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Showing posts from May, 2023

The Heirloom Inn by Olivia Miles

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 💖💖💖💖💔 /5 4.5/5 - The Heirloom Inn by Olivia Miles is a wonderful heartfelt story of three sisters coming back to their childhood home upon their aunt’s death. Estranged, torn apart by a betrayal, and holding grudges for fifteen years, Leah, Sadie, and Emma work together to renovate their home to become an inn. Each one dealing with their own secrets and internal struggles, reliving some of their most treasured and difficult memories. Leah, the oldest with two daughters, is divorcing her husband and has no clear view of her future. Sadie, the middle sister and the cause of the betrayal, is lost, with no home, no job, and no money. Emma, the youngest, never left their home; feeling trapped by her lack of choices. All three reunite when their Aunt Vivian dies leaves her large Victorian home to them. All three lives are upended and solutions are not easy to come by.   As Leah, Sadie and Emma tell the story in alternating chapters; through heartwarming and heartbreaking moments.

The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London

💖💖💖💖💖 /5 The Viscount Who Vexed Me by Julia London, book three in her Royal Match series, is another wonderful, enjoyable, charming, humorous addition to this historical romance series where a royal needs to find a mate and hopefully a love match with the help of a determined matchmaker and recurring characters assisting.   Matchmaker Lady Aleksander has her most challenging match to date. The Duke of Santiava now has the title of Viscount Abbott, and according to everyone but him, Mateo is in need of a wife. He is an introvert and barely social, only as necessary as his title demands. Trying to understand and get a handle on his grandfather’s estate he is advised to hire someone to help him with his correspondence since English isn’t his native language. Hattie Woodchurch has had a most usual upbringing, her family is most difficult and her father a rich penny-pinching merchant who is not a member of polite society. Her only escape is to earn money to escape the madness

Four Weddings and a Duke by Michelle McLean

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💖💖💖💖 /5   Four Weddings and a Duke by Michelle McLean, is sweet, love story that had a marriage of convenience, wallflower blooms theme to it, with a touch of mean girls. Alex Reddington, the new Duke of Beaubrooke, was the second son, never expecting to take up the responsibilities of the dukedom.  As a scholar and botanist, he has no interest in the ton’s social events or activities; only wanting to work on his botanical projects. He happens to sit next to a fascinating bespectacled wallflower at his cousin’s wedding. Despite Alex’s interest in the woman, duty mandates he marry one of the Wynnburn sisters. He soon learns that his book-loving wallflower is one of them. Lavinia Wynnburn is the middle daughter of a rich earl; used to being overshadowed by her popular and beautiful sisters. Lavinia prefers spending her time reading rather than socializing with her peers. She meets Alexander by chance when he seats himself next to her at a wedding. Lavinia knows she is ill-equipped to

WILD TIDES by Annie Dyer - OUT NOW!

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  WILD TIDES Annie Dyer Release Date: May 25   FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED     No bride expected to be steering a boat in her wedding dress, running away from the day she’d been planning for months.   But that was me.     I was that runaway bride.     In a boat that now had no fuel, stranded on a stretch of dangerous water, and my phone was now swimming with the fishes.   The man who rescued me lived in a lighthouse and was the strong and very silent type, who also happened to foster rescue cats. He was now part of the lifeboat crew and the opposite of the geeky boy he’d been in school.     And I’d been the girl he’d secretly crushed on.   Thane didn’t want a relationship.   He wanted a quiet life with no complications.   I wanted to get under another man to get over the one I’d left at the altar, then I wanted to get the rest of my life on track, back in my small-town home in Puffin Bay.   Neither of us expected the little twist that came o

Wild Tides by Annie Dyer

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 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 Wild Tides by Annie Dyer, book two in the Puffin Bay series, written in first person from an alternating dual POV, is a beautiful friends to lovers, surprise pregnancy romance. This is Fleur and Thane's journey that was a long time coming. When Fleur comes to her senses, and escapes from the biggest mistake of her life, but she should have made some checks before fleeing on a boat that would run out of fuel. Then there’s Thane, the big, handsome, shy lighthouse keeper, on hand to save her. Not wanting to go home Thane offers her a room at the lighthouse for a few days, and she is not going to turn him down. Thane was such an enigmatic character, he keeps to himself, lives in a lighthouse and fosters rescue cats; there was so much more to him than he shows the world. Neither Fleur nor Thane was looking for a relationship but there is a connection that neither can ignore. One thing leads to another and Thane is finally kissing his childhood crush. The compassion they

Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Backstrand

💖💖💖💖💖 /5 Second Chances on Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Backstrand , book eleven in The Matchmaker’s of Huckleberry Hill series, is sweet, humorous second chance story, dealing with the affect blended families have on the family members. Martha Sue Helmuth and Yost Beiler are in love with each other, except that Yost’s young son Jonah doesn’t like Martha Sue; he has done everything in his power to make her life miserable. Martha Sue not wanting to come between Yost and his son Jonah, leaves Ohio and moves in with her grandparents, Anna and Felty, in Bonduel Wisconsin. Martha Sue’s grandparents are Amish matchmakers but instead of being matchmakers, they are trying to heal their granddaughter’s broken heart. Martha Sue is still in love with Yost and she just wants to be left alone. The last thing she wants is another man; especially not the selfish, spoiled, Vernon Schmucker, who will frustrate you and then have you laughing at his attitude. Yost refused to let Martha Sue go, mov
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  PROTECTOR IN A KILT Kait Nolan Release Date: August 11     A captive who dreams of her freedom   In public, violinist Elizabeth Duncan is the toast of the entertainment world. A prodigy who's been wowing audiences with her music since she was only twelve years old. But behind closed doors, she's desperate to escape the man who's turned her passion into a prison. When the specter of violence becomes more than a threat, she sacrifices everything to run.   A hero lost without a mission.   Former special forces operative Ewan McBride has done everything he's supposed to since leaving the military: Moved home. Bought a new business. Integrated into the community. But he's just going through the motions. Until he rescues a woman in trouble in the midst of a terrible storm.   A sanctuary and an unexpected new beginning.   Ewan recognizes a woman on the run and can't resist the urge to help. The danger from her past is certain to come calling. The safest place for her

Summer on Sunshine Bay by Debbie Mason

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 💖💖💖💖 /5 Summer on Sunshine Bay by Debbie Mason is a wonderful, emotional and complex story filled with family entanglements, plenty of misunderstandings, confusion, good intentions, and questioning. The bottom line in all of this is love - love of family, love between parent and child, romantic love, and good friends. And it’s about the courage that is sometimes necessary to embrace that love.   Lila, and her fiancé, David, are heading back to Lila’s hometown of Sunshine Bay to plan a very quick wedding. When they arrive in Sunshine Bay, we are introduced to a truly wonderful cast of characters, from the six strong women of the Rosetti family, who are there for each other no matter what, to David’s parents, to the handsome Luke, older brother of Lila’s high school boyfriend. Lila’s mother Eva and her dad James were never married because of the Rosetti curse. Eva, her mother Carmen and sister Gia run an Italian restaurant and they are about to be run out of business when a fanc

What Her Sicilian Husband Desires by Caitlin Crews

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 💖💖💖💖 /5 What Her Sicilian Husband Desires by Caitlin Crews tells the story of an innocent women, a dominate, cold man, their marriage of convenience and then an unplanned pregnancy. Lao Monteleone married Chloe Stapelton to help her out of a situation after her father died when she was lost, needed to be comforted and to feel safe. Chloe had no direction and no real plan for her life. Yet, when summoned to her husband's side, she went and made a declaration of independence. While she had one objective in her head, her husband of five years had another; he wanted her to have his heir. Lao was aloof, emotionless, had a heart of ice, and detached from others, as his father had shaped him; caring only about their legacy. Interacting with Chloe changed him; especially his priorities in life. There was much growth between each character as well as with their relationship.   Ms. Crews has a reputation for writing wonderful stories, full of passion, intensity, strong emotions an

