I would never wish amnesia on someone in real life but in fiction? Yes, please! I love the idea of fictional characters having a blank slate upon whicI would never wish amnesia on someone in real life but in fiction? Yes, please! I love the idea of fictional characters having a blank slate upon which to build, a fresh perspective that allows them to view people and circumstances through a new lens. That's exactly what happens in Shana Galen's new novella, Don't You Forget About Me.
Galen pulled me into this story from the initial scenes and held my attention right up until the end. It's a journey brimming with mystery, chemistry, lively banter, and an unexpected opportunity to start over.
If you enjoy historical romance with a gothic vibe, a colleagues-to-lovers romance, suspense, and emotional depth, all leading to a heart-tugging HEA, I enthusiastically recommend Don't You Forget About Me. It's a quick read (novella) with the emotional punch and satisfaction of a full-length book - something Shana Galen does very well.
Put a dog on the cover of a book and it's the first one I pick up. Put two rescue dogs on the cover and I'm moving it to the top of my tbr. Pair it wiPut a dog on the cover of a book and it's the first one I pick up. Put two rescue dogs on the cover and I'm moving it to the top of my tbr. Pair it with two long-time favorite authors and I'm all in. In The Two of Us, Lori Foster and Maisey Yates bring readers two heartwarming contemporary romance stories of couples finding their way to one another, aided by the unconditional love of dogs.
"The Odd Couple" by Foster features one of my favorite tropes: fake dating between a relationship-averse man and a woman who has been given good reason not to trust men. I really enjoyed these two and the issues they both needed to work through. There's a terrific friend group (Foster does those so well), some complicated family dynamics, a big ole mutt who looks scary but has a marshmallow heart (and stole mine), and a happy ending for both two and four-legged characters. Plus, I hope, the potential for a future story between Skye's twin sister and Ford's best friend.
When I'm looking for emotional depth, complicated family relationships, and hard-won happy endings, Maisey Yates is an author to whom I frequently turn. In "Force of Nature," Yates brings all of those facets to the page along with another favorite trope: best friend's little sister. Add in the fact that Remy's abusive family had him living with Lydia's family through high school and you have a now-grown man who has two reasons to keep his hands off the woman who is capturing more of his heart each day. Lydia and Remy absolutely stole my heart. I love how he embraces her individuality and loves her for it, not in spite of it. I love how she refuses to give up on him, how insistent she is on showing him - by bringing Hank into his life - the road to healing. These characters - and their journey - are so well developed. I was completely invested in them and their road to a happy ending. Also, the scene between Remy and Lydia's mother near the end of the book had me sobbing...in a good way.
If you're looking for heartwarming stories of love, healing, friendship, family, and the unconditional love of a rescue dog in your life, grab a copy of The Two of Us. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley Fair and unbiased review...more
I'm always excited for something new from Ilona Andrews. This husband and wife writing team never fail to plunge me into their magical worlds and holdI'm always excited for something new from Ilona Andrews. This husband and wife writing team never fail to plunge me into their magical worlds and hold me captive for the duration.
Sanctuary, Andrews' newest novella, launches Roman's Chronicles with a story that I gobbled up in one delicious bite. If you've read the Kate Daniels World books you'll have already met Roman, priest of a dark god. If not, Sanctuary is a wonderful introduction to this complex character and his story. I loved everything about it from snappy dialog to laugh-out-loud humor to mind-bending magic, to (reluctantly) endearing moments to action-packed battles to edgy attraction (can't wait for more of that) to self-forgiveness and finally moving forward. And Roman's merry band of magical creatures? Pure gold.
Whether you're already an Ilona Andrews fan, a fan of urban fantasy or magic, or just looking for a quick, entertaining, and satisfying story that may be a bit outside your comfort reading box, I highly recommend Sanctuary. I'm already stalking the author's social media for hints on when book two of Roman's Chronicles will be ready. ...more
Second-Chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and in the hands of Tracy Solheim, this new novella shines. Filled with snappy banter, sizzling attSecond-Chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and in the hands of Tracy Solheim, this new novella shines. Filled with snappy banter, sizzling attraction, and emotional depth, these characters pulled me into their story within the first few pages and kept me eagerly reading until the end. Fans of Solheim's Baltimore Blaze Football Romance series will no doubt enjoy revisiting favorite characters from that series while readers new to these stories can absolutely jump in with Gossip Game without missing a beat.
