Sophie Reads YA: Toni Aleo

ARC Review: Love Locked In (A Lock Story #1) by Toni Aleo

10:00

Love Locked In
Series: A Lock Story #1
Author: Toni Aleo
Published February 14th 2026

Goodreads Synopsis
She writes love stories. He’s afraid to live one.

In Holiday Ridge, a love that survives Lock Night is a love worth keeping.

Maggie Welch writes happily-ever-afters for a living, but when it comes to her own heart, she’s wonderfully unlucky. A best-selling romance author with a failed marriage living in a town full of promises she no longer believes in, Maggie has sworn off love… even as she watches couples lock theirs in at Promise Pond.

Dermot Aldridge has built his life on control. A quiet, distant doctor with a bruised heart and a deep love of romance novels, he prefers the safety of books, his dog, and solitude. Love is something he reads about… not something he’ll ever risk again.

Until a freak accident involving a ladder, a concussion, and a very unfortunate stone sculpture throws Maggie straight into Dermot’s arms.

Forced proximity turns into late-night conversations, stolen glances, and a connection neither of them expected. But with Lock Night approaching and both of them carrying scars from the past, opening their hearts may be the biggest risk of all.

Because in Holiday Ridge, love isn’t just promised.
It hangs on a fence as a constant reminder…
Is this forever?
Or just an empty promise?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.

Though she's an award winning romance author, Maggie Welch has never been in love herself. She's grown up seeing how her parent's love story sparked a craze in town, and wants more than anything to have a romance which survives Lock Night. Maggie's always had her eye on the handsome doctor next door, Dermot, but she's too shy to make a move. So when a freak accident involving a ladder, and a stone phallus, result in her needing medical attention, Maggie makes her move. Dermot knows that Maggie is his favourite author, and he's drawn to her like never before. But he's shy and quiet, and can't imagine someone as beautiful as Maggie will want him, right?

This was definitely the book to read on Valentine's Day this year. Maggie and Dermot were such a sweet couple, and though not completely similar, they were complementary to each other. Yes, they made mistakes, and it wasn't an absolutely perfect love story, but it was real and theirs. I liked the premise of Maggie's family being love royalty in the town, and think that the rest of her siblings will likely be the protagonists of other books in the series. I hope so at least, because it would be nice to return to Holiday Ridge.

Dates Read:
February 14, 2026

Rating
3 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: Starting Over with You (Beer League Belles #2) by Toni Aleo

11:00

Starting Over with You
Series: Beer League Belles #2
Author: Toni Aleo
Published August 29th 2025

Goodreads Synopsis
Welcome back to Thistlebrook, where raccoons start turf wars at the library, firefighters have dad jokes locked and loaded, and starting over is messy, hilarious, and a whole lotta sexy.

Kenni Colburn has spent the last nineteen years being the perfect wife, the greatest hockey mom, and the glue holding everyone else together—while her husband built a secret second family. But now that her twins are off to college, she’s done being the woman who puts herself last. Kenni is packing up her car and heading home to Thistlebrook to reclaim her maiden name, her happiness, and maybe even her wild streak.

Dean has been in love with Kenni since he was fourteen, but timing has never been on their side, especially since she’s his sister’s best friend and is also the sister of his baby mama.
That might not have been his finest moment…
Dean is not only the best dad imaginable, but the most reliable firefighter in a community that loves him even if he didn’t marry the woman he knocked up.
She wasn’t the one, and he wasn’t settling for anything but the best.

Now, Kenni is back—fierce and finally free—and Dean knows he’s not letting her slip away this time, even if it means burning every excuse to ashes.

Small towns are supposed to be quiet, but in Thistlebrook, exes return, secrets explode, friendships rally, and second chances set the entire romance section of the library on fire, sometimes literally. Kenni is ready to start over, but she never expected to fall into the arms—and the bed—of the man who’s always been there.

Heartfelt, hilarious, and brimming with found family, small-town chaos, and a swoony firefighter hero who’s waited too damn long, Starting over with You will leave you cheering for Kenni’s era—and maybe texting your bestie to grab Fireball and smash some dinner plates inscribed with the names of all the people who did you wrong against the side of the Smoky Mountains.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.

