Hallmark and bestselling authorShelley Shepard Graypresent a Christmas Amish romancewith lots of surprises in store…
Wesley is so busy running his family’s Amish market at the holidays, he barely has time for Liesl, the young woman he’s been courting for years. When she suggests her aunt Jenny could help Wesley out, he agrees to the plan. But Liesl neglected to mention her aunt is only twenty-six years old—and as charming as she is hard-working.
Jenny, still healing after a painful breakup, welcomes the distraction of working at the market. She soon realizes Wesley is everything she ever dreamed a man could be. But how can Jenny even think about romance with the man Liesl expects to marry?
But Liesl’s own feelings are more complicated than she’s willing to admit. With humor, faith, and a little help from their friends in the community, everyone might just find what their hearts are looking for this Christmas at the Amish market.
There’s a big dollop of Christmas magic in Shelley Shepard Gray’s newest Amish romance.
I really enjoyed getting to know Liesl, Wesley, Jenny, and Roland, seeing their feelings deepen and their connections develop. There’s an earnestness to their interactions that is so compelling, drawing the reader in as they struggle to come to terms with some difficult decisions.
Christmas at the Amish Market has that Hallmark feel, and while it may be predictable from start to finish that doesn’t mean the journey isn’t enjoyable. It’s got a feeling of innocence, emotion, and holiday cheer that makes it a perfect choice for a December read.
He wants to destroy her show. She wants to get on Santa’s naughty list with him.
Rowan
No man wants to be nicknamed Cupid. My family’s run a matchmaking business for years, though, and my sister’s a romance novelist. You get the picture. To make matters worse, my narcissistic grandmother just sold a reality dating show to network television. Thanks to her, our small town is about to become a hotbed of tourists and opportunists.
Her show needs to be stopped, and I’m exactly the man to do it. Cupid, reporting for duty
The star of the show, Kennedy Littlefield, isn’t my type at all. She’s a wealthy heiress with an unhealthy obsession with Christmas.
There’s just one problem: I can’t stop thinking about her.
Kennedy
I’m lucky to be doing this show. Maybe I’ll start believing it if I repeat it enough…because I’m supposed to be dating eight men, and they all suck. I’m not here to fall in love—I’m trying to save a non-profit with the publicity from the show—but I’d hoped for a Christmas miracle.
I love Christmas, only it hasn’t come to the set because the show doesn’t air until spring, and no one—with the exception of me—wants to watch a Christmas show in March.
There’s only one thing I want more than Christmas cheer: the ornery grump who keeps hanging out around the set.
*****
Review:
Kennedy doesn’t particularly want to be on a dating show for rich people, especially after seeing the men that Nana has picked out, but she really needs the exposure for the non-profit she loves. She’ll just have to try her best, remember why she’s there, and rely on help from some new friends.
There’s quite a bit about the reality show that didn’t track for me (it definitely didn’t come across as big budget or well put together) but the personal & romance portions more than made up for it. I really enjoyed getting to know Kennedy and seeing more of Rowan’s softer side. He may be grumpy but he’s got such a big heart. His history makes it so that he feels the need to help kids in his community truly be able to enjoy Christmas. He also wants to help those he cares about be happy, which means keeping Nana Mayberry as far away from them as he can. If that gives him a chance to ruin her latest project, the one that can only mean bad things for the Mayberry name, then even better … then he meets Kennedy. Sweet and giving, big-hearted, everything her parents aren’t, and definitely not what Rowan expected. Before long he finds himself wanting to make sure she gets everything she needs, even if it goes again what he wants.
I gotta say, as much as I enjoyed Rowan & Kennedy together and seeing them figure out their way to a HEA, it was Harry that stole my heart. A little bit of awkward wrapped up in a whole lotta goodness, I cheered every time he was on the page. It’s those kinds of interactions, the characters with their merits and their foibles, that make these authors a go to for me time and time again.
(Part of a series but can easily stand on its own.)
Three days ago, all Maisy Norgate had was a stack of bills, about a gazillion jobs, and her sunny-as-hell outlook. Now, thanks to an uncle she never knew about, she’s inherited an ornate skeleton key with absolutely no idea what it’s for–or why she has it. Which is exactly when a ridiculously handsome guy claiming to be an angel shows up at her door and all hell breaks loose…
Nephilim Rhys Boyce cannot believe that Maisy is the new Keeper of the Key. Why would anyone bequeath this warm, bubbly redhead the key to Hell? And to make matters worse, she’s given the key to the first person who asked for it. A demon. Yep, Maisy is determined to make his job–not to mention some seriously inconvenient temptation–as hard as possible.
First a half angel with a very human chip on his shoulder must find a way to convince Maisy that angels and demons do exist. Then Rhys will have to break the really bad news…that she might have accidentally ended the world.
*****
Review:
Maisy is cheerful, even when life throws her a whole lot of curve balls, and she’s going to need all of that positivity with what’s coming at her now. Rhys is the opposite of Maisy. His life as a warrior means that he needs to always be serious, ready for anything, and seeing some of the worst things on earth (and hell) has led him to be a bit … dour. Crossing paths guarantees that sparks are going to fly.
