Release Blitz + Review: "The Fine Print" by Lauren Asher

I'm thrilled to take part in the release blitz celebrating the publication of "The Fine Print" by Lauren Asher, book #1 of the Dreamland Billionaires series.

"The Fine Print" was a sweet yet deliciously steamy workplace/enemies-to-lovers romance featuring endearing, relatable characters and an engaging, sometimes emotional plot. The push-pull and fiery chemistry between main characters Rowan Kane and Zahra Gulian was fantastic. I loved the way they bantered, especially over text when the normally reserved Rowan felt free to relax and share parts of himself he normally kept hidden. Despite his icy exterior, Rowan was quite sensitive, caring, and passionate, but he had learned to hide his thoughts and feelings after many years of having them turned against him by his own father. It wasn't easy for him to get past all of the hurt and fear that had built up over the years, but Zahra managed to break through his walls.

Zahra was the sunshine to Rowan's grump, incredibly passionate about her job, her family, and helping others. I particularly appreciated the way in which Zahra opened Rowan's eyes to the reality that his employees faced on a day-to-day basis, trying to survive on low wages, scaled back health insurance, and other benefit cuts. It may have been easy for Rowan to sit in an office thousands of miles away and make profit-driven decisions based solely on numbers on paper, but when he was suddenly faced with real people instead of numbers, he realized that his actions had consequences he never expected.

Overall, I adored "The Fine Print" and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!

 

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

 

 

About "The Fine Print"

Rowan
I'm in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don't get happy endings.
Not when we're destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland's most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I'd ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn't care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn't fix everything.
Especially not us. 

 

Review: "You're Still The One" by Erika Kelly

You're Still The One by Erika Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"You're Still the One" by Erika Kelly was a heartwarming second chance romance featuring endearing, well-developed characters and an engaging plot. It is the ninth book of Kelly's Calamity Falls series; several characters from earlier stories make return appearances in this one, but it still works as a standalone.

Seven years after leaving town and cutting off contact with her family because of an incident at her sister Lulu's rehearsal dinner, Stella Cavanaugh made the difficult decision to move home to Calamity Falls, Wyoming. As a fledgling wedding planner, Stella looked forward to learning from her new boss, Diane, and potentially taking over the business one day. Unfortunately, she arrived in Calamity to learn that Diane had been called out of town to care for her sick mother, leaving Stella on her own with the plans for several weddings, including her estranged sister Gigi's.

Meanwhile, Stella's former boyfriend, Griffin James, had become the temporary guardian for his friend Peyton's teenage son, Austin, while Peyton was deployed. Austin's strict maternal grandparents, the Pilsons, were displeased with Peyton's decision, so they were constantly hovering and trying to find reasons to remove Austin from Griffin's care. When Stella learned of the situation, particularly the terrible rumors the Pilsons were threatening to spread about Griffin, she couldn't help getting involved in an effort to ensure both Austin and Griffin's happiness.

Before I started reading this book, I was a bit worried that what I knew about Stella from her sisters' stories would make it difficult for me to like her. Now that I've learned her side of the story, however, not only did I like her, she ended up being my favorite of the Cavanaugh sisters. Even though some of her past decisions weren't the right ones, I completely understood why she made them. One of those decisions, an impulsive, misguided attempt to protect her sister Lulu, was what led to the end of Stella's relationship with Griffin. Their messy past was a lot to overcome, but Stella and Griffin never stopped loving each other, and their chemistry was as strong as ever when she returned to Calamity. In order for them to find their way back to each other, Stella needed to earn back Griffin's trust, while Griffin had to stop playing it safe and start living his life.

Overall, "You're Still the One" gave me all the feels and I loved it. I highly recommend this book for all contemporary romance fans and look forward to the next book in the series.

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

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Review: "The Introvert’s Guide to Speed Dating" by Emma Hart

"The Introvert’s Guide to Speed Dating" by Emma Hart, book #2 of the Introvert's Guide series, is now live! It reads as a standalone, though it features a number of recurring characters from this series as well as the earlier Bookworm's Guide series, which was set in the same small Montana town. 

