Book Club Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Blaire Kellermoon is still trying to find her footing after her divorce. Both of her children are now out of the house and she's moved back into the home she and her husband had kept even though they had moved into a much larger mansion. She used to be a rom-com actress but lately has been working as a producer. There is one book that she particularly wants to get done, The Green Light, but she's having problems. In the meantime, she's trying to get the rights to a book written by Jack Branksome.

Jack wrote the book when he was much younger. Since then, he's been teaching but he's trying to write another book. He's not much impressed by Blaire and denies her request. Too bad everyone assumed he'd do it and the news had already leaked. 

Now he's feeling bad. And shocked that she responds by inviting him to write in her pool house. Even more shocked that he accepts.

The two slowly start to get to know each other an themselves. The book has some weird bits that don't always get explained, but it made me smile a number of times.

Four stars

This book comes out July 14, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

Four stars

Dearly Beloathed #2

This book came out on July 7, 2026

Follows The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinons are my own

Very Nice Funerals by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie with narrators Eric G. Dove, Cris Dukehart

Max Reddy doesn't want to stay in Rocky Start. It's a town with two many secrets that he doesn't want to be a part of. And one person he's going to hate to leave. But on the next-to-last day before his self-imposed return to the AT, someone cuts a rope bridge while he's on it. So... now he's sticking around. 

Meanwhile Poppy's life is changing. She had a traumatic incident in the last book and now her life is changing. And she's not sure if she likes where it's going but she knows that it is not going to be what she had originally planned. 

Four stars

Rocky Start #2

Follows Rocky Start

Followed by The Honey Pot Plot

This book came out July 21, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Rocky Start by Bob Mayer, Jennifer Crusie with narrators Eric G. Dove, Cris Dukehart

This book is pure fluff and has Crusie's fingerprints all over it. If you know her writing, this book will feel very familiar. 
Rosalee "Rose" Malone has lived in Rocky Start for nineteen years. Ever since her 12-year relationship ended when she got pregnant and he threw her under the bus for fraud. Now her daughter is about to graduate high school and her mentor is dead. But there are weird things happening in Rocky Start including two gentleman. One who attacks her in her store and one who says he saved her (though she thinks she was doing a pretty good job herself, thankyouverymuch.)
Max Reddy and his dog Mags are in town to pick up a new pair of boots while he's out on the Appalachian Trail. This town is out of the way but this is where his old boss sent the package. It's an interesting little town, straddling the line of Tennessee and South Carolina. The people there remind him of the people he used to work with in his old job; lots of secrets to hide.
Rosalee bothered me a little; she sticks her head in the sand about a lot of things. But I still enjoyed the book quite a bit. 

Four stars

Rocky Start #1

Followed by A Very Nice Funeral

This book came out July 21, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle

The book opens with Alice Radstone returning to the Hotel of Dreams. Except this time, she's there on purpose. It's been ten months since she escaped a ward for the criminally insane after being dubbed "The Mad Bride." Everyone thought she had killed her husband, but she has no memory of that night. Nor has she any memory of that husband.

Owen March is feeling guilty. He helped a very wealthy man track down Alice, but he's beginning to thingk that the story he was told is a lie. He's going to make sure that Alice can return to her regular life a free woman. And to do that, he'll have to keep her safe by marrying her.

Is this book a little bonkers? Oh yeah. Did I still enjoy the ride? Mostly. It stretched my disbelief suspension to the max but I overall had fun.

Three and a half stars

Ghost Hunters #18

This book comes out June 30, 2026

Follows It Takes a Psychic

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Final Target by Nora Roberts

Arden is just starting out as an author at the beginning of the book. She's at a book signing and shrugs it off when one of her fans asks her to grab a meal or coffee with her. But then she sees him again. And again. And someone breaks into her house. Then again, when she's home. But he's wealthy so he gets off with a time of five years. 

In that time, Arden begins to heal, writes more books, and decides to move to Oregon, following her family. She also meets the people of her town, including Joe Riley who owns the hardware store as well as his grandson, Gideon. Gideon is a double-threat as a romance hero, being not only a woodworker but a former cop. 

