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Sterling Falls #5
Sterling Fight
These former friends might be faking their engagement, but revealed crushes prove there might not be anything fictional about their arrangement.
In college, I often saw Judd Sylver in the library. He was a cool, broody type of guy who reminded me of a deeply tortured soul who might write poetry.
He was very different from the boy I met in third grade on National Make a New Friend Day when I passed him a note, asking if he wanted to be my new friend: Check yes or no.
(I’m a bit obsessed with calendar days.)
He was also vastly different from the young man who stood me up after I asked him to his prom.
Twenty years later, I can let bygones be bygones, especially when he rescues me from a bad date.
Then I witness him breaking up with his girlfriend which resulted in a sticky coffee drink on his chiseled cheeks and ice cubes on his fine-fitting jeans.
I offered him a napkin.
Hey, once a friend, always a friend, right? *insert sarcasm*
However, Judd takes us to the next level at my mother’s garden party, where a misunderstanding occurs with a teeny tiny slip of the tongue and a precious ring on my finger.
And suddenly, I’m Judd’s fiancée.
Fake or not, things are about to get a little too real with my old friend.
In college, I often saw Judd Sylver in the library. He was a cool, broody type of guy who reminded me of a deeply tortured soul who might write poetry.
He was very different from the boy I met in third grade on National Make a New Friend Day when I passed him a note, asking if he wanted to be my new friend: Check yes or no.
(I’m a bit obsessed with calendar days.)
He was also vastly different from the young man who stood me up after I asked him to his prom.
Twenty years later, I can let bygones be bygones, especially when he rescues me from a bad date.
Then I witness him breaking up with his girlfriend which resulted in a sticky coffee drink on his chiseled cheeks and ice cubes on his fine-fitting jeans.
I offered him a napkin.
Hey, once a friend, always a friend, right? *insert sarcasm*
However, Judd takes us to the next level at my mother’s garden party, where a misunderstanding occurs with a teeny tiny slip of the tongue and a precious ring on my finger.
And suddenly, I’m Judd’s fiancée.
Fake or not, things are about to get a little too real with my old friend.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2025
289 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
L.B. Dunbar
97 books3,279 followersL.B. Dunbar loves sexy silver foxes, second chances, and small towns. If you enjoy older characters in your romance reads, including a hero with a little silver in his scruff and a heroine rediscovering her worth, then welcome to romance for those over 40. L.B. Dunbar’s signature works include women and men in their prime taking another turn at love and happily ever after. She’s a USA TODAY Bestseller as well as #1 Bestseller on Amazon in Later in Life Romance with her Sterling Falls, Lakeside Cottage, and Road Trips & Romance series. L.B. lives in Chicago with her own sexy silver fox.
To get all the scoop about the self-proclaimed queen of silver fox romance, join her on Facebook at Loving L.B. or receive her weekly newsletter, Love Notes.
To get all the scoop about the self-proclaimed queen of silver fox romance, join her on Facebook at Loving L.B. or receive her weekly newsletter, Love Notes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
January 26, 2025
ARC: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (just the right amount of angst, spice, plot and naughty poems)
ALC: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (wish it was a duet)
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Judd and Genie are couple goals)
💕Childhood Friends
🔥Crush Revealed
💕Fake Engagement
🔥More Secrets
💕Small Town Swoon
🔥All the steam!
Thank you L.B. Dunbar & The Author Agency for giving me the opportunity to read and listen to an ARC/ALC for Sterling Fight.
This is my first book in the Sterling Falls series, but I'm a veteran to LB Dunbar. She's my go to for Silver Foxes, second chance romance and stories that tap into various emotions. She never fails to make me laugh, cry, cry from laughing and most importantly ponder life, while inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone.
Get you a man who buys a unicorn notepad, the same one you used to write notes to him on in school 😭. And then tattoos said unicorn and yes or no notes on his arm.
Judd and his siblings interacts were so funny and entertaining. And you could feel the love and support. They also made sure to keep each other grounded.
LB Dunbar always manages to create unique characters and stories. Genie being a calendar creator was fascinating. And I enjoyed reading about her creative ideas and designs.
"I don’t know why third graders needed reading buddies. I’d known how to read since I was six."
"...reminds me of an eight-year-old girl sitting beside me when I was ten, reading books with adventure in them to me. Genie was certainly adept at reading, and her reading to me was a highlight of each week that school year."
Two perspectives of the same event, and the only time a miscommunication made me swoon. Judd had it bad for Genie, and she had no idea. This made me want to know more, and Sterling Fight became such a page turner.
"Halle pats my leg, and I turn toward her. “Don’t worry. We love a good second chance romance around here. And these things have a way of working out.” Me too Halle, me too 😭
Sterling Fight had so many unexpected twists and turns. I was blown away by the story, and the world building. Considering this is book 5 in a series, there are already established characters and stories, but I didn't feel lost, it made me want to go back and learn more about the siblings.
I'm starting to realize how much I love a slow burn romance. Especially when the story is interesting and adds to the tension. Judd and Genie were a match made in quirky heaven, and I enjoyed the delicious slow burn between them. And when the spicy started, to quote Trudy "“Woo- wee,” “There’s a fire on my lawn. You two are scorching a line through the grass.”
I love this freaking book!
“You’re not an outlier, Judd. You just march to your own beat, and I like the sound.”
“You marked my soul the moment you asked me to be your friend.”
LB Dunbar always does an amazing job with addressing mental health and the importance of having an good support system. When one door closes, another door open type of feels. Judd and Genie had a lot of baggage, and began the healing process with each other. And I loved every minute of it.
And Heather got that throat punch (figuratively speaking) I was hoping she would 😂
ALC: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (wish it was a duet)
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Judd and Genie are couple goals)
💕Childhood Friends
🔥Crush Revealed
💕Fake Engagement
🔥More Secrets
💕Small Town Swoon
🔥All the steam!
Thank you L.B. Dunbar & The Author Agency for giving me the opportunity to read and listen to an ARC/ALC for Sterling Fight.
This is my first book in the Sterling Falls series, but I'm a veteran to LB Dunbar. She's my go to for Silver Foxes, second chance romance and stories that tap into various emotions. She never fails to make me laugh, cry, cry from laughing and most importantly ponder life, while inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone.
Get you a man who buys a unicorn notepad, the same one you used to write notes to him on in school 😭. And then tattoos said unicorn and yes or no notes on his arm.
Judd and his siblings interacts were so funny and entertaining. And you could feel the love and support. They also made sure to keep each other grounded.
LB Dunbar always manages to create unique characters and stories. Genie being a calendar creator was fascinating. And I enjoyed reading about her creative ideas and designs.
"I don’t know why third graders needed reading buddies. I’d known how to read since I was six."
"...reminds me of an eight-year-old girl sitting beside me when I was ten, reading books with adventure in them to me. Genie was certainly adept at reading, and her reading to me was a highlight of each week that school year."
Two perspectives of the same event, and the only time a miscommunication made me swoon. Judd had it bad for Genie, and she had no idea. This made me want to know more, and Sterling Fight became such a page turner.
"Halle pats my leg, and I turn toward her. “Don’t worry. We love a good second chance romance around here. And these things have a way of working out.” Me too Halle, me too 😭
Sterling Fight had so many unexpected twists and turns. I was blown away by the story, and the world building. Considering this is book 5 in a series, there are already established characters and stories, but I didn't feel lost, it made me want to go back and learn more about the siblings.
I'm starting to realize how much I love a slow burn romance. Especially when the story is interesting and adds to the tension. Judd and Genie were a match made in quirky heaven, and I enjoyed the delicious slow burn between them. And when the spicy started, to quote Trudy "“Woo- wee,” “There’s a fire on my lawn. You two are scorching a line through the grass.”
I love this freaking book!
“You’re not an outlier, Judd. You just march to your own beat, and I like the sound.”
“You marked my soul the moment you asked me to be your friend.”
LB Dunbar always does an amazing job with addressing mental health and the importance of having an good support system. When one door closes, another door open type of feels. Judd and Genie had a lot of baggage, and began the healing process with each other. And I loved every minute of it.
And Heather got that throat punch (figuratively speaking) I was hoping she would 😂
February 4, 2025
📚🎧Audio and eBook Review🎧📚
There’s no author I trust more than LB Dunbar to deliver a “later in life” romance story realistically and relatable. She is a queen of her craft, and I am constantly awed by her word wizardry. We all know that in real life, love can find you at any age, but romance fiction is primarily geared towards the 20 and 30 year olds, which is what it is, but the absolute euphoria a “later in life” romance evokes out of me when it’s done right, is amazing! I could live in an LB Dunbar world forever and never tire! #truth She’s that good!
I love this story the most for its kismet aspect. Judd and Genie have known each other for a very long time and they’ve both waited for the ❤️sweet spot❤️ moment for 20 years. It was written in the stars but they both took some paths that derailed their ultimate coming together and being with them throughout this story was a emotional rollercoaster that I loved being on every second of the time I was on it! From the very beginning I was rooting for these two. I rarely read blurbs of books, especially ones that are auto-click for me, but somehow, I read this one and even the blurb had me feeling emotional. I knew overcoming the gap they were apart would not be easy, but I also knew that Dunbar would find a way to amuse and entertain me while these two navigated thru their journey. And she did, in spades!
