South Branch – Dining in Chi town #foodiefriday

Apr8

South Branch is a contemporary fine dining restaurant in the heart of downtown Chicago, with great views of the Chicago River.

100 S. Wacker Dr.
Chicago, IL 60606

Check out their full menu here

All in all, I think it’s a Great restaurant with upscale decor and a chill vibe. Every thing was delicious and I would recommend whether you are going in a date or just dining with friends.

I would not recommend bringing children unless they are well behaved.

Started dinner off with a bottle of red wine

Lots of great choices but I decided to get a couple appetizers so I could try more different options

fried shrimp, scallions, Sriracha, toasted sesame seeds, chili aioli

cornmeal beer battered Wisconsin curds, smoked tomato coulis

Ocean clams, Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon, oyster crackers

Surprise Pregnancy Romance #BWWM

Apr5

The Billionaire’s Forbidden Quads (BWWM Romance Book 1) by Samantha Drake

the billionaire forbidden quads❤️ ❤️

Synopsis
Tania has lived around one principal and one principal only: saving herself until marriage!

But after having her heart broken she does the unthinkable and sleeps with a stranger!

Billionaire Adam was attracted to Tania the moment she stepped into the night club, but sleeping with her was only supposed to be a one-time thing…

But after their night of passion, Tania can’t get Adam out of her life!

Now that she sees him every day, they inevitably get closer.

But Adam doesn’t know one important thing: Tania’s now pregnant!

With not one baby on the way, but four, will Adam want to be a part of Tania’s life forever?

Or will fatherhood scare him away?

Find out in this emotional yet sexy romance by Samantha Drake of BWWM Club.

Opinion
The story was so basic. Tania has an unprotected sex one night stand with a guy after her boyfriend broke up with her. Of course, she’s going to get pregnant! That’s a common trope among romance novels.

Here’s the twist: she’s pregnant with quadruplets.

Let that be a lesson to anyone having a one night stand.

Good thing he’s a billionaire.

I felt the title was click bait though. Nothing about their relationship or the babies was “forbidden “.

Other note: this book needs an editor

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BORROW if you like surprise pregnancy romances.

Book details
Series: BWWM Romance Book 1
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥

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Ridge Brothers Bear Shifters Series #shifterromance #KU

Oct20

Ridge Brothers Bear Shifters Series

Synopsis
Damon + Kinsley
Everett + Chloe
Cash + Zoe
Austin + Ellie

Opinion
Each book is about 100 pages and follow a very similar format.

Bear gets whiff of mate and goes crazy to find her.
Predictably when he shifts back to human form, he’s naked but definitely unafraid.

Instalove is not my favorite because it takes away the romance. Shifter insta-love is supposed to remove the doubt that there will be a HFA.

There is no falling in love with the person for who they are. Its SNAP! You are in love because the universe said so. No matter that you just met. The characters do not know each other but “lets bone!” and “I love you forever”.

There was some age difference between most couples. The heroines were between 18-24 and the heroes were around 30 years old.

In the last book, Austin is 52 and Ellie is 18. I refused to read that book. I don’t care how much of a silver fox he is! I wanted to say, “Find a woman your own age Austin! Your soulmate was NOT born after your daughter.” And why does she have to be a virgin but he obviously did not wait for his soulmate. At least in the other stories, they were each other’s firsts. That made the stories more tolerable.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BORROW. The series was full of instalove and ridiculous situations but if you like bear shifter romances, you will find it entertaining. It is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Book details
Series: Ridge Brothers Bear Shifters
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Print Length: around 100 pages each story

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Where the Crawdads Sing #bookclubpick

Oct14

Where the crawdads sing

Synopsis
For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Opinion
I loved this book! The imagery was beautiful. I had nostalgic feelings of playing with one of my childhood friends who under different circumstances would have been a “Kya”.

Kya was misunderstood because she lived in extreme poverty and squalor. People judged her to be ignorant and incapable of learning or understanding. So she retreated to nature and loved the land. The land proved to have reciprocated love for her as well.

This is not to say that no one helped her. Without Jumpin and his wife, she would not have been able to make it. And I believe if the story had been set in a different time, they probably would have adopted her which would have made for a very different story.

She was definitely an artist. She was intelligent. She was proud. She was also patiently waiting for those who left her to return. By the time she realized that would not happen, she had been on her own for so long that she knew no other way.

It is a bittersweet story. My heart goes out to the young child who had been abandoned by everyone and forced to face the harsh realities of life mostly by herself. However, through it all she was able to grow and flourish against all odds.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BUY. This is a story that is worth reading.

Book details
Series: N/A
Heat Level: N/A
Print Length: 379 pages

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Cowboy Dragon (Texas Dragons Book 1) #dragonshifter #KU #romance

Oct5

Cowboy Dragon (Texas Dragons Book 1) ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Synopsis

Marian West has nothing left to her name but her car (which is currently broken down), an old coin in her pocket, and the legend of a man named Harrison, who she’s currently looking for. But instead of finding the last person that can help her, she gets a pack of hungry coyotes instead. By either good or bad luck, she’s rescued by a tall, gorgeous stranger with eyes bluer than a Texas sky. He’s dominant and commanding and everything Marian hates about cowboys. He’s also irresistible, and her only hope.

Harrison didn’t expect to find the curvy, stubborn human woman so interesting. After saving her from coyotes and more, the experienced cowboy boss of Dragonclaw Ranch knows he owes Marian for a favor her father did for him a long time ago. But his dragon says “mate” every time he looks at her, and even though he’s going to help the determined woman, it will be difficult to keep the monster inside him from wanting to make her his own.

As Marian and Harrison grow closer, unexpected kisses lead quickly to scorching nights beneath the full Texas moon. Danger and secrets lurk around every corner, but anything that threatens a Texas dragon’s mate will quickly learn that everything is bigger in Texas. Even a dragon’s love.

Opinion

Harrison & Marian!!!!

It has been a while since I read a dragon shifter romance from Terry Bolryder, and I was feeling so sentimental!

In this story, Marian cashes a IOU type of dragon chip because she is down on her luck and needs a place to stay until she can get back on her feet. The dragon who gave this chip is Harrison.

Marian is spunky and looks for ways to be independent. The independence is a coping mechanism for a lifetime of having people let her down. This leads to the main reason why she is so hesitant about getting into a relationship.

Harrison is drawn to her but he’s trying to keep his distance so he doesn’t reveal his big secret that he is a dragon shifter. Meanwhile, there is trouble brewing with their shifter neighbors who seem to be around just to cause mischief.

The story centers around Marion and Harrison getting to know each other and learning how to trust one another. Plus, there are some monsters that Harrison knows could be an issue in the future and he is wary about getting into a relationship with someone because of it. Never fear! It all works out for the best.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.