By the Bootstraps (Starlight Ridge #1) by Alexa Martin - ARC Read - 4 Stars
This book hooked me from the first line, and I couldn’t put it down. Luna is quirky and endearing, and Tate is just what you want a small-town cowboy to be, even if he doesn’t want to be a cowboy. My only negative is I wish the story about Luna and her uncle was fleshed out a bit more; it seemed a bit disjointed and rushed at the end. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I’m hoping it’s Tate’s brother!

Unexpected Rush (Play by Play #11) by Jaci Burton - 3 Stars
Last month I read book 12, not realizing I had requested the books from the library out of order. Solid sports romance with the best friend’s sister trope, which is one I love.

The Final Score (Play by Play #13) by Jaci Burton - 3 Stars
Again, another solid sports romance, which this whole series has. Normally I’m not a fan when the kids of previous main characters get books, but Nathan was already older when the series started, so we didn’t have to have a big time jump; it just fit with the series, and he pairs up nicely with Mia, merging the two big families of this series.

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn - 3 Stars
Read this as part of our JASNA NJ’s reading group; it’s considered Persuasion fan fiction. It’s got loose connections to Persuasion and has some Pride and Prejudice aspects too. It would have been better if it were just advertised as a second-chance romance. I enjoyed it for what it was.

The Coffin Maker by AnnaMaria Curtis, narrated by Wil Wheaton - 3 Stars
Interesting story about kind of a legacy ship and one crew member’s predicament of outfitting 3 crew members with only enough to completely protect one of them.

Father Material (London Calling #3) by Alexis Hall - ARC Read - 4 Stars
Third book in this series, and we’ve seen Luc and Oliver go from fake dating to facing a wedding, and now they contemplate fatherhood. The character growth over the course of the series has been wonderful, and this novel was no different. Both men have to face their parenting styles and reflect on how they were raised and the relationship they both had with their own fathers. This is all done with a sense of humor that is endearing.

The Skin of a Teenage Boy is Not Alive by Senaa Ahmad, narrated by Wil Wheaton - 3 Stars
High school is hard enough for teens, but these teens have to deal with demon possession and cults. It was an interesting take on those teen years and what it’s like; I probably shouldn’t have listened while hiking alone in the woods.

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner - 4.5 Stars
This was fantastic and had many feet-kicking moments. Grace is a bit jaded with where her soccer career has taken her, and at only 26 she’s tired. Phoebe is 22 and fresh and ready to tackle her first professional season and a chance at the US national team. Phoebe has had a crush on Grace, only knowing her as an athlete, and only grows as she gets to know Grace as a person. Grace’s rough edges are no match for Phoebe’s sunshine personality. The miscommunication between the two is so believable that you just want to yell into the book to clear it up for them.