These two have a lot of shared history and shared circumstances in their pasts that help solidify the kismet aspect of their relationship and the story showcases all of this very well. There were times when my heart broke for them both, but it was always full of hope. This is a friends-to-more, second-chance romance journey no one should miss! #trust
I started reading the ARC of this story one day before the ALC landed in my library and I was so invested in the story that I read all the way thru without simultaneously listening. I prefer doing it that way, so I waited a week and then listened to the ALC. LISTEN, Erin Mallon & Ryan West nailed this performance like nobody’s business. Erin vividly enhanced my perception of Genie and Ryan did the same with Judd. The story was exponentially better because of these two kids, and I can’t help but to advice you that if you have the choice of reading or listening, you should definitely listen to this story. I mean do both if you can, but if push came to shove and you could only pick one, audio is 1000% the way to go, in my humble opinion that is.
There’s no author I trust more than LB Dunbar to deliver a “later in life” romance story realistically and relatable. She is a queen of her craft, and I am constantly awed by her word wizardry. We all know that in real life, love can find you at any age, but romance fiction is primarily geared towards the 20 and 30 year olds, which is what it is, but the absolute euphoria a “later in life” romance evokes out of me when it’s done right, is amazing! I could live in an LB Dunbar world forever and never tire! #truth She’s that good!
I love this story the most for its kismet aspect. Judd and Genie have known each other for a very long time and they’ve both waited for the ❤️sweet spot❤️ moment for 20 years. It was written in the stars but they both took some paths that derailed their ultimate coming together and being with them throughout this story was a emotional rollercoaster that I loved being on every second of the time I was on it! From the very beginning I was rooting for these two. I rarely read blurbs of books, especially ones that are auto-click for me, but somehow, I read this one and even the blurb had me feeling emotional. I knew overcoming the gap they were apart would not be easy, but I also knew that Dunbar would find a way to amuse and entertain me while these two navigated thru their journey. And she did, in spades!
These two have a lot of shared history and shared circumstances in their pasts that help solidify the kismet aspect of their relationship and the story showcases all of this very well. There were times when my heart broke for them both, but it was always full of hope. This is a friends-to-more, second-chance romance journey no one should miss! #trust
I started reading the ARC of this story one day before the ALC landed in my library and I was so invested in the story that I read all the way thru without simultaneously listening. I prefer doing it that way, so I waited a week and then listened to the ALC. LISTEN, Erin Mallon & Ryan West nailed this performance like nobody’s business. Erin vividly enhanced my perception of Genie and Ryan did the same with Judd. The story was exponentially better because of these two kids, and I can’t help but to advice you that if you have the choice of reading or listening, you should definitely listen to this story. I mean do both if you can, but if push came to shove and you could only pick one, audio is 1000% the way to go, in my humble opinion that is.
February 3, 2025
I have enjoyed this author’s writing but the angst in this book felt contrived. I ended up skim reading the last half of the book.
February 6, 2025
Sterling Fight is the fifth book in the Sterling Falls series, but it can be read as a standalone.
Judd and Genie had been friends when they were children, and they both had feelings for each other. But Judd stood Genie up, and he disappeared from her life. Years later, she went back to her hometown, and after running into each other, they ended up being fake engaged.
Oh, this was an angsty one. Judd was an adult, but he was broken and still battling the demons of his past. But the way he loved Genie and had never gotten over her? The tattoos? Ugh, I melted.
These two were so good for each other. They both had their own grief and trauma to work through, but they understood each other and helped each other heal.
Audiobook notes:
Narrated by: Erin Mallon and Ryan West
Narration Style: Dual
The audiobook was great! Both narrators had the perfect voice for their respective character. And the emotions they brought out made the story seem even more angsty and real.
Judd and Genie had been friends when they were children, and they both had feelings for each other. But Judd stood Genie up, and he disappeared from her life. Years later, she went back to her hometown, and after running into each other, they ended up being fake engaged.
Oh, this was an angsty one. Judd was an adult, but he was broken and still battling the demons of his past. But the way he loved Genie and had never gotten over her? The tattoos? Ugh, I melted.
These two were so good for each other. They both had their own grief and trauma to work through, but they understood each other and helped each other heal.
Audiobook notes:
Narrated by: Erin Mallon and Ryan West
Narration Style: Dual
The audiobook was great! Both narrators had the perfect voice for their respective character. And the emotions they brought out made the story seem even more angsty and real.
January 26, 2025
✦Series: Sterling Falls #5
✦POV: Dual, first-person
✦Narration: Dual, Ryan West + Erin Mallon
✦Spice: Explicit, open door
» Judd Sylver and Genie Webster are a classic case of miscommunication, but not in a cringey way. They were kids, and it feels very Romeo and Juliet in that they were destined for each other, but forces outside their control kept them apart.
» Genie was relatable and felt authentic. I loved her quirky obsession with calendar dates and how she turned it into an impressive business.
» Judd felt like a unicorn in his own right. He’s a tortured soul, small business co-owner turned billionaire, and boxer. He drives a Harley and my favourite muscle car (Eleanor from Gone in 0 Seconds, IYKYK). He’s fiercely protective of Genie and SO sweet. Top-notch book boyfriend.
» The Sylvers as a found family for Genie are absolutely brilliant. I love how they wrap Genie in their community and made her feel like one of them without skipping a beat.
» L.B. Dunbar writes stories with mature characters and doesn’t skimp on heat. I always enjoy reading her books; they’re engaging, funny, and flow so naturally that it’s easy to fly through the pages.
♡ I loved Sterling Fight and recommend it for readers who dig that small town, second chance, childhood crush to lovers vibe. You won’t be disappointed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
🎧 + 📱 I got to read and listen thanks to The Author Agency and L.B. Dunbar in exchange for an honest review.
Connect with me on Instagram for more bookish content!
✦POV: Dual, first-person
✦Narration: Dual, Ryan West + Erin Mallon
✦Spice: Explicit, open door
» Judd Sylver and Genie Webster are a classic case of miscommunication, but not in a cringey way. They were kids, and it feels very Romeo and Juliet in that they were destined for each other, but forces outside their control kept them apart.
» Genie was relatable and felt authentic. I loved her quirky obsession with calendar dates and how she turned it into an impressive business.
» Judd felt like a unicorn in his own right. He’s a tortured soul, small business co-owner turned billionaire, and boxer. He drives a Harley and my favourite muscle car (Eleanor from Gone in 0 Seconds, IYKYK). He’s fiercely protective of Genie and SO sweet. Top-notch book boyfriend.
❝Judd is the untold riches and the ability to fly and the secrets of the unknown. All impossible wishes rolled into reality.❞
» The Sylvers as a found family for Genie are absolutely brilliant. I love how they wrap Genie in their community and made her feel like one of them without skipping a beat.
» L.B. Dunbar writes stories with mature characters and doesn’t skimp on heat. I always enjoy reading her books; they’re engaging, funny, and flow so naturally that it’s easy to fly through the pages.
♡ I loved Sterling Fight and recommend it for readers who dig that small town, second chance, childhood crush to lovers vibe. You won’t be disappointed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
🎧 + 📱 I got to read and listen thanks to The Author Agency and L.B. Dunbar in exchange for an honest review.
Connect with me on Instagram for more bookish content!
April 18, 2025
Juvenile.
I don't get it. Judd "loved" Genie since he was 10, gets tattoos of their childhood but at 43, he has made no effort over the years to find her? Even tho her mom still lives in town & he could have asked where Genie was? Instead, he thinks about marrying a shallow woman he dates for 2 years & his family doesn't like? He finally breaks up with woman & upon meeting up with Genie again - the same day - impulsively introduces her as his fiance. I thought these books were based on more mature adults. Obviously not.
I don't get it. Judd "loved" Genie since he was 10, gets tattoos of their childhood but at 43, he has made no effort over the years to find her? Even tho her mom still lives in town & he could have asked where Genie was? Instead, he thinks about marrying a shallow woman he dates for 2 years & his family doesn't like? He finally breaks up with woman & upon meeting up with Genie again - the same day - impulsively introduces her as his fiance. I thought these books were based on more mature adults. Obviously not.
January 23, 2025
I was NOT prepared for Judd's story to grab my heart like it did...obviously I love this series and family as I'm back for more with book five...but I was not ready for all the feels this book pulled out.
Genie and Judd had a history that started back at the tender ages of 8 and 10...and it was never easy or straight forward...but they got their second chance and Judd was determined she'd check yes this time.
My heart broke for young Judd AND for young Genie, they'd both endured so much...but it was the growth and connection they built in their "10 days" that really brought them full circle.
Plenty of involvement in the storyline from the Sylver family members, and this reader is STILL chomping at the bit for Stone's story (LB saving the best for last lol).
I can't begin to express (without spoilers!) Just how much this story and these characters touched my heart. Best story in the series (to date) in my opinion!
