If you’re ever looking for the perfect, shorter Length book and your a fan of sports romance, then I have the perfect author for you to read. She doesnIf you’re ever looking for the perfect, shorter Length book and your a fan of sports romance, then I have the perfect author for you to read. She doesn’t mail it in every book, there have been a few I haven’t been impressed with, but overall I’m very happy with Brenda’s writing. Her books leave me feeling good and with a smile in my heart. The vast number are hockey romance and as a fan of the sport, she knows her stuff in this area.
Can is the heroine in this one . She’s a single mother of twin boys and after living with her sisters for years, she’s finally moving into a house she purchased on her own. Besides her sisters for also helping out is Dom, her sisters boyfriend and NHL hockey player. Their story is told in the previous book. Rowan, a teammate of Doms is also helping. He’s been wanting to go out with Cam since he first met her but up until now she’s been refusing. Although she’s attracted to Rowan, she was victim of a stalker and on top of that he ex husband is a deadbeat father. Plus she’s been busy in school and then establishing a career so dating just isn’t on her agenda. She wanted to be man free except for her sons for a year.
The year is up and Rowan is still very much interested in taking her out and she finally agrees. The date is great, her best ever and their chemistry is off the charts. But Cam wants an ironclad guarantee that there will be no one else in his life while they are together and Rowan isn’t ready to make that strong of a commitment so with them both standing firm, they remain just friends.
But feelings don’t just go away, things happen with Cam so that Rowan becomes very protective. - and so on. Both Cam and Rowan make for a great hero/heroiine. We learn things about Rowan that makes him very sympathetic. Even Cams sons are cute and I’m normally not a fan of children in romance. It’s often so hard to get them balanced for me but Brenda does it. I read this book in one day because I was enjoying it so much. And it’s short.
This one gets 5 stars and it just happens to be the book I meet my GoodReads goal with so it’s all good.....more
This is one of the better second chance romances I’ve read and I was quite pleased to find another new-to-me author.
Lincoln and Lola meet and fall in This is one of the better second chance romances I’ve read and I was quite pleased to find another new-to-me author.
Lincoln and Lola meet and fall in love when he’s 18 and Lola 15. Right from the beginning they know they are it for each other but things haven’t been easy. Linc had enlisted in the military before he met Lola. But that didn’t stop them from ending their relationship and they got married young while he was on leave. Because she was so young when they married, she missed out on a lot of things people her age did. She went to college while Linc was away but didn’t party the way most of her peers did. She wasn’t happy when he re-enlisted; she was hoping they could start living their lives together. But when he finally got out, it wasn’t long before he left her again to help his foster brother with whom he was very close and didn’t tell Lola the reason he chose to leave her behind for his brother.
Resentment began to slowly grow but wanting to be a supportive wife. But as far as Lola was concerned, things were done for good when he once again left her behind while helping another foster brother and he ended up being arrested and sentenced to three years in prison and Lola suffered a devastating loss while this was going on. The back story is told in alternating time periods between their past and how she is coping now he’s being released. She’s still desperately in love with Linc but she’s very hurt that time and again he didn’t choose her and she doesn’t trust him any longer.
Although we never see things from Linc’s POV, we can see he’s a very good guy and desperately still in love with Lola. It’s breaking him that she wants an end to their marriage. But maybe because they were so young when they got together, they never really learned to communicate and because she didn’t tell him, he had no idea how his choices affected her. It was never any doubt they still loved each other but it was just too late for them.
Or was it.
This book isn’t perfect but it’s pretty darn close. I would have liked to get inside Lincs POV so we could get to know him better. He had a very bad and sad childhood but we didn’t really get that much of a glimpse into it. I tend to read very quickly as I always have more books to get to, but either I missed it or the author didn’t really address a few things I was confused about. Again, if we saw things through Linc’s eyes, my questions would have been answered immediately.
Still as I already mentioned, this was a ver good second chance romance and I enjoyed it very much. Also important, I recommend this book, it gets my stamp of approval and for sure, I want to read more Abby McCarthy books....more
If given only one word to describe this book it would be beautiful. It’s exactly the kind of book I love and read and reread.
Zenobia is our heroine. SIf given only one word to describe this book it would be beautiful. It’s exactly the kind of book I love and read and reread.
