Review: Billion Dollar Catch by Olivia Hayes

About the Book

House-sitting a mansion for the summer sounds easy, right?

Until my rich, single dad neighbor catches me in a compromising position.

Hint: I’d just taken off my bikini top.

He’s billionaire Ethan Carter, a living legend in the tech world and father to two adorable little girls.

Oh, and he’s the kind of ruggedly handsome that belongs in a calendar with firefighters and puppies. “Welcome to the neighborhood,” he says, grinning.

The catch? He can afford to live here—I can’t.

Differences in income and age make anything more unthinkable, not to mention he’s coming off a terrible divorce and has no time to himself.

We agree we can’t be anything more, even as neighborly drinks turn into not-so-neighborly kisses, and kisses turn into… well.

Let’s just say he finds creative ways for us to use my kitchen counter.

He doesn’t know if he’s ready to trust again.

I don’t know if I’m ready to give my heart.

But as summer ends, we might not have choice in the matter.

BILLION DOLLAR CATCH is book three of the series SEATTLE BILLIONAIRES, but can be read as a complete standalone! It’s a sweet, steamy romance with a lot of heart, not to mention scenes designed to make your Kindle burn!

Review

Billion Dollar Catch does not serve the main characters or the romance well. The story starts one day after their first “meeting”. Instead of having the readers experience it, Bella relays the information to her best friends. That scene is referenced multiple times, including several jokes surrounding it, and omitting it felt silly. If the beginning had been changed, would that have improved my rating for the book? Probably not.

The romance was uninspired. It didn’t quite land for me, nor did the characters. Ethan was the perfect father, while his ex was the evil, absent parent. This story has been played multiple times. It’s extremely overused and downright annoying. Especially when Ethan wasn’t all that great either. In addition to being a bland character, he acted like a child when he learned about Bella’s “lie.” He accuses her of manipulating her and acting like his ex-wife. Then, explains that he had initially seen her as someone who could easily be manipulated before she showed him her “true” colors. That rubbed me the wrong way. Bella forgave him far too quickly for my liking. I don’t fault Bella for her small lie. I just found it to be meaningless. 

Final Thoughts

Billion Dollar Catch receives a two-star rating from me. The main characters and romance are inadequately served. The overused trope of the perfect father and evil ex-wife, added with Ethan's immature and judgmental reaction to Bella's minor deception, weakens the story and makes Bella's quick forgiveness irritating. 

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Review: The Heir by Sophia Travers

About the Book

Two rival families. A marriage between their heirs. In public, it’s love. But in private? It’s war.

Aiden Prince is the arrogant heir to the old money family that destroyed mine. He’s hazel-eyed and sharp-jawed, the golden boy of high society.

I’m the girl who’s never belonged in his world.

At sixteen, I poured my soda on his loafers. He told me to lick it off.

At eighteen, I learned the truth—Aiden’s family took everything from mine. I vowed to make everyone who mocked us eat their words.

At thirty, I have the chance to get back everything Aiden’s family stole…but I have to marry Aiden to do it.

In public, we’re the perfect couple. But in private? We’re playing a dangerous game—the first one to desire the other loses.

I’ll never give an inch to Aiden…until I see who he is beneath his cold exterior.

He’ll do anything to protect me.

His touch sets me on fire.

His world doesn’t want me. My family doesn’t want him.

We promised to divorce once our deal is done…and we each lose everything if we fall in love.

Review

The Heir had so much potential, unfortunately, it did not live up to it. Truthfully, it fell flat, and I was bored. The Prince and Hunter families have a long-standing rivalry. The Prince family is labeled as being “good,” while the Hunter family is seen as being “bad.” I didn’t quite understand why the latter had been labeled as that.

The one thing that I did enjoy about this story was Aiden’s relationship with his siblings. He’s constantly advising that he wants to make sure they are okay and doing his best for them. That was one of his best qualities. Aiden and Emory have great moments—great banter and fun teasing; however, they are far in between and mostly toe the line of being unforgettable.

