Cover Reveal: The Kiss Lottery by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Ilsa Madden-Mills has revealed the cover for The Kiss Lottery!

Title: The Kiss Lottery
Author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
Release Date: February 11, 2025

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser

 RBA Designs

From bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a steamy novella about first love and second chances where a city girl returns home for a Valentine’s Day tradition…and the boy who broke her heart.

Roses are red, violets are blue—someone in Rose has feelings for you…

Yeah, bad ones. Everly Davis didn’t leave her tight-knit hometown on the best terms. It’s been ten years, but you don’t forget heartbreak like that. Then again, the anonymous invite to the annual Kiss Lottery in Rose, Tennessee, gives Everly content for her podcast. And she has a bone to pick with that old heartbreak anyway.

Beckett Whitfield has never left Rose—and he’s never forgotten Everly. He even named the villain in his latest bestseller after her. Turns out she’s not happy about that. Nothing about their reunion is particularly happy, and after the way they left things, what did he expect?

When the Kiss Lottery pairs them together, Everly and Beckett will have to confront old feelings that never went away and the secrets they never shared. But finally telling each other everything might be exactly what they’ve needed all along.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49BGhiI

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#1 Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills pens angsty new adult and contemporary romances.

A former high school English teacher and librarian, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She's addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Goals for 2025

 

BOOKISH GOALS FOR 2025

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a different question for book bloggers to ponder over. 