Zenobia is our heroine. She’s staying at friends of hers while they are on vacation as her own apartment is being worked on. She’s a nurse in the Emergency Department and she loves her job though it can be very stressful. And she’s a wonderful heroine who I adore. She meets hero Axel in an unusual way. She’s making breakfast one morning, singing a Taylor Swift song at the top of her lungs when she turns around, sees a Viking and threatens him with grits. The Viking is Axel though he’s not really a Viking, just looks like one. Seems he also was invited to stay at her friends home, the husband is Axel’s best friend. Axel turned them down, then changed his mind at the last minute and arrived from England late the night before. Things don’t get off to the best start. He accuses her in his British accent of being a Swiftie. That she NOT, it was just the song itself she really liked.
So it looks like they are going to be roomies for the next couple of weeks until her apartment is done. Axel is an artist who works with metal, mostly scrap metal he finds and turns it into incredibly beautiful works of art. He’s going to have his own show in NewYork so he’s staying in the US. And Axel absolutely breaks my heart. He’s the very best hero I’ve read in a long, long time. His beloved brother drowned a number of years previously and his parents withdrew from him, leaving him thinking his parents wished it was him rather than his brother. He was quite sickly growing up, was quiet without many friends and he has continued with that belief. But he grew up to be gorgeous, though he doesn’t see it, and working with heavy metals has helped him beef up. So the Axel on the outside doesn’t match the Axel on the inside.
Once things are cleared up to who’s who between he and Zenobia, things develop quickly between them. They are both wildly attracted to each other though Axel doesn’t see himself as nearly good enough for her. And though on a physical level things are good, it goes much deeper. Zenobia really sees the inner Axel and is blown away by him. And she confesses things to him she has never told anyone else. They are open and honest with each other and I’m so impressed with that. There are no surprise secrets to break them apart. For me this book is perfection.
Though I have a small number of books in my TBR pile, this is the first one I’ve read but it’s 100% not going to be my last. I’m shocked she’s not on many readers best author lists if her other books are as well written and enjoyable as Broody Britt. It’s beautiful....more
I can’t seem to get enough of this family and this series. The hero in this one is Wyatt. He’s the second oldest Landmark brother and a very well likeI can’t seem to get enough of this family and this series. The hero in this one is Wyatt. He’s the second oldest Landmark brother and a very well liked doctor. Marlow is our heroine. We met her and her precious daughter Dakota in the previous book. She’s best friends with Sophie, the heroine in the second book. In that one Marlow was in a real shitty marriage and in this book the marriage has turned to toast and Marlow is leaving her husband and moving to the small town of Landmark to be with her bestie. She runs into Wyatt, literally, when she rear ends his car. Wyatt has had a rough day and Marlow is exhausted from the upheaval in her life so they don’t have a good start. Things don’t get any better the second time they meet when Dakota is feeling bad and Marlow takes her to the doctor who just happens to be Wyatt.
But they know they have to somehow work things out as her bestie and his brother are madly in love, see previous book, and Marlow and Wyatt don’t want to make things difficult for Sophie and Theo. And of course being kind of forced together, they are wildly attracted to each other much to their dismay.
This is a delightful enemies to lovers romance and I read it in one day. Marlow has led a lonely life and when Wyatt learns more about her history, his admiration for her grows. But since she’s still technically married though going through a divorce, they can’t act on their growing feelings.
I liked both of them and once again I love the closeness of all the characters. The only drawback for me with book is the daughter Dakota. I feel bad feeling this way but I found her annoying for the most part. This isn’t unusual for me and small children in romances I’m afraid. It’s more of a me issue and most readers wouldn’t find this an issue at all.
So onto the next book. This one is about Callum, the grumpy brother and the one I’ve been looking forward to the most....more
Though the first book in this series didn’t really work for me, there was enough for me to keep on with the series and this book proved it.
Theo LandmaThough the first book in this series didn’t really work for me, there was enough for me to keep on with the series and this book proved it.
Theo Landmark and Sophie Copewell had been best friends and then so much more ever since they met as children. They were each other’s person and it kind of went without saying they would spend their lives together. But eight years previous to the opening of Someday, and while still in their teens, Sophie disappeared in the middle of the night leaving Theo a letter with very little explanation. Theo was devastated, broken hearted, angry, confused and many other emotions. And while he moved on with his life, becoming a veterinarian, he couldn’t get Sophie out of his mind and heart.
So he is gobsmacked when he gets a call from her needing his help with a horse. She’s come back. And she said it’s for good. Theo’s reaction is a great deal of anger. He doesn’t really know why she left in the first place and he’s lost all trust in her. But he still has very deep and strong feelings. And that’s all I’m going to say about the story.
I love both Theo and Sophie. They are both good people who have suffered great loss and are now very tentative with each other. Theo’s large family are overjoyed she’s back. She was with Theo so often when they were young that she’s pretty much a part of the family.
