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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair | ARC Review

17th September 2020
The X Ingredient by Roslyn Sinclair
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, October 1st 2019
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 285 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Content warnings: non-consensual kissings between the main characters, one instance of bi-erasure from a minor character, underlying misogyny from antagonists. Note that ableist language is also present in the book (crazy, insane, mad, blind).

Sinclair definitely surprised me with The X Ingredient. I don’t normally do well with ice-queen, age-gap, office romance, but I wanted to try anyway. And I am so glad I did.
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

The Unexpected Dream by Nicole Pyland | ARC Review

5th September 2020
The Unexpected Dream (Sports #3) by Nicole Pyland
- Publisher: Pyland Publishing LLC, September 3rd 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook (eARC)
- Page Count: 236 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Content warnings: divorce, biphobia

The Unexpected Dream is a softball romance, which should totally be a trope.

Mia Landis (30, bisexual) accidentally got pregnant and misses her chance of playing at Tokyo Olympics. Used to be a prodigy pitcher on the national team, her life now revolves around handling her divorce, caring for her two-year-old daughter Hazel, and coaching softball at her old high school. When a player mentions tryouts for a professional league, Mia decides to give it a try. Skylar Donahue (25, lesbian) also wanted to play at Tokyo but had injured her wrist weeks before the games. She ends up being the pitching coach when all she wants is to be a player. With her lingering injury, she cannot pitch but just might make the team in the new league as a catcher.
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Book Reviews, Fiction

A Shot at Gold by Nicole Pyland

30th August 2020
A Shot at Gold (Sports #2) by Nicole Pyland
- Publisher: Pyland Publishing LLC, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook
- Page Count: 225 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Content warnings: loss of father figure, loss of loved one, alcoholism, anxiety

“You’re not a terrible coach. You were just not meant to be mine because you were meant to be so much more.”
Madison

A Shot at Gold was a very emotional read for me but I don’t know why. I have never lost anyone close, and yet I still felt every bit of the main characters’ lingering pain and understood all their insecurities stemming from their losses.
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Book Reviews, Fiction

Always More by Nicole Pyland

29th August 2020
Always More (Sports #1) by Nicole Pyland
- Publisher: Pyland Publishing LLC, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook
- Page Count: 225 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Pyland did it again! I was kind of in a reading rut a few days ago, so I started this one to cheer myself up. And it totally worked!
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ARCs, Book Reviews, Fiction

Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin | ARC Review

9th August 2020
Sylver and Gold by Michelle Larkin
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, August 11th 2020
- Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 242 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
CW: off-screen child abuse, sexual assault, and physical torture.

I finished this book in two sittings and would have in one if not for a scheduled dinner. Since I tend to get sucked into a book and forget about reality, I am happy to say that me being hyper-alert of my surroundings in-between sittings is an indication that the suspense had really got to me. Sylver and Gold is that enthralling.
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