Jerry Cooke

4.25⭐️ - A fierce rivalry leads to years of secret liaisons in this enemies-to-lovers romance that's as hot as the ice is cold!

Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two of the hottest properties in pro hockey, tied for first place coming up to draft time, but under all that rivalry hides an undeniable mutual attraction. As time passes, that attraction leads to a number hookups kept out of the public eye, but as their careers advance and they end up as captains of rival teams, it becomes more and more pressing for them to keep things under wraps. When the desire to be a proper couple comes head-to-head with the need for secrecy, it becomes a question of what's more important - their hockey careers, or their feelings for each other.

I went into this having watched up to episode five of the TV adaptation, desperate for more, and so I already knew many of the plot points that were going to come up, but it didn't reduce my enjoyment at all. Getting to hear both of Shane and Ilya's internal monologues gave so much more insight into the way in which their relationship plays out and it was really lovely to get that full perspective. The yearning they have for each other is palpable and the greater world of connected teams was really lovely, seeing how the scenes at the end of Game Changer played out from the boys' perspective ^-^

4⭐️ - A lighthearted queer romance, with the heat of intimacy balanced by the coldness of the closet!

Scott Hunter has had a glittering career as a pro NHL player, but he's in a bit of a career slump. A big believer in rituals, so when a pre-game smoothie is followed by a win, he's keen to keen to keep getting them. Of course, the fact that the barista in question is very attractive also helps. Kip hates the early starts of coffee shop work and his inability to find any work that suits his background as a history student. He doesn't mind the hot new customer though, even if he doesn't expect anything to come of their flirting.

As Scott and Kip's flirting tips over to something more emotionally and physically intimate, neither of them can really believe what they've found. The homophobic culture in the NHL makes it feel impossible for Scott to come out though and while Kip initially accepts the need for secrecy, it becomes harder and harder to deal with over time. With all this in the balance, Scott must decide what he's willing to lose, his career, or the love of his life.

This was a sweet and steamy romance inside the restrictive world of pro-sports. Scott and Kip's relationship with each other and the way they manage to work through everything was really lovely to read. I also loved Kip's sweet friends, the affirming way Scott is able to find acceptance, and all the hockey rivalry. Having read this after watching Heated Rivalry, I already knew how it would end, but it was still really enjoyable to read!

3.75 ⭐️- A cute sapphic second-chance at love romance in a British small town!

Holly has built a successful life in London, which has helped her push down her sadness over the loss of her brother. It's also meant that she's avoided her the village she grew up in for the past two years. It's Christmas though and this year she's going to brave the traumatic memories in order to spend time with her parents. It's not going to be an easy homecoming through, because her ex- is obsessively trying to get back in touch, and her first (missed) love still lives nearby.

As Holly attempts to reconcile with Vicky and heal her relationship with her parents, she must also face her suppressed feelings, both of grief and of attraction towards her former best friend. The path of love never did run smooth though and as New Years approaches, there's a lot of complications standing between her and a potential happy ending.

This was a sweet small town romance and I enjoyed Holly and Vicky's dynamic, as awkward and teasing as it was. It didn't keep me quite as hooked as I was hoping it might and some of the beats were a little predictable, but it was still enjoyable and a lovely seasonal story to read.

4.25⭐️ - Another cute and cosy visit to Maple Hollow as we see Iris and Ramona join forces on a paranormal mystery!

Iris is the apothecary witch who lives and works with Jordyn (the partner of Harrow, from the first book) and has been feeling a little left out lately with the pair in the throes of their new relationship. It's hard to be the third wheel to your best friend. So when Ramona, the cold and calculating demon she made a deal with last year for information, appears seeking help with a mystery, Iris is more than happy to play Watson to her Holmes. Especially if she can manage to get another of those kisses she's not been able to stop thinking about since last year.