Gossip Game is a quick, satisfying, heart-tugging romance that reminded me of why I enjoy this author's writing so much. For a sports fan (like me), it's a great lead-in to my favorite season of the year: football! For those non-sports-fan readers, it's a great second-chance romance that just might introduce you to a new favorite author and romance genre....more
This may be a novella but, rest assured, it has all the emotion and heat I could have asked for. It takes skill to immerse me into a story, engaging wThis may be a novella but, rest assured, it has all the emotion and heat I could have asked for. It takes skill to immerse me into a story, engaging with the characters, forming emotional attachments, and keeping me flipping pages, unsure of what will happen next but eager to find out. That's a skill Naima Simone has mastered. From a drunken Vegas marriage (oops) to her sister's ex, through a myriad of complicated family dynamics and personal feelings, to a sigh-inducing happy ending, this one pulled me in and kept me hooked the entire way. ...more
This may be a novella (133 pages) but it packs the emotional satisfaction of a much longer story. It's humorous, charming, and heart-tugging with the This may be a novella (133 pages) but it packs the emotional satisfaction of a much longer story. It's humorous, charming, and heart-tugging with the depth that accompanies an unexpected second chance romance 25 years after a heartbreaking split. Even though the story length is short, the authors take the time to properly address what happened in the past and give this couple the necessary time to make their reunion journey realistic and relatable. I loved watching them navigate forgiveness, healing, and falling in love a second time, all while also navigating a potentially awkward family situation that affects them both.
Characters, primary and secondary, are well developed and integral to the story. Settings (both New Orleans and the beach) are vividly depicted, creating an atmosphere that's as important to the overall story as the individual characters. And Henry, the hero's dog, manages to steal not only every scene in which he appears but everyone's hearts as well, including mine.
This quick read is a great choice for a heartwarming romance fix during the busy holidays ahead. I may even read it again.
4.5 stars
*ARC received (but I preordered a copy after reading it). Fair and unbiased review....more
This introduction to Susanna Craig's new series may be a quick read (92 pages) but it brings all the emotional feels I expect from a full-length novelThis introduction to Susanna Craig's new series may be a quick read (92 pages) but it brings all the emotional feels I expect from a full-length novel. There's a second-chance romance for Beth (the widowed Lady Manwaring) and Kit (Lord Stalbridge), new - and unexpected - professional opportunities for Beth and her stepson, Oliver, and a newly-formed family with two orphaned children. All things that pique my interest and touch my heart.
It takes skill to pull a reader in and then give them a full reading experience in only 92 pages. It's a skill that Craig has in spades. I really cared about these characters, and not only the two leads. I loved that Kit and Beth had life experience to bring to their adult second-chance romance and I loved that even with those twenty years apart, the yearning in Kit's heart had never lessened. I could feel each of his emotions with a visceral intensity. Oliver's secrets and family history about broke my heart but his relationship with Beth, and her steadfast support of him filled my heart. Kit's response to the unveiling of those secrets made me love him even more. And then there are the children, who arrive near the end of the story. Even with scant page time, Craig gives readers a clear picture of these two that stole my heart.
I won't give away any spoilers about what's to come for these - and more - characters. I'll only say that my interest has been captured and I have already pre-ordered the first full-length book in the series, The Lady Knows Best (April 25, 2023). The books will feature new heroes and heroines but I do hope we'll be treated to occasional glimpses of Kit, Beth, Oliver, and the children. I feel like they've become my friends and I am very much invested in their futures.
4.5 Stars Advance copy received for fair and unbiased review...more
Kimberly Kincaid brings the sweet, the spicy, and the steamy to this fun uplifting holiday novella. As is the norm for Kincaid, she's created intriguiKimberly Kincaid brings the sweet, the spicy, and the steamy to this fun uplifting holiday novella. As is the norm for Kincaid, she's created intriguing, multi-layered characters who fill the pages with sassy banter, crackling chemistry, and heart-tugging emotion. And then, if that isn't enough, she makes them both bakers competing against one another in a holiday competition. Yes! When I wasn't laughing, or sighing, or tearing up, I was drooling all over the yummy cookies and desserts these two were whipping up. As soon as I turned the final page, all I wanted to do was start hauling ingredients out of my pantry and baking up a storm. November 15th isn't too early to kick off my holiday baking, right?
If you're looking for a quick holiday romance that will tempt your tastebuds, tickle your funny bone, and fill your heart with joy, pick up a copy of Sugar and Spice. It's sure to get your holiday reading - and baking - off to a rousing start.
4.5 stars ARC received for fair and unbiased review...more
I'm pretty sure I won’t be the only reader asking Santa for my very own Swedish hockey goalie after meeting Erik Jorgenson in Kate Meader’s Rebel YuleI'm pretty sure I won’t be the only reader asking Santa for my very own Swedish hockey goalie after meeting Erik Jorgenson in Kate Meader’s Rebel Yule. He's a big, sexy, cuddly sweetheart with absolutely no clue what he's done to make his boss's admin dislike him so much. After a year of Casey treating him like something she'd scrape off her shoe, he's about to find out exactly why and, wow, I did not see that coming. But, boy howdy, did I ever enjoy what followed!