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler

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 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 Mrs. Nash’s Ashes, a debut novel by Sara Adler, is a beautiful, humorous, amazing multigenerational story that takes the reader on an unexpected, interesting, humorous road trip with a grumpy guy and a sunshiny gal as they take Mrs. Nash’s ashes to be reunited with her long-lost love. Emotional and sweet, sad, thoughtful, and at times hilarious, the quirky characters in this dual-timeline story captured my heart and attention, not wanting to put this book down.   Former child star Millie became very close to Mrs. Nash after breaking up with her narcissistic e and moving into her apartment. During Mrs. Nash's last days, she confesses her love for Elsie, a nurse she met during World War II, but lost to the Korean War. Millie discovers that Elsie is not dead, but rather, living in an assisted living facility in Key West. Unfortunately, Mrs. Nash passes away before she can share the news. Now, Millie is grieving and on a mission to reunite Rosie with her love by carr

Charm Me by Samantha Chase

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💖💖💖💖💖 /5 Charm Me by Samantha Chase, book four in The Donovans series, is an enemies to lovers, surprise baby, close proximity romance that reminds us of that fine line between love and hate. Jamie is thrilled to finally be in charge of his family’s pub, while his parents are on a long vacation. He has plans to make changes, never realizing that it’s his life that is about to change when the last girl he was involved with leaves a three week old baby on his doorstep with a note saying Asher is his. As the Donovans do, they gather together to help problem solve. Then his sister calls the last person he could ever consider helpful to come assist; his old nemesis Fallon. Fallon is currently unemployed, and the perfect person to be his nanny while Jamie figures out how to juggle his job and a new baby. Fallon and Jamie have a long history of competition and verbal put downs, so it’s surprising when they start to see each other in a different light. Jamie and Fallon realize quite qui

The Spare & the Single Mom by Delancey Stewart and Marika Ray

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 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 I loved Maxine and Cav’s love story in The Spare & the Single Mom by Delancey Stewart and Marika Ray, book one in their new Royals of Sailfish Banks series, a heartwarming, hilarious and steamy romance full of lovable and engaging characters. After years of trying to get his family to allow him to step away from the royal life, Prince Cavanaugh Barclay (Cav)   defects from Mardelvia to Sailfish Banks, NC, where his Uncle Leo landed and where he hopes to start a new life . Cav and single mom Maxine Waddel meet in a funny, embarrassing way thinking they’ll never see each other again. The first thing he accomplishes is irritating Maxine, a single mom who is a waitress and unofficial contractor. Their first interactions are very funny. Though she is annoyed, Maxine needs the money she will get for heading Cav's renovation project. They start to spend time together, and one thing leads to another. As they are adults, they manage to handle the challenges that are thr

Hot Limit by Lynn Raye Harris - So Good!!!

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 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 I loved Ryder and Alaina ’s love story in Hot Limit by Lynn Raye Harris, book seven in her Hostile Operations Team: Strike Team Two series. Waking up in his new water front home Ryder finds a body floating in the lake outside. Fortunately the body is still alive and his training kicks in. Without thinking about it Ryder ‘Muffin’ Hanson dives in to rescues the unconscious woman; bringing her back into his house to warm her up. Once warm, Ryder takes her to the hospital for further treatment; but he can’t leave her. The victim, Alaina Montgomery, is a single mom with a precocious six year old son, Everett, is doing the best she can and is somehow making it work; just barely. Already in protector form, while he is at the hospital, Ryder learns that she lives in a rundown RV , and offers Alaina and Everett a little cottage behind his house to rent, while she heals from her ordeal and gets back on her feet. This way, he can keep an eye on her. As the romance begins, first

COMING IN ONE WEEK

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  ONE WEEK until the release of SUMMER READING! Don't miss this  Booklist  starred review romcom that  Reader's Digest  and  Book Riot  shortlisted as one of the best summer reads of 2023!    Order your copy TODAY!   #summerreading #yoursummerisbooked #bookyoursummer #jennmckinlay   Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3UI5oaR B&N:  https://bit.ly/3UqoAu3 BAM:  https://bit.ly/3UpQWV1 IndieBound:  https://bit.ly/3tffqED Bookshop:  https://bit.ly/3ApaNvV Google:  https://bit.ly/3NTMJH1 Kobo:  https://bit.ly/3fSBT7w Apple:  https://apple.co/3EiPX3k