This is a very emotional story and one I found next to impossible to put down. I stayed up past 3:00 am because I had to read to the end. For me that’s a very strong sign I loved the book. I’m very happy I’ve found Willow Aster. I’ve already started the third book. And since these are on KU, if you have it, you can read them for free....more
I’ve read just about every book Brenda has written and I can only think of 2 that didn’t work for me and she has a very large backlist.
Dan4.5 out of 5
I’ve read just about every book Brenda has written and I can only think of 2 that didn’t work for me and she has a very large backlist.
Dane is the hero in this one. He’s a very successful NHL hockey player but his life outside of hockey is a mess. If there’s a way he can screw up, he’ll find it. As a last resort he’s assigned a “babysitter” to be with him full time to manage him and keep him out of trouble.
Josie is the one assigned to him. This means she’s with him almost 24/7. She moves into his house, she goes on all his road trips, even sleeping in the same room to guard him from himself.
Of course this causes resentment on both sides and both are masters at insults. But many are very funny insults giving this story a somewhat lighthearted feel at times. Of course being in such close proximity all the time brings out deeper feelings of a more personal nature if you get my drift.
This is a rather shorter book and I read it in only a few hours, but it reads longer. I’m amazed at how complete it feels . Often when reading a shorter story I wish it was longer so we could get more background or get to know the characters more but I don’t feel that with Drawn To You. Once again, as with almost every one of her books, I give it a ...more
I said in currently reading that this is a gentle, warm, sweet, feel good that makes you happy when you’re done. Quiet Types is a perfect title and thI said in currently reading that this is a gentle, warm, sweet, feel good that makes you happy when you’re done. Quiet Types is a perfect title and this is another winner by L.H. Cosway.
Maggie hasn’t lived the best life. Her terror of a mother kicked Maggie out when she was 16 and she really struggles. She makes a living cleaning people’s houses. She lives a pretty grey life. But there is one bright spot. She rides the bus to and from work every day and she has recently noticed a young man taking the same bus, both ways, who watches her. The more she sees him watching her, the more interested in him she becomes.
Eventually circumstances happen where they start to interact. While Shay, the young man in question can hear! he is unable to speak? He had surgery on his throat when he was very young and lost his voice. But a very special and sweet bond happens between these two and it’s so heartwarming reading their story. There isn’t much action in this book and I was very fine with that. I love both these characters and it’s wonderful reading their story.
I got this one on KU and there’s a second book out in this short series I want to read very soon....more
What did I think about this book the question asks. Well, I love it! I love all of the Claire Kingsley books I’ve and this is another one I can say thWhat did I think about this book the question asks. Well, I love it! I love all of the Claire Kingsley books I’ve and this is another one I can say that about.
Weston is a friend of Caleb, one of Kendra (sister to Alex, hero of the first book). A successful plastic surgeon, he’s looking for a place to stay while his own house is being remodeled. Caleb suggests he move in with Kendra. She needs a roommate to offset living costs as she establishing herself in a new career.
To put it simply, Weston is a jerk and he doesn’t really change throughout the book. He’s rude. He’s impatient and he doesn’t like people. He loves sex and getting women to participate is more of a game than anything else. He’s lucky if he remembers their names the next morning on the way out the door. And I absolutely love him! So one who hasn’t read the book has to ask. And I’m not sure I can explain the appeal, but love him I do. He’s completely unapologetic for who he is and one has to admit he’s honest. He’s the bad boy that so many women fall for and want to change.
Kendra is the opposite. She’s ’good people’. Although once Weston moves in and is the jerk he is, Kendra completely accepts that about him and makes no attempt to change him. Together they are the perfect opposite attracts’ couple. When Weston is in a serious car accident, she comes to see him in the hospital and stays with him until he’s released. As her brother is a an important surgeon there, the staff ind of close their eyes to the fact rules are being broken. And she is the only person to visit Weston. She feels so bad that his life is so void of people. For his part Weston is gobsmacked that she would do this. But he likes being looked after. He’s never really experienced anything like it. His mother died when he was very young and when his father wasn’t ignoring him, his dad was very emotionally abusive. This goes a long way in explaining Weston.
