December 4, 2025 • 41 mins
Welcome back for another romance themed Reading Recap!
Kristen's Book:
Books Mentioned:
- The Playbook Series by Alexa Martin
- The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
- The Art of Catching Feeling by Alicia Thompson
- Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel
- The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
- Unbound by Peyton Corinne (Available April 2026)
- Just Don't Fall by Emma St. Clair (Appies #1)
- Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor (Appies #2)
- A Groom of One's Own by Emma St. Clair (Appies #3)
- Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
- Since We've No Place to Go by Kate Watson
For links to the books discussed in this episode, click the link here to take you to the Google Doc to view the list.
For episode feedback, future reading and author recommendations, you can text the podcast by clicking the "Send us a message button" above.
For more, follow along on Instagram @whereileftoffpod.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:07):
Welcome back.
I'm Kristen Balls, and you arelistening to Where I Left Off, a
Bookish Podcast.
And as funny as it is, today isanother reading recap because I
am actually in between episodes.
So here's kind of your update.
I have a bunch of authorepisodes coming up, and I knew
that this was a chance to beable to squeeze in at least one
(00:29):
last reading recap for the yearbefore I post all of those
author interviews.
And not to say that maybe Iwouldn't have a Christmas
reading recap, but I don't knowif I will get to it.
I don't know that that's goingto work out.
So I wanted to guarantee thatyou at least got one more
reading recap for the year fromme.
And so that is what today'sepisode is.
(00:50):
My only problem is, as far asreading goes, is that I've been
reading the books for thosespecific authors.
And I don't typically reviewbooks when I'm going to be
interviewing that specificauthor.
I read the book as research forthat author's episode, but I'm
not going on a reading recap andtalking about that book,
basically.
So because of that, I've beenreading those books and it
(01:14):
hasn't left a lot of room forother books.
And also, I think I might havekind of a like curse of sorts.
And basically, uh whenever Ispecifically try to do
something.
So for example, if I amspecifically trying to find a
list of my favorite Christmasbooks, or oh my gosh, don't even
(01:36):
get me started about like a yearago.
Whenever I tried to come up withthe list of like my favorite
fall books, I could not find agood fall book to save my life.
I didn't like any of thembecause I was trying to find
some to put on a list.
Same with this.
I was like, I would just love toreally round out this episode
with like one or two, like oneor two more really good books.
(01:59):
And I just DNF'd a book 170pages in.
That is where we are, because Isaid I needed to fill in this
episode.
So because of that, uh, I it's alittle bit on the lighter side
because I haven't had as muchtime to read uh other books that
are not for specific episodes.
So anyway, um I just wanted tolet you know that this is a
(02:21):
slightly lighter reading recapepisode, maybe than some of the
others, uh, because I didn't doone that long ago.
So yes, but I do have an arcthat I got and some books that I
am very excited to tell youabout.
Also, another reason why I havenot been reading as much, of
course, we all go in thoseperiods of time where we don't
read as much.
It's kind of chaos right nowwith like the Thanksgiving kind
(02:44):
of holiday-ish season.
Anyway, I am also in the middleof drafting book two before it
goes off to beta readers, andthen of course off to my editor
after I fix that to start thetreacherous rounds and rounds
and rounds of edits.
(03:04):
So it's kind of funny because Ifeel like many authors lately,
like I don't know, just somethat I follow on Instagram or
even some that I've talked to oranything like that.
I feel like they've all justsaid how much they hate
drafting, but to be honest, Ilove a blank page.
It is all fun and games, and youcan literally do anything that
(03:26):
you want.
It doesn't matter.
You don't even have to secondguess anything because that's
what edits are for.
When you get to edits, you'regoing to question all your life
choices and you're gonna feellike your book is absolute
garbage.
But in the drafting process, itis all fun and games, and you
could just type, type, type awayand do whatever you want.
(03:47):
But anyway, while I was editingbook one, I think I shed like
more than a few tears like whileat my keyboard.
I it was it was bad.
I was I was not having a goodtime.
Unfortunately, um, it ended uphoning the story that I wanted
to tell, and it's made me abetter writer and possibly a
(04:09):
better person because I feellike I learned how to persevere
through like one of the mostdifficult things I've ever done.
Uh so anyway, all that to say isthat editing is a lot for me and
it is not my favorite.
So I am soaking up every momentin the drafting phase right now.
Um, and yeah, drafting is goingreally well, and I am just
having a blast.
(04:29):
And yeah, I am writing away.
I am going faster than I thoughtI could, and I'm writing more
words at one time than Idefinitely was the first time.
So I feel like I'm definitelygetting better and I'm writing
quicker, and I like where mystory's going, I like where my
characters are taking me.
Anyway, it's going great.
So I am just enjoying that.
So, anyway, between podcastediting and squeezing and
(04:52):
writing every second and everyspare minute, and of course my
full-time job, uh, that thething that's always gonna fall
to the wayside when I havereally busy periods in both of
those is reading.
So, yet again, that's kind ofwhy this is a slightly lighter
episode.
But I did want to warn you, mostof this episode is it's almost
exclusively hockey romance.
(05:14):
And I was doing research for thehockey romance episode that you
just listened to, and I gotmyself on this hockey track that
I couldn't get myself off of, tobe honest.
I did want to make sure torecommend a couple non-hockey
sports romance books to kind ofround it out about here.
And I do talk about what I'mcurrently reading, which one of
them is not hockey, so I it'snot all hockey, but it is a
(05:35):
majority hockey.
I am so sorry, that is just howthis turned out.
But I would say that sportsromance is probably my favorite
sub-genre of contemporaryromance.
Is it always the most realisticto the sport?
No, no, it's not, but it's sofun, it's action-packed, and I
just feel like I'm getting moreFaceTime in the male main
(05:55):
character's point of view withthe variety of communication
between him and his teammates,whether that's in practices,
whether that's like duringpractices or games, or some of
the group chats that they haveand group text, or sometimes
it's just like a quick littletalk in the locker room.
So because I get morecommunication, I just feel like
the team seems more like afamily than maybe some of the
(06:18):
MMCs and like the other books,and they're all closer to each
other.
So therefore, I'm just rootingfor the other characters in the
series, and I feel like I havemore enthusiasm to like pick up
the next book.
So I think that's ultimatelykind of why I enjoy sports
romance.
But my picks, okay, so I'm gonnagive you a little bit of
football and just a hint ofbaseball, so that way it's it's
(06:39):
not all hockey.
So my picks for football romancetwo are, and you've heard me
talk about these before, but I'mgonna talk about them again, are
the playbook series by AlexaMartin and then the cheat sheet
by Sarah Adams.
So again, Alexa Martin, I I'vesaid it before, but I need to
say this needs to be saidbecause it really does help
(07:00):
round out why I love uh thisparticular series.
So if you're looking forsomething that's a little bit
more realistic and footballheavy, you're gonna want to go
with the playbook series byAlexa Martin because Alexa
wasn't an FL wife, married toDerek, who was a safety for the
Ravens.
And the reason that I point thisout is because, like I said, if
you are a true football fan, ifyou're looking more for like
(07:22):
accuracy, then this series isgoing to be for you.
Because not only does it includeAlexa's writing style, which it
just always makes me laugh.
It's so fun and it's so snappy,and she always has a lot of like
references to pop culture, whichare just really fun and they
just make it a good time.
But this is definitely one ofthe more realistic takes.
(07:42):
So, for example, there's liketalk about the significant
others helping with pregamerituals, and then there's the
whole like divide between thewives and the girlfriends that
is explored in the books, andthen of course, like all of the
things that are required of thewives and the girlfriends, and
all the things they help withand do behind the scenes that
(08:04):
you may not hear about um nothaving like gone through it, so
you kind of get more of afirsthand account on that.
And and then also I thought itwas really cool how um all of
the wives and girlfriends orwags, whatever.
I mean, I know they're calledwags, but uh there's just so
many abbreviations of thisepisode.
I was trying to lessen that.
But anyway, so the WAGs all haveESPN updates on their phones,
(08:27):
and so sometimes, like in thebooks, things would break before
they could talk to their partnerbecause they're like keeping up
with things in real time, um,and all their phones would go
off at the same time and theywould be like, oh no, what's
happening?
So anyway, I thought that wasreally cool.
Um, and it's just a great seriesand it's really fun.
And if you're not like a huge,huge football fan, I still think
(08:48):
you would enjoy the series.
But if you are looking forsomething that's a little bit
more realistic, then I thinkthat this one is for you.
On the other end of thatspectrum, a little bit, the
cheat sheet by Sarah Adams, Iwould definitely classify this
as maybe more of a romance witha hint of football.
And it's cheesy, it's funny,it's and it's somewhat like
(09:08):
goofy.
And I I just I laughed the wholeway through.
And I've listened to this onaudiobook, I've read it.
It's just one of my favoriteSarah Adams books.
And honestly, I kind of love howlike unserious this book is, and
Nathan and Brie are justabsolutely adorable.
