Member Reviews

I will need to cool down after that read! It was simmering. I adore a good one bed/forced proximity romance and Burke delivered. This was a solid story & it delivered on it's tropes. Hope & Mitchell have great chemistry and the premise while a little far fetched and insta-love at times, it was a fun easy read. A great romance and HEA.

Sidenote: I love the bromances! If there is more of that bromance then I am reading the other two Rock Falls romances.

The third act breakup was not my favorite though. I mean seeing him work to get her back was well done and there were parts of that I loved, it just felt like such a character switch from our MMC. He had done the work and to see him jump to that many conclusions. I think I'd rather see his mama put thoughts in Hope's head then watch him treat her that way and win her back by showing her that they weren't temporary. I did really like that she was a stellar FMC and she held her ground and knew her worth.

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The premise of this book sounded right up my street but it just didn’t work for me. I liked Hope and I’m always a fan of a clever and gorgeous plus size protagonist. Unfortunately, I didn’t find Mitchell particularly likeable and I really struggled with how he kept referring to Hope as his woman when her barely even knew her. Also thinking about her curves and how attracted he was to her when he was rescuing her and then his grumpy possessiveness when he didn’t really spend any time or even talk to her was a bit of a red flag. I didn’t feel much chemistry between them and some of the sex scenes were super cringey. As for the plot, there’s a lot of telling and not showing. Very little actually happens apart from insta love followed by an extremely dramatic 3rd act breakup that didn’t make much sense for the characters.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Book: No Cooldown for Love by Aliyah Burke
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Instalove, one bed, forced proximity
Publication: 26th June 2023

If you want an instalove-one bed-forced proximity trope book.. well look no further, no cool-down for love is right up your alley.

Aliyah Burke comes back once again with a powerful punch with the third book in the Rock fall series. An ex-NBA divorcee player and a plus size scientific journalist who recently lost someone close to her heart.
This story covers such depths with the characters showing their faults, flaws , insecurities, mistakes,hopes and aspirations for the future.

All in all, despite a few of the unnecessary plot stretching and irrelevant scenes, this book was truly the best I have read this month.


Thank you NetGalley and entangled publishing as well as the author for the ARC copy.

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Mitchell is an ex-pro basketball player who is currently going through a wicked hard divorce. One night during a snowstorm, he sees a car overturned on the side of the highway. When he stops, he notices that Hope is stuck in the car, so we helps her get out of there and they decided it would be best to stop somewhere for the night. When they get to the inn, there is only one room left, and the storm won't be letting out anytime soon...
This is a one bed, forced proximity, strangers instalust to lovers romance. It's the third book in the Rock Falls series, but the first one I read, and it can totally be read as a standalone. I did not vibe at all with this author's writing, it often felt super clumsy (I was surprised when I found out this was her 3rd book, it read very much like a first attempt). I was only 3% in and I was thinking the book was probably 100 pages too long (and I was right). Just the opening discussion with Mitchell and his friends about his divorce and ex-wife felt super dragged out. There were loads of telling, very little showing (probably why it's too long), and the focus was on the wrong things while the story passed super fast on things that could've/should've been developed. I couldn't relate to either of the MCs and really didn't care about what happened to/between them. Safe to say this one was not for me (instalust/instalove isn't really my thing either, so it didn't help. I loved the body positivity.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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As a plus-size girly, I feel seen!!!

"No Cooldown for Love" by Aliyah Burke is a romance that explores the fears of finding love after fame and the insecurities of letting yourself fall for someone. Mitchell is an ex-NBA player and has suffered the effects of his fame, and after leaving his life behind he meets Hope. Hope is a scientific journalist that had just lost her father figure. Both find themselves stuck at an inn where their love story starts. Their love story is chaotic while healing in a way. Both actively try to improve themselves.

Mitchell has a lot of faults, starting with his idea of people. Hope has a lot of faults including keeping everything close to her chest. Throughout their story, both grow as characters.

I found Hope to be very real. I am a plus-size woman myself, so her statements about how Mitchell wants her is too relatable. She sheds light on the feeling of not being enough, and how in society's view, we aren't seen as worthy of an ex-NBA player. Though she has multiple degrees and is a Doctor!!!! I think it is honestly a great book from that perspective, and has a lot of insight for others that have never experienced that sort of feeling of unworthiness. Mitchell made me want to rip my hair out, while he is very much a human throughout the book. I found the way he treated certain insecurities of Hopes maddening. However, he learns from his mistakes and understands that his actions and words have an impact.

It is quite spicy of a read!