Of course, the two begin to fall in love. But the danger still lurks.

If you like Roberts, you will enjoy this book. It definitely follows her formula but it's a good formula and enjoyable. 

Four stars

This book came out May 26, 2026

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Oh Susan Elizabeth Phillips, you do make me smile. In this book, Dean Robillard, quarterback for the Chicago Stars, picks up a woman on the side of the road dressed in a beaver suit. Blue Bailey hsd been dumped by her boyfriend and had her accounts cleaned out by her humanitarian mother, her car died and the woman who was supposed to pick her up from her recent roadside advertising gig never showed up. Instead, she gets picked up by a gorgeous man whose perfect body is splashed over billboards all around town. The two are not immediately attracted but definitely intrigued. Dean needs relief from boredom and Blue needs a ride to Nashville. She agrees to ride with him to his farm where he's resting up for the next football season. What neither of them knows is that Dean's estranged mother has been masquerading as a housekeeper in order to fix the house up for him. When his half-sister and estranged father also show up, a family special it is not. 

Love the book. Made me laugh. Witty banter and real family problems kept me interested. Will definitely read again (and again, and again...)

I wrote this in 2010 and have, indeed, read it again and again. Don't love it as much as I did in the beginning but still enjoyable.

Four stars

Chicago Stars #7

Follows Match Me if You Can

Followed by First Star I See Tonight

This book came out February 6, 2007

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

Every girl dreams of marrying well, especially in the early 1800s. Not every girl would want to marry a man who is seventy years old, older than her father. But not every girl has a sister who also needs to marry and, while both are pretty enough and have a good lineage, their family cannot provide them with a dowry. And Genevieve would like to at least give her sister a chance at love. So she marries Lord Burnsby. And seven months later, she is visiting his hunting lodge in the Highlands. She will meet his heir and the heir's wife. She does not expect Lord Godric, boyhood friend of the heir, nor Lord Burnsby's seemingly mad illegitimate sister, and his daughter. Genevieve certainly doesn't expect to meet Sophonisba, Lord Burnsby's mistress of thirty years. And she certainly doesn't expect to find her own voice and start speaking up. Nor to find love while she's still married.

A Gothic novel in the best sense. I couldn't get past our heroine falling in love while still married but I enjoyed the ghosts, the drama, and, of course, the compulsory madwoman in the attic (although Mima is allowed to roam freely in this book.)

Four stars

This book comes out May 12, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Hexes Go Well with Tequila by LeAnna Ehrsam

This book felt like a cozy fiction book with a random sex scene thrown in for... reasons?

Ursula Cambridge's relationship is failing. When a mysterious invitation appears, she decides to take up the offer to live in The Lost Souls House. Pretty quickly, she makes friends. One night, they get drunk on margaritas and decide to "hex" the people that have wronged them. Except that the hexes turn out to be real. 

There are also a number of sub-plots with a grumpy bachelor and his wayward niece, a friend of a friend who is running for mayor, and the man who is running against her on "family values" who is, not surprisingly, someone who doesn't hold those same values to himself. 

Three stars

The Lost Souls #1

Followed by Curses Dance with Bourbon

This book came out September 24, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker

Everyone knows about the Caldwell curse and, knowing that this is the 13th year since a Caldwell has been claimed, the town is staying at arm's length. No one wants to get be caught in the splash zone because it's not just the Caldwell's that die, it's the people they love.

In different ways, both Evie and Florence have been trying to stop the curse. Florence has mostly given up magic. Evie is still living in Caldwell house and trying to work off of her mosther's notes. She's raising her daughter. 

We get flashes back to the 1960s when the curse began as well as snippets from the 70s and 90s. 

I liked the idea of this book but it didn't land for me. I made it through and it was fine but also felt like there was a little too much going on. 

Three stars

This book came out October 21, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

A satisfying end to a series about four women who work as bridal consultants.

