Release Blitz + Review: "Devastating in a Kilt" by Anna Durand

I'm pleased to participate in the release blitz promoting "Devastating in a Kilt" by Anna Durand, book #9 in the Hot Scots series. I haven't read any of the previous books in this series, and I admit to being a bit worried that I might feel lost by starting with the ninth book. It reads as a complete standalone, however, and I'm glad I gave it a shot because I really enjoyed this cute second chance/accidental pregnancy romance.

 

After a whirlwind romance and wedding in Las Vegas, Highlander Jack MacTaggart took his new bride, Autumn Flowerday, home to Scotland with him, but their marriage fell apart almost as quickly as it began. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, Autumn begged Jack to move back to the U.S. with her, but he refused, so she left him and they divorced. Nearly two years later, Autumn and Jack were tricked into meeting up again on a "blind date" and found that while the fiery chemistry between them was still there, so were their differences. They spent a memorable afternoon together but went their separate ways, until Autumn showed up at Jack's door eight weeks later to inform him that they were about to be parents. That was where the story really began as Jack and Autumn tried to figure out how to build a healthier relationship so that they could co-parent successfully when the baby arrived.

I liked Jack despite his tendency toward moodiness and the fact that he basically held Autumn hostage in his house when she first returned to Scotland. Autumn was a sweetheart even though it seemed like she delighted in pushing Jack's buttons at first. As the story unfolded, it became clear that she was just trying to get him to be more relaxed, like he was when they first met in Las Vegas. All Autumn wanted was for Jack to be true to himself and stop hiding behind the mask he wore for his family for so long. Jack and Autumn really were cute together, and it was easy for me to cheer them on to their HEA.
 

I recommend "Devastating in a Kilt" for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I will definitely be picking up more of the books in this series. Jack's sweet, slightly crazy, meddling family members were a highlight of this story and I look forward to learning more about them.

 

*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Grey's Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Devastating in a Kilt"

"Ex" marks the hottest spot.

Having a fling with my ex-husband is a huge mistake. I might have walked out two years ago, but he divorced me. A meddling friend has set us up on a blind date, and though I should know better, I still can't resist Jack MacTaggart's hot body and his sensual skills. After one steamy afternoon in a Scottish hotel room, it's over--again.

But we forgot something on that day when we gave in to our mutual lust.

Autumn Flowerday left me without explaining why. Now she's back--with a revelation that changes everything. We're having a baby. All we've ever done is argue and shag, but that's not enough. Aye, the sex is bloody fantastic. But with a child on the way, we need to settle our differences. Maybe we have a chance...

Until the entire MacTaggart clan decides to help us out. Bloody hell.

Devastating in a Kilt is the ninth book in the award-winning, bestselling Hot Scots series of contemporary romances. Coming soon in audio featuring Shane East & Emma Wilder.  

 

Release Blitz + Review: "Hard to Lose" by K. Bromberg

I'm very excited to take part in the release blitz celebrating "Hard to Lose" by K. Bromberg, book #4 of the Play Hard series. It reads as a complete standalone, but I absolutely loved the first three books of the series and highly recommend picking them up in addition to this one.

 

"Hard to Lose" was nothing like I expected it to be, in the best of ways. Unlike its predecessors in this series, I wouldn't really classify it as a sports romance at all; it felt more like a small town/military romance to me. While male lead Ryan "Gunner" Camden was a former baseball player and his reasons for giving up the game were an important part of the story, his time in the military and the life he built after his discharge were just as important, if not more so. Gunner had quite a bit of survivor's guilt and other baggage to work through, but I loved that he chose to channel those feelings into helping others and living every day like it was his last, rather than withdrawing into himself and becoming a grumpy recluse.

 

Gunner's love interest, sports agent Chase Kincade, was a Type A overachiever who loved lists, and it seemed like a relationship between them would never work. They were drawn to each other from the moment Chase walked into Gunner's bar, however, and I adored their flirty, witty banter as their relationship blossomed. It always seemed like they were having fun together, no matter what they were doing. The problem was that their relationship was based on a lie, and deception was a total deal breaker for Gunner. Chase and Gunner were both likeable, sympathetic characters, and I found it easy to see both sides in their conflict as well as root for them to overcome the challenges standing in the way of their HEA.
 

