Take Me by Bella Andre

I heard about this book on one of my romance podcasts. It was supposed to be a book with a larger size heroine. And Lily Ellis is larger, a full size 16. Her best friend doesn't treat her any different but his twin brother, Travis Carson, has always been disdainful of her. Which is too bad because Lily has always been attracted to him. And she immediately recognizes that it is him in the audience, rather than her best friend, when she gets pulled into modeling some of her sister's clothes.
And it's modeling the well-fitting gorgeous clothes that finally make Travis notice Lily. So they have one wild night. But then he hires her to help decorate a house and they have to travel to Italy together. There, they really get to know the attraction that is burning between them.
The language in this one was a bit odd as though it wasn't edited very well. And I didn't love the way Lily was treated. I didn't feel it was as bad as some readers reviewed.

Three stars
Followed by Love Me
This book came out November 15, 2005
I had a hard copy that I passed on to someone else

Your Endless Love by Layla Hagen

Summer Bennett is the only one of her 9 siblings not married. She certainly doesn't expect to find her HEA with a Hollywood A-lister.
Alexander Westbrook has (according to the gossip rags) just gotten out of a relationship. Really, it ended months ago but he is under contract to not appear with another woman until the latest movie in their franchise series gets released. But he's getting hammered in the press and he doesn't want to pull Summer into that. Too bad they are meant to be.
An okay story but a bit on the surface.I didn't really see what would have them stick together other than Summer was "different" from "all the other women."

This book came out February 3, 2018
Follows Your One True Love
Borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

Your One True Love by Layla Hagen

One of the last unmarried Bennett siblings, Daniel is the only main character in the series who doesn't even pretend to want to stay single. He knows that his family is trying to get him hooked up back up

with Caroline Dunne, his college sweetheart and he's all for it. He knows that they both made bad decisions that lead to them breaking up but that doesn't mean that they both aren't smarter, wiser, and in a better place to maybe make a relationship work.
Caroline isn't as sanguine. Yes, she's still attracted to Daniel but the last time they broke up, she didn't just lose him, she lost his whole family. And since her mother died last year, she wants those connections.
I do like that the obvious Big Misunderstandings aren't the ones that Hagen goes for but there are still always at least one last issue that we have to read through.

Follows Your Fierce Love
Followed by Your Endless Love
Book borrowed from Library
Opinions are my own

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Going to be honest, I never would have looked at this book (because of the title) if one of my podcasts (I can't remember which one) hadn't recommended it. But it is really quite charming.
Dr. Sloan Copeland has twin girls and, when their nanny disappears without a word, she finds herself in a bind. One that Rafe Whitcomb can help fill. He loves being a nanny but after his last family moved to Australia, he thinks that the life might not actually be for him. But meeting Sloan and her girls has him rethinking.
Weatherspoon actually does a good job of the boss/employee dynamic and it helps that it's a one-to-one connection. But Rafe taking care of Sloan? Feeding her, filling her tank, helping with chores. Super hot.

Four stars
This book came out September 26th, 2018
Opinions are my own

The Hollow by Nora Roberts

Layla Darnell isn't sure what she's doing in Hawkins Hollow. One day, she just felt the urge to leave her life at a boutique in New York City and travel to rural Pennsylvania to a town where she's having horrible nightmares, seeing horrible things, and falling for Fox O'Dell, one of the three men responsible for releasing an ancient evil that had been captured three hundred years ago but was let back into the world when three ten-year-old boys swore a blood oath.
Now Layla is working for Fox and working with him and the other two boys (now men) to put the evil away for good. She has also made friends with two other women and they all seem to be tied in with combating the Big Bad as well.
Good addition to the series. Not my favorite Nora paranormal series (hello, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/series/40843-three-sisters-island">Three Sisters Island</a>) but an okay read.

Three and a half stars
Follows Blood Brothers
Followed by The Pagan Stone
This book came out May 6th, 2008
Opinions are my own

A Husband for Santa by Doreen Heron

Researching the mythology of Christmas for his Ph.D., Symeon Golightly never expects to meet the son of Santa. Nor does he expect to fall in love. But when Turk, expecting his father to turn over the role this year and being disappointed, takes off to nurse his wounds and ends up in the hotel where Symeon is working.
I liked that the novella took place over the course of almost a year giving Symeon and Turk time to get to know each other. I didn't love that the story seemed half-told and that parts were very jerky to read.

Three stars
This book came out December 23rd
ARC kindly provided by NineStar Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Someone to Remember by Mary Balogh

Balogh take a slight detour from her Westcott series with this novella focusing on a second chance romance between a maiden aunt and a viscount. Shockingly, both are in their fifties but they still find love. And I think the reason this book works for me is that they had love but both realized that it may not have worked out in the past but they're ready to try again now. Will it really work out for them? Perhaps not but seeing how to adults might court and fall in love was worth the read.

Four stars
Followed by Someone to Romance
This novella came out November 5th, 2019
Opinions are my own

Duped by Abby Ellin

Abby Ellin almost married a con artist. She got out sooner than a lot of people would've but she counts herself lucky because he made it so very easy to believe all of the outlandish things he told her. And almost being duped herself made her want to explore the world of people who lie for a living or even for their life.

