Dawn's Book Reviews 8/26/25 Dawn's Book Reviews 8/26/25

The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham

Maple Falls #1

Rating: 4/5

Spice: 2/5

Plot: 3/5

Primary Genre: Contemporary Romance/Fall

Blurb:

🎃 🍂 🎃 🍂
Love is the sweetest spice of all. A fiery, coffee-loving city girl. A laid-back handyman with irresistible hazel eyes. Is this a recipe for disaster? Find out in this totally cozy and unputdownable enemies-to-lovers romance in the small town of your dreams! Gilmore Girls + spice + everything autumn = 🔥
Self-confessed coffee addict and food writer Madison has convinced herself she belongs in NYC. But then she’s called back to the small town of Maple Falls to save her childhood home, The Cinnamon Spice Inn. She’s NOT looking forward to seeing her ex, Zach—now a sexy bearded handyman who knows exactly how to push her buttons. But she won’t let anything distract her from the inn’s relaunch… right? Zach is frustrated in more ways than one when his latest job brings him face-to-face with the girl who got away. He’s already agreed to renovate her family’s inn and he’s nothing if not a man of his word. But the last thing he wants is to work side-by-side with that stubborn, infuriating—fine, totally gorgeous—red-head. Sparks fly as they prepare for the big Halloween opening. Will Madison save The Cinnamon Spice Inn and have a second chance at love, or will it all go up in flames? Grab your favourite spiced latte and settle in with this steamy romance, packed with small-town charm, scorching chemistry, and the perfect HEA. If you love Laurie Gilmore, Emily Henry, cozy autumn vibes and plenty of spice, this is perfect for you!
🎃 🍂 🎃 🍂

Dawn's Book Reviews 8/14/25 Dawn's Book Reviews 8/14/25

Never Been Witched by Molly Harper

Starfall Point #3

Rating: 5/5

Spice: 1/5

Plot: 5/5

Primary Genre: Paranormal Romance/Witchy Romance

Blurb:

"Amid magical shenanigans...this book might just have you laughing out loud." —Hazel Beck for Witches Get Stuff Done

Shy, sunshiney small-town antiques expert and full-time witch-slash-ghost wrangler catches feelings for the charming, perfectly polished customer in an expensive suit as they work together to renovate his family's historic (and definitely haunted) hotel.

Alice Seastairs is in a precarious position for a witch—isolated from her coven and regretting a lot of her choices. Keeping herself from her sisters is the only way she can protect them from a threat only she knows is coming. While Alice should be searching for the final missing Welling locks and protecting the ghostly residents of Shaddow House, she distracts herself with a job offer from Collin Bancroft. Handsome, surprisingly sweet and filthy rich, Collin needs her expertise to restore his historic Duchess Hotel from the previous owner's ghastly citrus-toned taste. Little does he know, Alice is also the perfect consultant for what to do when you discover a ghost running nightly through the hotel hallways. Spoiler alert: The solution is almost always late night snacking and smooching.

The weight of Alice's secrets only gets worse when her manipulative grandparents threaten to ruin her relationship with Collin. And because her life isn't complicated enough, Collin's delusional ex walks back into his life like she never left. And then there's the minor problem of an ancient magical family trying to take over Shaddow House, using the ghosts within for who-knows-what to further their nefarious agenda. Alice can only avoid her coven for so long before they come looking for her… She could really use a friend—or a house full of family, both living and dead.

Will Alice break from generational toxic patterns and claim the joy that she deserves? A witch doesn't kiss and spell...

USA Today bestselling author Molly Harper's romances are perfect for readers looking for:

witchy magic and ghostly companions
a cozy small-town setting
laugh-out-loud humor and hijinks
a coven full of best friends that are like sisters
light mystery

