ARC Review: "SILVER SWEET" (Cobalt Empire, #2) by Krista and Becca Ritchie

 Hello readers!💗

I'm super honored to present you my Silver Sweet's ARC review. I was already in love with Krista and Becca's world before the start of this new series, but since I read Burn Bright I was craving another episode of the Cobalt Empire with all my heart. So, I want to thank Valentine PR to for the digital ARC in exchange of an honest review. 
Are you ready to come back to the Cobalt Empire with me?

 

Title: Silver Sweet (Cobalt Empire,#2)

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publishing Date: 4th August 2026
Publisher: Bloom Books
Pages: 672 pages
Price: €18,05

Synopsis: Phoenix is a hot drummer with a bad attitude. Tom is a punk-rock singer who's too hard to impress.Two problem children of their bands have one shot at making it big in this M/M rockstar romance―if they don't burn it all down.

 From New York Times bestselling authors Krista and Becca Ritchie comes the next in the Cobalt Empire series, perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy, Elsie Silver, and Liz Tomforde.

Tom Cobalt has been called a lot of things. Arrogant god. Overachiever. Demanding, uncooperative jerk. It comes with the territory of being the fifth-born of a storied family. Not even his own punk-rock band can meet his high standards. So when every member of The Carraways quits on him before finishing an album, he's left with a bruised ego and a major dilemma.
Reviving his childhood dream comes down to one infuriating choice: pair up with a hard-edged drummer or be dropped by his music label permanently.
Phoenix St. Pierre has enough baggage to ground every plane in New York City. He's volatile, sleep-deprived, and still carrying the fallout of imploding his own band. He should not be paired with Tom, the stuck-up trust-fund baby who pushes all his buttons―yet the second chance is impossible to walk away from.
Making music means too much to Phoenix and Tom to let this last shot slip through their fingers. But working together feels like a Shakespearean disaster ready to unfold. Especially when off-the-charts chemistry, undeniable attraction, and destructive habits threaten to make or break them.
It's nothing personal―but they just might be the best and worst thing that ever happened to each other.

Review:

Rating: 5 stars⭐

There are countless amazing stories out there, but let's be honest: only a few earn a permanent place in your heart and stay there. The first book I read by Krista and Becca, Addicted to You, was a gift from a friend who was afraid I wouldn't understand those characters. Even so, she gifted it to me, hoping I would. That was the beginning of my Ritchie era.

Whenever I pick up one of their novels, it always feels like coming home, and Silver Sweet was no different. It felt like breathing fresh air after being underwater for too long, I don't think I can explain it in any other way.

Having Tom and Phoenix as the main characters was refreshing without feeling unfamiliar. I immediately connected with them and saw the world through the eyes of these two young men, hurt in different ways in the past, but strong in their passion for music. Their stubbornness, their commitment were a great source of inspiration, reminding me of my love for writing.

Honestly, I didn't expect to fall for Phoenix so quickly, and the same goes for him and Tom as a couple. From their very first meeting, I craved every interaction between them, and having to stop reading at some point (because, life 🫠) became more and more painful. Every chapter left me wanting more, eager to see what would happen next, and I'm still in disbelief it's more than 600 pages long (it was such a smooth read I didn't realize its lenght)!  
I loved how their relationship develops throughout the novel, built on trust, affection, and healthy communication. They didn't know everything about each other right away or understand each other immediately. They clashed, they argued, they challenged one another, and through all of it, they grew together. That's the beauty of this romance. You can see attraction transform into respect and admiration, becoming affection and care. So, if I have to sum up Silver Sweet, I'd say that this book is fireworks and passion, but also acceptance, compromise, and a love story so sweet that I couldn't stop reading. That's why "Krista and Becca, please write at least one more novel for each brother" is officially going on my Secret Santa wishlist!

And then there's the Cobalt family.

The Cobalt Empire wouldn't be the same without any one of them. The support and understanding they have for one another are beautiful and feel so natural that you never get the impression it's just fiction. You can feel it in Charlie and Beckett's silences and wordless conversations, in Elliot's unwavering presence, in Jane's tenderness, in Ben's warm, love-filled smiles, and in Audrey's boldness. They're a unique blend of voices, perspectives, and personalities, none of them alike but fitting together perfectly in a way that could only work within this family.

And then we have Rose and Connor, the heart of this Empire. The time I get to spend with them on the page always feels too short, but every single one of their appearances carries a special weight. They made me smile, laugh, and, of course, cry during the most emotional moments. In fact, Connor and Tom's phone call is one of my favorite scenes in the entire book.

