Review: Level Up for Love by Lenora Woods

Level Up for Love was a strong follow-up to Roll for Romance. In fact, I think this is the stronger of the two books. One criticism I had of Roll for Romance was that it leaned far too heavily on Dungeons and Dragons. I felt that the D&D chapters were the weakest parts. I didn’t find the game storyline to hold my interest nearly as much. That was not the case with Level Up for Love. I could see myself picking up a fantasy centered on Sindra and the gang. Additionally, the creation of Sindra revealed so much about Reagan. Sindra was created with the purpose of being the perfect adventuring companion for her younger sister’s character.

Reagan was such a great character. Reagan was a great main character. An accident involving her younger sister, Mona, and their father had a huge impact on her. She blames herself for Mona's injury, and even though Mona has recovered and is healthy, Reagan cannot move on. She is terrified of becoming like her father and leaving the people she loves behind. The accident haunts her and weighs heavily on every decision she makes. Reagan has a satisfying character arc as she learns that it is okay to put herself first and that loving someone does not always mean staying.

She has not played D&D since the “Cataclysm” and only agreed to join a new campaign because she wanted to be there to make sure Mona is safe. Unbeknownst to her, Wesley is the Dungeon Master.

Years earlier, Wesley and Reagan had a moment, but when she woke up, he was gone. For years, she carried bitterness and a sense of betrayal because of it. When she joined his D&D campaign, they were forced to work together and be nice. It’s hard at first. Reagan has never been able to hide who she is around Wesley. He constantly pushes her to be better and knows exactly how to get under her skin.

Wesley and Reagan had such an interesting understanding of one another and knew how the other person’s mind worked. They complemented each other nicely. My favorite scenes were the ones where they worked on their games together. They gave each other pointers and encouragement. Those moments highlighted their relationship the best and made their connection feel believable and genuine. Wesley was lovely, and I appreciated the backstory that was provided for him. Though overall, Reagan was the standout of the book.

I’d also like to shout out Reagan’s relationship with Mona. Their bond felt deeply authentic, and it was clear how much Reagan cared and worried about her younger sister. Even if Reagan’s protectiveness could be overbearing at times, it came from a place of love, guilt, and fear. It was never about control. Mona brought out a softer side of Reagan and was one of her biggest cheerleaders.

Final Thoughts

Level Up for Love was a great read. It improved on everything I struggled with in Roll for Romance and left me even more invested in this world. Reagan was easily the standout of the book, and her growth, along with her relationships with Wesley and Mona, gave the story so much emotional weight. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this arc! Level Up For Love will be released on September 8, 2026.

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Review: I’m Gonna Get You Back by Elena Armas

I'm Gonna Get You Back was a fast-paced read, but the pacing worked well for this story. The foundation for Turner and Frankie’s relationship was laid nicely, and it was clear they shared a deep bond that went beyond her being his best friend’s little sister. He was her best friend too, and they had such an understanding of each other. Frankie’s feelings for Turner had shaped so much of her life. When she found out that he was engaged, she left and cut herself off from almost everyone.

Once they revealed their feelings, they had many sweet moments together, and Turner’s protectiveness and encouragement toward Frankie made it easy to root for them. The only part that didn’t fully work for me was Turner dating and then getting engaged to Frankie’s best friend. He admitted that he only did that because he couldn’t have Frankie. That was a little questionable. Even so, I still liked both characters overall and thought their chemistry was strong.

I also had no issues with the stalker plotline. It fit the story for me, and I found the stalker's motivation interesting and believable. I appreciated that the epilogue showed they were still healing from that trauma rather than pretending everything was suddenly perfect.

Final Thoughts

I’m Gonna Get You Back was a well-paced, satisfying novella. Turner and Frankie had a strong foundation, years of history, and enough chemistry to make it easy to root for them. The most concerning thing was Turner’s justification for getting engaged to another woman, given how deeply in love he was with Frankie.

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Review: Pity Please by Whitney Dineen

If you’re in the mood for a romcom and love second chance romances, dive into this slow burn with laugh out loud moments in the 7th book of the amazing Pity series by Whitney Dineen, Pity Please. 

Allie Rogers’s life just doesn’t fall apart, it implodes. After thinking she was going to get her happily ever after and move out of Elk Lake, life took a hard detour. If it wasn’t enough finding out her fiance cheated on her, add being pregnant with quadruplets. Not with Allie but clearly the consolation prize of karma arrived for him. Instead of heading down the path to the broken hearted, Allie picks herself up and heads home to rebuild her life. Even though this isn’t what she had in the cards for herself, her journey is one half of what makes this book worth the read. 

Then there’s the other half, Noah Riley. After building a successful career outside of Elk Lake coaching a winning basketball team, one day everything changed and it was ripped right from underneath him. Trying to run away from his problems by laying low back in Elk Lake, he was determined to make this a temporary stop until things worked out. He had everything figured out until he encountered a certain derailment to his plans or shall I say person, Allie Rogers.Never expecting to run into his sister’s childhood best friend, who knew the unexpected would hold the key to what he never thought he was looking for.

What I love about this second chance trope for their story is how Allie was the typical best friend who had the crush on her older brother, who definitely never noticed her. Well, not in that way. Now as adults, their paths crossed, having the chance for her to finally be seen by him. Not that it had any influence on their blossoming relationship but it’s nice to see them given that second chance where their paths could cross again. It came down to the right person but the wrong time. Their chemistry is organic with the perfect amount of tension, longing and the subtle emotional pull that will keep you wanting to read more. 

