Tag Archives: book reviews

Book Review! ~ Heartbreak & Cupcakes (Single Dad CEO book 1) by Shawna Renae

ABOUT:

Alex Vaughn
The last thing I wanted was to be named San Francisco’s Most Eligible Bachelor. The title alone was misleading. I wasn’t a bachelor. I was a widower and single father. One who wasn’t available or interested.

Well… there was one person who might have piqued my interest. Cupcake Girl. But interest and intent are two very different things.

Sadie Burke
I must have Dateless and Desperate tattooed on my forehead. That was the only reason I could think of that would explain why everyone and their grandma, literally, were trying to set me up. But, alas, all that effort was to no avail. I’m on a dating hiatus. A romance sabbatical, if you will.

The only person who has even come close to tempting me to break my self-imposed celibacy is Mr. Smolder. But temptation and action are two very different things.


Author’s note: Brooding hero meets sunshine heroine in cupcake form. This single dad, love at first sight romance also stars two rescue animals, a precocious four-year-old, a cast of supporting/meddling friends and family, steamy sexiness, a few twists and turns, and a HEA that will satisfy any romance lover’s need for swoon. It’s one for the books. (Specifically, this book)

Continue reading Book Review! ~ Heartbreak & Cupcakes (Single Dad CEO book 1) by Shawna Renae
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Romance Book Reviews!! ~ Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score

Title: Things We Hide from the Light
Series: Knockemout Book 2
Author: Lucy Score
Release: February 21, 2023
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/3YIZuIK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62022434

Blurb:

Bestselling author Lucy Score returns to Knockemout, Virginia, following fan-favorite Things We Never Got Over with Knox’s brother Nash’s story.

Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.

Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.

Continue reading Romance Book Reviews!! ~ Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score

Romance Book Reviews!! ~ Falling for the Grouch by Carolina Jax

He’s cynical and annoyed with the world. She’s bright, bubbly and determined to win him over both in life. Readers who love Carrie Elks and Avery Maxwell will devour Falling for the Grouch by Carolina Jax, a steamy, small town, grump/sunshine, beach romance.

Buy Now or Read FREE with KindleUnlimited!

Amazon https://amzn.to/3k3qF23

Blurb

Dash

When my son had to leave our small hometown of Christmas, Texas, I couldn’t wait to leave with him, only to fall into a new fresh hell.

Christmas 2.0 a/k/a Candy Cane Key.

Everyone is in love down here. They love their town. They love their school.

Let me tell you, True Love doesn’t exist. Romantic love is made up.

There’s no one who can tell me differently.

No matter how gorgeous she is.

And I’m the grouch who said so.

Summer

I love where I live. I love the sun, the people, my job. I love to help and do whatever anyone needs of me.

But letting them past my surface is hard when they’re only using our town as another way out.

For having a bright talented kid, and being extremely good looking, this guy is all types of grouch.

He’s cynical, annoyed with the world, and has become my new target.

Can I make him love Candy Cane Key, and also let my guard down and him in?

Continue reading Romance Book Reviews!! ~ Falling for the Grouch by Carolina Jax

Romance Book Review!! ~ The Bride Next Door (Chapel of Love Book 4) by Hope Ramsay

ABOUT:

Courtney Wallace loves her job as a wedding planner, but she’s almost given up on her own happily-ever-after. She certainly doesn’t it expect to find it with Matthew Lyndon, the hotshot lawyer she overhears taking a bet to seduce her. She’s not amused by the challenge, but she decides to play along–after all, what better way to beat him at his own game?

Matt never intended to take the bet seriously. And moving next door wasn’t part of his strategy to win-it was just a happy coincidence-but the more he gets to know Courtney, the more intrigued he becomes. When fun and games turn into something real, will these two decide they’re in it to win it?

Get it on Goodreads –> https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/35605428

Continue reading Romance Book Review!! ~ The Bride Next Door (Chapel of Love Book 4) by Hope Ramsay

Romance Book Review!! ~ Just A Sham by Ajme Williams

ABOUT:

When fake vows turn into real feelings, there’ll be hell to pay.

Ethan went from being a perfect stranger… to my boss… to my fake husband… and then…
My baby daddy.