Genie and Judd had a history that started back at the tender ages of 8 and 10...and it was never easy or straight forward...but they got their second chance and Judd was determined she'd check yes this time.
My heart broke for young Judd AND for young Genie, they'd both endured so much...but it was the growth and connection they built in their "10 days" that really brought them full circle.
Plenty of involvement in the storyline from the Sylver family members, and this reader is STILL chomping at the bit for Stone's story (LB saving the best for last lol).
I can't begin to express (without spoilers!) Just how much this story and these characters touched my heart. Best story in the series (to date) in my opinion!
February 19, 2025
another disappointment
None of this story made any sense. From their not-at-all-necessary fake engagement to Judd suddenly waking up after YEARS and flipping the switch on his inexplicable feelings for “Genie” after nearly marrying another, totally different woman…nothing made sense. The FMC was cartoony and I needed to remind myself she was 40 and not 21. And her outfits sounded ridiculous. And if Judd said “not yet” one more time…
I was looking forward to Judd’s book, but he became one of the most annoying, simp-y MMC’s I’ve ever read.
None of this story made any sense. From their not-at-all-necessary fake engagement to Judd suddenly waking up after YEARS and flipping the switch on his inexplicable feelings for “Genie” after nearly marrying another, totally different woman…nothing made sense. The FMC was cartoony and I needed to remind myself she was 40 and not 21. And her outfits sounded ridiculous. And if Judd said “not yet” one more time…
I was looking forward to Judd’s book, but he became one of the most annoying, simp-y MMC’s I’ve ever read.
January 28, 2025
OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
•Spice Level: 🌶🌶/ 5
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Re-Listen/Re-Read: Yes, I think I will
•Platform: Audiobook and Ebook
•Trope: Second Chance, It's always been you, Childhood Friends, Forced Proximity. Fake Relationship
• Thoughts:
I have really enjoyed this family soooo much! But this one was something special! Judd and Genie are absolutely the cutest couple ever!!! I love that Judd is so infatuated with Genie. And it is an infatuation that goes way back! This is a standalone series, but I feel reading this series in order will give you a deeper love for Judd. Both of the characters have a big healing journey that they go through together. It is heartwarming and without a doubt a beautiful story. I was captivated and felt all the emotions that LB put into these characters! It has become a favorite of mine from this series!
NARRATOR THOUGHTS: Erin Mallon and Ryan West
•Dual Narration
•Listening at a 1.5 speed.
Ryan West and Erin Mallon are the narrators who bring Judd and Genie to life, they did a finaminal job!!! I loved them both so much.
•Recommend note:
I will always encourage people to read what makes them happy. If it sounds good, read it! My reviews are just that, my opinion. Happy reading, friends.
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
•Spice Level: 🌶🌶/ 5
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Re-Listen/Re-Read: Yes, I think I will
•Platform: Audiobook and Ebook
•Trope: Second Chance, It's always been you, Childhood Friends, Forced Proximity. Fake Relationship
• Thoughts:
I have really enjoyed this family soooo much! But this one was something special! Judd and Genie are absolutely the cutest couple ever!!! I love that Judd is so infatuated with Genie. And it is an infatuation that goes way back! This is a standalone series, but I feel reading this series in order will give you a deeper love for Judd. Both of the characters have a big healing journey that they go through together. It is heartwarming and without a doubt a beautiful story. I was captivated and felt all the emotions that LB put into these characters! It has become a favorite of mine from this series!
NARRATOR THOUGHTS: Erin Mallon and Ryan West
•Dual Narration
•Listening at a 1.5 speed.
Ryan West and Erin Mallon are the narrators who bring Judd and Genie to life, they did a finaminal job!!! I loved them both so much.
•Recommend note:
I will always encourage people to read what makes them happy. If it sounds good, read it! My reviews are just that, my opinion. Happy reading, friends.
January 27, 2025
5 star Review Sterling Fight (Sterling Falls #5) by L B Dunbar
Ebook/Audio:
It was great being back in Sterling Falls and I couldn’t wait to read Genie Webster and Judd Sylver’s friends to lovers story.
I love L. B. Dunbar writing style as her characters are engaging and so easy to relate to.
From the first chapter, I was invested in the story. This is a beautifully written, witty, emotional story that ticked all the boxes for me.
There are equal amounts of passion, romance, and some angst in this story which had me tearing up and smiling, sometimes at the same time.
Their journey was not without its ups and downs, but it was worth it in the end.
Narrated by Ryan West and Erin Mallon who did a brilliant job in their narration. They brought all the drama, passion and romance out . Their performances did justice to the wonderful story and the characters created.
I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ebook/Audio:
It was great being back in Sterling Falls and I couldn’t wait to read Genie Webster and Judd Sylver’s friends to lovers story.
I love L. B. Dunbar writing style as her characters are engaging and so easy to relate to.
From the first chapter, I was invested in the story. This is a beautifully written, witty, emotional story that ticked all the boxes for me.
There are equal amounts of passion, romance, and some angst in this story which had me tearing up and smiling, sometimes at the same time.
Their journey was not without its ups and downs, but it was worth it in the end.
Narrated by Ryan West and Erin Mallon who did a brilliant job in their narration. They brought all the drama, passion and romance out . Their performances did justice to the wonderful story and the characters created.
I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 21, 2025
Have you ever read a book that made you so happy and filled your heart so full that all you wanted to do was cry tears of happiness, well Sterling Fight was that book for me. My heart ached so much for both Judd and Genie, two people that were destined for each other but life took a right turn when it should have been going straight head causing them to lose sight of each other. A second chance romance that takes you on such an emotional ride that you will be mentally drained by the end of their story but believe me it will be worth it. A storyline and characters that pull at your heart strings more than any story I have ever read. Can I say these two are definitely "couple goals" even with all the ups and downs. Would you read more books on this couple, check yes or no and I am definitely checking all the yeses. There are books and characters that imprint themselves on your heart and this book and this couple most certainly did that to me.
February 11, 2025
Judd and Genie… so much history between the two, and yet so many things the other didn’t know. I love stories about childhood friends to lovers. Since they were only 8 and 10 years old, Genie and Judd were connected. A missed opportunity at prom, things were never the same with them. It was easy to want an HEA for them.
I love that the older MCs. The older I get the more I look for characters that I can relate to. Neither Judd or Genie have been married by the time they’re 40 or have children. It’s hard to find that combination in real life and in stories.
I never want to leave Sterling Falls. These characters are fantastic.
I primarily listened to this one and I’m so glad that I did. Ryan West’s portrayal of Judd as perfect. His voice immediately put a vision of Judd in my head.
Thank you to The Author Agency for my copies of this book.
I love that the older MCs. The older I get the more I look for characters that I can relate to. Neither Judd or Genie have been married by the time they’re 40 or have children. It’s hard to find that combination in real life and in stories.
I never want to leave Sterling Falls. These characters are fantastic.
I primarily listened to this one and I’m so glad that I did. Ryan West’s portrayal of Judd as perfect. His voice immediately put a vision of Judd in my head.
Thank you to The Author Agency for my copies of this book.
January 18, 2025
Another home run from L.B. Dunbar! The latest in the Sterling Falls series, Sterling Fight brings us the story of Judd & Genie. They have known each other since elementary school, but in spite of a mutual crush (unbeknownst to the other) they never were a couple. The story of how they finally find one another is sweet (and hot), with many of the ups, downs, and miscommunications that happen in real life as well as between the pages of a book.
I very much enjoyed their story and how they each overcame the challenges they faced as they came to recognize that they truly belong together. This couple perfectly balance and complete one another-#couple goals! It is a true page turner, and I’m glad I started it on a Saturday morning, so I was able to devour it in one sitting!
It is always a delight to visit Sterling Falls and see how the Sylver family is growing. I eagerly await the upcoming books featuring Vale & Stone as they find their happiness. Note: I did receive an ARC of this book, but this review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions. #LBDunbar
I very much enjoyed their story and how they each overcame the challenges they faced as they came to recognize that they truly belong together. This couple perfectly balance and complete one another-#couple goals! It is a true page turner, and I’m glad I started it on a Saturday morning, so I was able to devour it in one sitting!
It is always a delight to visit Sterling Falls and see how the Sylver family is growing. I eagerly await the upcoming books featuring Vale & Stone as they find their happiness. Note: I did receive an ARC of this book, but this review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions. #LBDunbar
February 3, 2025
Judd and Genie were meant to be together. This was a very special story for me as these two characters were both so well written as only L.B. Dunbar can do.
Refreshingly different in that their relationship was so sweet and heartwarming. I loved it!! Can’t wait for Vale’s return in her own book after loving her and the Sylver brothers in this series!
Refreshingly different in that their relationship was so sweet and heartwarming. I loved it!! Can’t wait for Vale’s return in her own book after loving her and the Sylver brothers in this series!
January 19, 2025
From the first page to the last, I was beyond captivated by Judd & Genie and their story. It was definitely not an easy journey to their happily ever, but worth it in the end. I felt so many emotions while reading and I love when a great story has the ability to do that. I could not stop reading once I started.
