Tag Archives: Book Review

Book Review – The Other Harlow Girl

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

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23153764A woman in the British Horticultural Society! The very idea horrifies everyone, including ardent horticulturalist Lavinia Harlow, whose own name has been put forth for membership by the provoking Marquess of Huntly. He does it as a joke, of course, to get back at her for an imagined slight—well, to be fair, she had insulted his writing—and Vinnie, older sister to the infamous Harlow Hoyden, is far too sensible to rise to his ridiculous challenge.

Determined to head off further scandal (her name has already been recorded in the betting book at Brooks’s!), Vinnie dashes off a polite note refusing the honor—which she has every intention of sending. Really. Only she can’t help but chafe at the way everyone keeps demanding that she decline at once, even the marquess. Oh, especially the marquess, whose perfection she finds intolerable. Who ever heard of a gentleman being so handsome and so intelligent and so well informed about foreign flora? Clearly, the man needs to be taken down a peg, and somehow, despite all twenty-four years of faultless propriety, Vinnie is just the hoyden to do it.

I read the first book, The Harlow Hoyden, and loved it.  The characters were a ton of fun and the plot was full of humor, suspense and romance.  With the follow-up, Messina leaves out the suspense but again delivers her fantastically fun characters, plus a great mix of humor and romance.

We get the return of our favorite people from the first story and even though Huntley is new, he fits right in.  There’s definitely a reason why he’s Trent’s best friend.  And the first meet cute between Huntley and Vinnie is delightful, then things just keep getting better.

The Other Harlow Girl is a wonderful British farce, so you have to be in the mood for that kind of thing, but it is hilarious and tender and sweet and fun.  What more could you ask for?

If you loved the quirkiness of The Harlow Hoyden, you’ll love Vinnie’s story.

Book Review – Flirting With Disaster

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

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cover30085-mediumIn the latest eBook original novel in RITA finalist Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.

Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.

Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.

I really liked the earlier Camelot books (How to Misbehave and Along Came Trouble) and I’m thrilled that this one was just as good.  Both Katie and Sean are interesting, with normal, detailed issues – both have low self-esteem, for different reasons.  Throw in a little mystery over who is stalking Judah and it makes for a can’t put down read.

I love that Sean overcame so much of his history but he also has so much that he still needs to address.  It’s realistic and believable and makes for an engaging read.  Katie has her own troubles and has just come out of a troubled relationship.  She’s trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life.  Throw in an attraction she doesn’t want to stoic Sean and it makes things even more complicated.  As they discover what lays under the surface of each other, the more involved their feelings become.

There’s also a wonderful side story with Katie’s growing friendship with Judah – it’s smart and sassy and funny.  Without the sexual tension of her relationship with Sean, it is the distraction and acceptance she craves in a time when she needs it most.  And his stalker case adds a little tension and mystery to highlight the love story between Sean and Katie.  Everything ties up together at the end and even though I saw what was coming a mile away, it didn’t make it any less enjoyable.

Humorous and awkward and sweet and intriguing, Flirting With Disaster is the perfect companion to the first two books.  It does stand well on its own so if you want to start here you’ll be fine, but I definitely recommend giving the others a chance as well.

Book Review – Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Date

27 Wednesday Aug 2014

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cover50892-mediumSweeten up your Kindle with the combination of Lucy Kevin’s beloved Rose Chalet  characters and Katy Regnery’s signature sweet heat and happily ever after!

Curvy, vulnerable Jasmine Turner has never had much luck with men and doesn’t believe in true love. When she grudgingly accepts an invitation to her sister’s wedding, the last thing she expects is to be seated beside gorgeous, teasing Robert Callahan.

Finding herself attracted to the handsome swimmer and won over by his kindness, Jasmine lets herself fall for the first time in her life. But, even if she can overcome her fears and give him a chance to win her heart, will Robert’s checkered past be a problem for the young couple?

Based on beloved characters found in Lucy Kevin’s charming Four Weddings and a Fiasco series, The Wedding Date tells the story of Anne Fairleigh’s half sister, Jasmine Turner and  Robert Callahan.