Even though the focus shifted to new main characters, Silver Sweet still gives us enough glimpses to follow, from the sidelines, what's happening with Harriet and Ben. As a huge Ben fan, I would have loved to see even more of him, but I'm also aware that Krista and Becca couldn't exactly write a 10,000-page long novel 🤣, so I'm more than happy with what we got.
And Luna?! I still don't know her very well beyond what I read in Some Kind of Perfect, but I loved every single one of her scenes! I definitely need to catch up on the Like Us series too.

Anyway, Krista and Becca created a colorful painting so vibrant that it feels alive, inviting you to follow them wherever these stories may lead. And on top of that, in Silver Sweet, they gave us music.
I don't know how they did it, but even though I couldn't literally hear anything while reading, I was pretty sure I was listening to Tom and Phoenix's songs and lyrics. It was like I could feel the passion, the pain, and the fear behind every note... and now all I want is a Carraways album 😭. I need to hear Tom's voice, his guitar, and Phoenix's relentless drumbeats. 
It has been a long, sweet, introspective journey, and I loved every second of it. That's why I finished this book with my heart completely full, but also sad that it was already over. At least until Loathed Love comes out, of course. This novel plants the seeds for the next book and beyond, and I honestly can't wait to see where this story goes next. 🩷

Would you read it? For me, it was a full 5 ⭐.

 

Will you read it?
I hope I've piqued your curiosity and convinced you to give this book a chance. Let me know if you did!

To the next review!

Chiara 

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ARC Review: THE CHARLIE METHOD (Off Campus Diaries, #3) by Elle Kennedy

Hello readers!
Thanks to Hambright PR I've received an early copy of a very-much discussed new release of this month, that is also the newest book by one of my favorite auto-buy authors! So, here's my review of The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy.

Title: The Charlie Method
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publishing Date: February 25, 2025
Publisher:  Bloom Books
Pages: 528 (paperback)
Price: 17,99 $

Plot:The third in the steamy, hilarious Campus Diaries series by New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy, set in the same world as Off Campus and Briar U.

College senior Charlotte Kingston is living two lives―and she's nailing both of them. By day, she's the perfect sorority girl, a STEM student in biomedical engineering, and the adopted daughter of an overachiever family. At night, she's Charlie: a risk-taking daredevil looking for fun who finds herself chatting on a dating app with two anonymous hotties.

Will Larsen may seem like the breezy boy next door, but his congressman father is a constant thorn in his side. After a scandal hits another Division 1 hockey program, Will's dad is determined to distance his son from it, hiring a journalist to prove how squeaky-clean Will and his team are. Which means the last thing Will wants is for anyone to find out he and his best friend Beckett Dunne―a laidback Aussie shielding secret heartache―sometimes share girls in the bedroom.

When Charlie finally meets them in person and realizes she's been chatting with two gorgeous Briar U hockey players, things get steamy―fast. But all their messy secrets are piling up, and real life soon threatens to shatter the fantasy. With Charlie, Will, and Beckett all coming to terms with what they want and what others want for them, difficult decisions will need to be made.

Especially when lust starts to look a lot like love.

Series The Campus Diaries:
1. The Graham Effect
2. The Dixon Rule
3. The Charlie Method

Review: 

*presence of some spoilers*

Rate: 3.5 ⭐ 

I'm feeling a bit sad right now that this book is over, because this also means The Campus Diaries series has ended. It's been a packed-journey, since I've decided to binge read all the three books together, and I found myself with new favorite characters to add to my favorite ones list in the Briar University's world.
I can't help to be fond of these complicated, sometimes infuriating new adults, with their warts and all. And if with The Dixon Rule I already knew the main characters, because they were both a solid presence in The Graham Effect, when I started The Charlie Method I still had to know the third element of this trio: Charlie.

I immediately connected with some aspects of her personality, especially the urge to be always someone their parents will be proud of, or someone people would love to have around and not being talked about their backs. Her anxiety's attacks were well described and relatable, as much as her need to blow off some steam to stomach all the stress she endured. I didn't expect, though, it would be by driving car on racing tracks 😂That was an awesome surprise and I totally adored wild Charlie mode! It was refreshing and also entertaining to read, same as per her sassier side. This girl knows what she wants and isn't afraid to verbalize it. Then again, as Faith says, she has indeed an "onion personality", because she's a character with a multitude of different shades to discover. For example, I super appreciated her being a true reference point for Blake (even if we just see a glimpse of their relationship), her absence of fear dealing with Mitch's snarky and mean comments as well as Agatha's outbursts, the natural way she cares about not hurting people's feelings, her absolutely interest in STEM, and her fears about being loved less because she isn't her parent's biological child.
I think that the most successful part of this novel is related to her decision to track down her family roots, discovering she has an older brother, with whom she tries to built up a real relationship. Her feelings were totally believable, and I wanted to hug her multiple times when she was dealing with Harrison's sourness and resentment, attempting not to be crushed by the guilt related to the way better life she ended up with, or by the fear that her adoptive family would stop loving her if they discovered she was seeing him. Handling Harrison wasn't easy since the very beginning, and even if I understood him I can't say I like him, that's why it was a relief to see that Charlotte didn't believe all his words related to her adoptive parents. At the same time, I appreciated the steps he made to make amend, even if it's not clear at the end of the book whether their relationship has developed more or they're just acquaintances.

