Clock Play (Rock City Renegades #5) by C.L. Rose

 

All I ever wanted was to play football. I made it my life, sacrificing romantic relationships, figuring I'd have all the time in the world after I hung up my cleats for good. But here I am: in my late thirties, single, and ready to accept that I may never have a family of my own. But everything changes the moment I lay eyes on Paris Bellamy - the beautiful, strong, captivating single mother of three who's more than ten years my junior. I'm supposed to be coaching her sons and working alongside her at the Renegades facility, but when my cravings to care for her become too incessant to ignore, I find myself on her doorstep, desperate to be let in. She wants to find herself after years of being torn down by her toxic ex. I'm determined to show her just how priceless she is, but can I be the man she needs? Or will I be left to go on without the woman and children who've quickly become the best part of my days? Clock Play by C.L. Rose was published on August 27th, 2026. This is the fifth book in the Rock City Renegades series. 

I received this book for my honest review from C.L. Rose and The Smuthood. I absolutely loved this story and could not put it down. The plot of this story flowed so well together that I didn't feel like I was rushed or that there was unnecessary info that made it drag on. Each page is just built upon each other. The characters....they were I think one of the best of the series. I thought that I loved Austin from the other books in the series. The way that he helped the other guys get their girls. Also the way of his friendship he had with the girls. But, I for sure added Austin to my book boyfriend's collection from this novel. The way that he was so patient with Paris and the way that he let her be independent but yet didn't mind stepping in to help her. Also the way that he didn't mind being there for the kids. It was the chief's kiss! I loved Paris, and how she was trying to find herself in this book. How she was wanting to be the best mom she could for her three children and just pushing herself. It really shows how a good single parent is with her kids. Both characters I felt that I could picture in real life. They both had strengths and weaknesses. Also loved how their love was not instant in the book. It was built by Austin doing the little things. I could totally picture the two of them falling in love through the book. I highly recommend reading not only this book but also the series. I can't wait to read other series that are by C.L. Rose as she knows how to write love stories. 

Rock City Renegades Series 

1. Mr. Irrelevant 

2. Bad Call 

3. The Interception

4. Red Zone 

5. Clock Play 

Tropes 

single parent 

sports - football 

forced proximity 

friends to lovers

Brother's Best Friend

He Falls First 

Lucky Mother Pucker (Hollis U #4) by Sarah Smith

I didn't mean to get the pretty barista at the coffee shop fired. But after a fight with my hypercritical, hockey-obsessed dad, I was in the worst mood and took it out on her. Now she's out of a job because of me. And when I finally learn her name, I learn some other things about her too. Lucy Bailey is down to her last dollar and living in her car. I'm desperate to make things right, so I move her into my house for free until she gets back on her feet. It's not long before we go from roommates to friends....then something more...After a night of nonstop flirting, she asks to share my bed...which leads to the hottest hookup. We agree to keep things fun and filthy, nothing serious...but I'm falling for her. But she's guarded and doesn't trust anyone. When it comes to hockey, I know all the rules. But when it comes to love, I'm clueless. I need to show Lucy that I'll always play my heart out when it comes to her. Lucky Mother Pucker by Sarah Smith was published on September 14th, 2026. This is the fourth book in the Hollis U series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Sarah Smith and The Smuthood. I have absolutely loved this series. This book was no different as I read each page. I absolutely loved Leo and Lucy as the main character. They both were well rounded as characters in this book. I felt like they both had some strengths and weakness. The two characters balanced the weaknesses out and you can see how well their relationship grew on each page. I absolutely thought this book worked amazing for a slow burn. I don't think it would have worked as well if it was fast paced as it would feel like they just fell straight to bed with each other. I also loved how the characters from the other books in the series rallied behind Lucy and her struggles. Also the dog, Wally was a huge hit with me. The smut scenes in this book were perfect and sweet for the most part. I thought it was going to have a different kink showing but the novel really didn't pursue it. I highly recommend checking this book out. 

Hollis U Series 

1. Cocky Mother Pucker

2. Grumpy Mother Pucker

3.  Hot Mother Pucker

4. Lucky Mother Pucker 

Tropes 

Roommates to Lovers 

Slow Burn 

Sports - Hockey 

Chasing the Wild (Chrimson Ridge #1) by Elliott Rose

What happens when you're snowed in on a mountain ranch, with the one man you definitely should not be fantasizing about? I've always done what was expected of me. Layla Birch, the good girl. Forced to grow up too fast. To take care of everything myself. I had a plan. Only, I didn't count on him. Colton Wilder. The cowboy nearly twice my age. He's my dream man. One who takes care of me, gives me a job, and makes my pulse thud harder every time he comes near. My ex-boyfriend's father. The nights are long and cold on top of this mountain. As the snow grows thicker and the tension between us, we're both inching closer to a line we shouldn't cross. Each day, it grows harder to resist the man who looks at me with longing in his eyes. It's tempting to forget about being the good girl for once. No one would find out. Would they? Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose was published on June 20th, 2024. This is the first book in the Chrimson Ridge series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Elliott Rose and The Smuthood. This is my first book that I have read that was written by Elliott Rose. I really enjoyed reading this story. It was a little slow but as a slow burn type of book it was kind of needed. I really liked the tension between the two characters as it started to build from the beginning of book. So when the two characters finally let go things happened rather quickly after that. Though, the ending felt off and entirely different then what I thought would happen. The characters felt flat in spots where I needed more info. I thought Colton was the one that felt the most flat and it was hard to see what Layla saw in him. I also felt like the action in the book just ramped up but then fell apart. I can't wait to read book two of the series though. I recommend checking out this book. 

