Anything for You (Pinecrest, Montana #2) by Emily Silver

 

As a single mom, I've had my fair share of dates with guys who are all wrong for me. But there's no one more wrong for me than Sam Shaw. My dad's best friend. I love my life, but some days, I wish I had a partner. One to share all of life's ups and downs. But after too many losers on dating apps, I should give up. Until Sam swoops in and rescues me. I know I shouldn't be attracted to him, but I can't help it. And when he looks at me the way he does, I know he returns the feelings. Until it all comes to a head. One time and we can't get enough of each other. Being with him is dangerous. No one can know. Being with my dad's best friend is too complicated. I should break things off. Find someone easier. But when he treats me - and my son - like we're treasured? It makes me want to throw caution to the wind. Anything for You by Emily Silver was published on June 26th, 2026. This is the second book in the Pinecrest, Montana series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Emily Silver and The Smuthood. I was so excited for the chance to read the second book in this series. Though, I read the third book accidentally before this book. Thankfully, the books have their own plot so your not confused if you accidentally read them out of order. I absolutely loved this book. For some reason I really like age-gaps, especially when one of them is a single parent and has no luck in finding a decent guy to share it with. This book is so sweet and as you don't know the whole history between the two main characters at the beginning. You can see how much they tried to not fall in love with each other. They had those subtle gestures through the book as their relationship develops. I am actually surprised the other characters in the book did not catch on. I loved how Sam loves little Max and takes care of both him and his mom. I highly recommend checking out this amazing book. You won't be disappointed in their love building in this book. 

Pinecrest, Montana Series 

0.5: Tequila & Cowboys

1. Fight for Us 

2. Anything for You

3. Falling Together 

Tropes

Small Town

Friends to Lovers

Father's Best Friend 

Single Parent 

Age-Gap 

Unexpected Shot (Nashville Players #2) by Chelle Sloan

 

Two rivals. One mistake. A shot we never thought we'd take. Being a professional golfer has always been my dream. But there are parts of the job I hate. Interviews. Tournaments that make me wear skirts. Being nice to Beau Devereaux. I hate that one - and him - the most. Since we were kids, he's had a special way of getting under my skin. As adults, it's only gotten worse. My best friend's brother will always be the most infuriating man on the planet in his bright, tight, and outlandish golf shirts and his stupid beard covering his annoyingly chiseled jaw. Which is why it's my worst nightmare that I'm paired with him for a golf tournament in Las Vegas. But I'll do it if it means I get my career back on track after my injury. Good PR can't hurt, right? Unexpected Shot by Chelle Sloan was published on July 30th, 2026. This is the second book in the Nashville Players series. 

I received this book for my honest review from Chelle Sloan and The Smuthood. I loved the FMC and MMC when they were side characters in the Unplanned Play. So I was really excited to watch how their relationship unfolded in their own story. Their hatred for each other from the very beginning made me giggle as it has so much tension and over sexual charge. For them it's true that it's a thin line between hate and love. I love how it was not an instant love in the book. You watch as their relationship builds just like it would in real life. Chelle Sloan has her way with the plots that make you not want to put down the book. I highly recommend checking this book out. 

Nashville Players Series 

1. Unplanned Play 

2. Unexpected Shot 

3. Unlikely Pair 

Tropes

Sports - Golf 

Enemies to Lovers 

Best Friend's Brother 

Marriage of Convenience 

Forced Proximity 

In the Dark (Kept in Paradise #2) by Shain Rose

 