I think I've said this about every book in the series so far, but "Hard to Lose" may have been my favorite one yet. I highly recommend it for all fans of emotional contemporary romance and am really looking forward to the next book in the series. I can't wait to find out how the author redeems Finn Sanderson's character given that he has been such a jerk up to now! 

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.  

 

 

About "Hard to Lose"

Hard to Lose by K. Bromberg is now live!

New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg brings you a romance about love, forgiveness, and living every day to the fullest.

I know finding and signing a military vet to the agency is a long shot--but it'll be good press just letting him try out. That's what I tell my family, rather than admit I can't get the letter he wrote us five years ago out of my head.

But what I tell the bartender in his hometown is a lie. I know veterans protect each other. So I pretend to be a graduate student.

Sparks. Flame. Fire. I accidentally got in too deep.

I didn't expect to develop feelings for Gunner Camden.

And there's no way I can admit to my lies now, not without destroying what we share. So I'll keep faking it.

***

There are two versions of me: before, and after deployment.

Back then I was a screwup kid. I'd lie, cheat, and steal my way out of everything. My only love was baseball.

After I started fighting, I found out there had been another path for me. One that involved my dream. But by then I had seen too much.

The old me was dead, so I put my dreams to rest, too.

Then Chase Kinkade walks into my bar and reminds me that life is meant to live. No regrets.

Fresh. Happy. Hopeful. I can start to see a new dream, with her.

But sometimes things are too good to be true... and dishonesty is the one thing I can't forgive.

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, or Barnes & Noble! 

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Oops, I've Fallen" by Max Monroe

Today, I'm delighted to join the blog tour celebrating the release of Max Monroe's latest standalone novel, "Oops, I've Fallen."

I adored this hilarious opposites-attract romance between ski instructor Carly Page and insurance company VP Ryan Miller, whose adorably flirty banter and fiery chemistry were a ton of fun from the moment they met. It seemed as if they were destined to become enemies after Carly stole Ryan's taxi at the airport, but instead, they became allies in an effort to survive their elderly parents' crazy behavior. Learning that they were about to become step-siblings nearly put an end to their blossoming romance, but with a little help from their families, they managed to overcome that hurdle and end up together.

The secondary romance between Carly's mom, Stella, and Ryan's dad, Sal, was also super cute, and their antics kept me very entertained throughout the story. At one point Carly complained to her sister Willow that it was as if their mom were aging backwards like Benjamin Button, which was exactly the perfect description for how she and Sal sometimes behaved. For example, Stella was more in touch with social media trends than either of her daughters; she even went viral with a TikTok video!

In short, "Oops, I've Fallen" was a laugh-out-loud funny, heartwarming story with just the right amount of steam. I highly recommend it for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans and look forward to whatever Max Monroe writes next.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Oops, I've Fallen"

Oops, I’ve Fallen, an all-new laugh out loud romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe is available now!

If my time with Ryan Miller were a hit track on the radio, I imagine the lyrics would go something like this…

“We’re so different, but they say opposites attract. Oops, I’ve fallen, and my heart doesn’t want to come back.”

But, holy bingo night, is my attraction to the sexy, broody businessman so much more complicated than the chorus of a song.

His dad lives right next to my mom, and after the two of them suffered an unexplained accident while taking down holiday decorations, both Ryan and I were forced to become the only thirtysomething residents of Sunny Creek Village Independent Senior Living Community.

Temporarily moving in might seem like overkill for a fractured tailbone and a severely pulled groin muscle, but believe me, when your mom is as wild as mine and your dad is as cantankerous as Ryan’s, they need supervision to ensure they stick to doctor’s orders.

Constantly thrown together by the antics of our crazy parents and the tough-as-nails community enforcer, Betty Matthews, Ryan and I formed an alliance for the sole purpose of survival.

But I never expected to be so interested in finding out what he was hiding beneath his grumpy, serious demeanor. More than that, I never dreamed what I found would be the kind of man women sell their souls to the devil for.

Unfortunately, our little one-hit wonder on the airwaves has more to say before it comes to an end.

Although, finishing the outro to this song is a real doozy...

Tell me…what lyric rhymes with Oops, I’ve fallen for my future stepbrother?  

