Well, the world almost didn’t want this posted I guess because I worked one night on this for almost an hour and then it didn’t save that work when I got out of it and I couldn’t find where it auto saved, ever, so this was a lot of frustration. But I got it. EVERYTHING IS FINE.

It’s been a crazy month – one I’ll probably post about soon. I just haven’t had the time or bandwidth to do so.

Enough crazy, let’s talk books!!

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The Friend Game by Heather Mikestyn

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This was so cute and hilarious! I can’t wait to read the next books in this series. Heather Miekstyn is also a new-to-me author so now I’ll have to read more of her books in the future.

Notes:

• Hannah Garza – unemployed mess
• Her older sisters: Brooke and Jill
• Luke Abbott – pastor, loses his thoughts when he’s around Hannah
  • He signed a contract when he was hired on as pastor that he’d stay single for his first year
• Brooke is 28
• Jill is 7yrs older than Hannah
• Unsure on how old Luke and Hannah are but most likely mid 20s
• SINGLE POV!! We only have Hannah’s perspective and I would have loved Luke’s POV, but I think for this story, single POV worked best
• Hannah says the most random things! LOL

This is the first book in the Games for Two series.

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It Couldn’t Be You by Rebecca Jo Jackson

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Why did it take you so long to read this, Summer?

Let me tell you how much this story WRECKED ME. I simultaneously wanted them to be together already, but also fell so in love with the beautiful YEARNING and just CUTENESS of this that I didn’t want it to end. Why read when you can get wrecked from afar?

So yeah, this was almost 400 pages of beautiful.

I was rooting for Gabe and Emma from page one. PAGE ONE.

Can this be a movie????????????? Because, GIRL.

Notes:

• Gabriel is 26
• Emma is 24/25 (like Katie)
• Gabriel and Katie are among six siblings
• Single POV from Emma’s POV
• Flashbacks to years ago along the way that lead up to Gabe & Emma’s HEA
• Valentine’s Day
• One curse word??? It was random.
• Light faith mentioned throughout

Quote:

“Do I look like I’ve been moping all week now?” I struck a

pose.

“Not anymore,” Katie said, proud of herself.

Gabe swallowed. “You look like you could get stuck in someone’s mind all year in that dress.’

“Dang, Gabe.” Katie’s eyes widened at the comment.

“Yeah, dang, Gabe,” I said, trying to sound casual but I couldn’t stop grinning the entire walk to the parking lot.

I had started building my very own separate life, too. It was my freshman year of college, and I had my own campus, my own friends. A life where I never heard the name Gabriel come up, bur I still thought it all the time. He didn’t need to be woven into my classes and campus. He was embedded into my brain like a favorite song.

This is book one in the Sweet River series.

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Chess Not Checkers by Annah Conwell

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

So stinkin’ cute!!

Jasmine Chamberlain is a cheerleader in her freshman year at Georgia and Shepherd Kingsley is the star quarterback at the university. If their names sound familiar, you’ve probably read Annah Conwell’s other books! They’re related to the characters and cameos appear in this book – very cool.

A bit of forbidden romance, opposites attract, chess competitiveness and new adult college experiences make a great novel!

Wellp, I guess I didn’t have any quotes. Lol

This is the first book in the RomCom U Series

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Date Yourself a Grinch by Savannah Scott

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I’ve completely enjoyed this series! A quick and must read for the holiday season as the series is done after this book!

Gage and Tori were total opposites but were completely perfect for each other. I loved all the moments they found themselves in together and how Gage kept wanting to know more about her and to do the smallest and sweetest things for her.

Notes:

• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Tori Pritchett is 26
• Gage Lockett
• Secret Santa ❤️

This is the third book in the Have Yourself a Merry Little Romance series.