Trigger warnings:
- Shaming on body and clothing sizes
- Cheating (not the main characters tho)
- Toxic relationships
- Death
- Foster care system (Only briefly touched on)

Thankyou to NetGalley for this read!

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This book is so so cute. I loved Mitchell and Hope's relationship. It had the perfect amount of tension and had the one bed trope, which I love.
The book starts with Mitchell recusing Hope from a rental car after it almost slides off of a mountain with her in it. They travel to the closest inn they can find, which just so happens to be hosting a singles mixer and has one room left with only one bed in it. This is a very simple set up to a book, but I can joy these convenient situations especially in a romance, so I don't mind it being a little too easy.

Both of our characters have troubled pasts when it comes to relationships, Mitchell recently went through a divorce with a woman who cheated on him their entire relationship. And Hope who used as diversity token, used, and belittled in her last relationship. Hope obviously doesn't think Mitchell is attracted to her because of her past experiences with men, and she has a good feeling that she is not his type because she is black and plus sized.

Usually when I read pop references in a book I cringe a lot, but the pop references in this book I felt were tasteful and were just fun little Easter eggs added in. What I did cringe at was the word "Gah" being used multiple times. This word just screams millennial cringe fest and I wish it wasn't in the book at all, but I can deal with it since it was only in the book 3 times.

Because our main characters are snowed in with a singles mixer, they obviously participate in the fun games. I really like these game scenes because they show the tension between Mitchell and Hope and their jealousy over the other person really shines during these games. It makes the relationship progression feel so much more natural so I really appreciated those scenes being added in.
Speaking of tension, there was a massage scene in this book that was *chefs kiss* so good.

Overall, this was a pretty good read. If you're looking for a quick spicy romance, this is definitely the book for you.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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No Cooldown for Love by Aliyah Burke is the third book in the Rock Falls Book series. The books are interconnected but each one can be read as a standalone. I have read book one but not book two and was able to navigate the third story without any problem with continuity. The male leads in each book are former pro ball stars and best friends. No Cooldown for Love features ex-pro basketball player Mitchell Anderson. Mitchell is returning home from a much-needed vacation when he happens upon Hope Roman in dire straits. Due to a severe winter storm, her car slid off the road and it’s Mitchell to the rescue! Mitchell is sure that Hope is not what she appears to be: unfazed by his money and uninterested in his status. Unfortunately, he is jaded and suspicious of women due to the antics of his unfaithful ex-wife and pretentious mother. However, as Mitchell and Hope seek shelter in a motel, forced proximity allows Mitchell to see and appreciate the extraordinary person that she is. When the storm breaks and the bubble pops will Mitchell and Hope have a real chance at love? I enjoyed this story and liked the insta-love aspect; however, when Mitchell allowed his past to cloud his present, he went a bit too far. I am glad Hope made him sweat!

Thank you, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A few quotes from the book that sadly took me out of wanting to read more... "But she had the impression her forced-proximity roommate wanted space" "Damn he was big. Not fat big, just strong big." Unfortunately,I didn't make it past Chapter Three.

I was excited to read this book but unfortunately didn't finish it. I didn't like Mitchell or Hope.
They have similar experiences with their ex-partners so I was hopeful for this but their instant love was sadly too much for me. This book had so much potential but their dialogue and possessive nature toward each other, it was as though they were 13-year-old kids and it made me cringe.

Hope is meant to be a brilliantly intelligent, independent. plus-size woman of colour but she's not shown this way within her internal dialogue and it made me cringe. With Mitchell, as soon as he started having thoughts about the way she felt and what it did to him whilst he was rescuing her? No. From there I found it really difficult to like him and then Hope followed on the same course. The nickname Flykra also made me feel uncomfortable.

I may give this a try again in the future but there were just things I couldn't get past to want to continue.

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Mitchell Anderson has an ex-wife who took half of his NBA money and a mother who thinks he should get back with said ex-wife. Luckily, he's got his two best friends to keep him grounded. Oh, and the lovely lady he just saved from a rollover.
Dr. Hope Roman was just in the northeast to attend her mentor's funeral. Growing up in the foster care system, he was the closest thing she had to a father and one of the few people who acknowledged that she had brains. Now a science journalist (I did have to do a web search and see if that was a real thing), she travels the world but doesn't have a set place for home. And she's fine with that.
The two are lucky to get the last room in a B&B during a major snowstorm. To Hope's amusement, the B&B is hosting a singles weekend. Now the two are trapped by a snowstorm and forced to share a bed as they both battle against the need to get to know each other better.
The last Big Misunderstanding didn't need to be there. I didn't think that one of the characters who caused it had been in the book enough to just pop in nor had there been an overall impression of the character who blows up being of that temperament. Still, a fun read and I am going back to Kindle to read the book in the middle that I missed.

