Search Results

Story Blurb A sizzling, standalone, feel-good holiday romance from Tessa Bailey, #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer! Two weeks before Christmas and all through Manhattan, shop windows are decorated in red and green satin. Stella’s standing alone outside a famous department store, when a charming man asks her opinion on the décor. It’s a tragedy in tinsel, she says, unable to lie. Then he asks for a better idea, with a twinkle in his eye. She didn’t know he owned the place, when he put her on the spot, And now she’s working for that man, trying to ignore that he’s hot. But as a down-on-her-luck girl with a difficult past, Stella knows how to make a good opportunity last. So she gives it her all, working without stopping. Trying to resist temptation, because she’s just window shopping. My Thoughts/Opinion Oh. My. Goodness. Read this book. Seriously right now. Go get it and read it. Aiden is THE hero of my dreams. Holy moly. I have now read this book twice. Because of him. I loved Stella's redemption arc but I could only believe it could happen with a hero like Aiden. Have I mentioned how much I love him? Swoon. Worthy. Favorite Quote/Scene: (In Aiden's deep Tennessee accent): "Now that's a laugh worth waiting around for, Stella." Then, more to himself, "I was wondering if you were ever going to let me hear it."

Story Blurb After a string of lousy boyfriends, chemical engineer Penny Popplestone swears off men until she can figure out why they keep cheating on her. But her no-men resolution hits a snag when the mysterious and superhumanly hot barista at her favorite coffee shop strikes up a friendship with her. Penny strives to keep things platonic, but when Caleb gives her the kiss of her life, she realizes he wants to be more than just friends. Tired of always being "good little Penny," she throws caution to the wind and pursues a no-strings fling with the hottie barista. It's not like they have anything in common beyond scorching physical chemistry, so what does she have to lose? Her heart, it turns out. Now, this fanfic-reading, plus-size heroine faces an unsolvable problem. What do you do when being apart is unbearable...but being together is impossible? My Thoughts/Opinion Having never read this author before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this story. As it turns out, it was a super fun and enjoyable read that was quite poignant at times and got me right in all my feels. Well drawn quirky characters that had just the right amount of backstory, and a depth of plot that was unexpected in this mid-length novel. Highly recommend for some light reading that just might ding your heart a little bit. Favorite Quote/Scene: Her mother clucked sympathetically. "Sometimes you have to follow where your heart leads you." "Even if it's headed straight to heartbreak town?" Margaret shrugged. "A little heartbreak builds character." "You mean scar tissue." "Po-tay-to, po-tah-to," her mother said lightly. "No one's ever did of heartbreak, is my point." "Romeo and Juliet did." Margaret's lip curled as she let out a derisive snort. "Romeo and Juliet died from being insufferable idiots. They'd have been much better off if they'd built up a little more scar tissue."

Story Blurb A hacker framed for espionage. A sniper hot on her trail. Enemies who can't resist falling in love. Framed for divulging state secrets, reformed hacker Valerie Sanchez has no choice but to run. Worse, when the proof of her innocence is destroyed, things turn fatal. She must decide if the sexy special operator who mysteriously turns up to protect her is an ally or the real threat. Scott Kramer’s job was supposed to be easy. Follow the hot computer geek who stole plans for classified weapons until she meets her buyer, then let law enforcement take over. But when Valerie becomes an assassin's target, Scott's gut says she’s innocent. Now, he must risk his life—and his heart—to keep her safe. My Thoughts/Opinion I have a pretty high threshold for romantic suspense since it is the genre in which I primarily write, and I have to say that this story (my first by Gwen Hernandez) hits all the right notes. While I didn't quite get all of the front-loaded hacker stuff, the story jumped quickly into action and never quit. I liked the characters a lot and the story line was really good. This book happens to be in the middle of a series, but was easily read on its own. I will certainly find time to read the rest of the books in this series. Highly enjoyed this one! Favorite Quote/Scene: Swallowing hard, he said, "You can sleep back here, I'll take one of the front seats." "That's not fair to you. I'm sure we can both fit." Especially if they spooned. Good Lord. Where was his legendary patience now? He bit back his protest. If he made too big a deal of this she'd know exactly what was going through his mind. Better to act like it was nothing. "I trust you," she said. He almost laughed. That made one of them.

