Knock Out

de Jiffy Kate - Smartypants Romance (2022)

Résumé : In the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA.

Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley. Her strategy works until one fateful phone call initiates a series of events that shakes up her quiet existence.

Tattooed adventure-seeker Ozzi Erickson goes where the wind takes him. When he blows into Green Valley for his big brother’s wedding—and to figure out his next move—he isn’t prepared for the knock-out punch coming his way.

With Ozzi sticking around the Tennessee mountain town, his brother gives him a temporary assignment as Willow Bernard’s trainer.

His job is to teach her how to fight. But will she have the skills required to protect her heart?


Willow et Ozzi ne pouvaient pas être plus différents l'un de l'autre.

Willow est arrivée à Green Valley avec l'intention d'y rester pour démarrer une nouvelle vie après sa sortie de famille d'accueil. Elle a un travail et espère un jour trouver mieux que son mobil home. Au début du roman, elle apprend que sa mère est décédée, elle ne l'avait plus aucun lien avec elle depuis 15 ans, et qu'elle a une petite soeur de 9 ans, Hazel. Si Willow ne devient pas sa tutrice légale, la petite fille ira en famille d'accueil elle aussi, Willow connait le système et ne veut absolument pas que cela arrive à sa soeur. Elle va donc tout mettre en place afin d'en obtenir la garde. Entre temps, après une mauvaise altercation dans un bar, on lui recommande d'aller faire un tour à Viking MMA, car a priori elle est une combattante née...

De son côté, Ozzi est de passage chez ses frères à Green Valley, avant dernier de la fratrie, il ne sait pas encore ce qu'il veut faire de sa vie. Sans attache, il part à l'aventure quand l'envie lui prend, n'étant pas encore prêt à se poser quelque part définitivement. Il est présent dans la salle de sport quand débarque une jour cette jeune femme un peu perdue, qui ne sait pas vraiment pourquoi elle est venue. C'est Cage qui lui fait passer un test pour voir son niveau, et elle est excellente, sans même avoir reçu d'entrainement. Etant bien occupé, Cage demande à Ozzi d'entrainer Willow (vu qu'il est là autant se rendre utile hein) et de la motiver à peut-être faire un premier combat professionnel.

Willow et Ozzi ont un truc entre eux, mais ils vont devoir d'abord s'apprivoiser car ils sont tous les deux sauvages à leur manière. Surtout, ils ont chacun un projet de vie qui ne semble pas compatible avec celui de l'autre : Ozzi est-il prêt à s'engager auprès de quelqu'un qui sera parent d'une enfant ? Lui qui apprécie la liberté de partir quand il veut où il veut... Willow va chambouler sa vie et l'organiser de manière a prendre soin de sa soeur, est-ce qu'une romance est idéale au même moment, est-ce qu'elle a l'énergie émotionnelle de s'engager des deux côtés ?...

Même si je comprendrais jamais rien au monde du MMA, l'histoire de Willow et Ozzi est toute mimi. L'auteur nous fait également plaisir en incluant pas mal les autres couples de la série, à savoir les frères et leurs femmes, car ce tome clôt la série. C'est un HEA pour tout le monde... Sauf qu'il reste un frère dans le lot, l'aîné, mais on va en entendre parler ;)

Willow and Ozzi couldn't be more different from each other.

Willow arrived in Green Valley with the intention of staying there to start a new life after being released from foster care some years ago. She has a job and hopes one day to find something better than her trailer. At the start of the book, she learns that her mother has died, she had no connection with her for 15 years, and that she has a 9-year-old little sister, Hazel. If Willow doesn't become her legal guardian, the little girl will go to foster care too, Willow knows the system and absolutely refuse to let this happen to her sister. She will therefore put everything in place to obtain custody. In the meantime, after a bad altercation in a bar, she is recommended to go to Viking MMA, because it seems she is a born fighter...

For his part, Ozzi is visiting his brothers in Green Valley, second to last of the siblings, he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life yet. Unattached, he goes on adventures when the mood takes him, not yet being ready to stay somewhere definitively. He is present in the gym when this young woman arrives a little lost, who does not really know why she came. It's Cage who gives her a test to see her fight, and she is excellent, even without any training. Being very busy, Cage asks Ozzi to train Willow (since he is there why not make himself useful eh) and to motivate her to perhaps make a first professional fight.

Willow and Ozzi have a thing between them, but they're going to have to tame each other first because they're both wild in their own way. Above all, they each have a life project that does not seem compatible with the other : is Ozzi ready to commit to someone who will be a parent of a child ? He who appreciates the freedom to leave when he wants and where he wants... Willow will turn her life upside down and organize it in such a way as to take care of her sister, is a romance ideal at the same time ? has she the emotional energy to engage on both sides ?...

Although I would never understand anything in the world of MMA, the story of Willow and Ozzi is so cute. The author also pleases us by including quite a few other couples in the series, namely the brothers and their wives, because this volume closes the series. It's a HEA for everyone... Except that there is still a brother in the lot, the eldest, but we'll hear about it ;)


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Play Smart

d'Aly Stiles - SmartyPants Romance (2022)

Résumé : Nash Ellis knows music. Producing, performing, writing—if it involves the creative process he’s there for it. He knows nothing about copy machines. Or financial reports. Or anything related to the stuck-up business world his best friends have been chasing since they were kids. But Nash also needs money, so when his roommate gets him a paid internship at Reedweather Media, he reluctantly agrees. At least his know-it-all intern competitor is kind of cute in a nerdy-librarian sort of way—especially when she’s being tormented by an angsty rocker she can’t stand.

