Hoodoo Heaven by Reggi Dupree Boudin, Barbecue, and Hoodoo series #0.5. Paranormal women’s fiction. 1st person. Gwendolyn Carter may be cursed, in her Hoodoo Heaven by Reggi Dupree Boudin, Barbecue, and Hoodoo series #0.5. Paranormal women’s fiction. 1st person. Gwendolyn Carter may be cursed, in her forties, bisexual and with an extra 20 pounds she’d love to get rid of, but she’s not sitting still to accept the inevitable. She running out of the gate punching, kicking and shooting. Her last four lovers are dead. It’s a curse. So she’s going to be single for now and see what happens on her 45th birthday. She’s got all kinds of crazy monsters following her. She takes a chance on the mysterious Alex who says he wants a tattoo. Who knows if that’s all he wants. He certainly is hot enough to start some fantasies. If she can live long enough.
A novella length story that introduces Gwen and who or what, she is. There is some back story but lots more unanswered questions. The attitude and confidence of this woman is absolutely incredible. Sassy, sarcastic, and “this is me”. I can’t wait to read more. ...more
Stolen by the Berserker by Asa Maria Bradley Paranormal romance novella. Canada be read as a stand-alone. Immortal Viking Sten Agnarsson is on a trip tStolen by the Berserker by Asa Maria Bradley Paranormal romance novella. Canada be read as a stand-alone. Immortal Viking Sten Agnarsson is on a trip to buy weapons in Montana so the Vikings faked legal documents aren’t scrutinized as closely as they would be Washington state. The Vikings are mostly over 1000 years old and prefer their blades but those don’t always work in the modern world. Cassie inherited her Grandmother’s old cabin and ancient truck in White Spruce, Montana. She’s selling the land but in the meantime working at a local diner to cover living expenses before going back to college. Sten recognizes Cassie from a prior trip to White Spruce and the diner. He really appreciates her laugh and curves. When his car breaks down and Cassie offers him a place to stay, both their lives change.
The Berserker goes off the rails. A sexy and quick instalove story. Plenty of twists that bring the two together. ...more
Dark Restraint by Katee Robert Dark Olympus series #7. Dark mythology Fantasy romance retelling with erotica elements. Can be read as a stand-alone. ADark Restraint by Katee Robert Dark Olympus series #7. Dark mythology Fantasy romance retelling with erotica elements. Can be read as a stand-alone. Ariadne Vitalis grew up with a strict and cruel father. She defies her virginity required destiny, aka political manipulation and has a steamy encounter with the Minotaur she’s always wanted. Complications and betrayal plus political maneuvers had Ariadne engaged to Dionysus. The Minotaur was promised Ariadne and he will do whatever is necessary to have her. She’s meant for him. And while she knows her father has ordered the Minotaur to kill her, she cannot resist the passion they share.
Very Dark and super steamy. Political games intensify setting up the next story. The Minotaur is violent except with Ariadne, but he is very possessive of her. Nothing, in capital letters, in this book is on my preferred troupes list, yet I continue to be compelled to indulge.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley as Wish Granted on release day. ...more
What She’s Having by Laura Moher Big Love from Galway series #2. Contemporary second-chance romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but characters from tWhat She’s Having by Laura Moher Big Love from Galway series #2. Contemporary second-chance romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but characters from the first book are present in this second book and could be considered a spoiler. First person, present tense. Alternating POV. Multi-timeline via sequential letters. Joe Anderson moves back to Galway, North Carolina after twenty years hoping to reconnect with his one true love. He only recently learned that all the letters he wrote to her, were never delivered. He wants a second chance. He’s never stopped loving her. July Tate is a powerhouse in the town of Galway. She cooks and runs a popular and busy restaurant, helps and supports a group of veterans every week, plays on the town softball league and gets involved in other community improvements. What she doesn’t do, is involve her heart. The devastation left behind when she lost the love of her life is simply too much to bear a second time. When Joe shows up back in town with a pile of undelivered letters addressed to her, she’s unwilling to soften her heart. She simply can’t go a loss like that again.
Vampire’s Never Say Die by Gloria Duke Slaying It series #2. Paranormal vampire romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. First person, present tense, allVampire’s Never Say Die by Gloria Duke Slaying It series #2. Paranormal vampire romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. First person, present tense, all from Carrie’s POV. Carrie Adams wakes up “ripped” one morning and finds she’s now a vampire slayer. Crazy! Turns out an annoying coworker opted to become a vampire and universe rules require balance, thus Carrie’s change. She needs to figure out what this means for her aspiring acting career as well as her growing feelings for the vampire that caused all this.
Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley The Wild Wynchesters series #5. Historical romance with a unique family and plenty of humor. Can be read as a stand-aloHot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley The Wild Wynchesters series #5. Historical romance with a unique family and plenty of humor. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series. Bold and curvy Elizabeth Wynchester loves her trusty sword and vanquishing villains. Her family knows her occasional physical limitations and are totally behind her taking on the mission of finding a will somewhere inside the dastardly Earl of Densmore’s castle and handing it over to the orphans. Finding the castle covered in hidden traps, she’s calls on her Beth the berserker motivation to get past the rogue guarding the keep. She’ll find that will if it means breaking doors and making someone bleed. Reclusive inventor and tinkerer Stephen Lenox agreed to impersonate his cousin for a few days inside his castle. Three months later, his cousin hasn’t returned and he has multiple people demanding to take possession of the castle which he is mostly trying to ignore other that setting plenty of traps and setting up listening posts around the turrets. When a beautiful and curvy woman starts using a double axe on his castle door, he knows his hiding time is up. She explains her quest for the orphanage and agrees to help repel the neighboring war games threat but she may not be able to keep her hands off him. Those abdominal muscles she accidentally exposed with her trusty sword are lick worthy!
Oh those rascally Wynchesters. They all have their unique skill sets and they are taking on more cases for the underdog. Fast action, plenty of humor, sexy longings and absurd costumes all lend itself to total acceptance for this do-good family. Don’t miss a single episode. They bring color and joy to life that you won’t be able to resist.
“Did you just say ‘measure the viscosity’? I have never heard a phrase more erotic. Prepare to lose your virginity.”
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen Fantasy romance. Hart Ralston is a Marshall and responsible for patrolling Tanria and killing any livThe Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen Fantasy romance. Hart Ralston is a Marshall and responsible for patrolling Tanria and killing any living drudge. He’s been in the service since he was sixteen and after his first partner was killed when Hart was nineteen, he’s worked alone. It’s a lonely and unforgiving job, living in a desolate area, killing drudge after drudge, hoping to never again run into a cluster. Mercy Birdsall has been running her family’s undertaking business single-handedly since her father’s been sidelined by a heart attack while her brother is still in school. The last thing she needs is an antagonistic encounter with Hart as he drops another body on her doorstep. Why he’s so insulting and infuriating, she’ll never know, but at least those keyless bodies he brings in will mean income for the business.
On a bad day, Hart decides to write a letter to the universe, sharing his loneliness and by some trick of fate or the gods, the letter is delivered to Mercy and the two develop a deep connection. In a You’ve Got Mail “let’s meet” similar scene, he finds out who his friend is and now has to reassess his relationship with her.
Great world building details. I loved the use of the seemingly useless human organ appendix. I’m not a huge mythological fan so tend to gloss over those details but this includes some uniqueness that was interesting such as the days of the week. (Thanks to my bookclub peeps for pointing out I had this wrong. ...more
My Orc (Fake) Boyfriend by Veronika Kane Eastshore Isle series #2. Paranormal erotic romance. 1st person, alternating between Melinda and Cairo. Can beMy Orc (Fake) Boyfriend by Veronika Kane Eastshore Isle series #2. Paranormal erotic romance. 1st person, alternating between Melinda and Cairo. Can be read as a stand-alone romance but characters from the first are in this book, and this one takes place after the first. Melinda O’Donnell owns the bakery on Eastshore Isle. She’s happy with her success but her wealthy family coming to visit in July expects to set her up with a doctor or lawyer and have her moving back home. Impulsively, Meli tells her family she has a boyfriend and she’ll stay with him while they are in town. Cairo is an Orc. He’s lived and worked as a mechanic on Eastshore for years and enjoys picking up cupcakes from the bakery a couple times a week. Usually the place is closing when he shows up, but this time there are several people in the store and he’s shocked when Meli announces they are a couple and he finds himself in a lip lock with her! Meli needs to convince her family that Cairo is her choice, while he needs to convince her to be his mate.
Feel good, low angst, high heat romance with fated mates, one bed, grumpy sunshine, all in a small town setting.
