The Sun Will Rise by S. Sidney is now available on KU and Amazon!
After a few awful dates, Ruth Bevan has sworn off men. She’s a pragmatist. A problem solver. A lawyer. A cougar? It’s not a word she’d ever think of to describe herself—but then again, she hasn’t met Everett Tanner yet. Everett lives to ranch and ranches to live, but while he’s busy putting the family business first, he’s not giving himself time to process his emotions after a great loss.
A few chance meetings in airport lounges puts Everett firmly on Ruth’s radar (and in her fantasies). A couple of exchanged phone numbers and transatlantic FaceTime calls puts him firmly in her heart. The only problem is, Ruth’s heart is already torn, because the law career she’s always wanted is becoming something she dreads, and the fear is beginning to cost her friendships.
When his small town becomes a ghost town, and Ruth begins to unravel, Everett has to step up. No more waiting out the storm: the cowboy is saving the town *and* the girl.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
The Sun Will Rise is a charming long-distance romance between lawyer Ruth and cowboy Everett, who first meet at an airport. Fate brings them together more than once, and they can’t deny that there’s a sizzling connection between them. But what do they do when an ocean separates them? (The long-distance FaceTime dates were adorable, especially how excited Everett got about them.)
I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, especially seeing Ruth navigate her journey in balancing her career and personal life. Her girlfriends (from the other books in this series) are there to cheer her on along the way. I also loved how Everett was such a golden retriever hero to her black cat energy.
I missed the second book in this series, so there were some referenced story points that I was a little lost on. The Sun Will Rise is a standalone, but I think there’s a better overall experience if you read them in order.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Alice Yates is the hired “homemaker” for the Morrisons, an affluent couple in Minneapolis. For Alice, it’s a dream job to dress up like a 1950s housewife and read romance novels to Mr. Morrison before his afternoon nap.
But when the Morrisons’ only daughter returns home for the summer with her fiancé, Alice comes face- to-face with her shattered past—the only threat to her perfect life.
Eight years earlier, vacation rental owner Murphy Paddon had an impeccable vinyl record collection and did the most irresistible thing before kissing Alice, earning him a five-star rating. Their fortnight love affair was life-altering and ended tragically.
Murphy doesn’t know if Alice remembers him or whether he should tell his fiancée that the hired-help living in the guesthouse is the woman who irreparably broke his heart. He needs closure, but will the lingering glances and silent yearning lead to the end or just the beginning?
Grab your copy of The Homemaker, from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Jewel E. Ann, and lose yourself in this forbidden, high-stakes romance.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
The Homemaker was a doozy! I always know that I am going to absolutely love a Jewel E. Ann book, and this one was no different. Alice and Murphy’s story was captivating from start to finish; the vibe of this book reminded me more of her Transcend or Sunday Morning series than her lighter fare, like her Wildfire series. I really would love to circle back to this book and listen to the audio version, because I’d love to see what Robert Hatchett can do with this character.
This book has quirky, lovable characters, a gripping storyline, a second-chance romance told in dual timelines, and a whole lot of messy angst. Alice takes a job as a “homemaker” for a wealthy couple, and it comes complete with a cute little guest cottage to reside in. She never expected that her boss’s soon-to-be son-in-law was Murphy, the guy she had a whirlwind (but short-lived) romance with eight years ago.
The Homemaker packs so much within the pages; it’s so much more than a forbidden, second-chance romance. Missed connections, falling for the right person at the wrong time, grief, and loss. It’s angsty and messy, and perfectly Jewel E. Ann.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Finding a toddler on my doorstep? Not exactly how I planned for the day to go.
Zara Thompson has loved sexy, ex-Marine Garrett Carson since college—but he was in love with her best friend. For the past twelve years, Zara has kept her secret and her heart guarded.
Then a woman shows up on Garrett’s doorstep with a toddler and a shocking claim: the little girl is his daughter, and her mother—Zara’s former best friend—is dead, killed in a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Now, Garrett is juggling fatherhood, a looming book deadline, a frightened toddler who won’t go near him, and a live-in nanny who refuses to warm up to Zara—especially after she witnesses an unexpected and steamy kiss between Zara and Garrett.