This was just as fun and sweet as Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist and I loved seeing Iris and Ramona banter with each other. They're a pairing the work really well and as their dual perspectives flow through the book, we get to see all of the familiar faces from our last visit. Agnes, the vampire with a nutmeg allergy. Wyatt, the warewolf pack alpha with a thing for Harrow's sister. Billy, the Frankenstein-esque mayor of the town. The whole gang makes for a great found family and a lovely story to follow.

I'm so glad that Ali and Elle are writing more in this world, because it's the cutest paranormal fun!

3.75⭐️ - Plots and poisoning about in this return to the world of Faebound

With Yearn returning to the lands she was exiled to in the hopes of averting war and Lettle under constant threat of assassination, the fae lands are more at risk than ever. As schemes are uncovered and mysteries solved, everyone's futures are held in the balance.

This was.. okay. I din't find it gripping and I wasn't massively compelled by the characters or plot, but it was interesting enough. I'll still be reading the next book, I think, if only to see what happens, but I can't say I'm particularly motivated.

4⭐️ - A cute and cosy space adventure with an adorable kitty companion, that probably could have not been in space.

Scout and her brother Kieran are archivists scouring a barren universe for a way to save their home planet. As they travel between planets that are mysteriously devoid of life, despite signs of advanced technologies and futuristic alien architectures. When they get a ping from a cache of data that might be just what they're looking for, they scour the abandoned planets with their feline companion Pumpkin, always on the heels of violent agents of a for-profit outfit (which feels very Twister, now I think of it, hehe.)

This was an interesting story - not quite what I expected when I started reading it. The space elements are largely irrelevant to the story and it could almost have been told set on a single planet with a few tweaks, which is always a risk of debut sci-fi. The core of the story is a very 'human' one, with a central romance plot told through journal entries that was surprisingly poignant. It didn't end any way like I thought it would, but it was still very entertaining.

4.75⭐️ - A phenomenal dark and atmospheric fantasy with hidden past, found family, and complex machinations at play!

Lady Imogen Nel has spent her life as a ward of the king of a small land, sequestered in a high mountain keep, and has been expected to make frequent blood offerings to the king's god. She's also a siren. She keeps the to herself though, because the king happens to be a hunter of sirens (and proud of it) and so being small and unthreatening to survive is what she relies on. When a tall handsome king of a land across the water shows up at a ball, she finds it a pretty good excuse to get the hell out of there. As she finds her way to the new kingdom and has to content with new magics, political pressures, and creepy mage seers, she realises that fate may have far more in store for her than she original imagined.

This was an amazing story with fantastic world building. The romance was slow burn and complex, with a lot of warring feelings. There's not just a one-bedroll trope, but also a one-horse trope, and plenty of steamy forbidden love. I absolutely devoured this and I can't wait for the continuation of the story.

Thoroughly recommend!

4.5⭐️ - A beautiful and affirming small town romance filled with emotional healing and tender representation.

Milo has spend over a decade staying as far away as possible from the memory of his parents and has no desire at all to go anywhere near his home town, but with his brother Nik starting up a brewery a couple of towns over and calling in his assistance, he's got no choice to leave his wandering behind. Prue has spend her entire life in this small town, giving up dreams of college and life experience in order to stay and help her father care for her mother whose Alzheimer's is starting to grow more pronounced. With this wandering soul and this homebody carer come into contact, it shakes up both of their worlds in ways that neither of them could have expected.

This was such a sweet and caring story, with so many wonderful relationships. Milo's love for his brother and sister, his gaggle of nieces and nephews, and his sister-in-law are beautiful to explore as the book goes on, as is his history with Prue's mum and his shared cultural history with her dad. It's just as lovely seeing Prue getting to know Milo's family, particularly his brother Nik and his wife Sef. There's so many touching moments of healing and care shared between them all. It was beautiful to see.

As typical of Hannah Bonam-Young's writing, the subjects of illness, trauma, and sexuality are tenderly dealt with and clearly well researched. The depiction of how Alzheimer's can affect a person in particular are written with a lot of care, as the discussion of Prue's virginity, and Nadia's addiction. There's so much empathy and kindness in how Bonam-Young writes about these topics in her book and also so much realism in how pain can exist alongside happiness and love.