Read an Excerpt from "Oops, I've Fallen"

RYAN

Incoming Call Dad.

I’m tempted not to answer—very tempted, actually—but I do anyway. There’s a chance he needs me, given the circumstances of my visit in the first place, and I don’t want to leave him hanging.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Where are you?”

“Baggage claim.”

“Baggage claim where?”

“Tampa.”

“What the hell, Ryan?” he bellows, making me close my eyes against the speech I know is coming. “I told you I’m good. You didn’t need to come here.”

“Yeah, well, your nurse said otherwise.”

“My nurse?” he questions. “Who? That old woman Jessica?”

“Old woman?” I retort on a laugh. “She was younger than you, Dad. By about twenty years.”

I had the pleasure of speaking to my dad’s nurse Jessica on FaceTime last night when I got a call that he had taken some sort of strange fall and had been escorted to the hospital in an ambulance.

“Whatever. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

“Actually, she does,” I correct. “And so does your doctor, who also recommended that I come down and help you out while you’re recovering.”

“Recovering.” He scoffs. “You’d think I had a heart attack or some shit. I pulled a muscle in my damn balls.”

I shut my eyes briefly. “Groin muscle, Dad. You pulled your groin muscle.”

“Same difference.”

I want to explain to him there’s a big difference, but in the name of not driving myself insane—or drawing the attention of everyone around me—I bite my tongue.

“Go home.”

“Too late for that. I’m already here,” I answer on a chuckle and step up to the carousel to snag my black duffel from it.

He groans. “You’re my least favorite kid sometimes.”

I shake my head. “I’m your only kid, Dad.”

“Yeah, and I like you the least right now.”

I snort. Sal Miller is a seriously complex mix of blunt honesty, overwhelming affection, and way too much testosterone for a seventy-five-year-old man. The good news is that when he sounds like he’s being an asshole, I still know that behind all the flashy insults, he loves me. “Hey, Dad?”

“What?”

“I’ll see you soon,” I say and hang up the phone before he can respond.

I scrub a hand down my face and take a deep breath. It’s moments like this that make me realize how much shit my mom had to put up with when she was still alive.

Mom, seriously, you were a saint.

With my duffel over my shoulder and my small carry-on rolling behind me, I walk out of the baggage claim area and toward the taxi line.

Normally, I’d rent a car, but since I had to book this flight so last minute and there’s apparently some kind of end-of-summer festival going on in downtown Tampa, there were no rentals available.

Hopefully, though, I’ll be able to arrange something tomorrow. Or else, I’ll have to cruise around in my dad’s Porsche while I’m here.

Not such a terrible fate for me, personally, but as far as taking him places with an injury to his damn groin muscle, I’m thinking his late-life-crisis Porsche won’t be ideal.

Once I make my way through the automatic doors, I spot the taxi line and count only three people in front of me. Not too bad.

While I stand in line, I pull my phone back out of my pocket and start scrolling through work emails. In just the short flight from New York to Tampa—two and a half hours, tops—my inbox has managed to accumulate over forty emails. Since the small regional plane didn’t offer Wi-Fi, I had to settle for working on my end-of-quarter reports.

On a sigh, I run my hand through my dark-brown hair and begin the task of sifting through what’s priority and what’s not.

Five emails done and the taxi line gets smaller by one person.

Another ten emails and the line gets shorter again.

By the time I reach the front, I slide my phone into my pocket and wait patiently as I spot a black taxi heading my way. The driver pulls the cab to a stop right in front of me, but just as I lift my duffel up and over my shoulder to carry it to the trunk, a rush of bright red careens past me.

“Oh, thank you so much!” a female voice calls toward the male driver who has just gotten out of the driver’s side to assist with bags.

But he shouldn’t be helping with her bags.

He should be helping with my bags.

What the fuck?

“Uh, excuse me?” I question loud enough to catch her attention.

She looks up from her spot at the trunk. Her long, wavy red hair fans down her shoulders, and a few rogue curls hang over her face. Bright-blue eyes meet mine, and I can’t stop my brain from thinking, Well, goddamn.

Smooth skin, striking features, and a few freckles dotting her nose, she’s…stunning. The kind of woman that urges a double and triple take. Between her gorgeous face and the way her long legs look beneath her cutoff jean shorts, this woman is like the girl next door, but with secrets.