Let me backup just a little.

All I asked for was a job, not one-hundred thousand dollars in exchange for being his fake wife for six months.
Of course, I couldn’t resist the offer.
One-hundred thousand had a nice ring to it.
But heartbreak… didn’t.
Not that I thought it would ever lead to a heartbreak.
Despite the way Ethan made my pulse quicken.
I would go numb every time he touched me and pulled me close.

But then reality would hit me right in the head.
It was all fake.
The vows. The future. Everything.
He would divorce me right after getting control of his company.
Unless…
He found out that he was not only my fake husband but also my real baby daddy!

Get your copy HERE!!!

Continue reading Romance Book Review!! ~ Just A Sham by Ajme Williams

Release & Review Tour!! ~ Scammer Girl by Michelle Dayton

Jo is a professional online romance scammer and Jamie is The Conscience of Silicon Valley.  They don’t trust one another, and when they meet in person, they quickly discover that not everything appears as it seems. Fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne will love Scammer Girl, a spicy enemies to lovers romance. 

Read Now On Your Favorite Retailers! 

Amazon https://amzn.to/3r8gnP2

iBookshttps://apple.co/3CgjYNX 

Kobo →  https://bit.ly/3Em470Z 

Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/3pM6qX0 

Five years ago, Jo Harper did a bad thing. Dumped, injured, and in crippling debt, Jo did what any desperate woman with a PhD in psychology and above-average computer skills would: become an elite, undetectable online romance scammer. Now Jo and her team of four young women bring in enough cash to keep them securely afloat. Their targets? Married cheaters.

Jamie March, Bay Area royalty known as “The Conscience of Silicon Valley,” hates every aspect of online crime, especially those who defraud people. And when it appears that his brother is the victim of a sophisticated romance scam, he can’t stand idly by.

What’s weird though, is that when Jo and Jamie meet…they don’t hate one another. Not at all. He makes her laugh and feel alive again. She challenges his intellect like no other. But they can’t trust one another, right? And you can’t fall in love with someone you don’t trust—or can you?

Add to Goodreads!

Goodreads https://bit.ly/3Bncjw1 

Excerpt 

Copyright 2022 Michelle Dayton

We swayed together as the song reach its climax. It was much more of an embrace than a dance. My lips were inches from that damn freckle, and his hands were roving through my loose hair, tugging my head back. My lips parted—

He stiffened, just the slightest bit. I felt the withdrawal. “What’s wrong?”

There was a storm in those sea eyes. A sharp bite in his voice. “Does every man you target feel like this? Like you’re both the drug and the antidote?”

If he’d physically slapped me, it wouldn’t have hurt more. 

I took a step back, dropping my hands and jutting out my chin. Not that it mattered or that he would believe me, but, “You were never a target.”

The song ended, and I raised my hands in applause to the stage before coolly pointing to my sofa, marching to it, and sitting down. “I assume you want to discuss your brother.” Jamie lowered himself to the cushion next to me, but he didn’t relax into the seat. His rigid posture made me want to give him a good shove. 

“I’m sorry I said that,” he mumbled. “I’m extremely uneasy about the effect you have on me.” His lips tightened. “I know a lot about the ways people can be damaged by Internet scams: financially, emotionally. But I’ve never been involved in one personally.” 

He moved his head from side to side, a little sheepish. “The past month, our letters. There was always the possibility you were acting or lying. But I didn’t think you were. I chose to believe that the letters you wrote were coming from you, not someone you made up. That the conversation we had the night we met was real.” He looked at the band, at the couples swaying. “When we were dancing, I was so … so fucking thrilled, I scared myself. What if you’re pretending? Performing? What if I’m the world’s biggest idiot?”

His straightforward truthfulness was jarring. Maybe I’d been in the game for too long, but I just didn’t expect men to be so open about their feelings, especially ones that made them vulnerable. In writing, yes. In person, no. 

“I’m not pretending or performing,” I bit out. The truth came through my lips before I could stop it. “I’m extremely uneasy about the effect you have on me too.”

His shoulders relaxed a few inches. “I do want to talk about Bobby,” he admitted. “But,” he leaned forward. “First I just want to talk. To you. About anything.”

