REVIEW: The Final Score by Lana Ferguson

 

OUR REVIEW:

It's been a minute since I've been in this Lana Ferguson universe, but once I remembered who Jack and Abby were, I settled in and enjoyed the journey. On the surface, Jack and Abby couldn't be more different: Jack is a smiley, happy, jokester while Abby is a serious, snarky, more solemn character; however, as we get to know them, we understand that they're both pretty tender and sweet. Both of them hide their more vulnerable interiors behind their exteriors for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it's what they've been doing for a while. As they get to know each other, they begin to feel safe with each other, sharing things they wouldn't normally which allows them to begin to trust each other and genuinely like each other. 

I enjoyed Abby and Jack and their banter, their chemistry, and the overall development of their romance. This was a quick and fun read. I wonder if we'll get another book in this series? Here's to hoping. 

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SYNOPSIS:

A hockey player and a grad student are on thin ice until they meet their match in this sexy romance by USA Today bestselling author Lana Ferguson.

Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he’s back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. After a lifetime as the strong, happy hockey guy whose sister needed him, Jack is left questioning everything he knows about himself.

Abigail Thompson feels like she’s hit rock bottom. It’s only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she’s been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she’s put him through, but it’s looking like his best friend’s spare room might be her only choice.

Jack is flighty, flirty, and a little full of himself—all the things Abby’s learned to avoid in men. However, spending every day together breaks the ice between them, and she starts to realize that Jack might not be who he seems. It’s possible that maybe, just maybe, he might be struggling as much as she is. Soon, confiding in each other leads to falling into bed, and this fling will either play with their hearts—or score them the ultimate goal of love.

REVIEW: Overruled by Lana Ferguson

OUR REVIEW:

I've been a fan of Lana Ferguson since The Nanny and so it's always a delight when she releases something new. In Overruled we get the hilarious enemies to lovers story of Dani and Ezra. Their beginning scenes set the foundation of their snarky banter and impossible to ignore chemistry and as the story progressed, those things remained, but a work conundrum persisted when they were once again pitted against each other in court. Once we learn more about Dani and Ezra's family backgrounds and why they are the way that they are, it becomes clear that what once may have been a casual thing, was better as a real relationship. Unfortunately, past hurts and current employment conflicts would make it seem like it couldn't happen, but of course, they were running straight into their happily ever after...it would just take them some time, effort, and hardship to get there. 

In addition to the general plot and romance of these two, I enjoyed getting to know these characters, especially Ezra. He's a prime example of snarky, bold exterior that hides his sensitive, vulnerable soft center. Dani, I enjoyed. I don't think I quite *got* her issue with her parents but I liked her tenaciousness and her focus. Her work besties? Hilarious and really rounded out the cast. 

Overall, a quick and fun romance. 

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SYNOPSIS:

Danica Pierce has one great love in her life: work. As one of the top divorce lawyers in Austin, Danica lets her caseload keep her warm at night and has no problem being married to her job, not when love only ends in hurt. When the biggest case of her career gives her a shot at making partner, it seems like nothing could possibly stand in her way...except for her infuriating secret: she's sleeping with the enemy.

Ezra Hart is known for charming his way in and out of a courtroom. In the matter of winning Danica Pierce's heart, however, he's been far less successful. With her verdict to keep things purely physical with no chance of appeal, Ezra struggles to show Danica he's more than the insufferable playboy she's pegged him to be--especially since they find themselves on opposing sides of Danica's most important case to date.

While Dani and Ezra battle it out in the courtroom, the real trial is the one happening between them. When Dani realizes that everything she knows of Ezra might be hearsay--and that she's not the only one with emotional baggage--she must choose between her fear of trusting again and the feelings blossoming between her and the man she thought was her worst enemy.

 

REVIEW: Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

OUR REVIEW:

These writers I love, they really have me going outside of my comfort zone these days and Lana Ferguson is no different. I really loved The Nanny and The Game Changer so anytime she publishes something, I jump on it. This time she's got me reading and imagining a romance with a Lochness Monster and a woman named Key. Here's what I appreciate about the way Ferguson does it: she sets things in a real place, with characters you can easily imagine being 'real', and she injects it all with humor and love and all of the other pathological things that romance requires. Then, and only then, does she nudge us into the direction of monsters. 

So while monster romance is really not my thing, I still found myself having fun with Lachlan and Key and their tension and history and all of the things that made them click. Admittedly, I did not always have the patience for their narrative, so sometimes I felt the urge to skim and I'm not really sure where or why that always happened, but there were places that just felt long. If you asked me now, which parts they were, I couldn't tell you, but as I was reading, I didn't always find it to be as consuming as I wanted it to be. That being noted, I still had fun reading it and felt satisfied when I put it down, so a solid 3.5 read for me.

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SYNOPSIS:

A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

 

REVIEW: Game Changer by Lana Ferguson

 

OUR REVIEW:

Lana Ferguson, I love you. Your novels always entertain me, making anything but reading impossible. I find that when I'm reading your characters I'm Lol-ing, cheering them on, or fanning myself from the heat level. Game Changer continues that trend. 

In this novel we have Lila and Ian--two people who've known each other since their childhood--thrown together by their PR people to try to improve his image and her show ratings. No biggie, right? Wellllll, for Lila, she's had a massive crush on Ian for forever and for Ian, he's her brother's best friend....and the Lila he knew when she was much younger has grown into an attractive, funny, and smart woman. So while both of them agree to do this faux dating thing, they both figure out really quickly how hard it's going to be. Neither of them can seem to stop obsessively thinking about the other and are worried about ruining things, but once they figure that out, it's game on. They flirt and make out and fall hard for each other, with the only obstacle being Lila's brother Jack. Fortunately, Lana Ferguson takes it easy on us and doesn't make us die before we get to their HEA. Like my reading of The Nanny, I'd love to return to this world and get to know more of the other characters, but I don't think that will happen, so I'll just happily wait for the next thing that Lana Ferguson gives us.

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SYNOPSIS:

A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Nanny.

When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase's team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team’s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate's little sister…who isn’t so little anymore.

Delilah Baker is known as “the darling of baking” on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother’s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake—until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she’s never quite gotten over. 

REVIEW: The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson

OUR REVIEW:

Having read Lana Ferguson's first novel, The Nanny, I knew that I had to try The Fake Mate, even if it wasn't something I'd usually try. If you're also a fan of her but uncertain if this would be something you like, I can bet that you most likely will. While there are some shifter events and episodes that aren't in your typical non-fantasy romance, for the most part The Fake Mate does have all of the elements of a 'typical' romance, plus the fun that Ferguson brings to the novel. There are moments of hilarity, deeply felt emotional turmoil, and just overall fun. You'll find The Fake Mate to be a fun and sexy quick read.

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SYNOPSIS:

Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
 
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
 
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.