I really liked this one in the beginning. The scenes when they were snowed in at the Inn and were with the other group of people were so good! Once they left the inn though, things went downhill, and miscommunication abounded. I feel like this also happened in the other book I read in this series. I would have gladly read more of them being snowed in.

I liked the premise of the book, but it felt a bit rushed at the end. Overall, it is an enjoyable read. It's like a hot chocolate with a hint of cayenne and peppermint.

Oh this one was SO much fun. The banter was fantastic and the spice? LOVED IT. I will totally read more from this author.

2.5✨

Romance. POC rep.

No Cooldown for Love is a romance about a woman, Hope, who gets into a harrowing accident during a snow storm only to be saved by an ex-pro basketball player. They take shelter at a nearby inn hosting a couples mixer, and sparks ensue.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, as contemporary romance isn’t my usual genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how relatable Hope was as a character (with POC rep, plus size rep, grieving, etc.) I was excited by the initial set up of the book. Despite this, the story quickly became very insta-lovey only a few pages in where the male lead is instantly attracted to her in the midst of saving her from a vehicle hanging precariously off a cliff…

Although, thus didn’t quite work for my tastes as a reader, i’d definitely recommend this to any romance girlies who love the one bed trope, good representation, and a little smut.

Loved this! Cute and swoony and well written. This was interesting from a plot perspective as well as for the romance. I rooted for the characters and was really excited to see their happily ever after unfold. Would love to read more from this author.

After Mitchell saves hope from a car they get snowed in together.
One bed trope
80% of this book is then snowed in and then we have to rush to have them break up and get back together
Instalove

It started great and then it's like the writing turned to mush. It became unbelievable with every chapter.
Mitchell rescues Hope when she is trapped on a cliff upside down in a car with her leg trapped. He single-handedly saved her and the second he did, her car skitters down the cliff in true TV fashion. It read as a TV plot. In the next moment, they are now at some cute inn and there's only one bed and she is checked by some strangers (apparently inn has a medical team I think) and she is deemed fine. A couple of chapters later she is already at a singles event in that same inn laughing and chatting while Mitchell is moping for no reason in his/their room. I'm sorry how is she not checked by a medical team????? If it was a blizzard this can turn into a serious injury not to mention THE TRAUMA of the accident.
I felt like this was just too insta for me, the writing I mean. The author just skipped this important moment and it felt like this was a filler to make their meet-cute more dramatic. I'm sorry but I'm not buying it and I just feel that there are things that can be overlooked in a romance novel but health is just not one of them.

A grumpy x sunshine, dual POV, interracial romance that sees an ex pro Basketball player rescuing a single plus size Black woman in the middle of a snow storm only to have them sharing one bed in a small inn while they wait for the storm to pass. This one was a bit cheesy for my tastes but still an entertaining read and okay on audio. Not my favorite by this author but worth a read nonetheless. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

In the year of sports-related rom-coms, this one stands out in the crowded field. A fast=paced and easy read perfect for those afternoons where your significant other is watching the game and you want to look at sports through a slightly different lens!

I have been a fan of Aliyah Burke since I read her Megalodon Team series. I had no idea that I have missed so many of her books. Now that I have read several of her newer books, I am back in stride again. I have read all three books in the “Rock Falls Series.” Aliyah Burke has done an awesome job with this series. I love the characters, drama, humor, camaraderie, with a plot that held me captive. Mitchell is a former NBA baller. Mitchell and Flykra met when he rescues her when her car slides off the road in a snowstorm. Mitchell is instantly attracted to Flykra. The two have awesome chemistry which made the book flow so easily. As usual there is always drama but Mitchell and Flykra prevailed. Flykra is dealing with the death of her father, and she is grieving. The couple had their ups and downs with insecurities. When Mitchell and Flykra find themselves in forced proximity due to the snowstorm the two learn a lot about each other. I was a little bit disappointed with Mitchell for the hurtful things he said but he got it together. Glad that plus-sized female characters are making their way into more books. All in all, this was a really good book. I recommend it for your reading enjoyment.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

This is the third book of the Rock Falls series but my first by this author. This was a sweet and cute story with a forced proximity trope where the characters instantly fell for each other. It explored the anxieties and insecurities of falling in love after experiencing fame and letting yourself be vulnerable enough to give yourself emotionally to another person. Mitchell is a former NBA player and has experienced fame and has had to learn to deal with his celebrity status. When he meets Hope after saving her life in a snowstorm, he is instantly attracted to her. Hope is dealing with the grief of losing her father. As they are forced to spend d time together, they both become a source of healing and emotional support for each other. The story had some really sweet and emotional moments, but there were also times of fun. The characters were interesting and likable and I enjoyed seeing them grow throughout the story.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

In "Cool Down For Love," Mitchell, a former NBA player, has grappled with the consequences of his fame and crosses paths with Hope, a scientific journalist coping with the recent loss of her father figure. Their paths converge at an inn, where the foundations of their love story are laid. Mitchell's character exhibits various imperfections, primarily rooted in his preconceived notions about people, while Hope's own faults encompass her proclivity for keeping her emotions guarded. As their narrative unfolds, both characters undergo significant growth, evolving into more resilient and self-aware individuals. Their love story, marked by its chaotic yet therapeutic nature, is driven by their mutual determination to better themselves. "Cool Down For Love" presents an enticing concept, incorporating many of the romance tropes I typically cherish, such as the one-bed scenario, forced proximity, and a celebrity romance.

The cover is kinda misleading since this is more of a winter romance! Not sure that I'm a fan of the trope that a "bigger" girl falls for a guy that would be considered "out of her league" by society's standards and is very insecure/can't even fathom that he'd be interested in her. The main character was also pushy and a bit of an asshole so not my cup of tea.