Still a little stung, I just shrugged. “Well, no Jeopardy! tonight. So I guess we won’t be trading quotes from classic literature.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “There’s one perfect quote that’s been boomeranging around my skull for the last several weeks.” He quirked one brow and made meaningful eye contact. “‘You have bewitched me, body and soul.’”

Oof. I hung my head in mock surrender and covered my heart with my hands. He just undid with me with his ridiculous adorableness. “Ok, Indy. You win. You’ve just recited my favorite line in all of fiction. Let’s talk.”

Jamie’s eyes widened with glee. “Indy? That’s the Harrison Ford I am? Indiana Jones? Should I buy a hat and whip?”

I burst out laughing. “I mean, sure. You’d look great in a fedora. But I was referring to Indiana Jones in professor mode. With the three-piece suit, tie, and glasses.”

He slumped down, looking deflated. “Oh. Yeah, that makes more sense.”

I poked him in the shoulder. “Don’t pout. There is a huge population of women who find classroom Indy even sexier than sweaty jungle Indy.”

He cocked his jaw. “Interesting. Are you within that population?”

Oh. This was getting dangerous. But not even a little part of me felt like stopping. I smiled directly into his eyes. “Hell yes.”

Even though it took me a little longer than I normally like to get into Scammer Girl, I loved Jo almost from the beginning and the more I learned about her backstory the more I liked her. She is not your average romance heroine, not even a little bit. Well, not on the surface anyway and that only adds to her charm.

This opposites attract romance doesn’t start typically, because Jo and Jamie interact a lot through their computers, which given their chosen occupations, makes a lot of sense. This format allows us to get to know them both on a deeper level than you’d get with first and second dates. And I think it’s the perfect way to show the truth of both characters’ missions.

Jo is fine with scamming cheating men because they’re cheaters who can afford it, and most of all, it’s easy to tell them exactly what they want to hear online. On the other side of that coin, Jamie knows the damage that can be done by online scammers exactly because it is so easy to pretend to be something you’re not. They both have points and the fun in the journey is finding out who, if anyone, will give in for this love in the making.

Scammer Girl is a fun read, once it gets going, and you’ll love Jamie and Jo equally. There are lots of laughs, a few tears, and some really great conversations in this story. Great read.

About Michelle Dayton 

There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.

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Review ~ It Started With A Kiss – Marina Adair

Get your copy HERE!!!

ABOUT:

With a kidney transplant behind her, Avery Adams is determined to channel her inner adventurer and explore everything life has to offer. Only problem is, the closest she’s ever come to a real-life adventure was sixth-grade science camp. So to seize the summer in her rustic Sierra Nevada town, she takes a job as a guide at the local adventure lodge. But Avery doesn’t realize her biggest challenge will register at six-plus feet of rugged good looks and alpha-male charm.

As a member of the Sequoia Elite Mountain Rescue team, Tyson Donovan has made a life out of cheating death and rescuing weekend warriors from the treacherous terrain. “The world is my home” is more than just a motto; it’s what scares off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. When his dad’s health lands the family’s adventure lodge in serious danger of going up in flames, he moves home—and quickly remembers why he left. Until he meets Avery, the irresistible new guide who makes him want to stay.

Tyson gives the inexperienced Avery a lesson in romance that her books could never teach her. And with her undeniable spirit for life, Avery shows Tyson the healing power of love. But with one misstep, everything comes crashing down, and they’ll both have to take the biggest leap of all—into the kind of adventure that lasts a lifetime.

I really enjoyed It Started With A Kiss. There was something about this novel, written by Marina Adair that reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Jill Shalvis. Maybe it was the wilderness or maybe it was the big wild mountain man who was a walking, talking ad for sex. The story pulls you right in starting with a horny old senior and a half-written but suggestive note left in lipstick.

On a windshield. Continue reading Review ~ It Started With A Kiss – Marina Adair

Review ~ Burn So Bright – Jennifer Bernard

Buy it HERE today!!! About this book: Wildfire “hotshot” Josh Marshall is all about fun, firefighting and flirting. But ever since his crew got trapped in a burnover, he’s been…

Source: Review ~ Burn So Bright – Jennifer Bernard