Small Business Sunday - Grump & Sunshine

 

Grump and Sunshine is located in Belfast, Maine was opened by Cassidy Gintz in May 2023 and the only romance-only book shop in Maine. 

It is opened six days a week, and your one-stop shop for books, merch, and subscription boxes. Cassidy also collabs with indie authors and hosts signings and events. 

You can follow her on IG, TT, & FB. 

@grumpandsunshine - on IG 

@grumpandsunshine - on TT

Grump and Sunshine - on FB 

https://www.grumpandsunshine.com/ - website 

Looking for more indie bookstores, check out my list of stores here: 

Review: Delayed Penalty

 

Title: Delayed Penalty

Series: Seattle Serpents

Author: Teagan Hunter 

Release Date: September 12 

I have two goals this season:
1. Prove to the Seattle Serpents I’m not a complete screwup.
2. Stay away from the nanny.

I’m hardly able to keep myself out of trouble, let alone a seven-year-old, but when my estranged brother gets a life sentence, I have no choice but to clean up my act and take the kid in.

It’s all going according to plan…until I’m forced to hire Quinn Benson.

She’s everything I need to avoid—flighty, messy, creating chaos everywhere she goes. But she makes my niece happy, so I hire her anyway, keeping our interactions as brief as possible, even when she moves in with me.

Thing is, the more she’s around, the more I want her around—and not just as a nanny. I can’t seem to stop falling into bed with her even when I know I shouldn’t. Quinn goes against everything I’m trying to accomplish, but I can’t stay away.

This might be one delayed penalty I don’t mind serving…

DELAYED PENALTY is a standalone hockey romance novel. There's a single guardian a bit on the grumpy side, a sunshine nanny who doesn't take any crap from him, an adorable little girl you'll want to hug and keep safe, ridiculous teammates who make way too crude jokes, plenty of steam, and a happy ending.

Goodreads | Preorder | 

Delayed Penalty follows Adam Hayes - trouble-making hockey player who just got a call that changed his life. Now he has two goals for the upcoming hockey season - prove to his new team the Seattle Serpents he isn't a complete screw up and to stay away from the nanny. 

When his estranged brother landed himself in jail- he became the unexpected guardian of his seven year old niece he had no idea he had, flipping his life upside down. Now he is trying to prove not only to his team the Seattle Serpents but himself and his niece that he isn't a complete screw up. But when his hockey season is quickly approaching, he needs a nanny for his niece pronto. And Quinn, his favorite bakery owner's daughter- just so happened to be between jobs. But she also happens to be messy, flighty and creates chaos- everything Hayes needs to avoid. So why is the more time she is around, the more Hayes struggles to stay away? 

So, first - this book is a rom-com but does have some trigger warnings - with mention of drug selling & use, jail, & child abandonment, and abuse and parent death - all of which are only lightly touched upon, but worth noting. 

Second, this book was everything - I loved not only the emotion it pulled out but the humor & fun of this book. 

I loved Hayes, he may have been grumpy & a bit of a screw up who was trying to get his life together after being thrust into a guardian role after never wanting kids, but he cared for those close to him. 

Quinn may have been a bit chaotic, who may have struggled with jobs, and may have struggled with the bills she was drowning in, but she may have found something she loved in nannying for the grump hockey player. And she had something to prove- that she could not only get her life together, but take care of herself but a kid too. 

The unlikely pair kept falling in bed together, sneaking around. And even though they shouldn't have worked, how alike they were, and how they annoyed each other- they did. & I loved them together, & young Flora too. 

If your looking for your next hockey read, I definitely recommend Delayed Penalty. 

4⭐ out of 5⭐. 

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. 

Tropes: 

→ rom-com 

→ sports romance 

→ hockey romance 

→ nanny/employer 

→ single guardian 

→ forced proximity 

→ found family 

Trigger Warnings: 

• drug use/abuse/selling 

• child abandonment 

• child abuse 

• parental death 

About the Author: 

I write steamy romantic comedies with lots of sarcasm and a side of heart. I love pizza, hockey, and romance novels, though not in that order. When not writing, you can find me watching entirely too many hours of Supernatural, One Tree Hill, or New Girl. I’m mildly obsessed with Halloween and prefer cooler weather. I married my high school sweetheart, and we currently live in the PNW.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | 

Review: Madness

 

Title: Madness

Series: L.O.R.D.s series 

Author: Shantel Tessier

Release Date: August 30 

HIS SECRET

A Lord takes what he wants. 