 

After moving back to her hometown of White Peak, starting a new relationship was the last thing on single mom London Stuart's to-do list. Between caring for her young son, Leo, and her new job as a journalist with the local newspaper, she had more than enough to keep her busy. In fact, she had just received a special assignment focusing on White Peak's new sports/training center, and she hoped that it would lead to a promotion. London's friends and family refused to accept her excuses for not dating, however, and pushed her to giving speed dating a try. She reluctantly agreed and ended up being paired with her son's handsome British soccer coach, Oliver Hayes. Oliver was immediately drawn to London and enjoyed spending time with her and her son, but she was determined to keep him at arm's length. Would he be able to convince her to give their romance a shot?

Oliver and London were both likeable, relatable characters, and I enjoyed their flirty banter. London's reluctance to get involved in a new relationship after the way things ended with her ex was completely understandable; she was afraid of getting hurt again, and it wouldn't only be her feelings involved, but her son's, too. Oliver was very sweet and patient with her, however, and I appreciated the way he integrated so well into her friend group. He may have been far away from his birth family in England, but he found a second family in White Peak that loved him like one of their own.

Overall, "The Introvert's Guide to Speed Dating" was a super cute, funny story, just as all of the books set in White Peak have been. I highly recommend it for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy and look forward to the next book in the series.

 

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

 

 

About "The Introvert's Guide to Speed Dating"

Speed dating: the act in which you have two minutes to figure out how much of a jerk someone is. And pretend like you don’t have the hots for your son’s soccer coach.

After four years living the single life, it’s decided that I, London Stuart, am back on the market.

I’m not even mad when my cousins and best friends put my name down for the speed dating sessions. In fact, I’m actually a little excited about it.

Until one of my dates turns out to be my six-year-old son’s irresistibly sexy soccer coach. His irresistibly sexy British soccer coach.

Oliver Hayes is too good to be true—he’s tall, dark, handsome, hilarious, and he genuinely loves kids. Especially mine. But he’s not sure if he’s even staying in the country, and I’m not sure I can handle giving him my heart if he’s only going to leave.

So why is he over for dinner almost every night? Why is he giving Leo private goalie sessions in the backyard? Why is he sending flowers to my desk at the newspaper?

And why, oh why, can’t I stop kissing him? 

 

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Pug Actually" by Matt Dunn

Thanks so much to MIRA for inviting me to participate in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Pug Actually" by Matt Dunn. 

"Pug Actually" was a super cute, laugh-out-loud funny, and creative tale narrated by Doug, an adorable pug who was determined to help his rescuer and best friend, Julie, straighten out her love life. I wasn't a big fan of Julie's at first; she was involved in an affair with her married boss, Luke, and didn't seem to see anything wrong with that. She certainly made no effort to be discreet about the situation, not only confiding in her best friend, Priya, and father, Jim, but also telling potential love interest Tom all about it the first time they met. As the story progressed, Julie finally started to realize that her actions had consequences for people other than herself, primarily Luke's wife, Sarah, who wasn't nearly as blind to the situation as everyone thought. More details of how the affair began also came to light and it became clear that Luke had been lying to Julie just as much as he was his wife. For those reasons, I found it much easier to empathize with Julie by the end, though she still seemed kind of selfish to me.

Julie's love interest, veterinarian Tom, seemed to be a nice guy, and I didn't appreciate the way Julie treated him for most of the book. I wasn't convinced that their relationship would ever be more than a rebound for her, coming so close on the heels of her breakup with Luke. Honestly, what Julie needed more than a new boyfriend was time on her own to work through what had happened with Luke, and possibly some counseling to work through the underlying self-esteem issues that had allowed Luke to manipulate her for so long.

Overall, I enjoyed "Pug Actually," but more because of Doug and his humorous antics than because of the actual romance. I would recommend it for chick lit and romantic comedy fans and will plan to check out future books by this author.

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

 

About "Pug Actually"

Doug’s human, Julie, has been adrift since she lost her mom (which is strange, because she’s usually pretty good with directions). Doug just wants Julie to be happy, and he doesn’t think she’s going to get there while she’s seeing her married boss, Luke. What’s worse, she’s saying if things don’t work out with Luke, she might end up like her lonely cat-lady neighbor. Horrified by the prospect of a sad Julie and untrustworthy feline companion, Doug decides it’s time for an intervention.