Story Blurb Michael Buchanan will need every bit of his extensive skill set when he appoints himself as bodyguard to a woman determined not to need one in this thrilling new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood. Grace Isabel MacKenna has a hundred things to do today. Killing someone isn't one of them. It is supposed to be a quick visit to Boston for the Buchanan anniversary party, then on to Scotland to collect an inheritance. She checks into her hotel and then decides to go for a brisk walk. But after getting lost, she ends up with a wounded man stumbling into her arms—and his shooter coming after them both. When she fires back in self-defense, she doesn’t expect him to drop dead. After Isabel endures an interrogation by police, she is free to go, thanks to the Buchanans dispatching former Navy SEAL and now lawyer Michael Buchanan to assist her. Isabel knows she should be grateful for Michael’s help, but since she’s harbored an extreme dislike for him for years, gratitude is difficult to muster. Michael has appointed himself her de facto guardian, and she’s stuck with him despite their constant bickering and sizzling attraction. Even when Isabel goes to Scotland to claim her inheritance, Michael follows her—but he isn’t the only thing she can’t shake. Mysterious threats against Isabel surface, and before they can deal with their growing feelings for each other, Michael and Isabel must first survive. My Thoughts/Opinion I have been a Julie Garwood fan my entire life. She is one of my all-time favorites for sure. Her historicals appeal to me so much more than her contemporaries, but I'm always going to pick up her latest. The pluses for this story are the hero, the interesting plot, and the pacing kept me going. The big minus for me on this one was the heroine. I just couldn't relate to her and at times she was what we in this industry lovingly call TSTL (too stupid to live). One of Julie's biggest skills is tying up the plot, but there were some pretty out-there elements on this one. Although this wasn't my favorite Julie Garwood novel, I'll be ready to pick up the next one when it comes out. Favorite Quote/Scene: "And you're going directly there now?" Detective Rayborne asked in his characteristic deadpan manner. "Yes," Michael said. "No," Isabel said at the same time. "We have to make a stop first." "Why?" Michael asked. Calmly, as though commenting on the weather, she answered, "I need to get this bullet out of my arm."

Story Blurb I'm a good-girl Sunday school teacher. He’s a bad boy rock god. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, I don't know, we could wake up naked, spooning, and married in a Las Vegas hotel room. I could steal the documents and run like a damn fool. He could find my underwear with my name written in them and follow me back to Texas. Worst Cinderella story ever! My Thoughts/Opinion Oh my goodness, I needed a good rom-com and this one fit the bill. Jami's characters were quirky and fun. Loved the entire cast of characters. Her dialogue is clever and witty and I found myself laughing out loud. Favorite Quote/Scene: The most interesting thing he'd found was in her underwear drawer. Behind her sensible panties, of which he was familiar, there was an array of thongs and lacy bikinis in every color under the sun. The drawer was like a mullet, business in the front and party in the back.

Suzanne Allain is a successful screenwriter and novelist. This is my first book of hers. Story Blurb It is a truth universally acknowledged that an arrogant bachelor insistent on a wife who meets the strictest of requirements—deserves his comeuppance. The Honourable Mr. Jeremy Malcolm is searching for a wife, but not just any wife. As the target of matchmaking mothers and desperate debutantes, he's determined to avoid the fortune hunters and find a near-perfect woman, one who will meet the qualifications on his well-crafted list. But after years of searching, he's beginning to despair of ever finding this paragon. Until Selina Dalton arrives in town. Selina, a vicar's daughter of limited means and a stranger to high society, is thrilled when her friend Julia Thistlewaite invites her to London, until she learns it's all part of a plot to exact revenge on Mr. Malcolm. Selina is reluctant to participate in Julia's scheme, especially after meeting the irresistible Mr. Malcolm, who appears to be very different from the arrogant scoundrel of Julia's description. But when Mr. Malcolm begins judging Selina against his unattainable standards, Selina decides that she has some qualifications of her own. And if he is to meet them he must reveal the real man behind...Mr. Malcolm's List My Thoughts/Opinion As I mentioned, Suzanne Allain is famous for screenwriting and novel writing. In my opinion, this book reads like a screenwriting that was adapted to a book, instead of the other way around. Generally when a book is adapted to a movie, you lose a bit of the richness of the depth of the characters. While this book hit all of the romance beats, it lacked both richness and depth. A quick, fun read but in the end, fairly forgettable. Favorite Quote/Scene: “There is a certain feeling of . . . insecurity in loving someone. I had guarded myself from that sort of vulnerability for so long that I was petrified to let someone so close to me."

