Ms. Fortune

Ms. Fortune
by Jay Crownover
 
Book: Stand Alone
Publisher: Author
Pub Date: March 17, 2025
Genre: Adult, Romance
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon
 
Sometimes the universe has jokes.
Like a woman named Lucky Fortune who has lived her whole life plagued by one mishap and misfortune after another. The catastrophes that regularly derail her life would crush a normal person, but Lucky is stubbornly resilient.

The single constant in her life is the rustic and rundown ski lodge her grandparents built in a small, picturesque Colorado town. And now it belongs to her.

Lucky refuses to let her unending run of bad luck ruin the opportunity to build on her grandparents’ dream and carve out one of her own.
But forces greater than chance are out to sabotage her new life. They’re after the lodge, the land, and they want Lucky out of the way by any means necessary. Danger lurks closer than Lucky knows.

Fortunately, she’s found herself lucky in love for the first time ever, thanks to the secretive drifter she picked up and brought home on a whim. By day, he plays the role of the worst handyman in existence. But when the stakes are raised, and Lucky’s life is on the line, he’ll move mountains to keep her and her legacy out of the wrong hands.

 
My Review: Alright, I have loved every book Jay has written but this one has to be my new favorite. I also enjoy how her books always have characters drop in from other books, it's always so fun.

Lucky just happens to be the opposite of her name. Always having some sort of issue happening. If you thought that was stressful, try having mishaps that can go worse than it has and the gossip is always about her. It's hard for Lucky, even more so when she's trying to save the lodge left by her grandparents.

Her handyman Declan may just be the key to changing things for Lucky. Who knows, maybe he'll be able to make her heart beat with happiness once again. 

When I say I devoured this book, like I sat down and somehow the day the day was over and nothing was accomplished. The only thing was me sitting there hoping to have had more to read, it was just that darn good. Then again, when haven't I loved something by Jay. 

Do not sit on this book, move it right to the top of that TBR. 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Favorite ARC's of 2024 (So Far)

The Duchess

The thrilling second book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton . They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London’s wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton . “I liked my husband well enough … but I like him even better dead.” It’s been a year since her wretched cad of a husband died and Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is finally her own woman. Flitting from party to party, freedom is sweet and life should be perfect. Until the new duke surfaces.  Nothing like the haughty noblemen who populate the  ton , Rhain, the newly minted Duke of Dedham, is a big brawny Welshman with an accent that makes Valencia’s knees go weak as he boldly moves into  her  home with his six wild unwed sisters. The rude and humorless usurper thinks her vain and spoiled. But with a pittance to her name, Valencia needs his support to remain in London and enjoy all the pleasures her new position as a merry widow has to offer.  So a bargain is struck. Valencia will usher his sisters into Good Society and see them happily betrothed. In return, he’ll give her the financial security and independence she craves. But the more time they spend beneath the same roof, the more she realizes it's not safety she wants but the dangerously seductive Rhain. Valencia has vowed never to risk marriage again. And yet how can she resist the tempting man when he might be the greatest adventure of her life?  

My Review

Wayward Son

She’s the only girl he’s ever loved.

Zowen Archer has been in love with Aston Wheeler for as long as he can remember.
She’s perfect, except for the glaring fact that she fell in love with his best friend instead of him. For years, he loved her from afar with zero expectation. He told himself that as long as Aston was happy, his feelings for her didn’t matter.

However, Aston isn’t nearly as happy as she seems. And by the time Zowen figures things out, his life takes a drastic turn for the worse.

Now that Aston is single and laser-focused on making up for the lost time between the two of them, Zowen is doing everything in his power to avoid her. He’s convinced that if she never wanted him when he was at his very best, there is no chance in hell she could care about him now that he’s at his absolute worst.

He’s the only boy she’s willing to wait for.

Time has never been on Aston Wheeler’s side.

She spent too long pretending to be someone she was not. She lost herself in a first love that everyone, except her, thought was perfect. She wasted a lot of time trying to convince herself that she should be happy when she was anything but. She watched for years as the one person who made her feel like her true self drifted further and further away.

Finally, when she’s ready to reach out and grab the one-of-a-kind love that Zowen Archer has always silently promised her, it’s too late. Zowen is taken away, and when he reappears in her life, he makes it clear there’s no going back to whatever they might have been.

Good thing for Zowen that Aston is patient and doesn’t mind waiting for him to have a change of heart. It’s the least she can do after all the time he spent waiting for her.

