Beth Bordenkircher

I surprised myself by how much I enjoyed this one! Especially since I've seen some mixed reviews. Neither main character was always likable, but this added to their charm for me. And I also don't usually enjoy age-gap romance (his 42 to her 34), but in this case Devin was emotionally immature enough that it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I loved how vulnerable they were with one another, and I thought they were very sweet together. A charming take on a shifter romance, this book had a fun premise and enjoyable execution. 4.5 stars.

Falling for the Fake Lumberjack is a quick and flirty open-door HFN romance that's enjoyably ridiculous in parts. It's perfect if you're looking for a light and humorous read that definitely doesn't take itself seriously. A bit light on plot and the author lets their physical chemistry do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of relationship development. There's not much that's new here, although I thought the premise had potential. Leans heavily on the intentional misdirection/misunderstanding trope. Harris is kind of a man-child and didn't seem like a great match for the more grounded Lucy, although they certainly had physical attraction as well as a certain amount of sweetness together. There were dual 1st-person POVs, which is my preference. I thought the interactions between the main characters and supporting characters was fun. While this wasn't quite the book for me, it was still a fun read. Looks like the start of a series, I would likely read the next one since I found Lucy's friend Annabelle to be a bit more relatable. 3.5 stars. Publishes January 27, 2026. This review was based on a complimentary DRC of the book, all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars! I'm always a fan of anything Cassandra Gannon puts out, which is why I picked up this book in the first place. Elizabeth Gannon also offers a similarly themed story in the book, but I didn't enjoy that one quite as much. Still worth a read!

This review is based on Cassandra's story. Suspend disbelief, this romantasy is much better than you'd think! It's cleverly written with a lot of typical romance tropes (single dad falls for nanny, workplace romance, love/lust at first sight) along with satisfying espionage and toppling-the-monarchy sub-plots. Add in spice, snarky humor, a precocious 9-year-old human/dinosaur prince, a meddling aunt, the Queen of the Amazons hiding in plain sight, and a race to save the world, and you've got quite the wild ride!

This was a quick read that was a bit predictable in its premise and execution, but had a satisfying buildup and conclusion. Plus, there were kittens and quirky farm animals! There was a nice amount of warmth and humor throughout, and the main and supporting characters were well developed. My biggest issue with the book was the overabundance of clichés (to the point where it was a bit like a novelization of a Hallmark movie), as well as the fact that this is an age-gap romance (which was not in the description). Both of those points are a matter of personal preference, and YMMV as the story was otherwise solidly written. This is an open-door romance and things do get spicy once they get going. There are dual 1st-person POVs, which I prefer. This is a new-to-me author and the book has the feel of the start of a series, and I would likely read this author again if I were in the right mood. Even though there wasn't much about the plot and the characters that was new, there is a certain comfort in the predictability of reading a best friend's older brother/opposites-attract romance. I don't think I was 100% the right audience for this book, but fans of the author should enjoy it as should those looking for a quick and fun weekend read. Publishes January 20, 2026. This review is based on a DRC of the book, all opinions are my own.

Cute, but I think I'd have preferred this as a longer story. Loved the epistolary parts!