And like The Grinch, Weston’s heart starts to grow and he begins to change. Only towards Kendra mind you and though Caleb remains his only friend, he also lets Kendra’s family in. But he pretty much much remains unrepentant to the rest of the world and I truly appreciated the way Claire has written his character. I find it quite refreshing. This book gets five stars, a thumbs up and a strong recommendation. And it’s for sure going on my reread list....more
Ack!!! How could I have forgotten to do a review for this book? I love this book and I love Claire Kingsley. I read it a few books ago but4.5 out of 5
Ack!!! How could I have forgotten to do a review for this book? I love this book and I love Claire Kingsley. I read it a few books ago but my memory isn’t quite what it used to be so I’m a bit hazy but I’ll try my best.
This is the third book in the series. I read and loved the first book but I skipped over the second book because I was in the mood for a single dad book. And this is a very good one. The outline is pretty good, Caleb, much against his will, falling in love with Linnea, his late wife’s much younger sister. This could have been on the icky side but it wasn’t at all for me. He barely remembers her and she has changed a great deal since the last time he really saw her. Linnea is the opposite of his wife. His wife, who was killed in a car accident when their daughter was still very, very young, was an ambiguous medical student. Linnea is much more of a homebody. Though her parents, especially her domineering mother, are very insistent she join a major symphony as she’s a brilliant pianist, Linnea is happier giving piano lessons to children and being a nanny to her adorable niece Charlotte, a quiet and shy young girl. She’s only a nanny really because her mother forced her on Caleb. He’s a busy emergency surgeon and has had trouble finding good childcare.
Ms. Kingsley does a very good job with Caleb’s dilemma. He’s a good man who adores his daughter. He knows Linnea is very good with his daughter but he struggles with his attraction.
This is a book I happily recommend and can easily see me rereading.
This is my first Daphne Elliot book and like I’ve been very pleased to say about a number of new to me authors lately, it’s not going to be my last. IThis is my first Daphne Elliot book and like I’ve been very pleased to say about a number of new to me authors lately, it’s not going to be my last. It’s the third book in the series and I gather at least one couple were in a previous series so I was a bit lost at times but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story.
If I were given only one word to describe this book it would be sweet. Now for me sweet is not always a positive thing. If I read an overly sweet book it’s not something I enjoy. But this is the perfect sweet.
Cole is our hero. Apparently he is the youngest son of a real nasty guy and he was the product of an affair his father had with his secretary. So he was never really accepted by his older brothers. On top of that his mother abandoned him with his vile father. Early on Cole showed an aptitude for hockey, however his father for years sucked all the joy out of the game for Cole. He did make it to the NHL but he had a career ending injury. Much of this is told at the beginning of the story and some throughout. But because of the life he lived, Cole never really experienced love and his life was pretty sad and lonely. All of this is to say Cole had my heart from the veery beginning. He reminded me of one of my all time favourite heroes from one of my all time favourite books, Will Parker from Morning Glory by Lavryle Spencer.
I also completely adored Willa, the heroine. She is a country doctor who unexpectedly took over her physician father’s practice when he suffered a stroke. She is a plus sized heroine. I don’t usually read romance books with plus sized heroines, I think it’s too close to home. I read a few in my earlier days of romance reading and the authors just never ‘got’ and I ended up getting very angry. But with this book Daphne Elliot does a wonderful job with Willa. She is successful and beautiful but struggles with her self perception. I can so relate to this. I struggle between thinking positively about myself and at others a huge helping of self loathing.
After giving my thoughts on the hero and heroine, it might help if I say a bit about the storyline. Cole and Willa are in Las Vegas with the same group. Her best friend is marrying Cole oldest brother. What makes this a bit different is her best friend and Cole were a couple themselves through most of high school and Cole was NOT one of her favourite people because of the way he treated her bestie. The brother and the besties story is told in a previous book I haven’t read, (this one being my first). But despite this Cole and Willa find themselves going off together as both were feeling a bit lost. Much to their surprise, they had a good time, drank way too much and ended up getting married. After some discussion the next morning, they decided to stay married for six months ago before quietly going for an annulment.
What I truly loved about this story is they TALKED to each other and became dear friends. And Cole found Willa gorgeous and was very attracted to her. But because of her own body positivity and previous experience, she couldn’t see it. For her part, because they talk and Cole is very honest about his past, what she sees is someone who’s basically good but up until now hasn’t really had it easy but really wants to become a better person. Besides becoming friends, they both have a great deal of admiration for the other.
Like previous recent books I’ve read, I got this one on KU but plan to buy my own copy cause even though I just finished this book, I want to reread it again. But before I do I think I’ll at least read the first two books just to get a clearer picture of Cole and Willa before getting back to them. It almost pose without saying that this book gets a string recommendation....more
I figuratively closed the cover of this book, I read it on my iPad so it doesn’t technically have a cover, with a happy sigh of contentment. Another SI figuratively closed the cover of this book, I read it on my iPad so it doesn’t technically have a cover, with a happy sigh of contentment. Another Susie Tate book I adored and want all romance readers to read.