A steamy kiss that sends their close friendship into a tailspin…
But as Zara focuses on expanding her small-town café and helping Garrett be a father, a mix of circumstances beyond her control and buried secrets conspire against her…threatening Zara’s chance at a happily ever after with the man her heart refuses to give up on.
I thought this book was going to be a second-chance romance, but it ended up being so much more than that. There were so many twists and turns in Zara and Garrett’s story, and this book dealt with some pretty heavy topics (grief, chronic illness, PTSD, and more). I was not expecting all that this book gave me!
Garrett is a military veteran with PTSD and a lot of guilt, having lost two close friends in the service. He’s now a best-selling thriller author with a movie deal in the works and a looming deadline. He has quite the full plate when he learns that he is a father one day when Athena the nanny shows up on his doorstep with a toddler named Poeny. The little girl’s mom is his college ex, whom he had a one-night stand with about two years prior. And the ex happens to be Zara’s best friend, which is why she never told Garrett that she’s been in love with him since they were kids.
Something was off about Athena right from the start, and I had so many questions about why Peony was so afraid of men. Zara really steps up to help Garrett get his daughter to adjust to her new surroundings, and eventually, their friendship becomes something deeper.
But when Athena and Peony’s past shows up in their present, all of their lives are at risk. This story took a lot of twists and turns with the suspense, and it kept me captivated. The HEA that Garrett and Zara got was well worth it.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Stina Lindenblatt
Born in Brighton England, USA Today bestselling author Stina Lindenblatt has lived in a number of countries, including England, the U.S., Finland, and Canada. This would explain her mixed up accent. She has a kinesiology degree and a MSc in sports biological sciences. In addition to writing fiction, she loves photography, and currently lives in Calgary, Canada, with her husband, three kids, and their adorable rescue cat.
I came back to Deep Cove with a 6-year-old secret and a million memories I’ve tried hard to forget. But I’ve never been able to forget him.
Ford Winters is more than just my ex. He’s my first love. He’s the only man I’ve ever truly given my heart to. He’s also the father of a little girl he doesn’t even know exists. I didn’t plan on coming back home, but when I found out my mom needed me, I didn’t hesitate. So here we are, my daughter Poppy and I, back in the place where I left my shattered heart all those years ago.
What I didn’t expect? Walking into the office of my new perfect-on-paper marketing job to discover Ford owns the multi-million dollar company. He won’t even look at me. He’s furious, and he has every right to be after I walked out of his life without even a goodbye. But I need this job, and the company needs me, so we’re going to have to make this work.
Easier said than done.
The pull between us is magnetic. The tension is impossible to ignore. Every second we spend together is fire, and when he finally kisses me, I’m reminded why my heart has always been his.
But when I see how kind and sweet Ford is with my daughter—our daughter—it makes the guilt inside me twist like a knife. If he knew the real reason I walked away from him, if he knew the secret I still can’t bring myself to reveal, he would never forgive me.
I can’t keep the truth from him for much longer, but how do I tell him without losing everything?
Deal Breaker is the first book in a new series from author Lily Miller. Seven years after Landyn ghosted Ford, she’s back in town to be closer to her ill mother… and is forced to face the love of her life after leaving him with no explanation when she gets a temp job as a PR fixer at his athletic lifestyle company.
I am choosing to overlook the fact that Landyn hid such a massive secret from Ford for six years, and then waited so long to tell him once she was back in town. Because other than that, I really loved this story. It had all the right pieces to make it an emotional rollercoaster as Ford and Landyn found their way back together. The way he gravitated toward Poppy was so sweet and that little girl held his heart from the second he saw her.
I loved immersing myself into the quaint town of Deep Cove, and getting to know Ford’s brothers. Also, Landyn’s co-workers Becca and Marco were a hoot.
I’m looking forward to seeing the other Winters brothers find love. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART by Sara Ney is AVAILABLE NOW
Blurb:
A laugh-out-loud, swoon-filled romantic comedy that’s the perfect for every independent girlie who knows exactly what she wants—but falls for the one person she shouldn’t. The shirtless guy across the hallway….
When I landed a new job in a brand-new city, I needed a place to live—fast. Enter: the spare bedroom in a suburbia McMansion with a pool, wine fridge, and stove that probably costs more than my car. Perfect setup, right?
Wrong. My new roommate saw me practically naked on night one.