They get into this like fakedating arrangement after a
journalist records what Briethinks is a private private
(09:31):
moment, and Nathan he isdetermined to use the fake
dating to convince his childhoodbest friend Brie to make it
real, and he ends up enlistingthe help of the entire team, and
it's just so cute.
Uh, also, the rule book is likethe companion novel to this, and
it is also included in thisseries.
So if you wanted a follow-up,once you fall in love with the
(09:54):
characters, which you will, thenthe rule book is also an option.
Um, I do, I would like to pointout that I still think Jamal
should have gotten his own book.
I'm just saying I will not letit go.
I will not let it go.
I love Jamal.
He's like one of my favorites.
I mean, I love Nathan, but Ialso love Jamal.
And he just, I wanted him to gethis own book.
(10:17):
A novella, anything, Sarah.
Please give me an extended scenewith Jamal.
I will take anything.
Anyway, he was my favoritecharacter, and I am still sad
that he did not get his ownbook, novella, or exclusive
scene.
I I would have taken, honestly,any of those.
Um, oh, and also I did want topoint out so the playbook series
(10:39):
is open door, the cheat sheet isclosed door, and then the
companion book, the rule book,is um open door, but it has
modifications in the author'snote.
So throwing all that out there,uh, just so that way you know as
well.
Also, because you know, can'talways talk about football,
going with baseball before weget into all of the hockey.
(11:02):
Um, okay, so for baseball, Ireally enjoyed The Art of
Catching Feelings by AliciaThompson.
And for me, this is justmiscommunication done in the
most like out there fun way.
Like, I don't even really likemiscommunication, but if you're
gonna do it, do it like AliciaThompson does it.
She just is so great.
And anyway, um, it's about it'sthat book, I've talked about
(11:24):
this before, where she gets adivorce um and her husband
really wanted the baseballtickets, so she takes them from
him.
So Daphne is like, I'm gonnatake those baseball tickets,
yes, please.
So she goes to a baseball gameknowing absolutely nothing about
baseball, she gets drunk and sheheckles a player and she ends up
making him cry.
And then whenever she goes toapologize um and DMs him, then
(11:48):
he doesn't realize that it'sher, and so they end up striking
up this conversation, and it'sit's the most like wild, fun
ride.
So anyway, I really enjoy theart of catching feelings.
I am trying to find morebaseball books, but I haven't
had that much luck finding likereally good baseball books.
So honestly, if you have anysport, I'll I'll take really any
(12:11):
sport.
Um, yeah, please, sports romancerex that you know I haven't
talked about, or even if youthink I have, go ahead and hit
that send us a text button andlet me know some sports romance
rex because yeah, I I feel likehockey, it's easy to find a lot
that are great, but I'vestruggled with some of the other
sports to find a lot.
(12:32):
And I would like to round out mypicks so that way I can
experience, you know, othersports romances that are not
hockey.
So, anyway, also before we getinto what I recently read, I did
want to say that because it'sabout that time of year where I
can shout at you to read two ofmy all-time favorite Christmas
books (12:54):
Faking Christmas by Cindy Steele and The Most Wonderful
Crime of the Year by AllieCarter.
Faking Christmas by CindySteele, two teachers who dislike
each other who have to fakedate.
What more can I say?
I love this book so much.
I listened to it on audiobooklast year, I think, and I
(13:17):
immediately purchased thephysical book and I page flagged
it up.
And this year I actually havethe special edition of Faking
Christmas.
She has like annotations in um,I think footnotes.
I don't think they're in themargins, I think they're in the
footnotes.
And she talks about like some ofher research and her process and
like kind of what was goingthrough her head whenever she
(13:39):
wrote the book, and it has areally pretty cover, and I think
it has a bonus scene.
It may not, I think it mighthave a bonus scene in there.
Anyway, I am stoked to read thespecial edition of Faking
Christmas, and I'm so glad thatI got it.
Like, that is how much Iabsolutely love this book.
I don't own that many specialeditions, but that is just what
(13:59):
happens.
And a kind of funny aside aboutspecial editions, so I was in
this local bookstore and I havea friend who is obsessed with
the Cruel Prince.
I was not the biggest fan of theCruel Prince, the first book.
I did like the other two, butthe first book wasn't my
favorite, but she is likeobsessed with it.
(14:20):
So she collects special editionsof The Cruel Prince, right?
So I see it in the bookstore andI'm like, that's what I'm
getting her for Christmas.
I buy the special edition of TheCruel Prince and I send her a
text.
I'm like, hey, do you have theone that is and I start
describing it, and she's like,oh yeah, I already have that
one.
I'm like, oh man.
So now I am the owner of aspecial edition of The Cruel
(14:42):
Prince.
And like I said, I don't evenhave that many special editions.
So it makes me laugh every timeI look at it, knowing that I
have a special edition of a bookthat I didn't even really like
that much.
But it's so pretty, and the artinside is so pretty, and it's
like velvet on the top.
Anyway, it's really cool, but ityeah.
Anyway, just saying that for meto buy a special edition, I do
(15:05):
not want to buy a second book ifI already have it.
Like, even if it's a specialedition, I don't, I don't know.
I on some level I struggle tobuy two of the same book.
So for me to buy FakingChristmas by Cindy Steele, I
just think that that says itall.
So I wanted to point that out.
And then on The Most WonderfulCrime of the Year by Allie
(15:26):
Carter, Knives Out HolidayRom-com.
What more could you want?
And that one is also really goodon audiobook or physical book.
I liked both.
Yeah, I liked both.
And on that one, I have beenbegging all my friends to read
it.
So I in our friend group, wekind of have this thing where
(15:47):
we'll be like, this is requiredreading, basically, like for
everyone else.
Like, I love this so much thatthis is required reading.
So I think every one of myfriends has um required reading,
and we're trying, we're likemaking our way through.
Um, and so the most wonderfulcrime of the year is definitely
required reading in my friendgroup.
And so I was with my friend at abookstore and I held up that
(16:10):
book, um, and I just like didn'tsay anything, and I just held it
up to her, and I just smiled andshe was like, fine, I will get
it, I will get a copy.
So, anyway, she did.
So she can thank me later.
So, just so you know, I do I amas loud about the books that I
talk about on this podcast inreal life as well.
I I really love these two.
(16:32):
So, if you need a Christmasbook, The Most Wonderful Crime
of the Year by Ellie Carter andFaking Christmas by Cindy
Steele, you're welcome.
They're all fantastic.
Anyway, on to the books I haverecently read.
First up.
First up, we have Unbound byPeyton Corinne.
So this is an arc, and this bookcomes out April 7th, I believe,
(16:53):
of 2026.
This is romance, this is opendoor, and this is a part of the
Undone series.
Unsteady is the first book,Unloved is a second book, and
this is Unbound the third book.
Okay, so I got an arc of thisbook, which by the way, is one
(17:13):
of my most anticipated reads of2026.
So I was absolutely stoked.
I will say on the rating scale,I liked it.
I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go intodetail.
You have heard me wax poeticabout unsteady and unloved.
I do not shut up about thosebooks.
They're so good.
And this is, like I said, thisbook three, a four.
(17:35):
Um, I know she said there arefour books in the series.
She's working on Torin's bookright now.
So this book, Unbound, isBennett and Paloma's story.
And then book four, she'salready said, is gonna be Torrin
and a character that you'regonna meet in Unbound.
I didn't want to ruin it bysaying her name because I wanted
(17:56):
that to be something that youcome across in Unbound.
So, book four, we do know willbe Torin and an unidentified
character.
That I am, I'm just not gonnaspoil that for you.
But you will meet said characterin Unbound based on everything
she's posted.
Okay, so I'm gonna get into mythoughts, what Unbound is about,
(18:19):
all that stuff in a minute, butI'm also going to do a little
bit of a deep dive too after umof this kind of theory that I
have.
And my friend also got an arc ofthis book, and we have talked
about it, and we're pretty surethat we're right.
But we don't know.
This is all just us liketheorizing.
So I'll give you a summary ofwhat we're kind of thinking is
(18:41):
going on here.
But anyway, so this book,Unbound by Peyton Corinne.
This was the uh emotionalequivalent of being hit by a
bus, but Peyton warned us thatthis was her angstiest book yet.
I do think, based on what shesaid, that she is going to
surpass it with book four, andbook four will be her like
(19:02):
angstiest, saddest book yet.
But I yeah, she definitely meantit when she said that.
Um, and yeah, I do think thatbook four is gonna be even more
emotionally devastating.
So bring it on, Peyton.
Bring it on.
That's her books are fantastic,so I I'm here for it, but just
you gotta be here for it with apack of tissues, is the whole
(19:23):
thing.
So Bennett, he is having familyissues, and he's seeing what
feels like the entire hockeyhouse with their girlfriends,
and that just makes the chasm ofhis loneliness feel really vast.
And add into that the perfectrecipe with his OCD and his
(19:46):
anxiety, and it just really setsup for the heartbreak that
weighs heavy throughout almostthe entire story.