I’m so excited that there is more to come in this series! I cannot wait for Vale’s book next.
I voluntarily reviewed this book.
I’m so excited that there is more to come in this series! I cannot wait for Vale’s book next.
I voluntarily reviewed this book.
February 12, 2025
LB Dunbar does it again. I really, really like this series so much. The characters are so well written and lovable. If you haven’t read this series yet, do not wait. It was so great to finally get Judd’s story and Genie was perfect for him.
March 12, 2025
I had to keep reminding myself the mains were not twenty something’s…..all the not yet’s had me rolling my eyes. I have loved this family and was looking forward to Judds story, but this was a let down. The drama with Genies mother was not really resolved. The drama with Heather felt meh as well. All the meaningful to them tattoos Judd had never came up before? Sort of creepy to me, and unbelievable that his previous gf didn’t ask about them, or any one of his siblings…
I did enjoy the updates on the other siblings, so that was a plus.
I did enjoy the updates on the other siblings, so that was a plus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2025
If ever there was a MMC that needed to see a therapist because of boyhood trauma stemming from how his father treated him and the rest of his siblings, it is Judd, the MMC in this story.
The fact that he had such latent aggression and how he, as a 42 year old, channeled it out of his system which he considered was an “acceptable” way, all I kept thinking about the MFC, Genie, is, “you in danger girl” and she should run for the hills.
I haven’t read the other books in this series and, quite frankly, based on this book, my interest wasn’t peaked enough to check them out.
The fact that he had such latent aggression and how he, as a 42 year old, channeled it out of his system which he considered was an “acceptable” way, all I kept thinking about the MFC, Genie, is, “you in danger girl” and she should run for the hills.
I haven’t read the other books in this series and, quite frankly, based on this book, my interest wasn’t peaked enough to check them out.
February 1, 2025
Amazon
It feels like everything is coming full circle when Judd rescues Genie from her mom, and declares he's her fiancé. They have a painful history, former friends, would be high school sweethearts, and now...engaged? They agree on 10 days, but if Judd can convince her, they could be forever.
Judd never told Genie why he stood her up on prom night. He never told her a lot of things, like the crush he had (has) on her, or what he does now to release the negativity running through his mind. But if he has his way and convinces Genie to never leave him, both of them will have to bare their souls to each other.
I really wasn't expecting the way Judd and Genie would tug on my heartstrings and make me shed a few tears along the way. Their backstories, especially Judd's, were heartbreaking, but from the first time they met each other and shared yes or no notes, it was obvious they were soulmates. They took the long way around, suffering immense pain from people who were supposed to love them, but in the end they came back to each other. They are couple goals indeed!
ARC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review.
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January 30, 2025
Have you ever read a book or series and thought when you were finished that it was the best yet? And then read the next book in the series and thought it was the best yet? And then – gone back to reread a previous book and thought that one was the best yet? Maybe it’s the author who’s the best yet. And that is how all of author L. B. Dunbar’s books make me feel. When I reach the end and close the book or take the earbuds out I feel so content, so pleased, so satisfied, so sure I’ve just finished the best thing I’ve ever read. Each story is unique but all carry the strong imprint of her talent. People have suffered to varying degrees, but they start to hope they’ve found that someone who understands, who is the person they need. Can Judd and Genie be that for each other?
If you’ve already read the first four books in the Sterling Falls series (and if not, why not?) you already know the trauma their father inflicted on all the Sylver siblings after their mother died. They endured, probably due most of all to oldest brother Stone’s efforts to keep them a family, but they all have scars and unresolved issues. Judd’s particular brand of torture at his father’s hands was beatings, torment, verbal abuse that he was weak, a coward, never stood up for himself, and the most egregious of all, that he was responsible for his mother’s death. Is it any wonder he gets in the ring and fights now?
Genie is a successful independent businesswoman, creator and owner of Quirky Girl Calendars. Talented, confident, beautiful, vibrant – until she’s around her mother, and then she almost completely shuts down. Genie’s mother thinks she’s a big shot in Sterling Falls, and never hesitate to criticize Genie: her hair, her clothes, her single status, her choices, her “calendar hobby.” She’s thoughtless and cruel, on husband #4 since Genie’s beloved father died. If all that’s not enough Genie carries a heavy secret in her heart.
Judd and Genie have history but letting herself remember it brings back more sad than happy memories for Genie. Fifth-grade-Judd was third-grade=Genie’s book buddy but wouldn’t check the “Will you be my friend: yes or no” box; middle-school-Judd seemed to look at Genie an awful lot but then looked away; high-school-senior-Judd accepted sophomore-Genie’s invitation to his prom but stood her up with no explanation and disappeared; college-Genie watched college-Judd every day in the library, but never approached him. Enough was enough. There was always something about him that tugged at her heart, though. Loner, distant Judd with a sad poet vibe. But he had rejected her one time too many. Besides, she didn’t have any intention of getting married or having children; look at her role model. Nope, not doing that. As the story continues and we see more from Judd’s point of view, so much was out of his control, and the depth of his yearning for more with Genie is astounding, sweet and will nearly break your heart.
Talented author Dunbar smoothly glides us through the rest of the story: a rescue from a bad date at the bar/boxing ring, another rescue at the bakery, yet another rescue at the garden party, resulting in a fake engagement and an agreement to stay in that fake relationship for the ten days Genie will be in Sterling falls, and then maybe what looks like what could be a real rescue for both of them. Sterling Fight is serious and deep; these two have been through a lot and are still struggling. It’s also tender, sweet and romantic. One step forward, two steps back. Trust is there but a certainty or even a desire for a future, not sure yet. Words and actions are misunderstood. The steamy scenes are warm, sensual, brimming with emotion and affection. And yes, there is humor and laughter and family and adventure. You’re probably starting to see why Sterling Fight is another book to go in the ‘best ever’ category.
I was fortunate to receive both advance listening and advance reading copies of Sterling Fight. The story is marvelous and when spoken aloud by always-captivating Erin Mallon and strong-dark-smoky-voiced Ryan West it’s magical. All the personality and emotion with perfect tone and pacing. A joy to read and listen. Just go ahead and read this and then work your way through everything L. B. Dunbar has written. You’ll be happy you did. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.
If you’ve already read the first four books in the Sterling Falls series (and if not, why not?) you already know the trauma their father inflicted on all the Sylver siblings after their mother died. They endured, probably due most of all to oldest brother Stone’s efforts to keep them a family, but they all have scars and unresolved issues. Judd’s particular brand of torture at his father’s hands was beatings, torment, verbal abuse that he was weak, a coward, never stood up for himself, and the most egregious of all, that he was responsible for his mother’s death. Is it any wonder he gets in the ring and fights now?
Genie is a successful independent businesswoman, creator and owner of Quirky Girl Calendars. Talented, confident, beautiful, vibrant – until she’s around her mother, and then she almost completely shuts down. Genie’s mother thinks she’s a big shot in Sterling Falls, and never hesitate to criticize Genie: her hair, her clothes, her single status, her choices, her “calendar hobby.” She’s thoughtless and cruel, on husband #4 since Genie’s beloved father died. If all that’s not enough Genie carries a heavy secret in her heart.
Judd and Genie have history but letting herself remember it brings back more sad than happy memories for Genie. Fifth-grade-Judd was third-grade=Genie’s book buddy but wouldn’t check the “Will you be my friend: yes or no” box; middle-school-Judd seemed to look at Genie an awful lot but then looked away; high-school-senior-Judd accepted sophomore-Genie’s invitation to his prom but stood her up with no explanation and disappeared; college-Genie watched college-Judd every day in the library, but never approached him. Enough was enough. There was always something about him that tugged at her heart, though. Loner, distant Judd with a sad poet vibe. But he had rejected her one time too many. Besides, she didn’t have any intention of getting married or having children; look at her role model. Nope, not doing that. As the story continues and we see more from Judd’s point of view, so much was out of his control, and the depth of his yearning for more with Genie is astounding, sweet and will nearly break your heart.
Talented author Dunbar smoothly glides us through the rest of the story: a rescue from a bad date at the bar/boxing ring, another rescue at the bakery, yet another rescue at the garden party, resulting in a fake engagement and an agreement to stay in that fake relationship for the ten days Genie will be in Sterling falls, and then maybe what looks like what could be a real rescue for both of them. Sterling Fight is serious and deep; these two have been through a lot and are still struggling. It’s also tender, sweet and romantic. One step forward, two steps back. Trust is there but a certainty or even a desire for a future, not sure yet. Words and actions are misunderstood. The steamy scenes are warm, sensual, brimming with emotion and affection. And yes, there is humor and laughter and family and adventure. You’re probably starting to see why Sterling Fight is another book to go in the ‘best ever’ category.
I was fortunate to receive both advance listening and advance reading copies of Sterling Fight. The story is marvelous and when spoken aloud by always-captivating Erin Mallon and strong-dark-smoky-voiced Ryan West it’s magical. All the personality and emotion with perfect tone and pacing. A joy to read and listen. Just go ahead and read this and then work your way through everything L. B. Dunbar has written. You’ll be happy you did. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.