I haven’t read any of Lucy Kevin’s stories so I’m not familiar with this world, but I found Katy’s entry to be wonderful.  There were a lot of characters that I would have met in the previous books, but because it mostly focuses on Robert and Jasmine it isn’t that big a deal.  There is some history for these two from the rest of the series, but Regnery does a fantastic job of filling in the details for new readers.

Jasmine doesn’t find herself all that attractive, at least not compared to the skinny, Barbie doll girls at school.  And she’s got a lot of trust issues related to the fact that her father had an affair with her mother, only to go back to his wife.  When Roberts parents divorced he rebelled, getting into some pretty serious trouble.  Trouble that followed him around for years and that he’s hoping to escape at school.  Thrown together at Anne’s wedding, they discover that they have a lot in common and a very strong attraction to each other, but can they get past their issues and actually make a go of it?

It is a novella so it is short and it is also very sweet.  The characters are young, still in college, so it does fall into the New Adult category but they’ve been thru a lot in their short lives so they have a good amount of maturity for their ages.  I loved seeing them make a connection and take some time to explore it.  There is the typical misunderstanding that is very common to romances but Regnery handles it with style and it doesn’t feel like the same old thing.  Their issues are very understandable and I really enjoyed how they make their HEA work for them.

I do have to say, though, that part of me was glad it wasn’t a full length book because I absolutely couldn’t put it down.

Book Review – Keeping Mr. Right Now

25 Monday Aug 2014

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9781633750562_p0_v1_s260x420Keeping Mr. Right Now

by Robin Bielman

A Kisses in the Sand novel

A temporary agreement neither could keep…

Brainy, organized Sophie Birch is no beach bunny. In fact, she’s totally out of her element among the sun-bronzed crowd at a film festival in beautiful White Strand Cove. When a surf lesson introduces her to Zane Hollander, suddenly she’s up close and personal with the world’s sexiest surf star. But what can a great-looking, experienced athlete possibly see in a klutzy out-of-towner who’s never set foot in the ocean?

Zane Hollander’s playboy reputation has never been a problem…until recently. Now his management team wants him on his best behavior to entice a meaningful new sponsor. Sophie Birch is the perfect girl to help reform his image. She’s genuine and respected—and their relationship is purely fictional. But the more Sophie blooms under the beachy sun, the more Zane knows he’ll just break her heart. Because nothing’s more important to Zane than following the tide.

In Keeping Mr. Right Now there is a supposed division in the attractiveness of the couple – nerdy Sophie and hottie Zane – but it is handled well.  Zane is kind and strong, able to see the things that make Sophie a true beauty, and is caring and patient enough to help Sophie see it too.  It is so very sweet and made me fall in love with Zane all the more.

Amazingly enough, considered his popularity, Zane does have a bit of a confidence problem which stems from his abusive father.  He doesn’t believe that he’s intelligent and that all he’s good for is surfing.  My favorite thing is how Sophie immediately sees the truth about how smart he actually is and supports him every chance she gets.  Just as how he makes her see she’s beautiful, she shows him that he’s smart.  It leaves you with a warm and fuzzy to see how well they mesh to make that perfect couple, believing in each other and, by extension, themselves.

This isn’t the first Robin Bielman book I’ve read and I’ve loved every one of them (Kissing the Maid of Honor, Wild About Her Wingman, Her Accidental Boyfriend).  She creates lush characters and believable relationships, delivering them with tenderness, humor and, sometimes, a bit of heat.  She’s quickly embedded herself on my automatic TBR list – I don’t even hesitate when I see her name on a book, I just know that it is going to be a winner.  And Keeping Mr Right Now is no different – go now and pick it up!

Book Review – Officer Next Door

19 Tuesday Aug 2014

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For our third and final post today, I’m super thrilled to get a chance to share with you Ranae Rose’s Officer Next Door.  With a sexy prison guard hero, a spunky heroine and a good amount of danger, it’s an addictive page-turner.  Make sure you check out the cute first-meet between the two, plus my review.

*****

3d-beaOfficer Next Door 

by Ranae Rose

Publication Date: June 2, 2014

Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Romance, Suspense

Blurb:

How can anyone resist temptation when it’s right next door?

Riley County North Carolina has a lot to offer: coastal views as far as the eye can see, and men in uniform who are even more gorgeous. Home to the most notorious prison in the state, Alicia’s new hometown is crawling with men who carry their own handcuffs and know how to use them – like Officer Liam Alexander, her one and only neighbor. After catching him out of uniform, she can’t resist pausing to enjoy the show. When Liam’s Southern charm drives him across the property line, life gets hotter than the Carolina summer could possibly account for. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to life in the coastal haven, even with an officer next door.

Coordinating special events at a historic – and supposedly haunted – plantation is enough to have Alicia questioning her senses and her sanity, but the spirits of the past take a backseat to a pair of escaped convicts who blaze a trail of mayhem across Riley County. Not even the most intense chemistry can survive the perils that make a sunny seaside town a dangerous place to be after dark … can it?

Purchase Links
 

*****

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

The rising sun burnt on the Carolina horizon like a jewel, causing the tidal mist to light up like it’d been set on fire. It was the most gorgeous thing Alicia had ever seen, besides her naked neighbor. The sight of him stripping down lit up the morning like nothing else could – not even the extra-bold, extra-large cup of coffee she clutched as she stared through her kitchen window.

Everything about him was extra-large, too. She, however, was anything but bold.

She’d die if he knew she’d been watching him like this for the past three weeks, ever since she’d moved in. Guilt surged through her system just like her daily caffeine infusion, but that didn’t keep her from enjoying the display, all that taut muscle and bare skin.

Not even close.

“Good Lord,” she sighed, to no one but herself. DC seemed faraway already; the big city had disappeared in her rearview mirror weeks ago to be replaced by real Southern heat and charm, two things her new neighbor radiated in spades.

Not that she’d spoken to him much yet.

There’d been the occasional hello when they glimpsed each other outside, usually coming to or from work. That was it, mostly because the sight of him in uniform had a way of leaving her tongue-tied, silenced by the guilty pleasure that struck her every time she looked in his direction. She couldn’t so much as glance at him without thinking about that uniform coming off in slow motion, revealing his perfect body.

Maybe it was his fault for not closing the bathroom blinds, the ones that hung over the window directly across from the shower.

Or maybe it was her fault for enjoying the striptease with her morning coffee day after day, saying nothing.

Either way, she wasn’t complaining. Close-cropped dark hair, sun-tanned skin stretched over a six foot frame of solid muscle and an ass that appeared to be sculpted from granite, not to mention the amazing view when his back wasn’t to her: the vision had been seared into her memory, and it stayed with her even after he slung a towel around his hips and strolled out of the bathroom, disappearing from her view.

That was her cue to gulp down the rest of her coffee and pull herself together before she rushed to the Wisteria Plantation House. She’d been hired there as the special events coordinator, had moved and reshaped her life around the new job, though as she drained her coffee mug, swallowing the bitter grit that swirled at the bottom of the cup, she was so dazzled by what she’d just seen that it was sure to be a challenge just to coordinate her hair and makeup for the day, let alone an outfit.

Despite the sexually-charged fog her neighbor had left her in, she managed to brush on some cosmetic staples, twist her chestnut hair into a simple chignon and shed her robe, pulling on khaki pants and a purple blouse. As she dressed, she pretended that the brush of her own fingertips against her skin didn’t inspire imaginings of what it’d be like to feel her neighbor’s hands on her body. Lastly, she slipped on sandals, a pair with modest kitten heels that’d allow her to navigate Wisteria’s grounds without breaking an ankle.

Or so she thought. When she finally walked out the door with her purse slung over her shoulder and a travel mug in one hand, she tripped over the threshold and was launched forward through the muggy Carolina air.

She windmilled, dropping her handbag but – miracle of miracles – managing to maintain her grip on her coffee.

The mug was a fancy one that remained sealed until one pressed a button, freeing the flow of liquid within. As she bent to pick up her purse and then straightened, quickly smoothing her clothing, she realized that the anti-spill mug was the best twenty dollars she’d ever spent.

Heat flooded her cheeks as she said a silent prayer of gratitude for spill-proof technology. Her neighbor was standing on the front porch of his bungalow-style house, a cute place painted a shade of moss-green that blended right into the wooded backdrop. Judging by the way he stared, frowning in her direction, he’d seen everything.

“Are you all right?” His voice echoed across the few yards between them, sounding with a depth that sent a frisson racing down her spine.

*****

Review:

I’m going to start with a disclaimer.  I’m not sure that everyone is going to appreciate the paranormal portion of the book – it’s hinted at a little in the blurb and it makes a few (occasionally important) appearances in the story, but I don’t know that it was developed as much as it could have been.  So it might throw some people off stride, but for me the rest of the book made up for any oddities in having a ghost here and there in my suspense romance story.

I loved Liam and Alicia together and they are so sweet as they do a little dance around each other.  Both are a little awkward as they try to decide if the other one is interested, but once they get their act together it goes full speed from there … and it works.  Plus, with the escaped convicts, there is that extra touch of danger to keep things moving fast.

We’re also introduced to Alicia’s two girl friends who conveniently have the hots for Liam’s two guy friends (what are the chances, huh?).  But the characters are intriguing and I’m looking forward to finding out more about them.  Being prison guards there is definitely opportunity for sexy guys doing manly stuff to help their women, but the ladies seem strong enough that I think they’ll prove to be just as useful in getting out of scrapes.  And there is enough of an opening at the end of Officer Next Door that I’m sure it will come to play in at least one of their stories.

Full of fabulously sexy men in uniform, a scrappy heroine (and future heroines), menacing bad guys, and hot bedroom scenes, Officer Next Door kept me turning pages and has me anticipating more installments in Rose’s Lock and Key series.

*****

Author Info:

Ranae Rose is the best-selling author of more than twenty adult romances and counting. Originally from Maryland, she grew up the daughter of a US Marine and always wanted to be a writer. Today she lives on the US East Coast with her man in uniform, young children, German Shepherd dogs and overflowing bookshelves.

Her love affair with the romance genre began as a teen when a classmate handed her a romance comic book. Instantly hooked, she read them during class behind her textbooks and under her desk. She hasn’t looked back since.

When she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys things like good coffee, travel and fitness – especially pursuing her elusive goal of getting her husband to tap out on the jiu jitsu mats (no luck so far).

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

*****

Giveaway:

Signed Print of any Ranae Rose title & Lock and Key series swag

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5440a35497/

*****

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Book Review – A January Bride

16 Saturday Aug 2014

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cover40307-mediumPart of A Year of Wedding Novella series

In A January Bride by Deborah Raney, what will happen when novelist Madeleine Houser’s “pen pal” friendship with a lonely widower takes an unexpected turn?

Who can work in a house that’s overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny’s friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper – but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner – a man who’s likely many years her senior – and who she’s never even met.

So we’re only a couple of chapters in before it is revealed that Arthur isn’t an old man like Maddie thinks.  He’s a young widower with a unique friendship with Ginny, just like her.  But we get to be there as Maddie and Art learn more about each other thru notes left to each other every day.  It’s quaint and old-fashioned … and very warming.  I love that they take time to write heartfelt notes, even if they are short and sometimes mundane.  It’s sweet that they each develop a crush on what they think is an older person, someone who isn’t actually a romantic possibility.

Maddie hasn’t had a good history with her relationships and Art still has some feelings of guilt and uncertainty about moving on from his first wife.  So when they find out that there feelings could lead to something more, they have to decide if their timing is right and if they are willing to give romance a chance.

For a sweet, fast read that will leave you with that warm-fuzzy, A January Bride is the perfect choice.

Book Review – The Homecoming

15 Friday Aug 2014

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cover47637-mediumIn a small town, reputation is everything. In her latest novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr explores the burden placed on a young man returning home to face his mistakes—the first step in claiming the life he was meant to live

At the age of nineteen, Seth Sileski had everything. A superb athlete and scholar, handsome and popular, he was the pride of Thunder Point. Destined for greatness, he lost it all in a terrible accident that put an end to his professional football career when it had barely begun. The people in his hometown have never forgotten what might have been.

Seth has come to terms with the turns his life has taken. But now he’s been presented with an opportunity to return home and show his father—and the people of Thunder Point—he’s become a better, humbler version of his former self.

Winning over his father isn’t the only challenge. Seth must also find a way to convince his childhood neighbor and best friend, Iris McKinley, to forgive him for breaking her heart. With his homecoming, will Seth be able to convince the town, his family and especially Iris that he’s finally ready to be the man who will make them all proud?

