Book Review Romance

Beach Vibes by Susan Mallery #bookreview

My Thoughts

Recently, I read Susan Mallery’s *Beach Vibes*, what a fun book! It’s a story of a sunny Malibu and Beth who also runs a cute beach shop Surf Sandwiches. It is so sweet to see how proud she is of her brother, Rick, on his way to being a surgeon.

But when Beth finds out Rick is seeing her new best friend, Jana, things get messy. After witnessing Rick in a surprising situation, Beth has to make a tough decision: Should she protect her brother or be herself, and perhaps even that would lead her to ruin her friendship and a chance to be with Jana’s brother?

Mallery’s writing is super engaging and the characters could be anyone you know. Although I could see some of the plot twists coming, a combination of humor, drama, and romance kept me interested. A great read if you’re looking for something lighthearted and touching over summer, *Beach Vibes* is a definite recommend!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

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🔥 PREORDER F*CK ME DADDY🔥

Releases: February 13, 2026

🔗 Pre-Order ➤ https://shorturl.at/Sf99J

🔗 Ghost Dick - Available Now ➤ https://bit.ly/4cfQiW0

Ghost Dick & F*ck Me Daddy - by @authorkinsleykincaid

This is when the legacy, legends and responsibilities have defined your entire life.
I was born to fulfill my family’s birthright, to become the town’s resident mortician. To take care of the spirits before the grave keeper brings them back to us.

But sometimes a girl wonders, who are you outside of your life’s purpose?

And days before my full moon ceremony, I wondered and wandered into a ghost dick of my own.

My name is Harper Hayes and this is my story. My journey.

And possibly my own episode of Dateline Welcome to Port Canyon.

#kinsleykincaid fu*kmedaddy #darkgothicromance

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Open post by jodyreadssmut with ID 18074734100106832
🔥 PREORDER F*CK ME DADDY🔥 Releases: February 13, 2026 🔗 Pre-Order ➤ https://shorturl.at/Sf99J 🔗 Ghost Dick - Available Now ➤ https://bit.ly/4cfQiW0 Ghost Dick & F*ck Me Daddy - by @authorkinsleykincaid This is when the legacy, legends and responsibilities have defined your entire life. I was born to fulfill my family’s birthright, to become the town’s resident mortician. To take care of the spirits before the grave keeper brings them back to us. But sometimes a girl wonders, who are you outside of your life’s purpose? And days before my full moon ceremony, I wondered and wandered into a ghost dick of my own. My name is Harper Hayes and this is my story. My journey. And possibly my own episode of Dateline Welcome to Port Canyon. #kinsleykincaid fu*kmedaddy #darkgothicromance

🏒 Cry Bully: A MM Hockey Bully Romance By @ashlynnauthor
🧨Pre-Order Now: https://a.co/d/3rFkohc
🏒 Release Date: 2026 TBD

BLURB:

They were never meant to be more than a secret.
One reckless summer.
A mistake that burned too hot to survive daylight.
When Bastian walked away without a word, Lyzander told himself it didn’t matter. He learned how to bury want beneath bruises, discipline, and the weight of leadership—until anger sharpened into something meaner. Something easier to control. Now Lyzander is captain—untouchable, respected, feared.
And Bastian is back.
Same university, same elite hockey team, same cramped dorm.
Every shift on the ice is a power play.
Every practice is punishment disguised as leadership.
Every cutting remark, every extra drill, every public correction reminds Bastian who holds the power.
To the team, it’s authority.
To Bastian, it’s personal.
Lyzander calls it discipline—control, armor. Because if he breaks Bastian down first, maybe he won’t break himself. But resentment curdles into hunger. Every brush of skin is a threat. Every look dares the other to remember what they were—and what they still want.
Because in a world built on violence, loyalty, and silence, wanting the wrong person isn’t just dangerous—it’s unforgivable.
And this time, it could cost them everything.
CryBully is a MM Hockey Bully Romance.  This book is intended for readers 18+. Please see the author`s website for full content warning.