My Review

Draw Down the Moon
by P.C. & Kristin Cast

New York Times bestsellers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast return with a new duology set in a dark and magickal world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance.

Wren Nightingale isn't supposed to have any powers. Born of magickal parents but not under a moon sign, she was destined for life as a Mundane—right up until she starts glowing on her eighteenth birthday. In a heartbeat, Wren's life is turned upside down, and she's suddenly leaving her home for the mystical Academia de la Luna—a secret magickal school on a hidden island off the Seattle coast.

Lee Young has always known about his future at the Academia. He has one goal: pass the trials, impress the Moon Council, and uphold his family's reputation. But he wasn't expecting to be attending alongside the girl he's been secretly in love with for as long as he can remember.

As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie's gruelling trials, they quickly learn there's something different--and dangerous--about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies--and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect--his family's legacy, or the girl he loves.

My Review

Weekly Spotlight - Favorite Authors Pt. 4

 

Jay Crownover

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point Series, Breaking Point Series, the Getaway Series, the Loveless, Texas Series. and the Forever Marked Series. Her books can be found translated into many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy-haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

Visit Jay's Website

 

Jennifer Armentrout

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband, her Border Jack Apollo,  Border Collie Artemis, six judgmental alpacas, two rude goats, and five fluffy sheep. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications.  Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion, Harlequin Teen and Blue Box Press. Her Wicked Series has been into a feature film by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. Her novel STORM AND FURY was chosen for the 2020-2021 Florida Teens Read List. Her adult fantasy FROM BLOOD AND ASH was the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award in Romance. She has also written Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

Visit Jennifer's Website

 

Wayward Son

Wayward Son
by Jay Crownover

Book: The Forever Marked #4
Publisher: Author
Pub Date: January 18, 2024
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

She’s the only girl he’s ever loved.

Zowen Archer has been in love with Aston Wheeler for as long as he can remember.
She’s perfect, except for the glaring fact that she fell in love with his best friend instead of him. For years, he loved her from afar with zero expectation. He told himself that as long as Aston was happy, his feelings for her didn’t matter.

However, Aston isn’t nearly as happy as she seems. And by the time Zowen figures things out, his life takes a drastic turn for the worse.

Now that Aston is single and laser-focused on making up for the lost time between the two of them, Zowen is doing everything in his power to avoid her. He’s convinced that if she never wanted him when he was at his very best, there is no chance in hell she could care about him now that he’s at his absolute worst.

He’s the only boy she’s willing to wait for.

Time has never been on Aston Wheeler’s side.

She spent too long pretending to be someone she was not. She lost herself in a first love that everyone, except her, thought was perfect. She wasted a lot of time trying to convince herself that she should be happy when she was anything but. She watched for years as the one person who made her feel like her true self drifted further and further away.

Finally, when she’s ready to reach out and grab the one-of-a-kind love that Zowen Archer has always silently promised her, it’s too late. Zowen is taken away, and when he reappears in her life, he makes it clear there’s no going back to whatever they might have been.

Good thing for Zowen that Aston is patient and doesn’t mind waiting for him to have a change of heart. It’s the least she can do after all the time he spent waiting for her.

 
My Review: This is a world that I couldn't untangle myself from the second I read Rule. From that world to this spinoff of their kids, its been nothing but amazing and I am sad this is the last book in this spinoff.  

Zowen is a free man now. He could finally go home and see his parents again and check on his dad since his big health scare. Only problem is that this legal battle isn't over yet.  Then the next problem (okay so maybe two problems) is Aston. The woman he didn't let visit him.... 

Aston has the guest house in back all setup for Zowen to stay in. She wants to help him while also wanting to reconnect. Selfish? Maybe, she did play with his feelings for a long time before realizing. But regardless you can see how much she really does want to just help Zowen.  

Everything between them changes soon. From a drunken night to Zowen going to meet his niece and Aston coming back from her own family stuff. Things start to mellow out and a connection builds, plus they are basically dog parents now.  

Aston wakes in her room and walks out to see Zowen making breakfast, everything needed for the puppy is now there and he'll take care of things while she takes time to deal with everything going on.

From then on this book truly develops into what I've come to expect from Jay. Zowen and Aston are wonderful characters. They truly deserved to finally have that happy ending after everything they've been through. 

 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Jay Crownover Stand Alones

 “We held each other like we were afraid the other would disappear at any given moment.”