There is an undercurrent ofheartbreak the entire time.
So he's been in love with PalomaBlake since freshman year when
they actually secretly dated,and he will drop anything and
(20:08):
everything for any speck of herattention.
And honestly, Paloma is notfaring any better here.
She has deep set trauma,distrust, and she is determined
to punish herself any chance shegets.
So she basically beats herselfup emotionally and uh is
(20:28):
completely convinced that she isnot worthy of Bennett, even
though she is also still in lovewith him.
Will they be able to workthrough the past to have a
future?
You are going to have to readand find out in April of 2026.
So this is the saddest,spiciest, angstiest book in the
(20:51):
undone series.
And for me, it kind of feelssimilar to how Beg, borrow, or
steal by Sarah Adams was in theRome Kentucky series, because,
or is it Win and Rome series?
The practice makes perfect, Winand Rome like those.
Um, but anyway, I think it'scalled Rome Kentucky.
(21:11):
Now I'm blanking.
Anyway, you know what I'mtalking about.
So I feel like it's similar tothat, uh, to Beg, Borrow, or
Steal, in the fact that it'skind of a little bit of a series
outlier, and it has a completelydifferent feel than the other
books.
So like it's still in theseries, but it just feels
different.
And for me, Beg, Barrow, orSteal by Sarah Adams felt
different than the rest of thebooks in the series.
(21:33):
And I think that Unbound feelsdifferent than Unsteady and
Unloved, and it has thiscompletely different cover,
which uh my friend was talkingabout made a good point that she
thinks it matches because ofkind of the way that this book
kind of sets itself apart fromthe rest of the series, even
though it is technicallyincluded in it.
So, anyway, just throwing thatout there is that if you're
(21:56):
expecting, you know, unsteady orunlove squared, that's not what
you're gonna get.
This book has a different feelto it.
And I think if I I'm trying toput this into words without like
spoiling things, so it's kind ofhard.
But I think what put the otherbooks for me in the loved it
category is that yes, they arestill full of emotional depth
(22:18):
and character growth, but likein Unsteady, you have the
playlist sharing and the meetingup for the ice time, and it kind
of like broke up some of thedevastating parts because you
have, you know, other thingsthat they're doing, so it's
like, yeah, they're devastated,but you're not hearing about
that the entire book.
And kind of the same withUnloved, like you have the
(22:38):
tutoring sessions and the hockeygames that kind of broke up some
of the heavy parts.
However, with Unbound, I feellike all of that is just
stripped down, and we're prettymuch left with a book of just
the heavy stuff.
So this book is extremely heavy,and it's a dual timeline, so you
(23:00):
get to see their relationshipfreshman year, and then you also
see them in present day, and itconstantly uh goes back and
forth.
And for me, the timing of thechapters, because sometimes
okay, so the timing of thechapters would kind of take away
for me some of the momentum ofthe pacing.
(23:22):
So for example, and again, I'mgiving you a very broad example
so as not to spoil, um, butthere would be several like past
chapters in a row, like freshmanyear, freshman year, freshman
year, and then it would jump tothe present, and it was almost
kind of slightly jarring becausewe would spend like so much time
in the past.
Um, and there's another examplethat I'm specifically thinking
(23:43):
of on the pacing that kind ofthrew me off a little bit, but I
can't spoil it, so I can't talkabout it with you.
So, anyway, I did like the book.
It is just very emotionallydevastating.
Um, it is very stripped down.
There is not the emotionaldevastation takes center stage.
So just know that going in.
(24:05):
Like this is going to be areally heavy book, so just make
sure that you're in the mindsetto read it, and I think you will
enjoy it.
But if you're expecting Unsteadyor Unlove Squared, then this may
not be for you.
I would still suggest reading itbecause I think you really need
this book to tie in the rest ofthe series and where book four
is gonna go, because I thinkbook four is gonna continue to
(24:27):
kind of take a slightlydifferent direction than books
one and two.
So I think this is almost kindof like a bridge book that
you're gonna need to get to bookfour.
So I would recommend reading it,but I'm just letting you know uh
that it is very different fromthe other books in the series.
Okay, so deep dive time.
Are you ready?
(24:47):
So I will also make thisspoiler-free, so it's kind of
gonna sound a little bit vague,but that's because I don't want
to spoil this for you.
So, based on the language inmultiple instances in this
particular book, I'm wonderingif it's more of an MMF romance.
(25:09):
Uh, book four for book four,Torrence book.
I don't know this for sure, butthis is purely a conjecture, but
it seems like it's leaning MMF.
If this is the case, I mean Ihave to read Torrent's book
because I've been lookingforward to it, but I will be
skipping the spice scenes, so Iwill not be able to give you a
(25:32):
review on any of the overallspiciness of the book, and I
will not be able to compare themto the other series because I I
I can't.
I can't.
That goes beyond my spice level.
I I can't.
So, um, I will still read thebook, but we'll just skip those
scenes.
So just just throwing that outthere, but I do think it is
(25:53):
leaning, I think it's leaningthat way.
So, okay.
This is yeah, we were me and myfriend were having this
conversation.
We're like, I think it might beleaning this way.
Anyway, um the other thingthat's kind of confusing, and I
don't know if Peyton's trying tothrow us a curveball or what?
I can't tell.
(26:14):
I can't tell.
So I'm very excited to find out.
I'm I'm really excited to findout.
So anyway, on her Instagram, andyes, if you haven't been able to
tell by this, I I follow her onthreads, I follow her on
Instagram, so I'm reading all ofher updates um and all the
little teasers and clues thatshe kind of gives on current
books, future books, all thatstuff.
(26:34):
So I'm very into this series.
Um, again, I think that Peyton'sa genius.
So of course I'm gonna followher and I'm gonna analyze every
little like hint and stuffbecause she'll put maybe like a
little quote here or a hinthere.
And so anyway, I I couldn't evenfind it to go back and find this
post again.
I don't know why I couldn't findit, but I know I saw it.
So at some point she made thispost.
I I wonder if she took it downor maybe I just couldn't find
(26:56):
it.
Anyway, um, she had the heightsof the characters, and it was
the like MMC versus the FMC.
And so the last one is clearlytorn because it's book four, and
he was something ridiculous.
Like, I don't know, he was 6'5or up.
So I don't know.
He was some he was really,really tall.
(27:16):
Anyway, he was super tall, andthen the FMC is 4'11, so that is
how I got my clue of who I thinkthe FMC is in book four, and it
makes sense based on like howthey interacted with each other,
but that was my first liketelling clue, kind of my alarm
bells ringing of who I thinkthat's going to be.
(27:37):
So anyway, she is 411.
So, and it it was clearly, yeah,it had height of Torin and then
her.
So that makes it seem like it'sruling out the MMF part and it's
just going to be traditional MMCand FMC.
(27:57):
But maybe it is FMC and MMC, butmaybe that's where some of the
trauma comes in.
Like it, you know, it starts outMMF and then it ends up FMC and
MMC.
I I don't I don't know.
Is is that like the trauma ofthem trying to figure it out and
then who ends up together?
(28:17):
Cause wait a minute.
Oh no.
Now I'm thinking about this toohard.
Um now I'm like, wait a minute,is was that Torrin's height or
was that well she keeps sayingit's Torin's book, so I assumed
that was Torin's height.
So I'm assuming that he's gonnaend up with someone.
Oh no, no, I don't know.
(28:39):
I don't know.
I don't know.
Anyway, um, I feel like now I'vetheorized this too much to where
I am I more confused?
Maybe.
Maybe I am, but ultimately, Ihave no idea where she's going
with this, but I appreciate hermarketing acumen to keep us in
the dark, keep me guessing,because honestly, it's kind of
(29:00):
driving me crazy, and I feellike I'm thinking about it way
too much, which is exactly whatI should be doing for her
series.
So congrats to Peyton on amazingmarketing because I this I want
to know so bad.
And I'll have to wait a whilebecause I know that she's in
edits with this book because sheposted that she was in edits
with book four, Torrent's book.
(29:21):
So I don't know how the seriesis gonna end.
Obviously, I'm here for theride, and I will continue to
follow it and continue to followPeyton and whatever series she
writes after that.
Again, Peyton's anauto-by-author.
If she writes it, I'm gonna readit.
That is Unbound.
I know that was really long, butI had I had to.
(29:41):
I had to.
And oh, I forgot to say, yeah, Isaid Unbound was the spiciest
book.
It is very spicy.
It is like I don't I don't knowthat it was quite as spicy as
Deepened by Allie Hazelwood, butit was along those lines.
So there you go.
Anyway, moving on.
(30:02):
Next book that I recently readis Just Don't Fall by Emma St.
Clair.
This is contemporary romance,uh, this is hockey romance, and
it is closed door.
So, going on different spectrumhere, read a closed door.
Okay, this series.
Me and this series, I have alittle bit of a history with it.
So I've heard nothing but ravereviews from the series, and I
(30:26):
know that I am so late to theparty.
I feel like everyone has readit, and I am just so late.