Lottie is the heroine of this book and she is simply amazing. She’s pretty much been on her own, having to take care of herself since she was taken away from her alcoholic mother at age 10. Now she is also taking care of her much traumatized, younger sister Hayley. In order to do this she is holding down two jobs, one as a waitress at a posh club where she’s constantly being groped and pawed at by the elite and the other job at the estate of Oliver, or Ollie Harding, a lofty Duke. We met Ollie in the previous book in this series, while a nice guy, really doesn’t live in the real world of us mortals.
Much to his dismay, he has quite the crush on Lottie, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever met before, she’s completely unfazed by his exalted status and has no hesitation in calling him out. I love it when she does this. It’s very comical. But Ollie does manage to charm her and things begin to happen between them. But because he lives such a grand life style, he’s not aware of how the average person lives and Lottie is worse off than most because of her circumstances. In order to simply survive, she is forced into an act that Ollie sees as the worst kind of betrayal and his love turns to hate and he becomes quite cruel to her.
She still remains in his orbit though because though she’s no longer the ‘cleaner’, she gains a job working for his neurodiverse sister Vicky who we also met in Day Dreamer. As this is a romance and must end happily, how this comes about is a large part of the story.
I read the GoodRead reviews after I finished this book and while some readers didn’t think Ollie groveled enough, and I understand why they see it that way, I gave him a pass. He came from a completely different world and while there may not have been an outward kind of grovel we readers love to see, he is so very remorseful at how he acted towards Lottie. And due to the circumstances, I can understand why he came to the conclusion he did. He was devastated by what he believed and acted because of deep pain and once he became aware of the truth, he did every single thing he could to make amends and take care of Lottie and Hayley. And his love and admiration only grew stronger.
I got this book on KU but once I return it, I’m buying a copy so I will always have it close by for when it calls for a reread. And the call WILL come. The way I felt when I finished this book is addictive. In fact Day Dreamer, the first book in this series was whispering while I was reading Gold Digger and I listened and I’m rereading it. And I’ve preordered the third book, Outlier, where Vicky is the heroine, she’s such a vivid secondary character, even though it doesn’t come out until May of 2025.
I could try and go into what makes Gold Digger such a strong five star book but I don’t think I can quite do it justice. So all I can say is you simply need to read it. It works very well as a standalone but if you do go straight to this one, I’m willing to bet you’ll want to go back and read the first book. And then read more of Susie Tate’s backlist.
There’s no question that Susie Tate is my find of 2024 author and I want to share her....more
This is a cute, heartwarming story that makes you smile when you reach the end.
It starts out rather sad. Weston, our hero, the quarterback of an NFL tThis is a cute, heartwarming story that makes you smile when you reach the end.
It starts out rather sad. Weston, our hero, the quarterback of an NFL team that has recently won their second Super Bowl in a row. He’s enjoying coffee with a few of his teammates, all single dads when he gets a call from the hospital letting him know his very young son has been in a serious car accident. The problem? He doesn’t have a son. He rushes to the hospital to find out what’s going on. Turns out he does have a baby with a woman he had a one night stand with and the mother has passed away in the accident.
Her older sister Sadie, shows up very quickly after he arrives and is very bitter that he has rejected her sister and his son. And he is very angry that he was never told he had a son.
The story is about them discovering the truth and what happens next. Sadie dearly loves her nephew and is terrified this very wealthy, football hero will take little Caleb away from her. But Weston is a good man and would never do such a thing. How they work together to do their best for Caleb is the heart of the story. They both love him and out him first. It’s a feel good story and I enjoyed it very much. This is yet another new to me author, one I will be reading more of....more
I had a kind of tough time grading this. I liked it better than the 3 star indicates but one major story point keeps me from enjoying it more.
This is I had a kind of tough time grading this. I liked it better than the 3 star indicates but one major story point keeps me from enjoying it more.
This is the second book in the series and this one focuses on Dallas, oldest brother of the Montana siblings from a well known wine producing company. He suffered a devastating loss when his beloved wife and six month old son died in a tragic incident. Since then he’s been hiding and in deep mourning in a small cabin in the woods. He’s cut himself off from just about everyone though is still able to do his job as CFO of the winery remotely.
