Another Kendall Ryan delight today in The Book Club Boyfriend!
Scarlett is a jaded author stuck in a rut, and when she goes on live TV to chat with Chase Remington, a pro hockey player, fans go wild and demand more. Chase leads a book club for the team for good PR, and now Scarlett is roped into participating.
This author is so good at creating tension between characters, and compared to the other title I read of hers this month (Checking It Twice), this one was far less spicy and far more slow burn, which is also really satisfying, just different.
One thing I found a little odd about this one is how far into their relationship we got. I’m wondering if Ms. Ryan was extra attached to these two characters, because they got about a million epilogues 🙂
You can’t really go wrong with Kendall Ryan. If you’re a fan of hockey romance or you like reading characters in the book industry, this one is a no brainer.
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: The Book Club Boyfriend (Must Love Hockey #2) Author:: Kendall Ryan Genre:: Sports Romance Publisher:: Dream Press Length::352 pages Audio Length::7h 30m Audiobook Narrator:: Ryan West & CJ Bloom Published:: November 11th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
I have heard The Hating Game referred to out in the bookish ether for years, but never really thought ‘hey, that’s a book I really need to read’. What I haven’t seen is anyone specifically gushing about how phenomenally good this book is. I heard of it, but I didn’t see hype, if you get my meaning. Well, I saw it in an Audible sale at some point and grabbed it just to see, and finally got around to listening. Can I just say…
Let me be the hype.
Lucy is in the fight of her life every single day against Joshua. After a merger between their two publishing houses years ago, they work at the same level, in the same office, in perfect view of one another. He is the grumbling stick-in-the-mud manager, and she is a pathological yes-man. They’ve gotten under one another’s skin since the beginning and the only way they can be somewhat civil to one another is to turn everything into a game. Games based on their mutual hatred. Mean games. Games that have HR complaints flying back and forth. But…mostly civil. When a change in the company structure means only one of them can be promoted, a new kind of game begins, and this one will end in one of them resigning to end the nemesis olympics once and for all.
Holy crap. This book. This book! I was not prepared.
Lucy truly believes Josh loathes her, and she can’t understand why. She’s the ultimate people pleaser and I think that’s the root of her fixation on his behavior. But we all know why kids tease each other on the playground…
I absolutely got that warm tingly feeling that comes in all great romance novels. The feeling that keeps you flying through the pages wincing a little bit because you don’t really want to finish it. It’s a wild dichotomy. It has everything you could possibly want in a romance and does them so friggin well.
There is so much I could say about all the little moments, but I’m so conflicted! I don’t want to spoil anything for a new reader. Half of the magic is in the discovery! Just trust me when I say this book is required reading for any romance lover out there. I’m convinced this book could cure diseases. Probably.
If you’ve been sleeping on this book like I was, this is your sign to wake up and finally…metaphorically…smell(?) The Hating Game. You won’t regret it.
Details
Title:: The Hating Game Author:: Sally Thorne Genre:: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy Publisher:: William Morrow Length::365 pages Audio Length::12h 18m Audiobook Narrator:: Katie Schorr Published:: August 9th, 2016 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
I love a book with a dual meaning title, and honey, this one’s got it. Does FMC have some daddy issues? Yes, yes she does. Is MMC a single dad? Yes, yes he is. And you may think ‘Issues’ here is an otherwise throw-away word, but you’d be wrong, because a big part of the story is FMC’s comic book collection, which is printed in issues. It couldn’t be more packed with meaning, and it’s just *chef’s kiss*.
Sam was betrayed by the pandemic. Slated to start a prestigious art history program after her masters, everything was cancelled and she’s been in a holding pattern ever since, slinging fancy cocktails at a tiki bar. Not the life she thought she’d be living at twenty-six. Then, Nick and his daughter move into the next apartment, and the incident is incited. Seeing him interact with his daughter brings up a lot of old hurts for Sam, who wanted so much to be enough to get her own father’s attention. But he moved to Florida years ago and all he left behind was his massive comic book collection for Sam to look after. She used to draw comics, to connect with him, but after getting some feedback that she was an imitationist and not a real artist, she quit. And it’s not implied in the title, but Sam has mommy issues, too.
