Game On by Kelly Jamieson

Hockey player is resistant to love. Heiress has been burned before. His teammates bet him that he can't spend time with her and NOT fall in love (it's the end of the series so "everyone else" is coupled up.) Refreshingly, Cam tells Olivia about the bet. And she's willing to go along because she needs a boyfriend to bring home to what appears to be a somewhat dysfunctional family (that is sort of fixed at the end but it's glossed over and I love a good family figuring it out story.)
A nice, easy read, not particularly deep but I was able to dive in without having read any other book of the series.

Three stars

Follows Big Stick

This book came out January 15th, 2019

 Ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

The Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts

This book was originally written in the nineties and doesn't wear very well but isn't as bad as the last book in the series in terms of where romance has come since then. This is a Harlequin romance so it reads quickly so it skips over some big details but is still kind of fun.
Regan Jones has enjoyed living in Antietam, opening her antiques store, and making friends. She's heard all of the rumors about the MacKade boys' pasts but one of them is the sheriff, one is her lawyer, and the other is a hardworking farmer. But then Rafe comes back. And he immediately sets his sights on her. Well, first on the old Barlow place and then on Regan. He hires her to decorate the house he is rehabbing into a B&B. And, of course, there's all that proximity that leads to lust and then love.
I really liked reading about Regan. She really is an early example of competence porn knowing her job well and kicking ass when she needs to. Rafe skims the outer edges of alphahole but manages to stay mainly on the side of a liberated 90s-kind of guy.

Three stars

Followed by The Pride of Jared MacKade

This book came out April 1st, 1995

Ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton, Robert K. Oermann

Dolly Parton is an acknowledged angel on earth and this is a fascinating look at how she comes up with her songs. Interspersed with the stories are snippets from the a. Not only a talented songwriter, Dolly is an acclaimed actress whose work spans decades. Her stories are fascinating, her spirit uplifting. I love hearing about her life in her own words. Is she unrelentingly nice about everyone she's ever worked with? Yes. Is it a breath of fresh air? Yes, it is.

Five stars

This book came out November 17th, 2020

Borrowed as an audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters

I really enjoy this book every time I read it. The story of a young woman (Elizabeth Jones) who not only comes face-to-face with her author heroine, she gets to work for her after the woman's assistant has an unfortunate accident at the airport. But that accident seems to just be the first in a series of problems that come up before the author herself disappears and Elizabeth is left with the woman's surly son. 
This book just tickles me. It's not perfect but it is Peters at the height of her writing. 

Four stars
This book came out in 1982
Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus
Opinions are my own

Reread May 2022

In the Spotlight by Ally Decker

I've had this book on my shelf for a REALLY long time. I finally started it and was surprised how readable it ended up being. After all, it is LIT-erature. Classics and readability don't always go together. And the out of order storytelling became a little hard to follow in places but overall, the story of Tomas and Tereza as well as some side characters including Tomas's side piece.

Three stars
This novella came out September 5th, 2017

Ebook from Kindle collection
Followed by By Your Rules
Opinions are my own

Temptation on Ocean Drive by Jennifer Probst

Bella Sunshine has been singularly slow on the uptake where Gabe Garcia is concerned. Yes, he's invaluable to the family company of wedding planning. But, first she assumed he was gay, then she believed the gossip about his dating habits. She's also made little remarks here and there that show that she doesn't think of him as anything but a playboy. Which is a shame because Gabe is in love not only with Bella but with her little girl Zoe as well. He's finally brave enough to make his move, but will Bella be able to make hers?
Like the first book, I felt like there could have been a little bit more introspection from one of the characters. I also wish we had seen more of Gabe -- he was just a little too perfect.

Three stars
Follows Love on Beach Avenue
Followed by Forever in Cape May
This book came out August 25th, 2020
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

Jia Ahmed is on top of the world. Or at least her social media feed says so. In truth, she feels old. She was an early influencer and is now feeling like all of her best ideas are behind her. While recovering from a recent illness, she reconnected with a man she met online, a soap opera star who is part of a Bollywood dynasty. He's recently been put off meeting her but she knows that he's in the States and is going to a party as a part of the role he took on a US TV show. So, she decides to go. But the man, Dev Dixit, doesn't seem to want to acknowledge her at all.

Dev isn't sure who the beautiful woman is who approaches him at a party but she seems to know him. He is astonished when she runs away. But he ends up tracking her down (which, it's built into the story that he would leave her be if she had said so, but she doesn't, so not as creepy as it could have been - a sign of Rai's mastery.) Through an odd series of events, they end up pretending that they are in a relationship. 

I really, really liked watching the relationship between Jia and Dev develop. They are both so aware of each others feelings (sometimes the feelings are misinterpreted but they are at least aware) and both just want the other to be happy so each works toward finding that goal for the other.

Four stars
Follows Girl Gone Viral
This book comes out February 16th
ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus
Opinions are my own