Three and a half stars
This book came out January 15th, 2019
Opinions are my own

Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

Cal, Gage, and Fox went on a camping trip when they were 10-years-old and, while becoming blood brothers as children will do, they accidentally unleashed a centuries old demon who had been trapped by one of the ancestors for centuries. Ever since that day, there have been seven days on every seventh year (7/1-7/7) when evil is unleashed on Hawkins Hollow, their hometown.

Quinn Black is a researcher in the paranormal. She's written many newspaper articles as well as a well-received book and now she wants to concentrate on the Seven. What is it about this place that makes the inhabitants go nuts? And what is it about Cal that draws her so deeply? She's happy with her life of travel and exploration but Cal is all about home. And, of course, there's no guarantee that they'll be alive past July... but they're both wiling to take a chance.
Quinn and Cal don't get as much of a story in this book because it is the first in the series and everyone is being introduced and set up but still worth a re-read.

Three and a half stars
Followed by The Hollow
This book came out November 27th, 2007
Opinions are my own

Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler

Emmie loves Christmas. She LOVES Christmas. And she is sure that her boyfriend will love Christmas as well-especially when she puts together a seasonal game ending at a quaint B&B in the heart of a town that is all about celebrating. Too bad Grant doesn't get her card; instead, a mystery novelist with writer's block gets the hunt. Having been told by his agent that she's sending him something to get him started, Sam isn't worried about the hunt that takes him to a small town. In fact, he's sort of delighted by it. Even when he finds out that he's on the game as a mistake, Sam stays at the B&B. He gets to know Emmie and the town and decides there might be something long term about both...
A little too sweet for me but an enjoyable story and one worth picking up as a fun winter read.

Three stars
This book came out October 15th
ARC provided by HarperCollins and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Your Fierce Love by Layla Hagen

Clara Abernathy grew up in foster and group homes. She's not anxious to lose the ties she has to the Bennett family through her best friend and former boss, Nate. Even if Blake Bennett is the hottest guy she knows. But she is also reluctant because her new boss is looking for any gossip he can get about the family and he's pressuring her.
Blake is reluctant to date, especially after one of his exes blabbed about his sister's divorce. But he can't stay away from Clara.
I really appreciated that the Big Misunderstanding wasn't the obvious one. Actually, that got cleared up pretty quickly though it did create a bunny trail in the story that didn't really need to be there. An okay book in the series but not my favorite.

Three stars
Follows Your Alluring Love
Followed by Your One True Love
This book came out July 29th, 2017; published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Opinions are my own

Your Alluring Love by Layla Hagen

In previous books, it's been noted that Alice Bennett has a crush on one of her brother's friends. In this story, we get to meet the man, Nate. She's felt that she won't have a chance because his life's goal is a job that will take him to England. But when his job doesn't come through as a result of nepotism, he realizes that maybe the woman he's never been able to consider is suddenly more available to him.
The two strike up a relationship but will it last the test of time?
If you liked the other books in the series, you will still like this one. But you don't necessarily have to have read the other books in the series to like this one.

Three stars
Follows Your Tempting Love
Followed by Your Fierce Love
This book came out May 1st, 2017
Opinions are my own

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Mercedes "Mercy" Thompson might have been raised in a town of werewolves but she is not one of them. Instead, she shifts into a coyote and may have some magic as well. Unfortunately, her ability comes from her father's side, a man who was killed before she was even born and his family wasn't interested. Her mother is nice but flighty so Mercy ended up with foster parents who were better able to understand a child who sometimes changed into a canine.
Her life has been fairly quiet lately. She bought a mechanics shop from a goblin and has been making a living. But a teen boy turns up in her shop. He's a recently turned werewolf and accidentally brings trouble to her door. Trouble that has her killing two werewolves and then fighting to save the Alpha of the pack next door as well as his kidnapped teenage daughter.
There was a lot of world building in this that kept us from getting to know Mercy and there were very few well-developed women but I'm hoping later books in the series will correct that oversight.

Three stars
Followed by Blood Bound

This book came out January 31st, 2006

Opinions are my own

This Christmas Rivalry by Beverly Jenkins

Tasha Bloom is one of the few people who mourns her grandfather when he dies. And those who are faking leave pretty quickly during the reading of the will because her grandfather minces no words about who he is leaving his assets to. Almost all of them are going to Tasha.
Drew Davis is upset because he was hoping to get the semipro football team that has been left to Tasha. Instead, she wants to run the team herself, something that, as the GM,he is not excited to hear. The more they work together though, the more he appreciates not only her outer beauty but also her sharp mind.
A fun little story that could have been longer.

Three stars
This story originally came out in 2012
Opinions are my own

Venezia by Lewis Trondheim, Fabrice Parme

Two people are running to hire a boat. The man and the woman are in immediate dislike of each other and rather childish about it. The woman gets the boat but at a price. Then they discover they are renting rooms in the same house. What they don't realize? They are both masters of disguise, spying on the same meeting. When they run into each other as their alter egos, they are able to work together.
The artwork is fabulous and the storyline is fun. There is a little bit of gap in some of the story lines but I wonder if that is translation. Overall a fun book.