Dirty fucking secrets.

“Were you talking to me?” she questions, tilting her head to the side when I don’t answer right away.

Shit. Get it together.

Those blue eyes of hers are still locked with mine, searching them in confusion.

“Uh…yeah…actually,” I say, clearing my throat. I glance between the taxi and the taxi line. “You’re kind of stealing my taxi.”

“I am?”

I smirk. “Yeah.”

“Did you call him yourself?”

My head jerks back in surprise. “Well, no, but—”

“So, you don’t know this driver?” she questions, looking between the driver and me. “Do you know him—” she pauses briefly, then asks “—what’s your name, sir?”

“Bob.”

She smiles at him. “Bob, do you know this man?”

“No.” The driver shakes his head.

“I didn’t call him,” I explain on a sigh. “But I followed the rules and waited in this taxi line like everyone else.”

“You follow the rules a lot?” she asks, and I don’t know what to make of her question.

It sounds dirty and sexy yet sarcastic and accusatory at the same time.

“Don’t most people?”

“I don’t.” She winks. “But you keep doing you, Barney Fife. The town of Mayberry needs you.”

Okay, she definitely just passive-aggressively called me a square.

“So, you’re just going to steal my taxi, then?” I question and glance over my shoulder to note the other people waiting in line like myself, but I quickly realize I’m the only one standing here. It doesn’t matter, though. My point is still valid.

“Well, I guess that depends.”

“On what?”

“Are you going to fight me for it?”

Excuse me?

“Am I going to fight you for the taxi?”

She nods.

“Um, no,” I answer on a laugh. What a weird fucking question. “I don’t make a huge habit of fighting women.”

“Okay then, I guess the answer to your question is yes, then.” She nods. Winks. Taps her hand on the top of the taxi. “Let’s hit it, Bob.”

Bob looks between me and the redhead, who is now getting into of the back seat of his taxi. But eventually, he just shrugs and hops back into the driver’s seat.

Then they’re off. Just like that.

And I don’t miss the way the mysterious, taxi-stealing redhead turns around in her seat to wave to me as they go or the fact that I’m feeling a lot less attuned to how pretty she is.

Her manners are apparently very, very ugly.

What in the hell just happened? 

***

Review: "The Prince Who Loved Me" by Abigail Sharpe

The Prince Who Loved Me by Abigail Sharpe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had mixed feelings about Abigail Sharpe's "The Prince Who Loved Me." On the one hand, the main characters, Brandi and Prince Sebastien, were both relatively likeable, and they made a cute couple. However, it frustrated me that Sebastien waited so long to tell Brandi about his feelings for her. He dropped so many hints that seemed transparently obvious to me, but Brandi was either completely oblivious or, more likely, willfully ignored them because she didn't think she was good enough for a prince.

My frustration continued even after Sebastien confessed because Brandi denied her own feelings and insisted on remaining friends, mainly because of her completely unfounded belief that Sebastien didn't support her dream of running her family's whiskey distillery as a separate business from the family inn. Her behavior towards Sebastien only seemed to get worse as the story progressed. For example, she would get angry and accuse him of not liking one of her ideas because of a single offhand comment, and then expected him to apologize to her even though he did nothing wrong. Honestly, I think Brandi needed a counselor more than she needed a boyfriend. She obviously had a lot of baggage to work through before she knew how to be in a healthy relationship.

In addition to the above issues, the end of the book felt very rushed to me. It was almost as if there was a chapter missing; the story jumped directly from Brandi playing softball with her friends and telling them that she had decided to rejoin a few dating apps to her flying to Sebastien's country to tell him that she loved him. What happened in between to change her mind about their relationship? In addition, she and Sebastien never actually seemed to work out their issues because they were so focused on standing up to his family and defending their relationship to them.

Overall, while this was not a completely terrible book, I had a tough time getting past Brandi's frustrating behavior and the oddly rushed ending that didn't give her and Sebastien enough of a chance to work out their issues. I'd recommend this book mainly for existing fans of the series who want to see how it all ends; otherwise, it's safe to give this one a pass.

*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl" by Hettie Bell

Thank you to Carina Press for inviting me to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl" by Hettie Bell.

