Romance level: Kisses Only 
Language: None
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Lily’s verdict: A New Favorite 

I absolutely DEVOURED this book!! I finished it in less than a day because I genuinely could not put it down.

Some of these scenes had me laughing SO hard

BEETS?!?!? If you know, you know.

The banter and chemistry between the MCs was absolutely top tier I ate up every interaction between these twoand the fake dating combined with the it’s always been you?!? PERFECTION

This was everything I want in a fall romance. small town vibes, hilarious moments, swoony chemistry, and a romance I couldn’t get enough of

I think this has officially earned a spot on my favorites list

Fall Vibes
Workplace Romance
Fake Dating
Flirty Banter
Small Town
It’s Always Been You

BLURB: The relationship is fake. The feelings are not.

Ari Langford thought rock bottom looked like a breakup, an empty bank account, and moving back in with her parents. Then her younger sister got engaged.

Now Ari’s back home in Vermont, watching the entire town lose their minds over the “wedding of the century” while her mother keeps trying to set her up with every single man within a fifty-mile radius. That’s rock bottom.

The only bright spot? Wade Stevenson.

Unfortunately, Wade is also the problem.

The charming high school principal has a reputation for flirting first and thinking later, and half the town is still waiting for him to screw up so bad he loses his job. So when a student’s inappropriate crush threatens to turn into dangerous rumors, Wade needs a respectable girlfriend fast. Ari needs her mother off her back. Fake dating seems like the perfect solution.

Until the lines between fake and real start to blur.

Because suddenly they’re sharing cider donuts at the fall festival, sitting by each other at the football games, and spending more time together than either of them planned. The closer they get, the harder it becomes to remember where the act ends.

And Ari’s not sure which is scarier: Wade breaking her heart or realizing he actually could.

The post Fall Fake-Out by Kortney Keisel (Book 6) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

The mystery itself was entertaining, and I enjoyed following along as everything unfolded. It had all the charm of a classic whodunit with a cozy atmosphere that made it an easy read.

For me personally, I found myself wishing for a little more depth in the relationship between the main characters. While I enjoyed the mystery, I never fully connected with the romance the way I had hoped, which made it a little harder for me to become completely invested in their story.

But Toby? He was easily my favorite character! I have a soft spot for dogs in books, and he added so much heart and charm to the story.

Overall, if you enjoy cozy mysteries with small-town charm, nostalgic detective vibes, and a touch of romance, this one is worth checking out.

Tropes
Single POV
Cozy Mystery
Slow Burn
Nancy Drew/Scooby Doo Vibes
Workplace Romance
Forced Proximity

: Kisses Only
: None

BLURB: Rookie journalist Daphne and war photographer Clark investigate a missing maid and rumors of Bigfoot sightings—uncovering danger, buried lies, and unexpected romance deep in the Pacific Northwest wilderness.

Rookie investigative journalist Daphne Drew is finally on assignment—though it’s not exactly the hard-hitting story she imagined. Sent to cover a high-society wedding at an opulent Pacific Northwest lodge, Daphne expects floral arrangements and champagne flutes, not whispered rumors of a missing maid . . . or reports of Bigfoot sightings. 

She’s not alone. Tagging along is Clark Finklestine-Henry, a decorated war photographer with a haunted past—and a camera sharp enough to catch more than just candid reception shots. Together with their loyal dogs, Daphne and Clark begin to suspect something much darker is lurking in the forested shadows of the hotel grounds. 

As wedding guests arrive and tension simmers beneath the surface, Daphne and Clark uncover a tangled web of lies, legends, and lost fortune—one that ties the vanished maid, some returning friends, and the infamous DB Cooper together in a mystery that’s anything but folklore.

Click the photo above to read this story!

The post You Had Me At Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen (Book 1) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

The enemies to lovers dynamic was so well done because they spent so much time walking that fine line between frustration and affection. One minute I was swooning at their interactions, and the next I was completely rooting for them to make up

And can we talk about Mags? She completely stole my heart.