After 19 years of marriage, Kenleigh Colburn is ready to find herself again. She's only held out with her cheating husband this long so that their sons can graduate and get set up at college, but she's not giving him anymore of her time. Returning home to Thistlebrook and reconnecting with the rest of the SI (Shenanigans Incorporated), Kenni is going to reclaim her future. There's just one small problem - Dean Moore. Kenni's been in love with Dean ever since she was a teenager, but he's her best friend's brother, and also her sister's baby daddy. So when he starts flirting with her, Kenni doesn't know if she should run for the hills, or into his arms.

I think I liked this one even more than book 1, and that's saying something. Kenni and Dean had undeniable chemistry, and I'm all about a second chance, best friend's brother kind of book. This did it all perfectly, and the way none of the characters - not just the MMC and MFC - shied away from the messiness of it all was wonderful. The cousins chat interludes were lovely, and the final chapters made the book outstanding. We also got to see a little bit of Fable and Jett (maybe not as much as I would've liked), and more of the townspeople. I hope there's another book, and that it's about Noelle and Sebastian, because their story looks like it could be epic!

Dates Read:
August 9-10, 2025

Rating
4 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: At the Edge with You (Beer League Belles #1) by Toni Aleo

10:00

At the Edge with You
Series: Beer League Belles #1
Author: Toni Aleo
Published May 30th 2025

Goodreads Synopsis
I never thought I’d see her again.

Fable Winthrop was my only partner on the ice. I’d been the hockey player turned figure skater overnight, and she was the prim, proper ice princess who didn’t take my crap.
I did everything to make her smile, I worked hard to get her the gold, and I loved every moment of it. Even though her parents warned me to stay away from her, I fell desperately in love with her. Since I couldn’t have her the way I wanted, I made her my best friend, the girl who knew me better than anyone, in the hope that, after it was all over, we could choose each other.

But after winning the gold, her parents pulled us apart.

I chose the rough, fast world of hockey. She stayed in figure skating, not only winning two more golds, but carving out a name for herself as one of the best coaches in the sport.

Now, twenty years later, she’s back. And after a letter from the grave, she is the co-owner of my rink.
The rink was supposed to be mine, and now, she’s not only in my space, she’s in my head. We have to work together like we did all those years ago, but so much has changed. Not only are we older, but the past weighs heavy on both our hearts. While Fable still reminds me of the girl I remember, she’s a woman now.
And she’s still in my heart.

When the chance comes to skate with her again, I jump onto my blades faster than I could say yes. I don’t just want a second chance at skating; I want a second chance with her.

But Fable has spent years building walls around her heart, and our past continues to chase me. We were unstoppable once—two kids who could conquer the ice together. Now, I have to prove to her that we still can.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.

It's been over 20 years since Fable Winthrop and Jett Cook won gold at the Olympics, or even saw each other again. Jett was sent to college to play hockey, whereas Fable was on a solo route, winning another two golds before fleeing town and doing everything she can to forget her family, and Jett. But now she's back in town, and stuck here for at least a year due to stipulations in her grandfather's will. If she leaves, Jett loses the ice rink he's made his own, and Fable would never do that to him. She's tried to forget about her childhood friend and crush, but being partners once again is stirring up the old feelings, and she doesn't want to fight them any longer.

I loved this book! From the first few pages, I was hooked, and the fact that it was dual POV made it all the better. We got to see both Jett and Fable's characters, seeing their flaws and their mistakes, but also what made them uniquely perfect for each other. The yearning and sheer love they had for each other was magnificent, and the fact that it was not all plain sailing, but there were arguments and animosity as they rediscovered themselves and each other, made it even more enjoyable. The extended cast of characters, especially the Belles, were a hoot, and I only wish that Fable's parents got their comeuppance because they were truly vile and disgusting characters. I need to read book 2, and hope that Jett and Fable play a large part in it!

Dates Read:
August 7-8, 2025

Rating
4 Stars