ON BORROWED TIME by Harlow James is AVAILABLE NOW

Blurb:

Being a nanny for a newly single dad wasn’t the job I applied for when I decided to lick my wounds in Blossom Peak.

But showing him my bare backside wasn’t in my plans either.

When the pursuit of my dream career seemed unattainable, instead of going home and proving my parents right, I made a detour to the small mountain town I remember visiting as a kid.

I just wanted a waitressing job to make some extra money while I figured out my next steps.

But then the lumberjack of an owner begged me to help him with his three month-old daughter that he just found out existed, and I couldn’t resist his plea.

Or his massive physique—the one I saw every detail of when he appeared shirtless in front of me three times in the first week.

The problem with living together though is there’s little space, especially when my boss is so closed off that he’s like a nut I want to crack open.

And when I do, he steals the breath from my lungs—and reignites my creativity as well.

But I gave myself a deadline to figure out what’s next.

Nowhere in that plan though did I account for falling for Henley Clark.

Turns out the heart doesn’t care, even when you’re on borrowed time.

Pre-Order Link:

https://mybook.to/onborrowedtime2

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I love a tortured hero, and boy is Henley an emotionally constipated mess! I adored Henley and Elodie’s story. From the moment she crashes into his life — quite literally! — Henley was enthralled by Elodie, even if it took him months to realize it.

Henley is floundering after his infant daughter is dropped in his lap, her mother a former one-night stand who wants nothing to do with the baby. Elodie interviews for a waitress position at Henley’s resort, but her immediate connection with baby Remy lands her a job as the nanny instead. Their partnership (both as his nanny and their romantic relationship) starts out with an imposing deadline as Elodie is only in Blossom Peak for three months to regroup before she sets out to reclaim her musical aspirations.

Along the way, these two fall head over heels in love, but Henley has some major hangups that threaten to destroy any chance they have of a future. The product of the foster system, Henley is used to being left behind, so he has some major walls up when it comes to letting Elodie in. I really loved finding out his backstory and how that impacted every move he makes with her. But Henley also really puts in the work to make himself more emotionally available, and I loved that character growth. These two characters were so great together.

Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin did a great job with this narration, capturing the vulnerability in both these characters as well as the more playful moments.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

Meet Harlow James:

Harlow James is a pen name I use to protect my identity as a high school teacher. Keeping those two roles in my life separate is necessary, but also fun! It’s like a live two lives, and anonymity gives me the opportunity to be bold and take risks in my stories.

I stumbled upon romance novels in 2018 when I picked up Driven by Kristy Bromberg, and I was obsessed. I had just lost my grandmother too, so reading offered me an escape from reality and a chance to grieve on my own terms.

About a year later, I got an idea for my own book and started writing. I researched self-publishing and jumped in with both feet. I had no idea what I was doing!

But now I’ve built a business and hobby that I LOVE! I have an outlet that’s just for me. When I write, I’m not a mom, a wife, or a teacher…I’m a woman who gets to tell stories that no one else can.

My books are the perfect blend of heartwarming moments, full-bellied laughs, and PLENTY of steam to melt your Kindles 😉 And there are always elements of me sprinkled in to every character and story that I write.

When I’m not writing you can find me reading or spending time in my kitchen. I love to cook and feed my family and friends. Otherwise, you can find me watching comedy specials with my husband, camping with our kids, or taking naps. I live for naps 😉

Connect with Harlow James:

https://linktr.ee/harlowjamesauthor

At First Play by Renee Harless is AVAILABLE NOW

Bailey Hart has mastered the art of staying small.
A lighthouse-bookstore, a quiet life in Coral Bell Cove, and enough romance novels to drown out the heartbreak she swore she’d never repeat. She’s sworn off big leaps, big risks, and especially the boy who once left her love note—and her heart—on full display.

Crew Wright was supposed to have it all.
The charming quarterback with a Southern smile and a future paved in stadium lights… until an injury sent everything crashing down. Now he’s back home to heal his shoulder, his pride, and the parts of himself he buried beneath fame. He’s not expecting Bailey—the girl who saw him before the world ever did.