This changes when he rescues a young woman from a single car accident near his cabin. It’s winter and a snowstorm comes barreling in, cutting them off from the outside world. Martina Carver is the young woman in question. She also has suffered more than her share of losses. Her mother died when she was very young, followed by her father when she was around 16. She has a young son, Charlie, 3 years old though her marriage didn’t survive. She remained on very good terms and they shared custody. Charlie was at his fathers when his father suddenly died and she was on her watch to pick up and bring her son home when she got lost in the countryside when she has her accident. She is very aware of how Dallas is still lost in his pain. And though she will always have a scar from losing her loved ones, she is able to try and help Dallas begin the healing process. There is a strong attraction between them while they are snowed in and it’s not long before they give in to it.
But even though Marti is perfect for him, he is adamant that after this interlude there can be no future for them. And this is the plot point that lowered the grade. He was TOO adamant there could be nothing and even though I recognized his reluctance, I found myself getting annoyed with him.
But apart from this I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I liked both Dallas and Martina quite a bit as well as the extended families and if another reader grades this one higher than I did, I’m good with that, I understand why. This book makes me want to delve deeper into Samantha Christie’s backlist....more
Well, it seems I’ve found myself a new author to read. I found this opposite attracts, small town, grumpy sunshine book amusing and adorab4.5 out of 5
Well, it seems I’ve found myself a new author to read. I found this opposite attracts, small town, grumpy sunshine book amusing and adorable.
Brady is a by the book small town sheriff. He’s recently been plagued by a fairly new resident of his small town, Luna Lancaster. He constantly is having to arrest her. Her current infraction is chaining herself to a tree in order to halt the development of a big block store going up in their small resort town. His rather large family own and run a rather run down, seen better days resort in located very close and they are hoping such a commercial development will help their business attract more people.
Brady and Luna are polar opposites, he being rather rigid in the way he runs his life and Luna a total free spirit and the sparks between them are majorly flammable. The chemistry between them is unstoppable much to Brady’s dismay, not so much Luna though. She’s all for finding out what could happen should these two enemies give in.
There’s so much to like about this book. Both are honourable people wanting to do what’s best for the small town. They’re both very likeable with a lot of humour between. And I love that when Brady lets go, he is totally gone for Luna. He’s a true toughie on the outside, soft teddy bear on the inside.
I’m very excited about getting more into more Brighton Walsh books. This is the first book in a series about all the siblings and she has many more series besides this one. As you can probably guess, this is a thumbs up, strongly recommended book....more
I truly loved this book. Amy Daws is another author I adore.
Wyatt is the delicious grumpy mountain man hero of this book. He’s such a mountain man he’I truly loved this book. Amy Daws is another author I adore.
Wyatt is the delicious grumpy mountain man hero of this book. He’s such a mountain man he’s purchased his very own mountain in Colorado. He’s built a house on Fletcher as have each of his two brothers. The only thing he’s truly longing for is to be a dad. He’s going the surrogacy route as he doesn’t particularly want to get involved with a woman. Did that and it didn’t go well. But he’s striking out at the agency he’s using. His 18 year old, older than her years, decides she can find the right baby mama and Wyatt somewhat reluctantly gives her the OK.
We are then introduced to Trista, the woman Everly, said niece, decides is perfect to be Wyatt’s surrogate. She wants to do this for someone really wanting a child but she doesn’t want to be a mother, thinking she would make a terrible mother. Plus she needs the money to set up a wild animal sanctuary. When she and Wyatt meet, they decide they are a good fit for what the other wants and agree to the surrogacy. What neither realizes is Everly is also looking for someone for her rather grumpy uncle to fall in love with and vice versa.
Trista moves to the mountain for the duration of the hoped for pregnancy. She’s wildly attracted to Wyatt and he to her but both keep their feelings well under wraps while they slowly build a friendship. Trista and Wyatt are complete opposites. Wyatt’s is a warm, close and deeply loving family while Trista’s parents completely neglected her and then abandoned her at age 14. She has no idea what a loving family is and has always kept people at a distance - now including Wyatt.
My heart breaks for Trista. She is a wonderful, caring person who deserves to be loved for the special person she is. I think of all the Amy Daws heroines I have ‘met’, she is my favourite. And Wyatt is just as amazing. He is such a softie underneath his loner persona and clearly sees Trista for who she truly is. His main goal soon becomes to be seeing her happy.
This is a book that will stay with me long after I finish the last page and one I know for a fact I will be reading again....more
There’s nothing I can really put my finger on specifically, the hero can be a jerk and the heroine a bit frustrating but still this book works for me.There’s nothing I can really put my finger on specifically, the hero can be a jerk and the heroine a bit frustrating but still this book works for me.
In the prologue Frankie, our heroine is a med student at a hospital in Wales I think is the location. She and her best friend are captivated by Thomas G Langley, a fellow med student a few years ahead of them. Frankie in particular has a huge crush on him. That is until one night a bunch of med students are at a pub and Thomas G Langley, a few sheets under, comes up to her and kisses her blind. Things do not go so well.
The story resumes some years later. It’s an English style medical system so it’s a bit confusing but I think Frankie is a doctor in training and her current assignment is in cardio. She is horrified to find out Tom is the teacher/team leader and he is particularly tough on Frankie. As a result Frankie withdraws more and the more she does, the tougher he gets. But there is A Lot going on beneath the waters between these two and that is the story.
Frankie is such a sweetheart. She was bullied when she was young and then involved with a narcissistic jerk who robbed her of any self confidence she had left after her childhood. She is so loveable but doesn’t think she’s good enough for anyone, especially Tom, whom much to her dismay she still has feelings for, and clams up around him. Tom, it turns out is drawn to Frankie against his will but is under the impression she is cold and uncaring. Both think the other one dislikes them.
This book is a bit unusual as it is told from both POV. But Frankie’s is taken from first person whereas Tom’s is taken from third person. Took a bit of getting used to but once I was, I liked it this way.
While not my favourite Susie Tate book, still I have zero hesitation in giving this one a thumbs up along with a recommendation....more
There were parts of this book I absolutely loved and there were parts I found frustrating so I’m giving it 4 stars. This is the fourth book in the WilThere were parts of this book I absolutely loved and there were parts I found frustrating so I’m giving it 4 stars. This is the fourth book in the Wilder family series and this book focuses on Poppy, the youngest Wilder family member. We’ve seen for a few books now she’s had a decades long crush on her brother’s best friend Jax. But he’s ten years older than her and never shown any interest in her. But he’s the standard she holds all other guys up to.
Finally after a very bad date and too much alcohol she decides it’s time she confronts him to let him know she has wanted him for years and that it’s time and she’s ready. She heads over to his place in an ice storm. Because of the weather he has no choice but to let her in and it’s clear she will have to spend the night. He’s been drinking alone and knows it’s a very bad combination, this beautiful younger woman he knows has been lusting after him and alcohol but he manages to send her off to the spare room. But when she later gets up and climbs into his bed, all bets are off. They share an incredibly hot night together. But that’s it. They both accept this can only be a one time thing and only a few days later he takes off for a few months and Poppy is unable to contact him.
This gets much more complicated when she discovers she is pregnant and can’t tell Jax. Her family is very close and support her when the news comes out but she refuses to name the father.
Months pass when Jax returns unexpectedly only to confront Poppy in front of her family, everything comes out and all hell breaks out. All along Jax has made it very clear he doesn’t do relationships of any kind. Period. End of story. But we slowly begin to learn the reason why he is the way he is. He had a very sad and lonely growing up. His single mother was still pretty much a child herself and unable to give Jax what he needed and he doesn’t feel worthy of being loved. He does have feelings for Poppy but hides and denies them.
Both Jax and Poppy are wonderful characters but I did get frustrated with Poppy. She is determined to keep him at arms length to long, taking him at his word he doesn’t want any kind of personal relationship except for shared parenthood whereas he’s ready to be honest with her but is terrified of letting her know his true feelings. At times I wanted to shake her and tell her to shut it and give him a chance to open up. And things are further complicated by the fact that during the time Jax was gone, she found a boyfriend, a very supportive and wonderful guy.
But ultimately things work out; this is a romance and this is another Karla Sorensen book I very happily and strongly recommend. I would advise reading the previous books first as this is very much a family series and all the previous characters play significant roles. Even though I’ve read them all I found myself a wee bit confused at times.
So yes, starting with the first book, read this author. I promise you will be glad. She’s not only a autobuy author, for me she’s a preorder author....more
After reading Next in Line it was this books turn. This is a delightful surprise baby, grumpy/sunshine tale. Lynsey is best friends with4.5 out of 5.