Final Thoughts

The Heir didn’t feel like a story centered on powerhouse families. It was much lighter than I expected, and the stakes felt low. I would have loved it if the characters and families were explored more, and there was a bit more drama.

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Review: Unfamiliar by Haley Newsome

About the Book

Based on the wildly popular webcomic from Tapas, Unfamiliar is an endearing and whimsical story full of magical mayhem, offbeat outsiders, and the power of friendships and found family.

Young kitchen witch Planchette gets an incredible deal on a new house in a magical town. Turns out, there's a reason: it's haunted! After unsuccessfully attempting to get these unwanted ghosts to leave, she realizes the only thing to do is to help them with their problems. Along the way, she befriends a shy siren who hates being popular, a girl battling a curse, and a magically-challenged witch from a powerful coven.

Review

I was drawn to Unfamiliar by art style. I found it unique looking and quirky. I was a little hesitant to read considering this is a book for young readers. I had a pleasant reading experience. As expected, it does read younger—especially with the dialogue. However, that did not hinder my reading experience. I still had fun and laughed at the jokes. The characters were quirky and the writing entertaining. It is very fast paced. All characters have their own story arc. The novel flips back and forth between them. I would have preferred a few seconds of breather.

This story possesses a captivating charm that makes one want to keep exploring its world. The visual style is consistently appealing, and the narrative itself is both enjoyable and well-crafted. It seemed like the author was laying down some groundwork for some good friendship beats. The individuality and unique qualities of each character were a definite highlight.

Final Thoughts

Unfamiliar is a delightful and heartwarming story with an appealing and fresh art style. While the story feels rushed, it is worth reading and continuing. I would recommend it to a younger sibling or cousin.  

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Review: Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Firstly, it was such an honor to receive an ARC for this third installment. I squealed with joy when this showed up in my email. After loving the Assistant to the Villain and Apprentice to the Villain, I could not wait to get this one in my hands and had already pre-ordered Accomplice to the Villain. Now that I’ve finished this one, I can’t wait to read the next one. There must be another, right? Please!

Returning to this series felt like returning home to a warm hug, cozy socks, and the best snacks. I was glued to my iPad as I read, wanting to do nothing more than lie in bed and continue reading. What an incredibly entertaining series this is. What amazing characters Evie and Trystan are.

Evie’s dealing with the return of her mother and trying to navigate her feelings, job duties, and feelings regarding Trystan. Evie is still the same lovable character as before; however, she's also becoming a dangerous woman in her own right. She is well-suited for her job, and her job is well-suited for her.

The Villain has rubbed off on her as she rubbed off on him. Trystan is doing his best to stay away from Evie after learning that she’ll be his downfall. He’s struggling with that. However, do not discount his love for Evie. He’s obsessed with her—rightfully so.

I’ll need to go back and revisit the previous books to be one hundred percent in my statement—but this might be my favorite stage of Evie and Trystan’s relationship. There’s teasing and longing, and there’s been heaps of development from their first meeting until now. Of course, angst. One of my favorite things about this series is Hannah’s ability to balance everything out perfectly. The plot is silly and fun, yet also emotional, with unexpected twists.

The secondary characters and romances are just as quirky and fun as ever before. I want to spotlight Becky and Lyssa’s relationship. Becky’s always been a favorite of mine. I loved her scenes with Evie and Tatianna regarding her love life; however, I especially loved her friendship with Lyssa. She’s become a reluctant older sister to her and would do anything for the ten-year-old.

Final Thoughts

Back in 2024, I stated that Hannah Nicole Maehrer was on a winning streak after reading Apprentice to the Villain, and it’s safe to say that she’s still winning. She’s three for three. Accomplice to the Villain is loads of fun with a lot of heart.

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Review: Game On by Ki Stephens

About the Book

A sweet and swoony novel of high spice and low stakes from the Coastal Rivals series author, Ki Stephens!