Entertaining and a steamy quick read. A humorous version of monster porn without anything extra. ...more
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez Librarians in Love series #1. Contemporary romance. Cinnamon roll hero. 1st person, present tense from Marcela’s The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez Librarians in Love series #1. Contemporary romance. Cinnamon roll hero. 1st person, present tense from Marcela’s POV. Own voice, Mexican-American heritage. Ex NFL football player Theo Young has retired and is back home in San Antonio, Texas expecting to coach football at a local high school. After a few drinks at the engagement party for his brother and fiancé, Theo decides it is the perfect time to tell his brother’s fiancée that he has loved her all since they were kids and won’t she reconsider marrying him instead of his brother? Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend since college. Now that he’s engaged, Marcela knows she needs to move on. When Marcela hears Theo muttering to himself about confronting the bride-to-be, she takes action and gets him out of there to sleep off his drinking. They both seem to be in the same position - in love and needing to walk away. They take advantage of rumors to first, appear to be together, and then second, to find they have a lot in common and maybe actually act on their sizzling chemistry.
Neither Marcela nor Theo have been in a long term romantic relationship. Both have self confidence and self-image problems to work on, more so for Marcela as a curvy woman.
Marcela and I have a lot in common with the second bedroom library, donating books, excited to talk about books, Goodreads usage, and of course, body image. I liked how she overcame the uncomfortable and learned to be okay with herself although it was a little inconsistent in the story. I was happy when she started to realize that her friendship with Ben had problems. Theo is adorable. He’s an athlete, looking forward to slowing down, and wants to please and make Marcela happy more than anything else. “He breaks out in a smile that rivals the sun.” He’s not afraid or hesitant to show his emotions.
It’s romantic, encouraging, and has a few very sexy bedroom scenes to ramp up the flames.
Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett Contemporary romance. Retelling, Beauty and the Beast. Bellamy Price is the lead contractor in a historical house reBarely Even Friends by Mae Bennett Contemporary romance. Retelling, Beauty and the Beast. Bellamy Price is the lead contractor in a historical house remodel project. It’s her first time as lead though she’s worked in her father’s business since she was a child. She and her crew of experts will be restoring a mansion on the Killington Estate in New York but she finds the heir to the empire in residence. Oliver Killington is unwilling to relocate and doesn’t even want her anywhere near the west wing. It’s the family rooms of the estate and Oliver has been sequestered there since his parents died in a traumatic car accident almost ten years ago. Faced with an impossible deadline to update the mansion for crumbling walls to party ready, has Bellamy and Oliver working together restoring his home.
Oliver is guilt-ridden, thinking he’s responsible for getting his parents killed and basically abandoning his sisters to their dictator of a grandfather. Bellamy is confident in her restoration work, but not as much from a curvy woman relationship perspective. Together they work on the mansion, and after a bit of fumbling, a relationship. They are comfortable in the sexual togetherness, but the emotional has yet to be decided. Secondary characters make this novel rich with personality and humor.
Wild Scottish Beauty by Tricia O’Malley The Enchanted Highlands series #5. Contemporary paranormal romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as Wild Scottish Beauty by Tricia O’Malley The Enchanted Highlands series #5. Contemporary paranormal romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series. Willow Barlowe wants to be a designer and support herself. She wants out from under the controlling hands of her brother Miles. Willow accepts a job offer in the small town of Loren Brae, Scotland, that’s sound perfect. When she finds out that she’ll be working for Ramsay McMillan, she’s crushed, thinking it was all prearranged since Ramsay is a friend of her brothers. What’s worse, Ramsay doesn’t want her working for him. But the town has a bit of a supernatural side, and Willow moving to Loren Brae is more fortuitous than expected. Maybe she’ll actually act on that crush she had for Ramsay all those years ago.
Better Left Unsent by Lia Louis Contemporary romance, chick lit. Location - United Kingdom, Leigh-on-Sea. Two years ago, Millie Chandler had her heart bBetter Left Unsent by Lia Louis Contemporary romance, chick lit. Location - United Kingdom, Leigh-on-Sea. Two years ago, Millie Chandler had her heart broken. And everyone knew about it. Since then, she’s kept her feelings and dreams to herself. She doesn’t want to go through another humiliating event. To deal with her feelings, she writes emails that will not be sent. Private emails where she can express her frustration, her anger, her hurt, and her interest. A server outage at work somehow ends up with all those emails being sent and Millie is in trouble. Her coworkers know she still loves her ex. Her best friend knows how upset she is with her behavior. The list goes on and on. Millie can’t afford to quit her job and hide in bed for a year. Time to fake it and deal with the consequences.