Four stars
This book came out November 20
ARC kindly provided by Europe Comics and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition but neither does anyone expect the Herdmans to want to get involved with the Second Presbyterian Christmas pageant. The Herdmans are a group of children that are known for running wild doing things like smoking cigars, blackmailing other kids, bringing their one-eyed cat to school, etc. Not exactly the students who you'd expect to volunteer to be the living nativity. Would it have happened if the regular director hadn't broken her leg? Maybe. But her insinuation that it wouldn't've is what sets the narrator's mother (the fill-in) to declare that this is going to be the best Christmas pageant ever.

With an adult's eye, you understand why the Herdmans run so wild and it might break  your heart just a little but at least one of them seems to have a heart by the end of the story.

Four stars

This book came out in 1972

Book from library

Opinions are my own

Spontaneous by Brenda Jackson

Kimani Cannon has been attracted to the brother of her best friend's fiancé for awhile. She was going

to act on it at the engagement party but he had to leave. At the wedding, she goes for it. And Duan Jeffries is not going to turn it down. But he also isn't sure that he wants it to be a one-time thing. When Kim gets a phone call that her mother is getting married for the fifth time, she's worried; none of the other husbands were particularly good and Kim's mom hasn't known this man for long.
Duan hears the man's name and is immediately on alert. He recognizes it from when he was in the Atlanta police department as being a man whose two wives disappeared under mysterious circumstances when he had an airtight alibi.
It was a fun and fluffy story. As a category romance, there's not a lot of room for development in the relationship but I did see how Kim and Duan fit together.

Three stars
This book came out April 27th, 2010
Borrowed as ebook from library
Opinions are my own

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty

Doughty hits it out of the park with another readable book that looks at death and makes it understandable.  This particular book answers all of your burning questions including the one from the title as well as what happens to bodies in space and whether people can be too tall for caskets.

Four Stars
This book came out September 10th 2019
Book from Library
Opinions are my own

His Until Midnight by Reese Ryan

The Texas Cattleman's Club is having a Bachelor Auction. But Tessa Noble's brother ate something dodgy and he's not able to go. So Tessa steps in to take his place. The organizers are ecstatic and give her a makeover to help her get more money.
Her best friend, Ryan Bateman, is astonished to see her up there. He doesn't think of her... that way. But that doesn't mean that he is going to let someone else win the bid. He can win and they can just let the date go. But when a scandal threatens the auction, the people in charge ask Ryan and Tessa to allow a reporter to follow them on their date. So, they have to make it look good. And that's when it all starts to appear as if they only people they've been fooling are themselves.
I heard about this on the Fated Mates Stump Jen and Sarah episode and enjoyed it completely. It is a Harlequin Desire so it is shorter but a fun read anyway.

Four stars
This book came out December 1st, 2018
Hard copy I ended up passing on to someone else
Opinions are my own

Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon

Kitty Underhay's mother disappeared when she was five; her father was gone even before then. She grew up with her grandmother at the Dolphin Hotel. During the summer of 1933, Kitty's great-aunt is ill so her grandmother travels to be with her leaving Kitty and the regular staff to run the hotel. Also present will be the new security officer, Matthew Bryant.  He was a captain in the military and trained to help protect.
Why a new security officer? Kitty doesn't know this but her grandmother has been receiving threatening letters. They imply that there is something valuable at the hotel and the sender wants it back. And there's a mysterious death. Then another. It's up to Kitty to figure out what's going on.
I liked the character development and forgave a little bit of shallowness for this being a first book but I also felt like the story was well built out. There were people thrown in at the end that weren't even well-disguised red herrings. Connections between characters magically appeared. And while the book started off strong, there was some time in the middle that I had to force myself to pick up the book to keep going. I hope that some of these things (story, character building, pacing) will be worked out in the next book in the series.

Three stars
Followed by Murder at Enderly Hall
This book came out December 11th
ARC kindly provided by Bookouture and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Your Tempting Love by Layla Hagen

When Christopher Bennett's sisters recommend Victoria Hensley, he is quick to figure out that he is being set up. But he doesn't really care. Victoria is gorgeous and the young sister she has brought to their first meeting is adorable. He is astounded to learn that Victoria has taken on raising her three siblings after her parents' death. And anyone who's read the Bennett Family series knows that love of family is a major part of what makes them tick.
Victoria is balancing a grieving family along with a Social Services agent who doesn't seem to believe she can hack it and being fired by a boss who is now accusing her of stealing clients. She's got a lot going on. But that doesn't mean she can't spend a little time with a handsome man. But it's just a little time. At least, that's what she's planning. But the more time she spends with him, the more she wonders.
I was seriously concerned for Victoria's heart; it swelled, it grew, it swelled, it grew two sizes. She was on the road to serious health problems. And Christopher was set up as this prankster but... nothing about it struck me as endearing. An okay addition to the series but definitely not my favorite.