There’s a bit of insta-love but I felt like it worked in this situation. You get a lot of this kind of thing in paranormal romances – something about magic being involved usually means that there’s an unexplainable connection. Some might find it problematic but it’s pretty standard. And I think that the two work together well – they rub each other the wrong way. And all sorts of right ways 🙂
I found Barth’s newest to be fun, humorous, & entertaining and I really hope there are more books coming. She’s created an interesting new world, full of all sorts of known and unknown creatures, with a good amount of danger and excitement mixed with more lighthearted moments. Plus, Rhys’s friends definitely need to find women who will give them a run for their money
Callie Carmichael has a gift for making bridesmaid dresses?some even call them magical. Somehow, every person who’s worn one of her dresses has found love. Real love. And as long as that happily-ever-after is for someone else, Callie is happy. Because she’s fully over getting her heart broken…which is why her new roommate is definitely going to be a problem.
After being overseas for six months, Callie’s only choice is to stay with her best friend’s ridiculously hot brother, Hunter Owens. Cowboy, troublemaker, and right now, the town’s most coveted bachelor. Only, Hunter isn’t quite the player she thought. And if it weren’t for her whole “no more love” thing, their setup could get confusing really fast.
Now, Hunter wants Callie to make him a best man suit?a “lucky for love” kind of suit. But what happens if she makes the suit and he finds true love…and it isn’t her?
Each book in the Windsong series is STANDALONE: * The Wedding Crasher and the Cowboy * The Matchmaker and the Cowboy
I love Hunter and his struggle to stand out from his family, to be seen for the things that are uniquely him. He’s pretty much perfect – kind, caring, thoughtful, observant – and he’d make the perfect partner for any woman. Too bad the one he wants doesn’t want anything to do with marriage … or him.
Being treated poorly by past boyfriends, mixed with family issues, has led Callie to the conclusion that marriage isn’t for her. Which makes her attraction to Hunter even more complicated since he’s definitely looking for his forever. And, based on reviews, meant that quite a few readers were a little put off by her. I can see where they are coming from – she’s definitely a little hard on Hunter, when he has done nothing but prove that he’d make the very best of husbands. I think that if Bielman had maybe done a little more to showcase Callie’s past difficulties it would have helped, but I gotta say that based on the way her family treats her she deserves all the care and attention she can get. And Hunter is the perfect one for the job.
The Matchmaker and the Cowboy is a slow burn, (kinda) friends-to-lovers romance with an ending that you know is coming but a journey that makes it a satisfying HEA.
They are friends. Without benefits. Unfortunately.
Michael LeClaire is small-town Louisiana. A firefighter. A single dad.
And Amelia Landry is New York City. A social media influencer. A model.
Sure, she’s his son’s favorite person on the planet.
And yeah, their families spend so much time together it’s hard to remember who shares DNA and who just shares secrets, inside jokes, and a sincere lack of boundaries.
And okay, he’s seen her nerdy side. Her sweet side. Her funny, self-deprecating side.
Fine, yes, resisting this woman has taken a saint’s share of willpower.
But he has to. He just cannot do long-distance. And he can’t have a casual fling with someone he’s known–and will know–forever.
Thankfully, he only has to hide his feelings a few times a year when she visits.
And then, he slips. One time. One spontaneous I-knew-it-would-be-everything kiss and he’s a goner.
Now every time they see each other it’s harder and harder to ignore the heat.
And when she shows up on his doorstep after a car accident changes her entire life, there’s no way he can resist the chance to see if this can last…or if they’ll finally flame out.
“If you don’t want our sisters to think they’re right about everything, you have to quit looking at me like that.”
Michael LeClaire had three choices here.
He could pretend he had no idea what Amelia Landry was talking about, turn, smile nonchalantly, and try to have a normal, casual conversation with her.
That was going to be nearly impossible, of course. This was Ami. There was no being casual around her. He hadn’t been able to pull nonchalant off since he’d first seen her walk down the dock in a lime green bikini the summer she’d turned twenty. But then, eleven months ago, everything had changed and now…yeah, casual was completely off the table.
He’d known she’d be here. Of course. It was her sister’s wedding. She was a bridesmaid. He’d been preparing to see her. Still, it had been three months and the last time…leaving her at that airport had been so much harder than he’d expected. He didn’t think there’d be anything casual about the things he’d end up saying to her tonight if they talked alone.
His second option was setting something on fire so that he would have to don his fire gear and do something with his evening other than watch Ami in her off-the-shoulder peach-colored bridesmaid dress, laughing and dancing and looking fucking stunning while he struggled to remember why they were only friends. As he did every single time she stood too close to him.
The reasons were good. He knew that. The primary one being that she lived in fucking New York City and he lived in Autre, Louisiana and that would just never work out. He had a kid. He was the fire chief here. His entire family was here. He couldn’t move to New York—nor did he want to—and he couldn’t travel there on a regular basis.
Ami was a model. She’d just landed a huge contract. The contract she’d been hoping and working for. She’d moved from Shreveport to New York only three months ago. She wasn’t coming back to Louisiana and also couldn’t be traveling back here on a regular basis.