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The Love Faceoff by Kristine W Joy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I enjoyed this one and the slow burn! This was a best friend’s brother story that was full of prank wars that go awry and actually push Cheyenne’s boyfriend over the edge. Dylan feels bad and tries to make it up to her by doing nice things for her and taking her places. It ends up being a whole thing and they come to the realization that they’ve always liked each other. I mean helloooooo. So it was good 🙂

Notes:

• Dylan Williamston is 30
• Cheyenne Blackwell is 27

This is the last book in the Glaciers Hockey series.

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My Merry Mistake by Courtney Walsh

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I thought for most of this book that I’d give it 4 stars because it was Raya. But the ending was worth it. 🥺

Finn was the cutest, sweetest, golden retriever green flag you ever did read about! He had it bad for Raya for years and Raya was like nah, he’s too young (which I get, LOL) and didn’t give him the time of day. But Finn had been there at some of her worst moments and he sees her for who she is. It’s so sweet.

Notes:

• Raya Hart – oldest sister – works for hockey team
• Finn Holbrook – 29 – hockey player (Finneus James / Skip / Skipper)
• They first met 7yrs ago
• Finn’s younger sister – Rowena
• Finn’s brother – Quent
• Raya is older than Finn by like 3.5 yrs

Quotes:

“You look confused,” he says.

“Brookie?”

“Oh, yeah. My last name’s Holbrook,” he says. “It’s a nickname. I lobbied for ‘Cowboy,’ or ‘Studcake, but I was outvoted.”

“You’ve got a pretty smile, Hart,” he says. “You should use it more.”

At that, I stiffen and look him straight in the face. “Are you always like this?”

“Like what?”

“Happy,” I say.

“You say that like it’s a disease.” He smirks.

“No, I say it like it doesn’t feel real,” I say. “Nobody is happy all the time.”

“Well, I’m not happy twenty-four seven.” He pauses, then adds, “Only like seventeen seven. The other seven I’m asleep.” He pauses, and it’s like I can hear the gears turning in his brain. “But I usually have great dreams, so maybe, yeah – like twenty-four seven.”

He holds up both hands like no pressure, and then points at me, holds up two fingers and flicks them down against his chin twice.

I quickly look around to make sure no one in my family just saw him tell me I’m cute in sign language. Who is teaching him this stuff?!

I point at him and make a claw with my hand at the side of my head, rotating it slightly. “You’re crazy!”

He laughs and skates off.

The woman is a beautiful, frustrating, amazing pain in the neck.

This is the last book in the Holidays with Hart series. 🫶🏻

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How He Got The Girl by Amanda Schimmoeller

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I’m loving this series! The friend group is amazing. I didn’t think we saw them as much as we did in the first one? But they were there and so supportive and funny. All the different personalities and the added characters along the way make it so real.

Notes:

• The meet cute/ugly + the dream date!
• The disaster!
• The second meet ugly!
• Mallory (Veronica Mallory Porter)
• Griffin (Griffie)
• Bartholomew
• They’re 2-3 yrs apart
• Griffin is 24 at the beginning of the story when they first met
• Griffin (Griff) is so sweet and caring, but also charming and hilarious

Quotes:

Honestly, I’m not even worthy to walk on the ground she walks on. But I’m trying to be.

“What am I going to do with you, Griff?”

Hearing her use my preferred nickname has me feeling a thrill of hope. “Oh, I don’t know. Keep me forever?”

He’s about to kiss me. My head leans forward of its own accord, like my lips can’t help but be drawn to him. Except Griffin doesn’t kiss me. He reaches around me and grabs my seatbelt, pulling it ever so slowly across my body. I never knew buckling up could be so sexy.

Once he’s clicked my seatbelt in place, Griffin smiles at me, looking pleased with himself. “Safety first.”

This is book two in the Sweeter Than Fiction series.

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Christmas Wishes and Accountant Kisses by Madelyn Smith

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I was intrigued by this novella because it was about an accountant, LOL. Someone I follow online posted about it and that’s how I discovered this whole series!

This one was cute. I loved how they became friends and as they spent more time together, the lines started to blur. This accountant sure was flirty! I don’t know an accountant so extroverted, LOL! From one accountant to another…

This is a standalone novella in the Letters to Mrs. Claus, multi-author series.

