Can't Wait Wednesday: Red Card by Maren Moore

 

Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... Red Card

Author: Maren Moore

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: August 12th

Series: Prescott University #1

Blurb:

Leaving it all on the field is one thing. Giving his all to love? Terrifying.

British bad boy Cillian “Kill” Cairney is ruthless on the rugby pitch. After getting a permanent red card from his team in London, the only team that will have him is an Ivy League school in New Hampshire. But the guys hate him, his coach doesn’t trust him, and worst of all? His starting position is in the hands of his coach’s fiery, rugby-obsessed, very off-limits daughter. Not only does he have to earn his coach’s respect, but Kill has to earn Rory’s—and nothing has ever seemed more difficult. That is, until she approaches him with a proposition that could benefit them both . . . 

Rory St. James has spent all her life immersed in rugby. Which is... part of the problem. She’s tired of being friend-zoned. She wants to get the guy, and to do that, she needs the frustratingly charming Cillian to teach her. But the more time they spend together, the more lines begin to blur. In a game where trust and loyalty are tested, who will be the winner? Or will love be the final red card?

Explanation:

I have absolutely adored every sport romance I have read from Maren and know that this one is bound to be a banger too. I am also super happy for her because this is her first traditionally published book! I was so lucky to be able to grab this on read now from NetGalley, so I will hopefully start reading this tomorrow! 

Don't worry, lovelies, I am returning with this series too! I like the chance to hype up books I know are on the horizon that I am excited for. It makes my heart super happy when we get the chance to find upcoming releases together. It could help expand all of your TBRs! If you are wondering where I've been, see my last post. See y'all next week. 

Top 5 Tuesday: Beachy Reads

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! I finally got my stuff together enough to follow the official prompts! 

This week's prompt is..... beachy reads

These are in no particular order

1. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
2. The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
3. Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan
4. The Trouble with Love and Ink by Harriet Ashford
5. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Honorable mention to Beach Read by Emily Henry, but that felt like a way too obvious choice. Only One Golden Summer (a 5-star read) was read this year because, unfortunately, my reading this year has lacked that fantastic beachy reading vibe. This is something I really want to fix through the rest of this year. 

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

I'm sorry I've been very inconsistent about posting here. In truth, my personal life has been incredibly busy with travel, a new job, and a health scare. Things are all good now, but I am trying my best to adjust to my new normal. Hopefully, I will see you back here for another Top 5 Tuesday next week!

Free for All Friday: Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag 2025

 Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

Intro

Is it still close enough to mid-year to do this, right? Given how little I've read in July, I totally think it is. If anyone would still like to do this at the end of July, consider yourself tagged. 

This tag originated on the Earl Grey Books YouTube channel. I found it from the bookchestirecat blog. Thank you to them for the inspiration.

Now it is time to reflect on my reading so far and hope that the second half of the year lives up to it!  Let's get into the prompts and my picks!

The Prompts

• Best book you've read so far
• Best sequel you've read so far 
• New release you haven't read yet, but want to 
• Most anticipated release for the second half of 2025 
• Biggest disappointment 
• Biggest surprise 
• Favorite new (to you) author
• Newest favorite character
• Book that made you cry
• Book that made you happy
• Favorite book-to-screen adaptation
• Favorite review
• Books you need to read by the end of the year

My Picks and Discussions

Best book I've read so far

The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

I unsurprisingly totally loved this one! It really made me think and provided a lot more information about the world and the start of Death Cast. I enjoyed tandem reading it. This story will stick with me for a long time which is why it is currently my number one.

Best sequel I've read so far

Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I have tremendously adored both of the books in this series so far. I am truly obsesessed with the characters in particular. Having a whole cast of morally grey individuals is fascinating and creates a lot of wonderful tension. I ate up every additional tidbit this sequel provided. 

New release I haven't read yet, but want to

Caught Up by Navessa Allen

The audiobook for the first one was truly fantastic! I am excited to see what I think of the second, and yes, I will absolutely be consuming the audiobook for it too!

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2025

Red Card by Maren Moore

Maren Moore is quickly becoming my favorite sports romance author to date. The way she writes swoony chemistry moments is incredible. This is her first trad published book, so I am so happy for her! I have the ARC for it, which I will be starting very soon!