February 4, 2025
❤️ And now it’s Judd’s turn…
Story 4.5 ⭐️s
Narration: 4 ⭐️s
To say I’ve been eagerly anticipating Judd Sylver’s story is an understatement. I’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for this one, and now that it’s here all I can say is well done Ms Dunbar! And despite some trope overlap with past books and undercooked external conflict, the way Judd and Genie’s story unfolded was a joy to me.
I loved that this book’s plot allowed the MCs so much time together. There was all this wonderful space for them to be one-to-one and to renew their connection. While there is a lot of steam between Judd and Genie, their intimacy never felt rushed or overdone. And though there are shades of second chance here, it felt different from Knox and Halle, because unlike them, Genie and Judd never truly got their first chance. There’s also some fun overlap with the fake fiancé trope that added humor and angst, which I was surprised to find worked for me. There’s lighthearted banter, but also this exploration of underlying grief brought on by the loss of a parent. Both Judd and Genie are dealing with their own version of it, and the unfolding is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Five books in, we already know that the Sylver clan had it rough growing up, and each story reveals more devastating details to the picture of their past. The series began and it was a blurry family portrait, but each story has made each individual Sylver sibling clearer, along with the whole.
The secondary cast of the Sylver clan are still wonderful and my love for them, and their family dynamic only grows. I thought there were some great scenes of dinners and the family coming together to support Judd (and Genie!). It’s just a family portrait I love returning to.
With book 5, the weaker elements boil down to some lackluster external conflicts, in this case with Judd’s obnoxious ex-girlfriend, Heather, and Genie’s self-centered mother. Both started out fine, but by the time the story wrapped up, those tensions kind of fell away. Ultimately, I was almost grateful for the brushing aside of those external factors, because it left room for such a tight focus on Judd and Genie building their connection.
The audiobook was very good. Erin Mallon is her usual best, and turns in a wonderful performance as Genie. This is a character with a charming blend of heart, vulnerability, and quirks, and there are few narrators who portray that blend as well as Mallon. Ryan West as Judd was also good. While I found his portrayal less engaging than Mallon, he still fit the bill for the brooding but tender Judd very well. Together the narrators make the audio well worth a listen.
All told, SF is an enjoyable story of love and reconnection, as well as another wonderful addition to Dunbar’s Sterling Falls series. Again, I’m looking forward to the next while at the same time being sad that there are not many more Sylver siblings to go!
I received an ALC copy of the audiobook via Home Cooked Books and read via KU. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Story 4.5 ⭐️s
Narration: 4 ⭐️s
To say I’ve been eagerly anticipating Judd Sylver’s story is an understatement. I’ve been on tenterhooks waiting for this one, and now that it’s here all I can say is well done Ms Dunbar! And despite some trope overlap with past books and undercooked external conflict, the way Judd and Genie’s story unfolded was a joy to me.
I loved that this book’s plot allowed the MCs so much time together. There was all this wonderful space for them to be one-to-one and to renew their connection. While there is a lot of steam between Judd and Genie, their intimacy never felt rushed or overdone. And though there are shades of second chance here, it felt different from Knox and Halle, because unlike them, Genie and Judd never truly got their first chance. There’s also some fun overlap with the fake fiancé trope that added humor and angst, which I was surprised to find worked for me. There’s lighthearted banter, but also this exploration of underlying grief brought on by the loss of a parent. Both Judd and Genie are dealing with their own version of it, and the unfolding is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Five books in, we already know that the Sylver clan had it rough growing up, and each story reveals more devastating details to the picture of their past. The series began and it was a blurry family portrait, but each story has made each individual Sylver sibling clearer, along with the whole.
The secondary cast of the Sylver clan are still wonderful and my love for them, and their family dynamic only grows. I thought there were some great scenes of dinners and the family coming together to support Judd (and Genie!). It’s just a family portrait I love returning to.
With book 5, the weaker elements boil down to some lackluster external conflicts, in this case with Judd’s obnoxious ex-girlfriend, Heather, and Genie’s self-centered mother. Both started out fine, but by the time the story wrapped up, those tensions kind of fell away. Ultimately, I was almost grateful for the brushing aside of those external factors, because it left room for such a tight focus on Judd and Genie building their connection.
The audiobook was very good. Erin Mallon is her usual best, and turns in a wonderful performance as Genie. This is a character with a charming blend of heart, vulnerability, and quirks, and there are few narrators who portray that blend as well as Mallon. Ryan West as Judd was also good. While I found his portrayal less engaging than Mallon, he still fit the bill for the brooding but tender Judd very well. Together the narrators make the audio well worth a listen.
All told, SF is an enjoyable story of love and reconnection, as well as another wonderful addition to Dunbar’s Sterling Falls series. Again, I’m looking forward to the next while at the same time being sad that there are not many more Sylver siblings to go!
I received an ALC copy of the audiobook via Home Cooked Books and read via KU. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
February 11, 2025
Meet Genie, who is known as the Quirky Calendar Girl. She creates one-of-a-kind calendars for her clients. Her nasty mom calls it her “hobby”. She’s on a mom generated drink date when she runs into her old school crush, Judd Sylver, who happens to be fighting at this bar. Who takes their first drink date to a fight?! Her douche bag blind date, that’s who. Thanks Mom-NOT! Mom’s on her 4th husband and Genie does NOT see marriage in her future, or in her life.
Judd is the hard-working finance guy in his family’s business, but he’s a loner and ironically, tired of being alone. He’s also the product of an abusive father, which has him jaded in the love department.
Through a misunderstanding, the couple gets fake engaged for the 10 days that Genie is in town.
I loved the whimsy of the “Check Yes or No” notes that Genie and Judd exchanged throughout their story.
I’m not a reader that reads a book more than once, but I found myself rereading this tender, sometimes sad evolution of Genie and Judd’s new relationship from friendship to love.
The mini playlist at the end was like a cherry on top…I went back through the book, listening to the songs so specials to this very wonderful couple, reliving their happily ever after. L.B. even included links to days of the year, naughty holidays to remember and to the national day calendar, which of course is Genie’s jam. I think I have to categorize this later in life romance a romance plus!, it just has so many elements and items in it that the author took the time to include and that made this book so much richer.
Sterling Fight is the 5th book in L.B. Dunbar’s Sylver family series. I consider it a stand alone novel, but it makes for a more satisfying read if you read the whole series in order and because Dunbar is that good!
From elementary school reading buddies to lovers, readers will find themselves on an emotional roller coaster with Genie and Judd, screaming for their happy ending. But would you really cheer for someone that stood Genie up on prom night?! Yeah, that’s right, Judd never showed, never called. He broke Genie’s heart in high school, now 20 years later, they meet up again in their hometown of Sterling Falls, West Virginia. Genie is 2 years younger than Judd. Not a big difference in adults, but back in high school, it was HUGE!
Things to mention; Characters alienated from family, fighting in the ring, abusive parents, a former toxic relationship, tough childhoods, a fake fiancé situation.
Truthfully, L.B is one of my favorite authors. If she publishes a book, I’m going to read it. She did NOT disappoint AGAIN. Once I started Judd and Genie’s story, I couldn’t put it down till the last page.
It’s nice to be back, visiting the Sylver family again. If you like a spicy romance with mature characters, set in a small town that has a solid story line, this should be your next read.
I received an arc copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Judd is the hard-working finance guy in his family’s business, but he’s a loner and ironically, tired of being alone. He’s also the product of an abusive father, which has him jaded in the love department.
Through a misunderstanding, the couple gets fake engaged for the 10 days that Genie is in town.
I loved the whimsy of the “Check Yes or No” notes that Genie and Judd exchanged throughout their story.
I’m not a reader that reads a book more than once, but I found myself rereading this tender, sometimes sad evolution of Genie and Judd’s new relationship from friendship to love.
The mini playlist at the end was like a cherry on top…I went back through the book, listening to the songs so specials to this very wonderful couple, reliving their happily ever after. L.B. even included links to days of the year, naughty holidays to remember and to the national day calendar, which of course is Genie’s jam. I think I have to categorize this later in life romance a romance plus!, it just has so many elements and items in it that the author took the time to include and that made this book so much richer.
Sterling Fight is the 5th book in L.B. Dunbar’s Sylver family series. I consider it a stand alone novel, but it makes for a more satisfying read if you read the whole series in order and because Dunbar is that good!
From elementary school reading buddies to lovers, readers will find themselves on an emotional roller coaster with Genie and Judd, screaming for their happy ending. But would you really cheer for someone that stood Genie up on prom night?! Yeah, that’s right, Judd never showed, never called. He broke Genie’s heart in high school, now 20 years later, they meet up again in their hometown of Sterling Falls, West Virginia. Genie is 2 years younger than Judd. Not a big difference in adults, but back in high school, it was HUGE!
Things to mention; Characters alienated from family, fighting in the ring, abusive parents, a former toxic relationship, tough childhoods, a fake fiancé situation.
