What We Knew Then(Great Lakes U,#1)

 4.5★ 

 

    Thank you to author,Rachel Laberge for  E ARC, in exchange for honest review

 

He should know better. She’s the coach’s daughter. 

 
Lane Maxwell has one season left to prove he’s more than the reputation that followed him from his last school. Transferring to Great Lakes U wasn’t a fresh start—it was his last shot at keeping his NHL dream alive.
Cora Banks has built her life on being the one everyone can count on. Between classes, extra research projects, and doing whatever the Great Lakes U hockey team needs behind the scenes, she keeps everything moving—even when it means there’s nothing left for herself. 

She’s always known the don’t get involved with hockey players. Not when your dad is the coach. But Lane keeps showing up… on the ice and behind the scenes. The more time they spend around each other, the harder it is to ignore what’s between them. 

Until one reckless moment changes everything. 

Suddenly, Lane is back in the same spotlight. Same accusations. Same assumptions. Different college.

Only this time, Cora knows the truth—and how much it will cost to prove it.

 🌷

 
Hockey had always been one of my favorite sports to read about. I love watching it and reading about it. I knew when I came across What We Knew Then that I had to check this story out. The cover and the blurb had me hooked, and I couldn’t wait to dive into Lane and Cora’s story. Rachel Laberge did not disappoint. It didn’t take me long to get invested in the story, and if it weren’t for my moving, I wouldn’t have stopped reading. This is one of those books that once you pick it up, it’ll be hard to find a stopping point. 

From the very beginning, I loved Lane, and I rooted for him throughout the book. He was such a good guy and went through so much; I wanted him to get a fresh start where others wouldn’t judge him for his past. I knew that it wasn’t easy for him in the beginning, and that’s why I was glad that he had Cora in his corner. Lane and Cora needed each other. My favorite parts of the book are the ways Lane and Cora support each other. When Lane told her about his past, she was there, and she didn’t judge; she just listened. Also, the way that Lane helped Cora during one of her migraine attacks. I was rooting for two of them to end up together. 

I get monthly migraines, but the way that Rachel represented chronic migraines made me see them in a completely different way. Mine were bad, but not as bad as Cora’s, and seeing how it affected her daily life, my heart went out to her. What We Knew Then was my first book by Rachel Laberge, and I am already eager to check out her others. Highly recommended for sports romance fans

Trying Not To Love You(Moran Sisters,#1)

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 4.5★  

 

   Thank you to author,Kaylee Ryan for letting me be part of her ARC Team!

 

 

07.14.26  

 

 

Ellison

 
Copeland James was my first love, my first heartbreak, my first everything. Then he left without explanation, and never came back. 

My sisters and our closest friends helped me pick up the pieces, but my heart hasn’t been whole since the day he walked out of Magnolia Ridge. 

I’ve learned to live with what could have been… until his mother’s illness brings him back to our small town. He’s older, harder, and more magnetic than I remember. 

He’s a man now. The man I learned to live without. And yet, he’s back, stirring everything I thought I’d buried, making my world feel unsteady. 

Because loving him nearly destroyed me… and now, I’m still trying not to love him.

 
Copeland

 
I left Magnolia Ridge with nothing but a duffel bag and a decision. 

I told myself joining the Marines was the right choice. That loving her meant protecting her, and this was the way to do it.
I was wrong. 

Now I’m back, years later, and she’s just as breathtaking as the day I left. All these years, I imagined she’d have moved on, married someone else, but she’s still single, and in my heart, she’s still mine. 

But Ellison doesn’t see me the way I see her, not anymore. All I find in her eyes is the wound I left behind. The one that never healed. 

I didn’t fight for us back then, but I’ve learned. Now I’m ready for battle, fighting for what we could be while she tries not to love me.

 🌷

 
I had a feeling that I was going to love this book. When I came across the book, the cover and title were the first things to catch my attention. Just look at that cover! How can you not be curious about the story behind it? When I read the blurb for Trying Not To Love You, I was even more intrigued. Yet, I was still not prepared for the emotional roller coaster that Kaylee took me on. I finished reading last night and I can’t seem to get Ellison and Copeland story out of my mind. I loved the two of them together, and despite what happened between the two of them; I wanted them to find their way back to each other. I felt like everyone could see how much they loved each other. I understood why Ellison was hesitant, but I was also hoping that she would give him a second chance. 

There was so much I adored about this story: the characters, the plot, the setting. One of my favorite aspects of the story was the relationship between the Moran sisters. I loved the bond they had and the way they were always there for each other, no matter what. I love it when the book features such a strong sister bond. Now that I have read Trying Not To Love You , I’m excited to see what’s in store for the other Moran sisters. I found myself smiling on few occasions while reading the scenes between the sisters. 

Trying Not To Love You was the first book that I have read by Kaylee Ryan, and it won’t be my last one. I adored Magnolia Ridge and, while reading, pictured myself there. I loved the way everyone treated one another. It’s the type of small town where you wish that you could visit in real life. I think this would make a perfect TV Show. It gives me Virgin River and Sullivan’s Crossing vibes, and the type of show I would binge-watch. I could keep on talking about this book, but then I would give too much away. You’ll need to read it to find out for yourself.