Nick isn’t complicated. He has a long history of traveling in a rockstar lifestyle, and now his job managing a Chili’s seems like it’s holding him back, but his priorities shifted when he had his daughter Kira.
Anyway, he’s super hot, and they bang. A few times. And that’s hot too.
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. Sam’s voice is very strong snappy and made this a pleasure to read. I absolutely recommend you get this added to your spicy romance TBR, like, immediately.
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Daddy Issues Author:: Kate Goldbeck Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Dial Press Length::352 pages Audio Length::9h 51m Audiobook Narrator:: Harley Quinn Smith Published:: November 18th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
For many, the holidays are a time of profound grief. This one is for you.
As someone who doesn’t read blurbs, I was not expecting the absolute beauty of this book. Grace and Henry are both widowers whose families are pushing them to get back out there and start living again, but neither of them are quite ready. Because when are you, ever?
Grief is a heavy blanket that surrounds this book. It is always there, in the low moments, and the high ones too. Grace had time to say goodbye to her husband, Tim. He died of cancer. But Henry did not. His wife left for a business trip and never came back home. We never know what lies ahead of us, and when our loved ones die, it is not just their lives that are cut short, but the lives we envisioned living with them for the rest of ours that dies, too.
It’s heavy stuff.
However. This book handles all of it with so much tact and realistic gravity with a dash of humor that feels so authentic. Grace is hilarious. She’s a live-wire who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she has two young kids she has to get through this, too. Henry is more contemplative. His loss is more recent, and more raw because of the manner of her death and the days leading up to it. But through their odd and inevitable friendship, they both learn to heal and that there is still a life for them worth living for.
Ugh, this was a killer. I absolutely loved Matthew Norman’s writing here. The characters were beautiful and the world he crafts here is just immaculate. I can’t wait to dive into his backlist, because someone who can navigate the theme of grief so well is someone who knows how to craft the hell out of a story.
There is romance, too. But it is subtle and sometimes surprising. It is more about friendship and connection and honoring meaningful relationships. Henry’s friendship with Grace’s son Ian, for example, was one of my favorite parts of the book.
Wow, is all I can say. This book is a treasure.
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon Author:: Matthew Norman Genre:: Holiday Contemporary Fiction Romance Publisher:: Random House Publishing Group Length::337 pages Audio Length::8h 43m Audiobook Narrator:: Alex Finke & Jay Myers Published:: October 14th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Friends, I’ve found you a lovely, swoony, holiday romance that will warm you up better than a cup of hot cocoa. It’s Checking It Twice by Kendall Ryan.
Clare works in PR for a hockey team in Dallas, and she’s really good at setting boundaries with those wild boys with her wit and sharp tongue. But as the holidays near, and Clare will be alone, again, it makes her a little reckless.
Mitchell Drake is heartbroken. Or at least, everyone thinks he is including his immediate family and his entire home town in Minnesota. He can’t seem to make them understand that he’s better off, so he comes up with an unconventional plan, but he can’t do it alone.
Clare would never do something so reckless and deceitful as fake date someone…except when she’s at an emotional rock bottom. But it’s okay, because even though he’s the hottest player on the team, they both understand what this is: temporary. Not real.
If you have ever like the fake dating trope or are a fan of sports romance, this is an automatic win for you. Kendall Ryan has mastered sizzling chemistry, and the character backstory work done here to make these two lovebirds into soulmates is phenomenal.
There was only one thing that kind of nagged at me and that was in the beginning chapters they all kind of ended the exact same way, restating the character’s weakening fortifications. Some of them felt pretty identical, and though it’s a satisfying way to end a chapter, so many in a row that were almost verbatim stood out to me.
Kendall Ryan is a master of her craft, and I can’t wait to read more of her work!