Dawn's Book Reviews 4/17/25 Dawn's Book Reviews 4/17/25

Name Your Price by Holly James

Rating: 4/5

Spice: .5

Primary Genre: Romantic Comedy

Plot: 4/5

Blurb: Sparks ignite as a pair of broke exes get locked in a house together on a reality show for a chance to win a million dollars, a second-chance romance that perfectly captures the absurd sincerity of made-for-TV love. Olivia Martin and Chuck Walsh have chemistry. Too much chemistry, perhaps. Their every interaction as a couple either lights the house up with sexual tension or burns it down with anger. After one huge, very public fight, they finally break up for good. Or so they think. Someone was filming their dramatic argument in the street and—because Olivia’s parents were Hollywood royalty, and because Chuck’s an actor whose star is on the rise—the video goes viral. When Name Your Price, a reality game show, sees the footage, they invite Olivia and Chuck to shoot a very unusual Live locked in a house together for one month and they will be paid a million dollars. Each. Olivia really needs the money if she's going to keep her beloved grandmother in her nursing home, and Chuck is desperate for any chance to win Olivia back. So the game is on—even as the show tries to pluck every nerve with only one bed, one bathroom, and a set of rules that will lose them money if broken—including no touching. With stakes that have never been higher and their explosive chemistry at a fever pitch, can Chuck and Olivia keep it together (and their hands off each other) for one month? Find out next week on Name Your Price!

Dawn's Book Reviews 3/2/25 Dawn's Book Reviews 3/2/25

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall (Sisters of Shadow and Light #1)

Rating: 4/5

Spice: 1/5

Plot: 4/5

Primary Genre: Romantasy/Fantasy Romance

Blurb: A young witch cursed with sacrificing memories to cast spells must decide how much she’s willing to lose to save her town in this thrilling tale of magic, love, and self-discovery—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice memories. The more powerful the magic, the greater the memory required. Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget. Forget the mother who left them without a trace. Forget the cracks in her relationships with her judgmental oldest sister, Thalia, and her distant middle sister, Eurydice. Forget about the very cost of her magic. And most of all, forget the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago. But when an ancient evil awakens in their town, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to an annoyingly handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power. Battling a sizzling chemistry to a man she can't trust, Calliope needs to confront her sisters and the painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to keep the town and all she loves safe. But will she have anything left of herself?

Dawn's Book Reviews 2/20/25 Dawn's Book Reviews 2/20/25

The Cul-de-sac by Christopher Null

Rating: 4/5

Spice: 0/5

Plot: 4/5

Primary Genre: Thriller

Blurb: How well do you really know your neighbors? Veteran serial killer Klaus Fischer is determined that his most recent murder will be his last, but like many retirements, this one isn’t sticking. No one has come close to suspecting he’s buried the victims on his quiet suburban California cul-de-sac property—but he’s feeling the urge to kill again, and this time he’s set his sights on a target dangerously close to home. Widowed Peg Jurgensen has lived on the cul-de-sac for the past fifteen years, and she’s ready to shed her doldrums and re-enter the world around her. And where better to start than with mothering the curious young teen Eliza van Damal, whose family just moved to the cul-de-sac in order to expose their daughter to a better life. Eliza, however, prefers to coerce the enigmatic hermit next door, Alex, into helping her pass math. Alex wishes the lot of them would disappear. The closer these misfits become, the more danger even the most ordinary conversations invite. As the body count rises, can these residents trust anyone hiding behind their doors on this street? Fans of The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena, The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell and The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner will love this domestic thriller filled with dark secrets and dangers lurking in a seemingly quiet suburban neighborhood...

Dawn's Book Reviews 12/19/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 12/19/24

Rival Summer by Jess Bryson

Bayside Lake Series Book #2

Rating: 3/5

Spice: 2/5

Plot: 3/5

Primary Genre: Sports Romance

Blurb: This summer, Chandler’s plan is simple—focus on herself and steer clear of Blue Devil athletes. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, and hers comes in the form of a summer job right in the heart of Blue Devil territory. Now, she’s spending her days surrounded by her brother’s baseball team, which just so happens to include her childhood crush—the charming shortstop—and her former fling—the cocky starting pitcher who broke her heart last summer. Chandler finds herself caught between two irresistible men, who are strictly off-limits. Old wounds reopen, new sparks fly, and Chandler faces a decision that could change everything.

Dawn's Book Reviews 11/21/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 11/21/24

Eternal by Eva Simmons

Sigma Sin #3

Rating: 4/5

Spice: 3/5

Plot: 4/5

Primary Genre: Dark Romance

Trigger Warnings: See author website here

Favorite Quote: “She tastes like hope and self-destruction. Two opposing forces that shouldn’t coexist, but she does.”