What starts as borrowed tools, paint-splattered afternoons, and late-night confessions quickly turns into something neither of them can outrun.
Bailey wants to protect her heart.
Crew wants a second chance to prove he won’t break it.

But when old wounds reopen and the world comes calling for him again, they’ll have to decide if love is something you chase…
or something you stay for.

At First Play is a slow-burn, banter-filled, small-town romance about forgiveness, falling again, and finding the one person who feels like home—no matter how far you’ve run.

Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for AT FIRST PLAY by @renee_harless! Grab it in KU!#OneClickHerehttps://mybook.to/atfirstplay

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

At First Play is the second-chance story of bookstore owner Bailey and pro football player Crew, who is back at home to recover after a major injury. Crew is the brother of Bailey’s best friend, and he and Bailey share a history: they were high school friends, bordering on more, until the day that Crew’s inactions humiliated her.

This story had a lot of charm, and I loved Bailey’s lighthouse home/bookstore. I really enjoyed seeing Crew reconnect with his family, and how he put in the work to regain Bailey’s trust. The banter between the two was flirty and entertaining, and I thought it was so sweet how Crew kept showing up to help Bailey fix things. Yet, while I enjoyed Bailey and Crew’s journey in getting to know one another again, but this slow-burning story was a little too slow at times.

Overall, this was an enjoyable second-chance romance, even if it dragged a bit at times before it got to the heart of the story. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

🎧New Audiobook Alert! 🎧

📚Scars of You by Madi Danielle

🎤Narrated by Sean Masters & Helena Walters

Bailey
Three years ago I moved to Amity. This was the place I was going to set my roots and live my life without the constant reminders of the pains of my past. That first night I fell into bed with a sexy stranger, only to find out he’s none other than my neighbor. And he didn’t even remember me or the night we spent together. Or so I thought. Years have past and it seems that may not be the case after all. Even though we don’t get along, our chemistry is impossible to ignore. Turns out the fire between us may not be based on hatred at all. But rather something much more explosive.

Wes
Ten years. Ten years since the entire course of my life was reshaped, and the trauma of it still plagues me nightly. The only time I’m not affected is when I’m driving to nowhere or verbally sparring with my neighbor. The same woman I slept with years ago. I’m drawn to her like a moth to a flame, unable to deny the pull she has on me. The feelings I’ve bottled up for years, growing more and more potent. When she finally gives me the control I crave, we both benefit from it. What starts out as something casual quickly becomes something grounding for us both. But then life throws another curveball at us, and I’m left wondering if the scars of our past will be the thing to truly break us.

▶️Listen to this enemies-to-lovers, small town romance now:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Scars-of-You/Madi-Danielle/Amity/9781668157565

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

Scars of You is the first book I’ve read, and I am definitely interested in reading more from this author!

Wes and Bailey’s story was angsty and emotional. Both of these characters are just trudging through life, damaged by their pasts and existing, but not living. Wes is a military veteran living with crippling PTSD, and Bailey grew up in an abusive home and has estranged herself from her siblings as a coping mechanism. They had a one-night stand three years ago, but then not only did it turn out that they were neighbors, but their best friends are a couple, so Wes and Bailey kept crossing paths.

There is so much push and pull between these characters, and once stubborn Bailey finally gives in to her feelings for Wes, their sexual tension combusts. I thought that Wes’s mental health was handled well by the author, but Bailey’s backstory was lacking details, and I felt like her history was just dropped without giving a proper explanation. (Apparently, her brother has a book in another series that offers some explanation to their childhood, but I felt like that needed to be present here as well.)

Overall, this book held my interest and I enjoyed listening to Sean Masters as Wes. Helena Walters is a new-to-me narrator, but I liked listening to her as well.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

HAVE YOU BEEN A GOOD GIRL?!

Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl by Sierra Simone & Julie Murphy is NOW LIVE!!

Grab this all-new SMOLDERING, small town, age gap, professor/nanny romance TODAY!

BLURB

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone comes a brand-new college town raunch-com about a sexy single dad professor and a feisty law school grad turned nanny in this steamy tale of Academic Affairs…

Class is in session.

Maddie Kowalczk is ready to be a bad girl. When the rookie lecturer lands at Astra University, she’s looking to start fresh after a messy breakup. But her first night in town takes a twist when she bumps into Bram Loe—a reserved but incredibly handsome single dad she (not so accidentally) stole a parking spot from earlier that day. The unspoken chemistry as he locks eyes with her while she gets a birthday spanking at a local bar is hotter than a Bunsen burner at full flame.

Bram is looking for a break from his hectic life as an ecology professor and dad to rambunctious twins and a busy teenager. So when his college friend’s divorce celebration brings him face-to-face with the same delectable brat who stole his parking spot, he’s ready for a night to remember. But the next morning, Bram’s world turns upside down (and that’s not just the hangover talking). His new nanny? None other than Maddie, who also happens to be the new poli-sci adjunct at the university where he teaches.

Maddie is desperate and broke, so when Bram offers her a raise and the chance to set some ground rules, she can’t say no. As the two settle into their new roles, the normally unruffled Bram finds that no one riles him up like Maddie does, which is a problem when every argument feels like foreplay. Of course, Bram is an educator first and foremost, and he very quickly finds he can’t resist the temptation of instructing Maddie in the fundamentals of being a good girl.

And it turns out Maddie’s a hands-on learner…

NOW AVAILABLE!

Amazon: https://geni.us/FJxx

Apple: https://geni.us/aDSRKFH

Kobo: https://geni.us/Xgc5

Nook: https://geni.us/68x3g4

Google https://geni.us/Xdr60

Paperback: https://geni.us/jCoCHr3

Hardcover: https://geni.us/6OSV8

Audio: https://amzn.to/4oYKfaU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3 Stars

There were good elements to this story, but I didn’t love it. It was interesting to see Maddie navigate her way through academia as a new lecturer at the same college where her one-night stand Bram is a revered professor.

I hate to say this, especially since I love Sierra Simone’s Priest/Bell Brothers series, but I have tried to get through several of her collabs with Julie Murphy, and they just fall flat for me. And I can’t put my finger on why. Well, for this book, it was the abundance of characters we meet in the very first chapter that made it hard for me to get into this story. I struggled to keep everyone straight, and then I felt like there were all these side plots, and I wasn’t super-invested in Bram and Maddie turning their lessons into something more.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Camden Snow is old enough to be my father, dangerously charming, annoyingly irresistible—and my future ex-boyfriend.

The moment I meet the former hockey player at his holiday party, the chemistry is off the charts. Despite the pesky feelings his presence stirs inside me, I have zero intention of actually dating the notorious bachelor.

I don’t date.

I’m only entertaining Camden’s advances because I have an article to write and a point to prove. For years I’ve witnessed my best friend date all the wrong men and repeatedly get her heart broken.

So I’m going to teach her and the rest of my readers what not to do when dating by doing all the stereotypical wrong things and getting dumped.

The only problem? Camden Snow won’t dump me.

In fact, everything I do to push him away only draws him closer.
Flirt with others? He gets possessive.
Talk about the future? He’s all in.

But what if the one thing that could destroy us is the only thing I never planned for? Will my theory prove to be right, or will our love last past the snow?

What you will find inside this book:

• Retired Pro Hockey Player 
• Age Gap Romance
• RomCom
• Banter
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days coded
• Feisty FMC
• Reformed Playboy
• Next Generation
• Seriously Tatted and Pierced

AMAZON: LINK HERE
GOODREADS: LINK HERE

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Having seen Camden Snow as a playboy throughout the Boston Bolts series, I was really looking forward to meeting the woman who would bring him to his knees. I never expected it to be the best friend of War’s now-grown daughter Josie (aka the one who had cancer!), but here we are! Camden and Savannah’s story was hot and heavy on the kink, but so sweet and tender on the emotional side.

This book takes place a few years after the end of Beauty. Most of the guys are retired, the kids are now grown up, and Camden has retired but is working on the recruiting side for the Bolts. Savannah, meanwhile, is one of Sienna Langfield’s reporters at Jolie. Their relationship starts out as a fling the night of Camden’s holiday party, but neither of them can stop thinking about the other. For Savannah, she decides to use her dates with Snow as research for her dating-advice column at Jolie (in a GREAT throwback to one of the earlier books), in the vein of “How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days.” Except that all of the “mistakes” she purposely makes with Camden make him like her even more, not send him packing. Meanwhile, Camden has bet one of the WAGs that if he can have a relationship for three months,

Both Camden and Savannah are carrying around some hefty family baggage, and I really loved seeing that side of their personalities. The sexy moments were hot, but getting to what was underneath each of them were some of my favorite parts. Savannah is unwanted by her parents and has no one to rely on aside from her closest girlfriends and the Italian couple in her apartment, who unofficially adopted her. Camden is dealing with an aging and ill mother and the grief/torment that he has been carrying around for years over his father’s death, and until Savannah, had sworn off relationships because of the way his long-ago girlfriend had betrayed him. I found those details really endearing with these characters. Also, although I predicted the plot twist that eventually became The Conflict in this story, I really loved the resolution and how Savannah and Camden ultimately came back together.

Snow wraps up Brittanee Nicole’s Boston Bolts Hockey series while also serving as a launch for her next series, the next-generation spinoff series called The New Romantics. BN did a great job of building up Savannah’s friend group to readers, while honoring the OG group of friends that Camden has. (I thought it was hilarious when Josie found out that Savannah had learned things about her parents, War & Ava!)

I can’t wait! I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.

ONLY FOR LOVE by Natasha Madison is AVAILABLE NOW

Blurb:

When a chance encounter changes everything.

Lexi

Falling for a famous hockey player? I would have laughed at you.

I was trapped in a marriage-caged with cruelty.

I wasn’t ever going to be free.

Until I found a way to escape.

Before him, I thought love was a nightmare.

Now I dared to dream.

Kirby

First time I met her I was drawn to her light.

Then I saw the fear in her eyes.

Fear I’ve seen before.

Our chance encounter turned into two.

If she ever needed me, I’d be there.

I never dared to want her.

But I lost my heart to her anyways.

Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/NMOnly4Love

Available in KU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

I adored Lexi and Kirby’s story! This book hit harder than some of Natasha Madison’s other books because of the sensitive topics involved in Lexi’s abusive marriage and Kirby’s childhood. But Natasha Madison handled it so well and delivered a lovely, heartfelt story.

I have personal experience with being isolated from family/friends while in a toxic relationship, so Lexi’s journey back to rediscovering herself really resonated with me. Kirby was the perfect match for her as they started out as friends before becoming anything more. He was patient and kind and supported her from the wings, ultimately giving her the courage to finally leave her situation — without even knowing how much of an impact he had on her life.

Narrators Teddy Hamilton and Stephanie Rose did a great job with this book. Not only were they spectacular with the heavy stuff that both of these characters dealt with, but they perfectly captured the more playful moments between them, like the running dares.

Also, I loved pitbull Ryleigh as Lexi’s divorce attorney and the cameo from Casey Barnes!

I think this book may be one of my favorites in NM’s hockey world! 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…

Connect with Natasha Madison:

https://linktr.ee/natashamauthor

The Way Back to Us by Samantha Christy is OUT NOW!

An accident erased me from his memory. 

I vow to make him fall in love with me again.

Blurb

The day my husband died, a piece of me died with him.

It was ripped away by the stone-faced officers sent to my doorstep.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I might get that piece back.

And I was right.

Because, while the man I’ve loved for nearly twenty years isn’t as physically gone as I was led to believe, everything that made him who he was, is.

He’s forgotten everything. The life we shared. The years of infertility we battled. Me.

If I want to save the family we worked so hard to build, I have to show him why he loved me. Why he chose me to be his wife. Why he should choose me again.

What’s more… I have to tell him I’m pregnant and that he has to raise a child he doesn’t know he wanted with a woman he can’t remember loving.

But it’s not long before I discover the missing piece I prayed for might not fit. And that I may not be able to fall back in love with the stranger my husband has become.

The Way Back to Us is a standalone Calloway Creek novel. It’s a small town/second chance/surprise pregnancy/amnesia romance.

#romancebookstagram #romancereader #secondchanceromance

Universal Link: https://geni.us/TWBTU

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Having gotten to know Ava as a friend of the rest of the gang throughout the Calloway Creek books, I have been waiting and waiting for her book. Ava and Trevor’s story was heartbreaking, and Samantha Christy gave one hell of a second-chance romance for this married couple.

Ava and Trevor are childhood sweethearts, and they are less than three weeks from him finishing up his military service when he dies in an IED explosion. Ava thought it was a blessing when she learned that, through a horrible case of mistaken identity, Trevor was actually alive — but the reality is that he has amnesia and no memory of her or their life together.

This story is not a lighthearted, feel-good romance. It is heavy and difficult to read at times because of the emotional toll their situation takes on both characters. As always, SC does a great job of handling the delicate subject material, and these two go on quite the journey as they try to figure out their new normal.

The Way Back To Us is angsty, raw, and emotional, and a beautiful story! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

They say all is fair in love and war. Clearly, they haven’t met Warner Landers.

The ruthless billionaire had me begging him to spare my family’s restaurant from a buyout. In response, he shamelessly flirted and walked away wearing a smug smirk.

Karma strikes, literally, when he crosses the street.

Unconscious, he’s rushed to the hospital, and for some unknown reason, I’m swept in right after him as if I know this man—or worse, that I’m married to him.

Am I in too much shock to deny the allegation? Yes.

Am I still using his short-term amnesia to my advantage? Absolutely.

Playing the doting wife to a grumpy CEO won’t be easy, but I’m determined to save my family’s livelihood. I just didn’t expect him to be a changed man after the accident. Far graver (for me), the iciness between us begins to thaw, and our fake marriage starts to feel real, making it easy to forget my mission.

When his memory begins to return, so does the truth. We’re at war, and falling for the enemy wasn’t part of the plan.

GET IT NOW: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/LAWAm
Audible: https://geni.us/LAWAudible

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Love & Warner by S.L. Scott kind of reminded me of the movie While You Were Sleeping. Delaney is trying to convince alphahole billionaire Warner Landers not to sell the property that includes her family’s beloved restaurant when he gets hit by a car crossing a street in New York City. Suddenly, Delaney finds herself along for the ride to the hospital and mistaken for Warner’s wife. And since the accident gave Warner a bit of amnesia, Delaney has the opportunity to continue her ruse and convince the CEO not to sell her family’s building.

But as she takes care of the injured billionaire, lines cross, and feelings start to develop. And then Warner’s memory starts to return….

Suzie wrote a great siow-burn romance as Warner and Delaney started to fall for one another. Even though he suspected she was keeping something big from him (oh, like the fact that she was lying about being his wife!), there were some really sweet and tender moments between the two characters. For a lot of this story, I had to not focus on the lie Delaney was keeping. Even though she was trying to protect her family’s business, she was in the wrong for lying to him the way she was. The hole Delany dug for herself kept getting bigger and bigger as this story progressed, so of course, it was bound to explode spectacularly.

At first glance, Warner is the typical cold, arrogant CEO. But as he began to let his guard down around Delaney, the reader got to see a much different side to the character, who was actually more of a lonely guy living in an ivory tower with little substance in his life that filled his cup. He got that and then some through his relationship with Delaney, and he really changed and grew as a person in this redemption tale.

Overall, this was quite enjoyable. Suzie always delivers.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

The Mysterious One by Marni Mann is now live!

A spicy grumpy-sunshine, age-gap, close-proximity romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

I’m the mysterious one. The angriest alphahole who never bends. And she’s the woman who will bring me to my knees.

As the executive chef and face of my family’s billion-dollar empire, time is the one luxury I don’t have. With endless responsibilities and nonstop demands, I lost my passion and love for the art of cooking. What used to be my dream job is now my worst nightmare. I was ready to walk away and give up everything we’d built …

Until Alivia happened.

She was supposed to be a temporary diversion so we could satisfy each other’s desires and then never see each other again …

Yet I knew she was different right away. A woman who was my complete opposite, the calm to my storm. The sunshine to my darkness. With a body that left me speechless.

What I didn’t see was how much we both craved a break.
Me from a career that would eventually kill me, her from an abusive home life.

When two people in pain connect, an explosion erupts. That was us. All fire and longing, mixed with a genuine need to seek shelter in one another’s arms.

While I’m still savoring the taste of her on my lips, I see her again unexpectedly and wonder … is our connection enough to surpass the secrets between us, or were we only meant to have those two nights together?

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://geni.us/TheMysteriousOne

Audiobook: ​​https://geni.us/TheMysteriousOneAudio

Narrated by: Jason Clarke & CJ Bloom

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3JG4DPt

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

The Mysterious One is Walker Weston’s book, the executive chef in the Weston Group restaurants, and is a sizzling age-gap, forbidden romance.

Suffering from serious burnout, Walker has completely lost his passion for cooking, so his sister Eden sends him off on a staycation at a hotel and makes him install a hookup app. Meanwhile, Alivia needs an escape from her brutal home environment, where she lives with her alcoholic mom and stepdad. Getting matched on the app gives both Alivia and Walker a perfect escape. There’s an insane connection between them and off-the-chart chemistry, but after their time together, they part ways. never having exchanged their actual names. So it’s a shock to both of them when he returns to the restaurant and Alivia is Charred’s newest employee.

Although they both try to fight the connection between them, Alivia soon becomes the only thing Walker looks forward to about being at work. As their bond deepens and they begin a secret relationship, Walker rediscovers his passion for cooking as his love for Alivia grows.

My heart broke for Alivia and all that she had to put up with at home, but I was so happy to see that Walker provided her a safe place to land. Not just emotionally, but a physical environment, as well. He gave her the space and means to pursue her dreams, and I loved what they built together.

This was a lovely addition to The Weston Group series! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

💓 NINE HOLIDAYS FALLING by ERIN GRAVES IS AVAILABLE NOW💓

Sadie Winslow

I never expected to run into my sister’s ex-boyfriend at that New Year’s Eve party. I should’ve known it was a possibility—I mean, it is his hometown—but I never thought he’d be at THAT party.

Then the Valentine’s date from hell—not even close to his hometown? And the Memorial Day barbecue and Fourth of July festival? What was happening?

It was a surprise when my sister told me they broke up, but I understood after the stories she shared. Now, though? I’m struggling to believe he’s really as bad as she said. 

Nothing’s adding up anymore.

Reid Alexander

Running into my ex’s younger sister wasn’t on my bingo card for the year, and if I had my way, I never would have seen her again. 

It might not be fair to assume Sadie’s like her sister, but my gut’s been proven wrong before, and I can’t trust it anymore—no matter how much it’s telling me to give Sadie a shot.

But with every run-in, it’s getting harder and harder not to listen. Maybe I was wrong about this particular Winslow sister.

If only I could figure out why she hates me so much…

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

Nine Holidays Falling was such a cute, feel-good story! Reid and Sadie’s story spans all the holidays throughout the year, as they keep bumping into each other. He is her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and Sadie does not have the best opinion of Reid, thanks to things her sister had told her. As it turns out, Sadie is so very wrong about the Ashford Falls cop!

I really enjoyed seeing the small moments between these two. What starts out as one tension-filled encounter slowly grows into undeniable chemistry and a connection that they just can’t ignore.

Since Reid works with Gage, there are appearances from the other Ashford Falls couples, which was a nice little holiday treat!

I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.