The only part that wasn’t quite my favorite was the miscommunication trope. While I understood why the characters reacted the way they did, I found myself wishing for more communication along the way

That being said, Tenny absolutely won me over. He was so thoughtful, caring, and easy to root for, and I loved watching the relationship develop as the story unfolded.

Most of all, I appreciated the way these characters did eventually work through their challenges and found their way back to each other. And that epilogue? Absolutely perfect.

Workplace Romance 
Golden Retriever MMC 
Sports Romance 
Reporter FMC
He Falls First 
Millionaire MMC
Meet Kiss
Splash of Fake Dating 
Enemies to Lovers

: Descriptive Kisses 
: None 

BLURB: Their banter is relentless. Their chemistry? Even better off-screen. 

Behind our dazzling interview smiles, Tenny Jackson and I bicker nonstop—especially when our long-ago meet-cute kiss revealed he’s as much of a player off the field as he is at first base.

Tenny insists I’ve got him all wrong, but I won’t let sculpted forearms and a swoon-worthy smile distract me from the facts…or my professional goals. Even if he weren’t my enemy, dating a player would sink my credibility faster than the wave that wiped out my surfing career. 

Then my eccentric grandmother shows up, and Tenny and I have to fake it off-camera too. Private dinners, family movie nights, and his hands-on fixer energy push me toward the unthinkable—calling a truce.

Between squashing Tenny’s pre-game superstitions and him encouraging me to get back on a surfboard, it’s getting hard to deny we’re rounding first on something real. But when a disastrous game-day fiasco turns us into a headline, it’s not only my job on the line—it’s my heart.

Click the photo above to read this amazing story!

The post Love Between Innings by Laura Langa (Book 1) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

: Kisses Only, Innuendo 
: 4 uses of d*mn, 5 uses of h*ll, 5 uses of God, 3 uses of b*tch, 1 uses of a**h*le, 

BLURB: After a string of brutal murders in Las Vegas, Cassie Hobbes and the Naturals are called in to investigate. But even with the team’s unique profiling talents, these murders seem baffling: unlike many serial killers, this one uses different methods every time. All of the victims were killed in public, yet the killer does not show up on any security feed. And each victim has a string of numbers tattooed on their wrist. Hidden in the numbers is a code—and the closer the Naturals come to unraveling the mystery, the more perilous the case becomes.

Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing with an equally dangerous and much more painful mystery. For the first time in years, there’s been a break in her mother’s case. As personal issues and tensions between the team mount, Cassie and the Naturals will be faced with impossible odds—and impossible choices.

Click the photo above to read!

The post All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Book 3) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

: Kisses Only, Innuendo 
: 3 uses of d*mn, 4 uses of h*ll, 5 uses of G*d, 2 uses of p*ss

BLURB: Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father-a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

Click the photo above to read!

The post Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Book 2) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

He Falls First
Rivals to Lovers
Neighbors
Workplace Romance
So Much Tension
Forced Proximity

: Kisses Only
: None

OVERVIEW: When your nemesis is your next-door neighbor, falling for him is not part of the plan … but fate may have other ideas.

Olivia Pennington has spent her whole life competing with Logan Alexander—and losing. From spelling bees to science fairs, he’s always been one step ahead, snagging the trophies, titles, accolades, and now … he’s after the promotion she desperately wanted. As if that’s not bad enough, Logan also moved into the apartment she had her heart set on.

Logan’s been secretly falling in love with Olivia since the third grade. His strategy? Stay close, win her over. But, the more he foisted himself on her, the bigger mess he made. Now Logan’s back in town, and he’s determined to settle the score. He’s over his crush, so he thinks. And he just wants to bury the hatchet, preferably not by Olivia chucking it at him.

When a string of mysterious fortune cookies starts appearing, hinting at a match between Logan and Olivia, Logan’s all in. Olivia? Not so much.