 

I really enjoyed this cute, funny book, which IMO was just as much a coming-of-age story as it was a romance. After unexpectedly becoming pregnant from a drunken one-night stand with her stoner ex-boyfriend, main character Poppy Adams, the lone college dropout in a family of overachievers, must learn to navigate the complexities of impending motherhood while also establishing some much-needed boundaries with her overbearing mother and developing a healthier relationship with her older sister. Along the way, she met Rhiannon, a Planned Parenthood volunteer who also ran the knitting group Poppy joined in an effort to make new friends. Poppy and Rhiannon were quickly smitten, but the prospect of a long-term relationship was complicated by Poppy's pregnancy.

 

Poppy and Rhiannon's relationship seemed to move very quickly to me, but I did enjoy their flirty banter. I also liked that Rhiannon was so willing to stick up for Poppy with her family, though she was often more blunt than strictly necessary in how she expressed herself to them. What I did not like was the way that Rhiannon seemed to ghost Poppy a few times over the course of the story. I think part of the problem was that the story was narrated entirely from Poppy's POV, so it was sometimes difficult to understand exactly what Rhiannon was thinking. It might have been nice to include at least a few chapters from Rhiannon's POV in order for readers to get a better understanding of her behavior.

Despite that small frustration, I would recommend "Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl" for all fans of contemporary FF romance. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Hettie Bell's next book.  

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About "Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl"

Some people can’t wait to have babies. They’re ready for it—with their perfect lives and their pregnancy glow…

Poppy Adams doesn’t have a perfect life, and she wasn’t ready for the positive test. An unexpected baby—Poppy’s unexpected baby—won’t exactly have her family doing cartwheels. But she’s making the right choice.

Right?

Poppy’s totally got this. She just needs a little encouragement, and a knitting group is the perfect place to start. Baby blankets, booties, tiny little hats—small steps toward her new life. But she feels like she’s already dropped a stitch when she discovers the knitting group is led by the charismatic Rhiannon.

It’s not exactly a great time to meet the woman who might just be the love of her life. While the group easily shuffles around to make room for Poppy, it’s not so easy fitting her life and Rhiannon’s together. With the weeks counting down until her baby arrives, Poppy’s going to have to decide for herself what truly makes a family.

 

 

Read an Excerpt from "Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl"

It doesn’t take long for everybody in the group to set aside their own projects to focus on me and mine.

Grace has my ball of yarn in her hands, twisting the strand between her fingers critically. “If you’re knitting for a baby, you should really consider a nice bamboo…”

Louise is scrutinizing my choice of project. “You know, I started with dishcloths, then graduated to scarves. It’s not as glamorous, but it does let you get the fundamentals down.”

“Oh, my, no.” Mary flips the free pattern card I picked up in the craft store and scans the back with critical eyes. “You don’t want to do this, this is for a completely different weight of yarn than what you’ve got here. Where did you pick this up? They should be putting these patterns next to the suggested yarn. This one calls for fingering. What you need to do is get an account on Ravelry and find a pattern that’s been user-rated so you know it’s accurate and suitable for your skill level, and do that. You can search by yarn weight on there, too. This yarn is a DK…” She pulls out her phone, trailing off as she opens her web browser.

Damian, who has been sitting silently so far, takes this chance to finally speak up. “Do you have needles?” he asks plainly, no judgment in his tone. Nobody else has bothered with that crucial detail to this point.

Now those, at least, I do have. I reach into my purse and pull out the needles I scavenged from my last failed scarf project. I hold them up for the group’s inspection proudly.

“Poppy, no!” they say in unison, and even Damian joins in their exclamation of dismay. “These will never work!”

My shoulders slump. “What? Why?”

Louise clucks at me. “Much too big! Too long for a tiny baby pattern and too thick for this yarn. You’re going to end up with stretched out knitting full of gaps and holes.”

The familiar urge to just give up and quit hits me hard and fast, like a gut punch. I gust out a breath, slumping in my seat.

A hand closes around my shoulder. Rhiannon. “Hey, don’t feel bad. First time I tried to knit, I got my needles secondhand from the thrift store and accidentally bought two different sizes.” She laughs and shakes her head. “Here. If you don’t mind that they’re not high-tech Addi Turbos, you can borrow some needles from me.”

