Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date:June 23rd, 2020

Banner Spurlock knew the moment that he walked into Kilgore High School and saw Perry Street that life was about to get interesting.

Forced to move due to a problem at home, a problem in the form of his ex-best friend hating him for something that Banner’s father did, Banner doesn’t think very much could improve in his life.

He left his status as king of Benton High School behind and moved to a new school where not only would he have to try out for a new football team and prove himself, but he’d also have to find a place for himself in the hierarchy.

Only, the moment that he arrives, he knows that finding a place for himself won’t be too hard. Especially when his reputation follows him all the way to Kilgore, Texas.

***

Perry Street hates school. She hates her peers—most of them anyway—and she hates her classes. All she wants to do is finish her senior year, graduate, and find a place that will give her a full scholarship so that she doesn’t have to be stuck here forever.

That’s her goal, anyway.

Then she walks into first period, on her first day of her senior year, and sits down. Seconds later, he walks in and changes every single plan she’s ever made.

It isn’t long before Perry starts to fall for the bad boy who doesn’t care who he does and doesn’t impress. The boy makes her heart flutter. The boy makes her want things that she’s never wanted before. Not ever.

The boy brings trouble with him that nearly kills her.

4.5 ‘Our Dreams Are Waiting’ Stars

Oh wow! There really is something about THAT boy! Deliciously light, funny and plenty of treats keep us enraptured from the very first page. I never expected to enjoy a HS romance so much, but it went beyond because I was HOOKED to it! A must read for every romance lover! 

For real, I knew with Ms. Vale writing this trope, I would enjoy no matter what, but I should have known better, not only did I sucked up every moment, but I loved every single bit.

“I want your dad to actually like me. I plan on hanging around a lot.”

Only Ms. Vale could make me get lost in the high school drama and its setting, and still feel like I was reading about mature young adults, and a awesome and highly entertaining crew at that. 

Banner was pushed to this school, but I’d say he hit the jackpot, not only did he end up meeting his one, the girl of his dreams, Perry, when he least expected on his very first day in his new school, but he also got ton of loyal buddies. 

These two were so incredibly well match and oh so amazing together that I had no chance not to fall for them, in all their teenage/young adult glory. Much like other LLV characters, they are so down to earth and relatable that it’s impossible not to connect with them, even accounting their age. They were fabulously written, and for such a young couple they packed a big punch of raw chemistry. Their magnetism was palpable from the first meeting, and it only grew and blossomed along with their love for one another. They made my heart so happy!

“Just… don’t break my heart, Banner Spurlock. I’m trusting you with it.”

“You fit perfectly in my arms,”

I should have known by now, that Ms. Vale could pull of any genre and trope, but still it amazes me the freshness and novelty she manages to continue to bring, every time, even after reading dozens of her books. Her trademark writing style is always present, but always with a hint of something new, something that I can’t exactly explain, a lightness and deceivingly effortless story telling that gets us addicted and begging for more, each and every time. And Somethin’ About That Boy is the written proof of it, because it made me insanely curious about the rest of the crew, and even with a certain wariness about events revealed, and circumstances less than favorable, for my picky self, lol, I still am begging to know more, also to get a chance to see more Banner and Perry. That’s the LLV witchcraft right there! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

I wasn’t sure when it happened. Somewhere in between meeting Perry Street and now, I’d gone and fallen in love with her.
No turning back. Fight anyone that tries to hurt her. Kill anything that does kind of love.

I’ll always wait for you, Banner Spurlock.”

ARC kindly provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions

for an honest review

Lani Lynn Vale is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple meaning over twenty) chickens. She hails from the Great State of Texas.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading. 

Author: Lani Lynn Vale

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date:June 9th, 2020

Booth Pena definitely didn’t make the smartest of decisions when he was a teenager.

At eighteen, he knocked a girl up and signed up for the military all in the same day—signing his life away in more ways than one. Fast forward six weeks and he’s in bootcamp learning that he’s going to be a father while also learning that not only is he going to be deployed, but it’s going to stay that way for a year.

There weren’t a lot of things that the baby’s mother and he saw eye to eye on after that. He honestly wasn’t sure why he even slept with her in the first place.

Okay, that last part is a lie. He knows exactly why he slept with her. Because the real woman he’s in love with, her twin sister, Dillan, won’t give him the time of day.

Five years later, and he still wants her.