 

#CryBully #AshlynnAuthor #MMhockeybullyromance

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🏒 Cry Bully: A MM Hockey Bully Romance By @ashlynnauthor 🧨Pre-Order Now: https://a.co/d/3rFkohc 🏒 Release Date: 2026 TBD BLURB: They were never meant to be more than a secret. One reckless summer. A mistake that burned too hot to survive daylight. When Bastian walked away without a word, Lyzander told himself it didn’t matter. He learned how to bury want beneath bruises, discipline, and the weight of leadership—until anger sharpened into something meaner. Something easier to control. Now Lyzander is captain—untouchable, respected, feared. And Bastian is back. Same university, same elite hockey team, same cramped dorm. Every shift on the ice is a power play. Every practice is punishment disguised as leadership. Every cutting remark, every extra drill, every public correction reminds Bastian who holds the power. To the team, it’s authority. To Bastian, it’s personal. Lyzander calls it discipline—control, armor. Because if he breaks Bastian down first, maybe he won’t break himself. But resentment curdles into hunger. Every brush of skin is a threat. Every look dares the other to remember what they were—and what they still want. Because in a world built on violence, loyalty, and silence, wanting the wrong person isn’t just dangerous—it’s unforgivable. And this time, it could cost them everything. CryBully is a MM Hockey Bully Romance.  This book is intended for readers 18+. Please see the author's website for full content warning.   #CryBully #AshlynnAuthor #MMhockeybullyromance

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 by @authorleighrivers @author_harleighbeck

Available now  ➤ https://shorturl.at/rVLDt

ONE MOMENT. TWO MASKS.
THREE CHASES INTO THE NIGHT.

They’re supposed to be enemies.

It takes one night with a masked man to change that all. They crave the next touch of the person they hate the most. Desperate for that next taste of the person they can’t stand. Waiting for that anonymous text message to accelerate their heartbeats. The thrill of the chase with the forbidden fruit is enough to blur the lines and the world around them.

The first problem? They both have girlfriends.
The worst problem? They’re stepbrothers.

Tropes:
-Step brothers
-Cheating (not between MMC’s)
-Enemies to lovers
-Forced proximity
-Primal
-Masks
-Dub/non-con
-Secret identity

#chokehold #leighrivers#harleighbeck #mmromance

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Open post by jodyreadssmut with ID 18068831816548040
𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 by @authorleighrivers @author_harleighbeck Available now  ➤ https://shorturl.at/rVLDt ONE MOMENT. TWO MASKS. THREE CHASES INTO THE NIGHT. They’re supposed to be enemies. It takes one night with a masked man to change that all. They crave the next touch of the person they hate the most. Desperate for that next taste of the person they can’t stand. Waiting for that anonymous text message to accelerate their heartbeats. The thrill of the chase with the forbidden fruit is enough to blur the lines and the world around them. The first problem? They both have girlfriends. The worst problem? They’re stepbrothers. Tropes: -Step brothers -Cheating (not between MMC’s) -Enemies to lovers -Forced proximity -Primal -Masks -Dub/non-con -Secret identity #chokehold #leighrivers#harleighbeck #mmromance

📢 🚨 Mark you calendars, The Mind He Left Behind by @iam_a_em will  be FREE on the 12th! 

🔗 Get it on KU now ➤ https://bit.ly/3O3feWU

❝ ❞ "But even God has weaknesses. She was mine."

🗨️ 𝘽𝙇𝙐𝙍𝘽

When a new string of murders perfectly mirrors the signature of a serial killer who died in the `80s, investigators are stunned to find a thirty-five-year-old man who looks exactly like the long-dead butcher. He refuses to speak, offers no explanation, and the detectives call in Dr. Emily Beckett to break through his silence.