Rebel Yule is a quick read that sizzles with passion, simmers with sweetness, sparkles with snappy dialogue, and has all the heart-tugging emotion of a full-length Meader novel. Casey and Erik's story captured my heart and had me reaching for a fan more than once. I loved their chemistry and the depth of emotion that began to develop once misconceptions were addressed. Watching Casey grow emotionally and regain her self-confidence was wonderful. I loved how Erik was so supportive of her without taking over. There's a scene with the long-time ex-boyfriend who dumped her where I may have been cheering out loud (totally was). I also appreciated the way Meader handled Erik's "issue" (trying not to divulge spoilers here) that caused the initial friction with Casey. I've known someone with the same challenge but had never seen it in a fictional character before. I also enjoyed the banter - and obvious affection - between Erik and his family and the inclusion of their Swedish holiday traditions in the story. Add in Rebel and Rookie Rebel cameos, laugh-out-loud humor, unexpected twists, a closet scene I’ve reread more than a few times, plus a sigh-worthy happy ending, and you have a fun holiday story I'm sure I'll be rereading more than once.
I enthusiastically recommend adding Rebel Yule to your holiday book shopping list. Fans of the series are sure to enjoy watching the Rebel's endearing goalie finally find his heart's true love and win her heart with the well-meaning (read meddling) advice of pretty much everyone in the organization while for readers new to Kate Meader's hockey franchise, Rebel Yule is a great place to jump in.
Justified Burden grabbed me on page one and kept me riveted to the pages until the end of the story. Matthews created two main characters I liked, sizJustified Burden grabbed me on page one and kept me riveted to the pages until the end of the story. Matthews created two main characters I liked, sizzling chemistry, a mystery that kept me guessing right up until the reveal, and emotional depth that had me fully invested in a happy ending. If you enjoy a quick, fast-paced story with a good balance of suspense and romance, I highly recommend Justified Burden.
This is the second novella Matthews has written in the Brotherhood Protectors World. Though it stands on its own, there are continuing characters from the first novella, Justified Misfortune, which I also highly recommend....more
It's not an easy task to write a 125-page novella that gives me the emotion, context, and multi-layered characters of a full-length novel but that's eIt's not an easy task to write a 125-page novella that gives me the emotion, context, and multi-layered characters of a full-length novel but that's exactly what Anne Gracie has accomplished in The Christmas Bride.
First, let me say how incredibly excited I was to discover Gracie had set this story within her Chance Sisters universe. I adore those characters and have always wanted to know what happened to Blake "Ash" Ashton, the partner in Flynn & Co. who refused to return to England. He was somewhat of a mysterious secondary character who was begging for his story to be told. Okay, okay, maybe it was we readers who were begging but the important part of this is that, finally, his story has been told and it is everything I had hoped it would be.
One of the things I most enjoy about Anne Gracie's novels are her beautifully developed characters and they are on full display in this novella. No cardboard cutouts here. Each character is well formed and wonderfully layered. Charley (Charlotte), Ash, and Charley's younger brother, Toby are the stars of the story but Lady Beatrice, the Chance sisters, their partners, and Ash's family all contribute in meaningful ways.
The Christmas Bride is the best kind of Christmas gift, a story brimming with humor, hope, forgiveness, redemption, family, and love. It made me laugh, shed a few tears, and smile with happiness. I have a feeling it's going to be one of those quick, holiday comfort reads I turn to again and again.
*Advance copy received for fair and unbiased review
The stories in Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather contemporary romance series aim straight for the heart and this new holiday novella is no exception.The stories in Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather contemporary romance series aim straight for the heart and this new holiday novella is no exception. In the final days leading up to the wedding of reunited lovers Molly and Trace (Bad to the Bone), the couple's teen daughter, the uber-organized Pru, is feeling left out of the preparations and her great-grandmother "Gramma Finnie" is feeling left out of life. When the two combine forces to find four very special "somethings" (old, new, borrowed and blue) for the wedding, their enthusiasm leads them into a snowy adventure with unforeseen, and potentially perilous, consequences that could see the Kilcannon family spending Christmas without their beloved matriarch and "General" Pru.
I adored this story. St. Claire has brought these characters to life throughout the course of this series but, for the most part, they've been secondary characters, not the main focus. In this novella, Gramma Finnie and Pru finally step into the spotlight, giving readers the opportunity to learn more about them and the special bond they share. Especially enjoyable is the window St. Claire opens into the past as Gramma Finnie shares the untold story of how she met her beloved late husband, Seamus. Moving flawlessly between 1940s Ireland and their present-day adventure, Gramma Finnie's story is poignant, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. St. Claire has a way of pulling me into a story so that rather than reading about the events within I feel as though I'm actually experiencing them along with the characters. I could easily identify with both Pru, a girl on the cusp of young womanhood, as well as Gramma Finnie, a woman in the sunset of her life, wondering if all of her adventures are behind her and after "meeting" young Finnie and learning about that part of her life, I have even more affection and admiration for this woman who is the very heart of the Kilcannon family.