Three stars
Follows Your Inescapable Love
Followed by Your Alluring Love
This book came out February14th, 2017
Book borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

Your Inescapable Love by Layla Hagen

Best friends from 9 to 13, Max Bennett and Emilia Campbell are reunited when Max needs some rehabilitation after a skydiving accident. Emilia works at the prestigious center Max goes to. Seeing each other after all that time, it seems like their feelings have hardly changed. Even though Max is now working for his family's company which his brothers and sister built from the ground up. And Emilia is dealing with her beloved grandmother's Alzheimer's.
Rebuilding their relationship and then turning it into something... more adult, Emilia and Max slide right into love. The ending is a little shaky but it was worth a read.

Three stars
Follows Your Forever Love
Followed by Your Tempting Love
This book came out July 28th, 2016
Book borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

Your Forever Love by Layla Hagen

Pippa Bennett has been matchmaking her family. But now it's her turn. And, seeing Eric Callahan at her brother's wedding has her agreeing with her sister's assessment of tall, dark, and handsome.

Eric is only in town while he gets a company he took over into shape and his daughter takes a summer  class on designing jewelry. Pippa Bennett is her favorite designer and Julie is delighted to meet her. Pippa is kind to the twelve-year-old. Having her come visit in the afternoons is a delight. An added bonus is getting to spend time with and getting to know Eric a little better. Soon everyone seems to want the two to get together - Eric just has some decisions to make about moving his daughter across the country.

I didn't love the Big Misunderstanding because it seemed a little OTT from Eric but I did like that he and Pippa did end up talking to each other.

Three stars
Follows Your Captivating Love
Followed by Your Inescapable Love
This book came out July28th, 2016
Book borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

Your Captivating Love by Layla Hagen

Logan Bennett knows that his family is conspiring to set him up with his soon-to-be-sister-in-law's best friend, Nadine Hawthorne. And he's not averse. She's a lovely woman.
Nadine is more concerned with getting her shop up and running. But she's not averse to a little fun. It's just too bad that they both seem to be getting invested. And when he steps up to make sure that her shop succeeds, even bringing in his family to help, she starts to hope that forever might be real.
Definitely a fast, fun, and fluffy. Not a lot relationship building, I'm not sure why they're together except the heat but still fun.

Three stars
Follows Your Irresistible Love
Followed by Your Forever Love
This book came out April 12th, 2016
Book borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

Your Irresistible Love by Layla Hagen

Sebastian Bennett has a strict rule against fraternizing with his employees. It's part of what has made his company so successful- the company he built from the ground up after his parents sold the family ranch. But he succeeded and Bennett Enterprises and their jewelry is well known. He is, in fact, not up for relationships in general. He's seen his parents' marriage work through 9 kids and wants something more like what they have than the empty promises of women after his money.
Ava Lindt doesn't care how rich Sebastian is. And while she is drawn by his looks, the hottest thing about him is how much he cares for his family. She doesn't have those types of ties to hers. Even so, her company has a rigid policy against getting into relationships with clients so her goal is to come in, help set up the marketing for the yearly Bennett Enterprises jewel show and then head on to the next contract. Getting involved with Sebastian is not on the agenda.
But the two end up getting together (all of the Bennetts seem to fall in love rather quickly after Hagen has them think that they don't want to be in a relationship; at least they don't fight it.) The last Big Misunderstanding ended up being a giant setup that was resolved with a little whimper but it was a nice kick off to a new-to-me series.

Three stars
This book came out January 15, 2016
Followed by Your Captivating Love
Audiobook from library
Opinions are my own

Dirty by Kylie Scott

Lydia Green is sent a rather graphic video of her fiance just before the ceremony is supposed to start. So what does a woman, recently moved to the area with no friends or family at the wedding, supposed to do? She does the sensible thing and runs. Wearing the fancy underwear which was supposed to tempt her fiance (ha!) and her wedding dress, she whisks past the flower girl and makes it over the fence in the backyard, through a small window and into the bathroom and shower of the house behind.
Vaughan Hewson doesn't expect to hear any noises coming from his shower when he turns it on and he is even more startled to realize that it's a woman. A now soaked woman who can't stay in her wet wedding dress so she's sitting in his kitchen with great lingerie displaying an amazing rack. He failed at being a rock star but the lifestyle sure taught him how to roll with the punches. Even one this big. And when Lydia's ex-fiance and in-laws try to start blaming her for what happened? Vaughan wades into the fray. Lydia punches her ex? Vaughan knows the deputy and helps back him off.
This is a super fun and fluffy book where the focus is on the couple and even though the relationship and character building is a little shallow, it was still a fun read.

Four stars
This book came out April 19th, 2016
Audiobook borrowed from library
Opinions are my own

A Clean Sweep by Sara Bourgeois

A ghost hunting team has come to Coventry. The local witches couldn't tell them not to come so they've hired Brighton to be their official minder. They give it a pretty name but she's going to make $3,000, more if she can get them to leave in a week. Brighton is fine with that but she soon learns that the team knows more about her house than she does. And then one of them ends up dead. She doesn't need this on top of the fact that Thorne is investigating the murder but somehow dodging her calls.
None of the Wicked Witches of Coventry books are very deep and this is no different. If you are looking for a well- or tightly-plotted mystery, this is not going to be the series for you. But fast, fun, and fluffy? Bourgeois has you covered!