Now he’s home for good, being the best father and police officer that he can be, and still he’s not good enough.

***

Dillan Davidsdottir hated Booth Pena. Immensely.

She hated him because he slept with her sister, then left. Granted, she knew that he hadn’t meant to leave like he did, unknowingly and unconsciously leaving his daughter behind, but that didn’t change the fact that he had.

Five years later, and she still dislikes him just as much now as she did when he chose the wrong sister to take to his bed.

Maybe if he’d chosen her, her heart wouldn’t be broken, and his wouldn’t be untouchable.

But when a SWAT officer sees his life flash before his eyes, and decides that enough is enough, what’s a girl to do?

Give in, that’s what.

3.5 ‘No More Denying’ Stars

Holy Hell! Only Lani Lynn Vale can turn my ‘fear’ into enjoyment, and a major clusterf@ck of situation into just a damn complicated one, and Jokes on Joke is the number one proof of that!

Like I mentioned in the previous book, I also both anxious and fearful of this book, because sleeping with the heroine’s sister a one of my biggest no no’es. After all is explained and why the event happened – I will not spoil it for you, lol – that issue didn’t hurt me nearly as much as I expected. Sure, I’d preferred that the event had never taken plan, and that the pregnancy was never an issue – just because it was an extra hurtful element, that it peeves me too – but with how Ms. Vale set things up here, and little Asa was just a adorable element, that brought all the family together and showed their incredible support system on the Pena family, I could let it go. Almost… LOL

I was an ol’ pro at hiding my pain.

“Sometimes life gives you exactly what you need. Not necessarily what you want.”

“We’re having our new start now,” I told her. “We’re not going to dwell on the past, because we can’t change it.”

There were a lot amazing elements, and though I thought their relationship did the one eighty far too fast, and without a needed deep enough look into their feeling, after five years of basically ignoring and repressing their feelings (that were clear to EVERYONE!), they just kind of completely let go of those five years in a blink. I did appreciate immensely that there wasn’t constant dwelling nor flashbacks on the past, but more like looking forward to the future. They were so level headed and mature right there at the start, and I was more than okay about that. Another HUGE point for me was the incredible role and support of not only the Pena family, but all the SWAT team guys and their significant others. It’s always a joy to check on the past couples, and witness the awesome SWAT gang chats.

Two other things that made the whole ‘love crossed’ situation better for me was the fact that it was very clear that not only Booth and Melanie had no feelings whatsoever for one another, and they were fully aware of the depth of feelings of his siblings had for the other, and felt so deeply sorry and torment for having caused this pain and hurt in Dillan. They couldn’t feel worse about it that they did. All this and the fact that Booth remained true to his feelings for Dillan, even after it was all blow to hell. Adding to that Dillan was not a virgin (which I was happy to find out) even though we discover that it too was not clear as expected, both events I felt it deserved a deeper look into and respective consequences set. 

I did wish that the whole reason for that fateful night to happen had not been so ‘brushed off’ as it was, specially because I’m not sure of how possible/credible that was, in reality, specially considering the setting.  It was a serious unveiling and it did deserve a bit more ‘touch’ on it, which I think it would be possible while keeping the lighter undertone of the book.

This wasn’t a one-time thing, Dillan. This was an all the time thing.

“You feel like mine,” I told her.
 “You feel like mine, too,”

Seems Ms. Vale truly is a miracle worker, when she manages to keep me beyond engaged in a book that had me cringing at the premise. It just shows how incredibly talented she is. WE had the emotional, the suspense – OMG, I was going insane right there with Booth on the climax scene! – the friendship and family, and the amazing love story wrapped up with some smoking hot sexy times. Yep, definitely constant and sure ‘LLV literary drug’ once again. And after we saw from broody and kind of @sshole Bourne here, I’m already DYING to see him break next!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

“For the rest of your life?” I asked huskily.
He nodded once.
“For the rest of our lives,” he said. “That’s where this is going, baby. That’s where it’s been going since the moment that I met you. You’re mine and I’m yours, and that’s the only way it’s ever going to be from now until we die.”
I loved his words.
“I love you.”
He moved until his mouth was pressed to my nose. “I love you, too, Dillan. So much.”

 

ARC kindly provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions

for an honest review

Lani Lynn Vale is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty titles. She is married with three children, two dogs, two cats, a donkey, and a couple (a couple meaning over twenty) chickens. She hails from the Great State of Texas.

When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair reading.