But every time I looked up theseries, I got really confused.
So here's a little bit ofbackground to just kind of
explain what I think I figuredout from reading the series and
looking into it more.
(30:47):
So basically, it's the Appyseries.
Technically, this is the Appyseries, but a okay, here let me.
Emma St.
Clair and Jenny Proctor writebooks in the series.
So some books are from oneauthor, Emma St.
Clair, and some are from JennyProctor, but they are still in
the same series.
(31:07):
So this book, Just Don't Fall,is technically book one in the
Appy series, which is the nameof the hockey team.
They're called the Appies, but afew of the books in the Appy
series are also fall themed andtechnically in the Sweater
Weather series.
So personally, I am reading themin the order of the Appy series,
(31:29):
which covers different membersof the hockey team.
So instead of reading it in theorder of the Sweater Weather
series, I'm reading it in theorder of the Appy series.
So I just wanted to point thatout.
So the fact that there were twodifferent authors and the fact
that it was kind of likeinterconnected in two different
series, I was just so confusedwhat book to start with that I
(31:50):
just didn't start.
So now that I did, I am so gladthat I started the series
because I am loving it.
Amazing.
I was smiling and I was gigglingas soon as I turned on the
audiobook, which was so welldone, by the way.
I love calling out a goodaudiobook, and this was great.
(32:10):
So in this book, Parker has hada longtime crush on her
brother's best friend Logan, andeven though he basically left
them out of the blue and cutties, kind of around the time
his hockey career took off, shestill kind of holds a candle for
him.
Logan has been in the NHL, andafter an injury and incident
(32:31):
with a fan, a double ammy, hegets demoted to an AHL team
called the Appies.
And they are known for theirdancing social media videos and
overall performance-basedpresence.
If that sounds familiar, itshould.
So the Appy's social mediamanager who catapulted them to
viral fame is none other thanParker, the female main
(32:54):
character.
So when Logan and Parkerreunite, they both have their
guards up.
However, a scenario thatrequires fake dating ensues, and
they have to grapple with thenot so fake feelings that are
steadily growing between thepair.
And this book, it was so sweet,it was so fun, it was so unique,
(33:15):
and I I fell in love with theteam.
The appies are great.
And this is just another bookthat proves that closed door
hockey romance can pack the samepunch as an open door hockey
romance.
And I just love either one, opendoor or closed door.
I like them both, but sometimesit can be hard to find closed
door books that you feel likepack the same kind of punch.
(33:37):
That is really well done, and Ienjoyed a lot.
So highly recommend Just Don'tFall by Emma St.
Clair.
And of course, that led me tothe second book in the Appy
series, which is Absolutely Notin Love by Ginny Proctor.
So this is covering anothermember of the team, and it is
Felix.
(33:58):
He is the kind of shy,introverted goalie, and he ends
up falling for his neighbor, andher name is Gracie, and she uh
plays the cello in a symphony,and she teaches music at the
middle school level.
Yes, I was just trying to thinkabout that.
Yes, and so anyway, they sheGracie does not like him at
(34:22):
first, she does not like hockeyplayers, she does not date
hockey players.
You will find out why.
And it takes a while for youknow Felix to wear down her um
resistance and show her what anamazing guy he is and their
neighbors, so there's a lot offorced proximity in this one,
and I did really like this one.
(34:43):
Um, I I just I loved the firstbook in the series, and I liked
this book, so it wasn't was notbad by any means.
Oh my gosh, no, they were great.
It's just I loved the firstbook, and I really enjoyed the
second book, but the first bookwas my favorite, and I think I'm
in the middle.
I'll I'm okay, I'll skip arounda little bit.
(35:03):
I'm in the middle of A Groom ofOne's Own by Emma St.
Clair, because the third book isby Emma St.
Clair, and that is a marriage ofconvenience story, and I think
I'm getting close to like 25%through that.
Uh, I'm currently listening tothe audiobook, and it is so, so
good.
It is so good.
(35:24):
Anyway, with that one, I thinkwhat I've determined now being
on the third book of the Appyseries, is that I think I
slightly, ever so slightly, uhlean towards Emma St.
Clair's writing style a littlebit more, but I do still like
Jenny's writing style and Ienjoy all of the books in the
Appy series, but I think I favorEmma's just a teeny tiny bit
(35:46):
more.
So I am really listeningenjoying listening to that.
Last book that I'm gonna talkabout before I tell you the
other book that I'm currentlyreading, because I'm currently
reading a Christmas book, so Ihad to tell you about it because
I just started it today, but abook that I absolutely loved,
you heard me talk about it inthe hockey episode is Fake
Skating by Lynn Painter.
So this book, oh, and if I didnot, yeah, if I didn't say
(36:08):
specifically, the Appy serieshas been closed door so far, all
of them have been closed door.
Um, and then with Fake Skatingby Lynn Painter, this is a young
adult romance and it is closeddoor.
Um, there are a few intense-ishkind of makeout scenes, but it
is it is still closed door.
And with Lynn Painter's books,uh, again, they are YA.
(36:31):
They do tend to have a decentamount of cussing in them.
Um, so I feel like because ofthat, or just something about
her writing style, or maybe it'sbecause Lynn just puts a lot of
like music references orsomething.
I don't know.
There's something about herbooks that they don't really
feel super YA.
And so I I've just heard of morepeople that don't typically read
(36:56):
YA really enjoying LynnPainter's books, um, her YA
books.
So if you typically don't likeYA, you may still give Lynn
Painters YA a chance becausethey just they don't feel super
YA-ish, if that makes sense.
Um, so anyway, just throwingthat out there.
But fake skating is so cute, andit's fake skating because it's a
(37:17):
fake dating, and there's skatingbecause it's hockey, and anyway,
it is super cute, it's twochildhood friends.
You know, she moves back intotown, and he is not super happy
at first because theirfriendship took a really abrupt
turn several years ago, and itis ultimately uh they blame each
(37:40):
other, and they I'm trying tothink of the way to say it, they
kind of blame each other for it.
Um, and so they're both a littlebit frustrated when they first
get there.
Uh, it's not all roses anddaisies, and they kind of have
to work through their feelings,and then there is an opportunity
to fake date, and so that thatends up happening too.
(38:00):
And I do think that fake skatingis like my new favorite Lynn
Painter, which I know I've readbetter than the movies and
nothing like the movies, so Iknow that's a tall order putting
it ahead of those, but I just Iloved fake skating, it was so
cute, it was so cute.
So, anyway, fake skating was sofun.
I read it so quickly, Iabsolutely loved it, and that
(38:23):
was by Lynn Painter, so I wouldhighly, highly, highly recommend
checking out that book.
Last up, what I am currentlyreading, my two focuses are like
I said, I was listening to thethird book in the Appy series, A
Groom of One's Own by Emma St.
Clair.
And then on my Kindle, I amreading Since We've No Place to
(38:43):
Go by Kate Watson.
And okay, so I told you how Iwas trying to find the perfect
book, and I DNF'd that book like170 pages in.
Well, my friend Mac or Michaela,who has also been on before, um,
she like our book taste is sosimilar.
I think I've talked about thisbefore.
I think I might have talkedabout this several times, but
(39:04):
anyway, our book taste is soridiculously similar that when
she gave me a recommendation forthis book since I had seen it,
and I think I asked her aboutit, and she was like, I loved
it.
I should have just taken that.
I shouldn't have even tried, butI was like, ah, I have books on
my shelves, and that one's on myKindle, and like let me read a
book that's on my shelf insteadthat I have a physical copy of.
(39:25):
And that was just the wrongmove.
I should have just gone with thebook that she recommended in the
first place and just startedthere to fill out this episode,
and I probably would havealready had it done by now.
But anyway, that's neither herenor there.
So currently I am very early on,but I am reading since we've no
place to go, and it is so goodso far.
(39:46):
Again, Mac wins.
I have not had a book that shehas recommended to me that I
have not liked.
So it should just be the Macgives me book recs for an entire
episode content or somethingbecause she is great with her
book recs, um, and I reallytrust her opinion, and it is yet
(40:06):
again proving right.
And this book has baseball init.
It does.
Anyway, it is so funny.
The banter's really cute, andum, this book is going to be
closed door.
I'm really enjoying it so far.
Like I said, the banter is verycute, and I feel like it's just
fun, it's Christmassy, and ithas some baseball tied into it,
(40:27):
and I I can't wait to see whereit's gonna go.
And of course, whatever readingrecap comes next, eventually,
eventually, somewhere, somehow,some way, I will update you on
my thoughts on the book wheneverI'm done with it.
But since we've no place to go,it has captured my attention
from the jump.
It is really funny and reallygreat, and I also trust Mac's
(40:48):
book taste, so I'm going to justmake the claim that I am sure it
is going to be a fantastic book.
So I would check it out if Iwere you.
Don't trust my recommendation.
Trust Max recommendation.
So, anyway, uh that is it fortoday.
I gave you a bunch of book recs,as per usual.