Three books
This star came out June 28th, 2019
I got this book from the library
Opinions are my own

Epic Air Fryer Cookbook by Emily Paster

With a nice thorough introduction, this book sets up what we'll see in this book. To be honest, I didn't actually make any of the recipes yet but the instructions seemed clear and there were great tips, like using your sense of smell to tell when food was done. Pictures were clear and there were plenty of recipes that had five or fewer ingredients as well as more complicated ones.
I wish there had been page numbers on my ARC because the Index pages don't line up to the ebook pages but I didn't count my rating down because of that.

Four stars
This book come out December 10th
ARC kindly provided by Harvard Common Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Playing the Odds by Nora Roberts

Having worked as a dealer in a cruise casino, Serena MacGregor is ready to take the next step in her life. She doesn't count on being thrown off course by a handsome passenger, Justin Blade. She's not sure she's interested but he is... 80's romance forceful about it. 

When one of Justin's investors suggests this cruise, he doesn't think anything of it. But when he figures out that the woman he's lusting after is the man's daughter, he's more bemused than anything else.

It is dated and I'm not sure that today's readers will enjoy it as much as those of us that have the nostalgia factor added in. 

Three stars
This book came out March 2, 1985
Followed by Tempting Fate

Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Reread March 2023

Tempting Fate by Nora Roberts

Caine MacGregor has yet to be impressed by Diana Blade. She's the sister of the man who is about to marry Caine's sister but she sure doesn't act like it. Gorgeous, but cold, she acts nothing like anyone he's ever known.
Diana is nervous. She hasn't seen her brother since they were children. The aunt who raised her has her convinced that he is close to the devil himself. Not that her aunt was the best but Diana is still cautious, everyone in her life has left. And she knows Caine's reputation. Just a few years behind him at law school, she knows the swath he cut through not only the classes but the female students. But she's moving to be closer to her brother as she opens up her own law office and Caine has the space. But the more he gets to know Diana, the deeper he finds that she hides her feelings and he'll have to work to get her to admit that she might have feelings too.

Four Stars
This book came out May 1st, 1985

Follows Playing the Odds

Followed by All the Possibilities
Book borrowed from Library
Opinions are my own

A Fete Worse than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith

Jack Haldean isn't necessarily looking forward to the local fete when he visits his uncle, aunt, and cousins but it goes downhill when he is recognized by a man who reported to Jack in the RFC during the Great War. The man was a thorn in Jack's side; Jack even comments that Boscombe caused more trouble than the Germans. And he seems to be continuing the trend, making oblique comments about other people at the fete. Then the man turns up dead in the fortune teller's tent.
Jack, being a mystery writer of some note and generally curious, inserts himself into the investigation (Gordon-Smith inserts that Jack had helped on a major case in the past and has used the police extensively to write his stories so he's not a complete n00b.) With drama circling around Jack's uncle's ward and a hero of the war, a ball in the neighborhood being thrown by a local, older femme fatale, and another body popping up, there is a lot going on in this book.
Gordon-Smith weaves together all of the stories into a book that slides into the life of a detective and lets us ride along with him.

Four stars
This book came out June 26, 2007
Book borrowed from library

Witchnapped in Westerham by Dionne Lister

Lily is an ordinary wedding photographer on the day before her 24th birthday. The day of her birthday,  things get weird. And then weirder. Her phone fritzes out. Then her coffee maker. And there's a strange woman on her doorstep that seems to be reading her mind. But worst if all, it seems her brother has been kidnapped so she immediately has to jump on a plane to England. On the way, she learns that she is part of a long line of witches, that's why her technology went south and why people have been seeming to go translucent.
She meets so many people in the witching community, how will she know who to trust?
A fast, fun, and fluffy read, there's a lot of world building that has to happen so the story is a bit thin and plot points are sometimes hit, sometimes not. The character building is quick sketches rather than anything in depth. I'm still probably going to look for the next book in the series.

Three and a half stars
This book came out July 29th, 2018
ARC kindly provided by Dionne Lister and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Check, Please! Book 1 by Ngozi Ukazu

Bittle is a former figure skater who is now playing hockey for Samwell University. He tends to faint if he thinks he's going to get checked. Amazingly, his teammates poke fun at him but it isn't

malicious. They are a loving family that we get to know through his first two years in this one book. I would almost label this an epistolary novel since much of it is told through vlogging and, at the end, tweets. It is utterly charming, though it lags in spots. The romance is barely in in the story, only popping up really in the last pages. Worth a read for sure.