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The Gentleman’s Confession by Anneka R Walker

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

MAN, was I ever glad that they figured things out 🤣🤣

Miles is a vicar and for whatever reason thought he wasn’t good enough for Jemma who’s been his best friend forever. She’s always been against marriage and she doesn’t need to get married like other women since she’s fully funded (basically 🤣).

Quotes:

“She could never have been his, but at least she would never have been anyone else’s either.”

He wished he were not seeing her on the morrow to teach her how to love another man. It would be all too enticing to teach her how to fall in love with him instead. Indeed, if she would show a little interest in him, he would not hold back.

This is book three in the Matchmaking Mames series.

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Matched with my Christmas Crush by Francesca Spencer

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This was a cute story of a single (widowed) dad and his kid’s teacher. Alfie, the kid, was hilarious. He was silly but so serious at times.

Not really any notes here because it was so short, haha. But Flo Simmons and James Dreamy Hadley were sweet. There didn’t seem to be a whole to their instant attraction, but I enjoyed it.

This is a standalone novella in the Letters to Mrs. Claus, multi-author series.

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A Mistletoe Mix Up by Bella Greene

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

A super sweet story of two best friends (of like one year – they met when they’d both moved to this small town around the same time) who discover they actually want more.

Notes:

• Tandy – works at the bookstore
• Grayson – police officer
• Friends and mistletoe shenanigans

This is a novella from the Letters to Mrs. Claus multi-author series.

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It’s Always Been You by Rachel Chamberlayne

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

New to me author! Won’t be the last you see of her on my blog, that’s for sure.

What a story 🥹

If you’re looking for a redemption arc and the dealing with sin in characters, this is the book. This is heavy on the way life is messed up in today’s world, how sin robs us of what God intended, and heavy on God’s pursuit of us in spite of it.

There are trigger warnings on her website.

Notes:

• Evie – 26yo – Genevieve Montgomery – caregiver
• Dr. Brandon Timothy Wright – psychiatrist – 12yrs older than Evie
• Jamie – Evie’s brother – cop – 12yrs older than Evie
• Theodore Timothy Wright – Teddy – 3yo son of Brandon
• She was engaged to Adam Smart – her best friend at one time. He works at her father’s company (their parents founded it together), where she’s a caregiver there as well at the beginning of the book.
• Brandon has six older sisters and a fraternal twin sister. Wild
• Brandon’s mom gives solid advice to Brandon (pg 116)
• A lot of feels on pgs 203-204
• The Gospel, the redemption!
• The prayers
• The letters

There were so many quotes I could have pulled but I didn’t grab them all as I read. 🙃

Quotes:

I don’t know if God designs us a perfect match or if there’s such a thing as a soul mate. But one thing I do know is He knits together the one our soul comes to love. And I also know—without a shadow of a doubt-that my soul, my very essence loves Genevieve. This stubborn, infuriating young woman whom I routinely lose sleep over holds my heart captive under lock and key and has for quite some time.

The truth of the matter is that I am in love with Genevieve Montgomery.

It’s as simple and as complicated as that.

I’m ready to be Brandon’s, yes —but I belong to Jesus, first and foremost. I am His, and He is mine. No relationship should ever come before my relationship with Him. No earthly relationship could ever come close to fulfilling me in the way my relationship with my heavenly Father does. No one’s love could ever compare. Not the love of my parents, or Brandon, or anyone else.

From the moment you let me back into your life, Genevieve, I’ve had one goal — and that was to represent the love of Christ in your life. I learned very quickly how fallible I really am, how impossible of a task that truly was. That’s the thing about following Jesus, though; He is the one in the driver’s seat. I’m simply a cracked vessel, a broken instrument for Him to use to demonstrate just how much He loves you, how far He will go to chase you down and bring you back into His fold.

This is a standalone novel.

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Books read this month: 12

Books read this year: 158

Book goal for the year: 100

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I hope you had a great reading month! Feel free to share in the comments. 🙂