Friday, December 31, 2021
The Spark
Did you ever check your luggage tag and check it twice as the carousel went round and round? Autumn was just about to unpack when she realized she had grabbed the wrong suitcase. Once it was open it couldn’t hurt to take a peek. Autumn uncovered some very beautiful expensive clothes and shoes and it only took a moment to imagine the kind of handsome man that might wear them. More importantly, she needed her belongings back. After finally contacting the owner, Autumn walks into the coffee shop where they agreed to meet and he literally takes her breath away. Gorgeous, sexy and sweet - Donovan is surprisingly friendly and coffee turns into dinner and escalates into the hottest weekend of her life. But Autumn’s world is complicated at the moment so instead of hurting his feelings, she disappears. A year later they meet up again. She is on a date. With his boss. When their eyes meet there is no doubt that the spark from that fabulous weekend is still on fire. Hot, quick romance. Thumbs up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Sparks Fly
Spark House is an event planning business that Avery runs with her sisters in Colorado. Best friends, the three girls have clung tightly to each other since their parents passed away. They are doing their best running the family business while their Aunt is traveling. Avery is beautiful, sweet and smart but Avery is like one of the guys when it comes to her tight knit group of college friends. One of them is Declan, who is both her close friend and super sexy roommate. Just friends, Avery secretly smirks at the parade of beautiful women who leave Declan’s room in the morning. When Avery has a horrific accident it is Declan who steps up to take care of her. It is Declan that she suddenly realizes can fulfill her every need. Sweet and sexy romance about friends becoming more than friends. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
He's with the Band
Twenty years ago Campbell Cavett was a groupie. Well, not exactly a lovelorn groupie but she was an amateur photojournalist following the hottest rock band around the country trying to get her foot on the tour bus. Blocked by an overprotective manager and a harem of girls with big hair, Campbell didn’t get the ticket to ride. Back to Iowa and normal people life, Campbell met Jake and has spent the last two decades suffocating in a loveless marriage. With their recent divorce finalized and a benign portrait studio job, Campbell doesn’t have a lot to lose or look forward to. In an attempt to recapture her youthful spirit, she and best friend Marissa buy tickets for the Golden Tiger reunion concert in Chicago. At 41, Campbell easily blends in with the roaring crowd of screaming middle aged women. Fighting her way to the front of the mob and being pulled onstage by Davis Scott - lead heartthrob, is a fantasy. Given the opportunity to photograph the band while on tour is just too good to be true. Campbell is not sure if she is more excited by Davis Scott himself or his manager Vince who is more handsome than she remembers. Diving deep into the rock star life on the road she always imagined, Campbell will do whatever it takes to make this journey a success. A story filled with second chances and rock n’ roll, I simply loved these characters! Could have replaced a bit of repetitiveness with some hot scenes, i.e. “The Idea of You”, but this is definitely a fun rockin’ read not to be missed! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Monday, December 27, 2021
Three Weddings and a Proposal
At 38, Delphie Mertens has it all, or so she thinks. As assistant to the CEO at a highly successful firm, Delphie has worked day and night and traveled the world to climb the corporate ladder. Her family constantly berates her for sacrificing her personal life and more specifically the idea of marriage and family. Always searching for a plus one to the nonstop parade of events, Delphie is at her brothers wedding with her ex-boyfriend when she receives the awful news regarding her beloved boss Conrad. This catalyst sets Delphie up against her male chauvinist rival at the office and she is suddenly fighting to survive. As Delphie uncovers secrets to save her position and her boss’s widow from ruin she finally has the chance to reevaluate the future she has always dreamed of living. A little misleading, the title doesn’t really fit the story as well as I imagined. Characters were predictable and somewhat disappointing. Not my favorite. ⭐️⭐️
The Heart Principle
Anna Sun has been a violinist her entire life but when a you tube video goes viral, she becomes a star. Exhausted from trying to keep up with her performing schedule and popularity, Anna experiences a breakdown and must take a hiatus from the violin and pressures of the stage. Anna decides she is ready to have some fun, other experiences that she has not allowed herself to enjoy. Initially furious that her longtime boyfriend requested a break, she retaliates with a mission to have her own hot romance or at least a sizzling one night stand. When Quan Diep rides his motorcycle into her life he appears as dangerous as he is gorgeous, just perfect. To Anna’s surprise the two become fast friends. Quan offers Anna an unconditional acceptance of her quirks and sometimes irrational behavior with and open mind and true friendship. When her father becomes ill Anna goes home to help with his care. As difficult as this time may be she has an opportunity to learn that even though she knew she was different, her family has denied her undiagnosed spectrum. Putting the pieces together, Anna finally has a chance to be herself. A good read and better than book #2 but I must admit The Kissing Quotient is still my favorite. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heard it in a Love Song