Four stars
This book came out September 18th, 2018
Hard copy from Library

Reread as ebook from Libby August 2023

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher

This book was described as a gender-swapped "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"  for millenials. I saw it and thought, "Hard pass" because I did NOT like that movie. Both characters were pretty despicable  and I had no interest in reading a book based on them. But then I heard Christopher on two different podcasts. She seems likable and the characters sounded like they might actually be decent so I thought, "What the heck" and requested the book from NetGalley.
It may be that I had lowered expectations but I liked this book. Part of it might be having better access to the character's though processes but a lot can be attributed to the author and I look forward to reading more from her.
Jack and Hannah both develop over the course of the novel (good character development is one of my catnips). Hannah starts out with a chip on her shoulder because she, admittedly, hasn't been treated well by men in her past. Meanwhile, Jack prides himself on being the perfect boyfriend. Both find out that they have skewed views and they are better together.

Four stars
This book came out November 12th
ARC provided by Berkley and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Cinderella's Billion-Dollar Christmas by Susan Meier

Eleanor "Leni" Long is working as a waitress, trying to help her family make money after her father was injured on the job. It's a hard life but she loves her town and her parents, especially since she knows she was adopted.
Nick Kourakis is not someone who belongs in a small town. He's an investment banker and New Yorker all the way. But he's here to help his friend find three heirs to a billionaire's fortune... and Leni might be one of them. He convinces her to go to New York with him to see if she is potentially going to inherit a fortune all while keeping it under wraps so that she doesn't get mobbed by paparazzi and people looking to take her money from her. While all of this is happening, Nick is by her side the whole way.
The story was fine but I didn't really connect with either Leni or Nick. She was too sweet; he was way too angsty for it to be solved in this short a book. This is a Harlequin Romance so that's not unexpected and regular category readers may not mind that as much.

Three stars
This book comes out December 3rd
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Holding Out For Harper by Gabrielle Ashton

Harper Brown and Sebastian Hastings have had a contentious relationship since... forever. Sebastian even had Harper moved from his assistant to working with his brother Josh so that they wouldn't have to interact every day. But now there's been a series of events that have happened at the same time that mean that Harper and Sebastian have signed papers to pretend to be in a relationship for the next six months.
This is a romance so, of course, they also fall in love. And the whole relationship part of the story was quite cute. I just didn't like the OTT drama at the end; I don't mind that kind of drama in stories but build up to it.

Three stars
This book came out July 18, 2019
Book from the library

Bounce Back by Susan Kahn

I was really surprised to finish the first chapter and realize that everything about failing fast (the first part of the subtitle) was completely over. Overall, this is the kind of self help book that I really enjoy. More science than story, really well researched with the facts to back up all the reasons Kahn was suggesting certain ways to deal with problems at work.

For self-help junkies, there aren't a ton of new ways to cope but Kahn has put them together in a readable and usable manner.

Four stars
This book came out October 3rd
ARC kindly provided by Kogan and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Pucked ( #1) by Helena Hunting

Violet Hall doesn't really care about hockey, even if her stepdad is a well-known scout and her stepbrother a rather notorious player (in all senses of the word). So she knows hockey players and would rather just avoid them all. Until one not only turns out to be hot but erudite as well.
Alex Waters has a reputation in the league as landing more than his fair share of women but the truth is, he doesn't dive into the puck bunnies that much anymore. But Violet intrigues him. And when she gets locked out of her hotel room, he's excited to entertain her for the evening with no expectations. But then, she exceeds all of his expectations. And the rest of the book is about the two of them navigating expectations.
I didn't like the ending - I just didn't think Alex would act that way based on how he was portrayed in the rest of the book.

Three stars
This book came out May 3rd, 2015
Audiobook from library

The Ghost of Christmas Past by Angie Fox

I should have figured out that this was a riff of the Christmas Carol from the name, especially since it's a series about a woman who sees ghosts so why wouldn't she see one on Christmas Eve? Especially when her boyfriend's mother has been particularly horrible and Ellis doesn't immediately side with Verity.
I thought the idea was nice but the execution was a little heavy handed and the connection to the woman who brought Lucy into Verity's life was shaky.

Three stars
Follows The Mint Julep Murders
Followed by Southern Bred and Dead
This novella comes out November 29th
ARC kindly provided by Moose Island Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Fake Wife by Stacey Lynn

Teagan has just had her job cut due to budget cuts. And, in true trope fashion, she arrives home to find her fiance, the man she's been with for seven years, in bed with another woman. Packing up her life into her Prius, she is trying not to make the day even worse when she rear ends a car. An expensive car. An expensive car carrying three years in a row Sexiest Bachelor Corbin Lane. But she is confused that he doesn't seem very upset, instead, he has a proposition.
Corbin is still mourning the loss of his grandmother and reeling from her will dictating that he must marry within six months and be married for at least two years. Teagan seems like as good a choice as any, plus she's there, she's gorgeous, and she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. So they make their plans, but like most plans of mice and men, these certainly go aglee when they realize that their attraction is inconveniently getting in the way of their rational business plan.
This story got an extra star because the Big Mistake was recognized by both and they worked quickly to rectify it.