Blurb: Declan Pierce is a bully and a sadist. He’s been my enemy since birth, and he’s made my life a living hell. But when my father barters me in an arranged marriage, Declan proposes a deal I can’t refuse. After all, so long as Declan owns my soul, it can’t be sold to another… But it turns out Declan wants more than I bargained for. My body, my submission, the truth behind what sent me to Montgomery Psychiatric Ward three years ago. And he’ll haunt every facet of my existence until he gets it. I thought death was the only truly inescapable thing. After all, nothing is eternal… except maybe him.

Dawn's Book Reviews 11/17/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 11/17/24

Savage Keepsakes by Marla York

Rating: 3.5/5

Spice: 5/5

Plot: 4/5

Primary Genre: Horror Romance

Trigger Warnings: See author website

Favorite Quote: “We’re not incomplete individuals searching for our other halves. We’re complete entities seeking the wild souls that resonate with ours”

Blurb: I’m not a good man. Never cared to be one.

My existence is only darkness and death. The world thinks I shouldn’t be this way, but I am who I am. Turning animals & humans into art is all I’ve ever known. Sending keepsakes of my victims ignites a fire within me, knowing I’m hurting families fuels my passion to continue.
I’ve never wanted to be anyone’s hero until Lucy.
Being in the shadows of her life could never be enough. The pure love that pours from her is something I couldn’t have prepared myself for.
She’s mine and always will be, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

Dawn's Book Reviews 10/9/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 10/9/24

Toxic Obsession by J.A. Owenby

Rating: 4.5/5

Spice: 4/5

Primary Genre: Dark Romance

Trigger Warnings: Suicide and suicide pacts, child sexual abuse (not on the page), Dub-con, Non-con, Knife play, Anal play & Plugs, Violence, Revenge, Sensory Depriving, Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Gun Violence, Degradation, Breath Play, Grooming, Mental Health, Reference to School Shooting

Favorite Quote: He’s just a boy. Make sure he actually deserves you instead of trying to convince everyone you deserve him. You have nothing to prove, girl.

Plot 5/5:

Wynter is finally leaving home to head to Whitmore College. She can’t wait to leave her difficult past behind and start fresh. She meets Quinn and he’s determined to make her fall for him. Little does she know, he thinks that she’s responsible for his twin sister’s death and he’s out for revenge. But you know what they say, there’s three versions of the truth. Yours, mine and the truth.

Dawn's Book Reviews 10/8/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 10/8/24

Monarch by Sophie Lark

Grimstone #2

Rating: 4/5

Spice: 2.5/5

Primary Genre: Romantic suspense

Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, assault, alcohol use, drug use

Favorite Quote: I’m with you. I love you. I’ll protect you, I’ll take care of you. Carry me with you always and keep me in your heart. Because you are in mine.

Plot 5/5:

Elena is a 90 day fiance who had been desperately looking to leave Ukraine. She has just arrived in Grimstone, Oregon to marry her fiance Lorne. He’s a famous, wealthy thriller author. When they met in Ukraine he seemed like was a sweet, loving father and a kind/nerdy guy. Once she arrives, his behavior begins to change and not in a good way. Lorne is having a castle built for them to live in but there have been multiple construction delays so they are staying at the town’s historic hotel, The Monarch. The owner of the Monarch, Atlas, tries to protect Elena as Lorne get more twisted and vicious.

Dawn's Book Reviews 9/27/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 9/27/24

Reign of Cinders and Glass by Linsey Hall, Veronica Douglas

Rating: 4/5

Spice: 2

Primary Genre: Romantasy

Trigger Warnings: Violence, gore

Favorite Quote: “Touched by the Fates?” Aamon scoffed. “She’s a drunk. She’s touched by whiskey, not prophecy. You know as well as I do that there’s no magic beyond these walls.”

Dawn's Book Reviews 9/22/24 Dawn's Book Reviews 9/22/24

The Memo by Rachel Dodes, Lauren Mechling

Rating: 3.5/5

Spice: 0

Primary Genre: Women’s Fiction

Trigger Warnings: Emotional abuse, toxic relationship, toxic friendship, abandonment, drug use

Favorite Quote: No matter how hard I pounded the dough, I was never quite able to knead away the sense that I was committed to a guy who would never be fully committed to me.