Chrimson Ridge Series 

1. Chasing the Wild 

2. Braving the Storm 

2.5: Bouquets & Buckles 

3: Taming the Heart 

4. Saving the Rain

4.5: Saddles & Snowfall 

Tropes

Small Town 

Forced Proximity 

Age-Gap 

Western 

Slow Burn 

Single Parent 

Forbidden Romance 

Stranded in Starlight Cove (Starlight Cove #0.5) by Brighton Walsh

 

Quick Word: I am so sorry for my readers that I haven't posted anything lately. I decided it would be fun to fall in a small hole at a wedding. A wedding where I was a guest and not only that everyone saw me fall. Let's top that and also say that my dress went flying up (thank god I wore biker shorts) and I also broke my ankle this fall. 

I've been avoiding my best friend's little sister for three long years because I shouldn't be attracted to a woman a decade my junior. But when she calls and begs me to bail her out of another one of her disasters, I drop everything to rescue her. I spend way too much on a last minute plane ticket to Starlight Cove, Maine, with nothing on my mind but getting her butt safely back to Havenbrook as soon as possible. At least until I arrive and realize I'm trapped right along with her. And now I have to figure out how to avoid the one woman I'm not supposed to want while we're stuck in a tiny cottage that has only one bed. Stranded in Starlight by Brighton Walsh was published on January 1st, 2023. This is a novella that is right at the beginning of the Starlight Cove series. 

I was so lucky to see that Brighton Walsh made this book free to some on her newsletter awhile back. I didn't realize that I missed a book from the Starlight Cove series. So let's talk about this book, this book made me giggle so much. I loved how the characters from the other books make their appearance. Of course it's before the characters meet their someone special. So they are their cranky selves in this book. Though, I miss some other side characters but it was easy to overlook. I absolutely loved the two characters in this book. Brighton Walsh knows how to create characters that feel so rounded that I feel like they could be in the same room as me. They both have faults but they also both show their growth in this book. Also even though the book is short I didn't feel like the relationship between the FMC and the MMC was rushed as you read the backstory of them through the book. I really wish that Brighton, would have had this book be a full size book instead of a Novella. I really want to see what happens when they get back to Havenbrook. But alas she only shows us what happens when they are in Starlight Cove. I highly recommend checking out this amazing book. 

Starlight Cove Series 

0.5: Stranded in Starlight Cove 

1: Defiant Heart 

2: Protective Heart 

3: Fearless Heart 

4: Reckless Heart 

5: Possessive Heart 

6: Rebel Heart 

Tropes 

Age-Gap

Small Town 

Brothers Best Friend 

Friends to Lovers 

Forced Proximity 

It's About Time (Blossom Peak #4) by Harlow James

 

Pretending to be engaged to my enemy might not be my brightest idea. But it is definitely necessary. On the brink of the biggest car show of my career, I start to panic because it's the first time I have to see my ex since our break-up. Spoiler alert: It wasn't clean or amicable. Then when Elliot Thorne's ex-fiance shows back up in town, I devise a plan for both of us to get what we want: a buffer from our exes with a dash of revenge. The problem is Elliot takes his role to protect me too seriously. He brings me food while I'm working to make sure I eat. He even silences the self-doubt I feel on a day-to-day basis. And before I know it, he has me on my knees in my garage, and on my back on the hood of my car. The hate I've harbored toward him melts away as fast as my panties, and I soon realize we have more in common than I thought. Then he tells me a secret that makes me reevaluate our entire relationship. Now I'm left to consider if something fake could be real...And that maybe it's about time I admit that Elliot isn't my enemy after all. It's About Time by Harlow James was published on July 10th, 2026. This is the fourth book in the Blossom Peak series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Harlow James and The Smuthood. I had that amazing pleasure to be able to review all four of the books in this series. I was so excited for this couple to finally get their heads on straight. This book had lots of lead up through the other books in the series. So by the time this one came around it was a massive tension that was building. So I highly recommend reading the first three books in the series. Anyways, I absolutely love the FMC and MMC in this book. They are both so different from each other that you can see how their relationship blows up. The build up in this book and to see how they are finally seeing that there is more than hatred towards each other. It is perfection. I am actually really bummed that the series is coming to an end. The smut scenes will leave you satisfied. I highly recommend checking out this amazing book and series. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"Now, go. Scrub your pits and balls, Thorne. I don't have all day." 