Despite his short legs and some communication roadblocks, Doug sets out on a quirky, sweet, and hilarious mission to find his rescuer the love she deserves. Though he doesn’t totally understand the strangeness of human relationships, he knows he can’t give up on Julie - after all, being a rescue dog works both ways…

 

Read an excerpt from "Pug Actually"

 

Release Blitz + Review: "Mister Masher" by Angela Nicole

Happy Independence Day to my fellow U.S.-based romance lovers! Given that baseball has often been called our national pastime, it seems fitting that the subject of today's first post is a sports romance with a professional baseball player for a hero. "Mister Masher" by Angela Nicole is a standalone Cocky Hero Club novel inspired by "Mister Moneybags." 

Recently furloughed from her job, legal secretary and single mother Addie Maggio was in desperate need of funds to cover the cost of her 7-year-old son Noah's upcoming surgery. Her best friend shared an unusual job opportunity with her, and despite her misgivings, Addie decided to check it out. She certainly wasn't expecting the job to give her a chance to meet baseball superstar Lucas Taylor. Their connection was strong in spite of the unusual circumstances that brought them together, and Lucas was determined to pursue it. Unlike most of the women he met, Addie wasn't interested in his money or fame, and once Lucas found out about her son, he couldn't stop himself from doing whatever he could to help them.

Addie was a mama bear, fiercely protective and confident in her ability to care for her son, but that confidence seemed to be lacking in other areas of her life. There were a lot of times with Lucas when she thought she wasn't good enough, and she seemed kind of shy. I loved how sweet and patient Lucas was with her; there was definitely a lot more to him than his off-the-field reputation as the "Homerun King" indicated! I also loved the playful relationship Lucas developed with Addie's son Noah, and how protective he always was of him. The way they came together as a family was just as satisfying as Lucas and Addie's romance IMO.
 
Overall, I enjoyed this charming story and recommend it for all fans of contemporary/sports romance. "Mister Masher" was the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.

 

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

 

About "Mister Masher"

Can a baseball star and single mom round the bases to their happily ever after?

They call me Mister Masher. I’m the homerun king on the field... and off. With a glitzy life full of parties, money, and beautiful women, settling down was the farthest thing from my mind... until I met her.

Fiery redhead, Addie, has the kind of luscious curves that turn my thoughts to a line drive up the middle. But every charming pitch I throw at the single mom is a swing and a miss. I soon learn Addison’s son is critically ill and she is willing to make any sacrifice necessary to ensure he gets the best possible care.

Our lives are as different as the major leagues versus the minors. Still, this is the one woman I would slide into home for. I was riding the bench of life before her, not really part of the game. Now, I’m stepping up to the plate and I’m ready. Two strikes and the bases are loaded. I refuse to strike out at the challenge of our forever.

Mister Masher is a sports/medical romance inspired by Mister Moneybags.

Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "Flipping Love You" by Erin Nicholas

I am thrilled to take part in the blog tour celebrating the release of "Flipping Love You" by Erin Nicholas, book #3 of the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild series. It reads as a complete standalone, though characters from the last two books as well as the earlier Boys of the Bayou series make return appearances here.

"Flipping Love You" is the story of Jillian Morris, a wildlife veterinarian specializing in the care of penguins, and contractor Zeke Landry, the youngest of the Landry cousins of Autre, Louisiana. When Jillian unexpectedly inherits eight Galapagos penguins and millions of dollars from an elderly zoo patron, she decides to relocate to Autre, where her friend and fellow veterinarian Griffin has been working with the Landrys to turn their petting zoo into an animal park. As soon as Jillian arrives in Autre, sparks fly with a handsome stranger who crashes his motorcycle in front of her hotel. This stranger turns out to be Zeke, who has been hired to build a new habitat for the penguins as well as renovate Jillian's new home.

It took me a while to warm up to Jillian, who IMO was rather lacking in social skills and didn't immediately come across as very relatable. However, as the story progressed and I got to know her better, her behavior began to make a lot more sense. She was under a lot of pressure in caring for the penguins, and that anxiety, combined with some baggage from her childhood, led Jillian to hold back from forming close personal relationships. It wasn't until she met Zeke and the rest of the Landry family that she learned to let go and let others care for her just as she cared for the penguins.

While "Flipping Love You" wasn't my favorite of the series, I very much enjoyed it and highly recommend it for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. I look forward to the next book in the series.

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

 

About "Flipping Love You"

He's the tattooed bad boy her mama warned her about.
She's his hot mess--but mostly hot--next door neighbor.
Until a two-night-stand gives them the surprise of a lifetime...