Fuck New York City.
Yeah, setting something on fire kind of seemed like a great idea.
And then there was his third option: turning, throwing her over his shoulder, taking her straight back to his house, and not letting her out of his bed for a week, whether they could be together long-term or not.
Which would only make all of this—the wanting her, the thinking about her, the missing her—so much worse.
He wasn’t going to be able to do any of those three things.
He was screwed.
So, he sucked in a deep lungful of oxygen and turned, deciding to go with his fourth option—just praying to not fuck everything up. “Am I that obvious?”
Ami smiled up at him. “I just really think it’s unfair that they’re assuming things that I didn’t actually get to experience.”
He shook his head. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Talk about how Charlie and Naomi are assuming their matchmaking worked and we spent the entire weekend you were in New York in bed together?”
“Ami,” he said, his voice low with warning.
“Hey, you’re the one looking at me like you’ve seen me naked and want to again,” she said. “Don’t blame me.”
He tossed back the rest of his drink, wished it was alcohol and not just soda, reminded himself that staying completely sober while Ami was in town for the first time since New York was a really, really good idea, and said, “That’s not how I’m looking at you.”
She put a hand on her hip. “Then how would you describe the way you’ve been watching me from across the room but totally ignoring me whenever we’re close enough to talk?”
“Like I’ve been jerking off practically every night for the past three months because I didn’t get you naked, and like since you got back to town I’ve been constantly about ten seconds away from picking you up, taking you home, and tying you to my bed for the next week or two.”
Okay, so even without alcohol he was going to be dangerously inappropriate. And honest. Just as he’d feared.
Her eyes went wide.
Then she grinned. “Yes. You’re right. That’s a much better, more specific, description.”
*****
Review:
This was such a quick read for me – I loved Michael & Ami together. While not as quirky and humorous as some of the previous stories, Nicholas does an excellent job, like always, of blending the lighthearted moments with those that have a more emotional impact, while not forgetting to give her readers some heat as well.
Ami only knows how to be pretty but it’s something she’s really good at. Good enough for it to pay well, allowing her to support herself while helping others. And good enough to take her the NYC, far away from Louisiana and far away from those she loves.
Michael is a fixer and needs to be as involved as possible in the lives of those he loves. He has to be there to help solve ALL the things so a long distance relationship will definitely not work for him. Unfortunately Ami’s life continues to take her to places far from Michael.
I appreciate how both Michael and Ami approach themselves and each other with understanding of their needs. They are as honest as they can be and lay it out there for the other to see. Sometimes it means that they don’t get exactly what they want but it does mean that they are true to what is best for them at any given moment. As Ami’s (and Michael’s) world is rocked by an accident, and she heads to Autre to figure out what is next, the two may finally be given an opportunity for a future … if they can find a path that works for them both.
With this new series, Nicholas delivers more serious, impactful stories with the same finesse that she’s given us their more unconventional predecessors and, as always, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what’s in store next.
(Part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.)
*****
Author Info:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.
Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).
Is love a formula or pure fate? The residents of the small college town of Mountain View will soon find out. Love is in the air or rather in the coffee in book one of the ABCs of Romance series.
Anticipation
The ABCs of Romance
by Rue Harlow
Blurb:
What do beavers and baked goods have to do with love? Well, everything for Liliana Travis…
Travis, the owner of the local coffee shop, Higher Grounds. Her day job is serving caffeine highs, but her love life is at an all-time low. A meticulous planner ever since high school, she has a checklist for her perfect man and even plans for how she wants this future romance to unfold. But her carefully laid plans are about to be upended by something, rather someone, completely unanticipated from her past.
Dominic Moore has always been the hometown celebrity of Mountain View. The former captain of the high school football team turned NFL pro is the definition of the “golden boy”. But when Dom is caught in a scandal, he returns home to Mountain View to help his recently widowed grandmother open her dream bakery… and do some soul searching.
For Lili, Dom’s return is both exciting and a total gut punch. Her high school crush is back in town, but also fresh competition for her small business. To make matters worse, the nationwide baking competition, the Upper Crust Challenge, has come to town and bets are firmly on the table. Is it rivalry or romance as buttons are pushed, banter exchanged, and sparks fly? Maybe not everything in life can be perfectly anticipated…
For fans of The Kiss Quotient and The Soulmate Equation, Anticipation is a sweet and spicy debut from Rue Harlow that is sure to be addictive.
Liliana Travis was dressed like a giant beaver, missing only its head, ready for her life to dramatically change.
Even though the locker room reeked even more like sour socks than usual, Lili was only smelling roses. It had been a long football season — no longer than any other season, but Lili wasn’t into football at all — and now that it was finally ending, it was time for the final act in her epic plan.
“So …” Alicia prompted her. “What’s the plan?”
“You mean the ‘over-plan,’” Runa corrected Alicia.
Lili’s two best friends had been with her during every step of this little scheme, as they had stayed by her side for everything else throughout every noteworthy occasion in high school.