Parker Brown is the organizer of the group. She books the weddings and plans the details. She is happy that her friends have found love but a little jealous as well. That doesn't mean she's going to jump into a relationship with Malcolm Kavanagh, just because he's part of the group. But that doesn't mean that she isn't attracted to him. He's not a part of the elegant world in which Parker grew up but he's a good man and fits in well with the group. Mal was a stuntman in Hollywood until an accident almost killed him. He took the money from the settlement and bought a mechanics shop which is how he met the rest of the gang. 

The two are seemingly opposites but they have enough in common to make a happily ever after.

Was a little leery about this one since the second book pissed me off so much but it ended up being okay.

Four stars

Bride Quartet #4

Follows Savor the Moment

This book came out November 2, 2010

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts

Thank god this book was better than the second one in this series. There was no tempting me to toss my iPod across the room. 

Laurel McBain has been in love with her best friend's brother for... forever. She has recently gotten fed up with her own dating moratorium and one late night plants a kiss on Del.

He has always thought of Laurel as a sister. At least, that's what's he's forced himself to think. But, recently, he's begun to notice that Laurel is really an attractive woman. 

I like that they have a frank discussion about their starting to date. The description of their group as a tribe is pretty cute.

Very fluffy but amusing. I'm not sure if this book was really that good or so much better in comparison.

Four stars

Bride Quartet #3

Follows Bed of Roses

Followed by Happy Ever After

This book came out April 27, 2010

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts

Emmaline has always wanted to be a bride. She believes in romance and has more dates than the rest of her three friends/business partners combined. However, this florist never expected to fall in love with one of her best friend's-brother's-best friends. Jack is a part of the group. He's been a friend to the four ladies of Vows, a wedding planning company, for over a decade. He and Emma have always been attracted to each other but neither thought the other was interested and neither wanted to risk the group dynamic.

This book was not as bad to read; I had earlier listened to it as an Audiobook and wished I had a book so that I could toss it across the room.

Throughout the book, Emma keeps talking about how she knows Jack doesn't like entanglements and how she's not going to tie him down. When she tries to get all love-dovey and he gets pissed off, she acts startled. Seriously? This whole time she's a "modern woman" and then reverts to romance type? It was especially infuriating because the first book and the first three-quarters of this book were so enjoyable. Definitely the least favorite of this quartet of books, possibly of all of the Nora Roberts.

Two stars

Bride Quartet #2

Follows Vision in White

Followed by Savor the Moment

This book came out October 26, 2009

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

He's Not My Boyfriend by Jackie Lau

A fast, fun, and fluffy book that isn't very deep but is still a fun read. 

Iris Chin LIKES her life. She's a structural engineer who hangs out with her other perpetually single friend and hooks up with guys when she feels like it. But her landlord's daughter is coming back to town so Iris is moving in with her grandmother. Right before she moves in, she has a super hot one-night-stand with Alex Kwong. Does he turn out to be the lead on a project she's assigned to? Of course! This is a romance novel, after all. As they spend more time together at work, they spend more time together outside of work. Their eventual happily ever after is a little hand wavy (this is a short-ish read after all).

Three and a half stars

Chin-Williams #2

Follows Not Another Family Wedding

This book came out November 20, 2018

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Dancy Flynn is a movie star, mostly known for being married to an even more famous movie star. At least, she was, until he dumped her for a younger model. It's just too bad that she drinks too much one night in a very public place. In the same public place her husband's new wife has just debuted her very pregnant belly. It is...  a debacle.

So Dancy make her way to a cabin. Her ex-boyfriend's cabin. Her HIGH SCHOOL ex-boyfriend's cabin. I mean, it's a very nice place to stay on the lake. It just doesn't help that her ex is Chicago Star's quarterback Clint Garrett. 

This one had a little too much drama for me and the ending was a little fast but it follows the Phillips formula and regular readers will enjoy.