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Checking it Twice (Must Love Hockey #3) Author:: Kendall Ryan Genre:: Holiday Sports Romance Publisher:: Dreamscape Media Length::343 pages Audio Length::7h 56m Audiobook Narrator:: Grayson Owens & Rose Dioro Published:: November 25th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Mona is always overlooked. In a busy family with twin boys less than a year older than she is, their parents were always too exhausted for her to get any one-on-one attention. She learned never to stick out, never to rock the boat, to be nice and easy and invisible, the way everyone wanted her to be. She still does, in a way, as a writer at a travel magazine. She’s done her duty for years while being overlooked for the job she wants the most: International travel.
Finally, she gets the opportunity to go to Iceland – all the other international writers are on other trips, and the magazine has the opportunity to work with one of the best photographers around. The problem is, she knows him. She knows him very well. In fact, he’s the boy she grew up with, fell in love with, the only one who ever saw her. So she thought, before he shattered her heart into a million pieces. Now, if she wants the job she’s always dreamed of, she’s got to go on this picturesque trip with him. But can they go the whole week without confronting their past?
Ben walking back into her life brings up a lot of repressed emotions from Mona. Not only from their own relationship, dynamic, and drama, but of the way she was back then. She knew him forever. They lived a few houses down, and they were in the same class starting in kindergarten. He knows her, he knows her family, he’s friends with her parents, and he’s the perfect person to bounce these feelings off of.
She felt a little bit manic almost, at times. She would bring things up with Ben, he would be a great and sympathetic listener-then she would shut down and act like he somehow was the one bringing this stuff up. But it was her. Every single time. Ben wanted to talk about the big stuff, but he never once pushed her. He just said (paraphrased) ‘we need to talk about this before we’re done with this trip’, and she ran away from it every single time. The snip-snap of it all was a little frustrating. However, it wasn’t a deal breaker, it just made me not like Mona so much.
I love second chance romance stories as long as they have a justified break, genuine misunderstandings that AREN’T just a bad miscommunication trope, and I was overall very pleased with this one. The backstory was interesting and had a lot of depth, and these two characters really seemed to love each other, both then and now.
It’s also a destination/travel romance, did I mention? There are lots of scenes of fun and adventurous activities in Iceland.
Another worthwhile romance from Berkley! I will be interested in following Megan Oliver to see what she comes up with next. I smelled a sequel featuring one of Mona’s brothers, but time will tell!
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Secret Nights and Northern Lights Author:: Megan Oliver Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Berkley Length::384 pages Audio Length::10h 44m Audiobook Narrator:: Brittany Pressley Published:: November 18th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
When your guy-for-now blatantly cheats on you at a party, you get your revenge by fake-dating your billionaire boss. Obviously. Except you’ve had a thing for said billionaire boss for awhile, and he’s a hot single dad with a compassionate heart. It might be hard not to get caught up in the illusion.
Lauren Blakely is so good at these trope-stuffed romance novels. This is the kind of book you go to when you want a guaranteed romance knockout that isn’t that deep, but will hit you right in the feels every time.
Throw in some holiday cheer, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
If you’re a fan of fake dating, I think this is one you’re going to like. It’s a hard trope to pull off, in my opinion, but Blakely is a pro and handles it well.
This steamy and spicy romance will keep you warm on those cold winter nights!
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: My Favorite Holidate (How to Date #5) Author:: Lauren Blakely Genre:: Holiday Romance Publisher:: Atria Length::384 pages Audio Length::13h 22m Audiobook Narrator:: Full Cast Published:: October 15th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
When a random library read pulls your heartstrings nearly out of your chest, you know you’ve found a good one. Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer is a stunner.