Four stars
This book comes out June 26, 2023
Follows A Sweet Spot for Love
ARC kindly provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC. and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

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Hope is a delight. She is all sunshine and light. Hope is an expert in her field, travelling all over the world writing for magazines and journals. She is orphan and has had to suffer through the American foster system. However her life is turned upside down when her mentor dies, and on the way back from the funeral, she gets in a car accident in snowy Vermont.

Mitchell, ex pro basketball player, has baggage. He has an ex wife who is constantly chasing him for more money and a mother who sides with his cheating ex wife. He also has wonderful friends Lincoln and Tully, but when he rescues Hope from a car accident, he is faced with sunshine that might melt the ice around his heart.

What happens in snowy Vermont? Does Hope recognise Mitchell? Who will be the first to fall? And what happens when people start to cause trouble?

Man, I loved this!! You could almost feel how Hope and Mitchell feel inside your soul. The angst and conflict is amazing. While this is the last in a series, you don't need to have read the first two. Mind you, I would highly recommend the others as well. Spice is phenomenal and there is plenty of it!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Entangled Publishing and Aliyah Burke for this ARC.

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I thank Net Galley and Entangled publishing for providing an ARC of this book.
I was impressed with the cover and summary so I requested the ARC.

Here are my thoughts:
*I disliked how the author engaged in more of telling rather than showing; for example, Mitchell's Canada vacation was just told to us in one paragraph, same with Hope falling asleep after yawning twice on Mitchell's body...again with the "wall of pillows" disappearing sometime during the night....as a reader, I would have liked to know when and how was the wall put up..
*The instant love was a bit much. Mitchell noticing Hope's curves while he is rescuing her? A big No from me.
*Mitchell calling Hope "his hope" and giving her a nickname in the absolute beginning and his possessiveness was a put off..
*I did not enjoy their banter and sometimes I was a bit lost as it seemed like one character was not answering to another's response but was discussing something totally else!
*I knew the ML's mother may play some part which would probably upset me...but I didn't reach that part...
DNF this book.
I quit in the middle of Chapter Three....
I do feel bad as I personally requested this book but I didn't like so many things...

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The cute synopsis and cover made me request this book on Netgalley and, for the most part, this was a quick cute romance book but not one I would read again.

I'm not sure if it's because I haven't read the other two books in the series but the first chapter is kind of choppy and jumps around a lot (from lamenting the loss of his marriage to a hyper fixation on a cookie to a car crash in the snowy mountains). This rushed pace then slows down for most of the book when they are at the inn (except for some random parts such as Mitchell meditating for 30 minutes out of nowhere) but then becomes choppy again when they fight in the third act. The fight also isn't believable at all because Mitchell spent the earlier parts of the book being incredibly negative about his mother and her views but then immediately takes her side against Hope. Also, I understand that it is part of the miscommunication trope but not even knowing the job of the person you are 'in love' with feels unrealistic (the continuous pointing to her having three doctorates also feels unrealistic).

The way the book speaks about women is also uncomfortable at times (constantly referring to them as "their women") and it touches on important issues such as racism but does not really address these issues well (there were only really a few lines in which Mitchell speaks to his mother about it).

Thank you, NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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A great read, the story of Mitchell and Hope. I really liked both characters and wanted everything to work out for them.

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I loved this book from the beginning, I did accidentally skip the first two Rock Falls books and read this one first adding a little unknowing when it came to Mitchell and his friendships, but I quickly caught up and fell in love with the characters. The unabashed flirting that came from both Hope and Mitchell right off the bat, but also the respect they both showed each other, asking permission multiple times. My knees were weak. Mitchell Anderson is a god send, and we all need one of him. Hope Roman is the perfect plus size representation offering realistic understanding of her size and still loving herself for exactly who she is offering a great example to every size 20 woman out there thinking they aren't enough, because my friends we are, and Mitchell Anderson agrees.

The only thing even worth questioning is how they met, as Hope's car is hanging on the edge of a cliff, ready to plummet down at any time. it was a little wild and possibly unrealistic, but the story was great otherwise from start to finish.

