Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess: older man/younger woman

Showing posts with label older man/younger woman. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Book Release Blast for He’s A Mean One by Lani Lynn Vale (REVIEW)….

Just in time for the holidays comes this steamy and suspenseful tale of a long-time love and the man waiting to claim the woman he's been waiting years for. When a snowstorm and a holiday decorating contest bring two people together, readers will find themselves charmed and their heart's warmed courtesy of this final installment in the Content Advisory series. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of He’s A Mean One by Lani Lynn Vale, along with getting my impressions of this age-gap romance, then add it to your bookshelf too!

For a solid five years, Jasper Madden has done nothing but look the other way when it comes to Calliope Hodges. At first, she was way too young for him, barely eighteen the first time he laid eyes on her. It also didn’t help that he’d witnessed her at the lowest of lows, practically making peace with rock bottom.

But as time goes by, he realizes that Calliope is different. She’s a brave, stunning young woman that has slowly captured his heart while he was watching from the shadows.

He knows that it’ll take time for her to realize that he’s not the enemy, but instead her saving grace.

So he decides to play the long game.

For years, he’s waited in the periphery for her to be ready. He stands right there, knowing that one day she’ll look up and finally see him as the man that is desperately in love with her.

But that chip on her shoulder keeps her from looking everywhere but his direction.

Luck finally leans his way when she moves in next door, and a battle of the neighbors ensues.

Where she sees war in the form of a friendly holiday decorating competition, he sees the opportunity of a lifetime.

All it takes is one bed, a freak snowstorm, and a Christmas miracle for her to realize that he’s been there all along. A silent knight in shining armor willing to take on the world just to make sure she never has to feel unworthy ever again.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

FIND AT BOOKBUB here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Ms. Vale never lets me down when it comes to her romantic pairings and her depiction of found families in the MC world! And this book is no exception! This book brings readers back to the men and women of the Truth Tellers MC to wrap up their series, while giving us hints of what's to come next in a story that pulled at my heartstrings…while leaving me satisfied with a smile on my face.

Calliope was young when we first saw her, a young girl struggling to keep her family together through working many jobs and trusting only herself. It made her hard to like at first, but with this book readers see a more mature lady. She actually opens up about herself, and her desperate life choices, and it endeared her to me. She's grown into a survivor, someone who tells it like it is, and I found her the perfect other half to Jasper to make him whole.

Jasper's a dark and brooding part of the MC, weighed down by a past that left him scarred inside and out. He embraces his loneliness, but when it comes to Callie, he's captivated. Her young age at their first meeting unfortunately kept him holding back, watching over her from afar. When they become neighbors though, everything changes in a journey of funny and heartfelt banter, along with playful exchanges that were flirty and teeming with sexual tension. Jasper saw past Callie's grumpiness to bring out her softer side in a discovery that warmed my heart. She too saw past his obvious scars, accepting him wholeheartedly despite his own inferiority issues.

Together they're a perfectly imperfect couple. They appeared to be opposites but they ultimately fit together beautifully in a tale full of fun and flirty banter, steamy encounters, and moments of festivities and frivolities. The feeling of the holiday adds a bit of extra warmth to this fast-paced story that kept me eagerly turning the pages, wrapping things up with a big bow of love and HEA! From start to finish this was a well-crafted series, with unforgettable characters that left a lasting impression, and I'm left greatly anticipating what Ms. Vale has planned for readers next.

My rating for this is an A.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown, in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today Bestsellers.

Monday, October 6, 2025

Book Release Blast for Fair Play by Kat Mizera (REVIEW)….

A hockey player who's been in the sport for many years finds himself traded to a new team, trying to find his place amongst them, when matters of the heart lead to complications. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Fair Play by Kat Mizera, along with my impressions of it, then add this sixth installment in the L.A. Phantoms series to your bookshelf.

My hockey career's final chapter is writing itself. I'm thirty-five now, and with retirement looming, I'm desperate to make this season count—even if it means playing in L.A., the last city I ever wanted to call home.

Then Billie crashes into my life.

She's sunshine personified—more than ten years younger and my teammate's little sister.

Every instinct screams she's forbidden territory.

But one taste of her changes everything.

The chemistry between us is undeniable, explosive.