“She needs a pattern first,” Mary puts in. “And personally I think she should start by knitting mittens before she graduates to booties.”

“I guess that sounds all right.” I know they’re just trying to help, but I feel overwhelmed and outnumbered. But what would the alternative be? For them to sit there focused on their own projects, socializing with each other and ignoring me as I struggle?

It’s Rhiannon, once again, who calms the chaos, both the stuff going on around us and the stuff in my head. “Okay, okay, give the girl some space, now. Mary, can you search Ravelry for a pattern for a set of mittens and booties? And Grace and Louise, can you wind Poppy’s skein real quick so she doesn’t get stuck untangling yarn barf on her very first project?” My fellow stitch n’ bitch members nod, immediately turning to their tasks. She turns to me. “I left my straight needles with the rest of my stuff back at my place. It’s just a short walk from here. You wanna come and keep me company?”

“You’ll need a size five needle by the looks,” Mary calls, eyes glued to her phone.

Rhiannon looks at me expectantly, awaiting my answer. I get the sense that if I said no to her invitation, she’d be totally cool about it. But I don’t want to say no.

“Sure, yeah. Can I leave my stuff here?”

“We’re not leaving any time soon,” Damian flaps a hand. “Go, go. Sooner you go the sooner you get back, sooner you get back the sooner you can get started, and the sooner you get started the more time you have knitting with people who can pick up your dropped stitches.”

“Gotcha.” I nod. “Thanks.”

“Ready?” Rhiannon asks. She grabs a cookie for the road, stuffing it halfway into her mouth and holding it there comically.

I fight down the sudden image of myself biting that half a cookie right out from under her nose.

Wow, do I need some air. And some semblance of hormonal balance.

Instead, I’m getting alone time with Rhiannon.

Crash and burn time, here I come. 

 

Sale Blitz + Review: "Hollywood Dreams" by Molly O'Hare

Good news for my fellow 1-click addicts: Molly O'Hare's debut novel, "Hollywood Dreams," is on sale for $0.99 for a limited time! 

 

"Hollywood Dreams" is an enemies-to-lovers/bully romance between aspiring actress Maggie Connolly and A-list leading man Trevor McCain, whose paths crossed for the first time when Maggie accidentally interrupted Trevor's on-set tryst with another woman. Trevor immediately assumed the worst about Maggie and tried to get her fired because he believed that she was spying on him to sell pictures to the tabloids. The small role as a waitress was Maggie's first job since moving to Los Angeles, however, and she refused to give it up without a fight. 

 

I won't lie: Trevor was not an easy character to like, and his needlessly cruel comments and fat shaming of Maggie made me cringe more than once. No matter his baggage, it didn't justify the way he treated the people around him, especially Maggie. He did eventually figure out that he was wrong about her and apologize, but he tried to do so with gifts first so that he wouldn't actually have to say the words. I would have liked to see him grovel more before Maggie forgave him. She deserved a lot more than a single "I'm sorry" and a diamond necklace after everything that Trevor put her through!

While Trevor's behavior sometimes frustrated me, there were still a number of funny parts to this story. I particularly enjoyed the antics of Maggie's "devil cat," aka Pocket the Siamese. His vocalizing made him seem almost human at times, and his attacks on Trevor's feet and arms in defense of his mommy were often very well timed. The secondary romance between Maggie's friends Danny and Lexi was cute too. It was obvious how much they liked each other but each was afraid to say anything. I'm glad they'll be getting their own story.

Overall, while I didn't enjoy "Hollywood Dreams" as much as some of the other books I've read by this author (especially "Learning Curves," one of my favorite books of 2020), I would still recommend it for fans of enemies-to-lovers or bully romances. I look forward to Molly O'Hare's next release.

*Review copy provided by the author via Give Me Books Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

  

About "Hollywood Dreams"

When your Hollywood crush turns out to be the biggest D-bag on the face of the earth, can he ever redeem himself? Find out in this Enemies to Lovers, Bully meets Romcom Romance.

Curvy girl Maggie's thrilled to have gotten a part in a movie starring her celebrity crush, Trevor McCain. It’s her start on her walk to fame. However, her first experience on a film set could not have gone any worse. One wrong turn through a closed door and boom... finding out your heartthrob is nothing but a bully was not on her list of things to do in Hollywood. And now, Trevor was on a mission to squash her film debut before the first take.