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This is my first book to review for #netgalley and I was so excited. I signed up to read this book not knowing that it was part of a trilogy and not having read the other two books in the companion novel trifecta. But still, the synopsis got me and so did the cover. It’s super cute. This is the story of Mitchell and Hope who meet due to one of them being trapped inside an overturned car during a nasty snowstorm. These two then are stuck together and have to share a room and one bed because the snowstorm has gotten worse (cue me dancing because this is my second favorite trope. Forced proximity 😍😍) now these two have to navigate one another while they both battle other personal issues and try not to fall for one another at the same time. Operative word here is TRY. Mitchell has his hang-ups as does Hope but it was cute to watch how they tried to build these walls to only have the other scale it to get to the other side. Phew 😰 it’s a lot and it was hot! Steam factor on 100!
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I’m not going to lie, when I first started this book I was not feeling it at all. I almost DNF’d it honestly but I’m glad I didn’t. It was cute and I enjoyed it as I continued to read. I enjoyed how Hope made Mitchell come out his shell, enjoyed the back and forth banter between these two, and I enjoyed how strong Hope was about who she was and what she was passionate about and also her job. I loved that she was career driven and she didn’t completely fall apart when things went left. I also loved the relationship between Mitchell and his friends. Talk about best friends who keep you grounded. I loved that a lot. It was real. What I didn’t like was the constant reference Hope made to her weight. How she wasn’t the societal beauty standard, how she wasn’t someone who others found attractive. UGH 😑! It got to a point where I wanted to slap this woman. Hope you're fat not UGLY. Can we get some plus sized characters who love their dips and rolls and extra weight. Just because you’re fat doesn’t mean you’re UGLY! Many conflate the two when that shouldn’t be. Also this woman was DOPE because of what she did for her job. I also didn’t like the 3rd act breakup. It just didn’t fit and it made me mad. It felt like it came out of no where. Now don't get me wrong Mitchell groveling and pleading and going through it made up for it, but still, we could have done without it.

All in all I had a good time reading this book. There were some funny parts. I may go and read the other two books.

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This book was quite cute and had a lot of potential to go far but it fell short towards the end. In a dramatic meet cute Mitchell and Hope meet in the most unexpected of ways. Stranded at a singles resort their chemistry ignites off the page. However in the third act it takes a turn with the inevitable break up. The lack of character development for the mmc is what turned me off this book towards then end.

**Thanks NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review**

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I have to say that while there were some sweet moments, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. For me, the biggest issue was that I just didn't feel like I had the chance to really connect with the main characters. So yeah, unfortunately, I have to say that this one was lacking for me.

Thankyou NetGalley for this ARC.

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No Cooldown for Love is the third book in Aliyah Burke's "Rock Falls" series. In this one we get to see Mitchell's happily ever after (?). Is there such a thing as a better meet cute than rescuing a damsel in distress from a car crash in a snowstorm? Personally, I think it is tough to beat. Hope Roman is so lovable and smart, she is hard not to cheer for in this tropey, comedic romance.

I really liked this book. There was a lot of good representation and all the tropes were fun. That said, I think this is the weakest in the series. There were some seriously cringey moments during sexy times. I was glad no one was there to see my face because it just wasn't sexy. While I liked Hope her backstory is completely unbelievable. I will give the author credit because she went for it full throttle when developing Hope's story, but it just did not make sense to this PhD.

There are some serious topics broached here, so before you read I would check all the trigger warnings. There is fat-shaming, racism and gaslighting, to name a few. I would have given this book 3 stars if it wasn't for the fact that there is some serious racism that is not addressed well, it is more of an afterthought. If that is part of the plot, then it should be given more attention in my opinion.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book. I still really enjoy this author and will read other books by her. I just hope that her next novels are more akin to the first two books in the series.

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confused as to why the cover is on a basketball court when the book takes place in an Inn, like i know he plays basketball but that isn’t the setting. ANYWAY on to the review, this book has a strange plot, which i like. i also liked the shared bed for half the book but what i didn’t like? how boring it was. it was kinda insta-lovey so immediately to me, im bored. also nothing really happens after the plot like it’s just playing games, the single people meet up and mitchel talking to his friends. another thing i didn’t enjoy was that even though this book is third person, the main focus is mitchel. sorry but i do not care about that man, i would’ve preferred hope but whatev. i did like the characters dynamics and their banter, it made me laugh a few times. i feel like the third act was absolutely over the top and unnecessary. it also pissed me off this his mom kept saying “her kind” and he wasn’t defending her. rather you are mad at her or not, you need to correct your mom. it’s a pretty solid read but nothing important and if you don’t like insta-love i would recommend skipping it.

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This read was an enjoyable and quick flowing one. Some of the tropes that you can find in this story are insta-love, friends to lovers, forced proximity, only one bed and snowed in and involves some spice. Also, I very much enjoyed the friendship between the MMC and his two best friends- very positive and encouraging healthy support.

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