Three and a half stars
Chicago Stars #12

Follows Simply the Best

This book comes out February 10, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver, Samantha Brentmoor, Robert Hatchet

Harper Starling is just trying to live her life. Sure, she's trying to cover up the crimes her elderly landlord committed. And she's trying to stop him from committing any more as he is battling dementia and forgetting which secrets he needs to keep. But she can help him keep them just fine. She just adds them onto her own. Like what she does to ensure her picturesque seaside town stays safe, even from tourists. 

Nolan Rhodes has been searching for Harper Starling, saving her for last. But what is a serial killer to do when he realizes he might be in love with his intended victim? Because she sure isn't acting how he would think she should when he leaves a dead body in her back yard. Well, part of a dead body anyway. 

I hadn't read this author before and didn't realize that the spice level on this one was pretty high. If I had read this as an ebook or hard copy, it probably woulnd't have hit as hard, but listening to it was a little too much for me. Not sure why the gore didn't hit the same way, but an overall fun read. 

Four stars

Seasons of Carnage #1

Followed by Harvest Season

This book came out September 23, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

Julie Parker is looking forward to a chill Christmas. Her grown children are doing their own thing so she's just going to spend the day with her boyfriend. Her twelve-years-younger than her boyfriend. The one her children don't... technically... know about. Then, plans change. And change again. And change again. Julie, her children, her boyfriend, and their partners all have to be flexible. 

Mainly told from Julie's third person point of view, this is a holiday story like most, there's a lot going on so nothing is really developed.

Three stars

This book came out October 1, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts

Closing out the trilogy, Sonya and her friends defeat the evil ghost of Hester who was disappointed in love and took it out on generations of Pooles (Sonya being the latest in line.) We get to visit some of the brides on whom Hester inflicted her revenge when Sonya walks through mirrors to view the past. There is also a lot of time devoted to Sonya turning the grand manor she inherited from her uncle into her own. This is done with the help of several helpful ghosts as well.

This was a fine story and has many hallmarks of Roberts writing but would have better been served as a duology. The second book felt like so much filler and the third book retread a lot of what the second laid out. They are a little dated at this point but the Key books felt similar in tone but served as a better example of how a trilogy should move a story in every book. 

Three stars

Lost Bride Trilogy #3

Follows The Mirror

This book came out November 18, 2025

Hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Grumpiest Billionaire by Pippa Grant

Oliver is trying to run away from his life. He's a billionaire so it should all be sunshine and roses, but he's tired of the responsibility, of the weight of bringing his family's company back from the brink of disaster. He wants to live like a normal person. Unfortunately, he has a stowaway in the back of his car. 

Daphne knows how Olivere feels. She rejected her own family's wealth and has figured out a way to live her life without being under their thumb. But it took her a long time to figure out how to do that. So she's been exactly where Oliver was, not really understanding how the real world works (he gets confused every time someone tests the hundred dollar bills he's throwing around.) Daphne was just trying to make sure he wasn't getting back with her sister, but now she's got a new mission; help Oliver learn how to make it through life on on his own. 

Three and a half stars

Small Town Sisterhood #1

Follows The Spite Date

Followed by Faking Cinderella

This book came out January 8, 2026

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own

The Spite Date by Pippa Grant

After their parents died in a fire, Bea raised her three brothers. It wasn't easy since teenage boys are  going to teenage boy. But she's gotten the last one launched and would be focusing on her own dream (well, her father's) if her ex-boyfriend hadn't stolen it from her. And to make things worse, his brother has just arrested her because of a prank. And not even a prank she pulled! One that was pulled on her. Someone ordered a LOT of fish from her food truck (which is usually hamburgers), and then invited her to Simon Lockwood's house. Yes, the super-famous Simon Lockwood who wrote and acted on the television series about weed.

Simon is despairing. He's not sure what to do with his twin teen boys. He grew up with absent, disapproving parents and doesn't want to do the same with his kids. Their mother and he never got married but they are great co-parents. 

It's a convoluted and over-the-top story which is what Grant does best. 

Four stars

Small Town Sisterhood #1

Followed by The Grumpiest Billionaire

This book came out September 4, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle

Opinions are my own