Tag: New Zealand

Books

Book 1,007: Outside Looking In (Browerton University #6) – A.J. Truman

Geoff W

Book cover of "Outside Looking In" with Amazon Affiliate linkThis is probably my least favorite of the series. Nathan is Eamonn’s ex (from Out of this World) and not only is he incredibly spoiled and entitled, he’s just a pain in the ass. Liam is an introverted loaner, recently off a breakup from his ex-girlfriend and best friend hooking up. There was a lot of unnecessary drama about Nathan’s mother that is what drove him to New Zealand, but honestly it just all felt so disconnected from the series that the book would’ve stood better on its own and not part of this series.

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Books

Book 951: Playing for Keeps (Sporting Secrets #3) – Jax Calder

Geoff W

Book cover of "Playing for Keeps" with Amazon Affiliate linkIt was a no-brainer I would say yes when this one finally arrived in my inbox.* I enjoyed Playing Offside and Playing at Home so much and was getting antsy this one was taking so long (a whole 6 months). It was definitely worth the wait and I’ll gladly wait this long again because Calder does a good job not only in writing the stories but also in making sure they’re reviewer ready. I’m still shuddering after a couple of recent ones I read that needed to start over.

This is the story of Ethan and Luke, childhood best friends who were inseparable until Char, Luke’s twin sister, ended up pregnant with Ethan’s kid, Theo. Needless to say shit hit the fan and they went their separate ways (including Luke fleeing to Japan to play professional rugby), but Luke is back to achieve his dream of playing for the New Zealand national team and he happened to sign with Ethan’s professional team, not because of Ethan but because of the out players on the team.

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Books

Book 924: Tell Me Our Story – Anyta Sunday

Geoff W

Book cover of "Tell Me Our Story" with Amazon Affiliate linkAfter reading Anyta Sunday’s adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels I knew I wanted to try one of her other contemporary novels without the Austen framework so when this arrived in my inbox I requested a copy of it.*

Tell Me Our Story is the tale of uptight, heavily burdened Jonathan, who stayed in his hometown to care for his younger sibling (gender-neutral, never clearly stated but doesn’t have to be) after their parents died, and David O’Hara, who fled town when they were younger because of his dad and, as we ultimately learn, Jonathan. They’re in some sort of social media competition and that’s the premise of the novel.

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Books

Book 890: Playing at Home (Sporting Secrets #2) – Jax Calder

Geoff W

I have been waiting for this ARC request to arrive in my inbox ever since I read the teaser at the end of Playing Offside and it was worth the wait!*

Playing at Home is the story of Jacob Browne, professional rugby player and son of a legendary New Zealand rugby player who’s recently split with his wife but is co-parenting his kids, and Austin, the manny his wife hires who’s fled London after a mess with his previous employer.

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Books

Book 888: A Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility (Love, Austen #6) – Anyta Sunday

Geoff W

Book cover of "A Dashwood of Sense and Sensibility" with Amazon Affiliate linkThis wasn’t the perfect ending to Sunday’s Love, Austen retellings, but it was a damn good one. Like the last five there was no doubt I would accept the ARC when it came in (and I was a little worried when I didn’t see it even though its publication date was fast approaching)!*

We met Noah and Zach Dashwood in one of the previous novels (I believe Finley Embraces Heart and Home) and I have to assume we met Brandy/Brandon and Wade at some point too, but no clue honestly. For some reason, I guess because the names were great cognates like some of the other books, it took me way too long to remember who Zach and Noah were compared to Elinor and Marianne from the OG Sense and Sensibility. Once I got that sorted, I was all set.

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