Coming up soon are a bunch ofauthor interviews.
(41:10):
I hope you enjoy, and I reallyenjoy getting to talk to all of
the authors.
I enjoy all the guests that Ihave on, uh, whether it's
friends that I get to talk to,authors, or if it's just me
doing an episode like this withthe reading recap.
So, anyway, that is it for todayon Where I Left Off, a Bookish
Podcast.
I will see you next time.
Welcome back.
I'm Kristen Balls, and you arelistening to Where I Left Off, a
Bookish Podcast.
And as funny as it is, today isanother reading recap because I
am actually in between episodes.
So here's kind of your update.
I have a bunch of authorepisodes coming up, and I knew
that this was a chance to beable to squeeze in at least one
(00:29):
last reading recap for the yearbefore I post all of those
author interviews.
And not to say that maybe Iwouldn't have a Christmas
reading recap, but I don't knowif I will get to it.
I don't know that that's goingto work out.
So I wanted to guarantee thatyou at least got one more
reading recap for the year fromme.
And so that is what today'sepisode is.
(00:50):
My only problem is, as far asreading goes, is that I've been
reading the books for thosespecific authors.
And I don't typically reviewbooks when I'm going to be
interviewing that specificauthor.
I read the book as research forthat author's episode, but I'm
not going on a reading recap andtalking about that book,
basically.
So because of that, I've beenreading those books and it
(01:14):
hasn't left a lot of room forother books.
And also, I think I might havekind of a like curse of sorts.
And basically, uh whenever Ispecifically try to do
something.
So for example, if I amspecifically trying to find a
list of my favorite Christmasbooks, or oh my gosh, don't even
(01:36):
get me started about like a yearago.
Whenever I tried to come up withthe list of like my favorite
fall books, I could not find agood fall book to save my life.
I didn't like any of thembecause I was trying to find
some to put on a list.
Same with this.
I was like, I would just love toreally round out this episode
with like one or two, like oneor two more really good books.
(01:59):
And I just DNF'd a book 170pages in.
That is where we are, because Isaid I needed to fill in this
episode.
So because of that, uh, I it's alittle bit on the lighter side
because I haven't had as muchtime to read uh other books that
are not for specific episodes.
So anyway, um I just wanted tolet you know that this is a
(02:21):
slightly lighter reading recapepisode, maybe than some of the
others, uh, because I didn't doone that long ago.
So yes, but I do have an arcthat I got and some books that I
am very excited to tell youabout.
Also, another reason why I havenot been reading as much, of
course, we all go in thoseperiods of time where we don't
read as much.
It's kind of chaos right nowwith like the Thanksgiving kind
(02:44):
of holiday-ish season.
Anyway, I am also in the middleof drafting book two before it
goes off to beta readers, andthen of course off to my editor
after I fix that to start thetreacherous rounds and rounds
and rounds of edits.
(03:04):
So it's kind of funny because Ifeel like many authors lately,
like I don't know, just somethat I follow on Instagram or
even some that I've talked to oranything like that.
I feel like they've all justsaid how much they hate
drafting, but to be honest, Ilove a blank page.
It is all fun and games, and youcan literally do anything that
(03:26):
you want.
It doesn't matter.
You don't even have to secondguess anything because that's
what edits are for.
When you get to edits, you'regoing to question all your life
choices and you're gonna feellike your book is absolute
garbage.
But in the drafting process, itis all fun and games, and you
could just type, type, type awayand do whatever you want.
(03:47):
But anyway, while I was editingbook one, I think I shed like
more than a few tears like whileat my keyboard.
I it was it was bad.
I was I was not having a goodtime.
Unfortunately, um, it ended uphoning the story that I wanted
to tell, and it's made me abetter writer and possibly a
(04:09):
better person because I feellike I learned how to persevere
through like one of the mostdifficult things I've ever done.
Uh so anyway, all that to say isthat editing is a lot for me and
it is not my favorite.
So I am soaking up every momentin the drafting phase right now.
Um, and yeah, drafting is goingreally well, and I am just
having a blast.
(04:29):
And yeah, I am writing away.
I am going faster than I thoughtI could, and I'm writing more
words at one time than Idefinitely was the first time.
So I feel like I'm definitelygetting better and I'm writing
quicker, and I like where mystory's going, I like where my
characters are taking me.
Anyway, it's going great.
So I am just enjoying that.
So, anyway, between podcastediting and squeezing and
(04:52):
writing every second and everyspare minute, and of course my
full-time job, uh, that thething that's always gonna fall
to the wayside when I havereally busy periods in both of
those is reading.
So, yet again, that's kind ofwhy this is a slightly lighter
episode.
But I did want to warn you, mostof this episode is it's almost
exclusively hockey romance.
(05:14):
And I was doing research for thehockey romance episode that you
just listened to, and I gotmyself on this hockey track that
I couldn't get myself off of, tobe honest.
I did want to make sure torecommend a couple non-hockey
sports romance books to kind ofround it out about here.
And I do talk about what I'mcurrently reading, which one of
them is not hockey, so I it'snot all hockey, but it is a
(05:35):
majority hockey.
I am so sorry, that is just howthis turned out.
But I would say that sportsromance is probably my favorite
sub-genre of contemporaryromance.
Is it always the most realisticto the sport?
No, no, it's not, but it's sofun, it's action-packed, and I
just feel like I'm getting moreFaceTime in the male main
(05:55):
character's point of view withthe variety of communication
between him and his teammates,whether that's in practices,
whether that's like duringpractices or games, or some of
the group chats that they haveand group text, or sometimes
it's just like a quick littletalk in the locker room.
So because I get morecommunication, I just feel like
the team seems more like afamily than maybe some of the
(06:18):
MMCs and like the other books,and they're all closer to each
other.
So therefore, I'm just rootingfor the other characters in the
series, and I feel like I havemore enthusiasm to like pick up
the next book.
So I think that's ultimatelykind of why I enjoy sports
romance.
But my picks, okay, so I'm gonnagive you a little bit of
football and just a hint ofbaseball, so that way it's it's
(06:39):
not all hockey.
So my picks for football romancetwo are, and you've heard me
talk about these before, but I'mgonna talk about them again, are
the playbook series by AlexaMartin and then the cheat sheet
by Sarah Adams.
So again, Alexa Martin, I I'vesaid it before, but I need to
say this needs to be saidbecause it really does help
(07:00):
round out why I love uh thisparticular series.
So if you're looking forsomething that's a little bit
more realistic and footballheavy, you're gonna want to go
with the playbook series byAlexa Martin because Alexa
wasn't an FL wife, married toDerek, who was a safety for the
Ravens.
And the reason that I point thisout is because, like I said, if
you are a true football fan, ifyou're looking more for like
(07:22):
accuracy, then this series isgoing to be for you.
Because not only does it includeAlexa's writing style, which it
just always makes me laugh.
It's so fun and it's so snappy,and she always has a lot of like
references to pop culture, whichare just really fun and they
just make it a good time.
But this is definitely one ofthe more realistic takes.
(07:42):
So, for example, there's liketalk about the significant
others helping with pregamerituals, and then there's the
whole like divide between thewives and the girlfriends that
is explored in the books, andthen of course, like all of the
things that are required of thewives and the girlfriends, and
all the things they help withand do behind the scenes that
(08:04):
you may not hear about um nothaving like gone through it, so
you kind of get more of afirsthand account on that.
And and then also I thought itwas really cool how um all of
the wives and girlfriends orwags, whatever.
I mean, I know they're calledwags, but uh there's just so
many abbreviations of thisepisode.
I was trying to lessen that.
But anyway, so the WAGs all haveESPN updates on their phones,
(08:27):
and so sometimes, like in thebooks, things would break before
they could talk to their partnerbecause they're like keeping up
with things in real time, um,and all their phones would go
off at the same time and theywould be like, oh no, what's
happening?
So anyway, I thought that wasreally cool.
Um, and it's just a great seriesand it's really fun.
And if you're not like a huge,huge football fan, I still think
(08:48):
you would enjoy the series.
But if you are looking forsomething that's a little bit
more realistic, then I thinkthat this one is for you.
On the other end of thatspectrum, a little bit, the
cheat sheet by Sarah Adams, Iwould definitely classify this
as maybe more of a romance witha hint of football.
And it's cheesy, it's funny,it's and it's somewhat like
(09:08):
goofy.
And I I just I laughed the wholeway through.
And I've listened to this onaudiobook, I've read it.
It's just one of my favoriteSarah Adams books.
And honestly, I kind of love howlike unserious this book is, and
Nathan and Brie are justabsolutely adorable.
They get into this like fakedating arrangement after a
journalist records what Briethinks is a private private
(09:31):
moment, and Nathan he isdetermined to use the fake
dating to convince his childhoodbest friend Brie to make it
real, and he ends up enlistingthe help of the entire team, and
it's just so cute.
Uh, also, the rule book is likethe companion novel to this, and
it is also included in thisseries.
So if you wanted a follow-up,once you fall in love with the
(09:54):
characters, which you will, thenthe rule book is also an option.
