Aug 20, 2025 | 2025, August 2025, Blog, Sawyer Bennett
“Finding out he was cheating almost felt like relief. Like I finally had an excuse strong enough to leave without the guilt.”
A wave of shame burns through me, but Reid squeezes my hand, warm and steady. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. You were surviving.”
“You’re free now, Lara.”
I nod, breathing through the tightness in my chest.
A small smile plays on his lips. “Remember when survival was just trying not to get dunked off a surfboard?”
I snort. “Or trying not to get caught when we snuck in after curfew.”
“Pretty sure our parents knew,” he says, mock serious.
“Yeah, we weren’t that sneaky,” I reply, grinning.
We lapse into easy laughter, the tension finally breaking, and for a moment, it’s like we’re fifteen again, sprawled on the beach after hours in the waves, the world no bigger than the stretch of coastline between our houses.
The moment fades into a warm, quiet hush. I glance over and find him watching me—his expression relaxed but his eyes carrying something deeper.
Not just fondness. Memory.
Maybe even regret.
My heart stutters, just once, because I know this feeling. The way the air stills between two people who know there’s more under the surface. We’ve been circling it all day. All night. And now, it’s right there. Unspoken and waiting.
“Earlier… you said Lance accused you of being pissed that he got me and you didn’t.”
Reid’s expression tightens, just for a moment.
“Was he right?” I ask softly. “Were you pissed?”
He gives a small huff of amusement and looks away for a beat, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean… maybe after that first kiss when we were fifteen, yeah—I was a little pissed.”
I blink. “Pissed… that Lance interrupted?”
“Pissed that I listened to him,” Reid says, voice lower now. “That I let him make me think wanting you was wrong. Like we were just supposed to be some kind of trio forever and I wasn’t allowed to see you differently.” He glances over at me, his gaze steady. “That kiss wasn’t nothing to me, Lara. It never was.”
Review Coming Soon…
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If you use our links, thank you in advance for your continued support of my 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐬 & 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.
Aug 17, 2025 | August 2025, Blog, Sunday Sips & Reads
𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗶𝗽𝘀 & 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀
My mug is filled with coffee, sweet cream, and little cinnamon.
My e-reader is filled with delicious arcs of romance reads that are coming soon to an e-retailer near you.
☕ 📚☕ 📚☕ 📚☕ 📚☕ 📚☕
𝑀𝓎 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒮𝒾𝓅𝓈 & 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈…
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 by Piper Rayne
– Small Town Romance
– Married in Vegas
– He Fell First
– Ex-Fiance’s Brother
#𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 by Samantha Chase
– second chance
– vacation romance
– small town vibes
– close proximity
– childhood sweethearts
𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 by Avery Flynn
– Eldest Daughter Vibes
– Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
– He’s not the hero type
𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗸𝘆 by Gwyn McNamee
🪓 Mountain Man/Lumberjack
🏡 Second Chance
🔥 Protective Hero
☠️ Touch Her and Die Vibes
🖤 Amnesia
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 by Sawyer Bennett
Drama with her Ex
His Brother’s Girl
Lifelong Friends
Formula Racing Driver
Forbidden Romance
𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 by Andie J. Christopher
Female F1 Driver
Ex’s Dad
Age-Gap
Forbidden Romance
💬 What are your Sunday Sips & Reads?
Aug 13, 2025 | 2025, August 2025, Blog, Brenda Rothert
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 by Brenda Rothert
From the moment we meet Briar Hollis I was right there with her on that boat sailing to an unknown destination and all in! Determined to survive Briar must figure out which group of savages is least likely to kill her as she swims to shore.
An island filled with secrets, strangers that are ready to fight to the death, deception, angst, and so much more in a place where who you trust could be the difference between life and death. It’s a tsunami as each wave impacts the characters in a game of chess where even those who are two moves ahead of an opponent still risk defeat and possible death.
It’s time to put your survival skills to the test and hope your choices keep you alive. I was on the edge of my seat with all the twist and turns.
If you read your books and can visualize it as a movie playing in your head like me…this is chef’s kiss. I would love to see this adapted to screen. Please note that book will answer some plot arcs while leaving others to be discovered in the next book!
This Spicy read is a captivating dystopian romantasy that has The Handmaid’s Tale, Lost, and The Hunger Games vibes…all in ONE place!
Thank you Brenda Rothert for sending me an advance reader copy for an honest and fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: please scroll down to see triggers. This format makes sharing important information for readers while avoiding any potential plot spoilers.
𝗤: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸?
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Associates Program. Should you decide to click on the provided link(s) and purchase the featured book(s) and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small commission.
If you use our links, thank you in advance for your continued support of my 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐬 & 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.
Aug 4, 2025 | 2025, August 2025, Blog, Samantha Chase
𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮’𝘀 𝗔 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 by Samantha Chase is a sinfully sweet that’s more sin.
Same fun beach read. Sexy new ebook cover!
A funeral, beach trip, secrets, surprises, friendships, and a little bit of drama. If you are looking for an opposites attract, forced proximity, vacation romance between a cinnamon roll hero & author heroine go grab this book!
𝗤: 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀?
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Associates Program. Should you decide to click on the provided link(s) and purchase the featured book(s) and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small commission.
If you use our links, thank you in advance for your continued support of my 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐬 & 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.
Jul 19, 2025 | 2025, August 2025, Blog, Lizzie C Koz
Books I Love A Latte participates in the Amazon Associates Program. Should you decide to click on the provided link(s) and purchase the featured book(s) and/or anything else during that shopping session, Books I Love A Latte will receive a small commission.
If you use our links, thank you in advance for your continued support of my 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐬 & 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬.