But in this building, fate isn’t merely a suggestion—it’s practically written on the walls. If you thought Mr. Darcy had a hard time convincing Elizabeth of his good intentions, just wait until you watch Logan attempt to win Olivia’s heart—one stubborn, banter-filled battle at a time.

Enemies-to-lovers meets a sprinkle of magic in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt romcom with a Pride and Prejudice vibe.

Click the photo above to read!

The post Misfortune and Mr. Right by Savannah Scott (Book 4) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

Side Note: I’m not really a fan of the multiple references to extremely explicit movies/books. It’s just my personal option but it kinda annoys me when that in “clean/no spice” books

Billionaire MMC
Summer Romcom
He Falls First
Workplace Romance
He Yearns For Her
Anxiety Rep

: Descriptive Kisses, Innuendo, contains multiple references to explicit films/media
: None

Content warning: death of parents(past tense), anxiety Rep, cancer(side character)

OVERVIEW: He has it all, except the one thing money can’t buy: her heart.

When Cat Keene finds a medical bill with the horrendous words final notice stamped across the front, she learns two things: first, her uncle/the man who raised her is keeping things from her for the first time in her life. Second, they need money—and fast—or they’ll lose the only thing she has left of her parents: the bed & breakfast she runs with him.

Noah Belacourt is a billionaire with a newly acquired anxiety diagnosis and a one-way ticket to Sunset Harbor for the summer, courtesy of his company’s board of directors. Being on the island he grew up on for a forced sabbatical has a major perk when he runs into the girl he’s harbored a crush on since they were teens. She’s still the same old Cat, except now she’s in some major financial trouble. Noah wants to help her, but Cat is stubborn. She holds onto past biases about his family and takes some convincing.

When Cat agrees to work as Noah’s personal assistant for the summer, she doesn’t realize she’s signing up for a lot more than debt relief. Some of her preconceived notions about the Belacourt family begin to feel wrong. Noah proves that not all first impressions are reliable, forcing Cat to face the past—and to hope that things will end up just peachy keen after all.

Because the alternative is losing everything that matters to her, and she is not about to let that happen.

Beachy Keen is a sweet romantic comedy with a billionaire, a longtime secret crush, and boss & employee dynamic. It’s part of the Falling for Summer series, seven interconnected stand-alones by seven amazing authors:

Summer Ever After by Kortney Keisel
Beachy Keen by Kasey Stockton
Plotting Summer by Jess Heileman
Summer Tease by Martha Keyes
Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
One Happy Summer by Becky Monson
Rebel Summer by Cindy Steel

Come visit Sunset Harbor Island today!

Click the photo above to read!

The post Beachy Keen by Kasey Stockton (Book 2) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

Click the photo above to read!

MY REVIEW: This was such a cute hockey romance. There are themes of grief over the death of a loved one(past tense) and dealing with emotional baggage but I feel like the author handled it very well! Cameron fell fast and hard for Nila, it was so cute and I loved the little side story of Brittney and Garrett, they were adorable

Sports Romance
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
Only One Bed
Workplace Romance
Slow Burn

: Mild Innuendo, Descriptive Kisses
: 1 use of pssed, 1 use of hll

BLURB: She’s a fiery social media specialist. I’m a hockey star with a hothead reputation. But her determination to salvage my career is melting my defenses…
Being a professional hockey player means I’m no stranger to fights.
But when a run-in with a fan threatens my spot on the Atlanta Glaciers, everything is on the line
Enter Nila, the social media guru my managers hired to combat this PR crisis.
The fiery bombshell has a clever little plan to “salvage my reputation.”
And now I’m forced to play nice on the platforms I’ve always avoided.
Her sunny disposition clashes with my gruff exterior.
Yet her fierce resolve intrigues me more than I care to admit.
Given my reputation, she keeps me at arm’s length.
But I’m determined to tear down her carefully guarded walls.
With the playoffs looming, winning her heart might be my toughest battle yet.