Then I catch him doing something that rhymes with “disasterbating.”
Half hockey player, half Viking, Turner “Skaggs” Hutton III is the human embodiment of a golden retriever and is off-limits. Which would be easy if the chemistry between us wasn’t hotter than this blazing Texas sun…
The chemistry? Molten.The tension? Physically painful.
Think: slow burn with zero impulse control. Think: tight spaces with his hand on my thigh during a cramped car ride…And could someone please explain to me why I find it so damn sexy watching his massive hands choose the prefect LEGO brick? Send help!
He’s sworn off distractions to save his career. I’m focused on building mine and certainly not looking for a boyfriend. But when one too many lapses in judgment and one missed cycle leads to an emergency trip to the pharmacy…
This book was so fun! It’s a swoony and spicy forced proximity roommates romance, and I loved the chemistry between independent Poppy and golden retriever, Lego-building Tanner. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart is a connected standalone within the Houston Baddies Hockey series; Poppy is besties with Nova, and Turner plays hockey with Luca.
Poppy recently relocated for work, so Nova sets her up in the empty bedroom at Luca’s house now that they are living together. Poppy and Tanner’s first meeting is not what either one of them expects (underwear, breakfast, and an early arrival back home are involved) and the attraction between them is immediate. But Poppy has been hurt in the past, and she’s hesitant to give in to the attraction she feels for Tanner. Things progress when they connect on a dating app, and once they take off, it is fire between them.
I absolutely loved everything about these two… except for the miscommunication trope. Their situationship was so easy, and they clicked together right away, but when things got a little too close for comfort, Poppy freaked out and it just led to a breakdown in communication between them. I thought they had it together better than that.
Overall, this book is a delightful, low-angst, swoony roommates story that will sweep you off your feet. I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Sara Ney:
Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
What started as me venting my dating disasters online (creative outlet, don’t judge) has turned into a blog with actual followers—and the only thing keeping me in my dirt-cheap apartment. My grandmother-slash-landlord insists I “prove my creativity” to stay, so the blog lives on.
Except now my readers want a happy ending. With an ex.
Problem? None of my exes qualify.
So…I invent one. The perfect guy. The one that got away.
Rule #1: Never roast your exes online if they know how to read.
Rule #2: Definitely don’t make up a fake ex-boyfriend just to keep your rent low.
Rule #3: do not—under any circumstances—let your best friend discover the lie.
Because now he’s volunteered to become my fake perfect ex. And the more we fake it, the more I can’t tell if my readers are the only ones falling for the story.
Turns out, the biggest plot twist of all?
I might have been in love with him the whole time.
Texts From My Exes is a cute best friends, fake relationship romance dropped into the middle of a social media circus.
Schoolteacher Harper blogs a bit about her dating misadventures on the side, and is hoping to go viral as a content creator. Her grandmother/landlord challenges her to go have a post go viral or lose her apartment. So Harper decides to share texts from her exes, and have her followers decide which guy she should rekindle things with — but makes up one ex-boyfriend. When she has to actually go on a date with said fake ex and document it all for social media, Harper’s nerdy best friend, Ezra, steps in as the faux beau.
Will fake dating ruin their friendship, or will it make Harper finally realize that the right guy has been in front of her all along? And when Ezra’s secret past comes to light (because nothing is buried in the digital age), will everything come crashing to a halt?
Harper is a bit of a quirky heroine, but stable Ezra balanced her out nicely. Texts From My Exes is funny and sweet, with funny banter between the two main characters, and memorable secondary characters (like Grandma Blue and Ezra’s dad).
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Rachel Van Dyken:
Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 100 books ranging from new adult romance to mafia romance to paranormal & fantasy romance. With over four million copies sold, she’s been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable sons, naked cat, and two dogs.
When I find out I could lose my bookstore, I make a deal with the devil to save it, not realizing I would end up in bed with the last person I ever thought I’d be hot and sweaty with…
Fletcher St. James
Even at twenty-four, he’s a spoiled brat. He believes the whole world owes him something, and he really needs to be put in his place.
When his wealthy, power-hunger father propositions me with something I desperately need in exchange for teaching his son a little responsibility, it’s an offer I can’t refuse.
After all, there’s nothing I enjoy more than humbling an arrogant man and bringing him to his knees.