The small town setting sits well with these characters of the series. Each one so far, it just was part of the backdrop but for these two, I loved how they both defined the meaning of the cliche, home is where the heart is. As they both navigated through their setbacks, coming back home forced them to deal with who they thought they were going to be compared to where their lives were developing into. 

This wasn’t just your typical second chance love trope, it was about when life doesn’t follow what you planned out and redefining what true happiness really is. It’s about starting over and reinventing yourself. If you love that best friend brother trope, genuine blooming love and the unexpected second amazing chance at love, then you will love their story. You won’t just be rooting for the both of them but the journey that led them to find their true happily ever after. 

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Review: The Sweetest Silence by Skynova

About the Book

Beneath the polished exterior I present to the world, I wear a mask, a facade that shields my vulnerabilities and silent struggles. As a lawyer, I project confidence and authority, but behind that mask lies a story filled with insecurities and fear. Then a monster enters my life, this wild, dark and unpredictable force. He marks me as his prey the second we meet.

His name is Saint but he’s buried in sin. He’s everything I’ve been taught to be against. The opposition of the rightful side of the law.

He’s like a storm that disrupts my orderly world. It’s both exhilarating and terrifying, like standing at the edge of a cliff, ready to leap into the unknown. He wants to own me and peel off my mask. He’s not afraid of silence. I’m scared that I’ll like his darkness and fall for him. The only thing is my wings are broken now, so if I fall for him I might not recover.

Review

I struggled with The Sweetest Silence for a multitude of reasons. The pacing was extremely, unnecessarily fast. There were several time jumps, and the story felt like it was missing details. The story felt confusing and incomplete.

As for the romance, I never felt the chemistry between the characters. At times, it felt as if Amora was being pushed into a relationship with Saint because of how hard he pressed her. Also, I struggled to connect with the characters. All of them were deeply unlikeable, and some of the things they said felt offensive. For example, a few things that Saint said were degrading to women, and it was uncomfortable and upsetting to read. The author clearly tried to give the characters emotional depth and weight, but for me, those moments did not land as intended.

Final Thoughts

The Sweetest Silence was not an enjoyable read for me. The pacing felt rushed, which made it confusing and never really came together. Additionally, the romance was forced rather than believable. Not even the characters could save it.

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Review: Sleepless in Altan by Jamiya Taylor

About the Book

As Zora arrives in Altan for a work trip, the only thing on her mind was exactly what she was there for–work. After all of her meetings are canceled due to a family scandal, Zora is left alone in an unknown city with a return flight scheduled for four days later. At the advice of her brother, Zora decides to use her time for fun, turning work into a vacation.

Miles has been in Altan his whole life, born and raised. As a renowned photographer, it’s rare that he met out of towners that caught and kept his interest. A workaholic in his own right, his friends have urged him to live more than he’s been living because he's only getting older.

While out for coffee, Miles runs into Zora–literally–and offers to pay her back for messing up the start of her day. A chance encounter and a spilled hot beverage will carry these two strangers on a journey that exceeds forever in only four days.

Review

Sleepless in Altan was a solid read. The chemistry and connection between Zora and Miles were strong. And while Miles had a poetic way of speaking, sometimes it didn’t fully land and felt out of place. The romance was sweet, and they had many enjoyable moments. However, it leaned very insta-love to me. I also would have liked more backstory for both characters to better understand them and their connection.

Final Thoughts

While the romance in Sleepless in Altan moved a little too quickly and the characters could have had more backstory, it is still a decent novella with a sweet story and lovely writing.

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Review: Should Have Told You Sooner by Jane Ward

Should Have Told You Sooner, is the kind of novel that’s quietly devastating and beautiful, pulling apart something deep inside you. This novel explores love, loss and the weight of time.

At the heart of this narrative is a woman at the crossroad of who she’s tried to become and who she once was. When the opportunity of lifetime takes her back to the place of the most life altering time of her life, London, she finds herself revisiting a chapter that she never closed. She finds herself confronting a truth that she buried, pulling you into the past and present of those choices that shaped her life.

The love story between Noel and Bryn, is unraveled in the most heart breaking way. What was her greatest love and deepest heartbreak, they had a young, romanticized relationship that all fell apart by their circumstances and a decision that changed the trajectory of their lives.

The dual timelines complemented the contrast of her younger self and her older self as she explores the internal conflict confronting her past. As she navigates her surroundings, it's as if she is being pulled back into her past as she tries to rewrite her future. As each chapter unravels an emotional simmer, and when the truth reveals itself in particular with her experience with Bryn, it plummets you into debilitating what if and how some things can’t be undone but understood and accepted. 

This novel is about missed moments exploring the things we say, keep from each other and the ramification of the time passed to say them.Those integral moments where had we shared the truth, it could’ve changed everything but that internal conflict dictated by internal fear or uncertainty won. What makes these characters so compelling is how they are grounded in their emotional truth. They’re imperfect. We just don’t read their story, we experience and see them. As the narrative has a strained pain, there’s an underlying compassion and grace of forgiveness that brings their journey full circle. 

This is one that you will find yourself completely immersed in. I feel the slow burning emotional arc made it a fulfilling read. My one and only issue is the end. I don’t know how I feel about it. For the emotional investment especially towards it, with that anticipated resolution leading up from the last couple of chapters, I felt the abruptness of the final reveal left me feeling a certain kind of way. Perhaps, it was meant to happen that way. Overall, this was a wonderful read, and I look forward to other books from this author.

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