Um, I do, I would like to pointout that I still think Jamal
should have gotten his own book.
I'm just saying I will not letit go.
I will not let it go.
I love Jamal.
He's like one of my favorites.
I mean, I love Nathan, but Ialso love Jamal.
And he just, I wanted him to gethis own book.
(10:17):
A novella, anything, Sarah.
Please give me an extended scenewith Jamal.
I will take anything.
Anyway, he was my favoritecharacter, and I am still sad
that he did not get his ownbook, novella, or exclusive
scene.
I I would have taken, honestly,any of those.
Um, oh, and also I did want topoint out so the playbook series
(10:39):
is open door, the cheat sheet isclosed door, and then the
companion book, the rule book,is um open door, but it has
modifications in the author'snote.
So throwing all that out there,uh, just so that way you know as
well.
Also, because you know, can'talways talk about football,
going with baseball before weget into all of the hockey.
(11:02):
Um, okay, so for baseball, Ireally enjoyed The Art of
Catching Feelings by AliciaThompson.
And for me, this is justmiscommunication done in the
most like out there fun way.
Like, I don't even really likemiscommunication, but if you're
gonna do it, do it like AliciaThompson does it.
She just is so great.
And anyway, um, it's about it'sthat book, I've talked about
(11:24):
this before, where she gets adivorce um and her husband
really wanted the baseballtickets, so she takes them from
him.
So Daphne is like, I'm gonnatake those baseball tickets,
yes, please.
So she goes to a baseball gameknowing absolutely nothing about
baseball, she gets drunk and sheheckles a player and she ends up
making him cry.
And then whenever she goes toapologize um and DMs him, then
(11:48):
he doesn't realize that it'sher, and so they end up striking
up this conversation, and it'sit's the most like wild, fun
ride.
So anyway, I really enjoy theart of catching feelings.
I am trying to find morebaseball books, but I haven't
had that much luck finding likereally good baseball books.
So honestly, if you have anysport, I'll I'll take really any
(12:11):
sport.
Um, yeah, please, sports romancerex that you know I haven't
talked about, or even if youthink I have, go ahead and hit
that send us a text button andlet me know some sports romance
rex because yeah, I I feel likehockey, it's easy to find a lot
that are great, but I'vestruggled with some of the other
sports to find a lot.
(12:32):
And I would like to round out mypicks so that way I can
experience, you know, othersports romances that are not
hockey.
So, anyway, also before we getinto what I recently read, I did
want to say that because it'sabout that time of year where I
can shout at you to read two ofmy all-time favorite Christmas
books (12:54):
Faking Christmas by Cindy Steele and The Most Wonderful
Crime of the Year by AllieCarter.
Faking Christmas by CindySteele, two teachers who dislike
each other who have to fakedate.
What more can I say?
I love this book so much.
I listened to it on audiobooklast year, I think, and I
(13:17):
immediately purchased thephysical book and I page flagged
it up.
And this year I actually havethe special edition of Faking
Christmas.
She has like annotations in um,I think footnotes.
I don't think they're in themargins, I think they're in the
footnotes.
And she talks about like some ofher research and her process and
like kind of what was goingthrough her head whenever she
(13:39):
wrote the book, and it has areally pretty cover, and I think
it has a bonus scene.
It may not, I think it mighthave a bonus scene in there.
Anyway, I am stoked to read thespecial edition of Faking
Christmas, and I'm so glad thatI got it.
Like, that is how much Iabsolutely love this book.
I don't own that many specialeditions, but that is just what
(13:59):
happens.
And a kind of funny aside aboutspecial editions, so I was in
this local bookstore and I havea friend who is obsessed with
the Cruel Prince.
I was not the biggest fan of theCruel Prince, the first book.
I did like the other two, butthe first book wasn't my
favorite, but she is likeobsessed with it.
(14:20):
So she collects special editionsof The Cruel Prince, right?
So I see it in the bookstore andI'm like, that's what I'm
getting her for Christmas.
I buy the special edition of TheCruel Prince and I send her a
text.
I'm like, hey, do you have theone that is and I start
describing it, and she's like,oh yeah, I already have that
one.
I'm like, oh man.
So now I am the owner of aspecial edition of The Cruel
(14:42):
Prince.
And like I said, I don't evenhave that many special editions.
So it makes me laugh every timeI look at it, knowing that I
have a special edition of a bookthat I didn't even really like
that much.
But it's so pretty, and the artinside is so pretty, and it's
like velvet on the top.
Anyway, it's really cool, but ityeah.
Anyway, just saying that for meto buy a special edition, I do
(15:05):
not want to buy a second book ifI already have it.
Like, even if it's a specialedition, I don't, I don't know.
I on some level I struggle tobuy two of the same book.
So for me to buy FakingChristmas by Cindy Steele, I
just think that that says itall.
So I wanted to point that out.
And then on The Most WonderfulCrime of the Year by Allie
(15:26):
Carter, Knives Out HolidayRom-com.
What more could you want?
And that one is also really goodon audiobook or physical book.
I liked both.
Yeah, I liked both.
And on that one, I have beenbegging all my friends to read
it.
So I in our friend group, wekind of have this thing where
(15:47):
we'll be like, this is requiredreading, basically, like for
everyone else.
Like, I love this so much thatthis is required reading.
So I think every one of myfriends has um required reading,
and we're trying, we're likemaking our way through.
Um, and so the most wonderfulcrime of the year is definitely
required reading in my friendgroup.
And so I was with my friend at abookstore and I held up that
(16:10):
book, um, and I just like didn'tsay anything, and I just held it
up to her, and I just smiled andshe was like, fine, I will get
it, I will get a copy.
So, anyway, she did.
So she can thank me later.
So, just so you know, I do I amas loud about the books that I
talk about on this podcast inreal life as well.
I I really love these two.
(16:32):
So, if you need a Christmasbook, The Most Wonderful Crime
of the Year by Ellie Carter andFaking Christmas by Cindy
Steele, you're welcome.
They're all fantastic.
Anyway, on to the books I haverecently read.
First up.
First up, we have Unbound byPeyton Corinne.
So this is an arc, and this bookcomes out April 7th, I believe,
(16:53):
of 2026.
This is romance, this is opendoor, and this is a part of the
Undone series.
Unsteady is the first book,Unloved is a second book, and
this is Unbound the third book.
Okay, so I got an arc of thisbook, which by the way, is one
(17:13):
of my most anticipated reads of2026.
So I was absolutely stoked.
I will say on the rating scale,I liked it.
I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go intodetail.
You have heard me wax poeticabout unsteady and unloved.
I do not shut up about thosebooks.
They're so good.
And this is, like I said, thisbook three, a four.
(17:35):
Um, I know she said there arefour books in the series.
She's working on Torin's bookright now.
So this book, Unbound, isBennett and Paloma's story.
And then book four, she'salready said, is gonna be Torrin
and a character that you'regonna meet in Unbound.
I didn't want to ruin it bysaying her name because I wanted
(17:56):
that to be something that youcome across in Unbound.
So, book four, we do know willbe Torin and an unidentified
character.
That I am, I'm just not gonnaspoil that for you.
But you will meet said characterin Unbound based on everything
she's posted.
Okay, so I'm gonna get into mythoughts, what Unbound is about,
(18:19):
all that stuff in a minute, butI'm also going to do a little
bit of a deep dive too after umof this kind of theory that I
have.
And my friend also got an arc ofthis book, and we have talked
about it, and we're pretty surethat we're right.
But we don't know.
This is all just us liketheorizing.
So I'll give you a summary ofwhat we're kind of thinking is
(18:41):
going on here.
But anyway, so this book,Unbound by Peyton Corinne.
This was the uh emotionalequivalent of being hit by a
bus, but Peyton warned us thatthis was her angstiest book yet.
I do think, based on what shesaid, that she is going to
surpass it with book four, andbook four will be her like
(19:02):
angstiest, saddest book yet.
But I yeah, she definitely meantit when she said that.
Um, and yeah, I do think thatbook four is gonna be even more
emotionally devastating.
So bring it on, Peyton.
Bring it on.
That's her books are fantastic,so I I'm here for it, but just
you gotta be here for it with apack of tissues, is the whole
(19:23):
thing.
So Bennett, he is having familyissues, and he's seeing what
feels like the entire hockeyhouse with their girlfriends,
and that just makes the chasm ofhis loneliness feel really vast.
And add into that the perfectrecipe with his OCD and his
(19:46):
anxiety, and it just really setsup for the heartbreak that
weighs heavy throughout almostthe entire story.
There is an undercurrent ofheartbreak the entire time.
So he's been in love with PalomaBlake since freshman year when
they actually secretly dated,and he will drop anything and
(20:08):
everything for any speck of herattention.
And honestly, Paloma is notfaring any better here.
She has deep set trauma,distrust, and she is determined
to punish herself any chance shegets.
So she basically beats herselfup emotionally and uh is
(20:28):
completely convinced that she isnot worthy of Bennett, even
though she is also still in lovewith him.