Too bad Maggie had other plans…

Trevor is Hollywood's leading man and he's not afraid to take advantage of that fact. Men wanted to be him, and women wanted to be with him. Life couldn’t be more perfect. That was until Maggie walked in and ruined everything. Who knew her confidence and ability to tear him down a few hundred notches would ignite something in him he didn’t even know he had? He’s not supposed to want her, and yet, Maggie is all he can think about.

When the tension between them gets too hot for either to handle, can Trevor redeem himself before it’s too late?

Note: Hollywood Dreams is a standalone novel with a jerk hero who will stop at nothing to get the girl.

Blog Tour + Review: "The Muse" by Lauren Blakely

I'm pleased to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "The Muse" by Lauren Blakely, book #1 of the Beautiful Magic series.

"The Muse" was completely different from any of the other books I've read by Lauren Blakely, and refreshingly different from most of the other contemporary romance books I've read by any author. This fast-paced and compelling story features Julien Garnier, a 21-year-old art history student and intern at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, who suddenly finds himself interacting with art in a whole new way. I won't get into the details of the plot because IMO it's much more enjoyable to go into this story unspoiled, but I will say that I found the unique combination of romance, history, mythology, and magical elements to be almost compulsively readable. I couldn't put the book down and ended up reading it in a single afternoon.

I'm not usually a fan of paranormals, but I adored "The Muse" and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. I look forward to the next book in the series!

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Candi Kane PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

About "The Muse"

Midnight in Paris meets Night at the Museum!

A sweeping romance set in a modern-day Paris that’s full of magic, art, mysteries, and passion from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely, THE MUSE is everything you love about Lauren’s books with a twist! 

 

The first time a woman stepped out of a painting, I thought I was seeing things.

The second time, I thought I was going mad.

The night she emerged from a Renoir, I felt something else entirely — a deep stirring of desire, and the wish to get to know the brilliant beauty who’s been trapped inside a painted garden for years.

She can only come out at night in the Musée d'Orsay, where I work. There, after hours, we wander through galleries, with the Van Goghs, the Monets, and the Toulouse Lautrecs the only witnesses to our midnight kisses and, soon, our trysts.

She opens her heart to me, and I learn her story.

But she keeps secrets too, ones I hope to unravel. Why she was trapped. Why Renoir is hunting her. And why artwork in famous museums across the world is starting to disintegrate.

Why I, too, seem to be the only person who can repair the masterpieces.

As I fall deeper for the woman who’s trapped in a museum, I’m caught up in another side of Paris after dark, one inhabited by forgers, ghosts of famous artists and, impossibly, by Muses.

But someone is after the woman I’m falling in love with, and it’s up to me to save her…even if it means losing everything I’ve found with her. 

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Heart Smart" by Emma Lee Jayne

Today, I'm very excited to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Heart Smart" by Emma Lee Jayne, book #2 in the multi-author Work for It series published by Smartypants Romance. It is a complete standalone featuring all new characters, so there's no need to read the series in order. (That being said, I loved the first book of the series and highly recommend picking it up in addition to this one.)

 

I loved the banter and fiery chemistry between main characters Holly Dolinsky and Dr. Max Ramsey. Holly was the sunshine to Max's grump, and the slow burn of their enemies-to-lovers romance built beautifully. I couldn't help but like Max in spite of his grumpiness (possibly because his personality reminded me a bit of Sheldon Cooper). He really needed someone like Holly in his life who wasn't afraid to stand up to him, even when he tried to make her run away. I found it very easy to root for them to overcome all of the obstacles standing in their way and make their relationship work.

The book's secondary characters were also fantastic, and I'd love to read future stories about several of them. My favorite was Max's sister Tavey because of the way she teased him. It also made me laugh that she was constantly hacking into things so that she could spy on him. Max's lab assistant Gwen was also pretty great once she stopped acting so nervous around him.

Overall, I adored this funny, sweet, and heartwarming story and highly recommend it for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I will definitely be looking up this author's backlist and keeping an eye out for whatever she writes next.

 

*Review copy provided by Smartypants Romance. All opinions expressed are my own.  