Biggest disappointment

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson

The publisher actually reached out to me to offer me the ARC for this one. I was totally ecstatic to be working with a major publisher. Unfortunately, this book was a huge DNF for me. I could not tolerate the utter lack of development of the characters over time. Needless to say, I probably won't be working with the publisher again for a while.

Biggest surprise

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty

To clarify, I am not sure that I enjoyed this book. I have loved her YouTube channel for years and the way she tells stories. What surprised me was how much value I think this book has. Yes, it is a bit morbid; any book about death will be. The way that death is discussed feels so natural (as it should). I would totally recommend this book to anyone with any kind of questions about death. It discusses everything in a very approachable way.

Favorite new (to you) author

Courtney Peppernell

I will be discussing the book of hers I read further below for another prompt, so here I will simply discuss her writing. Her approach to poetry is beautiful and eye-opening. Her poetry made me feel not only seen but understood. I am not usually one to pick up a poetry book, but I happened to find the book below in a little free library and decided to give it a shot. I am so glad I did and hope to read more of her poetry in the future. 

Newest favorite character

Donna from the Colson Creek series by Erin FitzGerald

This is a character that very quickly wormed her way into my heart. While she is not a main character in the books, she is absolutely a prominent one. She is the caring mother figure we all need in life. Her spunk, wit, and caring nature made her rise quickly to the top of my list. I am usually pretty terrible at remembering character names, so it is saying a lot that I will never forget hers. 

Book that made you cry

Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

I told you I would be discussing Peppernell's book more, well, here I am. This book covers a lot of very relatable subjects pertaining to love. Some happy and some sad. It made me think thoughtfully about loved ones I have lost, which brought about a few tears. I am very happy I read it, and the tears honestly just let me feel even more connected to the poems. If you think there is even a slight chance you would enjoy a bit of poetry, this book is worth picking up. 

Book that made you happy

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This book gave me that stereotypical summer read feeling I was craving so bad. Yes, her books are all pretty similar, and I'm happy about that because I adore her writing style and would love more of it. It gave me all of the warm fuzzies and hope for life. I listened to this one on a road trip and spent most of the time just envisioning being on the lake with the characters, which was glorious. 

Favorite book-to-screen adaptation

The Hunting Wives (by May Cobb)

I'll be honest, I do not watch a lot of book-to-screen adaptations, especially if I read the book. They often are totally ruined because they are not like what I pictured in my head. The Hunting Wives on Netflix is not that loyal to the book by the time the season is over. It reminded me of the Riverdale series in that it seemed to mostly borrow all of the existing characters and what their relationships would be, and add a ton to it. If I were solely wanting it to be a loyal adaptation of a book I was obsessed with, I would be disappointed. That said, if I judge it as a series of its own, I quite liked it and plan to watch any future seasons. 

Favorite review

The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford

This book was a delightful read that I gave 5 stars. I am one of Harriet's friends now, and honestly, my review totally showed that. It is definitely a lot of praise for her, but I love it for that very reason. You should check it out to witness me gush if nothing else. 

Books I need to read by the end of the year

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

The Autist's Guide to the Galaxy by Clara Törnvall

I could probably put my entire physical TBR here, and it would be a reasonable response to this prompt. I picked two books that I am in the middle of because I do not want them to further fall to the wayside to never be finished. They are both non-fiction because I made it a goal to read notably more non-fiction books this year than I did last year. I want to keep at least 10% non-fiction if not higher. I am loving both of these books a lot, but they do require me to think and truly process what they have to say, which is why they are currently unfinished. Help keep me accountable to finish these, y'all!

Final Thoughts

This was such a fun (though time-consuming) tag! I appreciated the chance to reflect on my reads so far this year and consider what I want to be part of my reading for the rest of the year. Do we have any in common? Now I am looking forward to further reflection at the end of the year. I wonder how many of my picks will be different. For now I bid you adieu and hope to see you next Friday for another fun tag!

Ice Breaker by Ariel Dawn and Penny Fox Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.25/5 ⭐

Blurb

Alex

Returning home to recover after a terrible injury is the only way to get back on the ice. But coming home to Ashbourne means coming home to him—Jordan Mackenzie, my little brother's best friend and the one man I can't resist. Which is why when Mack offers to help, I can't say no... even if it means destroying both of us in the process.

Can I keep my hands and my heart to myself this time around? Or will my addiction to Jordan ruin me for good?