I keep saying the same thing about Carr’s books – they are realistic, heart-warming, and addictive.  Every time I pick one up, it is like catching up with old friends and I’m ready for the next one as soon as I finish one.

In The Homecoming, we get to meet Mac’s replacement, Seth, and school counselor, Iris. Seth was mentioned during The Promise, but he doesn’t actually appear until this book and if Iris was in any of the others I don’t remember her.  But that’s OK, I love meeting new friends too.  And that also means that if this is your first Thunder Point book then you’ve chosen a good place to start.

I’ve mentioned it with other books, but the friends-to-lovers plotline is one of my favorites and Carr delivers it beautifully here.  There was a misunderstanding between Seth and Iris in high school that ruined their friendship.  Over the years, Seth realizes that the thing that has been missing from his life is Iris and now that he’s back in town he plans on getting her back.  Iris had feelings for Seth for years and even though she’s tried to move on with other guys, she’s never gotten over those feelings.But she doesn’t believe that he could feel anything romantic for her … after all, he didn’t in high school, so why should he now.

I love these two together.  They had a fantastic friendship and a connection that the years apart couldn’t destroy.  Now they have the chance to make it into more and it is super sweet and fun and sassy and cute.  We also have Seth’s attempt to reconnect with his father and some drama over a high school student who might be abused.  With Iris and Seth’s jobs, it fits in well with their developing relationship.

And that is where the true drama lies because Iris and Seth flow seamlessly into their new relationship and it works so well.  There isn’t too much angst and trouble, just a little bit where she doesn’t really trust his feelings (and a little bit about what caused their rift all those years ago), then a little bit about another guy who has feelings for Iris.  (And I love Troy, I’m pretty sure his will be the next story and I’m looking forward to finding out everything I can about him.)  Otherwise, it is a trademark Carr relationship – so real and so believable, these people could just as easily be your neighbors or friends.

And that, at its basic level, is why I love the Thunder Point books.  It all goes back to how I feel like I’m coming home again – making friends and catching up on the goings on in my favorite little coastal town.  As I mentioned earlier, this is a good place for new readers to start … but you better be ready to go back and read all of the others as well.  Addictive page turners, with characters who have depth and charm, are Carr books at their best.

Book Review – Crazy for You

13 Wednesday Aug 2014

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cover38709-mediumIn the tradition of Janet Evanovich and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Juliet Rosetti ups the ante in her laugh-out-loud funny Escape Diaries series, as Mazie Maguire must use any means necessary to keep her main squeeze out of the slammer.

Once you escape from prison and ride off into the sunset with the gorgeous guy who helped you nail a killer, you live happily ever after, right? Well, not exactly—not if you’re Mazie Maguire, and the flow chart of your life looks like a pinball machine. Mazie has broken up with her guy, Ben Labeck, she can’t pay her rent, her car is infested with mice, and she’s working at a coffee shop where the dress code is teddies, thongs, and toe-cleavage heels. Now Ben is the chief suspect in a murder investigation, and Mazie’s tapping into her fugitive wiles to keep him out of jail. Strictly as friends, she vows. No kissing, no touching, no romance. But how is Mazie supposed to keep her thoughts platonic when her “buddy” is giving her erotic back rubs, and a make-believe-we’re-newlyweds charade puts her in the mood for a wedding night?

I love the Mazie Maguire books – if you haven’t read The Escape Diaries put it on your TBR pile immediately. Mazie is quirky and funny and keeps getting herself in the most entertaining situations.  She reminds me a lot of Evanovich’s early Stephanie Plum – full of charm and spunk and a whole lot of luck, both good and bad.

The mystery is intriguing and quite solid, as is the more romantic element.  Sometimes you have to short-change one to get the other, but Rosetti does a good job of balancing both.  Just like The Escape Diaries though everything isn’t quite wrapped up with a pretty bow, but that just gives us more material for the next one.

The supporting cast is a hoot – full of drag queen performers, “lingerie model” baristas, smart-mouthed kids, and a hunk or two to keep things steamy.  I wish my life was made up with half the colorful characters that Mazie surrounds herself with.