The only thing Paige Andrews hates more than failure? Nash Ellis. She has little patience for incompetence and zero tolerance for indifference. He clearly doesn’t belong in their corporate world, so why does he insist on ruining her dream job? And the worst part—he’s not what he seems. In fact, it’s all the things he’s hiding behind those electric blue eyes that make him straight-up captivating in an ironic-slacker sort of way.

But their smoldering friction bursts into open flames when the feuding interns are forced into a high-stakes mission that requires intimate knowledge of the music industry. Yep, what could go wrong when the least-qualified candidate to ever walk the halls of a major corporation becomes their only hope of success?


4 tomes après Street Smart, on se retrouve à Reedweather Media avec un nouveau couple de stagiaires forcés de travailler ensemble : Nash, un des colocataires de Marcos, musicien déchu, a pris le job par nécessité financière et Paige, voulant à tout prix réussir pour devenir une cheffe d'entreprise. Ici encore, nos deux héros vont être au coeur d'une opération spéciale pour contrer une entreprise concurrente tout en sabotant celle où ils sont... et évidemment c'est Marcos et Eva qui les embarquent dans la suite de leur plan ^^

Cette histoire est encore plus farfelue que celle de Street Smart, Aly Stiles nous offre des situations tordant agrémentées de dialogues digne des meilleures comédies. Et puis surtout, nous avons le retour de Chad et son délire de mer-nuts xD ce personnage nécessiterait son propre roman tellement il est énorme.

Paige et Nash n'ont rien en commun et pourtant ils vont réussir à travailler ensemble et à saboter les plans diaboliques des deux entreprises. L'attraction qu'ils ont l'un pour l'autre est électrique, ils font des étincelles dès qu'ils succombent à leurs sentiments.

Aly Stiles nous rappelle qu'on peut lire des romances avec des intrigues complètement barrée, qui ont pas besoin d'être hyper crédibles, du moment que le rythme comique est là et que les personnages tiennent la route. Je le recommande à celles et ceux qui cherchent à passer un bon moment, sans prise de tête et sans drame.

4 books after Street Smart, we find ourselves again at Reedweather Media with a new couple of interns forced to work together : Nash, one of Marcos' roommates, a fallen musician, took the job out of financial necessity and Paige, wanting to succeed at all costs to become a business leader. Here again, our two heroes will be at the heart of a special operation to counter a competing company while sabotaging the one where they are... and obviously it's Marcos and Eva who take them on board in the rest of their plan ^^

This story is even wackier than that of Street Smart, Aly Stiles offers us twisting situations embellished with dialogues worthy of the best comedies. And above all, we have the return of Chad and his delirium of sea-nuts xD this character would require his own novel because he is so huge.

Paige and Nash have nothing in common and yet they manage to work together and sabotage the diabolical plans of the two companies. The attraction they have for each other is electric, they make sparks as soon as they succumb to their feelings.

Aly Stiles reminds us that you can read romances with completely crazy plots, which don't have to be super believable, as long as the comic rhythm is there and the characters hold up. I recommend it to anyone looking to have a good time, without headaches and without drama.


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Lost Track

d'Heidi Hutchinson - SmartyPants Romance (2022)

Résumé : Sabine Debois likes her wine pink and her life predictable. As a private tutor for the rich and famous, she doesn’t get starstruck. But when a tattooed espresso fiend saves her from death by sweater, she’s a little bit… grateful. That’s all. Just grateful.

Sunshine Capone just had the best album of his career, and then his girlfriend burned down his house. Well, his ex-girlfriend now. So he moved to Chicago to focus on his music and avoid the drama of relationships.

He should not be creating any excuse to hang out with the sweet teacher with the hazel eyes and bright smile. She doesn’t need his kind of confusion in her life.

But Sabine’s about to teach this superstar a thing or two about peace, love, and understanding.


Je suis un peu plus partagée sur cette romance, j'ai trouvé les premiers chapitres un peu confus, n'arrivant pas à cerner les personnages et à quoi ressemblaient leurs vies. Même si j'avoue que la scène de rencontre est un véritable meet-cute ! Bref, j'ai pas de suite accrocher à leur personnalité, et il m'a bien fallu la moitié du bouquin pour les trouver choupi-chou.

Je pense que ce qui a beaucoup aidé à apprécier la romance est les personnages secondaires : les deux meilleurs amis de Dave et la copine et le frère (qu'on voit trop peu) de Sabine. En fait c'est grâce à ce petit monde que le livre se tient, car ça aurait été très chaotique sans eux.

Un des points positif de cette romance est la représentation du trouble de l'attention et de l'hyperactivité dont souffre le héros. Quand on est dans sa tête, on se rend compte de ce que c'est au quotidien, tant pour lui que pour ses amis et sa famille.

Donc voilà, une romance sympa, mais qui sera pas dans mes préférées.

I'm a little more divided on this romance, I found the first chapters a bit confusing, not being able to identify the characters and what their lives looked like. Even if I admit that the first meeting scene is a real meet-cute ! In short, I did not immediately click with their personalities, and it took me half the book to find them adorable.

I think what really helped to appreciate the romance are the secondary characters : Dave's two best friends and Sabine's BFF and brother (who we see too little). In fact it is thanks to this small world that the book is held, because it would have been very chaotic without them.

One of the positive points of this romance is the representation of the ADHD from which the hero suffers. When you're in his head, you realize what it's like on a daily basis, both for him and for his friends ad family.

So a nice romance, but one which will not be in my favorites.


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