― Jay Crownover, The Best Bad Things: A Point Companion Novel

A Righteous Man

Salinger Dolan.

You know his name.

You've seen his face.

You've spent money on the endless amount of useless crap he endorses.
Of course, you've heard the stories.

You know the ones…The one that claimed he was hard to work with and totally unprofessional on set.

The one where he got caught doing drugs on the set of the most popular, family-friendly show in America.The one where he ruined the reputation—and career—of America's sweetheart.

There’s more truth to those stories than his fans want to believe because Salinger is the kind of thoughtless, careless, dangerous Hollywood bad boy the paparazzi and fame-hungry starlets can't get enough of.
Eventually, the shine of his flashy lifestyle started to fade, and Salinger realized the only thing he's famous for nowadays is his bad behavior and well-documented struggle with addiction.

The former golden boy is beyond tarnished, and the only person who can help him get his glow back is the one woman who wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

Maren Copeland.
You might recall her name.
It's possible you vaguely remember her face.
You're probably wondering where she went. After all, you've heard the stories…The one where she exposed Salinger Dolan’s drug use all those years ago.

The one that said she tried to ruin his career because she was envious of his popularity.

The one about how she went from being everyone's favorite to a pariah overnight.

Maren Copeland is now known as the comeback queen. After years of hard work and purposely avoiding entanglements with problematic heartthrobs like her first co-star, she's on track to revitalize her career and rearrange her priorities after a very messy and very public divorce.
For the first time in both her professional and personal life, she’s the one calling all the shots.

Unfortunately, the path to get her where she wants to be leads directly to none other than Salinger Dolan.

He’s the one and the only person she swore she would never work with again.

Once upon a time, he cost her everything. He’s back to make amends and promised to give her anything she wants if she’ll just give him a chance to prove he’s grown up.
She doesn't trust him.
She knows she’d be a fool to believe he’s changed.
After all, what are the odds that a spoiled, entitled brat like Salinger Dolan could become a righteous man?

My Review

The Best Bad Things

Vesper Bell is a good girl. At least, that’s what everyone keeps telling her.

She was the perfect daughter. A straight-A student. The very best friend. And an adoring potential girlfriend.

However, when her life took an unexpected detour into darkness, suffering, and betrayal, Vesper realized being good hadn’t gotten her anywhere. An enthralled audience watched her dramatic fall from grace and clearly wanted her to crash and burn. Those she once trusted the most made it no secret that they wanted her to lose everything…and she did.

But all those years of being such a goodie-two-shoes built Vesper some powerful cosmic karma. On her birthday, she begged for a second chance, an opportunity to right all the wrongs and undo all the bad things she was forced to endure. She made a wish, not knowing that sometimes they come true.

Now, right before her fall, she’s back at the beginning, and she has no plans to be a good girl anymore.
Lucky for her, she has the perfect person to teach her how to embrace her rebellious and daring side: a boy with candy-colored hair and eyes as dark as the night sky. They were born on the same day, but that is about all the two of them have in common.

Everything about him screams that he is a very bad boy, but Vesper sees the good in him.
He doesn’t seem to care if she’s perfect or pitiful. He keeps stepping in to save her and always makes her feel safe even when everything else feels uncertain. He feels real and honest when the rest of her life seems to be built on lies on top of more lies.

One thing Vesper knows to be absolutely true: the surprisingly sweet delinquent is the very best bad thing to ever happen to her. 

My Review

Nash

Nash
by Jay Crownover

Book: Marked Men #4
Publisher: William Marrow
Pub Date: April 29, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Format: eBook
Source: Borrowed
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down . . . and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?

  

My Review: Nash is withdrawn from the world. Everything he ever knew was a lie. His dad didn't leave, his uncle who loves him, took him and raised him like a dad was actually just that.  

Nash needs to pull himself together. He needs to leave his place, get back to it at the shop and go see Phil in the hospital. Its bad, and now is the time to go be with him and get the real story and continue forward. 

Saint is the sweetest nurse you will ever find. She loves her work, caring for people and that includes helping Nash get off his butt and go see Phil. Saint still has this version of Nash from high school in her mind. What he said about her back then had done a number on her. Yet, she cant resist him still. He even got even hotter than he was in high school so clearly that isn't gonna help. 

It took a little bit, but Nash came around. The visit from Saint helped snap out of it. He goes back to the shop and tries to ease his way back into his normal life/routine. 