This should be a piece of cake.
But one thing I didn’t expect was how much Fletcher would enjoy it… Or how much that would turn me on. The tension quickly boils over, and before I know it, we’re giving in to our illicit desires, consequences be damned.
I crave the feeling of his body against mine, and the needy sounds he makes right before he begs.
But more than that, I can’t get enough of the little things, like the way the golden sun looks reflecting off his green eyes in the morning, or how beautiful his vulnerability is.
And when his touch becomes my safe space, bringing out a softer side of me I’ve kept locked away for too long, it’s impossible to remember why this is wrong.
When the secrets come out about the lascivious things we indulge in behind closed doors, will it be worth it, or will this deal end up costing me everything?
I wasn’t expecting to love Georgia and Fletcher’s story as much as I did! It’s the third book in the Blossom Beach series, and stands on its own as a reverse age gap, roommate, forced proximity story between Georgia and the family’s younger stepbrother, Fletcher.
Georgia needs to save her bookstore, and the only way to do that is to agree to have her spoiled, younger stepbrother live with her while he completes the last semester of his MBA. Fletcher’s been cut off financially by his father until he completes the program, and isn’t thrilled by the idea that he has to work at his stepsister’s bookstore in order to get half of the real estate development firm that has been promised to him. Especially since he’s always had a bit of a crush on Georgia.
The chemistry between them is charged right out of the gate. The sexual tension is simmering underneath the surface in every interaction, and it is explosive once Georgia and Fletcher finally give in. I loved the push and pull between these two. Fletcher still has that cocky, spoiled brat air about him (that the siblings didn’t like so much when he was younger) and gives off alpha vibes, but Georgia ended up being the dominant one in their relationship many times. And it took Fletcher by surprise just how much he liked being her “good boy.” But there are also some really sweet scenes where they get vulnerable with one another, and I loved those just as much.
I loved the personal growth on Fletcher’s part throughout this book. He changed so much and really put in the work to be a man worthy of Georgia’s love. Meanwhile, having been burned by a partner in the past, Georgia holds everyone at arm’s length and is hesitant to get involved with Fletcher for anything other than physical release. Their feelings kind of snuck up on both of them, and I loved how that unfolded. The narration by Erin Mallon and Sebastian York was *chef’s kiss* — the way SebYo growled out some of those scenes was hot!
Now, after that preview for Emmett and Charley’s book…. I need it! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Ashley James:
Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won’t be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won’t be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.
Hockey Romance Queen Natasha Madison launches another spinoff series with Only For Tonight, and it is just as great as the books that came before it! This next-gen series features Jaxon Stevenson (son of Manning & Evelyn from Only One Night) and Ariella Weber (Ralph & Candace from Only One Kiss). Because their fathers are best friends, Jaxon and Ariella have been around each other their whole lives, but he’s seven years older than her, and lives in Los Angeles playing hockey, while she lives in NYC, so they haven’t seen each other in several years. They have a one-night stand at a charity event in Dallas (where they are both from), which results in a surprise pregnancy.
Their long-distance relationship is somewhat undefined in the beginning, and I enjoyed seeing how they navigated that. There is great chemistry between Jaxon and Ariella, and I enjoyed their banter and text messages, and how she worried about how their fathers would react to their situation. I would have liked to have seen a little more substance between these characters and less between-the-sheets scenes; one of my favorite parts was how concerned Jaxon was by Ariella’s nausea, and how he took care of her through that. His ex-girlfriend is certifiable, and leads to the drama between Jaxon and Ariella when he starts to pull away.
I thought that Connor Crais and Savannah Peachwood did a great job with Jaxon and Ariella. This book is an enjoyable, low-angst read, and I look forward to the rest of this series!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Natasha Madison:
When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…
How does a romance author with practically zero experience find inspiration to write raunchy bedroom scenes?
I listen to my best friend describe his hookups…in explicit detail. Except, now I picture myself in every scenario. It’s Olly’s fault…with his cocky smirk and dirty mouth, it was only a matter of time before my crush turned to obsession, and every scene I wrote became a fantasy I could never act out.
Because we are just friends.
So when I need to write a story about turning the good boy bad, it makes sense to stop relying on Olly’s experiences and get some of my own. Seducing our timid college professor will work. Except I seduce on paper, not in real life…I have no clue where to start, but my dirty best friend does.