Four stars
This book came out January 9th, 2018
Audiobook from library

Weekend Fling by Stacey Lynn

Willow is not having a great life at the moment; she needs an escape from having to work two jobs to support her mother who is depressed after Willow's dad walked out for seemingly no reason. When Trey, a tech-guy who comes into her coffee job and has flirted with her before, asks her to be his date to his best friend's wedding, she agrees. A weekend away, maybe a hot fling with a hot guy will make her life look a little bit happier.
Trey is ecstatic. He has been crushing hard on this woman and the more time he spends with her, the more he is interested in being with her for longer than the weekend. But real life intrudes and it will be how Willow and Trey deal with it will determine whether their relationship will survive.
This book is part of a series and I had not read any of the others nor anything else by Lynn before. I liked that she wrote about real-world problems (mental illness, having to confront your childhood through a different lens, etc.) but somehow it didn't quite hold my attention - something about the pacing and I also didn't really like Willow in the beginning. However, I finished the book and have since gone back and discovered that my library has the first 2 books since you could sort of tell which characters had been an earlier part of the series. I really liked the first and am looking forward to the second.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 26th
ARC kindly provided by Loveswept and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Invitation Only Murder by Leslie Meier

Lucy Stone, reporter, has been invited to a private island. It is owned by a billionaire who is trying to take it completely off the grid. Even more than that, Scott Newman is trying to make it as eco-friendly as possible. He, along with his second wife (a former singer), his daughters from his first marriage and his sons from the second are practically going back to the early 1900s. At the launch party when Scott invites all of the people who worked on the island to check it out, he announces that one of his daughters is now going to be a partner in his firm. At the same party, Scott invites Lucy out for a few more days so she can really see what they're doing.
All seems well, even idyllic with a scattering of other people working on the island. But then, there's a death. And some of the small number of people disappear (which should be difficult on a small island.)
I am not sure that I've read a Lucy Stone mystery before. And I don't think it was good to jump in here. I'm sure that Lucy has more redeeming qualities in other books but I mostly saw her being super judgmental in this book. And, based on the cover and the description, I was expecting a strict cozy and I'm not sure this book fits entirely in that category. It was an interesting read but I'll probably stick with Ellery Adams or Lynn Cahoon.

Three stars
This book comes out November 26th
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Texas Wild by Brenda Jackson

In previous Westmoreland series books, we've learned that their great-grandfather was sort of a horndog and they're thinking there might be more cousins out in the world. To that end, Megan Westmoreland has hired private investigator (and the man whose two sisters have married two of the cousins), Rico Claiborne. Rico knows they have an explosive chemistry and he doesn't want it to go anywhere so he forbids her from following him to Texas where he's going to chase down a woman who was rumored to have been involved with the great-grandfather. The two hook up and Megan, who is a virgin, somewhat mind-bogglingly most of the women in this series are, immediately captures Rico's heart. An okay addition to the series and regular readers will enjoy.

Not My Type by Anna Zarlenga

This book opens, as many romance novels do, at a wedding. Teo is railing against the fact that his friend and former wingman, the one who racked up as many notches as Teo himself on their proverbial bedposts, is getting married. Teo doesn't understand it to begin with and, even worse, he keeps getting berated by the bride's sister, Sara. He immediately dismisses her as not his kind of woman and therefore not worth worrying over. They exchange insults and he goes on his merry way. Except that his merry way is suddenly roadblocked. The previously spoiled son of an Italian media mogul, Teo is now expected to... work. And he has to start by getting a degree. Too bad the class he's signed up for is the one Sara teaches. The two continue to knock heads until he offers a trade. She helps him pass her class and he will help her nab the professor she has her matrimonial eyes set on.
The premise of this book is fantastic and enemies to lovers is one of my catnips. I honestly can't tell if this book is really this choppy or if it is a problem with the translation (I tend toward the latter.) It seems like this was translated word for word rather than trying to capture the nuance of the story,. without trying to create any flow, and without any regard to social norms. Teo several times calls Sara ugly. Just straight up which is pretty shocking in a romance, even in a book that is women's fiction. His character starts as a spoiled brat and doesn't really grow that much.

Three stars
This book comes out November 21st
ARC kindly provided by Aria and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Unspoken by Kelly Rimmer

Isabel and Paul were married for four years before it all fell apart. Paul still isn't sure what happened but he does know he has just a few more days in their vacation home before it becomes hers so he's spending the weekend there. Too bad Isabel had the same idea. And she's really not happy that Paul is there as well. Too bad their time together is reminding her of why they got together. And showing her that Paul has been working on himself. But that doesn't mean that Isabel is ready to fall back into marriage - a lot of the same problems are there, including his devotion to work.
I liked that we got to see after the HEA. Not every book stops at the wedding and getting to see two people who actually worked on their relationship was lovely. A little dragging in parts but overall a nice read.