A fast paced read, with a lot of humor and suspense, Crazy for You is perfect for those looking for a more lighthearted mystery mixed with a good amount of romance.  With an addictive writing style and even more addictive characters, Rosetti is quickly becoming a can’t-miss author for me.

Book Review – You Again

12 Tuesday Aug 2014

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It is a light week for blog tours so I”m going to be doing book reviews for the rest of the week.  Hope you find something you like!

*****

YouAgain500Old acquaintances, New Lovers, and Murder…

A hopeless crush…

Back in high school, Allie McBride thought the sun set around Sam Fratto’s smiles, even if they were only friends. Now she’s older, wiser, hotter, and teaching at the same school they grew up in. When Sam joins the faculty, she has a chance to make good on the crush that got away. But when a dead body turns up on school grounds, they realize there might be a murderer in their midst. The heat keeps getting hotter between Allie and Sam, but more might be in danger than their hearts…

The cute kid from high school is all grown up…

A family crisis brings true-crime writer Sam Fratto back to town after more than a decade’s absence. Teaching at his alma mater seems like a good way to pass the time—especially when he sees that Allie, the geeky, sweet-mannered girl from high school, has blossomed into the saucy teacher in the classroom next door. Too bad finding a dead body transforms his return into one of his true-crime books come to life. And when it seems the killer might be after Allie next, it’s up to him to keep her safe…

A killer determined to keep the past buried at any price…

As if dealing with the return of one ghost from her past wasn’t enough, it looks like the killer might be the person they least suspected. Someone from the past. Someone with something to hide. Someone who thinks Allie and Sam are getting a little too close to the truth. If Allie and Sam are going to get out of this alive, these two friends to lovers will have to work together…or die together…

A few months ago we took a look at You Again and I’m just now getting around to reading it … I’m not sure what took me so long!  It’s got an interesting, fast-paced mystery and fabulous, high school-crush romance.

The suspense part of the story is great. It flows well and I didn’t feel like there were too many red herring moments. Everything tied together nicely, with logical flow and a reasonable resolution. Every step of the way, each clue that was unearthed, worked together nicely and nothing felt forced or like it didn’t make sense.

And I liked Sam and Allie together.  They work together well to figure out what happened and along the way get to know each other better, falling in love.  Of course, it helps that Sam is a true crime writer but that causes a little trouble too.

With entertaining intrigue and a lovely little romance, You Again is perfect for those who like their mysteries with a love story twist.

Book Review – A December Bride

10 Sunday Aug 2014

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cover36471-mediumWhat started as a whim turned into an accidental – and very public – engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel Springs this holiday season – for the sake of her career . . . and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy, the best friend of Layla O’Reilly’s ex-fiance would be the last person she’d marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency, a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she’ll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she’s landed her client. For Layla, it’s the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it’s his last chance to win her heart. A year’s worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.

A December Bride is a sugary sweet story, perfect to remind readers about the miracles of the holiday season.  It’s actually book 1.5 in Hunter’s Chapel Springs series – I haven’t read the first book (although the second full length story is in my TBR pile) and I didn’t really find that it made that much of a difference … although there were some hints about what happened in the first one.  It was more of an “ooh, what happened” moment than anything that would interfere in reading this one.

And I loved Seth and Layla together.  They were friends, they were on the borderline of maybe going somewhere romantic, then she started dating his best friend.  That relationship ended badly and Layla blamed Seth for some of what happened, which destroyed their friendship.  Now thrown together by a fake engagement (it does make sense in context), they have the chance to find out whether their pretend relationship could turn into something real.

Seth has to deal with the fact that he had feelings for his friends girl and that he has some responsibility (very slight) for the hurt she felt when that relationship ended.  He’s caring and hardworking and wants very much to have a second chance with Layla.

Layla still has a lot of bitterness and anger toward her ex and with Seth.  Now thrown together with him for the good of her business, she remembers all the reasons why they were friends … and with the possibility for more.  But she has to decide if she is willing to let go of those past hurts and look to the future.

Novella in length, Hunter still manages to pack a fantastic story into just a few pages.  She manages to give readers a detailed history of their relationship, setting up their happy ending nicely, but still telling a complete and in-depth romance in the present.  A December Bride is compelling and sweet, full of so much sappy, happy love.