Olly
I’d do anything for my Lovely Lacey, but teaching her to seduce her way into another man’s bed drives me crazy. Crazy enough to want what I shouldn’t. Crazy enough…to join in.
This is a short and steamy friends-to-lovers story. It contains MF, MFM, MM scenes.
This is a short and steamy novella in Her Sweet Seduction Series. Each novella is stand-alone with new characters and spicy scenarios to enjoy anytime—but especially fun as a bedtime treat.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Welp, this audio is the very definition of hot and spicy. Teddy Hamilton tops the list of my favorite male narrators, and he was ON FIRE as Ollie in this audio duet. Paired with Savannah Peachwood as Lacey, these two were blazing hot.
Lacey is a college student who secretly writes romance books. However, she’s a bit inexperienced, so she lives vicariously through the escapades of her he-hoe best friend, Ollie, to write her racy scenes. But lately, Lacey has been in a bit of a slump thanks to writer’s block, and she’s hoping that she can get some real-world experience to draw from. After getting some spicy lessons from Ollie, Lacey decides to seduce one of their professors to get inspiration for her next novel — and it propels these two characters, who have secretly been pining for one another, to finally be up front about their feelings.
This was my first exposure to Adele Knight; I’m not sure if all of her books are as spicy as this one is, but man, oh man, was this spicy. I wasn’t a fan of one scene after Lacey and Ollie spent the night together, because he was clearly taking advantage of her. But other than that, this is totally one of those stories that will leave you hot and bothered. Especially listening to Teddy as Ollie.
This audio is just a little over 3 hours (the novella is 12 chapters), so it was a bingeable listen for me while I was doing work around the house. Definitely need the earbuds for this one, because it is spicy. I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily left a review.
Their vows were hidden in the past, but maybe it’s time to bring them into the light.
Abbey Selbey thought she met the love of her life when she was five years old, but clearly she was wrong. He broke her heart seventeen years ago, and yet no one can say she’s truly moved on. Living in the small town they grew up in, where everyone thinks they know their story, doesn’t help. But the fact he left and never looked back does.
Jude Murphy never wanted things to happen the way they did. If he’d been smarter, he never would have left Ashford Falls or Abbey, but sometimes life has other ideas. Staying away was in the best interest of everyone, even if it was the last thing he wanted.
Returning to town wasn’t part of the plan, especially with Abbey still living there, but just like life tore him away from everything he loved, it was determined to bring him back. Is it possible to forgive the past and move forward, or is the damage too far gone?
Hidden Vows is a second-chance, forced proximity, emotional, contemporary romance set in a fictional small town. It is the third and final book in the Love in Ashford Falls series but can be read as a standalone. Happily ever after, guaranteed!
Hidden Vows closes out Erin Graves’ Ashford Falls series, and Abbey and Jude’s story was painfully beautiful. Not only was this a second-chance story between childhood best friends and sweethearts, but it was a second-chance story for a divorced/secretly married couple, and those are my favorite kind of second-chance stories.
It’s been 17 years since Jude broke Abbey’s heart and left town, and he hasn’t been back since. (Except for one time that she didn’t know about, and Oh. My. Heart.) But when his father has a heart attack and falls into a coma, Jude receives a call that has him finally coming home. Ashford Falls is a small town, and as much as Abbey tries to avoid him, it’s impossible, especially since they end up living across the hall from one another.
There is a lot for them to go through before they can move forward. Hurt feelings, resentment, regret, guilt… and the issues with her manipulative father. I thought the pace at which the story unfolded was nicely done, and I was really rooting for Jude and Abbey to work out their issues by the time they got there.
Jude’s journal entries were really a nice touch to the “past” of their relationship. It was heartwrenching to read some of those, but they gave the relationship so much depth. Neither of them ever forgot about the other or really even moved on over the years, but finding out just how devoted Jude was to Abbey during their time apart was heartbreaking and beautiful. (I am a sucker for secret tattoos!)
Gage and Ava play a big part in this story as Abbey and Jude’s best friends, but there are appearances from Quinn and Declan as well, which I loved, having read their book.
I am sad to see Love in Ashford Falls come to an end, but I look forward to what’s next from this relatively new author! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
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