"Couch"

"Having a love affair with your couch now?"

"Yes. This couch has never let me down, unlike some people." 

"Jesus, you really do need someone to suck you off, don't you? Like a penis exorcism, maybe?" 

"Such a good fucking girl." 

Blossom Peak Series 

1. All This Time 

2. On Borrowed Time 

3. Test of Time 

4. It's About Time 

Tropes 

Enemies to Lovers 

Small Town 

He Falls First 

Brothers Best Friend 

Slow Burn 

Fake Dating 

Irresistibly Us (Steel City Legacy #2) by Samantha Brinn

 

As the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Renegades, Pittsburgh's NFL team, I have it all. The city I love. The game I love. A Super Bowl ring. Everything I've ever wanted. But even with all that, I still feel like I'm missing someone to share it with. On a mission to find my person, I join an anonymous dating app, hoping it will bring me the girl I can call mine. And it does. At least, I thought so. But when my lifelong best friend Sophie Sullivan moves into my house temporarily, seeing her every morning and coming home to her every night has me feeling things I didn't expect. Big things. Important things. Way more than friendship things. Maybe even...love things. Falling for two women is confusing, until I realize that Sophie is the anonymous girl from the app, and I set out in a mission to make her fall for me - to show her that the only future that makes any sense at all is the one where we spend it by each other's sides. We may have started off as best friends, but loving Sophie is as easy as breathing and I'm determined to give her everything. To show her that we were always supposed to belong to each other. That she was always meant to be mine. Irresistibly Us by Samantha Brinn was published June 5th, 2026. This is the second book in Steel City Legacy series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Samantha Brinn and The Smuthood. I loved the first book in the series so I was so excited to read book two. This book did not disappoint me at all. I loved the two main characters so much. Sophie the FMC was so sweet through out the book. I absolutely adored this book and loved the natural progression of the characters. I love that their romance was slow building even before the story started. Also loved how everyone around them were excited for them to come together. The smut scenes are great but tame. I highly recommend checking out this book. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"Hangry Soph is scary Soph." 

"Sorry. I was too distracted remembering what your tits look like.....Wow, Soph. Just...wow. That's not an image that's going to leave my brain anytime soon. Maybe ever." 

"Get your fucking hands off her before I break your goddamn fingers." 

"I really, really want to do this, and I know you do too. Let's ruin the friendship, Sophie, because even though I didn't know it, I think I've been waiting my whole life for you." 

Steel City Legacy Series 

0.5: Merrily Us 

1: Perfectly Us 

2. Irresistibly Us 

3. Fearlessly Us 

Tropes

Friends to Lovers 

Forced Proximity 

Sports Romance - Football

Secret Identity 

His to Keep (Lake Fortune #2) by L.K. Farlow

 

The last thing I expected was to find safety in the arms of my enemy. Ellis Wilder is the bane of my existence. As my ex's best friend, I know he feels the same way. Luckily, ignoring him, his stupidly good looks, and sharp tongue is all too easy. What I can't ignore are the anonymous love letters that seem to follow me everywhere I go. But when they turn from sweet to sinister, I know I need help. Unfortunately, I can only think of one man for the job. Ellis is a protector down to his core and while he doesn't like me, I know he'll keep me safe. Except his idea of security is forcing me to live under his roof, where he can keep an eye on me 'round the clock. Being so close to him is as enthralling as it is suffocating, and before I know it, we're toeing the line between hate and something far more dangerous. Because the closer we get, the more I can't help but wonder...His to Keep by L.K. Farlow was published on July 12th, 2026. This is the second book in Lake Fortune series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from L.K. Farlow and The Smuthood. This was the first book that I have read in the series as well as from this author. Though, I did feel a little like I am lost at the beginning it ended up not making a huge difference in the book. I really liked this book. While it has a very slow beginning to it  by the middle of the book things pick up. Though, I really didn't like how everyone was treating FMC throughout the book. I wanted to give the poor girl a hug and tell her that none of it is her fault. I also had a hard time seeing MMC and FMC have a relationship towards the end of the book. I felt like it started to rush their relationship and they were too different from each other. Though the dialogue in the book was great and I can't wait to read more from this author soon. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"Well, as much fun as watching y'all's budding bromance is, I'm out." 
"This isn't an airport, Scarlet. No need to announce your departure." 

"Sounds like security detail for your girl is a great first gig with us."
"Two problems.....One, she's not my girl.....And two, she hasn't hired you."
"Not yet..."
"Not yet to what?"
"All of it, man. All of it." 

"I've been fucking ready. Now, be a good boy and eat me out." 

"....Smother me with your pussy, Princess." 

Lake Fortune Series 

1. His to Save 

2. His to Keep 

Tropes 

Enemies to Lovers 

Forbidden

Forced Proximity