Another thing I really welcomed were the different cameos that appeared randomly during the book. They often made me laugh - especially Hollis 😂- , but they also made me feel the urge to have some more novellas about my favorite characters from the previous series. It's true, we see Garrett and Hannah in The Graham Effect in multiple scenes, but I would love to have them and the others as main POVs again, with a direct look in their lives as grown men and women - Yes, it would be a massive book of novellas BUUUUT can you think about it, Elle? PLEEEASE.

Plus, a praise for Beckett's interactions with his parents. It's not so usual to see a son speaking this directly with his father (without being disrespectful), and I truly appreciated the way Beckett made him reconsider some decisions he made; then there was also the discussion with his mother related to the eventuality of going back to Australia. I really felt his longing for "coming back home", like there was a direct connection with a place he knew took his heart. Furthermore I loved his growth during the whole book, even if maybe a little bit hidden by other events. For me Beckett is the one who ground the trio together, always sure of Charlie and Will, ready to joke but also to face more serious discussions. At the same time, he conquered me with his own frailties, and I adored seeing him starting to open himself to the others again and also searching for his own path in life - even if I was a little bit sad to know he won't pursue an hockey carrier as defensman.

And talking about hockey, I think this is probably the less sport related Briar U book I've ever read, and I kind of miss it, you know? Yes, we have some scenes here and there, Coach Jensen is always the best, but hockey was one of the pillar of these series, where guys (or girls) bond and grow together and, well, so freaking hot and entertaining to read. Here, I really felt its absence.
Truth is, the usually perfect balance I always find in Elle Kennedy's novels, kind of slipped in The Charlie Method. I don't know if it's because there were too many things to focus on and following three main points of views and personal journeys isn't an easy task to accomplish, but something of this story was off.
From a certain point of the book, almost every encounter Will, Beckett and Charlie had turned into a sex scene, with very little time for them to show properly their relationship and feelings growing and consolidating into something more than a fling or a temporary arrangement.
Let me be clear, sex isn't the problem - but some scenes seemed too similar; I appreciated the little increase of this kind of scenes in this last series (and the kinky aspect was an interesting addition for sure), but besides some exceptions, what did they do together to make the readers understand they were in love? It was like the majority of times it was all off page. Plus, I can't say I really came to know Beckett and Will as much as I know Charlotte. I ended the book with the feeling I was missing almost two entire worlds, when usually at the end of any of Elle's story I know almost everything about who the main characters are, what they want, how they react, etc. That took me by surprise because Elle is usually amazing in these kind of things, instead I finished the book a little bit confused.

I suppose the fact that these three main figures didn't have the same number of chapters as POV didn't help, especially regarding Will's part. Sometimes he seemed a little bit left behind, and it could be ok if this wasn't a polyamorous situation. Regarding that, I'm not a fan of love triangles in every one of their possible outcomes, but I was willing to see if Elle could give me a key to consider it believable. Unfortunately, my thoughts at the end of the book are that I love all of them, Charlotte, Beckett and Will, and they are even cute together, but I really struggle to see how this situation will work out and last in the future. I agree that everyone should do what feel right to them, but every practical question asked (by more than one character) received almost no concrete reply, with lots of "I don't know". And that perplexed me, because Charlie is clearly a rational person, with her own proper Method to evaluate every problem in her life, and in this case after some doubts and concerns, she just goes with the flow, only worried about what people would think about it, and even this question resolved itself in a too simplistic way.
Then we have Beckett's past trauma that is kept hidden for the majority of the book and then has been resolved in an instant with just some reassurances, and there's Will, who from book two changes his own ideas multiple times, arriving at the epilogue with no specific answers about which conclusion he came to regarding how to handle their love situation. I didn't even seen clear moments that showed their strong friendship, and that's a pity. It's like they remained a sort of secondary character in their own book too.
Moreover, while in every one of Elle's books the "Briar found family" is always there for the main characters, the rest of their friends is almost nonexistent. And it's even weirder if we consider that The Charlie Method's timeline partially overlaps with The Dixon Rule's one. I though I would have re-experienced some important (and tough) moments of the previous book from the eyes of Will and Beckett, since Shane and Diana are their friends, instead everything was just... mentioned, like they were not so significant. We don't even see Ryder's goodbye to Beckett after graduation, when they should be close friends. Why?😔

So, there are little or bigger details that left me a little puzzled about this novel. And allow me to say that the use of drugs isn't something to consider even if it's just a one-time thing and under a "controlled situation". I appreciated Beck and Will's behavior related to that but... no.

