This is the author’s second series and if you want the full story, I recommend starting with her San Diego Marines series, which I am back tracking to 😉

*Just so you know, this is a sweet romance series, with minor steamy scenes (my copies are censored to meet my personal convictions.) I recommend this series to mature adult readers. *

This was such a sweet story! I was craving a good modern military story, and when I saw this one, I decided to give it a try. I am a hardcore Army girl, but I used to live 15 minutes from a Marine base, so I'm well acquainted with the Corps *halo*

I love Roman and Molly's different personalities; how they show that you don't have to be the same to love each other! And I love Molly's highlighter system! The Pineapple Love story analogy was so sweet and sad too... I also loved the reference to the USO center at the airport because I feel like civilians like me don't usually know about things like that. (I did know about them, but only because I'm a military fanatic and have friends in the service.) And finding out that there were certain things Roman couldn't do in the military because his dad was from Italy was fascinating to me. AND CAN WE APPRECIATE THAT ROMAN WAS HOMESCHOOLED???

Content: pre-marital kissing, hugging and deception.

*I received an early copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.*

This book was precious! The characters were so individual and easy to tell apart. I loved the content creator aspect, indie publishing and homeschooling! I felt like I had taken a tour of Hawaii and that's what I love in books, immersive setting! Add in the military flavor and the food choices? It was a recipe for success! Great plot and awesome talent!

Content: alcohol (brief, not drunk); noticing physical attributes but not too detailed/risqué); kissing hugging prior to marriage; mentions of drugs, immorality (clear it's wrong).

This was a fun read! A little steamier than I care for, but still not toooooo detailed. Glad I finished! Tyler is so sweet and makes me think of my husband with all the little things he did and the way he gently pushes you out of your comfort zone. So yeah! It didn't disappoint!

Content: alcohol, refers to drunkenness as a diseases, swimwear, touching, kissing, thoughts, unmarried couple stranded together overnight for a few days.

This book is my favorite. I know I say that every time. But it's true! I love this story and come on, who isn't a softy for snarky, hurting marines who read books to escape? I love remarriage stories (when they were widowed) and this story was so beautiful! Take me to Hawaii btw…

Content: N/A (Forgot to list it when I read it, pregnancy brain 😉)

Loved this books so much! When I was putting this together, I realized I never reviewed this book, therefore there will be no content review. But I know there was nothing more than what was mentioned in the previous books. It was a rivals to lovers, workplace romance setting and honestly, it was so sweet! And the plot twist at the end!!! LOVED IT!!!

This is a sweet single mom military romance that takes place at Christmas time on Kailua Hawaii! All the young mom feels…

This story was so vibe-y! It’s everything I would expect from a Hawaiian Christmas and I so want to visit! All the found family vibes and 😍 I loved the on going arc with Logan and his brother and I will say, I even enjoyed screaming at my book/phone when Jimmy was in the picture. I hate him. And Jess did a great job making sure I did. And the Christmas trees. Guys 😭

I loved the military tidbits scattered through the story and the peek into military life! That’s probably my favorite element of this series! And shot out to Jess for making us first time moms feel seen!

(There are a few things in the book I wasn’t a fan of, those are under content.)

Logan is the literal best y’all. He’s honest about his feelings of insecurity about being a step dad, he’s such a hero family member his brother (and learns he’s maybe too much so!), and he’s so protective of Tess and Sadie! This girl needed him 💚 Even with the *spoiler alert* miscommunication, he wasn’t about to let her go and I love him for that *end of spoiler* Also the Christmas tree scenes. All of them.

Tess grew on me. She wasn’t my favorite of the gals, but definitely not one I disliked! She’s young, dumb and way too trusting and I love her’s and Nora’s relationship 🥰 She’s a great mom to Sadie and as I said, I felt so seen! And at one point I wanted to slap her, but when we switched to her POV, OH MY GOODNESS I WAS SO PROUD OF HER! I can’t give deets, but read this book so we can fangirl! Cause this trope (see above spoiler) was done right!