Truthfully, L.B is one of my favorite authors. If she publishes a book, I’m going to read it. She did NOT disappoint AGAIN. Once I started Judd and Genie’s story, I couldn’t put it down till the last page.
It’s nice to be back, visiting the Sylver family again. If you like a spicy romance with mature characters, set in a small town that has a solid story line, this should be your next read.
I received an arc copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
January 28, 2025
More Sterling Falls Greatness! Amazing Story & Narration🎧
Sterling Fight
Sterling Falls, Book 5
By : L.B. Dunbar
Narrated by: Erin Mallon, Ryan West
L.B. Dunbar pens another winning novel set in her “Sterling Falls” series and puts her own unique spin on a fake relationship/engagement trope in this second chance romance novel. This book not only captivated my attention the entire time, but it tugged at my heartstrings too. The Sylver siblings did not have it easy after their mother passed away when they were young because their father checked out and became a mean drunk, often taking his anger out on his kids, He did a real number on Judd who was quiet and book smart and as an adult, he still suffers from the demon of his past, his father. He knew Genie since grade school when she made a lasting impression on him, and was supposed to be her prom date in high school, but that never happened. He sees her again twenty years later, and it brings back old memories, including how he felt about her, and now he has a second chance to make things right with her. Genie is back in Sterling Falls to attend an event her mother insisted on, a mother who is demanding and does not treat her nicely. The two meet again at this event and Judd comes to her rescue. When a misunderstanding leads to a fake engagement, Genie goes along with it, except Judd has plans to make it real. It was great to watch these two get reacquainted and to learn more about them, seeing they had more in common than they knew, disappointments, losses and heartbreaks in their younger years. It was also great to see the Sylver brothers from previous books and while Judd kept secrets from them and I loved how they were there for them and their acceptance. There is never a dull moment in this book, a wonderfully written and plotted story with the perfect balance of drama, angst, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. L.B. Dunbar, thank you for another fantastic story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 Erin Mallon and Ryan West were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting. I loved how they took their roles and made them their own, sounding believable and just as I imagined the characters to sound. Mallon nailed it as Genie, grasping every side of her personality and was a natural in the role. West did the same as Judd and was just as amazing with showcasing his personality and demeanor. Both were fantastic performing the roles as the side/secondary characters too. They set the right tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These two made a great team, with voices and talent that complemented each other and a performance that takes the already wonderful story to another level. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to.
Sterling Fight
Sterling Falls, Book 5
By : L.B. Dunbar
Narrated by: Erin Mallon, Ryan West
L.B. Dunbar pens another winning novel set in her “Sterling Falls” series and puts her own unique spin on a fake relationship/engagement trope in this second chance romance novel. This book not only captivated my attention the entire time, but it tugged at my heartstrings too. The Sylver siblings did not have it easy after their mother passed away when they were young because their father checked out and became a mean drunk, often taking his anger out on his kids, He did a real number on Judd who was quiet and book smart and as an adult, he still suffers from the demon of his past, his father. He knew Genie since grade school when she made a lasting impression on him, and was supposed to be her prom date in high school, but that never happened. He sees her again twenty years later, and it brings back old memories, including how he felt about her, and now he has a second chance to make things right with her. Genie is back in Sterling Falls to attend an event her mother insisted on, a mother who is demanding and does not treat her nicely. The two meet again at this event and Judd comes to her rescue. When a misunderstanding leads to a fake engagement, Genie goes along with it, except Judd has plans to make it real. It was great to watch these two get reacquainted and to learn more about them, seeing they had more in common than they knew, disappointments, losses and heartbreaks in their younger years. It was also great to see the Sylver brothers from previous books and while Judd kept secrets from them and I loved how they were there for them and their acceptance. There is never a dull moment in this book, a wonderfully written and plotted story with the perfect balance of drama, angst, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn but so worth the wait romance. L.B. Dunbar, thank you for another fantastic story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 Erin Mallon and Ryan West were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting. I loved how they took their roles and made them their own, sounding believable and just as I imagined the characters to sound. Mallon nailed it as Genie, grasping every side of her personality and was a natural in the role. West did the same as Judd and was just as amazing with showcasing his personality and demeanor. Both were fantastic performing the roles as the side/secondary characters too. They set the right tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These two made a great team, with voices and talent that complemented each other and a performance that takes the already wonderful story to another level. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to.
January 28, 2025
𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍, 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚗? 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚍 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕. 𝙷𝚎'𝚜 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝙷𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜. 𝙷𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"𝑺𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉����𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒐."
𝙷𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙𝚜 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜, 𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎. 𝙷𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖.
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎. 𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜, 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚝. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛? 𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍 𝚏𝚙𝚛 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚍. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔. 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒙, 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒉𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎, 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔....𝑱𝒖𝒅𝒅"
𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕. 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗... 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚢𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜.. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚗𝚘 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚖 𝚜𝚘 𝚊𝚠𝚏𝚞𝚕. 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍. 𝙷𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚓𝚞𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚝. 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚝, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢. 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎. 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"𝑯𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔.”
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"𝑺𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉����𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒐."
𝙷𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙𝚜 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜, 𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎. 𝙷𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖.
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎. 𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚊𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜, 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚝. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛? 𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍 𝚏𝚙𝚛 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜. 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚍. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔. 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒙, 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒉𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒎, 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒕𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅. 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔....𝑱𝒖𝒅𝒅"
𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚜𝚜. 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚍𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕. 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗... 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚢𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜.. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚗𝚘 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚖 𝚜𝚘 𝚊𝚠𝚏𝚞𝚕. 𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍. 𝙷𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚓𝚞𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚝. 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚝, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝙸 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢. 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎. 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"𝑯𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔.”
February 7, 2025
4.5 Stars! Sweet, second chance romance!
Sterling Fight is book #5 within the Sterling Falls series. Each book focuses on a different Sylver brother with this one about Judd and Genie. Genie has been in love with Judd since they were kids, but never acted on it, although she did try to become friends with him. However, Judd has always been on the quieter side, self-describing himself as a loner. He pushes everyone away including his own brothers due to some trauma from his/their family’s past. Throughout their childhood and teenage years, Judd and Genie encounter each other on different occasions, with Genie even asking Judd out to his prom. But things don’t really go well. 20 years later, Genie is back in town to visit her mum, and through a bunch of misunderstands they end up fake engaged.
This slow-burn story was so good and such a joy to listen to. I really enjoyed the story that was told and the themes that were explored. We really got to see these characters reconnect after so many years. They were able to explore not only their physical attraction but also their emotional connection. They also explored the things they had in common and their complex friendship from childhood. I also loved how supportive Judd was of Genie including with her business, and when she was dealing with her messed up relationship with her mum. Genie was also the sweetest; she was so loving and caring, but also strong. They balanced each other out; she was the sunshine to his grumpy and broody. Genie was also the sweetest; she was so loving and caring, but also strong. They balanced each other out; she was the sunshine to his grumpy and broody.
Another thing I really enjoyed was just how sweet the actual romance was. They were so gone for each other but especially Judd! Lol I loved the whole writing their feeling/questions to each other through their little notes. Also, can we talk about how Judd bought the same unicorn notepad that Genie used to write him the notes when they were kids in school! Lol I cannot believe this man! 😍
I also love how L.B. Dunbar seems to write and focus on older characters; at least all her books I’ve read so far have characters aged mostly around their 40s (although I obviously haven’t read all her books). Most romance novels have characters in their 20s so it’s nice reading from different perspectives and about different types of characters. And a plus is that it shows that love doesn’t just start and end in your 20s. Finally, it was nice seeing some of our MCs from previous books within the series make cameos. Overall, this was such a good read/listen. I would recommend if you need a second chance, slow burn, fake engagement, childhood friends/crush romance with older aged characters!
Narrated by Ryan West and Erin Mallon, their performance was incredible. Both portrayed their respective characters very well, allowing us to really feel, get in the heads, and understand all the emotions of the MCs. Definitely recommend the audio!
Thanks to the author, L.B. Dunbar, and the team at HomeCooked Books for providing me with an advanced audio review copy of this book. All opinions provided in this review are entirely my own.
Sterling Fight is book #5 within the Sterling Falls series. Each book focuses on a different Sylver brother with this one about Judd and Genie. Genie has been in love with Judd since they were kids, but never acted on it, although she did try to become friends with him. However, Judd has always been on the quieter side, self-describing himself as a loner. He pushes everyone away including his own brothers due to some trauma from his/their family’s past. Throughout their childhood and teenage years, Judd and Genie encounter each other on different occasions, with Genie even asking Judd out to his prom. But things don’t really go well. 20 years later, Genie is back in town to visit her mum, and through a bunch of misunderstands they end up fake engaged.
This slow-burn story was so good and such a joy to listen to. I really enjoyed the story that was told and the themes that were explored. We really got to see these characters reconnect after so many years. They were able to explore not only their physical attraction but also their emotional connection. They also explored the things they had in common and their complex friendship from childhood. I also loved how supportive Judd was of Genie including with her business, and when she was dealing with her messed up relationship with her mum. Genie was also the sweetest; she was so loving and caring, but also strong. They balanced each other out; she was the sunshine to his grumpy and broody. Genie was also the sweetest; she was so loving and caring, but also strong. They balanced each other out; she was the sunshine to his grumpy and broody.