“I don’t over plan,” Lili defended herself, despite knowing how futile doing so would be, especially considering the crazy amount of thought she had poured into her nutty little endeavor so far.
“Okay.” Runa shrugged. “And I bet that Outlander show is gonna be great.”
“Shut up!” Lili laughed, sick of defending that one too. “Outlander is gonna be awesome.”
Lili had made her two besties get through as much of the historical time travel romance adventure as they were willing to read, but neither of them were as enamored by the genre buster as she was.
Not that she was obsessed at all. Lili didn’t get obsessed with anything, including Dominic Moore, no matter what Alicia and Runa said. The Mountain View Beavers’ star quarterback was as handsome as he was charming, and Lili had been dying for an actual conversation, instead of the fleeting exchanges in Statistics, he forgot about five minutes after they happened.
*****
Review:
Overall, I really enjoyed Anticipation and I’m curious what Harlow has in store next. However there were a few things that brought this one down for me. I think that Lili was a little too hard on Dom. She’s got some leftover negative feelings from high school but we never really got to see why she’s holding on to them so tightly. We know that there was a viral video but it doesn’t seem to be THAT horrible all things considered. And it wasn’t even Dom’s fault. (There are some logistics issues with that video – he’s the quarterback but he makes a game winning play for the defense …?) I also was thrown by the end of his career (not sure that what happened was that big a deal in the NFL) and exactly when Lili starts her day considering she runs a coffee shop so it should be pretty early but it seems like not so much. Other than Lili’s attitude, these were little things that just made me go hmmmm but didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. I will say, that once Lili gets over herself and starts being friendly to Dom, the two together are a delight. They are funny and entertaining and the push/pull between them is more positive, leading to a satisfying HEA. Definitely will read more from this author.
*****
Author Info:
Rue Harlow is a semi- professional baked goods aficionado. When not eating carbs or writing smutty novels, you can find her kicking back with a vodka tonic, putzing in her garden, or taking her convertible, Molly the Miata, for a spin. A native Brooklynite, she now resides in the Hudson Valley with her husband and two cats, Artemis and Apollo.
I’ve gone from crushing on my brother’s best friend to wanting to crush him.
Cameron Baker and I have a few things in common. The first being that we were both born and raised in our small Alaskan town. Second, is that we hide our feelings and keep our hearts closed off from anyone who could break them.
But hiding my feelings is harder to do with Cam than most. When I was five years old, grieving the loss of my mother, he showed me how big his heart is, and I’ve never forgotten.
He comes from the richest family in town. Cam’s bad boy gorgeous, flirts like he has a Doctorate in charm, and he’s my brother’s best friend. That last part is where it gets tricky and the sole reason we’ve never crossed the line.
Now, his parents have cut him off to force him to prove himself. I never thought he’d open a competing business to mine. So, I do what I do best, shove all my feelings aside and ready myself to crush him. Game on.
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My Brother’s Forbidden Friend reminds us that there’s always more going on than what we can see. Both Cam and Chevelle have things they’ve been hiding, including their feelings for each other. When they suddenly find themselves living in the same house, it doesn’t take long before those secrets start to come out.
Chevelle has had feelings for Cam for years but never thought it could be more. Spending her days with Cam on the docks and evenings alone at home, it doesn’t take long before Chevelle realizes he’s more than the party boy who isn’t into settling down. Once together, they are funny, sassy, sweet, and sexy – definitely one of my favorite couples.
While I haven’t read all of the Greene books, the ones I have read have been great. There’s always a delightful mix of humor, all sorts of feels, and enough spice to keep things interesting. I adored Cam and Chevelle together and didn’t want their story to end.
(Part of a series, can stand on its own but probably is a bit better having read the others as this relationship has been a long time coming.)
*****
Author Info:
Piper Rayne is a USA Today Bestselling Author duo who write “heartwarming humor with a side of sizzle” about families, whether that be blood or found. They both have e-readers full of one-clickable books, they’re married to husbands who drive them to drink, and they’re both chauffeurs to their kids. Most of all, they love hot heroes and quirky heroines who make them laugh, and they hope you do, too!
My name is Louise and I’m a serial-monogamist marine biologist.
Try saying that five times fast.
Fresh out of an awful relationship and tired of always doing the right thing, this girl is finally saying “screw it” and having herself a meaningless fling.
Here’s the thing about flings though: they only work if you keep feelings out of the equation.
Well, that won’t be a problem for a sensible scientist like me… that is, until a one night stand with a hot single dad rocks my world and blows my plans completely out of the water.
If I’ve learned anything from the ocean world, it’s that those with the hardest shells have the most to fear. And something tells me this guy is going to crack mine wide the hell open.
Tonight I‘m not “smart girl” Louise who weighs every decision over and over until her brain is ready to burst. Tonight, I’m not “responsible girl” Louise who everyone counts on to do the right thing.
Tonight, I am Lou: the girl who does whatever—or whoever—she wants.
James breaks from the kiss and runs the backs of his fingers down my cold cheek. “You’re really not gonna tell me your name?” His whisper sends delicious chills across my skin.
“No, I am not,” I whisper back.