What a nightmare! I have a lot of those emails myself. They are cathartic. But never send one! Time for me to review and make sure there aren’t any legitimate Send To addresses in those. Responses around Millie are interesting. The ex’s new relationship seems to implode because of her email. And the hot crush is now talking to her! Humor, light self deprecating dialog, and hope. Provocative.
Second Night Stand by Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters Sapphic romance. Diverse. Izzy Wells doesn’t have time for more than an occasional hookup. She has aSecond Night Stand by Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters Sapphic romance. Diverse. Izzy Wells doesn’t have time for more than an occasional hookup. She has a theater to renovate though she doesn’t have the money. She enters the Great American talent show hoping the win would be able to help save the building and continue to make it a safe place for queer performers. Lillian Jackson has sacrificed everting for ballet, including a personal life. She enters the Great American Talent show hoping to use the winnings to keep her all-Black ballet company afloat. Izzy and Lillian have a history. Sure, it was only one night, but being in competition against each other now stirs buried feelings of what could have been. And what might be. Their chemistry together was sizzling and neither can forget. Would it be too much to hope to make their dreams work?
TV reality show competition vs. two dedicated professional woman that have strong goals and need for those winning points. Attraction and great sex are wonderful but when weighed against a possibility of losing everything they’ve worked for, it’s not enough. Or maybe it is? Strong, unique women. A stage and all the family of theater that’s a bit brash and real. It’s not always comfortable. But as family, they are a collective unit with a mutual goal. From the inside. Interesting, romantic and positive but too much theater for me in the whole. 3.5
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan Skyland series #2. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. Diverse / own voices. Secondary characters withThis Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan Skyland series #2. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone. Diverse / own voices. Secondary characters with autism or on the spectrum. Soledad Barnes has her life planned out. She’s a domestic goddess with the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But nothing has prepared her for her husband getting caught swindling millions from his clients and ending up in jail. Soledad must reassess her life and protect her daughters above all else. She needs to find a way to pay the bills and keep food on the table. Soledad discovers she is strong and resilient. She can provide for her girls and while she’ll never trust her ex again, she can move forward. Whether she can learn to trust another man with her life and family is still to be determined.
How would you rebuild your life after a betrayal? You can’t quit. You have people depending on you. Soledad is smart and I had to admire her confidence in finding and building a career after such a blinding event. Trusting someone with your heart? Baby steps for sure. Judah is such a patient and kind man. He’s already 100% committed to his sons, and yet he’s ready and willing to take on more. Seems like he clearly has some similar issues with his sons, but has been able to have a high level career, and family. Love on top over everything else is amazing. Heart wrenching but so self affirming in the end that this romance is absolutely exquisite. Soledad and Judah are made for each other.
Not Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher Supernatural Singles series #3. Witchy paranormal romance. Can be read as a standalone but better as part of tNot Your Crush’s Cauldron by April Asher Supernatural Singles series #3. Witchy paranormal romance. Can be read as a standalone but better as part of the series of the three sisters. Olive Maxwell prefers teaching about the supernatural world rather than taking part in it. She gets a bit of a wake up call career wise, and after assigning her college students a project designed to nudge them out of their comfort zones, she decides to take her own assignment to heart and make changes in her own life. First on the list of changes is moving in with Baxter Donovan, a long-time crush, friend, and tattooed, motorcycle-riding guardian Angel. Bax Donovan believes his charges should have free will, so his records aren’t all top marks. His newest assignment is Olive, who is usually low-risk. He’s more than willing to spend time helping her expand her boundaries and try new things. Bax needs to remember to keep his hands to himself while they are both trying new things. He has his own rules of Conduct to follow even though it’s going to be one of the hardest things he’s ever done.