Another thing I really enjoyed was just how sweet the actual romance was. They were so gone for each other but especially Judd! Lol I loved the whole writing their feeling/questions to each other through their little notes. Also, can we talk about how Judd bought the same unicorn notepad that Genie used to write him the notes when they were kids in school! Lol I cannot believe this man! 😍
I also love how L.B. Dunbar seems to write and focus on older characters; at least all her books I’ve read so far have characters aged mostly around their 40s (although I obviously haven’t read all her books). Most romance novels have characters in their 20s so it’s nice reading from different perspectives and about different types of characters. And a plus is that it shows that love doesn’t just start and end in your 20s. Finally, it was nice seeing some of our MCs from previous books within the series make cameos. Overall, this was such a good read/listen. I would recommend if you need a second chance, slow burn, fake engagement, childhood friends/crush romance with older aged characters!
Narrated by Ryan West and Erin Mallon, their performance was incredible. Both portrayed their respective characters very well, allowing us to really feel, get in the heads, and understand all the emotions of the MCs. Definitely recommend the audio!
Thanks to the author, L.B. Dunbar, and the team at HomeCooked Books for providing me with an advanced audio review copy of this book. All opinions provided in this review are entirely my own.
January 22, 2025
Sterling Fight
(Sterling Falls #5)
By L.B. Dunbar
Judd and Genie’s story swept me into one of the best second-chance- romances I have ever read!
By now if you’ve read books one to four, you know that Judd is a bit of a loner…which could also make Judd a lonely man! Yes, big family, yes every child suffered unbelievable wrongs by their father, but Judd; it seems like their father used young Judd as his own personal boxing bag. The damage was done and Judd worked hard to overcome things, but the one thing he never got over was Genie Webster.
In elementary school Genie Webster though Judd was the cats meow; she asked him to be her friend, she asked him a number of things but the biggest ask that he checked yes to was being her date for his prom, but even that didn’t happen. Then he left for college..and the disappointments in Genie’s life just seem to continue.
So when she arrives back in Sterling Falls to attend her mother’s Spring Garden party, the last person she thought she would see was Judd Syler breaking up with the woman that the entire town thought he would marry. Some women don’t take breakups well….so the ice coffee that was thrown at Judd didn’t stand to well with Genie. She still might not like him (maybe) but she would certainly help him clean up. Then asked him if he knew anyone who could be a pretend date for her that same afternoon. Guess who showed up (for many reasons) Judd Sylver. This is where the story get good!
Judd is the accountant (CFO) at Sylver Seed & Soil…..he is amazing with numbers and he knows how to invest…right now he is hoping to invest in Genie. Genie is the owner of Quirky Girl Calendar’s. This sounds like my kind of calander! She wants to grow her business but that takes money.
An unthought answer to a question by Genie’s mother puts Judd and Genie it a tight spot, which leads to her living at Judd’s place and boy do we get the whole story….believe me you want to know these two.
With Judd getting into all the special days on the calendar and Genie realizing that Judd has liked her all these years this makes an read that makes your heart beat faster, makes you laugh and keeps you crossing your fingers that it all works out!
Five big beautiful stars from me and please can someone find where we can get Quirky Girl Calanders?
(Sterling Falls #5)
By L.B. Dunbar
Judd and Genie’s story swept me into one of the best second-chance- romances I have ever read!
By now if you’ve read books one to four, you know that Judd is a bit of a loner…which could also make Judd a lonely man! Yes, big family, yes every child suffered unbelievable wrongs by their father, but Judd; it seems like their father used young Judd as his own personal boxing bag. The damage was done and Judd worked hard to overcome things, but the one thing he never got over was Genie Webster.
In elementary school Genie Webster though Judd was the cats meow; she asked him to be her friend, she asked him a number of things but the biggest ask that he checked yes to was being her date for his prom, but even that didn’t happen. Then he left for college..and the disappointments in Genie’s life just seem to continue.
So when she arrives back in Sterling Falls to attend her mother’s Spring Garden party, the last person she thought she would see was Judd Syler breaking up with the woman that the entire town thought he would marry. Some women don’t take breakups well….so the ice coffee that was thrown at Judd didn’t stand to well with Genie. She still might not like him (maybe) but she would certainly help him clean up. Then asked him if he knew anyone who could be a pretend date for her that same afternoon. Guess who showed up (for many reasons) Judd Sylver. This is where the story get good!
Judd is the accountant (CFO) at Sylver Seed & Soil…..he is amazing with numbers and he knows how to invest…right now he is hoping to invest in Genie. Genie is the owner of Quirky Girl Calendar’s. This sounds like my kind of calander! She wants to grow her business but that takes money.
An unthought answer to a question by Genie’s mother puts Judd and Genie it a tight spot, which leads to her living at Judd’s place and boy do we get the whole story….believe me you want to know these two.
With Judd getting into all the special days on the calendar and Genie realizing that Judd has liked her all these years this makes an read that makes your heart beat faster, makes you laugh and keeps you crossing your fingers that it all works out!
Five big beautiful stars from me and please can someone find where we can get Quirky Girl Calanders?
January 23, 2025
I was lucky enough to get ALC and enjoyed listening to this story come to life from Ryan West and Erin Mallon. They brought both characters to life and gave them even more personality. Judd had me intrigued from the numerous times he was mentioned in his family's previous books. Then the solid right hook to the bully during Clay's book and that teaser at the very end had me impatiently waiting his story. And L.B. Dunbar did not disappoint.
Judd is the quiet member of the family who has felt like an outsider for most of his life. If you're read any of the previous stories in this world, you should know that his father became a cruel man after the loss of his wife, Judd's mom. The relationship he had with Judd was very cruel and left a lasting effect that Judd is still struggling to overcome. He wants to show he isn't weak or any of the cruel words his father spewed his way. But more than that, his father took away a key moment for Judd that he is finally having a chance to redeem himself and get the girl he's always wanted.
The love story between Judd and Genie was meant to have happened years ago, but stubbornness and miscommunication left them waiting till a chance encounter brings them together. Judd takes advantage of someone else misunderstanding the situation they find themselves in and claims her for a chance to finally win over the one girl who has held his heart. And their ten days of being in a relationship begins and I loved every moment. Genie was written all over his heart when they met in grade school, she just was never made aware.
I loved that Juliet gets to bring Judd out of his shell. But more importantly, she gets to show him how he does fit in with his family and they've always been in his corner. I loved the moments between Stone and Judd, the ability to forgive and see the happy moments in a past written in tragedy and loss. I loved that Juliet gets to march to her beat and join a family that loves her fully as is, no expectations except to love and be loved.
I sincerely love this family; they just make my heart so happy. I loved reading how each Sylver finds their person and a chance to love after all they've been through. I have two siblings left and despite how excited I am for them to get their story, I know I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to this family.
Judd is the quiet member of the family who has felt like an outsider for most of his life. If you're read any of the previous stories in this world, you should know that his father became a cruel man after the loss of his wife, Judd's mom. The relationship he had with Judd was very cruel and left a lasting effect that Judd is still struggling to overcome. He wants to show he isn't weak or any of the cruel words his father spewed his way. But more than that, his father took away a key moment for Judd that he is finally having a chance to redeem himself and get the girl he's always wanted.
The love story between Judd and Genie was meant to have happened years ago, but stubbornness and miscommunication left them waiting till a chance encounter brings them together. Judd takes advantage of someone else misunderstanding the situation they find themselves in and claims her for a chance to finally win over the one girl who has held his heart. And their ten days of being in a relationship begins and I loved every moment. Genie was written all over his heart when they met in grade school, she just was never made aware.
I loved that Juliet gets to bring Judd out of his shell. But more importantly, she gets to show him how he does fit in with his family and they've always been in his corner. I loved the moments between Stone and Judd, the ability to forgive and see the happy moments in a past written in tragedy and loss. I loved that Juliet gets to march to her beat and join a family that loves her fully as is, no expectations except to love and be loved.
I sincerely love this family; they just make my heart so happy. I loved reading how each Sylver finds their person and a chance to love after all they've been through. I have two siblings left and despite how excited I am for them to get their story, I know I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to this family.
January 18, 2025
Happy to be living several hours away from her grasping and exacting mother, obscure date-obsessed calendar maven Genie is on an epically bad date when a ripped, tattooed boxer with very familiar deep blue eyes snatches her attention as he’s besting his opponent in the ring. Turns out he’s her childhood crush, the same guy she’d crushed on hard for years, and who stood her up on prom night then basically vanished for a couple of years until she spotted him again at her university library. Oblivious to her presence, they’d never crossed paths again until the date from h3ll.
When her mother demands she attend an annual garden party in their WV hometown a few weeks later, Genie has a front row seat to Judd’s epic breakup with his girlfriend of two years and one of Genie’s biggest bullies growing up.
Judd has never been in love but if he could’ve imagined it, it would’ve been with Genie, the girl who was the bright spot of his difficult childhood. When he impulsively claims to be her fiancé at the garden party in front of all their hometown who’s who, including his ex and Genie’s mother, he is shocked by the rightness of it all.