He was only supposed to be a secret fling. A forbidden kiss stolen in the dark...Not the cold-blooded monster who betrayed me. Callahan Knight is the Diamond Syndicate's perfect weapon with honed muscles, lethal control, and merciless loyalty. Even when taking out a rival cartel's capo - my uncle - he doesn't flinch. He shatters my family without hesitation, and I swear I'll never forgive him for that. But the Syndicate doesn't care about my hatred. To secure their power, they demand more: A vow of marriage or watch everything we love get destroyed. Now I'm the unwilling bride living in the luxurious prison of Paradise Grove with the man I refuse to call my soon-to-be husband. Instead, he's the villain. Enemy number one. My tormentor... In the Dark by Shain Rose was published on September 29th, 2026. This is the second book in Kept in Paradise series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Shain Rose and The Smuthood. I thought the book ramped up really fast in the first chapter but then it felt like it was slow down a ton after. It was a struggle for a bit to really get into the book because how slow it was that it was built up once the first chapter was over. Though, after all of that once the two characters were sharing the same house. I felt like I could not put down the book. I loved the dynamic between the two characters in this book. I also love that Jasmine was not a girl who just took everything and let it walk all over her. She gave more then what she got when she fought with Callahan. The smut scenes were pretty tame other then some blood here and there. But it was a great read and I can't wait to read more books in this series. Though I cannot wait for Archer to finally have a book. 

Kept in Paradise Series 

1. Behind Closed Doors 

2. In the Dark 

Tropes

Dark Romance 

Enemies to Lovers 

Mafia 

Billionaire 

Secret Society 

Forced Proximity 

Marriage of Convenience 

Who The Heart Chooses (Garnet Valley #1) by Harlow James

 

He's my former best friend and my husband of convenience, but he's not the man that got me pregnant. One year into my nursing program, two little pink lines alter my reality. Add on that the baby's father wants nothing to do with us and I no longer have healthcare coverage, and well? I start to panic. Enter Easton Buckley - Mr. Dependable, lineman with great health benefits, and a stubborn streak that pays off when he convinces me to marry him so my baby and I can be taken care of. The problem is, Easton and I haven't been on good terms for years, and neither of us has attempted to fix it. Yet now I'm living with him, forced to see him shirtless, and wondering why hearing him call me his wife is making my hormones even more wild. Then I figured out his secret. And there's no stopping the flood of emotions and unresolved feelings that come up. I'm scared to fall for Easton. I don't want him to be a mistake like every other love interest in my life. But what if the reality is, you can't help who your heart chooses to love? Even if they could be the one to break it once and for all? Who the Heart Chooses by Harlow James will be published on October 23rd, 2026. This is the first book of the Garnet Valley Series. 

I received this book for my honest review from Harlow James and The Smuthood. I absolutely loved another series by Harlow James. Make sure you check out her other books on the author pages. So I was really happy to see that I was given the ability to read her new series. I absolutely loved Easton in this book. He shows how much he loves Lennon from the very beginning of the book in all his actions. It is clear to see that she is his soulmate. Though Lennon it takes awhile to come around because of her personality she feels like she is not enough. Harlow did an amazing job with having their personalities different but yet they mesh so well with each other. The plot in this book flows really nice with the background coming through on some chapters and yet the current situation following it fits the previous back history so well. I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from Harlow James. 

Garnet Valley Series 

1. Who the Heart Chooses 

2. TBA (January 2027) 

3. TBA 

4. TBA

5. TBA 

Tropes 

Friends to Lovers 

Small Town 

Marriage of Convenience 

He Falls First 

A Reckless Obsession (Reckless #1) by Kristie Zarra

I thought walking in on my boyfriend cheating on me was going to be the wildest thing that happened to me today. Until I see a man riding a motorcycle - without a helmet - about to meet an untimely fate with oncoming traffic, and I decided to intervene. My car may be wrecked and my head might hurt, but it's the imposing tattooed man with the gray-blue eyes that steals my breath. Instead of reeling from my early morning betrayal, I'm captivated by Arson Evermore. I don't think I'm ever going to see him again, but when my ex won't leave me alone, somehow it's Arson who comes to my rescue. He convinced me that the only way to get my ex to move on is to find someone new. And he makes me an offer. Fake dating him through the holidays, and my ex will surely back off. But when our kisses for show start happening behind closed doors, the lines between us blur. My heart gets involved. A Reckless Obsession by Kristie Zarra was published on October 13, 2026. This is the first book in the Reckless series. 