Layla teaches music class at the local elementary school. Thirty five and recently divorced, she truly enjoys her job and the children. Happy to finally be free from a suffocating and loveless marriage, Layla is trying to rebuild her life one day at a time.Years ago she was part of a successful local band that was making quite a name for themselves. Imagining a life on stage, Layla followed her dreams of making music to share with the world. When she got married her husband slowly convinced her to move on with her life as it was time to be grown-ups and put silly fantasies aside. But Layla never forgot the way it felt to sing and play, to perform in front of a live audience. Josh is a single dad, also going through a difficult divorce. Having married his high school sweetheart at such a young age, he feels they have grown too far apart. His daughter is in Layla’s class and they slowly and carefully become friends. Layla builds a music studio in her basement and for the first time in years begins to explore her old feelings and figure out a brand new future. Guarding both their hearts and protecting Josh’s sweet little girl the two can no longer deny their instant chemistry and the happiness they allow themselves to feel when they are together. Heard it in a Love Song is a really simple, sweet romance about second chances. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The People We Keep
In 1994, April Sawicki was 16 years old and living alone in a motorless motorhome. Her mom skipped town long ago and her less than responsible dad recently shacked up with a local woman and her son. Flunking school, often annoyed with her sex driven boyfriend Matty, April only had one love, one passion - her guitar. Self taught with a voice like an angel, April even wrote her own music. She believed that someday these songs and her music would set her free. Reaching the end of her patience with another failed math test and believing in her father would be relieved, she packed a bag, “borrowed” a car and hit the road. The only one to notice or care was Margo, her boss and possibly only friend at the diner. As April travels the country singing for her supper, she experiences petty theft, homelessness, hunger, loneliness, friendship and happiness for the first time. Collecting an odd ragtag group of friends through the years April never stays in one place too long. When she finds herself desperate for help she realizes for the first time that there are people who care, people we keep, someplace we can call home. An unputdownable, beautifully written, memorable must read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Die With Zero
We are taught all our lives to save for a rainy day and contribute part of our earnings to a retirement fund as early as possible. Most of us have watched our parents do better than their parents and their grandparents live longer and fuller lives than their parents. Soon we many be watching our children exceed our wildest dreams. Ideas about saving, spending, donating and waiting for our golden years is deeply ingrained in our beings and we tend to make financial decisions on auto pilot without thoroughly evaluating what we truly want. Bucket lists are a fairly new way for this generation to list experiences they are looking forward to - when they have the time and money. Overspending is often frowned upon as irresponsible. Author Bill Perkins shares his personal views on our collective mistake. Working long and hard, living frugally and saving for the future. If we are lucky enough to make it to retirement age (deemed by the government) many of us will find ourselves without the health and energy and desire to do the things we once fantasized about. Sadly each decade we may have more money to do things but less time. When we have the most time we will not have the health to optimize the experiences we’ve been waiting for. This book analyzes the value put on experiences that far outweigh any balance in our bank accounts. Taking a break from work and spending time with loved ones creates memories that are far more valuable than cash in the bank. Die with Zero is a simple, straightforward reminder to live each day of every year to the fullest. There is no question that time is our most limited resource. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Beautiful Little Fools