After reading Next in Line it was this books turn. This is a delightful surprise baby, grumpy/sunshine tale. Lynsey is best friends with the heroine of Kate from the first book in the series. She’s been working on her thesis for some time now and taking the advice of Kate’s, she’s been writing in the hospital cafeteria. She’s become aware of being watched by a certain snarly yet very handsome doctor, Josh.. The day finally comes when he sits down at her table and confronts her,accusing her of all kinds of wild things and she fights back, finding it rather stimulating. They run into each other again with the same dynamics. Of course this is the symptoms of wild attraction and one evening they give in to this magnetism and well, you know. Lynsey takes off very early in the morning not knowing how to handle things and they have no contact for several months until Lynsey, in a series of unfortunate events ends up in the ER and who should be the attending doctor but - you guessed it - Josh. He runs a number of tests and discovers that Lynsey is pregnant. He furiously confronts her and realizes she didn’t have a clue.
The rest of the book is how these two people deal with this baby they have conceived. As with the other Amy Daws books I’ve read I really enjoyed this one. I love both characters, Josh in particular. He’s had something tragic in his past that’s convinced him he’s broken and can’t love anyone although the reader can clearly tell how deep he’s falling into this strong emotion. He’s somewhat bewildered by her close friends. Dean in particular, whom we’ve met in the previous books becomes his real nemesis. These scenes are a hoot. This is a great n’next book’ and I happily recommend it. While maybe bot needed, I still recommend beginning with the first book in the series. They are available on KU so if you’re a member, no reason not to start reading them...more
I spent the entire day reading this book. I just couldn’t put it down . If you haven’t tried Hailey Shore and you’re a fan of small town romances, youI spent the entire day reading this book. I just couldn’t put it down . If you haven’t tried Hailey Shore and you’re a fan of small town romances, you simply must read one of her books. There are so much to love about them.
Liam and Liv first meet five years before the book opens at a ritzy charity event. Liam is a hot shot hockey player in the NHL. He sees this incredibly beautiful woman enter and is smitten. They meet and begin talking. Liv is the daughter of an investor who works with pro athletes. Sparks fly like crazy and they end up in Liam’s hotel room. But it’s not long before the evening turns into hell for both of them.
The story starts with Liams team winning the Stanley Cup. In the middle of this we find out what went wrong five years ago. I’m going to tiptoe through this so as not to give spoilers. Liam and Liv are in contact again but not for a good reason. Liam is giving Liv a hard time, deservedly so in his mind, but things aren’t always what they seem. The sparks are still very strong between them much to their dismay. Liam agrees to look after the young daughter of a friend of his for a couple of weeks and he flounders though not for lack of trying and love for the little girl. He coerces Liv to work as his Nanny while he’s in charge of Tess, the little girl. Liam decides he needs to get away from the press and heads off to the small town of Calico Cove. This enchanting little town features in most of Ms. Hailey’s books and I was delighted to revisit it. It’s in Calico Cove that Liam learns the truth about LIV and he’s devastated about how he’s been treating her and well, I know I say this often but it’s a romance.
There is so much I love about this book. Liam truly is a real good guy. He’s sweet and caring and funny and loyal. And when he falls for Liv, he falls hard despite what he believes about her. He has an older brother who also plays in the NHL and their relationship is so close and special. Wyatt, his brother, was the hero of her previous book which also 5 stars from me. That one and this one take place during the same time period and there are a few scenes that appear in both books from different POV. The connection between Liam and Liv is strong and intense, very sexy despite the issues between them.
This is a great book. You don’t need to read her previous books to enjoy this though I’m thinking you will want to. These are available on KU though I’ve been purchasing them as they are definitely reread worthy. This one gets a happy thumbs up. ...more
What did I think of the book? Hmmmm. Well, I loved it. This is such a feel good book. I just finished it and have a warm and fuzzy feeling with a big What did I think of the book? Hmmmm. Well, I loved it. This is such a feel good book. I just finished it and have a warm and fuzzy feeling with a big smile. It was like I was enveloped in a nice cozy book hug. I adore Sam and Maggie, our hero and heroine. This is the second book in a series by Amy Daw. The first book, Wait With Me was made into a movie. I liked it but enjoyed this one so much more.
Sam is a blue collar hero, my favoured kind. He works at an auto shop with plans to buy it from the owner, his uncle. Maggie is the sister of Miles, hero from the first book. She and Sam meet in a funny meet cute. Her boyfriend has just broken up with but she’s determined to get him back and with that in mind she is determined to become more of a risk taker. Sam agrees to help her, not realizing for a while she’s his best friends younger sister. It doesn’t take long for Sam to determine that Maggie’s ex is a loser, but she’s determined to get him back.
Of course, this being a romance, you can guess what happens. I get a bit frustrated with Maggie missing what’s in front of her. Sam turns out to be the perfect book boyfriend and I love him to pieces. This is a book I highly recommend....more