This week's topic is Bookish Goals for 2025. Let's have a look at how insane I am! 😝

~~~~~

1. 

READ 300 BOOKS

2. 

READ MORE DIVERSELY

3. 

READ 12 COMPLETE SERIES (THAT I HAVE NOT STARTED YET)

4. 

FINISH 12 COMPLETED SERIES (THAT I HAVE ALREADY STARTED AND ARE NOW COMPLETE)

5. 

CATCH UP ON ARCS & WORK ON NETGALLEY RATIO

6. 

WRITE A REVIEW FOR EVERY BOOK READ (EVEN IF ONLY A FEW SENTENCES)

7. 

READ MORE BACKLIST TITLES FROM MY FAVORITE AUTHORS

8. 

USE MY KINDLE UNLIMITED MEMBERSHIP MORE

9. 

PARTICIPATE MORE IN THE COMMUNITY WITH READATHONS, CHALLENGES, BUDDY READS, ETC.

10. 

READ THE COSMERE (& ANY BRANDON SANDERSON BOOK I HAVEN'T READ YET)

I usually set ambitious goals but I don't get upset if I don't reach them. My resolutions are more like loose guidelines than set-in-stone rules for my reading. Do you have any reading goals for 2025? I absolutely love seeing the goals that others set for their reading so please share!

Blog Tour, Review & Playlist: Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

 

Title: Better Than Revenge
Author: Kasie West
Release Date: January 7, 2025

A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed! When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.

Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school’s podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she’s left confused and betrayed. 

Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. 

By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen’s spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen’s cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can’t let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?

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Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own. 

Kasie West has written some of my all-time favorite young adult romance books so I was so thrilled when I saw this book announced. Throw in that it revolves around football and also has a breathtaking cover? I was floored.

Kasie West has a writing style that is easy to connect with. Her stories flow smoothly and the pacing is just right. I fell right into this story from the very start. The plot of this book was very compelling. I was all-in with this revenge plot and was so compelled to know how it would turn out. I also loved the secondary story surrounding Finley's grandmother. It was adorable and so enchanting. 

I loved the diverse cast of characters with unique personalities. Finley's character drove me up the wall at times with her decisions and behavior but I never disliked her character. She was still relatable. I enjoyed Theo's character but would have loved a deeper dive into his background and thought process. All of the secondary characters were delightful. I loved Finley's friend group and how supportive they were. There was so much character growth in this story and it was so glorious to see. Both main characters go through a transformation. 

This romance was just so darn cute. It was so obvious that Theo had a thing for Finley from the start. They had the best banter and their chemistry was palpable. I loved how their romance was so organic and natural. Theo's grovel at the end of the book was pretty epic and it melted my heart a bit. 

Overall, this is an adorable story full of betrayal, revenge, and personal growth. The main character goes on quite a personal journey in her quest for revenge and finds closure and love along the way. The secondary characters were a delight and the plot had me completely hooked. Pick this one up if you enjoy sweet young adult sports romance with compelling characters and a riveting premise. 

PLAYLIST

BETTER THAN REVENGE - TAYLOR SWIFT

WHO'S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME? - TAYLOR SWIFT

FALLIN' (ADRENALINE) - WHY DON'T WE

SEIZE THE POWER - YONAKA

BAD BLOOD - TAYLOR SWIFT

SOMETHING THAT I WANT - GRACE POTTER

IMGONNAGETYOUBACK - TAYLOR SWIFT

MONSTER - STARSET

INFECTION - MEMPHIS MAY FIRE

DANCING WITH THE DEVIL - SET IT OFF

CAN U SEE ME IN THE DARK? - HALESTORM, I PREVAIL

VULTURES - MISTERWIVES, PVRIS

CHEMICALS - MATT HANSEN

BOIS LIE - AVRIL LAVIGNE, MGK

MY DEMONS - STARSET

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO - TAYLOR SWIFT

WHEN THE PARTY'S OVER - UNSECRET STRING QUARTET, UNSECRET

HERE WITH ME - MARSHMELLO, CHVRCHES

WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING [REBORN] - SET IT OFF

LET YOU DOWN - NF

FEEL IT - D4VD

FALLING FROM THE SKY - KAILEE MORGUE, KING MALA

WHAT I'VE DONE - ACOUSTIC VERSION - MARIÉ DIGBY

OFF MY FACE - JUSTIN BIEBER

CAN'T KNOCK ME DOWN - PRETTY PANTHER, ANNA MAE

Kasie West is the author of many YA novels, including The Fill-in Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love, and Listen to Your Heart. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, JLG selections, and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. When she’s not writing, she’s binge-watching television, devouring books, or bury-ing her toes in the sand of the Central Coast. Kasie lives in Fresno, California, with her family. You can find her online at kasiewest.com

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ARC Review: Chase Lovett Wants Me by Helena Hunting

TITLE: Chase Lovett Wants Me

AUTHOR: Helena Hunting

PUBLISHER: Ink & Cupcakes Inc

PUBLISHED: January 10, 2025

PAGES: 228

GENRES: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports Romance, College Romance

SOURCE: ARC

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✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

A brand new standalone, opposites attract, college hockey romance.

Chase Lovett.

Star of my (unrequited) fantasies.

Hottest guy on campus.

Hockey god.

Too bad he has no idea who I am. Literally, I’m so invisible to him that he once sat on me in class.

No thanks to a fire in the dorms, he just became my accidental roommate.

Did I mention the hotel room our university moved us to has only one bed?

Not ideal.

Worse, I accidentally left “My Precious” fantasy fandom underwear hanging to dry in our shower.

My actual nightmare.

My name is Cammie Lovelock and this might just be the worst, best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own. 

Helena Hunting hockey romance is like my own brand of designer drug. I am perpetually ravenous for her hockey stories and this one gave me such an incredible high. 

Only a few authors can write a hockey romance that I go gaga for, but Helena Hunting is at the top of that short list. Most people know her for her hockey romance stories specifically and there is a good reason why. This book showcases that to a T. Hunting is a hockey romance prodigy and you know that you are always going to have a good time with her books. Her writing style is relatable and easy to read. The plot of this book sucked me right in and held me hostage from start to finish. This story was addicting! I seriously couldn't get enough of this couple. The world-building was wonderful. I was transported into this college setting with ease. The imagery was vivid and complete. 

My one and only hang-up with this book was the length and pacing. It was way too fast-paced for my liking and I felt that it should have been longer. The believability of character and relationship growth is diminished when the pace is too quick and/or there isn't enough time to satisfactorily build those relationships. Everything else was *chef's kiss*.

I cannot express the utter joy I experienced at the start of the book when I realized that this book was in the same world as her Toronto Terror series. There are so many overlapping characters and I was on cloud nine the entire time. There were so many cameos as well and I lived for them! I loved seeing characters that I have already loved in her other books and how they connected with the new ones in this book. I hope with all of my being that this standalone turns into a series and we get more stories from more characters. I could see some of the setups for other potential couples in this world and I was so dazzled by it all! Bring on the hockey boys and the girls that bring them to their knees, please!