But like anything else, even he can get greedy and betray his oath. 

That’s where Carnage comes in. A Spade brother runs their prison for those who have wronged their society. 

It just so happens to be where the Lords have sent me.

I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW.

Most women within the Lords don’t get the chance to prove themselves worthy of the brand or the power that comes with it, but there’s always an exception.

I’m one of them.

Finally, my time had come to be assigned to a Lord. 

Not just any Lord but a Spade brother—Haidyn Jamison Reeves.

I had everything under control until he found out what I was hiding. Everyone in our world knows the only way to get to the top is to sacrifice something the Lords want.

So when Haidyn gave me a choice—become his toy or turn me over to the Lords—the decision was easy.

I’ve worked too hard to get this far to allow a man to take what I’ve earned. I chose to become his dirty little secret over admitting I failed.

It didn’t take long for him to unravel my web of lies, thread by thread, until nothing was left. He took over my life, blurring the lines until I discovered that what I thought I wanted was no longer what I needed.

But even in our world, nothing lasts forever. Time had run out. The hourglass lay broken on the floor, shattering not only my future but everything I knew.

I never thought that falling in love with a Spade brother 

would reveal so many secrets. And when they all came to light, 

the Lord who blackmailed me was the only one I could count on.

This touches on very dark themes. The 𝗧𝗪𝘀 will be posted inside the book before the prologue and on Shantel's website. 

If you have not read the L.O.R.D.S. series yet, do NOT start with 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. It contains spoilers from previous books in the series. 

The Lords Series

#1 The Ritual

#2 The Sinner

#3 The Sacrifice

#4 Sabotage (the H isn't a Lord but he works for a Lord)

#5 Carnage

Goodreads | Purchase | 

Oh. My. God. OhmyGod, ohmyGod. 

So these books are best read in order. Also this a dark romance - so check tw before diving in. Also, be Haidyn's "good girl" and avoid posting about the FMC & spoilers for at least a week. 

This thick book at 800+ pages follows Haidyn - not only is he a Lord but also a Spade brother who runs Carnage. & The FMC who was assigned to him. The world of the Lord's are filled with lies, secrets and betrayal - so what happens when the tangled web of lies begins to unravel? 

So I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever! Months. And this book was well worth the wait! I absolutely LOVED Haidyn's story. And when I say buckle up- you aren't ready for what is about to be thrown at you in this book. It was dark, and twisted and kept me on the edge of my seat. I kicked my feet in giddiness, bit my lip, gasped and even cried at 2 am over this book. It through me through the ringer but it was worth it. This book was perfect. 

4.5⭐ out of 5⭐

5🌶️ out of 5🌶️. 

Tropes: 

→ dark romance

 → secret identity 

→ forced proximity 

→ forced marriage 

→ blackmail

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Shantel Tessier

Shantel is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, who is a wonderful, supportive husband. Shantel loves to spend time cuddled up on the couch with a good book.

She considers herself extremely lucky to get to do what she loves while wearing pajamas. Going to concerts and the movies are just a few of her favorite things to do. She hates coffee, but loves wine. Although she has a passion to write, her family is most important to her.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | 

Small Business Sunday - Bookish Boutique

 

Bookish Boutique is located in Panama, FL was opened by Jenny in January 2024.
It is opened 7 days a week, & is a one stop shop for books & bookish gifts and apparel. Jenny also ships out books and book boxes from her website.
She collabs with indie authors and has signings and events and collabs with other local small businesses.
You can follow her on IG,TT & FB.

 
@bookishboutiquellc on IG 

@bookishboutiquellc on TT

Bookish Boutique on FB

https://www.bookishboutiquellc.com - website. 

Looking for more indie bookstores, check out my list of stores here: 

Small Business Sunday - Trope Bookshop

 

Trope Bookshop also known as the "Smut Bus" is in Charlotte, NC. Owned by Katie Mitchell, she affectionly nicked named it the "Green Girl'" & opened it in October, 2023. 

Tropes is the product of a second chance romance with reading and booktok + corporate burnout. 

Trope is a place where all love is welcome,encouraged, & sold, from classic romcoms to enemies to lovers, to romantasy. 

Trope also launched a Smutty Book Club that meets once a month partnered with other local Charlotte businesses for indie author book signings & more. 

Follow on IG & TT. 

@Trope.bookshop - TT

@tropebookshop - IG

Looking for more indie bookstores, check out my list of stores here: