Vision boards and positivity were great, except when you’re late for a big audition and the director was literally the worst.
Oh, Jagger Hartley was young, talented, exceptionally good-looking with a famous last name, but that’s about all he had going for him.
If only he’d known Belle Mathews wasn’t the kind of woman who’d take no for an answer, and she was going to finish her audition even if she had to take him hostage.
Which she kinda did . . . oops!
But even a hijacked meeting under duress couldn’t overshadow how gifted Belle was—a born star who belonged on stage.
Pity he was crazy attracted to both her undeniable beauty and her generous heart.
So he was either going to be her biggest break, or she was going to his.
I loved Belle when I met her in My Greatest Mistake, which is her sister Zara’s book. Getting to know here better in My Biggest Break — she’s quirky, feisty, adorable, and I loved her as a heroine! Oh yeah, I loved Jagger too! He has been burned before because of who his family is, and he is so closed-off and a major control freak. Everything in his orbit spins out of control from the moment he meets Belle, and he doesn’t know what side is up anymore. These two get off on the wrong foot, but their story is hilarious and heartfelt and they balanced each other out so perfectly!
The banter between Belle and Jagger had me laughing out loud. The push and pull was perfectly balanced, and surly Jagger turned out to be quite the mush. Tina Gephart really knocked it out of the park with these two. My Biggest Break is a perfect romcom escape. I’m a fan of Tina’s books, and I definitely would rank this one near the top of my list of favorites!
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
T Gephart is a USA Today and International bestselling author from Melbourne, Australia.
With an approach to life that is somewhat unconventional, she prefers to fly by the seat of her pants rather than adhere to some rigid roadmap. Her lack of “plan” has resulted in a rather interesting and eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history. She’d tell you all about it, but the statute of limitations hasn’t expired yet. But all those crazy twists and turns have led her to a career she loves—writing romantic comedy.
When she isn’t filling pages with sassy and sexy characters with attitude, she’s living her own reality show in the ‘burbs of Melbourne with her American husband, two children, and her fur child—Woodley.
She loves adventure, to laugh, travel, and strives to live her life to the fullest.
Wright That Got Away is a steamy, emotional, heartfelt second-chance romance. Campbell broke Blaire’s heart back in high school when he left her behind to follow his musical dreams. He’s become a huge success, and she’s a successful social media influencer in her own right. Now he’s back home in Texas trying to work on his next album, but having zero luck. Will he find his muse in Blaire?
There are a lot of ups and downs between these two. He hurt her so badly. She’s carried that betrayal and sadness all these years so Blaire is very hesitant to give Campbell a second chance. Because they are so interconnected with their family and friends, it’s impossible for her to ignore him. The hurt she felt about Campbell leaving her behind wasn’t just because she got dumped. It was the start of so much more for this poor girl, and my heart broke for her. I have to say, I thought Campbell was a bit arrogant and didn’t want to like him, but I warmed up to him because he really went all out to regain her trust.
But we love a happy ending, and these two were able to move past the pain and hurt and find a way to move forward!
This book is a bit of a next-generation crossover in the Wright Vineyard series within the Wright family series by KA Linde. While there are connected characters, Blaire and Campbell’s story is a standalone. I have read some of the Wright books here and there, and did not feel like I was missing out on backstory.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet K.A. Linde
K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of the Avoiding Series, Wrights, and more than thirty other novels.
She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team.
She loves reading fantasy novels, binge-watching Supernatural, traveling, and dancing in her spare time.
She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super-adorable puppies.
“My special brand of hell. But I want you so badly I don’t even mind the flames.”
A False Start, an all-new small-town, brother’s best friend romance from bestselling author Elsie Silver is available now!
I kissed my best friend’s little sister, and the world stood still. That night we were two perfect strangers, the town’s grumpy recluse and a gorgeous girl in the back of a bar. Until we weren’t. Because Nadia Dalca isn’t just some girl. She’s the girl I can’t have. Fourteen years younger than me and completely off-limits. My plan is to stay away, but the universe keeps pushing us together. It’s like some sort of cosmic joke, to give me a taste of something so electric—so real—something that breathed life back into me. Because I can look, but I can’t touch. Her sinful curves, her light-hearted laughter, her wild side . . . I’m addicted to every last bit of her. And when she turns those sultry eyes on me––the ones so full of longing and so free of judgment? I’ve always considered myself a strong man. But when she looks at me I’m weak. To give in to our connection would be a betrayal. My life is beyond complicated, and she has the world at her fingertips. Her brother is the only family she has left, and sad as it sounds, he’s also my only friend. But I kissed her again anyway. And now I can’t stop.
Nadia and I walk silently down the hallway toward the elevator. Coffee with my parents turned out to be nice. Once they both settled down a bit and everyone had their extremely involved cups of coffee in hand, the conversation flowed easily. The dog curled up on my mother’s lap and was snoring happily in no time. And I didn’t even stumble over my words, which was a nice change. I expected taking Nadia to my parents’ place would give her some perspective. What I didn’t expect was for her to fit in so seamlessly. I didn’t expect it to feel like something else entirely, like she’s the missing piece of the puzzle. My dad invited her golfing with him for crying out loud. My mom is sending her links for where to purchase a special kettle so she can start making pour-over coffee too. She wasn’t supposed to be funny and charming and make my parents welcome her into the fold of our family unit like she’s some long-standing friend. But Nadia is funny and charming. Her energy is infectious. It’s like she makes everyone around her happier. Even the dog is enamored. Everyone except me is now officially calling him Tripod. And I’m pretty sure my parents are in love with Nadia and think grandbabies are on the way, no matter how many times I assured them we’re just friends. I tossed the word friend in everywhere I could, as well as emphasizing our age difference a few times. It didn’t stop my dad from whispering in my ear when he gave me a parting hug. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” So, I poked him in the stomach. “Getting soft, old man.” Then my mom went from whispering something in Nadia’s ear to piping up and saying, “Hardly.” Gag. That was my cue to leave. I latched Tripod to his leash with one hand and grabbed Nadia’s bicep with the other and dragged us all out of there, tossing a promise to visit again soon over my shoulder. I always look forward to visiting with my parents, but I have never brought any woman home with me, and I severely underestimated their ability to play it cool. We stand silently at the bank of elevators, and I watch the floor numbers light up as it speeds toward us. Nadia slants her head toward me, eyeing the place where I’m still holding her bicep. Truth is, I don’t want to let her go. I’m comforted by how well she rolled with the punches in there. My parents were acting totally insane, and she seemed like she was enjoying the hell out of it. “That’s a firm grip you’ve got there.” Her eyes flick up to my profile because I’m still trying not to look at her. “Am I in trouble, Mr. Sinclaire?” “Nadia.” My tone is full of warning. It makes me sound old and creepy when she calls me Mr. Sinclaire. “What?” She stares openly now and when those elevator doors slide open, I pull her into the blissfully empty elevator with me, eager to put as much space as possible between my parents and what I’m about to do. She hums in amusement as the doors slide shut, clearly enjoying agitating me. The minute the doors close, my hand with the leash darts out and slams into the red emergency stop button. And then I turn, drop the leash, and press Nadia up against the mirrored wall of the elevator, one hand still on her upper arm while the other slides across the taper of her waist. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t cower. In fact, she looks downright pleased. “What, Griffin?” she taunts as my jaw pops under the pressure of my teeth grinding. This woman tests every piece of patience I possess. I should step away from her, take my hands off her. I should keep this side of myself under wraps from her. She’s been roughed up enough in her life. The last thing she needs is me man-handling her. And I would manhandle the hell out of her. She’d love it. There’s no doubt about that. I’ve had no complaints in that department. Quite the opposite, in fact. But gentle I am not. Making love I don’t do. “Say it.” Her free hand lands on the waistband of my jeans, and my body goes tense. She slides her dainty fingers beneath the front of my shirt, trailing a nail over the ridge of my hip bone, forcing a low ache to take hold at the base of my spine. If I don’t get control of this and stop it now, I’ll be taking her against the wall of this elevator. Which is not what she needs. I shoot back like I just touched a hot stove, pressing myself against the opposite wall, trying to put as much space between us as I can while being locked in this box of temptation. My breathing comes in quick frustrated pants. “Call my dad and me Mr. Sinclaire within a few minutes of each other again and—” “And what, Griffin? You gonna spank me for that, too?” Her top teeth press down into her pillowy bottom lip. “Or are you going to kiss me again and then tell me I’m a mistake?” A low rumble takes root in my chest. My entire body is rigid, my will to stay away from her melting with every second I spend staring at her. The imprint of her fingers still burns on my abs. I need to get the hell away from her. The last thing I need to do is torpedo what little semblance of happiness I’ve created in my life by not being able to keep it in my pants around Nadia Dalca. My hand slams into the red button, and we lurch back into motion.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Griffin and Nadia’s story is so much more than just an age gap/grumpy-sunshine/brother’s best friend romance. These two characters are incredibly broken, and this book deals with a lot of sensitive subjects. I found the book to be well-written and the story engaging, and both characters showed a lot of growth over the course of the book.
I will say that I found Griffin’s stuttering due to a traumatic brain injury (stemming from his days as a pro football player) to be a surprise. I found it endearing that being around Nadia made him calmer and less stressed, and she didn’t make a big deal of his stutter at all. The big issue between them is his addiction to alcohol, as well as the ghosts from both of their pasts.
A False Start is book 4 in the Gold Rush Ranch series. The books are all standalones with interconnecting characters. However, I’ve jumped around this series a bit and did not read The Front Runner (her brother/his best friend’s Stefan’s story), and I feel that’s partly why I didn’t connect with Nadia and Griffin as much? I didn’t get to know them there first? While I liked this story, I just didn’t feel the intense connection between Nadia and Griffin that I was hoping for. The last two chapters brought it home, but I still felt that it was lacking something that made the difference between this being 4 stars and not 5 stars.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Elsie Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.
She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys–especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.
Love on the Lake, a beautiful small town standalone romance filled with laughter and tears from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting, is live now!
Teagan Firestone has always been the dutiful daughter, especially since her mom died. But as her father finally begins to move on, it’s her turn to do the same. Her destination: Pearl Lake, a close-knit community with an entrepreneurial spirit and secrets of its own.
One of them is Aaron Saunders, who dropped out of college to work construction for Pearl Lake’s upper class. He’s a mystery and has a playboy reputation—that is, until he meets Teagan. Neither of them is looking for love, but in a town this small, it’s hard not to let your heart get involved.
As their romance heats up, Aaron’s elusive past comes to light and Teagan is there for him, bringing them even closer together. But when Teagan is forced to face her own demons, her inability to accept the support of friends and family threatens the life she’s worked so hard to build.
Can Aaron love her, even when she can’t love herself?
She crooks a finger, beckoning me closer. But there’s only six inches separating us. If I take a step forward, my boots will touch her toes. So I bend instead, until my ear is next to her lips, like I’m waiting for her to tell me a secret. For a moment I consider the fact that I’ve been up and down the stairs to the loft at least a dozen times. The only air circulation in here is from a portable fan, so I’ve been sweating and shirtless for several hours. I might not smell all that fresh. But that thought disappears when her fingertips drag along my collarbone and I feel the warmth of her breath at the edge of my jaw. “Aaron.” Her palm wraps around the back of my neck. So soft. So warm. I swallow and grind out, “I’m listening.” Her thumb finds that spot between my ear and my jaw, and she presses, gently at first and then more firmly. Her lips brush the shell of my ear, and she whispers, “Look at me.” I feel like a marionette, and she’s pulling all my strings. I turn my head toward her, and her lips brush across my cheek, sending a hot shiver down my spine, lighting me up like a pinball machine. Teagan Firestone is a dangerous woman. Sweet, beautiful, broken, and yet . . . bold and resilient. She’s a lethal combination, and it’s all compounded when those soft lips meet mine. I don’t even know what’s happening. Well, I know. I’m kissing her. Or she’s kissing me. She definitely started it. It’s like an explosion. Like an entire warehouse of firecrackers igniting at the same time. I groan into her mouth and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me. Our tongues tangle, and her other hand grips my biceps, sliding up and over my shoulder. She knocks my hat off my head, and it drops to the floor behind me. And then both of her hands are in my hair, sliding through the damp strands, gripping at the crown, angling my head farther to the side. Deepening the kiss. Dragging it out.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
It took me a little longer to get into Love on the Lake than it did with Love Next Door… but once I got into Teagen and Aaron’s story, I was hooked. This book has the same Hallmark movie feel as LND, and I am loving this Lakeside series!
Teagen is Van’s sister from LND, and Aaron is one of Van and Dillon’s colleagues. Aaron and Teagen definitely get off on the wrong foot, and it leads to the town flirt being all surly and grumpy around this ray of sunshine. Until he’s not. Swoon! Underneath that anger was an adorable teddy bear of a guy.
But Teagen and Aaron’s path to forever is kinda bumpy. The guy is hiding some big secrets, and Teagen has a plethora of baggage stemming from her family’s financial problems. I loved how Teagen tried to adjust to being working class after growing up a spoiled princess. She definitely made the most of it, trying to find herself and what she liked, and now appreciating all the things that she used to take for granted. Aaron was great in guiding her along the way, trying to get her to stop feeling guilty about where she came from and to embrace the person she is becoming.
This book starts out rather lighthearted, but the second half packs quite a punch. Aaron’s secrets come to light, and Teagen’s demons threaten to destroy everything she’s built for herself in her new home. This story took a turn I wasn’t expecting with the deeper plotline in the second half, but I was rooting for Aaron and Teagen all the way and was so happy to see them come through the other side.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Helena Hunting
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.
As if things aren’t already tough enough as the only girl on a college football team, Coach had to go and assign Zeke Collins as my roommate.
A cocky kick returner and my brother’s best friend who should have been ripped of that title years ago, he’s as infuriating as he is undeniably sexy.
I hate him, and for good reason — reason I won’t ever let him forget.
He thinks because we grew up together that it’s his role to protect me, but all he does is get in my way, make me look weak, and piss me off more.
I tell him I can handle myself, and I’m hell-bent on getting that point across to him and the rest of the nation watching the only girl in collegiate football.
The pressure doesn’t get to me. The scrutiny? I’m ready for.
But sharing very thin walls with Zeke Collins? I wasn’t prepared for that.
And the more we’re forced together, the harder it is to distinguish that pencil-thin line between hating him… and wanting him.
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Fair Catch ticked off all the boxes for an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers, roommate romance. I loved the twist on this sports trope — Riley plays for a multigender football team! Add in the history that she and Zeke share with him being her brother’s best friend and acting like an overprotective brother himself, and Fair Catch is an instant page-turner.
Kandi Steiner always writes intriguing characters, heroes and heroines that are easy to root for. She also has a great way of giving her heroes a vulnerable side, and I loved getting to know more about Zeke. There is so much more to him than meets the eye, and once Riley gets over her disdain for her brother’s overprotective best friend, their relationship truly blossoms.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
Kandi Steiner is an Amazon Top 5 bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, playing with her fur babies and soaking up the sweetness of life.
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
That’s every girl’s dream, isn’t it? Well, maybe not every girl, but for Christy Bush, it was.
So, when her boyfriend realized he didn’t want any of those things, the obvious answer was to set him free and find a man who did.
But what Christy didn’t see coming was to find herself pregnant just weeks after their breakup—as well as an unlikely friendship with single dad Kev Scott, the man who delivered her pregnancy test through the NomNow app.
Now, after being abandoned to raise her son alone, Christy has lost her identity to motherhood, in a world full of sweatpants, diapers, and fast food. But just when she starts to wonder if she’ll ever find herself again, fate delivers an unexpected love interest when she meets Kev face-to-face. The newfound romance might just be what she needs to spice things up…
That is, if the past can stay where it belongs–in the rearview mirror.
32 Rowan Blvd is a single parent, friends to lovers, delivery guy, small town, contemporary romance that is sure to make readers smile, laugh, and swoon.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
I adored everything about Kev and Christy’s story in 32 Rowan Blvd! These two hard-working, single parents are first brought together by a food delivery app on what could possibly be the worst nights in both of their lives. He is on the brink of divorce, she’s about to find out she’s pregnant — and neither of them could ever imagine that just a few years later, they would find their happily ever after together!
App-based romances seem to be popping up left and right as a new trope in Romancelandia. But the idea of finding love with your delivery app driver is a meet-cute that I haven’t seen before. And Kelsey Kingsley nailed it! I loved how she began their friendship through the delivery app chat feature, as they got to know bits of each other, and then how they finally met face-to-face when Kev stalks her mom at the drug store. Their friendship turns to a romance so easily, and I was there for it as these two fell in love.
Both characters have baggage in the way of their exes, and Kev is also dealing with some temper issues that he is trying to outgrow. There is some drama with both his ex-wife and her ex-boyfriend, and while Kev briefly hides his head in the sand, he realizes he can’t fall back in the old patterns he had with his ex-wife if he wants a healthy relationship with Christy.
In this story, Kingsley also beautifully brought together characters from several of her other books. Christy is the niece of Clara from Hoping For Hemingway, so there are some appearances by her aunt and August in 32 Rowan Blvd. And there is a HILARIOUS text chat throughout the book that serves as gossip central featuring several characters from Kingsley’s Kinney Brothers series. I never realized that the town was the same!
If you are looking for a heartwarming, heartfelt, well-written tale between two people trying to make the most out of their lives and finding love along the way, then definitely check out this wonderful story! I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
★ ☆ THE BADGE AND THE BAD BOY BY LENA HENDRIX IS 𝗔𝗩𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪 ☆★
“I loved that after the swoony, steamy, romantic elements of Lena’s first series, we got a tension filled romantic suspense that had all those things that she’s known for, but with an added bonus of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.”
-Goodreads Reviewer
𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜:
1. Staring at how nicely Evan Walker fills out his Wranglers.
2. Sneaking around after dark, hoping we don’t get caught.
3. Fantasizing about a life with a man who isn’t supposed to exist.
He’s a criminal, a dangerous man with connections to the Chicago mafia.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩.
Now we’re stuck hiding out in this quirky small town, and my eyes have a way of wandering.
𝐒𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬.
But the rules are clear––no connections to your former life. Ever.
We can’t afford to give into temptation. I’m only here on this Montana ranch until I can safely return to my job–and the promotion I’ve worked so hard for. And he’s only here to keep his little sister safe.
But as we’re forced to work together, I find that Evan is much more than I ever expected. He’s strong, hard-working.
Did I mention the Wranglers?
We’re drawn to each other in ways that are completely hopeless. I know I shouldn’t give in to his hot, smoldering looks or the way his lingering touch lights me up. It’s reckless.
𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.
I can hide it, but the truth always has a way of coming out. In Tipp, Montana, secrets can save your life. The only cost is your heart.
The Badge and the Bad Boy kicks off a great new series by Lena Hendrix. It has the same small-town feel that her Chikalu Falls series has, but a little more steam and an element of danger.
Val and Evan’s story hooked me from the prologue. Their paths crossed in a way that they probably never should have. Months later, they are both working at a Montana cattle ranch that is a cover for the witness protection program. But Val is there biding her time until her promotion goes through and Evan is there trying to build a new life after escaping from the Chicago mafia.
I loved the slow burn between Evan and Val. There is no way for a police officer and a former mobster to actually work, but these two are so good together. Evan has lived a hard life, and he doesn’t feel like he’s deserving of love. But Val brings a light to his life that he never imagined he’d be exposed to, and he becomes a better man because of it. But when the time comes for Val to return to her real life, is there any way that these two can make it work or will they have to part ways for good?
LH set up a great future for this series. I’m very intrigued to find out what Parker’s deal is, and if there is something that Gemma and Scotty are hiding!
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
We were the ultimate example of that couple who can’t live with each other, but can’t seem to function without each other.
The minute I met Callum Strass at fifteen, I was a goner. We were the golden couple of our high school. The king and queen of prom, the sweethearts voted most likely to get married and have babies, and the absolute idiots who decided to attend the same college.
Because that’s when it all fell apart. The naïve, puppy love versions of ourselves couldn’t see the obvious cracks we’d had back in our hometown. But they sure revealed themselves when we started living in an off-campus house together with four of our other friends.
Within a semester, blow-out fights, jealousy, every-other-week breakups, and my abandonment issues had him bowing out. Not just on me, but on the house, too. Until our senior year, when his parents refuse to keep paying rent on two places.
So he moves back in, and I’m forced to live with my ex. The one who has ruined all other men for me. The one I still cry myself to sleep at night thinking about. The one who confesses, during a run-in in a dark hallway, that he hates how much he still loves me.
And when he starts dating again, he might as well plunge a knife straight through my heart. Despite our breakup, I’m on the verge of losing him for real this time, and possibly forever. The only option is to seek help for my deep-seated trauma, the thing that Callum always encouraged me to see someone about. The thing that eventually pushed him away.
Put two of the most driven, headstrong, and passionate people in any relationship and it’s bound to combust. We’ve always had that twin flame kind of love.
So, together we might burn. But we also might heal.
I have been waiting for Bevan and Callum’s story since I read the first Prospect Street book and got a glimpse into their breakup — and Carrie Aarons did not disappoint with You Keep Breaking Us.
This story is an emotional rollercoaster. It will punch you in the gut over and over again. The push and pull between these two is unreal, and I didn’t know if I wanted them to just stay apart or find a way back together! Well, okay, of course I wanted them to find a way back together. And it takes A LOT for them both to get to that place.
Going into this book, I definitely knew Bevan better as a character, based on her friendship with Taya and Amelie. So I was definitely excited to see how she was as the heroine in her own book, and how her, um, bitchiness, affected her relationship with Callum. I must admit, I loved finding out that Bevan wasn’t alone in the couple’s split. CA did a fantastic job of writing both of these flawed characters. Yes, Bevan can be difficult, but I loved the lightbulb moments for Cal when he realized that he had to shoulder some of the blame in where their six-year relationship began to fall apart as well.
There was so much growth from both of these characters, and I was thrilled to see Bevan and Callum grow up and come back together.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Carrie Aarons
Author of romance novels such as Fool Me Twice and Love at First Fight, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn’t writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, two children and ninety-pound rescue pup.
Firefighter Levi Bailey is used to being alone. Not that he’s lonely. How could he be, with a band of unruly brothers, and their wives and growing families. Maybe he’s the odd man out. The one brother who isn’t destined to be with his soulmate.
Besides, he has her.
She’s his Juliet, the only woman in the world he can’t ever have. To an outsider, it probably seems crazy. But the Tilikum town feud is no joke—especially now—and Annika Haven is strictly forbidden.
Annika Haven never expected to be back in her hometown, let alone as a single mom with two jobs. Add in a pack of overprotective brothers, a brewing family crisis, and a gossipy, feuding town on the brink of chaos, and life gets complicated.
But at least she has him.
He’s her Romeo, a son of the enemy. He makes her smile on her worst days. Yet, despite his brooding sex appeal, the one thing she cannot do is fall for Levi Bailey. They’re just friends and that’s the way it has to stay.
But after months of secret texts and stolen glances, one soul-stealing kiss changes everything. And Levi Bailey is about to do the impossible.
Defy the feud.
Author’s note: an intense hero who relentlessly pursues what he wants and a single mom with a tender heart. Small-town shenanigans, a hundred-year-old mystery, a riot of crazy brothers, enough heat to melt your Kindle (and your ovaries), and the biggest, heart-burstingest, happily ever after you’ve been waiting for.
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Rewriting The Stars had everything I was hoping for as the last Bailey Brothers book! Levi and Annika’s story is an amazing modern-day Romeo & Juliet tale.
I loved these Star-crossed lovers, and how they were determined to be together despite the generations-old Bailey/Haven feud and how much her brothers hated his. My heart melted at how sweet Levi was with both Annika and her son, Thomas. Their road to happily ever after is certainly bumpy, but the epilogue in this book is everything.
For readers familiar with the entire series, Rewriting The Stars also nicely answers many questions about the squirrels, Tilikum’s Montgomery treasure and the ongoing mystery of John and Eliza. But I also think this book can easily be read on its own as a standalone. But trust me, read the whole series from the start!
As much as I couldn’t wait to dive into Rewriting The Stars, I am so sad to see the Bailey Brothers come to an end! But hopefully, we will still get some appearances from the boys when CK writes books for Annika’s brothers!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
TASTE, an all-new sexy, stranded enemies-to lovers rom com from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow is live now!
The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo.
But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days.
With one small bed.
Some women might thank Mother Nature for delivering a polar vortex that maroons them with six feet of solid muscle, those deep blue eyes, that sexy grin–but not me. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck and trouble.
So when the tension between us explodes with enough fiery heat to melt my icy defenses, I should have known what the disastrous end result would be–
A big fat plus sign.
After the snow melts, I’m left with more than just memories of the night we spent keeping each other warm. And he might be a rising star on the culinary scene, but he’s got no idea how to handle this bun in the oven.
He says he wants to do the right thing, but I’m not about to spend the rest of my life feeling like someone settled for me.
But just when I think I’ve got Gianni Lupo all figured out, he gives me a taste of the man he could be, of the family we could become, of the way he could love me if I let him.
I sat at the foot of the bed and dialed Winnie’s number. She picked up immediately. “Ellie?” “Hey.” “Thank God! You guys okay?” “We’re fine.” I watched Gianni unwrap a candy bar and lean back against the headboard. “We found a motel with a vacancy.” “You mean you’re staying in a motel room together?” she asked, loud enough for Gianni to overhear. “Yeah. And there’s only one bed.” She laughed. “How’s that going?” “Fine.” “You guys are getting along?” Gianni made a lewd gesture involving his fist, his tongue, and his inner cheek. I gave him the finger. “As well you’d expect.” “I can’t wait to hear about it.” “We’re going to try to get out of here as soon as we can in the morning. I’ll let you know when we’re on the road.” “Sounds good.” She laughed again. “Sleep tight.” “Oh. We will.” I eyed the length of the bed. “We have no choice.” After ending the call, I opened the Truth or Drink app on my phone and picked up my wine. “Ready to play?” “Hit me.” I scrolled through the options. “Do you want to play normal mode, party mode, or dirty mode? Gianni looked at me like I was crazy. “Duh.” I sighed and reached for my wine. “Okay, fine. I feel like I’m going to regret this, but dirty it is.” “Can I take my pants off?” “No. What’s your age range for a one night-stand?” “Hmm.” Gianni thought for a moment. “Please say at least eighteen.” “No teenagers. I’ll say twenty to forty-five.” “Forty-five? Really?” He shrugged. “I think mature women are hot. But I can’t go near fifty because that’s my mom’s age and then it would be weird.” “Right.” “So what about you? Same question.” “I’d have to say . . . thirty to forty.” He looked offended. “Why thirty? You’re only twenty-three.” And so was he, which was why I’d said it. “I know, but I think older men are just better in bed.” (I’d actually never been with anyone over twenty-eight.) “In what way?” “Just . . . more patient. More knowledgeable. More generous. Guys in their twenties think they’re all that just because they have younger bodies, especially if they’re—you know—well-endowed. But it’s not just the size of the boat. It’s definitely the motion of the ocean.” He harrumphed. “You’ve been in the wrong boats.”
Oh, Gianni and Ellie warmed my heart with their snarky banter, blizzard bang, and surprise pregnancy!
Everything about Taste was fantastic. A playboy with an ego. A hero and heroine with an established history as childhood friends. Close quarters. Sassy remarks. Loads of sexual energy. I just loved everything about the way Melanie Harlow wrote Ellie and Gianni as characters, as well as their steamy two-night-stand. And then all of the emotion that came after that! Both of them pining for the other. Ellie afraid to open up herself to Gianni because he never stays in one place for very long. Gianni feeling confused about his feelings for Ellie, feelings that he’s never had before.
And then that scene during the ultrasound! Oh, my heart melted. His protectiveness kicked in big time, and I adored his Grand Gesture and how far he went to convince Ellie that he wanted to be with her.
I must confess, I have not read Frenched (Ellie’s parents) or Forked (Gianni’s parents), but they have been on my TBR for quite some time. Now I really wish I had read those Melanie Harlow books because I think it would have made me love Ellie and Gianni that much more! I can’t wait for Felicity and Hutton’s book!
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
About Melanie Harlow
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
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