Can he convince the commitment-shy Genie they might have something more than a fake relationship? Or will past hurts prove too great to overcome?
I love a second (or third, or fourth) chance trope, especially for maturely aged people, and this one was a doozy. My only criticisms were Genie’s over the top h8ful mother, Judd’s cartoon character ex, and the way Genie ran off as if her head were on fire after an almost-kiss with Judd became heated. It seemed a very out of place behavior from a woman is proudly single and therefore used to separating feelings from the physical - especially a nearly forty year old woman - but that’s an editorial choice I suppose. I’m on the fence about Judd having a fondness for the stationery Genie was partial to in elementary school, so much so that he has a permanent homage to it on his skin, but again, it’s a choice.
This book is part of a series but it worked fine as a standalone: I was able to jump right in without having read the previous four installments.
I received an advance reader copy from The Author Agency, and I’m sharing my honest review.
When her mother demands she attend an annual garden party in their WV hometown a few weeks later, Genie has a front row seat to Judd’s epic breakup with his girlfriend of two years and one of Genie’s biggest bullies growing up.
Judd has never been in love but if he could’ve imagined it, it would’ve been with Genie, the girl who was the bright spot of his difficult childhood. When he impulsively claims to be her fiancé at the garden party in front of all their hometown who’s who, including his ex and Genie’s mother, he is shocked by the rightness of it all.
Can he convince the commitment-shy Genie they might have something more than a fake relationship? Or will past hurts prove too great to overcome?
I love a second (or third, or fourth) chance trope, especially for maturely aged people, and this one was a doozy. My only criticisms were Genie’s over the top h8ful mother, Judd’s cartoon character ex, and the way Genie ran off as if her head were on fire after an almost-kiss with Judd became heated. It seemed a very out of place behavior from a woman is proudly single and therefore used to separating feelings from the physical - especially a nearly forty year old woman - but that’s an editorial choice I suppose. I’m on the fence about Judd having a fondness for the stationery Genie was partial to in elementary school, so much so that he has a permanent homage to it on his skin, but again, it’s a choice.
This book is part of a series but it worked fine as a standalone: I was able to jump right in without having read the previous four installments.
I received an advance reader copy from The Author Agency, and I’m sharing my honest review.
February 4, 2025
Rating: 4/5⭐️ Spice: 3/5🌶️
Tropes:
💍 Small town
🥊 Second chance
💍 Childhood friends
🥊 Fake engagement
💍 Secrets
🥊 Crush revealed
This is my first book for this series, I saw it and needed to sign up. I needed to learn more about Judd and Genie. And now I will go back and read the first 4 books in the series because the siblings are just as loveable as Judd and Genie. Judd and Genie both had it bad for each other when they were kids. Now they are in the same town again, can they rekindle their feelings, make for an epic second chance romance, or has too much time passed and they missed their opportunity?
Judd had a rough childhood and made some mistakes that he regrets but at the time had no choice but to make. Genie also had a rough childhood, in a different way but a rough one all the same. Their pasts have clouded both of them into thinking they aren’t good enough, they don’t deserve a happily ever after, love doesn’t exist, it only brings heartache. Both of their stories were heartwrenching and real, you could feel the pain they were in through the pages.
Genie and Judd were perfect for each other both had lots of baggage but together they were able to start the healing process. They were there for each other, never pushed for more but were always there when the other was ready to open up. They helped each other realize they deserve a chance at love. Helped each other learn to let go of the past, start living in the present and plan for the future.
OMG lets talk about the side characters, all of Judd’s siblings and their other halves were amazing. So real and so supportive. Never judging only wanting to be there for each other. They way they accepted Genie right from the beginning was amazing. And the banter between the siblings was fabulous.
L.B Dunbar did an amazing job addressing mental health in this book and how important it is to have a support system and to use that support system. You need your people by your side through thick and thin, good and bad.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will get all choked up with Judd’s confessions and Genie’s honest to goodness heart. If you love a small town romance with a second chance feel with some spice and banter thrown in there than look no furher.
Tropes:
💍 Small town
🥊 Second chance
💍 Childhood friends
🥊 Fake engagement
💍 Secrets
🥊 Crush revealed
This is my first book for this series, I saw it and needed to sign up. I needed to learn more about Judd and Genie. And now I will go back and read the first 4 books in the series because the siblings are just as loveable as Judd and Genie. Judd and Genie both had it bad for each other when they were kids. Now they are in the same town again, can they rekindle their feelings, make for an epic second chance romance, or has too much time passed and they missed their opportunity?
Judd had a rough childhood and made some mistakes that he regrets but at the time had no choice but to make. Genie also had a rough childhood, in a different way but a rough one all the same. Their pasts have clouded both of them into thinking they aren’t good enough, they don’t deserve a happily ever after, love doesn’t exist, it only brings heartache. Both of their stories were heartwrenching and real, you could feel the pain they were in through the pages.
Genie and Judd were perfect for each other both had lots of baggage but together they were able to start the healing process. They were there for each other, never pushed for more but were always there when the other was ready to open up. They helped each other realize they deserve a chance at love. Helped each other learn to let go of the past, start living in the present and plan for the future.
OMG lets talk about the side characters, all of Judd’s siblings and their other halves were amazing. So real and so supportive. Never judging only wanting to be there for each other. They way they accepted Genie right from the beginning was amazing. And the banter between the siblings was fabulous.
L.B Dunbar did an amazing job addressing mental health in this book and how important it is to have a support system and to use that support system. You need your people by your side through thick and thin, good and bad.
You will laugh, you will cry, you will get all choked up with Judd’s confessions and Genie’s honest to goodness heart. If you love a small town romance with a second chance feel with some spice and banter thrown in there than look no furher.
January 27, 2025
The date I finished this (January 27th) is also National Chocolate Cake Day, and this was one of the little things I loved peppered throughout this book. There is also some significant moments on dates with Judd and Genie that were just beyond words.
Judd Sylver is the middle child of the 7 Sylver siblings, the quiet, broody grump that keeps to himself. Not much is known about him, and, like his siblings, he is mentioned within the other books, but I knew there was more to his story. I did not expect, the depth, emotion and anger that lay beneath.
Genie is now a woman, 20 years on from being "dumped" the night of Judd's prom, a prom she asked him too. He never explained why, he just disappeared. Genie and Judd and shared very few moments, and most of their communication was thru there own secret yes/no notes, but Genie never forgot that boy/man, but due to events within her own life, time moved on and she left Sterling Falls and Judd behind. But, a chance encounter on her date, she is bought face to face with those blue eyes she never forgot. Judd has a secret he keeps from his family and in one moment, this was exposed to the one "girl" he never forgot, his firefly.
They meet again in their hometown, after Genie is told in no uncertain terms, she is to come home for an event that saw her become the "fiancé" of Judd and a chance to write those wrongs, and find out what happened all those years ago. Was I prepared for how the book would go, no, was it more emotional than I had anticipated, very much so. Judd's heart and his hurt runs deeps, and as we learn, so does Genie's. Genie had made a permanent mark on Judd, and he never forgot his firefly, and the reasons behind that night of the prom OMG you are not ready, NOT READY. And Genie, thanks to her Mother, had decided that there was things in her life she did not want, and always has felt alone, having no siblings, cannot hold down a relationship, but everything has pointed to this poignant moment with the boy she asked to be her friend many many years ago. There were so many quirky moments and I absolutely loved it. Judd was so much more than what I had imagined and it was perfect.
Judd Sylver is the middle child of the 7 Sylver siblings, the quiet, broody grump that keeps to himself. Not much is known about him, and, like his siblings, he is mentioned within the other books, but I knew there was more to his story. I did not expect, the depth, emotion and anger that lay beneath.
Genie is now a woman, 20 years on from being "dumped" the night of Judd's prom, a prom she asked him too. He never explained why, he just disappeared. Genie and Judd and shared very few moments, and most of their communication was thru there own secret yes/no notes, but Genie never forgot that boy/man, but due to events within her own life, time moved on and she left Sterling Falls and Judd behind. But, a chance encounter on her date, she is bought face to face with those blue eyes she never forgot. Judd has a secret he keeps from his family and in one moment, this was exposed to the one "girl" he never forgot, his firefly.
They meet again in their hometown, after Genie is told in no uncertain terms, she is to come home for an event that saw her become the "fiancé" of Judd and a chance to write those wrongs, and find out what happened all those years ago. Was I prepared for how the book would go, no, was it more emotional than I had anticipated, very much so. Judd's heart and his hurt runs deeps, and as we learn, so does Genie's. Genie had made a permanent mark on Judd, and he never forgot his firefly, and the reasons behind that night of the prom OMG you are not ready, NOT READY. And Genie, thanks to her Mother, had decided that there was things in her life she did not want, and always has felt alone, having no siblings, cannot hold down a relationship, but everything has pointed to this poignant moment with the boy she asked to be her friend many many years ago. There were so many quirky moments and I absolutely loved it. Judd was so much more than what I had imagined and it was perfect.
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