“Alright.” His deep voice vibrates as he rains kisses down the column of my throat. “I guess I’ll keep calling you Cold Brew then.”
“I don’t like that.”
“Oh no?” He tears his lips away.
“Resume what you were doing, please!” I’m giving him mixed signals. “What I meant was I like that.” I point at his mouth, then jut my neck out in his direction. “The uh, that thing you were doing just now to my neck? That was good. But I’d prefer it if you didn’t call me… Cold Brew.”
He dives into my neck again, and I think we’re back on track until he murmurs this madness between kisses, “That’s too bad. A hot thing like you slowly pouring over me and effortlessly spiking the temps in my refrigerator? A strong, concentrated woman like you who won’t be diluted with water for other people’s comfort? A delectable drink of a girl like you who isn’t afraid of a coarse grind when everyone else is pummeling themselves into soft, palatable powders to please the masses? Cold Brew is the perfect nickname for you.”
What the hell is he talking about?
So he’s weird.
That’s fine.
After tonight, I’ll never see him again.
Looks like I need to take matters into my own hands.
I cup the bulge in his jeans and feel him respond.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
I think.
“You said you don’t mind the cold,” he breathes. “Are you into winter sports then? Skiing, snowshoeing, mountain climbing?”
“Not into winter sports, no.” I desperately work to undo his pants.
“So what are you into?” he rumbles as he helps me with the button.
“You mean sex-wise? The regular stuff. The regular stuff will do.”
He laughs. “Good to know. But I meant what are you into in life? Like hobbies and stuff.”
Alright. Now buddy boy here is starting to test my patience.
“Not really a hobby person. My hobby is my work, and my work is my hobby.”
Score! Jeans are officially down. He kicks them, and they land on top of an icy growler, almost like he choreographed it. You would think a woman getting him pants-less would be enough to curb this guy’s relentless inquisition, but no.
“What’s your work then?”
“Marine biology,” I huff. “Can we—?”
“Oh wow, the ocean and I are like this.” He crosses his index and middle finger in that universal sign of closeness. “I’m a swimmer! A diver too!”
“Cool, cool,” I say and try to get his focus back to the physical. The fact that we have both been in a body of water at some point in our lives does not bind us together in any meaningful way.
“I’ve been told I have the lung capacity of a whale.” He pats his chest. “Yeah, these guys certainly served me well when I free dived in Sri Lanka. Wait. Is it ‘dived’ or ‘dove’? ‘Dived’ always sounds wrong to my ear, but I think that’s actually correct. Doesn’t matter. Point is, I love extreme sports! And speaking of marine biology, get this, once a week I volunteer at—”
“Hey, James!” I shout.
He stops speaking.
Hallelujah!
I soften my voice to a husky tone. “It is James, right?” “James, yeah,” he confirms with a dazzling smile.
I reach into his pants and find him more than ready for me, so I start to stroke.
“You’re fucking gorgeous, James,” I whisper in his ear and shiver when his stubbled cheek brushes against mine. His olive skin smells like ivory soap and shaving cream.
He tightens his strong arms around my back and pulls me closer. I continue my ministrations below.
“Thank you,” he says. “You’re also—”
“And you seem like a nice guy.” I interrupt.
He smiles. “I appreciate that. You seem like a—”
“But I’m not looking for a nice guy.”
“No?”
“No. I’m not looking for any guy.”
He looks down and laughs good-naturedly. “So why are we—?”
“I’m using you.”
His laughter stops.
He removes my hand.
His dark eyes land on mine.
Whoa. When he looks at me like that, I feel completely naked. In fairness, I am practically naked right now, but I mean more in the emotional sense, in the oh-my-God-he-can-see-deep-into-my-soul sense.
He stays completely still and silent, giving no clue as to what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do next.
“I’m not interested in anything beyond what we do here tonight, okay, James?” I continue. “Listen up because this is very important.”
His non-response seems to say, “Go on.”
“After tonight? If you ever run into me again, we pretend this never happened.”
No reaction.
I repeat myself. “We pretend this never happened.”
Still nothing.
Geez. For a guy who couldn’t shut up a few minutes ago, he’s now fully committed to his silence.
“Got it?” I say with more force than necessary, but suddenly, I can’t get myself to look directly at him.
He closes the distance between us, climbs his fingers into my hair, and gives it a tug, gently forcing me to look up at him.
Tingles cascade down my spine.
He tilts his head slightly.
His lips are barely an inch from mine.
His warm breath caresses my skin.
“Then I guess we’ll need to make tonight count, won’t we?”
Now I’m the silent one.
All I can do is nod.
“Let’s do this, Cold Brew.”
*****
Review:
That first meeting between James and Louise really got me – I understood where she was coming from but my heart went out to him and did so over & over again. He’s an honestly good guy and deserves someone who can appreciate him. And while Louise is obviously struggling with a few things, fate keeps throwing them together and it doesn’t take long for James to wiggle his way in making her think that maybe she can be that person.