Jordan

Alex Brewer is everything I want and everything I can never have. Which is why when he shows up at my rehab center like a hurricane, I know I need to keep my distance. The sooner I can get him back on the ice, the sooner I can get my life back to normal. The problem is that the more time I spend with Alex, the more tempted I am to give in to him and my secret desires. Will I finally let myself have what I want?

Or will history repeat itself and destroy what's left of us?

Best Quote From the Book

“I feel for the chain around his neck, gripping onto the ring and I tug it hard. He gasps against my mouth, and  I take control of this situation."

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

This book does contain bisexual and gay representation via the main characters. It is a key element of the plot due to this being an MM romance. It is done so in a positive and respectful manner. I appreciated that each of the MMCs had a different perspective about their queer identity, as it adds a lot to the realism. 

My Thoughts

This one has a ton of drama, so if that is your thing, you will totally eat this book up. This book is exactly what I've come to expect from a spicy MM read. It has all the elements you know and love.

There is a bit of miscommunication, but it seems fitting for the characters. The way they talked about things felt realistic and genuine.

As this book is pretty chunky, it did take me some time to get through it. That said, the high page count let me feel like I got to know the characters quite well.

This book does contain a lot of open-door spicy scenes, including a threesome. If that is not your vibe, I do not recommend this book.

I was gifted this book by the author. My review is honest.

 Joy Delivered Duet Release Day

Happy release day to the Joy Delivered  Duet by Lauren Blakely. This duet features Nights with Him and Forbidden Nights. Each of these wonderful stories has a full cast for the audiobooks. 

Nights with Him tropes:

💜tortured hero

💜mistaken identity

💜starts with a bang

💜one night stand

💜billionaire hero

💜no strings romance

💜forbidden romance

Nights with Him Synopsis:

I didn’t know who the smoldering man in the expensive suit was that first night.

Only that he was commanding.

Intense.

And exactly what I needed to forget my heartbreak.

But there’s no forgetting him the next day when Jack Sullivan walks into my office.

Philanthropic billionaire, brilliant businessman, my brand-new client…

And off-limits in every possible way.

We should have walked away.

Instead, we made a new arrangement.

Thirty nights. No promises.

Just stolen moments in penthouses, in Paris hotel rooms, on Manhattan balconies.

But the deeper we go, the harder it is to pretend this is just physical.

Because when Jack starts to share the things he loves with me—the symphony, books, late nights exploring the city—he’s impossible to resist.

And the more nights we spend tangled in pleasure, the more he owns my once-guarded heart.

Soon, I start to believe in something more.

But Jack doesn’t do love.

His past still owns too much of him.

And no matter how deep we fall, some risks feel too impossible to take.

Unless I can convince him that what we have is worth breaking every rule.

Forbidden Nights tropes:

❤ best friends to lovers

❤ lessons in seduction

❤ best friend’s sister

❤ he’s rich and generous

Forbidden Nights Synopsis

My best friend is gorgeous, wildly successful, and loves to spoil me. He’s also sworn off love.

Which is why Nate Harper is the perfect man to help me.

I’ve spent my life being in control. Now I want to learn how to let go, and Nate decides he’s the only one who can teach me.

If anyone can show me how to surrender, it’s my confident, outrageously flirty friend.

The deal? No strings. No feelings. No risks.

As we travel to London, New York, and decadent tropical islands, he proves just how good giving in can feel.

It’s only an arrangement. Nothing more.

Except now he’s looking at me differently.

Touching me like he doesn’t want to stop.

Kissing me like he wants these late nights to keep going.

And suddenly, what started as casual feels a lot like something real.

But his scars run deep.

His heart’s on ice.

And our friendship means too much to risk it.

Unless I can convince him that some things are worth the fall.

Where to Get Them

Both Nights with Him and Forbidden Nights are available on KU for the ebook. The audiobooks are available on Audible. If you are looking for some swoon-worthy romances to keep you company, this duet is perfect for you!

June 2025 Reads

  June 2025 Reads

This month, I read 9 books 

These books were 67% fiction

They were 22% physical, 44% digital, and 33% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.58 stars

My longest reading day was the 20th

The Books

➽ Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady

➽ The Lion in the Library by Amy Award

➽ Forechecked by Forever by Ariana St. Claire

➽ The Bad Boy Rule by Maren Moore

➽ The Overtime Kiss by Lauren Blakely

➽ Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

➽ Unprotected: a Memoir by Billy Porter

➽ The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

➽ You Too?: 25 Voices Share Their #MeToo Stories