I know I should walk away, but I can't.

If her brother discovers us, I stand to lose more than just her—my career could end before I'm ready to hang up my skates.

BUY LINKS here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As an older reader, I love when authors combine romance with the unique aspects of being older and having to start over. It leads to vulnerabilities that made the unexpected romance in this book even more emotional and satisfying. With each turn of the page, I found myself drawn into this sensual age-gap romance set amidst the world of hockey and showing two people gaining strength from each other.

Rome Castellano's hockey career is winding down, and with his being traded to yet another new team, he's riddled with uncertainties. He's desperate to figure out his place on the team while juggling his inconvenient feelings for a mystery woman he helped a few nights earlier...a woman who is soon no longer a mystery. Rome's a truly decent man with a good heart. He's unlucky in love though as seen by his two divorces, which makes him leery of the growing connection between him and Billie, little sister to his teammate/roommate. Though Rome fights his feelings he finds himself unable to deny her anything. With his injury on the ice, the team going out of town, and Billie moving in with him and her brother, everything heads down a steamy and emotional road to HEA.

Billie Michener was a young girl when her parents tragically died. From then on it was just her and her older brother, Brodi. His life was now lived according to what was best for his little sister. He gave her everything, supported her completely while pushing her to be the best she can be. It also led to him being VERY overprotective, almost smothering at times as he warned her against listening to her heart. Even with her brother's expectations I found Billie a likable and strong-willed young woman. She's focused and driven and just what Rome needs. I was rooting for her every step of the way as she was an unexpected bright light in Rome's life.

Along with a strong romance that had a slow and steady burn, there was also an equally strong and satisfying sibling connection between Brodi and Billie. Though Brodi could be a bit too much at times, too overbearing, I still applauded all the sacrifices he made for his sister and look forward to his story next. Fans of sports romances will also enjoy the nice balance of action on and off the ice. The age-gap between Rome and Billie might be a bit much for some, but Billie seems wise beyond her years, so their connection felt believable to me. On a whole it was an entertaining read that once again shows Ms. Mizera to be one of the best when it comes to romances set in the hockey world and I look forward to where she takes readers next.

My rating for this is a B+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kat Mizera was born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of Wanderlust.

She's lived from coast to coast, and everywhere in between, but home is wherever her family is. A devoted mom and wife to her wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat loves to travel the globe with her adventurous, hockey loving family. Greece is at the top of that list. She hopes to one day retire there, spending her days writing books on the beach.

Kat is former freelance sports writer who now writes steamy hockey romance about her favorite fictional teams, the Las Vegas Sidewinders and the Lauderdale Knights. The library of novels she's penned also include sexy contemporary stories about baseball stars, alpha sex club owners, bodyguards, rock stars, and royalty.

Regardless of genre, her books about bad boys with hearts of gold will steal your breath, rock your world and melt your heart.

To find out about Kat Mizera’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter HERE.

For more information on Kat Mizera and her books visit HERE.

Connect with Ms. Mizera HERE.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Book Release Blitz for Someone Knows by Vi Keeland….

With temps starting to sizzle, today brings even more heat as you get a glimpse of this suspenseful tale of the past coming back to haunt a young woman's future. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Someone Knows by Vi Keeland, then add this edge of your seat story to your bookshelf.

As a college English professor, Elizabeth looks forward to the start of each new semester teaching her creative writing seminar. At least until she reads chapter one of The Reckoning, a tale about a high school senior who has an affair with her teacher. To anyone else it would be the beginning of a great page-turner, but to Elizabeth it is the beginning of the end.
She knows this story. It’s all familiar because she lived it. The girl in the story was her best friend Jocelyn, and Elizabeth knows exactly how the story will end—with the teacher dead. Because she was the one who killed him.
Someone knows what Elizabeth did twenty years ago and her secret is about to be exposed, but who is the mystery student submitting the chapters? In an effort to find out, Elizabeth returns to her Louisiana hometown where it soon becomes clear that no matter how many years have gone by, she can’t escape her past.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

FIND AT BOOKBUB here.

AUTHOR INFO:

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Book Release Blast for Time to Bounce by Lani Lynn Vale (REVIEW)…..

In this age-gap romance the action is fast-paced and will keep readers frantically turning the pages. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Time to Bounce by Lani Lynn Vale, along with getting my impressions of this sixth installment in the Carter Brothers series, then be sure to add it to your bookshelf too!

Loneliness is overwhelming in its intensity.

There are times you think you can cope, that you can make it despite the hollow feeling in your chest. Then there are the times when you realize you can’t breathe through the pain of loss.
When Gable Buchanan Carter walks into Athena’s life, it’s like a light is switched on inside her chest. Suddenly she can breathe.
But just as much as she wants him, Gable just as much wants nothing to do with her.
It’s like a cold stab of ice right to the gut at the knowledge that the person you want, that you love, wants nothing to do with you.
At least, that’s what she thinks.
In reality, Gable wants Athena Grace Murphy with every piece of his soul.
But how can he confidently say he’s doing the right thing by bringing her into his life when it’s so dangerous? She’s already lost every person she loves, how can he put her through the possibility of losing one more?
That’s right, he can’t.
So he’ll stay away from her. Even if it kills him.

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

FIND AT BOOKBUB here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

The Carter Brothers are back with this fast-paced and suspenseful roller coaster ride that I absolutely devoured! The characters are immensely likable with familial interactions that pulled me even further into the story.

While the romance of Athena and Gable is one we've seen before, with all the usual issues surrounding their age-gap, I still enjoyed the battle they undertook with trying to keep away from each other despite being inevitable. Their banter was crackling with lots of sexual tension, a connection full of twists and turns, with lots of back and forth. Gable's got a good heart, frustratingly he doesn't often think before he leaps, but I still found much to endear him to me and have me rooting for him. Athena's the ideal heroine, a feisty and strong-willed younger woman who has emotional baggage courtesy of a family full of pain and loss. These two seemed different from the outside, but their connection was pure perfection.

The overall storyline was full of lots of moving pieces, surprises that shocked me in a good way along with bad. The suspense was heart-pounding with a sensual and sizzling romance that brought out the best in Gable. Alongside him was the rest of the Carter family, always there to support one another while seamlessly bringing Athena into their fold. By the turn of the final page, I'm left satisfied but uncertain about where things go after a few surprising twists that left me gobsmacked. On the whole, this is another winner from Ms. Vale, and I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the final release in this series!

My rating for this is an A-

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Book Blast for Truth and Dare by Ann M. Trader (GIVEAWAY)…..

A young woman with book smarts but uncertain with emotions finds herself paired with a recently divorced older man, who's always made her heart race, in this sweet and sensual tale. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Truth and Dare by Ann M. Trader, then discover even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour. In honor of this contemporary tale make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 bookstore GC too!

A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course.

Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch.
Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?

EXCERPT:

“Those lips,” I said, the words slipping off my tongue.

“Excuse me?”
His question broke my trance. “Oh, Lord. I’m sorry I—”

“Wait. You feel it, too, don’t you?”
I hesitated then nodded.
Max leaned toward me. “You know, I’ve been trying to get a read on you tonight, but I’m pretty rusty at all this.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, Max. There’s nothing about you that’s rusty.”
A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. “The word means nothing to you because you’re young and beautiful.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “You really think a lot about this age thing, don’t you?”

He sighed. “I’m thirty-one, Goldie.”
“Well, lucky for you my ceiling’s a good thirty-three.”
He bit back a smile, his eyes growing softer, warmer. “I like you, Goldie.”
“I like you, too, Max.”
“I really want to kiss you.”
“So, what’s stopping you?”
“The very real possibility I won’t be able to stop,” he said with a reverent tone.

BUY AT AMAZON here.

AUTHOR INFO:

I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring recipes on the lighter side of southern comfort foods. I’m a member of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and I love relaxing on my back porch to read and write. These days I take walks around my neighborhood, but when I was sixteen, I hiked the Grand Canyon with a group of friends. I love watching television dramas (in no special order): Palm Royale, The Buccaneers, The Bear, Mary and George, Emily in Paris, Outlander, Shrinking, Shogun, Bridgerton, Outer Banks, Stranger Things, The Crown, and Peaky Blinders and reading a great romance book.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

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Thursday, May 16, 2024

Book Cover Reveal for The Souls We Claim by S. Cole (REVIEW)….

A hardened older man finds himself drawn to a younger woman in need of a hero in this age-gap romance full of action, suspense, and intense emotions. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of The Souls We Claim by S. Cole, along with getting my impressions of it, then add this seventh installment in the Iron Outlaws MC series to your bookshelf too!

Arianne
Leaving my abusive husband was hard. Attending the funeral of my murdered sister is harder.
Especially when I find myself face-to-face with a stern Iron Outlaw biker holding a baby he says is my niece. I have no money, no home, and no way to take care of her, no matter how badly I want to.
Until Jackson 'Halo' Flynn offers me a deal that sounds too good to be true.
Live with him and care for my niece while he takes care of the men who killed her parents.
Halo
Vengeance is the only thing on my mind, not the sweet young woman with a busted face who claims to be the aunt of my half-sister, Lola.
Relationships weren't in my game plan. Neither was becoming a dad to Lola.
Yet, somehow our three lost souls stumble their way into becoming a family.
Until the man who killed my father decides to wipe out my father's line.
Which means me...and my girls.
But as a former Navy SEAL, I know there are no lengths I won't go to to protect the family I've claimed.

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Another emotional gem in a series that continues to captivate readers as a dedicated bachelor finds himself the sudden guardian to his half-sister upon learning of his father's murder. Add in his surprising introduction to the little girl's aunt, Arianne, and readers get to see a family forming from the ground up. It's an emotionally intense journey to HEA, a heartbreaking yet uplifting romance of overcoming abuse and preconceived notions, and I was captivated by every word and each turn of the page.

Jackson 'Halo' Flynn is an older hero, one who's set in his ways and happily without any relationship ties when readers first meet him. He's a real man's man, rough around the edges, with an air of danger surrounding him that made for one drool-worthy morsel. Once little Lola came into his life though, a softer side emerged, one that warmed my heart. When another female comes into his life at the same time, a woman who Halo knows he should stay away from, fate shows that she has other plans for him after he gives Ari a place to rest her head in exchange for taking care of Lola. He starts off keeping Ari at arm's length, but before long the chemistry between them can no longer be ignored in a compelling romance that becomes more and more powerful.

Arianne is a woman who's been beaten down, physically and emotionally, by a man who kept her from living life to the fullest. He stole her self-esteem and left bruises and scars behind, but trying to keep her from her sister's funeral through one last beating, was the last straw. Seeing Halo for the first time is an intimidating moment for her, but him showing a softer side by holding Lola gives Ari a bit of reassurance. The more time this trio spends together, the stronger the bond grows between them. Halo slowly comes to realize that he has quite a lot to offer a woman, particularly Ari...who he wants to commit to wholeheartedly. Time spent with Halo becomes empowering for Ari, helps her self-esteem, and encourages her to deal with her ex head-on. The unconditional love and support of Halo is just what Ari needs in a beautiful romance that was built from dark roots. Neither of them knew what they were missing until they came into each other's lives...and together it all added up to a match made in heaven.

This family in the making kept me glued to the pages and rooting for them every step of the way. Theirs was a beautiful balance of love, support, and steam. Their journey fit in perfectly with the romantic journeys of past couples in the Iron Outlaws MC and gave Ari an even bigger support system. Just when everything seems to be going the Club's way though, the author upends everything with that gut punch conclusion that's now left me clamoring for the next book in this series!

My rating for this is an A.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

The tattoo across my right hip says it all really. A Life Less Ordinary. Inked by the amazingly talented Luke Wessman at the Wooster Street Social Club (a.k.a. New York Ink). Why is it important? Well, it sums up my view on life. That we should all aspire to live a life that is less boring, less predictable. Be bold, and do something amazing. I’ve made some crazy choices. I’ve been a car maker, a consultant, and even a senior executive at a large retailer running strategy. Born in England, spent time in the U.S. and Japan, before ending up in Canada where I met my own, personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. Both of us are scorpios! Yeah, I know! Should have checked the astrological signs earlier, but somehow it works for us. We have two amazing kids, who I either could never part with or could easily be convinced to sell on e-bay.

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a really long time. Check through my office cupboards or my computer and you’ll find half written stories and character descriptions everywhere. Now I'm getting the chance to follow that dream.

Visit Ms. Cole HERE.

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