In conclusion, I'm really torn because I can't say I didn't love the book at all, but it missed some of the usual Elle's magic I love so much. I really hope that the next series (because I'm sure it will arrive) will give more explanations about what happened, and also clarify what is happening between Blake and Isaac. I'm still trying to decide if I have to be worried about them or not 😂

If you read it, what do you think about it?
Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, thank you for giving some of your time to read my review.

To the next one!

Chiara

 

 

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Review: The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

Hello readers!
How are you?

Here I am again with another review. As always, I have to thank for the free book to PRH International, that always allows me to read some of my most expected books of the year. Today is the time of a novel I was really curious about (you'll know more in my review's premises), and that I'm sure will be loved by every sport romance reader 💗. So, here is my review of The Rule Book, by Sarah Adams.

Title: The Rule Book
Author: Sarah Adams
Publishing Date: April 2, 2024
Publisher:  Dell, Trade Paperback Original
Pages: 416 (paperback)
Price: $18.00 USD, $24.95 CAD

Plot: College exes break all the rules when they reunite years later in this enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, the highly anticipated companion novel to the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet—from Sarah Adams, the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers or spark the romance of a lifetime?

Review:

Rate: 4 stars⭐

After enjoying to The Cheat Sheet, I was very curious to see what Sarah could present to the readers. Her previous book was a lovely delight, but at the same time it was too swoony to be totally relatable – and yes, I was envious of Bree because Nathan was too perfect. So, I didn't know if it convinced me at 100%.

But you know what? Every now and then, a good happily ever after's book, without too many difficulties or tough themes to face, is a perfect cozy treat to enjoy, and The Rule Book is the perfect embodiment of that.

I appreciate the writing pace, the entertaining banter between Derek and Nora, and the tender moments where they really talk and discuss about their relationship and themselves. Finally, a book with no miscommunication's trope! That was a great relief. Maybe I would have loved a little bit more spice, but the tension leading to those moments was perfect, so, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Just a warning: there are not many big events in this book, that is centered on the relationship between the two main characters and how it would affect their career. I'd consider it more an introspective book, if I have to describe it. Another thing I didn’t expect to find but was a great thumbs up for me was the idea that even when two people are meant to be together, this doesn't mean the first time would be the right one. I liked the fact that, even if it was a mistake made by Nora’s fear to jeopardize her future career for a love relationship, the message underneath was that sometimes people have to have more experience and grow up individually, before arrive to the right moment in space and time to have another shot. Of course, my stupid romantic heart cried nonetheless for their time loss. Fortunately, Derek dealt with the revelation of their break-up so well I wanted to hug him: instead to show anger or refusal, he was understanding, sweet and thoughtful.

Even if I didn’t consider him the soft side of the couple, because they’re both well balanced, I have to admit it was cool to find a main male character who deals with panic attacks and insecurities, an aspect that often is represented by a female figure. And it was refreshing seeing him face his fears regarding his career with Nora and also opening up about his dyslexia, maybe forgiving himself for all the time he hated his low performances at school.

Then, it’s true, there are some similarities with The Cheat Sheet, and you’ll find here as well a supporting brotherhood that will always cheer for the "grumpy bear" of this story to find his happy ending with the woman he loves. Personally, I would have loved to see them even more, because those scenes were hilarious, and I’m a sucker for Bree and Nathan! hat said, in the Rule Book the focus also shifts on the difficulties a woman has to face when entering a field usually "reserved" to men and working in a toxic environment. I liked how Nora and Nicole have been shaped by Sarah, and how they deal with this current issue with their different kind of personalities and approaches during the length of the story. Plus, it was good to show that to fight for yourself you don’t always have to make big scenes or brawls, you can just be yourself, faithful to your personal principle and kind to the others, even when they don’t deserve it.

I also loved all the underlining of the importance to have a partner who supports you, understands you, and doesn't limit your dreams and ambitions; not to mention the message to love ourselves and our physical aspect even if it's not perfect. You find those little phrases here and there during the book, like a soft reminder to be kind with ourselves, to remember our own value and that we deserve to find someone who really sees it, both at work and in a relationship.

At last, I didn't expect that kind of ending, because the story seemed to go in another direction. Anyway, it was cute and I hope to see glimpses of Derek and Nora (as well as more Nathan and Bree) in future books.

And what about you?
Have you already read it? If yes, did you liked it? Let me know in the comments💗

To the next review!

Chiara

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