Things between Nash and Saint is okay at first. Saint has her moments and still doesn't full trust Nash yet because of what he said back then. But she does see that he is different but still the past is blocking what could be. Nash has never spent this much time with a woman before and he wants her as the plus one to the wedding and meet his friends. 

With some bumps in the road between them. Nash still has to handle Phil's decline and opening the new shop and everything that comes with a business. While that's going on, Saint is trying to just handle her own family stuff and the job of being a nurse. 

In the end it finally happened for them. Took a while to get there with a lot in between but the ending we all know and love from Jay finally arrives and its everything.  

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Charged

Charged
by Jay Crownover
 
Book: Saint of Denver #2
Publisher: William Marrow
Pub Date: May 24, 2016
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary 
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation...or her ruin.

Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.

When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.

Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.

As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged. 

 

My Review: Avett has gotten herself into a real pickle now. Sure she's got a past full of problems. But none of them had landed her in jail, let alone facing real charges a prison time. This is the big wakeup call she needed and if she didn't see to it, well her lawyer and parent will at least try.  

Quaid is a lawyer. The best there is and has an amazing case record. He took Avetts case as like any other case. Though it wasn't. He brought her case home, he never lets work leave the office. His mind cant stop thinking about her.  

When Quaid gets Avett out on bail and then the charges dropped, it should have ended there.  

When Avett calls him to check out a sketchy van  things turn. Not only does this mean the case is dangerous and she just may be in danger, but having his hands all over her wasn't the plan either.  

As things escalate, so does the heat and feelings between them. Together they work, they work so well that it scares them. Well Avett tried to keep it off but when Quaid jumped in at the end, it pretty much sealed the deal for them.  

The ending was amazing and warm hearted and everything you wished for. Its the life they both deserved. 

Note: There are mentions of characters from Marked Men series. But you don't have to read them to read this book. There isn't so much detail that it throws you off. 

 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Rome

Rome
by Jay Crownover

Book: Marked Men #3
Publisher: William Marrow
Pub Date: January 7, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Military Fiction
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon 

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray. Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

 

My Review: Rome is grumpy, or better yet, Captain No Fun. He just returned home from service and is having a hard time adjusting. When Cora dumps a beer over his head, well that just added to how his day is going. So off to a random bar he goes. Where his day just continues go down hill after some biker punks get out of hand. 

What I love, is that it's finally Cora's turn and I've been waiting to see how this fiesty lady is gonna find her Mr. Perfect. She is colorful, strong, takes care of her friends and keeps them boys in check at the shop. You just instantly love Cora from before, but now you'll love her even more. 

Rome and Cora weren't supposed to be anything. He's just Rule's brother and Captain No Fun. One night Cora grabs Rome and brings his drunk behind back to her place. Suddenly Rome is all over Cora and the night takes a turn that neither of them expected and lead to becoming a friends with benefits situation. 

That first night lead to a new chapter for them. Cora is expecting now. So they agree to try this out for real. Be a real couple without the sex and turns out, they are just what they need. 

They go through so much and those moments will keep you on the edge of your seat waiting and hoping. They love eachother and together will creste the most loving family.

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Jet

Jet
by Jay Crownover

Book: Marked Men #2
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date: May 28, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Format: eBook
Source: Borrowed
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon 

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl's rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn't want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet's dark, haunted eyes. She's afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can't resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he's tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

My Review: Jet has the looks, body and is in a band. Basically the whole package for any fan/groupie. Sure, Jet has used it to his advantage and taking girls home for the night. The best is waiting to see what they'll be rated and the expression on their face once they see the Jet's roommate as they leave. 

The killer tension between Jet and Ayd is a whole other deal and seems to be heighten ever since Jet turned Ayd down a year ago. They just need to finally give into each other.

Ayd is a dream and works hard in school and to have a great future. What doesn't fit in, is the too perfect boyfriend Adam. She care for him, but he's just someone she can't see a future with. He's sweater vest wearing, blond and blue eye perfect. But he doesn't try it fit in with her friends and let's face it, he just isn't no Jet. 

What does it take for these two to finally get together? Jet singing a love song on stage.... but with Ayd running out of the club, and everyone telling Jet what a fool he is and to just go fix things. Once he does, it finally happens and the connection is spicy! Piercings make for great fun. 

Despite some ups and downs from personal issues on both sides. It ends with them not only together but being the first couple in the group to really seal the deal. 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