While I would have liked to have seen more about Louise’s past relationships to truly understand her reluctance to get involved with James, the predicaments they find themselves in along the way more than made up for it. I was amused and engaged and always looking forward to “just one more chapter” so that’s a definite win for me.
This is my first book by Mallon but it won’t be my last. Sharkbait was funny and entertaining, with enjoyable characters and a satisfying HEA.
(Part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.)
*****
Author Info:
Erin Mallon’s debut romantic comedy novel, Flirtasaurus, releases in July 2020. She is an award-winning narrator of over 450 books and an accomplished playwright and producer in New York City. She has written over 40 plays, which have been produced Off-Broadway and all over the country, including These Walls Can Talk, a raucous theatrical love letter to the romance audiobook community. She lives in a little yellow house on the outskirts of NYC with her husband and Three J’s.
Coen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crashed. Can he be saved from his downward spiral of guilt and regret to become the man he once was?
I had it all—a successful hockey career, the respect and adoration of the fans, a rotation of beautiful women warming my bed, and a feeling of self-worth and contentment with the direction of my life. But that all changed the day the team plane went down, taking my only chance of redemption with it. Now I’m left with the daily reminder of all my failures and my inability to correct them.
My new teammates are tired of my attitude and following my suspension, I hole up in a mountain cabin to get away from all of it. The isolation is exactly what I need to get out of my own head, and I’m beginning to think I could be content in this quiet forever.
Tillie Marshall isn’t the type of woman who would usually catch my attention, yet she manages to do so for all the wrong reasons. I’m here for the peace and seclusion but the quirky artist is hell-bent on destroying that by cutting down the trees that separate our properties so she can open a pottery studio. If it’s a fight she wants, it’s a fight she’ll get. I have the money and the time and no issues bringing her down through the court system. While I see flashes of steely determination within her, I’ve found that being a jerk comes naturally these days and she won’t be hard to intimidate.
Unfortunately, that gorgeous and somewhat odd neighbor who has been causing me grief is creating another type of feeling within me. And once that spark is lit, Tillie displays a faith in me that for the first time since the crash I desperately want to believe. Now it’s time for me to step up and become the man—no, a better man than I once was.
As a returning reader I was looking forward to Coen’s story, to finding out what was behind his behavior. There’s a lot of survivor’s guilt, but more is going on than that and it’s affecting every aspect of his life. He needs some time on his own to figure out where he’s going from here, but it’s not long before he’s butting heads with his cheeky neighbor.
Tillie isn’t going to let Coen walk all over her or let his a$$hole tendencies get her down. Willing to go toe to toe with him and call him on his crap, it doesn’t take her long to get under his skin. And it leads to all sorts of fun.
I really enjoyed these two together. Coen is behaving like an a$$hole but he recognizes that it’s a reflection of his guilt and feeling of unworthiness. While he doesn’t see a way out of the place he’s found himself in, his innate good and caring (and cocky) nature finds moments to come out, especially around his new neighbor. And over time, with the help of friends, he’s reevaluating whether this is his new normal after all. It’s satisfying to see him find his way back and a way forward with Tillie by his side.
*****
Author Info:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
Return to Hope’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!
All Is Bright
Hope’s Crossing series
by RaeAnne Thayne
ISBN: 9781335933997
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Publisher: HQN
Blurb:
Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.
With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.
“We’re now walking into the home theater,” she spoke to her outstretched camera, “one of the more challenging rooms of the renovation. Prior to this update, the room had a series of steps leading to the different levels of recliners. Obviously, that would no longer work for the homeowner, so we chose to remove the steps completely, instead building a gradual slope with room to maneuver around each level of seating. Beyond featuring state-of-the-art electronics that will be easily upgradeable, everything in here—from the blackout window shades to the sound system to the recliners themselves—can be controlled through a single smart home phone app.”
She turned the camera to face her. “Doesn’t this look like a wonderfully cozy place to watch a movie or catch your favorite sporting event?”
She smiled into the phone camera, then moved back into the wide hallway leading to the library/office, her own favorite spot in the house.
“You can see here we have sliding pocket doors that open and close with the push of a button. We chose to replace the traditional doors in many of the spaces with these pocket doors, which gives more room for the homeowner to navigate, and we also…”
Her words trailed off as she heard a sound behind her and turned to see a large, dark-haired man using a wheelchair, framed in the doorway.
He frowned, an expression she had become all too used to seeing there, during their few in-person interactions and their more frequent video conferences.
“What are you doing?” he demanded. “You’re not filming this, are you?”
Sage dropped her phone with an inward wince and stopped recording. Technically, this was still her job site, which meant she had full permission to check on the progress of the work until they handed the finished home over to the owner, who happened to be this man, former professional baseball player Mason Tucker.
With effort, she forced herself not to show any of her dismay. Out of all the clients she had worked with during her career thus far, Mason Tucker was the only one who made her palms sweat and her stomach feel knotted with stress.
“Mr. Tucker. Um, hi.” She forced a smile, feeling awkward as hell and wishing she had waited until the contractor would be here to take a tour.
“I haven’t been here in weeks and wanted to document the progress that has been made since I visited last. I didn’t see any vehicles outside and assumed everybody was gone for the day.”