Okay, I have been following Kristie Zarra on social media for years. She was apart of the book world for a long time as a fan. I absolutely loved when she came up with story lines and plots of stories that have never been written. I was the one of her fans that begged her to write the story of the plots. She has a way to tell a story that just grabs your attention. Well....she finally listened and wrote a story. I am so glad we pressured her to finally write a novel. Because this novel was absolutely AMAZING ON A CRACKER. I loved how she created the plots and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The MMC of Arson made totally sense with the plots she created. He was rough on the outside and soft on the inside when it came to FMC. I totally wanted to meet him in real life. I loved how he has his weaknesses that creates his obsession. All the characters are amazing and they are well rounded. I highly recommend checking out this book as you will not be disappointed. 

Reckless Series 

1. A Reckless Obession

2. TBA (April 5th, 2028) 

Tropes 

Dark Romance

Fake Dating 

Stalker 

Headless Hollow by Brooklyn Cross

 

Nothing much happens in a sleepy little town like mine. At least that is what I think until one night everything changes. People are disappearing at an alarming rate, but even more disturbing is how they end up on my table. I'm a coroner and no stranger to death, but even I wasn't ready for the twisted game this killer plays. It turns personal when I awake to a gift and a note that says. He who wins a thousand common hearts is therefore entitled to some renown, but he who keeps undisputed sway over the heart of a coquette is indeed a hero. I know the Washington Irving quote well. Sleepy Hallow is one of my favorite stories, or it was until real life and fiction began to blur. Now, I don't know what is real anymore. Headless Hollow by Brooklyn Cross was published on October 31st, 2024. 

So I found some videos about this book on booktok and thought, "This is a good Halloween theme book." So I thought I give it a try and I am so glad that I gave it a shot. This book had me in a choke-hold through the whole book. I absolutely loved the FMC in this book and how she reminded me a lot of Bones. Though, I felt like for a short novella that the plot was a little slow in the start in some spots. Though, the first chapter will cause you to gasp and perhaps laugh a bit. I absolutely think this book could have been a full fledged novel with more twists and turns. Also the ending of the book is a twist and I had a feeling there was going to be a twist at the end. It just felt hanging which I wish I could had more then the hanging at the end. I really enjoyed this book until that point. I highly recommend checking it out. 

Tropes 

Dark Romance 

Stalker 

BDSM 

Thriller 

Serial Killer 

Ruthless Game (Kings of Reina University #3) by Jo Brenner

 

The rugged, blue-eyed, easygoing hockey player was once the love of my life. Now all David Lawson wants is revenge. Reina University's star goalie thinks I betrayed him, when he's the one who betrayed me - and destroyed my heart. I've tried to move on. But Lawson's determined to get me out of his system, one dark, depraved intensely exhilarating act at a time. I can't resist him, and not just because he's theatening to expose secrets about my brother that could ruin his life. Lawson's not the boy I knew. Between his cruel touch that sets me on fire and moments of tenderness that crumble the walls around my heart, I no longer know which way is up. All I know is I won't go down without a fight. I'll prove he's wrong about me. About everything. But even if Lawson realizes his mistake, it may be too late - because an enemy is waiting in the shadows, eager to destroy us both.  Ruthless Game by Jo Brenner was published on October 11th, 2026. This is the third book in the Kings of Reina University series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Jo Brenner and The Smuthood. Before I begin, I should let you know that I did not read the previous two books in the series before I read this book. While there are some things that I didn't understand when meeting some characters, I didn't feel like it took away from the plot. I absolutely loved the main female character Emma. She is a child who grew up in the foster care system but then finally got adopted by a lovely family. I felt like some of her trust issues through the book stemmed from wanting to appease her parents through the book. I also like the main male character as he had his own baggage through the book from being a child of an abusive father. While, I felt bad for him I still thought though the book that I wanted to hate him as well. I did not like how many times Max would flip the script in how he treated Emma. I felt bad for her and wished so many times that she would just leave him. To not worry about the blackmail that Max was holding over her. Though the smut scenes in this book were spicy....many times I turned red from second hand frustration. I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read more by Jo Brenner. 

Kings of Reina University Series

1. Brutal Game

2. Heartless Game

3. Ruthless Game 

Tropes 

Sports - Hockey 

College/ New Age 

Enemies to Lovers 

Second Chance 

Forced Proximity 

Dark Romance