Will they be able to workthrough the past to have a
future?
You are going to have to readand find out in April of 2026.
So this is the saddest,spiciest, angstiest book in the
(20:51):
undone series.
And for me, it kind of feelssimilar to how Beg, borrow, or
steal by Sarah Adams was in theRome Kentucky series, because,
or is it Win and Rome series?
The practice makes perfect, Winand Rome like those.
Um, but anyway, I think it'scalled Rome Kentucky.
(21:11):
Now I'm blanking.
Anyway, you know what I'mtalking about.
So I feel like it's similar tothat, uh, to Beg, Borrow, or
Steal, in the fact that it'skind of a little bit of a series
outlier, and it has a completelydifferent feel than the other
books.
So like it's still in theseries, but it just feels
different.
And for me, Beg, Barrow, orSteal by Sarah Adams felt
different than the rest of thebooks in the series.
(21:33):
And I think that Unbound feelsdifferent than Unsteady and
Unloved, and it has thiscompletely different cover,
which uh my friend was talkingabout made a good point that she
thinks it matches because ofkind of the way that this book
kind of sets itself apart fromthe rest of the series, even
though it is technicallyincluded in it.
So, anyway, just throwing thatout there is that if you're
(21:56):
expecting, you know, unsteady orunlove squared, that's not what
you're gonna get.
This book has a different feelto it.
And I think if I I'm trying toput this into words without like
spoiling things, so it's kind ofhard.
But I think what put the otherbooks for me in the loved it
category is that yes, they arestill full of emotional depth
(22:18):
and character growth, but likein Unsteady, you have the
playlist sharing and the meetingup for the ice time, and it kind
of like broke up some of thedevastating parts because you
have, you know, other thingsthat they're doing, so it's
like, yeah, they're devastated,but you're not hearing about
that the entire book.
And kind of the same withUnloved, like you have the
(22:38):
tutoring sessions and the hockeygames that kind of broke up some
of the heavy parts.
However, with Unbound, I feellike all of that is just
stripped down, and we're prettymuch left with a book of just
the heavy stuff.
So this book is extremely heavy,and it's a dual timeline, so you
(23:00):
get to see their relationshipfreshman year, and then you also
see them in present day, and itconstantly uh goes back and
forth.
And for me, the timing of thechapters, because sometimes
okay, so the timing of thechapters would kind of take away
for me some of the momentum ofthe pacing.
(23:22):
So for example, and again, I'mgiving you a very broad example
so as not to spoil, um, butthere would be several like past
chapters in a row, like freshmanyear, freshman year, freshman
year, and then it would jump tothe present, and it was almost
kind of slightly jarring becausewe would spend like so much time
in the past.
Um, and there's another examplethat I'm specifically thinking
(23:43):
of on the pacing that kind ofthrew me off a little bit, but I
can't spoil it, so I can't talkabout it with you.
So, anyway, I did like the book.
It is just very emotionallydevastating.
Um, it is very stripped down.
There is not the emotionaldevastation takes center stage.
So just know that going in.
(24:05):
Like this is going to be areally heavy book, so just make
sure that you're in the mindsetto read it, and I think you will
enjoy it.
But if you're expecting Unsteadyor Unlove Squared, then this may
not be for you.
I would still suggest reading itbecause I think you really need
this book to tie in the rest ofthe series and where book four
is gonna go, because I thinkbook four is gonna continue to
(24:27):
kind of take a slightlydifferent direction than books
one and two.
So I think this is almost kindof like a bridge book that
you're gonna need to get to bookfour.
So I would recommend reading it,but I'm just letting you know uh
that it is very different fromthe other books in the series.
Okay, so deep dive time.
Are you ready?
(24:47):
So I will also make thisspoiler-free, so it's kind of
gonna sound a little bit vague,but that's because I don't want
to spoil this for you.
So, based on the language inmultiple instances in this
particular book, I'm wonderingif it's more of an MMF romance.
(25:09):
Uh, book four for book four,Torrence book.
I don't know this for sure, butthis is purely a conjecture, but
it seems like it's leaning MMF.
If this is the case, I mean Ihave to read Torrent's book
because I've been lookingforward to it, but I will be
skipping the spice scenes, so Iwill not be able to give you a
(25:32):
review on any of the overallspiciness of the book, and I
will not be able to compare themto the other series because I I
I can't.
I can't.
That goes beyond my spice level.
I I can't.
So, um, I will still read thebook, but we'll just skip those
scenes.
So just just throwing that outthere, but I do think it is
(25:53):
leaning, I think it's leaningthat way.
So, okay.
This is yeah, we were me and myfriend were having this
conversation.
We're like, I think it might beleaning this way.
Anyway, um the other thingthat's kind of confusing, and I
don't know if Peyton's trying tothrow us a curveball or what?
I can't tell.
(26:14):
I can't tell.
So I'm very excited to find out.
I'm I'm really excited to findout.
So anyway, on her Instagram, andyes, if you haven't been able to
tell by this, I I follow her onthreads, I follow her on
Instagram, so I'm reading all ofher updates um and all the
little teasers and clues thatshe kind of gives on current
books, future books, all thatstuff.
(26:34):
So I'm very into this series.
Um, again, I think that Peyton'sa genius.
So of course I'm gonna followher and I'm gonna analyze every
little like hint and stuffbecause she'll put maybe like a
little quote here or a hinthere.
And so anyway, I I couldn't evenfind it to go back and find this
post again.
I don't know why I couldn't findit, but I know I saw it.
So at some point she made thispost.
I I wonder if she took it downor maybe I just couldn't find
(26:56):
it.
Anyway, um, she had the heightsof the characters, and it was
the like MMC versus the FMC.
And so the last one is clearlytorn because it's book four, and
he was something ridiculous.
Like, I don't know, he was 6'5or up.
So I don't know.
He was some he was really,really tall.
(27:16):
Anyway, he was super tall, andthen the FMC is 4'11, so that is
how I got my clue of who I thinkthe FMC is in book four, and it
makes sense based on like howthey interacted with each other,
but that was my first liketelling clue, kind of my alarm
bells ringing of who I thinkthat's going to be.
(27:37):
So anyway, she is 411.
So, and it it was clearly, yeah,it had height of Torin and then
her.
So that makes it seem like it'sruling out the MMF part and it's
just going to be traditional MMCand FMC.
(27:57):
But maybe it is FMC and MMC, butmaybe that's where some of the
trauma comes in.
Like it, you know, it starts outMMF and then it ends up FMC and
MMC.
I I don't I don't know.
Is is that like the trauma ofthem trying to figure it out and
then who ends up together?
(28:17):
Cause wait a minute.
Oh no.
Now I'm thinking about this toohard.
Um now I'm like, wait a minute,is was that Torrin's height or
was that well she keeps sayingit's Torin's book, so I assumed
that was Torin's height.
So I'm assuming that he's gonnaend up with someone.
Oh no, no, I don't know.
(28:39):
I don't know.
I don't know.
Anyway, um, I feel like now I'vetheorized this too much to where
I am I more confused?
Maybe.
Maybe I am, but ultimately, Ihave no idea where she's going
with this, but I appreciate hermarketing acumen to keep us in
the dark, keep me guessing,because honestly, it's kind of
(29:00):
driving me crazy, and I feellike I'm thinking about it way
too much, which is exactly whatI should be doing for her
series.
So congrats to Peyton on amazingmarketing because I this I want
to know so bad.
And I'll have to wait a whilebecause I know that she's in
edits with this book because sheposted that she was in edits
with book four, Torrent's book.
(29:21):
So I don't know how the seriesis gonna end.
Obviously, I'm here for theride, and I will continue to
follow it and continue to followPeyton and whatever series she
writes after that.
Again, Peyton's anauto-by-author.
If she writes it, I'm gonna readit.
That is Unbound.
I know that was really long, butI had I had to.
(29:41):
I had to.
And oh, I forgot to say, yeah, Isaid Unbound was the spiciest
book.
It is very spicy.
It is like I don't I don't knowthat it was quite as spicy as
Deepened by Allie Hazelwood, butit was along those lines.
So there you go.
Anyway, moving on.
(30:02):
Next book that I recently readis Just Don't Fall by Emma St.
Clair.
This is contemporary romance,uh, this is hockey romance, and
it is closed door.
So, going on different spectrumhere, read a closed door.
Okay, this series.
Me and this series, I have alittle bit of a history with it.
So I've heard nothing but ravereviews from the series, and I
(30:26):
know that I am so late to theparty.
I feel like everyone has readit, and I am just so late.
But every time I looked up theseries, I got really confused.
So here's a little bit ofbackground to just kind of
explain what I think I figuredout from reading the series and
looking into it more.
(30:47):
So basically, it's the Appyseries.
Technically, this is the Appyseries, but a okay, here let me.
Emma St.
Clair and Jenny Proctor writebooks in the series.
So some books are from oneauthor, Emma St.