In August 1922, Jay Gatsby is found dead in his swimming pool. The lead detective refuses to be fooled by three beautiful suspects. He has nothing to lose and is further induced with a monetary incentive from yet another shady character to solve the case. Daisy Buchanan is beautiful, smart and was raised as a proper Southern Belle. Long ago, Gatsby was her first love. Now she hides behind her cheating, lying husband Tom. Jordan Baker is Daisy’s lifelong best friend and confidant. She is a golf superstar and secretly having a love affair with another female player on the team. Jordan would do anything for Daisy - but the question is whether she will sacrifice herself for the truth. Catherine McCoy fled to NYC in hopes of starting a new life fighting for women’s rights and freedoms both voting and sexual. She will do anything to protect her sister from an abusive marriage and stop at nothing to transform her future. In this reimagining of the literary classic The Great Gatsby, it is the women who finally take center stage. Filled with the swanky jazz age, romance gone wrong and the women’s suffrage movement - Beautiful Little Fools brings it all back to life. This original delightful reinvention of our favorite characters is absolutely unputdownable. A must read for 2022! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Reckless Girls
Lux McAllister and super hot Nico may seem like the golden couple but looks can often be deceiving. Frustrated cleaning hotel rooms while Nico’s days are filled doing odd jobs at the marina and soaking up the sunshine. All of this work to fix up the Susannah, Nico’s sailboat. Lux is losing her steam as months pass and life in Hawaii is not what she expected. She didn’t leave much behind in California except for a miserable past and painful memories. Meeting sun kissed Nico changed her life and it was no choice at all to follow him to the islands in hope of starting a romantic adventure of their own. When two random pretty girls hire Nico and his boat for a ridiculous amount of money, it is too good to be true. A two week stint to Meroe Island and enough money for Nico and Lux to finally be free. Once anchored, the foursome meet up with Jake and Eliza - a too beautiful couple, sailing a magnificent catamaran and only too happy to share expensive food, wine and whatever else may follow. They learn this idyllic location has a history filled with murder and tales of cannibalism. By the time another (creepy) sailor turns up in the cove Lux is on edge. Something does not feel right and her mind begins to unravel, suspicion at every turn. Everyone seems a little off and she is determined to find the truth. Romance, sailing, mystery and everything in between. In this modern day Lord of the Flies no-one can be trusted. Start the year off with this brand new unputdownable fast paced thriller. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Monday, December 20, 2021
The Last House on the Street
Kayla and her young daughter finally move into the house at the end of the street of Shadow Ridge Estates. The one up against the dark, dense forest. Both architects, Kayla and her late husband designed every inch of their dream home with thoughtful and loving detail. Sadly, a horrific accident took his life months before completion. Kayla is determined to love their home despite the sadness she feels every time she enters the door. An odd woman with a bright red wig mysteriously stops by her work, suggesting no-one should ever live in that house. At first brushing it off as a nosey small town neighbor, Kayla soon becomes frightened when her daughter is found alone in the tree house and garbage is strewn on her lawn. Kayla befriends Ellie Hockley, an elderly woman that grew up in the neighborhood and moved away long ago. Back home for the first time in decades, Ellie is nursing her brother and mother, she too suggests Kayla will never be happy living on that land. Secrets slowly unravel revealing long ago KKK meetings, a forbidden friendship and violence that can never be forgiven. Silence and suspicion surrounds them. Kayla’s own father will not utter a word. Narrated through history and the ghosts of justice, this suspenseful mystery will have you on the edge of your seat. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunday, December 19, 2021
The Debt
The day of the shooting changed Jessica Charles’s life forever. Walking down a London street on that unfortunate day, her timing could not have been worse. Lucky to still be alive, her leg was saved and back in Edinburgh, her sister helps her face the long recovery ahead. No more life as a fit yoga instructor and broken up with her longtime boyfriend Jessica searches for ways to recover both physically and mentally. The PTSD of survivors meets once at week at the church in the village. One day she is at the pub across the way from the meeting when a shockingly handsome Scotsman introduces himself. Kier is unlike anyone she has met before. The man is huge and movie star gorgeous. Kier and Jessica hit it off instantly. He is an incredible listener and as she begins to reveal her past and greatest fears he gives her the courage to move on. But Kier is not sharing much of his own past. As the two become more than friends it is clear he is hiding something that threatens their future. Jessica must protect her heart and decide if she is brave enough to risk her future. Sweet romance with a hot Scot is always good but this is not my favorite Karina Halle (whom I adore!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Eight Perfect Hours