Alison and Sam had recently broken up from their mediocre relationship when he dies in an accident. At his funeral, his sister begs her to pretend they hadn’t broken up so his parents are able to think he was finally settling down – something they’d been harping him about for years. She is a people pleaser, and goes along with it, even volunteering to do the emotional-wrecking task of cleaning out his apartment for them. But his best friend Adam was already planning to do that, and four hands are better than two. When Alison realizes she is having more-than-friends feelings for Adam, it makes everything unimaginably complicated. He doesn’t know they’d already mutually broken up, so she is off limits – indefinitely. Once the apartment is clean, they won’t have to see each other anymore and torture themselves with this undeniable spark of attraction.
What a complex story this is. There are obvious themes of death and grief in this book, and Alison’s own health issues double-down on them. Her mother suffered from breast cancer, and it turns out she has the gene that makes it far more likely for her to develop it as well. So likely, she’s opted for a voluntary preventative double-mastectomy. It’s a unique sort of representation that added a lot to the story in a very meaningful way.
This is a a deeper story than I expected going in. It is still a rom-com, but there is more at stake for these characters than usual. They wrestle with very big feelings and obstacles that effect more than just themselves. It is a true moral dilemma they’re facing, and fortunately the ending somehow is exactly perfect. This book will hit you in the feels, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Details
Title:: Four Weekends and A Funeral Author:: Ellie Palmer Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Length::368 pages Audio Length::9h 40m Audiobook Narrator:: Karissa Vacker Published:: August 6th, 2024 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Sadie Sheridan almost gave up on finding the one. But then, in her 40s, she fell in love with another professor at her university. Felix. He’s smart, and quirky, and sweeps her off her feet. Once they’re married, he sweeps her off to the remote mountain cabin he grew up in. Then, he disappears.
Sadie is alone, and terrified. Winter is coming, and her husband should be home from his conference by now. It’s her first time in a place like this, and she doesn’t know the first thing about life on the mountain.
Then one of the trail cam’s picks something up. A shadowy figure in the woods, and it’s headed for her property.
Where He Left Me is masterful suspense novel. Every sentence is dripping with mystery and tension and I had no idea where the story was going. I wouldn’t have been surprised at anything with how much tension was set up in this book. What ended up happening though, was a very endearing story of strength, determination, and mama bear energy.
There were a few things that bothered me, ultimately, which is why I’ve rated it four stars instead of five. I don’t want to spoil anything though, so I will keep them to myself. Was it still worth reading though? Absolutely. Especially in these new dark days of fall/early winter, this is the perfect type of book to curl up with and get lost in the suspense!
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Where He Left Me Author:: Nicole Baart Genre:: Suspense Thriller Publisher:: Atria Books Length::336 pages Audio Length::11h 36m Audiobook Narrator:: Amanda Dolan Published:: November 4th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
The Maxton Hall series has really grown on me, and Save Us is as great an ending for these angsty characters as I could have hoped for. If you haven’t read any books in this series yet, please start at the beginning to avoid spoilers and experience the saga from the very beginning. My review of book one, Save Me, can be found here.
What an ending! In my opinion, book three made up for anything lacking in forward momentum in book two. Every character and every story line gets attention in this series finale that will give you hope and all the warm fuzzies for these young characters. I can’t even pick a favorite story line because they’ve all absolutely won me over!
Mr. Beaufort is showing his true dark colors in this novel, continuing to fracture his relationship with both of his children in his quest for the perfect image portrayal to the world, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. His role as antagonist is as pertinent as ever as Lydia’s pregnancy becomes impossible to hide, and James continues to be unhappy in his role in the company.
The drama does not disappoint either – futures hang in the balance through these pages, and tensions are running high. Have they learned their lessons from everything they’ve been through so far?
Now that I’ve finished the whole kit and caboodle, I would absolutely recommend this series. It could have gone either way, I think, but Save Us really gives you everything you’re looking for in a series finale, and I couldn’t imagine a better ending for everyone involved. Bravo to the author, Mona Kasten, for such an incredible ride!
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Save Us (Maxton Hall #3) Author:: Mona Kasten Genre:: Teen Drama Publisher:: Berkley Length::336 pages Published:: November 4th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4.5-Stars