The Night We Met (Say You Remember Me,#2)

 

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything...

 
For Larissa, it came when choosing who to ride home with after a concert. That night, she had no idea she’d met the perfect man. She and Chris are great friends, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win!). For the first time amid all her side hustles to scrape by, things finally feel easy. 

But she didn’t choose Chris to drive her home all those months ago—she went with his best friend, and he became her boyfriend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy. Standing by on the sidelines is slowly killing him, but making a move would destroy someone else. How can something that feels so right be absolutely impossible? 

    🌷

  
Abby does it again! 

This is why Abby Jimenez is one of my favorites. I’m so glad that I discovered this author last year. I had a feeling I was going to love this, yet I was still not prepared for how much this story would affect me. The Night We Met is my new favorite by Abby Jimenez. I can’t get this book out of my mind. The Night We Met was filled with so much emotion and passion, and it makes you feel everything that Larissa and Chris are going through, especially Larissa. I felt for her and how hard she had to work to support her family. 

Chris, what is there to say about him? Except that I wish that everyone were as caring as he was. He was one of my favorite MMCs I have read about. It was so heartwarming the way that he cared about Larissa; the way that he looked out for her. Chris did so much more for Larissa than her own boyfriend ever did. I was waiting and rooting for Larissa to figure out that Chris is the one she should be with. I was rooting for them throughout the book. I loved how Larissa and Chris took care of the dog together, and it was clear how much they loved him. 

Mike was the character I had complex feelings about; I still do. There was part of me that wasn’t happy with the decisions he made, but he also had good qualities. There were so many mixed emotions that went through me while reading this book. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and a few times I didn’t even realize how late it had gotten. Although I loved Xavier and Samantha’s story in Say You Remember Me, I loved Larissa and Chris’s story even more. There is something about those two characters that I know I will never forget. A story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

Summer State Of Mind

 

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina. 

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start. 

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. 

   🌷

 
Somehow, I knew I was going to love this author; from the moment that I read my first book by her in 2023: Summer Of Songbirds. Her novels are both heartbreaking and soothing. Once you pick up one of Kristy’s books, you’ll fall in love with her stories. I’ve been wanting to read Summer State Of Mind since she announced it on her Instagram. If it weren’t for the long wait list at the library, I would have read it the day it was released. Out of the books that I have read by Kristy, Summer State Of Mind in my opinion is the most emotional one that I have read. I think that Summer Of State Of Mind is one of those stories that needs to be told and read. 

Daisy and Mason : What is there to say about them, except that I loved them from the moment that I met them. What those two did was heartwarming and so inspiring. They gave that little girl, Maisy, what she needed the most: love. I adored how Daisy and Mason formed a bond with Maisy. However, I was worried about how attached Daisy got to Maisy, especially since I had a feeling of what could happen if parents came forward. I loved the relationship between Mason and Daisy; it didn’t take long to see how much they care for each other. I loved the way Mason’s family treated her like family from the moment that they met her. 

I loved the small community and the way that they took care of each other. I enjoyed reading the book about three characters. Each of their stories was so powerful. Even though I didn’t always agree with their choices, I related to them. I found myself rooting for their happily ever after. I ended up finishing this book at 4:00 am because I needed to see what would happen. Summer State Of Mind is the story that you're eager to see how it ends, but at the same time don’t want it to be over. What an outstanding story.

An Infinite Love Story.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 

  Thank you to publisher, Berkley Publishing Group  for providing with Earc via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 

 

 07.07.26 

 

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door. 

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars. 

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.

 🌷

 
This is the book I’ll think about for a while. 

I'm thinking about the story as I am writing this. It's a heart-wrenching and remarkable story. I was hooked from the first page, and when I wasn't reading, I was thinking about it. I've read most of Chanel Cleeton's books and even got to meet her at a signing when The Lost Story Of Eva Fuentes was released. I shouldn't be surprised, and yet Chanel had me on the edge of my seat once again. I loved the book that features space, and read a few books based on it; however, this one, I loved that it was about an astronaut's wives, and how it affects them. Every page in this book will have you captivated, craving for more. 

An Infinite Love Story was such beautiful love story. I fell in love with Viv and Joe from the moment that they were introduced. I knew those two belonged together from the moment they met; I was just waiting for them to realize it. It’s not hard to see how much Viv loved Joe, but how hard it was to be an astronaut’s wife. I can’t even imagine enduring what she had. I adored Viv. Despite everything that was happening, she stayed strong, and she didn’t give up on her husband. I cried multiple times while reading this book, but I couldn’t pull away and found myself turning the pages. 

I liked that it took place during 1960’s Space Race, and what made this story unique is that it was told from POV of astronaut’s wife. The “now” and “then” timelines intervened wonderfully; making the story so much more intriguing to read. I could talk about this book for hours, and even recommended to few of my friends. There’s a reason that Chanel Cleeton is one of my favorites. An Infinite Love Story is a must read.