Penalty of Love is a closed-door hockey romcom. It’s the first book in Kristine W. Joy’s Glaciers Hockey Series.

The post Penalty of Love by Kristine W. Joy (Book 1) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

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MY REVIEW: The kids were so cute, I loved them so much! This is a sweet, easy read that is perfect if you love to read about a single father falling for the nanny! 

Some thoughts:
She falls for him immediately but then works for him around 4 years before the sparks actually start flying. I get it, I guess
He says I love you to her over the phone and she then hangs up on him??? And then ghosts him. What??
The whole dynamic was a little weird and a bit off to me and I struggled getting into the story!

Single Parent 
She’s His Kid’s Nanny 
Boss/Employee 
Slow Burn 
Opposites Attract 
Hand-Written Letters

: Kisses Only 
: None

BLURB: Sometimes what’s right in front of you is still off-limits.

Single dad Liam Campbell needed a nanny who would make his life less complicated, and Rosalie Barnes more than delivered.

Fast forward four years and they make a great team. He stays out of her personal life, and she stays out of his. At least, that’s their unspoken agreement. But his serious and slightly grumpy demeanor isn’t keeping her fun-loving sunshiny personality away anymore. In fact, she insists they’re friends.

Leaving letters for each other is the worst idea ever. Too bad he’s the one who started it.

Rosalie Barnes loves her job. She plays in the sprinklers and goes for bike rides with two of the best kids in the world. But they’re getting older, and she can’t be their nanny forever. As it is, her crush on their dad has derailed her dating life long enough, and the blind dates her sister sets her up on are getting her nowhere.

But moving on is a little more complicated when Liam Campbell is your boss. And now your confidant. And paying attention to you in ways you never expected.


In Case You Missed It is the first book in a new series of light-hearted and sweet romcoms about sending out messages and getting true love in return

The post In Case You Missed It by Rachel John (Book 1) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.

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MY REVIEW: It was a cute read fake dating/workplace romance. Both MCs had a lot of emotional trauma from their parents that they worked through together well! And I loved the epilogue that sets up the story for the next book in this series! The FMC was definitely “lusty” towards the MMC and is constantly ogling his physical appearance which did get a bit tiring at times.
The coffee thing Owen did was the cutest thing ever though, I loved that

One dislike/thought while reading:
Okay everytime she describes him(a lot) it’s always “his bedroom eyes”, “his bedroom gaze”, “his bedroom lips”, and it’s kinda annoying how much it’s used over and over!

Workplace Romance
Grumpy/Sunshine
Forbidden Romance
Boss/Employee
Opposites Attract
Temporary Neighbors
Fake Dating

: Kisses Only, mild innuendo
: None

Content Warning: Alcoholic father shown very drunk in multiple scenes, the MC gets drugged

OVERVIEW: Keeping an eye out for corporate espionage is hard enough when you’re not falling for the boss…

The gig of fake secretary is simple: find the mole trying to sabotage my grumpy boss’s tech company while simultaneously keeping his mother off his back. In the meantime, I get to collect a tidy sum which I desperately need.

Piece of cake.

Or, it would be, if he wasn’t so attractive and he didn’t also happen to be my best friend’s brother…

But I can be professional. I’m terrible at long-term relationships anyway and besides that, I signed a contract.

Unfortunately, nowhere in that contract did it say I’d be going on an overnight trip with him.

It also didn’t say we’d be pretending we were in a real relationship.

And for sure there was no warning or clause or stipulation for how to conduct myself when I accidentally see my fake boyfriend/boss in just his briefs passed out on my bed.

Worst of all?

No one said falling for him would hurt so much.

The Relationship Clause is a best friend’s brother, fake dating, romcom with forced proximity set in the South. Expect closed-door sizzling chemistry and plenty of laughs.

The post The Relationship Clause by Emily Evermore (Book 1) appeared first on Lilys Reading Corner.