Four stars
Followed by Undone
This book comes out November 26th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Lady Takes the Case by Eliza Casey

Cecelia knows there's something wrong at Danby. Paintings and other knock knacks have gone missing but no one is kicking up a fuss. Plus, it's just expensive to be in the upper classes of England these days. Her parents are trying to get her married off (lovingly, but there is still pressure) and they've invited am American heiress to a house party in the hopes that she will fall in love with Cecelia's brother, Patrick.
There is a brief moment of horror when the ship the heiress is on sinks but she does show up with her maid, Jane, in tow. The party begins but almost comes to an abrupt halt when one of the guests, a famous explorer, dies at dinner. The heiress is convinced the poison he drank was meant for her. There are more obvious reasons to kill the explorer but when there's another attack, it seems like she may be right.
Jane and Cecelia hit it off, bonding over the cat, Jack, that Jane rescued from the ship. And it is their work that helps them solve the case, but not before they are in some danger.
Some world building since this is the first  book in the series and the ending was a little overdramatic but overall an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 26th
ARC kindly provided by  Berkley Publishing Groupand NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Memories and Murder by Lynn Cahoon

There's been another murder in South Cove, California. Just the day before, Jill saw the man treating his girlfriend, Paula, who works at the Senior Project, in a way that is all too familiar. So it's not particularly surprising that she's considered a suspect.
It's interesting that this case overlaps with another since Jill's Aunt Jackie has been getting calls from Uncle Theo, a man who supposedly died years ago. Is he still alive or is it someone trying to scam Jackie out of money?
This book was a little more complicated than most Tourist Trap Mysteries - not only is there a murder and a scam, there is a little C story about the mayor and his run for re-election; I have to wonder if Cahoon is setting herself up for the next book.

Three and a half stars
This book came out November 12th
Follows Killer Party
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Win Big Kelly Jamieson

Everly Wynn loves her job working for the philanthropic arm of her family's hockey team. She's dealing with a lot - worries about her father's health, the fact that he seems to have stolen from her two oldest brothers resulting in a lawsuit that is making the family choose sides, and still trying to be perfect after making a terrible mistake at sixteen.
Wyatt Bell knows that life can be surprising and difficult. That's why he tends to take life as it comes. Up to and including when he is caught in a photograph that, while he's not worried about it, does make the hockey brass to call him in to the office and for Everly to step in and say that she would be willing to be in a relationship with him. Or at least appear to be for PR reasons. Except that... it could be that feelings might just get involved.
This was the first book I've read in the series but I didn't feel like I was missing much. It was a little bit slow to get started and I thought that the blurb highlighted Everly's mistake more than it was mentioned in the book. Then it was wrapped up pretty quickly..

Three and a half stars
This book comes out November 19th
ARC kindly provided by Loveswept and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

My Unedited Writing Year Hope Lyda

What a fun book! If you are thinking about writing a book, this would be a great place to get started. Lyda includes prompts that are both mundane and inventive - from testing your pens to writing about which book you would choose if you only had one you could read for the next year to using a riddle as a story starter.
There are some light religious touches but they are deftly handled and overall this is an enjoyable book. I would definitely recommend this book though I would lean toward getting it in its physical form.

Four stars
This book comes out December 30th
ARC kindly provided by Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Love on Lexington Avenue by Lauren Layne

Claire appreciates her two newest friends, even if she found them last year because her husband died and his mistresses also skipped his funeral. That day, they made a pact to help each other spot another man who was like Brayden Hayes.
A year later, Claire is tired of her life. It's just so... vanilla (though, as one of her friends points out, vanilla is a pretty good flavor.) She decides that refreshing the interior of her brownhouse is the way to go. And we know from the last book in the series that Scott Turner, contractor extraordinaire, is looking for a new project, one that's a little more intimate than creating a huge building for vast amounts of money. Too bad it's probably some bored New York housewife with more money than sense. And he believes that at first... but then he gets to know Claire. And he agrees to be her wingman. Except the odd feeling of jealousy suddenly pops up.
A little deeper than the most fast, fun, and fluffy novels but still an easy and breezy read.

Three and a half stars
This book came out September 17th, 2019
Followed by Marriage on Madison Avenue
Book from library
Opinions are my own

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne

Naomi wasn't especially attached to Brayden Hayes, her lover of three months, but she didn't want to learn that he had a wife. Especially not from his obituary. But at least something good has come from his useless life, she made two new friends in the form of his widow and his mistress. The three make a pact to help each other recognize if any of them are getting into a relationship with another man like Brayden.
Naomi is also juggling dealing with an applicatino her mother put in for an apartment two weeks before she died. It's in the apartment building on the Upper East side that Naomi and her mom lived in for less than a year while her mom was a live-in house keeper. Her mother was also shtupping the man of the house. Something Naomi discovered with the man's son, Oliver, one day they came home early. And Oliver denied when his mother accused Naomi's of coming on to her husband. Naomi and her mother were out of the home the next day and her mother never recovered. Neither did Naomi. So why is she thinking of moving into the place? Just because she's now the owner of a billion dollar company and wants to prove how far she's come? Or maybe confront the man who helped her mother get to that place? Or at least his disturbingly hot now grown-up and much better human being son?
I liked that Naomi was willing to forgive. It was a process and it showed that she was a grown up. I didn't love the denouement - it could have played out a little less insta-judge-y on Oliver's part but he got over it quickly.

Four stars
This book came out May 28th, 2019
Borrowed from library
Opinions are my own