Flipping Love You, an all-new STEAMY and laugh-out-loud, surprise baby standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas, is available now!

Jillian Morris is a workaholic who forgets to watch the time. And to eat. And to change her shoes. And to keep even a house-plant alive. And to have any kind of a personal life.

Now an eccentric millionaire has left her eight million dollars. And eight penguins. Yes, real live penguins. She's a wildlife vet who specializes in penguins, so that makes sense. Kind of. She can, and does, keep penguins alive and well. She now just has to move them cross-country to her friend's new animal park.

So if anyone deserves a one-night (or two) stand with a hot, younger, tattooed bad boy on a motorcycle, it's her. Or so Jill tells herself when Zeke Landry flips his bike in front of her motel.

If only she'd known who he really was.
And that he was the fall-hard-and-fast type.
And the protective type.
And that one night would turn into more like nine-months of being ...sigh...very personal.

Fall in love today!

 

Read an Excerpt from "Flipping Love You"

He lifted a hand to run it through his wet hair.

Her eyes followed the motion, seemingly riveted on his arm. He wasn’t sure if it was the tattoo or what exactly. But he did know that Jillian was fascinated with his ink. She had traced all of it with her fingers and tongue last night more than once. And he had a lot of ink.

“I’m the guy who’s remodeling your house.”

Her eyes widened. “We’re going to be neighbors.”

He let his grin grow slowly. “Yup.”

She tipped her head back and groaned.

But it wasn’t one of the hot oh-my-God-yes groans she’d been giving him last night. This was more of oh-crap groan.

“You’re clearly not as excited about that as I am,” he said dryly.

Her head came up and she met his eyes. Now there was no roaming over his half naked body. She shook her head. “It just feels complicated to live next door to the guy I’m hooking up with once a month.”

He was confused. “We’re hooking up once a month?”

“Well, that was what I was going to propose anyway. Friends with benefits, you know? After last night I thought that could be kind of fun.”

“That would be fun. Very, very fun,” he said. “But why only once a month? I’m up for that kind of fun way more often.”

“Sure. But then it turns into more like dating or a relationship or something rather than just getting together for hot sex.”

“And I take it the relationship and dating thing is something you’re trying to avoid?”

“Very much so. And living next door to you means that we’ll see each other occasionally and since you’ll be saving me from alligators on a regular basis, we could potentially turn into actual friends. And that makes the hooking up even more complicated.”

Having the sun up hadn’t made him feel any less attracted to, slightly confused by, surprised by, and definitely amused by this woman. “But friends with benefits has friends right in the title.”

This all sounded good to him. Having a neighbor he could get naked with whenever the urge struck, who didn’t want anything else from him, sounded pretty great.

“I’m just really not interested in a relationship,” Jill went on. “I’m not good at them. And I don’t really have time for them. And I don’t put the effort into them, which ends up bothering the other person after a while. Which is understandable. I’m not blaming anyone. I just really like to have everything laid out and everyone on the same page. And I like sex. It would be really perfect to be able to have amazing sex, but only when it’s convenient.”

Zeke gave a soft snort. Convenient hot sex. It really did sound pretty amazing.

“If you just want to walk through my door, only wearing a robe and nothing underneath to save time, I’m not gonna kick you out, cher,” he told her. He was half-teasing. But only half.

She finally gave him a hint of a smile. “I can just show up on your front porch anytime I want?”

He reached up and cupped the side of her head. He brought her in close and put his mouth against hers. “Any freaking time.”

***

Review: "Force of Forever" by Eve Kasey

Force of Forever by Eve Kasey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Force of Forever" by Eve Kasey is a prequel novella to the All In series featuring endearing characters and a fast-paced, engaging plot. Despite its relatively short length, there was a lot of plot and character development packed into this story, and I appreciated that nothing about it felt rushed or incomplete.

There was an instant connection between flight attendant Pia Taparo and first class passenger Matt Geier from the moment they met aboard a flight to Paris, and I really enjoyed their banter and chemistry. After spending a magical night together in the City of Lights, Matt and Pia parted ways, believing that a lasting relationship between them was impossible because of their vastly different backgrounds. They couldn't seem to stop thinking about each other, however, and wondering if their story might have a different ending. Fortunately, the fates were on their side, bringing them back together in the most unexpected of ways.

Overall, I loved "Force of Forever" and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. I look forward to whatever Eve Kasey writes next.

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

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