Delightful RomCom with snappy dialogue and a strong story line. I'm looking forward to reading more from this writing duo. Story Blurb Georgie Buchanan doesn’t know the first thing about running a brewery—she doesn’t even like beer—so she’s out of her element when she and her siblings inherit their grandfather’s money pit. Her one hope for success lies with River Reeves, the handsome brewmaster who learned at her grandfather’s feet...if she can avoid falling for him. River Reeves is having a rough week. Not only did he lose his friend and mentor, Beau Buchanan, but he’s just been betrayed by his former best friend and business partner. Still, things seem to improve when Georgie offers him his dream job—turning around Buchanan Brewery. Great right? There’s one problem: his new boss is his dream woman, and she’s not the type to mix business and pleasure. My Thoughts/Opinion I've been a DGS fan for many years, and her writing encourages me to read multiple genres she writes in. But I'm a romance girl at heart and her collaboration with AJ Casella in this series is chock full of great story, strong character development, and laugh out loud dialogue. Favorite Quote/Scene: “Because all the reasons we're supposed to stay away from each other don't feel so important anymore. When I'm around you, I can't seem to remember them. I came here because when I'm with you, I feel like everything's going to be okay, not in the sense that you're going to fix it, but because you're there with me."

I've been a CoHo fan for many, many years way back to the days of Hopeless. I've always enjoyed her writing style and although this book tackles tough topics, Colleen Hoover shines. Story Blurb Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. My Thoughts/Opinion This book was tough and comes with trigger warnings for domestic abuse victims and survivors. I like the complexity of the story line and very few people are able to write such compelling and realistic dialogue. Favorite Quote/Scene: “I think about how sometimes, no matter how convinced you are that your life will turn out a certain way, all that certainty can be washed away with a simple change in tide. ”

One True Loves was my first TJR novel. It was a gift to me for which I am so grateful. Not a traditional romance, but an incredibly engaging read. Story Blurb In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure. On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness. That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves. Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly? Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying. My Thoughts/Opinion The premise of the story is such a tragically tough choice Emma must make. The writing is so incredibly engaging, I forgot more than once that I was reading someone else's story. If you haven't read this author, this book is a great place to start. Favorite Quote/Scene: “Just because something isn’t meant to last a lifetime doesn’t mean it wasn’t meant to be.”

First Star I See Tonight is part of SEP's long-running Chicago Stars series. While there are many books in that series that I absolutely adore, this one just got on the inside of me and wouldn't let go. Story Blurb A star quarterback and a feisty detective play for keeps in this sporty, sexy, sassy novel—a long-awaited new entry in the beloved, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author’s fan-favorite Chicago Stars football series. Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy. Which is why a good detective needs to think on her feet. “The fact is . . . I’m your stalker. Not full-out barmy. Just . . . mildly unhinged.” Piper soon finds herself working for Graham himself, although not as the bodyguard he refuses to admit he so desperately needs. Instead, he’s hired her to keep an eye on the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. But Coop’s life might be in danger, and Piper’s determined to protect him, whether he wants it or not. (Hint: Not!) If only she weren’t also dealing with a bevy of Middle Eastern princesses, a Pakistani servant girl yearning for freedom, a teenager who just wants of fit in, and an elderly neighbor demanding Piper find her very dead husband. And then there’s Cooper Graham himself, a legendary sports hero who always gets what he wants—even if what he wants is a feisty detective hell bent on proving she’s as tough as he is. From the bustling streets of Chicago to a windswept lighthouse on Lake Superior to the glistening waters of Biscayne Bay, two people who can’t stand to lose will test themselves and each other to discover what matters most. My Thoughts/Opinion First Star I See Tonight's two main characters were so easy to fall in love with. I wanted them to get their HEA so badly! SEP's writing is also so quick-witted, I found myself LOLing often. But the kicker for me was ultimately the characters laying bare their fears, and what that meant for opening the door to their future. Favorite Quote/Scene: "I don't think I can do this." "I hope you're wrong, because I gave you my word of honor. I said if you talked to me today, I wouldn't try to contact you again." His head dipped and when he looked back up, she saw so much misery in his eyes she felt as if her own raw emotions were staring back at her. "This is all I've got, Piper," he whispered. "I can't do the last part for you. Either you show up...or you don't." And that was all. He walked away.