She’s a college cheerleader trading in her Oxford life for one year in Nashville. He’s a star quarterback who doesn’t do distractions. But when they team up for a no-strings-attached fling, they’ll have to break their own rules to keep playing the game.

After moving from England and breaking up with her underwhelming boyfriend, Ella Davies has one thing on her mind: proving herself on Whitland University’s elite cheer squad. She’s determined to let nothing derail her focus―except maybe the annoyingly handsome quarterback who keeps popping up at the most inconvenient times.

At Whitland, Hudson Fox is synonymous with football. Known for his relentless drive and reputation both on and off the field, he’s all about control. This season, he’s sworn off distractions to keep his eyes on the prize. But Ella’s fiery spirit and unexpected presence threaten to unravel his carefully laid plans.

Desperate to keep things simple, they strike a deal: just fun, no strings attached. But when lines start to blur and feelings edge in, they'll have to admit the only more dangerous than falling off the mat is falling for each other.

Review

It took me three weeks to finish Game On. Not because I disliked it. In fact, I liked it so much that I found myself wanting to savor it. Let me be clear that this is very much a Ki Stephens book. It is low stakes, repetitive beats from previous books, and safe; however, Ella and Hudson stole the show. They clicked for me, which solidified my enjoyment of this book. They completed each other very well, and I loved watching their relationship grow.

Ella has left Oxford for a year and moved to Nashville. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend and lost a part of herself when that relationship ended abruptly. She describes herself as being steady and sure while cheering; however, she does not apply the same fearlessness to her life. I wouldn’t consider her a “black cat fmc” as described in the marketing. But she does have some bite to her. I enjoyed her character. She’s very cautious about getting too close to Hudson so that she doesn’t get her heart broken. Some might have issues with how she reacted at times, but I found her honest, and it felt realistic for her characterization.

Hudson is just as lovable. Ella describes him as being bold and self-assured. He’s such a sweet country boy who loves his adorable cat. He’s also guarded his heart and feels a need to control everything around him, so no one gets hurt. Once he meets Ella, he has a yearning to risk that which is extremely scary to him.

With Hudson and Ella, it’s an attraction at first sight. Though the more time they spend together, the more they can’t stop thinking about each other, the deeper the attraction and feelings develop. They become a constant in each other’s lives. Instead of flinching at each other’s scars, they kiss them and love them anyway.

Of course, there is an issue. Ella is leaving after a year. The end result in Game On was quite evident. As mentioned earlier, it’s a low-stakes romance. I felt the ending come too quickly. Though that could be me wanting to spend more time with these characters.

Final Thoughts

Game On is certainly a Ki Stephens book. It could be slotted in any of her other series, and it’ll fit perfectly. It has the same vibes as the others. I desperately want her to take some risks and switch it up. That aside. I did enjoy Game On.  It has consistent pacing, and I had no significant issues with it. The real stars of the show are the romance and the characters. That is what makes this a four-star read for me. I can see myself rereading this just to soak in the goodness that is Hudson and Ella one last time.

This book is scheduled for publication on September 9, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

Roll for Romance was a charming and cozy read. For the most part, I had a fun time. I am very unfamiliar with how Dungeons and Dragons works. This book fully leans into the popular game so much so that there are multiple chapters written regarding the main’s D&D. Unfortunately, that was the weakest part of the book to me. I would have preferred them to be shorter, or if the author had only highlighted the most exciting and essential parts of the game storyline.

The romance was lovely. Noah was such a cinnamon roll and very forward with things. Of course, as the book progresses, we learn why he is the way he is and why he’s so determined to be well-liked. Sadie’s burnout and feelings felt painfully too honest to me. She’s the sole POV character, and I liked being in her POV as she figured out what she wanted to do in life.

Final Thoughts

Lenora Woods did her research, or is an avid Dungeons and Dragons player. I appreciate her commitment and dedication to weaving the game story elements into the book. Unfortunately, those parts were the weakest parts for me. Though, for the most part, I enjoyed myself while reading Roll for Romance. 

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