4.75⭐️ - A mind-twisting, heavily emotional, and action filled continuation of the Gods and Monsters series!

I'd usually summarise the book in my review, but there's honestly so little I could say about it without spoiling all the other books in the series. It was such an amazing ride though, with the number of POVs now larger than ever. There's so many twisting and intersecting paths that the ongoing conflict feels incredibly vast.

Amber has done such a good job creating and expanding this world and I'm so desperate to know what comes next!

5⭐️ - A beautiful and affirming journey of healing and found family!

Win and Sarah have been friends their entire life, which was inevitable given that they were raised together after both their mothers became pregnant at the same time in their last years of high-school and so moved in together - making them sisters in every way the counts. Sarah has been with Caleb since she was fifteen and with them now married and living a well-to-do life, it's hard for Win not to feel like a third-week and an underachiever by comparison. She's also dealt with varying levels of self-consciousness over the years due to a lifelong limb-difference (a shortening of her hand), something her toxic ex- definitely made worse.

When Win attends Sarah's annual halloween party in her dependable pirate costume (because when you've to a shorter hand, a hook looks incredibly convincing) and finds herself called out for being a duplicate pirate by the tall and handsome Bo, whose prosthetic makes for a wonderful peg leg. Feeling an undeniable connection and attraction - and feeling understood thanks to their shared experiences - it's pretty hard to resist ducking out of the party and hooking up. When, six weeks later, Win's period is nowhere to be seen, it becomes clear that their lives are about to change in a way neither of them could have anticipated.

This was a wonderful book, filled with all of Bonam-Young's trademark tender and authentic exploration of the topics. With her experience of the same limb-difference that she's written Win with, as well as her experience of pregnancy, there's a potent about of truth and honesty in this story and it shines through. That first-hand experience makes the book feel like something special and with the same kind and wholesome relationships as in her other books, this is a truly affirming and sweet story to read. There's also so much relatability, having experienced much of the same narcissistic emotional manipulation from an ex- that can make it really hard to open yourself to love again.

I loved Win and Bo together so much, and loved Sarah and Win's pseudo-sisterhood and ride-or-die connection just as much. They're truly the best characters and I'm so glad I can read more about them in Out-of-the-Woods.

4.75⭐️ - A truly beautiful and affirming exploration of a marriage, healing, and grief.

Sarah and Caleb are childhood sweethearts, having been together since they were both fifteen. When an attempt to be helpful at a charity gala leads to a period of trouble between them, Sarah's sister Win recommends an outdoor retreat called Reingite that she thinks might help them reconnect. As they're thrown into the wild together, they find the opportunity to explore the way things have changed for them, the effect of past trauma, and their hopes for the future.

This was a really wonderful sequel to Out on a Limb, especially to see more of Win and Bo and their growing family. The couple running the retreat, Yvonne and Helen, also have Yvonne's granddaughter with them, Libby, who has recently lost her mother. This allows Sarah to explore her own trauma regarding the loss other mother at nineteen. This was alluded to in the first book, but in this book it's revealed that her mother died regeneratively due to ALS (/motor neurone disease). This was particularly sad to me, as my grandmother died of ALS when I was a child and I know first hand just how cruel of a condition it is. The examination of it was filled with the same tenderness and research that is a hallmark of Hannah's writing.

This was such a sweet and beautiful story and all I could wish for is more stories about Sarah, Win, Caleb, and Bo, because they are such wonderful characters and I loved their stories so much!

4.25⭐️ - A twisting cyberpunk adventure in a sprawling dystopian world!

In a world where rising waters and raging viruses have pushed the population to abandon the real word for the virtual and where the nations of Medaluo and Atahua have been in Cold War for decades over control of the systems, two Medan orphans of the conflict must serve Atahua's NileCorp. Eirale is a recent graduate working for their private forces 'down country' (in the real world) and Lia is finishing her last year at the prestigious Nile Military Academy. As they both get pulled in new directions, they find that there's much more going in their world than they previously suspected - with circumstances pulling them on a converging path.

