Better Luck Next Time by A.R. Casella, Denise Grover Swank

 Both Finn and Adalia are at crossroads in their lives. Finn has just sold a business (not a smooth process for many reasons including the fact that he almost lost his best friend because of it.) Adalia has pulled out of art school even though art is her life. Her mentor really did a number on her and now she's not sure she can continue to make art. Well, she's doing it part-time for her family's brewery as their marketing person. And also hiding out in a friend's shed painting but then ripping up her work. It's there that Finn starts to realize that Addy might be hiding secrets. Which is not good because Finn is horrible at keeping secrets. Like, really, really bad. But he realizes that he could use her expertise in getting together a fundraiser art show and maybe while she helps him, he could be helping her as well.

I liked this book better than the first in the series and am waiting with bated breath to see what the next book in the series will be. Hopefully Lee (Addy's brother) will finally get rid of his girlfriend and also get himself out from under his father's thumb.

Three stars
Follows Any Luck at All

Followed by Getting Lucky
This book came out November 17th, 2020
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

The Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston

When she was sixteen, Jessie Ann Ward was desperately in love with Bobby Ray Smith. Even though his sisters made her life hell, even though she was an orphan, even though she was a wild dog in a town full of wolves, Bobby Ray (now known as Smitty) was one of the few people who were kind to her.
But he left. And she went out and built her own pack, becoming the Alpha of a wild dog team that also does computer hacking to test security. When they meet again as adults, Jessica wants to put him in his place so she pretends not to know him. And that pisses Smitty off. Because he "knows" that she's faking so he's not going to take no for an answer (not romantic).
I had a lot of issues with the not taking no and Jessie being a little hyper but I did love her family and how they were so accepting of everyone. Except the Smiths; but there was history.

Three stars
This book came out April 1st, 2008

Follows The Mane Event
Followed by The Mane Attraction
Hard copy I own
Opinions are my own

Reread as borrowed audiobook from Audible January 2024

A Brit Unexpected by Brenda St. John Brown

 What is a big-time Hollywood star to do when his ex-girlfriend claims to all the press that he is chasing after her shamelessly? Well, if his grandfather is dating a woman with a semi-presentable, eligible granddaughter, his grandfather might set up some staged photos between the star (Greyson Vaughn) and the narrator of our story, Claire. 
Neither actually knows that that's why they've been called to Castle Calder so when they first meet, it's as a star-struck fan and Hollywood heartthrob. Claire, especially, doesn't expect her grandmother to think this is a good idea. Not from the distant grandmother who raised her, the one who's all about propriety. And when Greyson finds out, he lashes out slightly at Claire which means she really doesn't want to get involved. But then Greyson offers her money... and so the deal is struck. They will pose for a few photos over the weekend to distract from Greyson's ex. Unless the heat that is bubbling up between them spills over into something real.
A cute story. The characters weren't super deep but a fluffy book was nice to read right now.

Three stars
Follows A Brit on the Side
Followed by A Brit Complicated
This book came out April 10th, 2017
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Any Luck at All by A.R. Casella, Denise Grover Swank

River Reeves' world has come crashing down. First his beloved mentor, Beau, died and now the man that he thought of as his business partner sold their company out from right under him. He's not sure where to go or what to do. But, when Beau's granddaughter offers River a job as a brewmaster in Beau's company, he's hesitant. Georgie is incredibly attractive and he's not sure that he can work with her.
Georgie's world isn't doing much better. She had only just reconnected with her grandfather when the man died. Now she's got a brewery that she co-owns with her siblings. All three of them. Even the one her father never acknowledged. They can all decide to sell but if even one wants to run the now failing brewery, they all have to be in. Her brother and sister immediately decide they want to sell. Her half-brother Jack is ready to go all in. Her only problem is that there is a teeny-tiny clause in the will which means that she is going to be lying by omission to River, a man she is not only getting to know, but to love.
A nice set up for the series. I am not a huge fan of clauses in wills creating the action for a book and this one was compounded by adding to the last Big Misunderstanding. I did like Georgie and Rive and especially liked that much of their relationship was conducted before she actually became his boss.

Three stars
Followed by Better Luck Next Time
This book came out September 22nd
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Witching on a Star by Amanda M. Lee

 Bay is back along with her cousins Thistle and Clove with a new mystery. This mystery in this book revolves around a little ghost girl named Erika who doesn't know why she is dead, she just wants to find her mother. At the same time, Bay is dealing with the fact that her boss has brought in a consultant, Sam, in an effort to expand their weekly newspaper into something more. But there is something more to learn about Sam, Bay suspects that he is not what he seems. Which is interesting, because he is not the only one close to the cousins who is hiding secrets and those secrets might help to lead Erika into finding her way to the Other Side.
This was an okay story. Lee has an interesting way of layering stories into each other far before they pay off. The mystery in this book actually started in the third book of the series.

Three stars
This book came out March17th, 2014
Follows Witching You Were Here
Followed by Something to Witch About
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

 I've read a later book in this series several times and decided to start from the beginning. I was surprised to find there were actually two stories in this book. They're both sort of short but they are good setups for the Pride world - just the sheer crazy fun that Laurenston has built.
The first features Mace Llewelyn who is back in New York after a stint in the army. And he's ready to track down the woman he never forgot, Desiree MacDermot. While she's never forgotten him either, she's not exactly ready to jump into a relationship with him, especially when she finds out that he's a lion shifter (she's definitely more of a dog person). But their paths are crossing pretty hard when a shifter is killed and Desiree is the cop assigned (and then quickly taken off) the case.
The second story features another lion, Shaw. He's bred twice with a couple of Mace's sisters but hasn't exactly been tied down. It was the relationship to the Llewellyn that led to him very nearly being killed in the first story. He's in the hospital being watched over by Ronnie Lee Reed, a wolf shifter when two men come into his room with guns. Ronnie Lee gets him out of there alive. 
Ronnie Lee knows that she's led a wild life (she's not allowed in more than a few countries) but she doesn't know what she's done to have run into a lion that seems to want nothing more than to settle down with just her forever.

Three and a half stars
This book came out September 25th, 2007

Followed by The Beast in Him

Hard copy I own
Opinions are my own

Reread as Audible borrow January 2024

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy, John Jennings

Oh man was this a hard book to read. Dana time travels. She doesn't know why or how but she goes from the 1970s with her white husband to the antebellum South where she is considered a slave. Not an easy transition.But she meets Rufus Waylin. First as a young boy and then as he ages. The hope she has for him becoming a better sort of person than his father slowly drains every time she comes back.  And it is not made any easier by the fact that Rufus is her great-great-whatever grandfather.
I can see why "Kindred" is a classic. Octavia Butler is a powerful storyteller, making you care about the characters even when they are despicable.

Four stars
This version came out 
Borrowed as a hard copy from the library
Opinions are my own