Emily craves answers. But as she digs into his fractured psyche, the line between doctor and patient blurs. What she believes is progress is just his influence sinking deeper into her own wounds. Her trauma tells her a monster like him might still be capable of loving someone like her.

She thinks she`s close to the truth behind the killings, but she couldn`t be further from it.

Zayne Mercer was never acting alone.

He is one of two twins made in the lab of the Halden Institute. And when he finally escapes and reunites with his brother, Emily learns the hardest truth:

Some monsters are born.

Some are made.

And some… are loved.

🏷️ #themanheleftbehind #iamaem

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Open post by jodyreadssmut with ID 18086753933469546
📢 🚨 Mark you calendars, The Mind He Left Behind by @iam_a_em will  be FREE on the 12th!  🔗 Get it on KU now ➤ https://bit.ly/3O3feWU ❝ ❞ "But even God has weaknesses. She was mine." 🗨️ 𝘽𝙇𝙐𝙍𝘽 When a new string of murders perfectly mirrors the signature of a serial killer who died in the '80s, investigators are stunned to find a thirty-five-year-old man who looks exactly like the long-dead butcher. He refuses to speak, offers no explanation, and the detectives call in Dr. Emily Beckett to break through his silence. Emily craves answers. But as she digs into his fractured psyche, the line between doctor and patient blurs. What she believes is progress is just his influence sinking deeper into her own wounds. Her trauma tells her a monster like him might still be capable of loving someone like her. She thinks she's close to the truth behind the killings, but she couldn't be further from it. Zayne Mercer was never acting alone. He is one of two twins made in the lab of the Halden Institute. And when he finally escapes and reunites with his brother, Emily learns the hardest truth: Some monsters are born. Some are made. And some… are loved. 🏷️ #themanheleftbehind #iamaem

Coming to KU February 14th - Puck Around And Find Out by @author.samantha.barrett

Hockey Romance Devlin Mafia Duet

🔗 Pre-Order on Amazon ➤ https://shorturl.at/7SFbm  

💀Mafia
💀Alphahole MMC
💀Brother`s rival
💀Happy for now

One night.
Three lives lost.
Memories, poof, gone.

Everyone blames me—his friends, my best friend—all gone. I can’t remember what happened, but Xaden Devlin does.
He’s the devil wrapped in a beautiful package.
I`m a moth to his flame.
And he’s made it his mission to destroy me.
He’s the heir to the most feared family in town—cold, cruel, and carved from vengeance.
He calls me Tink, a cruel reminder that
“Fairies die when no one believes in them anymore.”
The more he taunts me, the more I see the truth in his eyes…
The truth about that night.
The truth about my family.
And most of all the truth about us.
Maybe the devil isn’t the monster after all.
Maybe I am.

#PuckAroundAndFindOut #SamanthaBarrett #HockeyRomance #DevlinMafiaDuet

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Open post by jodyreadssmut with ID 17996016062817843
Coming to KU February 14th - Puck Around And Find Out by @author.samantha.barrett Hockey Romance Devlin Mafia Duet 🔗 Pre-Order on Amazon ➤ https://shorturl.at/7SFbm   💀Mafia 💀Alphahole MMC 💀Brother's rival 💀Happy for now One night. Three lives lost. Memories, poof, gone. Everyone blames me—his friends, my best friend—all gone. I can’t remember what happened, but Xaden Devlin does. He’s the devil wrapped in a beautiful package. I'm a moth to his flame. And he’s made it his mission to destroy me. He’s the heir to the most feared family in town—cold, cruel, and carved from vengeance. He calls me Tink, a cruel reminder that “Fairies die when no one believes in them anymore.” The more he taunts me, the more I see the truth in his eyes… The truth about that night. The truth about my family. And most of all the truth about us. Maybe the devil isn’t the monster after all. Maybe I am. #PuckAroundAndFindOut #SamanthaBarrett #HockeyRomance #DevlinMafiaDuet