagining what Hillary and Jackson went through, I felt as if I did. Interception had one of the best vivid imaginations I have read in a while. You could feel tension and attraction from the moment Jackson came back, and the two of them saw each other. Every scene between the two of them had me turning the pages because I was eager to see what would happen next. I was rooting for two of them from the beginning. 

Emily included some hard issues in this book, which made the story feel so much more realistic. I like how the story transitioned between the present and the past, giving us more insight into Hillary and Jackson’s story. There was part of me that couldn’t stop turning the pages, but there was also part of me that didn’t want the story to end. I’m so glad that I got the chance to read this story, and I’m eager to see what Emily Louise has in store for us next.