Noelle Butterby is returning home from her school reunion when she faces stand still traffic in blizzard conditions. Alone in the cold with her phone losing power and a broken charger, panic sets in. A knock at the window both surprises and startles her. The handsome American named Sam offers her assistance with both her phone and her anxiety. Grateful for the company but nervous with this very handsome stranger, the next eight hours quickly pass. Noelle is genuinely disappointed when they must finally part. Sam returning to the airport and his journey back to Portland and she must get home to her mother who is not well and completely dependent on Noelle’s care. Repeatedly meeting Sam again and again over the next few months cannot be an accident. Their chemistry is unmistakable. Noelle decides fate must be sending this sexy, kind man into her life for a reason and she is determined to follow her heart no matter the consequences. Two strangers and one unexpected evening can change the course of everyones lives … if you let it. Sweet, romantic comedy with quirky lovable characters. Dragged a tiny bit for me but enjoyed as one of my snowy holiday reads. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lucky
Luciana Armstrong and her handsome, charming father John have lived a life of crime. Often rationalized in a Robin Hood like manner, she and her father were as generous and they were conniving. Traveling the country, Lucky was taught that they were a team and no-one else could ever be trusted. Smart as a whip, Lucky dreamed of a normal home, school, friends and to finally meet the mother who abandoned her when she was just a baby. John is eventually imprisoned for his escapades and Lucky meets the perfect guy, Cary. Ready to build a new life and deal with the complicated identity issues her father created, Cary helps Lucky attain her goal of a college degree and a home to call her very own. It is no surprise to learn that sadly Cary is no different than her hustler father. When he disappears without a trace she is left with nothing except the stupid lottery ticket she bought on a whim at the gas station. Days later, Lucky discovers the lottery ticket is the big winner but she cannot easily turn it in without being arrested for a life of crime. This sets Lucky on the search for the one person she believes can set her free. Grifters, con artists or just plain crooks - this fast paced thrilling adventure will take you on a wild ride. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Made in Manhattan
Raised in New Orleans by a struggling single mom, Cain Stone is the furthest thing from New York elite that one could imagine. Long dark hair held back in a pony tail, large hulking - very nonsuit shoulders - and ripped jeans that he likes just fine. As the long lost grandson of Edith Rhodes, a socialite who runs the family’s billion dollar corporation, Cain is being groomed to keep the Rhodes name alive. Violet Townsend, lovely, polished and politically correct in every possible way, is positioned to help Edith prepare Cain for the interviews, meetings and hopeful role of CEO to follow. At first Violet is merely assisting Edith with what she assumed was a big city makeover; clothes, art, wine lists and which fork to use. But what began as a mere task has turned into much much more. The immediate bickering between Cain and Violet is nothing compared to the magnetic electricity that runs between them at every turn. Violet has been following the rules of society for her entire life. It is only now as Cain awakens all of her senses that she can begin to choose the path of her very own future. Modern day version of My Fair Lady and deliciously enjoyable entertainment for even the most well bred women. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thursday, December 9, 2021
The Christmas Bookshop
Running a bookshop in posh Edinburgh is not where Carmen ever imagined herself to be. Between losing her job in the village and her meddling mother pushing her daughters to get along, she has little choice in the matter. Old Mr. McCredie’s archaic bookshop is on the brink of ruin and his lawyer (her sister) Sofia arranges for Carmen to revitalize the store in time for the busy and profitable holiday season. Saving the sweet man’s business and maybe her little sisters future as well - perfect Sofia, with her immaculate home and three adorably feisty children could use some help around the house, as she is pregnant yet again. Initially feeling sorry for herself Carmen admits she has few options and succumbs to Sofia’s plan. Amazingly Carmen learns she has quite the knack for bookshop revitalization. It doesn’t hurt one bit that she enjoys some harmless flirtation with the handsome visiting author Blair and is smitten by the sexy Brazilian student named Oke. As Christmas approaches Carmen gets quite attached to her nieces and nephews and learns her annoyingly accomplished sister isn’t so bad after all. Set in the magnificence of Scotland, this charming HEA is the absolute perfect treat for the holidays. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️