Okay, now that my fangirling is (momentarily) done, let's get into the brand-new characters. I truly enjoyed all of them. Each character was distinct and had a unique personality that I couldn't help but gravitate toward. I was so intrigued by each of the secondary characters and, again, I am so hoping they all get their own stories. I loved the depth that all of the secondary characters lent to the story. This was a very character-motivated story and the side characters really worked their magic to make the reading experience superb. Hunting writes excellent relationships in her stories, especially friendships. I was so on board with and ecstatic about the strong female friendships in this book. I also loved how Cammie was a strong female lead. She was a wallflower but knew how to stand up for herself when the occasion arose which made me so happy. Chase was the epitome of a boy-obsessed. He was such an adorable golden retriever hero. I adored him. He had it bad for Cammie and pulled out all the stops for her. He also wasn't afraid of his feelings for her and went all in. 

The romance in this book was literally all the things, okay? I was just smitten with this couple. I loved the jock/wallflower dynamic. Cammie and Chase had incredible chemistry from the get-go. Their attraction was out of this world. I loved that their romance breached so many levels in this book. The spice was scorching and the building of the relationship was so organic. It was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The heartfelt moments were impactful and made some of the spicy scenes feel even more intense because of it. Cammie and Chase were truly a pair that was meant to be and it shows in the pages of the story so expertly. 

Overall, this is a college sports romance with memorable characters, an unputdownable plot, and so much spice! I would strongly recommend reading the Toronto Terror series before diving into this one, though I will add that this book is marketed as a standalone and could definitely be read as one. However, it will be a better experience if you already know some of the side characters coming into this story. Take a hit of this story and you'll soon realize that Helena Hunting books are habit-forming. You won't be able to stop reading her masterful stories. I'm on this train for the long haul and can't wait for the next stop!

NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her adorable, emotional cat, who thinks the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from emotional contemporary romance to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.

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The Toronto Terror Series

*Images link to my reviews either here on the blog or on Goodreads.

Helena Hunting is one of my unicorn authors. You know the ones I'm talking about. The authors who are on your auto-buy list and write the perfect story every single time. What are some of your unicorn authors? Give me all your best recs!

 

Book Tour & Review: The Path to Loving Him by Meghan Quinn

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new forced proximity, single dad romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers, small town standalone romance is now available in all formats and delivers the perfect happily ever after. One-click your copy today!

Title: The Path to Loving Him

Author: Meghan Quinn

Release Date: January 7, 2025

What does one do when they completely blow an interview?

If you’re me, you pick up a one-night stand with the most gorgeous man you’ve ever seen… 

That’s right, after a lousy interview that could have changed everything for me, I headed over to the local small town bar to sulk when the one man I shouldn’t want walked in. And when my friend convinced me to take him back to my hotel room, I didn’t think about it, I just did it . . . well, I did him.

It was an unforgettable night, but I didn’t stay for breakfast. Instead, I got out of there and tried not to think about him again.

Everything was fine until I received a call from the interviewer saying I got the job as the assistant baseball coach at Almond Bay High. I’d be working directly under the one and only Ryland Rowley–my one-night stand. 

Now, I’m not only working with him but renting the apartment above his garage. And I have to deal with the fact that he’s the man I dream about and can’t have while not letting my attraction get in the way of keeping the harmony between us. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

It should have been, except the plan falls apart when my shower breaks, and night after night I have to slip into his house to use the bathroom only to find him in the kitchen, staring me down with those hungry, single dad eyes. 

ONE-CLICK YOUR COPY TODAY!

https://mybook.to/ThePathToLovingHim

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own. 

I don't know how every single new release from Meghan Quinn gets ten times better than the last (when they are already god-tier) but they do. 

Quinn's writing prowess blows me away. She dominates so hardcore in Romancelandia. Her storytelling is unmatched. I love her trademark humor that she weaves into all her stories. I mesh with her writing style so completely. It's like she is writing these books just for me. It's like she gets me and I love that. I am sure I am not the only person who feels this way about her writing. The plot of this book kept me engaged and salivating for more. I couldn't put this book down. The world-building is lovely and puts the reader smack dab in the middle of this quaint small town. 

I love all of the characters in this series. They are all distinct and have such unique personalities. The main characters were so relatable and I connected with them easily. This series has major squad goals, which is one of the things I love to see in a story or series. It adds so much depth to the story. I loved all the relationships and character dynamics. 

The romance in this book is one of the best that I have read in a while. It ticks off all the boxes for me. The main characters had glaring chemistry which was palpable. If you lit a flame around the two of them, everything would go up in flames. I loved the emotional aspects of their romance. It was easy to ship their romance because it was so obvious that they were perfect for each other. They shared the same passions and interests and had similar backgrounds. They just clicked in all ways. The sexual chemistry and tension were off the charts. I love how Quinn can write a sexy scene that is super hot and also has an emotional component that just makes it feel hotter. 

Overall, this was a heartfelt story with spice that hits all the marks. If you are looking for a series to sink your teeth into that has memorable characters that you will absolutely form an attachment to then this is the series for you. A lot is going on in this book despite the general lightness of it so it will hit you in the feels at times. I definitely recommend this, especially if you love addicting plots, scorching romance, and impeccable writing.

USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.

Connect w/ Meghan:

Website: https://authormeghanquinn.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanquinnbooks/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

I was so excited to dive into this new release from one of my favorite authors. Please let me know what new releases you are looking forward to in 2025! Extra props for your best Sports Romance and Fantasy recs!