This was a wonderful step into a world of cyberpunk themed virtual reality - with really well thought out systems that felt true to the genre. The parallels between the struggles in that far(ish) future world and ours are stark right now and it's makes for somewhat chilling reading through that lens. The complex relationships and obvious secrets between the various groups makes for a really twisty fun ride and that trauma keeps on being loaded on them in a really compelling way.

Super fun and I'm really excited to see where Chloe takes this in the sequel (because this is a planned trilogy!) ^-^

3.75⭐️ - Opposites attract in this cute tale of two people banding together to keep their siblings out of the care system.

When Chloe gets a call to say that her estranged birth mother has given birth out of the blue, that's a big enough surprise for one day, but when they ask her if she'll take on the care of her baby sister, her life is thrown for a total loop. As a recent graduate and a blood relative, she ticks all the required boxes except one - money. Thankfully, she's got a three bedroom apartment (her roommates having headed home now they're all done with college) and there just so happens to be a new scheme to pair guardians up to share resources. This brings Warren, a surly mechanic with a deaf brother, Luke, in to her life. Any expectations she has for the situation (and first impressions she made of Warren) quickly crumble when it turns out they get on better than she could have hoped for.

This was a really cute story and while I didn't enjoy it as much as Out on a Limb/Out of the Woods, I shed many a happy tear at the found family that arises around the pair. It highlights, in Hanna's wonderful way of describing trauma, the way in which the care system - and particularly inconsistent birth parents with substance abuse - can cause significant walls to be built up against further harm. With all her accustomed tenderness, she shows us just how healing is possible when you open up to those around you and it's beautiful to see!

4⭐️ - A sweet and steamy story of stolen moments and a small-home school bus!

Lane is about as commitment averse as it's possible to be, her past family traumas and loss making falling for somebody seem like a path to pain. Therefore, despite the obvious attraction, the report they have, and one very good New Years kid, she keeps her friend Matt at arms length. That is, until she buys a school bus on a whim to turn into a travelling tiny home - because Matt is the only person she knows with the commercial licence required to drive the thing. Cue a long road trip to collect the thing and many hours working in close proximity to make it liveable. With all that time in small spaces together, it becomes harder and harder to resist what's right there.

This is the second book in Hannah's 'Next' series, following on as a direct sequel to Next of Kin, and it was so lovely to see Chloe, Warren, Willow, and Em again. The main focus is on Lane and Matt though - the former Chloe's old college roommate and friend, the latter Warren's co-owner and colleague at their auto shop. Lane's commitment-phobia (as well as her at times debilitating agoraphobia) are at odds with Matt's large family and clear desire to make a life with somebody and it was so lovely following their story. It's such a good romance and very relatable, super worth a read, especially if you've read Next of Kin.

One sad thing is that it states, at the end of the book, that the next entry in the series would be out in 2023.. this clearly never happened. It was due to be Warren's brother Luke's story with Matt's sister Tabitha - I'd have adored reading that.

4.75⭐️ - A charming sapphic cosy fantasy that shows that small magics can have the biggest impact!

Certainty Bulrush has not just an unfortunate name, but also weak magic compared to her peers. Her niche magical power, that of the ability to talk to the 'object mind' of magical and non-magical objects alike, is one that has some minor practical applications, but it's very flashy. After six years as a novice and with two failed attempts to pass the mage trails, she's close to giving up. That is, until wild magic starts to spread through the Mage's Guild, caused by the build up of magical artefacts. The High Mage decides that the best place for these to go, to reduce those levels is the small village of Shpelling, where the mage wars left the area void of any magic.