 

  

About "Street Smart"

 

"Heart Smart," an all-new enemies to lovers contemporary romance from Emma Lee Jayne, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

Dr. Maximillian Ramsey has a problem ….

I’m a jerk. Everyone I know or have ever worked with agrees. “Misanthropic asshole” is the term I hear most often.

I don’t care what other people think as long as they leave me alone to focus on my research on soil microbiology. Plus, I walk with a cane thanks to a childhood accident. I have scars on my face. And if that isn’t enough to scare people off, my bad attitude and general grumpiness seal the deal. Which is just the way I like it.

Except, I’ve been short listed for one of the most prestigious academic fellowships around. To win it, I’ll have to give a series of speeches. On a stage. With an audience. While being filmed.

Yeah. None of that is going to happen.

Unfortunately, my boss has a plan. He brings in one of the communications lecturers to give me a “make over,” help me write the speeches, and manage my social media.

But the last thing I need is some nosy, bossy, gorgeous woman meddling in my life.

And Holly is the solution…

I’m a mere communications lecturer at a prestigious research university. I’m used to being outclassed and under-educated compared to the PhDs who surround me.

But I’m good at what I do. Brilliant, actually.

When Max’s boss (who happens to be my ex-husband) begs me to help transform this beast of a man into someone worthy of the fellowship, I have my work cut out for me.

It’ll take a lot of badgering, blatant manipulation, and some outright thievery to get Max to cooperate. All of which I handle with the enough professionalism and restraint that should earn me a fancy grant.

What I can’t handle is how unexpectedly attractive I find the stubborn and brilliant man.

This is a battle of wills and wits, and neither is prepared to admit defeat …
 

"Heart Smart" is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

 

 

Read an Excerpt from "Street Smart"

He stands up and shrugs out of his wet duster. I take it from him. It’s still dripping, so I walk into the back to hang it up in the work area where it can drip on the linoleum instead of the wood floors. When I turn back, I see Max has also shucked his jacket and draped it over the back of a nearby chair.

And he’s unbuttoning his shirt.

My steps slow. Then stop.

He’s looking down, so he doesn’t see my mouth drop open as he shrugs out of his oxford shirt. He’s wearing a white T-shirt on under his oxford.

I never, not in a million years, would have thought wearing a white shirt under a dress shirt would be inherently sexy. It shouldn’t be.

It’s oddly formal. It calls up images of old-world elegance and cuff links.

But it’s also just . . . hot.

Because while all of Max’s other clothes are ill-fitting—including the pants he’s still wearing—the crisp white undershirt is snug. It highlights every one of those perfect muscles I’ve been trying not to think about since I saw them at his house that day.

Every. Single. One.

From his stupidly broad shoulders to that narrow waist.

I’m still staring—who am I kidding? I’m still drooling—when he looks up from carefully draping his shirt over this jacket.

I must look like a pervy cartoon with bugging eyes and a long, dangling tongue, because he clears his throat and says awkwardly, “I don’t like having hair caught in my collar.”

I nod mutely.

“So I took off my shirt.”

I nod again. Still dumbstruck.

But surely I’ll be able to speak again sometime in the next couple hours.

“I hope that’s okay.”

I clear my throat.

Because the whole struck-dumb-by-his-muscles thing is starting to get ridiculous.

“Yes.” I swallow. “Absolutely. Whatever you need.”

God, I hope that didn’t sound like a proposition.

I clear my throat again and quickly add, “To feel comfortable. You should do whatever you need to feel comfortable. That’s the point, right? You should be comfortable and I should be . . .”

Silent.

I should be silent.

Because, oh my God. Dumbstruck was so much better than this rambling mess.

“Firmer is better,” he blurts.

“Excuse me?”

He blushes and presses his lips together, before saying, “When you’re washing my hair. Or touching me. A firmer touch is better than a light one.”

I nod, the pieces falling into place. I had read that people with sensory issues and people on the spectrum sometimes find light touches over-stimulating.

“Thank you for telling me.” I want to say more. Something that will get him to open up to me. But is that really a good idea? Do I really need more ideas about how Max likes to be touched?

Um . . . that is a big, fat no. No, I do not. Because I’m only touching him to cut his hair and trim his beard. I do not need to be getting ideas beyond that.