“I’m parked in the garage of the guesthouse.”
“I didn’t even know you were in town. Have you been here long?”
The last she knew, Mason had been living in Portland, where he had once played for the same baseball team as another town resident, Spencer Gregory, who was married to Sage’s friend Charlotte. Sage knew Spence and Mason had remained friends, despite life circumstances that had led to both of them retiring.
For a moment, she wasn’t sure Mason would reply, then he finally shrugged. “I wanted to be close as we started to wrap things up so I can keep an eye on things and be on hand if there are any questions or problems. My daughter and I moved into the guesthouse a month ago.”
Why hadn’t her dad or Sam Delgado told her Mason was already living in Hope’s Crossing?
Beyond that, she suddenly thought, how in the world was he making the guesthouse work? That place wasn’t at all wheelchair accessible, with three steps leading into the place, narrow hallways and no accessible bathroom like those she had designed for this main house.
Renovating the guesthouse was part of the master plan but not until all the work was finished on Wolf Ridge itself.
“That place is a mess. How are you getting around?”
“I’m managing,” he said, his voice curt. “I can still get around on crutches, as long as I don’t have to go far.”
“You shouldn’t have to go far, from one end of the guesthouse to the other. It’s tiny.” She imagined a man Mason’s size would make the space shrink to almost nothing.
“It works fine for me and Grace. It’s only a few more weeks anyway, right?”
“I suppose.”
Sam Delgado had assured her when they spoke earlier that the renovations to Wolf Ridge would be finished shortly before Christmas.
Sage had to admit, she wouldn’t be sorry to put the job behind her.
While she was thrilled with the way her designs had transformed the mountain estate, working with Mason Tucker himself was another story.
She tried to be compassionate. Whenever she grew frustrated with him, she would remind herself that Mason had endured the sort of tragedy that would have completely destroyed someone without his resilience. While she was only charged with renovating this house, Mason had to completely rebuild his life.
He had every right to be surly and uncooperative.
While she might know that intellectually, it was difficult to remember when she was dealing with yet another last-minute change order.
Still, he had superb taste and basically unlimited financial resources. In a few more weeks, when the job was finished, Wolf Ridge would meet his needs now and long into the future.
The home now featured a new indoor pool, spa and high-tech exercise room on the bottom level, two new elevators at either end of the house and heated floors throughout. Wolf Ridge also featured a kitchen that worked for people of any mobility level and wheelchair accessible bathrooms on each level, including the extensive owner’s suite on the second floor.
Sage loved everything about this house, from the skylights to the beams her dad had mentioned to the wider doorways and hallways. It was warm, luxurious, comfortable.
She wanted to show off her work to the world. The only trick would be convincing the intensely private Mason Tucker.
Faced with his glower now, Sage felt as if she faced a Herculean task.
She had to try, though, didn’t she?
Her fledgling internet show had exploded in popularity over the past year, allowing her foundation and personal pet project to help far more deserving people than she had ever envisioned.
Sage could only imagine the vast number of views—and thus ad revenue—a video featuring Wolf Ridge would bring in. People would love a glimpse inside the house redesigned for the reclusive and private Mason Tucker.
The public still clamored to know everything it could about the former professional athlete who had endured so much physical and emotional pain.
If she could showcase Wolf Ridge on the Homes for All internet channel, she would also bring awareness to some of the issues and obstacles noninclusive design presented to those with mobility challenges.
She drew in a breath, not sure where to start. Yes, he would likely slap her down but she wouldn’t know unless she asked, right?
“The progress while I’ve been overseas is amazing. I can’t believe how different everything looks, with the finish work and the new flooring.”
“Sam and his subs have put in some long hours.”
“It shows. And Jean-Paul tells me he’s going to have nearly all the furnishings ready to go in a few more weeks, except for a few custom pieces.”
“That’s what he tells me.”
“I can’t see any reason you and Grace can’t move in before Christmas. How exciting!”
A shrug was his only response, which she supposed was about as eloquent as Mason Tucker could be.
She stuck her hands into the pockets of her wool coat.
He was going to say no. She knew it and braced herself for it.
“There’s no easy way for me to ask you this so I’m going to come straight out with it.” She drew in a breath. “For the past year, I’ve hosted a YouTube channel, Homes for All, which features projects with the kind of innovative universal design elements we have tried to incorporate here at Wolf Ridge.”
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“While it’s called Homes for All, we feature commercial as well as residential projects. I hope to continue raising awareness of how limiting and even discriminatory some design practices can be for those who are, er, differently abled.”
He again said nothing, only continued to look at her out of those hard blue eyes that concealed his emotions completely.
“I have poured so much energy into Wolf Ridge, and I’m absolutely thrilled with the way the house has turned out. It’s everything I dreamed and more. I feel like more people should see it. Don’t you? I would absolutely love to feature your home on my channel.”
She held her breath, hands curled inside her pockets.
As she might have predicted, he didn’t leave her waiting long for his answer.
“Hell no,” he said with blunt finality, then turned away and started to roll back down the hall so abruptly she could only stare at him.