Amusing, sexy, and empowering. A reminder to get out and try your own new things. Bax and Olive have some serious issues but by putting the worry aside, living and loving, and trying new things, they feel better able to deal with obstacles. Olive’s list is crazy! I’m not going to be an acrobatic silks performer, nor am I going anywhere near the rest of her list. But a little fantasy love play may be doable. Inspiring, if only…...more
Nevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St Aubin Townsend Harbor series #1. Contemporary romance. Cady Bloomquist runs the local bookstore inNevermore Bookstore by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St Aubin Townsend Harbor series #1. Contemporary romance. Cady Bloomquist runs the local bookstore in Nevermore. Business isn’t great but thanks to a weekly call from a customer with an order, she’s doing ok. She looks forward to that Thursday night phone call every week with more anticipation and a little bit of flirting. She doesn’t know much about him other than he is a prolific reader and he has a mesmerizing voice. Roman Fawkes has PTSD from his time in the service. He feels it’s best for everyone if he lives by himself in the wilderness. But he can’t give up books and has also become addicted to his conversations with Cady. When her store is broken into one night while he’s on the phone he goes instantly into protective mode and runs into Townsend Harbor to investigate. But with his “condition” in mind, he poses as a local homeless person and makes himself useful to Cady in repairs and services. If only he could tell her who he is but that wouldn’t be safe for her.
Adorable, a bit snarky and entirely entertaining. Lots of feisty banter, some steamy hot scenes and a slow build or a romance that will make you sigh in contentment. I absolutely love that she fell for Fox in both his iterations. Love she fell for both versions of Fox. Of course, she still has to convince him that’s it’s going to work out and in the meantime a little passion doesn’t hurt anyone....more
When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein Contemporary romantic comedy. Grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into writing his memoir. He When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein Contemporary romantic comedy. Grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into writing his memoir. He knows he doesn’t want to write it himself because he hates revealing anything personal about his life. So the publisher hires ghostwriter Mabel Willicker to help. Their initial meeting doesn’t go as she expected and then he turns up at a restaurant she’s at and then a coffee shop on way home. What the heck is he doing? He doesn’t want to work with her so why is he following her? They end up working together but and he does share things with Mabel but he continually puts conditions on what she can and cannot include. Eventually their working together is noticed by the media and since the contract is confidential they end up posing as a romantic couple. Until feeling become more than a simple contract.
Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory Improbable Meet Cute Collection. Contemporary romance novella centered around a meet cute on Valentine’s DDrop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory Improbable Meet Cute Collection. Contemporary romance novella centered around a meet cute on Valentine’s Day. All six can be read on their own. Daisy Murray has been going to the local bakery since it opened. She absolutely loves all the pastries. The owner always throws her a fierce scroll her way and Daisy is sure he hates her. So she vows to stop going. But she loves the hand pie so much she goes in anyway on Valentine’s Day where she first sees everything has been sold out and then there is an earthquake and she is stuck in the bakery with the owner.
Impressions are everything. He frowns and looks mean. She has a “resting smile face”. Their time trapped in the bakery makes them talk to each other and Daisy finds out why she always gets an extra pasty in her bag. Look beyond first impressions. You don’t know what they are actually thinking. 3.5...more
Wild Scottish Knignt by Tricia Knignt The Enchanted Highlands series #1. Sophie MacKnignt inherits a Scottish castle and soon learns it’s not as empty Wild Scottish Knignt by Tricia Knignt The Enchanted Highlands series #1. Sophie MacKnignt inherits a Scottish castle and soon learns it’s not as empty as she thought, but in fact comes with a hot grumpy Scotman and Kelpies that terrorize the tourists. Sophie uses her marketing expertise to bring the castle and town shops into the current times while also figuring out how she can possibly be the magickal knight the town needs. Fortunately Clyde, the ghost coo (cow) is friendly with a sense of humor. Now she just needs to convince Lachlan Campbell not to be so grumpy!
A romantic comedy with a light touch of magick and a sexy Scotman for the California transplant. I enjoyed Sophie’s love of spreadsheets and her need of being organized. She is so generous in helping the town. Her unsettled feeling when Lachlan is able to easily lift her up is adorable. Delightful and enchanting....more
On the Plus Side by Jenny L Howe Contemporary romance, or women’s fiction with romance. Plus size / fat shaming fighting back. Everly Winters is perfecOn the Plus Side by Jenny L Howe Contemporary romance, or women’s fiction with romance. Plus size / fat shaming fighting back. Everly Winters is perfectly happy wearing dark colors, living above the garage of her brother’s house and working as a receptionist. Since her grandmother died, and her mother’s constant reminders to lower her voice or questioning her eating choices, Everly prefers to have the focus pointed elsewhere. When her favorite television hosts appear at her desk and tell her she’s been nominated for a makeover of On The Plus Side, Everly realizes she is going to have to figure out what she really wants to do in life. Does she want to explore a career in art? How is this tv show going to rebuild her confidence? They seem to have focused on a male coworker as the main story but that is not what Everly thinks is important or really even relevant to her makeover.
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