Content: pre-marital touching and kissing; divorce (I do not believe this is biblical, however, it does happen, and in spite of, I enjoyed this book); lots of talk about what people look like in the beginning, but it wasn’t overbearing to me; flirting; alcohol talked about in a casual manner.

Hope you have a lovely time on your trip to Hawaii ;) What are your favorite beachy reads? Share them below!

Have a great summer!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

1| I have Deadline Commitment Issues, haha!
I don’t know why, but having a deadline pretty much guarantees that I will not finish on time. I get so nervous about it that I just freeze up. So giving myself a stack of books to finish in a month is a bad idea for me.
 
2| I’m a Mood Reader
This is something that I am figuring out about myself, but my mood heavily dictates what I want to read. If I’m not in the mood for romance (clean ones!), I’m going to take the romance book slow or stop completely. Even if I’m enjoying it, I just can’t seem to force myself to finish it without going into a slump.
 
3| I Have Trouble Focusing when I have too many Pre-Scheduled Books or Not Enough Time
Hailing back to reason 1, my brain freezes up under pressure. I feel panicky, even though I’m the only one putting pressure on myself. I don’t like being a quitter. It’s deeply ingrained in me, and I am trying to break that mindset in regards to reading.
 
4| Did I mention I hate Deadlines?
Yeah, I just really, really, hate deadlines.

1| Allowing My Self to DNF Books I’m not Enjoying
Not enjoying the book, I’m stopping. Sometimes it takes me a page, sometimes a few chapters. But when I realize I don’t like it, that’s it.
 
2| Reading comic books to help me feel accomplished.
I need to see progress happening. I need to see my number of books read growing. Comic books are a great way to feed that need while also reading longer works. This why, I don’t feel like I’m spinning my wheels.
 
3| Trying new authors and new genres
A few years ago, I never would have read anything remotely romantic or related to manga. Now, I’m cautiously dipping my toes into these genres and am eyeing suspense novels too!
 
4| Reading books I love, regardless of what others may think.
Relating to those two genres I just mentioned… Many people have a stigma attached to romance and manga. Let me be clear. I am very selective with the one I read and I am not above censoring my copies. But as long as I don’t feel God telling me not to or my husband for that matter, I don’t have to justify my reading habits to anyone else. Some books I mention on here are not going to be for everyone. And that’s okay!
 
5| Shelving books that I’m just not clicking with in that moment.
Some books just aren’t right for the moment, ya know? Classics usually do this to me. If they don’t intrigue me from chapter one, I probably won’t stick with it/have to take a break. They will keep for the right time. (Also, audiobooks help!)
 
6| Reading the first chapter of multiple book and picking the one I’m most interested in.
I never used to do this, but now, I’m finding this really helps me pick my books! I highly recommend grabbing four or five books you can’t choose between and reading the first chapter before deciding!
 
How about you? What are your tips and tricks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

Honestly, I haven’t been doing much writing lately. I have been trying to find time to write, but I honestly just do not have any inspiration right now. I’m doing good just to read, much less write. I want to write. I miss it. I just have zero inspiration and desire to work on any relevant projects.

I am trying to work on The Battlefield is Silent, because I owe that to you, my readers! I want to finish this series. I want to see my characters get the ending they deserve. I WANT TO FINISH SOMETHING! 😆 But honestly, I’m not excited to write it either. I can’t stand writing about the fall of the greatest nation to ever exist. And by that, I mean Constitutional America. When the Confederacy lost the war, America as a whole lost. So yeah, I’m not looking forward to writing about that. I honestly don’t want to. And I don’t know how to make this series end well with all this in mind.

That being said, I’m gonna take my time, maybe write some short stories to get my creative juices flowing. After I finish this series, I may take a break from novels and do flash fiction and just for fun writing. I need a creative recharge.

Sorry this post is so short and melancholy 😅 I honestly just don’t know what to do at this point, so any all ideas are welcome.
 
Have a great day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22

What books are you wanting to read this summer? Share your lists in the comments! Oh, and if you’ve read any of these, let me know!
 
Have a blessed day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22