After a moment, she pursued him. This was too important to give up at the first obstacle. “Just like that? You don’t even want to hear the details?”
He paused and maneuvered to face her. “Why waste both our time? I don’t need to hear the details. Whatever you have to say doesn’t matter. My answer will remain a hard no.”
The man was impossible. Her grandfather Harry might have called him pigheaded, but Sage preferred the more diplomatic obstinate.
And yes, how could she blame him for that? Mason was trying to rebuild a life for himself and his daughter in Hope’s Crossing, away from the prying eyes of the tabloid press. She already knew he was an intensely private man. He had made her sign a nondisclosure agreement before even talking to her about what he wanted done at the house.
She might have been more surprised if he had agreed to let her feature his house on her channel.
Still, she had never been good at taking no for an answer. She could be every bit as pigheaded as Mason Tucker. She figured she had inherited that from Harry Lange himself.
“What I love most about your home is how seamlessly we have managed to integrate the new design into the existing structure without altering the basic style and grace of the home,” she said. “I’m sure you can agree that the changes will benefit everyone who lives here, not only you.”
“Sure,” he said after a moment. “You definitely know what you’re doing. The house is exactly what I wanted. That still doesn’t mean I want the whole world peering in at the transfer bars in the shower or the damn lift I need to use so I can get in and out of my spa.”
Sage was so caught up in the first part of what he said, the unexpected praise coming from her difficult client, that she almost missed the second part.
“That’s exactly what I try to showcase on my channel. When done right, universal design can blend with the overall style of a home or commercial property, small and sometimes barely noticeable changes but enough to make a huge difference to those who need them.”
“No,” he said again. “Judging by how seldom you’re here, you must have other projects. You can focus on those.”
“I have. You can watch the videos online. We have about thirty of them up now. But Wolf Ridge is the most ambitious residential renovation I’ve ever undertaken. Most people would never have poured the kind of resources you have into making such extensive changes to an existing structure. They would have sold the house as is and built a custom home somewhere else. Because of the location and the basic sound structure of the house, you chose to renovate instead. The results are beautiful, and I want the whole world to see it.”
“And I don’t,” he said bluntly. “I don’t need to give the whole damn world any more reasons to pity me.”
A muscle clenched along his jaw, and Sage felt immediately ashamed of herself for her selfishness at wanting to showcase her best work here.
Her motives weren’t completely selfish, she amended. Yes, she was proud of her work on Wolf Ridge. This project, more than any other she had been part of, might help her begin to emerge from her father’s huge and well-earned shadow.
It wasn’t easy being Jackson Lange’s daughter and trying to find her own way in the same field as one of the world’s most brilliant architectural minds.
That was the very reason she hadn’t taken Jack’s surname, even after they reconnected. She still went by Sage McKnight, the name she’d always had. She didn’t want to be known first as Jackson Lange’s daughter, with the weight of all those expectations on her. She wanted to succeed on her own.
Beyond that, she was doing good work with Homes for All. She knew she was making a difference in people’s lives, not only by changing minds about universal design but by changing lives.
Should she tell Jackson Lange that Homes for All was also the name of her foundation, funded by the ad revenue her videos generated online? The purpose was to help people who couldn’t otherwise afford to make necessary changes to their living spaces when age or health issues impacted mobility.
No. She didn’t want to guilt him into letting her invade his privacy by showcasing Wolf Ridge.
“Will you at least think about it?” she finally said. “You don’t have to decide anything right this moment.”
He shrugged. “I can think about it from now until Christmas. I won’t change my mind. My house, my decision. You can take all the pictures and video you want for your own personal use but if you post them online, I’ll sue your ass for breaking our nondisclosure agreement.”
He wheeled away without another word, leaving Sage to gaze after him with helpless frustration.
She hadn’t really expected any other answer, but she had hoped.
Her watch alarm dinged, and she glanced down at the reminder she had set. She was supposed to be at her mother’s bookstore and coffeehouse, Books & Brew, in ten minutes.
She quickly shot a few more images then walked back out into the December twilight.
Thayne’s newest is all you could want in a holiday read. Chock-full of small town charm, with likable characters and a heartwarming story, it’s tender, heartwarming, and brimming with emotion.
Mason is struggling with his new physical limitations, the loss of his wife and his career, being a single dad, and having his estranged mother come back into his life. It’s a lot and throwing in an attraction to his architect is making it even more complicated. But the more time they spend together the harder he finds it to resist her.
There’s also a secondary story of childhood friends who are struggling with letting the past control their present. Together with the main plotline, it helps to highlight Thayne’s feel-good story full of fortitude, grief, and forgiveness.
(Part of a series and can be read as a stand alone but returning readers will enjoy meeting old friends again.)
*****
Author Info:
RaeAnne Thayne is the #1 Publisher’s Weekly, New York Times, and USA TODAY bestselling author of nearly seventy books. Her books have been described as “poirgnant and sweet,” with “beautiful, honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart.” She finds inspiration from the beautiful northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her family. She loves to hear from readers and can be reach through her webiste at raeannethayne.com.
Romantic Reads and Such 