With her ability to identify magic items, and seeing an opportunity to avoid time and money on identify spells, the High Mage things Certainty is the best person to sort and log all the minor magical items. However, she can't go alone, so she's assigned Mage Aurelia - colloquially known as 'the ice queen' but Certainty's peers. Cold and standoffish, Aurelia isn't any more pleased with the pairing than Certainty, but it's made very clear it's mandatory. There's also the rather sizeable carrot of an upgrade to 'mage' status for Certainty if the quest goes well, so it's fair to say she's motivated. What they find in the village is more than they could have imagined and it transpires that they're far more use to each other and to the village than they thought.

This was another beautifully adorable story by Julie Leong. It's in the same world as The Teller of Small Fortunes, but stands on its own just fine without having read the first book. The romance is adorably awkward and unsure, the towns folk, are distinct and interesting, and the magic items are super fun. There's everything from a mirror that sends you to the beach, a magical pasta maker, a box that produces cats, and a kettle that will make you a perfect cup of tea, but only if it can talk your ear off for the time it takes to boil. All in all, it was such a well made magical world and I loved it!

4.5⭐️ - An absolutely enchanting story with wonderful found family vibes, perfect for cosy season!

Kiela loves books and so is perfectly placed as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, where she tends the shelves and assists sorcerers alongside her assistant and constant companion, Caz - a sentient and ambulatory spider plant. Sadly, with the recent deposition of the Emporer by a rebellion, the library is currently being set on fire at this very moment. Thankfully, forward planning and a desire to save as many of the precious spell books as possible has lead Kiela and Caz to set up a boat ready for just such a need to escape and so they do just that. Together they flee to the one place Kiela can think of running to - the island she grew up on and where there's her parent's old abandoned house free for her to move into.

What Kiela finds on the island is a once thriving town now facing the deprivation from magic, with the emperor's years of hoarding spells and pulling back his once roving and supportive sorcerers who would maintain crops and support the islands. She quickly reasons that she may as well use some of the magic she's got access to in order to support the island, particularly the new friends she's making, but is justifiably afraid of being caught out having stolen the books. A cover is what she needs and so she sets about establishing herself as a jam seller.. with 'remedies' on the side 👀

This was utterly adorable and all I could ask for in a cosy fantasy, with wonderful magic, varied and diverse creature, and great representation. I'm eagerly diving right into the next book in the series, because I can't get enough!

4.75⭐️ - As sweet as a slice of honey cake and as magical as the greenhouses themselves!

When Terlu is sentences to be turned into a statue for casting a spell that creates a sentient plant, it's fair to say that she feels it a rather large over-reaction. Unfortunately, the judge doesn't agree and thus she ends up spending six years on a pedestal serving as a cautionary tale to any other librarians in the Great Library of Alyssium who might get ideas about about casting their own spells.

Having drifted in and out of awareness for all that time, Terlu is somewhat surprised to find herself flesh and blood again.. also very cold. Very cold. Fortunately, she finds herself in front of a perfectly temperate greenhouse.. a VERY large and distinctly magical greenhouse. It quickly becomes clear that not only is this complex of hundreds of connected greenhouses tended by only a single surly gardener, but that the magic maintaining it is slowly failing. Left with the mysterious encoded notes of the deceased master sorcerer that built the greenhouses and motivated to stop them crumbling away entirely, she must face her fear of being punished again and in doing so, finds the place in the world she's been seeking for most of her life.

This was such a sweet and cosy story, full of found family vibes, delightful talking plants, and the most magical of buildings. A continuation of The Spellshop, it's got subtle cute references that made me tear up - I really hope that the next book in the series continues to connect these two islands together, because there's so much in this world to love!

2.75⭐️ - A disappointing sequel that hooks you back in at the very end

I wanted to love this book so much - I had really enjoyed Quicksilver and found the ending of that was such a big cliffhanger. Well it seems like Hart's skill is in crafting a hook like that, then writing an unsatisfying sequel that hooks you back in at the end with ANOTHER cliffhanger. As such, I probably will (as loath as I am to say it) read the sequel if and when it comes out, but I can't say I'm massively enthralled with the idea of it.