Clair, and some are from JennyProctor, but they are still in
the same series.
(31:07):
So this book, Just Don't Fall,is technically book one in the
Appy series, which is the nameof the hockey team.
They're called the Appies, but afew of the books in the Appy
series are also fall themed andtechnically in the Sweater
Weather series.
So personally, I am reading themin the order of the Appy series,
(31:29):
which covers different membersof the hockey team.
So instead of reading it in theorder of the Sweater Weather
series, I'm reading it in theorder of the Appy series.
So I just wanted to point thatout.
So the fact that there were twodifferent authors and the fact
that it was kind of likeinterconnected in two different
series, I was just so confusedwhat book to start with that I
(31:50):
just didn't start.
So now that I did, I am so gladthat I started the series
because I am loving it.
Amazing.
I was smiling and I was gigglingas soon as I turned on the
audiobook, which was so welldone, by the way.
I love calling out a goodaudiobook, and this was great.
(32:10):
So in this book, Parker has hada longtime crush on her
brother's best friend Logan, andeven though he basically left
them out of the blue and cutties, kind of around the time
his hockey career took off, shestill kind of holds a candle for
him.
Logan has been in the NHL, andafter an injury and incident
(32:31):
with a fan, a double ammy, hegets demoted to an AHL team
called the Appies.
And they are known for theirdancing social media videos and
overall performance-basedpresence.
If that sounds familiar, itshould.
So the Appy's social mediamanager who catapulted them to
viral fame is none other thanParker, the female main
(32:54):
character.
So when Logan and Parkerreunite, they both have their
guards up.
However, a scenario thatrequires fake dating ensues, and
they have to grapple with thenot so fake feelings that are
steadily growing between thepair.
And this book, it was so sweet,it was so fun, it was so unique,
(33:15):
and I I fell in love with theteam.
The appies are great.
And this is just another bookthat proves that closed door
hockey romance can pack the samepunch as an open door hockey
romance.
And I just love either one, opendoor or closed door.
I like them both, but sometimesit can be hard to find closed
door books that you feel likepack the same kind of punch.
(33:37):
That is really well done, and Ienjoyed a lot.
So highly recommend Just Don'tFall by Emma St.
Clair.
And of course, that led me tothe second book in the Appy
series, which is Absolutely Notin Love by Ginny Proctor.
So this is covering anothermember of the team, and it is
Felix.
(33:58):
He is the kind of shy,introverted goalie, and he ends
up falling for his neighbor, andher name is Gracie, and she uh
plays the cello in a symphony,and she teaches music at the
middle school level.
Yes, I was just trying to thinkabout that.
Yes, and so anyway, they sheGracie does not like him at
(34:22):
first, she does not like hockeyplayers, she does not date
hockey players.
You will find out why.
And it takes a while for youknow Felix to wear down her um
resistance and show her what anamazing guy he is and their
neighbors, so there's a lot offorced proximity in this one,
and I did really like this one.
(34:43):
Um, I I just I loved the firstbook in the series, and I liked
this book, so it wasn't was notbad by any means.
Oh my gosh, no, they were great.
It's just I loved the firstbook, and I really enjoyed the
second book, but the first bookwas my favorite, and I think I'm
in the middle.
I'll I'm okay, I'll skip arounda little bit.
(35:03):
I'm in the middle of A Groom ofOne's Own by Emma St.
Clair, because the third book isby Emma St.
Clair, and that is a marriage ofconvenience story, and I think
I'm getting close to like 25%through that.
Uh, I'm currently listening tothe audiobook, and it is so, so
good.
It is so good.
(35:24):
Anyway, with that one, I thinkwhat I've determined now being
on the third book of the Appyseries, is that I think I
slightly, ever so slightly, uhlean towards Emma St.
Clair's writing style a littlebit more, but I do still like
Jenny's writing style and Ienjoy all of the books in the
Appy series, but I think I favorEmma's just a teeny tiny bit
(35:46):
more.
So I am really listeningenjoying listening to that.
Last book that I'm gonna talkabout before I tell you the
other book that I'm currentlyreading, because I'm currently
reading a Christmas book, so Ihad to tell you about it because
I just started it today, but abook that I absolutely loved,
you heard me talk about it inthe hockey episode is Fake
Skating by Lynn Painter.
So this book, oh, and if I didnot, yeah, if I didn't say
(36:08):
specifically, the Appy serieshas been closed door so far, all
of them have been closed door.
Um, and then with Fake Skatingby Lynn Painter, this is a young
adult romance and it is closeddoor.
Um, there are a few intense-ishkind of makeout scenes, but it
is it is still closed door.
And with Lynn Painter's books,uh, again, they are YA.
(36:31):
They do tend to have a decentamount of cussing in them.
Um, so I feel like because ofthat, or just something about
her writing style, or maybe it'sbecause Lynn just puts a lot of
like music references orsomething.
I don't know.
There's something about herbooks that they don't really
feel super YA.
And so I I've just heard of morepeople that don't typically read
(36:56):
YA really enjoying LynnPainter's books, um, her YA
books.
So if you typically don't likeYA, you may still give Lynn
Painters YA a chance becausethey just they don't feel super
YA-ish, if that makes sense.
Um, so anyway, just throwingthat out there.
But fake skating is so cute, andit's fake skating because it's a
(37:17):
fake dating, and there's skatingbecause it's hockey, and anyway,
it is super cute, it's twochildhood friends.
You know, she moves back intotown, and he is not super happy
at first because theirfriendship took a really abrupt
turn several years ago, and itis ultimately uh they blame each
(37:40):
other, and they I'm trying tothink of the way to say it, they
kind of blame each other for it.
Um, and so they're both a littlebit frustrated when they first
get there.
Uh, it's not all roses anddaisies, and they kind of have
to work through their feelings,and then there is an opportunity
to fake date, and so that thatends up happening too.
(38:00):
And I do think that fake skatingis like my new favorite Lynn
Painter, which I know I've readbetter than the movies and
nothing like the movies, so Iknow that's a tall order putting
it ahead of those, but I just Iloved fake skating, it was so
cute, it was so cute.
So, anyway, fake skating was sofun.
I read it so quickly, Iabsolutely loved it, and that
(38:23):
was by Lynn Painter, so I wouldhighly, highly, highly recommend
checking out that book.
Last up, what I am currentlyreading, my two focuses are like
I said, I was listening to thethird book in the Appy series, A
Groom of One's Own by Emma St.
Clair.
And then on my Kindle, I amreading Since We've No Place to
(38:43):
Go by Kate Watson.
And okay, so I told you how Iwas trying to find the perfect
book, and I DNF'd that book like170 pages in.
Well, my friend Mac or Michaela,who has also been on before, um,
she like our book taste is sosimilar.
I think I've talked about thisbefore.
I think I might have talkedabout this several times, but
(39:04):
anyway, our book taste is soridiculously similar that when
she gave me a recommendation forthis book since I had seen it,
and I think I asked her aboutit, and she was like, I loved
it.
I should have just taken that.
I shouldn't have even tried, butI was like, ah, I have books on
my shelves, and that one's on myKindle, and like let me read a
book that's on my shelf insteadthat I have a physical copy of.
(39:25):
And that was just the wrongmove.
I should have just gone with thebook that she recommended in the
first place and just startedthere to fill out this episode,
and I probably would havealready had it done by now.
But anyway, that's neither herenor there.
So currently I am very early on,but I am reading since we've no
place to go, and it is so goodso far.
(39:46):
Again, Mac wins.
I have not had a book that shehas recommended to me that I
have not liked.
So it should just be the Macgives me book recs for an entire
episode content or somethingbecause she is great with her
book recs, um, and I reallytrust her opinion, and it is yet
(40:06):
again proving right.
And this book has baseball init.
It does.
Anyway, it is so funny.
The banter's really cute, andum, this book is going to be
closed door.
I'm really enjoying it so far.
Like I said, the banter is verycute, and I feel like it's just
fun, it's Christmassy, and ithas some baseball tied into it,
(40:27):
and I I can't wait to see whereit's gonna go.
And of course, whatever readingrecap comes next, eventually,
eventually, somewhere, somehow,some way, I will update you on
my thoughts on the book wheneverI'm done with it.
But since we've no place to go,it has captured my attention
from the jump.
It is really funny and reallygreat, and I also trust Mac's
(40:48):
book taste, so I'm going to justmake the claim that I am sure it
is going to be a fantastic book.
So I would check it out if Iwere you.
Don't trust my recommendation.
Trust Max recommendation.
So, anyway, uh that is it fortoday.
I gave you a bunch of book recs,as per usual.
Coming up soon are a bunch ofauthor interviews.
(41:10):
I hope you enjoy, and I reallyenjoy getting to talk to all of
the authors.
I enjoy all the guests that Ihave on, uh, whether it's
friends that I get to talk to,authors, or if it's just me
doing an episode like this withthe reading recap.
So, anyway, that is it for todayon Where I Left Off, a Bookish
Podcast.
I will see you next time.
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My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.