Review: My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.

My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.

Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.

When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.

A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.

But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.

My Review

Chemistry off the charts! I loved how chill Dallas is and the way he craves peace and the slower pace of a small town. He just goes along with Poppy's spontaneous claim on him, and her gossipy mean girl enemy is the impetus behind their fake dating which morphs into a win-win situation for them both. Their banter is so entertaining, and they become genuine friends while their scheme plays out- naturally falling in love, but not seeing how it would translate to their normal lives. I've got a thing for hockey players in fiction since reading the Northbrook Hockey Elite series, and My Phony Valentine totally hit the spot! I also love when either main character is a cook/chef/baker. Valentine's Day plays a small role in the story since there is a dance and town event on the holiday that the relationship is leading up to, but this is a book that can be read any time of the year.  Side note- I completely adore the cover design! As always, the author brings her trademark depth to Poppy and Dallas as they both have struggles which prompt introspection, development and growth, woven into their sweet romance. Highly recommend!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Review: Iris by Susan May Warren

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Iris Marshall never wanted to be anything more than what she is—an official for the European League of (American) Football. So, why she said yes to being a courier for the CIA? She’s not sure, especially when it lands her in an international thriller that has her on the run from a killer. And worse, the person she’s on the run with? Arrogant, bossy, playboy Hudson Bly football player and the last person on earth she wants to go into hiding with.

Hudson knows his days as a wide-receiver are numbered. Too many head injuries, starting with a violent TBI in college have caught up with him. So yes, he agreed to be a patriot, do his bit for the USA and courier a message between agents. He never expected for that simple act to ignite an international man-hunt for the official who wrecked his life, Iris Marshall. But what’s a guy to do—let her get killed?

But spending time with Iris has ignited a desire in him that takes him by surprise, and for Iris, maybe Hudson is more than she thought.

But who is after Iris? When one of her fellow officials is murdered, maybe the killer is after more than just her—maybe she’s found herself in the middle of an international plot to take down a country.

It’ll take the help of the entire family to keep Iris safe…but at what cost when they have to choose between their careers…and their country?

My Review

The suspense and thrills continue in the fourth book of the Minnesota Marshalls series! Definitely read this series in order since the overarching mystery continues throughout, and the subplot in each book becomes the main plot of the following book. I really like this way of getting to know the Marshall siblings simultaneously as their individual stories weave together. Iris and Hudson get pulled into secret agent work for the CIA in the previous book, which puts a target on their backs. This book picks right up with their escape from a life-threatening situation, and the tension doesn't abate while they seek to discover who is after them while still participating in the football season with Hudson as a player and Iris as an official. I loved how the siblings have each others backs, and work together to fight against their enemies, the threads of each book's plot tightening as the elements of each are tied together. The chemistry between Iris and Hudson didn't feel as strong since so much of their attention is on their careers and the danger. I was happy with the resolution and the way they overcame the obstacles that had prevented them from deepening their relationship. We also get some perspective from Iris's parents as they face a new trial which I'm sure will develop in the next book. 

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

The Minnesota Marshalls series