Their All-Star Summer by Kaylie Newell

  💖💖💖💖💖 /5 Their All-Star Summer by Kaylie Newell, book two in the Sisters of Christmas Bay series, is a heart- warming, sweet, and emotional story featuring a couple unexpectedly brought together when both return to their hometown.   Marley Carmichael’s foster mom needs additional help, so she and her foster sisters return to Christmas Bay. Marley does so with mixed emotions: moving on after a recent breakup, worry for her foster mom, facing childhood insecurities, and so on. Landing her dream job as an announcer for the Christmas Bay Tiger Sharks minor league baseball team makes the transition a little easier. Owen Taylor was a standout high school baseball player. His arrogant attitude carried over into college, and he messed up every opportunity he had been given. Now he’s been picked up by the Tiger Sharks and is back in Christmas Bay, focused on making his pitching comeback and landing his dream job with a major league team. As high school classmates, Marley and Owen

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn Miller

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 💖💖💖 /5 Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn Miller is a light-hearted rom-com with two fairly likable characters and a simple enemies-to-lovers story-line; interspersed with social media and pop culture using snippets of a podcast and text messages to convey this. Most of the romance takes place over the span of two weeks, which makes the relationship progress very quickly. Based on the blurb and cover I was excited to read this story, but I struggled with the story. Declan and Margo could be decent characters, though Margo isn't likable till almost halfway into the story. The secondary characters were not relatable, nor did they add much depth or add to the storyline. The story does give a look at how influencers and content creators are treated by the general public. I struggled a bit with the story as it was somewhat forgetful and left me wanting a little bit more by the end.   I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. 

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

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 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 I totally enjoyed Summer Reading   by Jenn McKinlay, a sweet, enjoyable, and heartwarming story that explores relationships, bonds and building connections; family, parental, sibling, friends, or romantic. It’s about growing and becoming who you truly are meant to be; and it’s about taking risks when you have the right support. Woven throughout this story is an insight into the awareness and impact someone with dyslexia experiences in society today and coping techniques to survive with this learning disability.   From the unexpected meet-cute with Ben: a hot guy on the ferry, spending time with her best friend Emily, bonding with her teenage half-brother Tyler, and falling into a cooking job, unemployed chef Sam has an unforgettable summer on the Vineyard. Sam teaching Tyler and Ben how to dance was hysterical. Sam and her bestie Emily are super-entertaining together. Ben is sweet, warm, and endearing, despite his dysfunctional mother. The special way he viewed Sam,

The Little Flower Shop by Lori Foster

 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 The Little Flower Shop by Lori Foster, book two in the Cemetery, Indiana series , is a sweet story filled with the quirkiest characters, supporting friendships, matchmakers, and a mannequin named Kathleen. Emily Lucretia, the “flower lady,” is a successful business owner with her flower shop and Saul Culver, the town’s most eligible bachelor, is also doing well with his barbecue restaurant, Saul’s Pit Shop. Saul is a man, who knows what he wants, and he has long since set his sights on Emily; only he is ready to move that timeline up. On the one hand while Saul decides to make his feelings and desires known, Emily herself begins to realize that it is time to shake up her life a bit. She really hopes that she can break out of her comfort zone, and this definitely includes letting Saul into her life as more than a neighbor and a friend. With an entire town invested in Saul and Emily’s relationship, things are sure to get interesting. Together, Emily and Saul were adorabl

Destiny by Carly Phillips

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 💖💖💖💖💖 /5 I truly enjoyed reading Destiny by Carly Phillips, book three in her Serendipity series, an updated reissue of an earlier story . Nash Barron and Kelly Moss ’ story is one filled with heartache, laughter, love, brutal honesty and hope.   The relationship between the Barron brothers, Nash and Ethan, is complicated to say the least, and in this book they take a journey that ends up being a turning point for their entire family. Nash is an attorney, is somewhat rigid; liking things to be black and white which isn't always possible. Adjusting to having a half sister, Tess, is one of those things that he doesn't handle so well. Then there’s Tess's sister, Kelly, who he is attracted to. The chemistry between Nash and Kelly is off the charts as they struggle to handle all that is being thrown at them. Despite trying to stay away from each other, they are destined to be together. Fate has a way of bringing them together and healing the past with the brothers. Twists