Whether you've read the earlier books in this series or not, this is a short, heartwarming story that celebrates family, the joy of the season, the unconditional love to be found in a four-legged companion, and the absolute necessity of kindness. Pru and Gramma Finnie's adventure made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the Kilcannon family all over again....more
Rapid-fire banter, unwanted attraction, and sizzling sexual frustration all combine to make this road romance from Hoyt a real treat. I liked both MatRapid-fire banter, unwanted attraction, and sizzling sexual frustration all combine to make this road romance from Hoyt a real treat. I liked both Matthew and Hippolyta and enjoyed watching them traverse the pitfalls of their relationship as well as learn to take ownership of who they are...both individually and as a couple. The secondary cast - on the road and in London - all add to the fun, especially Matthew's pet, a clever little mongoose named Tommy Teapot. Like many of Hoyt's stories, the sex scenes - and accompanying language - are explicit although, in this story, they don't occur until almost the end of the novella. I have to say, I really enjoyed the build up of sexual tension throughout the first eight chapters.
For fans of Hoyt's Maiden Lane books, Once Upon a Moonlit Night will be a welcome addition to the series. Readers new to the series, however, need not fear. This engaging novella stands very well on its own.
I've enjoyed all of Anna Campbell's novellas but this one just might be my favorite. I couldn't possibly resist a charming, sexy, Scotsman who falls iI've enjoyed all of Anna Campbell's novellas but this one just might be my favorite. I couldn't possibly resist a charming, sexy, Scotsman who falls in love with a portrait; an independent, stubborn, English spinster who has vowed never to marry; and the overflowing river that traps the two of them together. I adore "trapped by the elements" stories! Add to that, Campbell's witty banter, sexual tension, humor, and charm, and you have a story that tickled my funny bone and captured my heart. Oh, and as a bonus, there's an epilogue that is an absolute delight. I'll be reading this one again!
What a sweet, witty, and heartwarming story! Oliver is a terrific hero. I so enjoyed his dedicated courtship of Lizzie. He's one of the good guys and,What a sweet, witty, and heartwarming story! Oliver is a terrific hero. I so enjoyed his dedicated courtship of Lizzie. He's one of the good guys and, heaven knows, after what Lizzie endured at the hands of her late, unlamented husband, she certainly deserves a good guy. The secondary cast forms an engaging, caring, and humorous backdrop for our main couple that moves the story along. Also, it's clear while reading Hattie's scenes that Ms. James knows the roller-coaster daily drama of living with a teen-age girl and is able to find the heart and humor in it. As an added bonus, there's a lovely scene with Josie and Mayne, the much-loved heroine and hero from James' Pleasure for Pleasure, the final book in her Essex Sisters series and an indoor croquet match that is not to be missed.
This feel-good novella goes into my keeper collection. I've already read it twice and no doubt will revisit it again in the future.
When her beloved husband is killed at Waterloo, Lady Fenella Deerham tucks her heart away and devotes her life to their young son. Five years later, hWhen her beloved husband is killed at Waterloo, Lady Fenella Deerham tucks her heart away and devotes her life to their young son. Five years later, her friends drag her back into London society but none of the men she meets threaten her self-imposed, emotional cocoon...until one night when a brawny, angry stranger charges into her drawing room, demanding to know what she's done with his nephew.
Successful, rich, and recent guardian to his orphaned, eleven-year-old nephew, Anthony Townsend is well-liked and well-respected by many of Lady Fenella's peers, even though he is not one of them. Out of his mind with worry when his nephew, along with Lady Fenella's son, goes missing from school, he races to her London home, certain he'll find the two boys there. Instead, he finds a beautiful, delicate, strong-willed woman who turns his world upside down.
Bristling like two barnyard cats at their first meeting, the undeniable electricity between Anthony and Fenella gradually changes to a spark of a different kind as they set off in search of the missing boys. Will they accept this new life direction that fate has handed them?
Anna Campbell is an auto-buy for me and her novellas are quickly finding places among my all-time favorite short stories. Emotional, poignant, and sprinkled with rapid-fire banter, sparkling humor, and a healthy dose of sizzle, Tempting Mr. Townsend hit all the right notes for me. At 150 pages, it's a quick read but with the character development, complexity, and emotional depth to give this reader the satisfaction of a full-length novel.