This was a book that I genuinely struggled getting into. From the beginning when we're first introduced to Mitchell and the dynamic he has with his friend group, the dialogue comes across as stagnant and nondescriptive, making it hard to truly connect with the characters. This is a feeling that remains throughout the book.

I loved the premise, especially the representation delivered through both the cover and the diversity of the characters, but the mark was missed in delivering a story that would make readers fall in love with Mitchell and Hope.

the found family was fun but I feel like there wasn't enough communication. the blowup from the male lead was weird. This book wasn't my favorite even though I enjoyed the first one

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

The third book in the Rock Falls series where an expert science journalist and an ex-NBA player get it on when they're snowed in at a bed and breakfast in VT. However, I will note that you do not have to read this in order. I have not read the first two and do not feel like that took anything away from the experience. If anything, it made me want to read about how the other couples got together that we met in this book. Read on to see what I thought about Hope and Mitchell.

Tropes

Insta-love, forced proximity, snowed in, one bed, miscommunication, grumpy/sunshine.

Content warnings

Fat-phobia, racial discrimination, car accident, infidelity (historical; discussed, but off page), toxic relationship, eating disorder (discussed).

What worked for me

The sexual tension was so well done and what kept me reading to see how these two ended up together. Since the hallmark of a romance is the happily ever after (HEA) or happily for now (HFN), I knew that was going to be inevitable and the journey was worth the pay off. The glances, knowing the other person was present, genuine caring was the best part of the entire story for me. There are certain things that I didn't love as much, but all of those pieces aside, the sexual tension was well done for my tastes.

I did feel that Hope had more growth than Mitchell did throughout the course of this novel. She started as someone who underplayed her accomplishments and really didn't have many people she could count on. I would give this a found family feel from Hope's perspective. Watching her grow to rely on other people and find a home, so to speak, with the people from the bed and breakfast and then around Mitchell's life was another highlight.

Mitchell was kind of an ass at many points throughout the book. In my opinion, his grand gesture wasn't enough for Hope to forgive him. That aside, he knew instantly that he messed up and I appreciated the journey he want on, emotionally and mentally, to win her back and show growth. So, despite my opinion on the grandness of the gesture, it still ended up working for me because of what comes after the gesture.

Last item I'll mention on what worked well for me was the way in which the miscommunication trope was done. This is trope that's usually low on my list of preferred tropes, but I do think Burke inserted this in the best way. It didn't felt like it was thrown in for the hell of it. The trope propelled the story forward and was a key component of the external conflict that caused the third act break up (yes, spoiler, there is a third act break up). I don't want to say too much on how the trope is used because it could be a spoiler. Know, though, that it worked for me.

What didn't work for me

Third person point of view (POV) is not something that typically works for me. It took me awhile to get in to the flow of the writing, but I do think this book would've been more successful for me if the chapters were in first person alternating perspective. In addition to this, I think the third person POV allowed for the writing to be more telling than showing. Once I got used to the writing style, I found myself wanting to continue reading, but it did take some time to get acquainted with the style.

Generally speaking, it did feel like there were some unresolved plot items by the end of the store. For example, Hope receives a letter from her mentor as part of his will. All she ends up doing is putting it in her pocket to read later. It's never revisited and resolved at all. It's almost as if it was forgotten when writing the end of the book. That honestly bothered me a fair bit.

There were also a couple of phrases used that stood out to me and made me pause when I was reading. I've discussed in prior reviews the use of the phrase "clean" to discuss not having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and the stigma that it portrays with individuals. Where the view of "unclean" because someone has an STI is considered "bad" instead of an important discussion that individuals having sex should have before they sleep together.

The other phrase that stopped me in my tracks early was "not fat big, just strong big" when Hope was describing Mitchell. I'm talking 8% of the way in to the story. While that was a bread crumb to the fat-phobia, this phrasing seemed unnecessary and could've been described better without the fat-phobia.

Lastly, though this is not factored in to any rating, I don't think the cover makes sense for the story we're reading. Mitchell is an ex-NBA player, but nothing about what we're reading has to do with basketball or sports. The cover is a bit misleading, but that's neither here nor there.

Spice rating

I'm giving this a 3 flame/spice rating. It is open door with on page descriptions. However, nothing outside of some aggression that would lead to a higher rating.

Final thoughts

Overall, this book accomplished what it intended. It was an enjoyable experience while reading, but I won't be revisiting or screaming from the rooftops my thoughts. This is what lands me at the 3.25 or so rating. 'm super intrigued, like I mentioned earlier, on the other couples and will revisit Aliyah Burke's work in the future.

Thank you to Net Galley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is the third book of this series I have read. Parts if them I really enjoy, but parts of them miss the mark.
In this book I enjoyed the characters and I loved the snowed in element to it, this is a personal favorite trope of mine. I found the meeting in a car didn't really work for me, but I was going with it.
I liked the Hope. I found her interesting. However, it was stated that she was confident in her body and happy with herself, and she did carry herself that way. I love that. But I got so sick of the whole 'a guy like you could never be into a girl like me.' I mean how many times does he have to straight up tell her he finds her attractive for her to believe him. That didn't really mesh with the idea of her being confident to me.
I also found myself having to reread some of the scenes with the singles group trying to remember who was who and what was going on.
Over all, I found this book enjoyable, but I wanted more. I was often confused and frustrated with the characters, but I did keep reading and cheering for them.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. this was fantastic, just what i have come to expect from this author and look forward to carrying in my book store.