Book Review: Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson

Then There Was You

Author: Miranda Liasson
Series: Angel Falls, book 1
Publisher: Forever (May 29, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback, 360 pages
Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble

Summary
Fresh from her residency, Serafina Langdon returns to her hometown to join her father's general medical practice a year after her fiancé jilted her. More than anything, Sara just wants to move on, but that becomes impossible once she discovers that the man who was responsible for her broken engagement, and who is also her ex-fiance's best friend, is now the Angel Falls chief of police.

As police chief, Colton Walker is devoted to his small town, and he's equally determined to avoid its newest resident. He and Sara have always gotten along like oil and water, and since the bachelor party incident, he's her Enemy #1. But after sharing an unexpected--and unexpectedly hot--kiss, avoiding Sara becomes the last thing he wants to do. She's not the woman he used to know, and he's falling for her. But when her ex-fiancé returns to Angel Falls, Colton will have to decide if the woman he's always fighting with is also worth fighting for. 

Book Review: Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert

Better Not Pout

Author: Annabeth Albert
Publisher: Carina Press (November 1, 2018)
Kindle edition, 288 pages
Goodreads     Amazon

Summary
One hard-nosed military police officer.

One overly enthusiastic elf.

One poorly timed snowstorm.

Is it a recipe for disaster? Or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for holiday romance?

Teddy MacNally loves Christmas and everything that goes along with it. When he plays an elf for his charity’s events, he never expects to be paired with a Scrooge masquerading as Santa Claus. His new mission: make the holiday-hating soldier believe he was born to say ho-ho-ho.

Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki doesn’t do Santa, but he’s army to his blood. When his CO asks an unusual favor, Nick of course obliges. The elf to his Kris Kringle? Tempting. Too tempting—Nick’s only in town for another month, and Teddy’s too young, too cheerful and too nice for a one-night stand. 

The slow, sexy make-out sessions while Teddy and Nick are alone and snowbound, though, feel like anything but a quick hookup. As a stress-free holiday fling turns into Christmas all year round, Teddy can’t imagine his life without Nick. And Nick’s days on the base may be coming to a close, but he doesn’t plan on leaving anything, or anyone, behind.

Book Review: The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely

The Real Deal

Author: Lauren Blakely
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 10, 2018)
337 pages
Goodreads     Amazon

Summary
April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on GigsforHire since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family's summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the GigsforHire ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.

Heading Home and Need a Buffer? I’m the REAL DEAL. 

Theo Banks has been running from the past for years. He’s this close to finally settling all his debts, and one more job as a boyfriend-for-hire will do the trick. He’s no gigolo. Please. He’s something of an actor, and he knows how to slip into any role, including pretending to be April’s new beau -- the bad boy with the heart of gold.

Even if it means sleeping in close quarters in that tiny little bed in her parents’ inn. Even if it means spinning tales of a romance that starts to feel all too true. What neither one of them counts on is that amid the egg toss, the arm wrestling, and a fierce game of Lawn Twister that has them tangled up together, they might be feeling the real deal.

She only wanted to show her family once and for all that she had no need to settle down.

He didn’t expect to have the time of his life at her parent’s home.

They didn’t plan on loving every single second of the game.

But can a masterful game of pretend result in true love?

Book Review: About That Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5) by Jill Shalvis

Rating: 4 Stars

Published January 23rd 2018 by Avon
Summary: When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.
(from Goodreads)

Review: This book just didn't click with me, I'm not sure why. I absolutely loved The Trouble With Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay #2) and was so excited to read more of the Heartbreaker Bay series. It had all the great elements of my favorite type of contemporary romance: a small town feel, a feisty and fierce leading lady, a strong alpha male with a heart of gold, and even a case of penguin-napping to solve! It was fine, but if not for the very strong and heart-wrenching last 10% of the book where I finally really connected to the characters, this would have been a 3 star review for me. That last 10% was amazing enough to tack on an extra star, though!

I tagged this in my "small towns" shelf because the series is about a group of people who all work or live in this strip mall or shopping center that I can't quite picture but there is apparently a quad in the center with a wishing fountain that grants true love. Kylie works in Reclaimed Woods, a furniture store in the building, as a woodworker, and Joe is a badass PI/bodyguard/bounty hunter that works at Hunt Investigations (also in the building). There's also a pet shop, a coffee shop/bakery, a gym, a tech company, some apartments, and I don't even remember what else. There are a LOT of characters and backstories to keep straight, which isn't so surprising as this is book #5 in a series that's clearly not finished yet.

Kylie and Joe have some great chemistry, and I love that they both had kind of screwed up childhoods in different ways, and they both wound up sort of parenting their parents. They've got some crazy explosive chemistry, but I like that they have that shared connection as well. Beyond that, I don't know, I just didn't emotionally connect with this book and I checked a lot to see how much was left before it was finished (never a good sign). Thank goodness for that last 10%! I also really like that there are little teasers for upcoming books/couples, like clearly Molly and Lucas are going to star in their own book - the tension there!! Also, Vinnie is clearly the best character in this whole book. <3

This is book #5 in the series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone - just be warned you're about to be bombarded with side characters, many of whom are already coupled off and whose stories are told in previous books. I'd only previously read the second book, The Trouble With Mistletoe, and there aren't really any spoilers for that book, probably because the main characters aren't really in this book at all. There are likely some minor spoilers for the earlier books, but not much more than you'd get by reading the back covers.

*I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss+ and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Scorpio Hates Virgo (Signs of Love #2) by Anyta Sunday

(rating)

 

Published August 30th 2017 by Anyta Sunday (first published December 5th 2014)
Review: This year is all about healing the heart, Scorpio. It’s time to leave negative attitudes and stoic facades at the door and let others see the real, more vulnerable you.

Percy Freedman is not grieving. Absolutely not, take that back at once. No, he’s entirely sure that selling his dead aunt’s home and leaving the neighbors he’s known for years is the sane thing to do. Who in their right mind would keep the house that smells like all the hugs he’ll never have again?

Nobody, that’s who.

Well, except his cul-de-sac neighbors. They all seem to think some paint and new furniture will clean the emotional slate. They all want him to stay.

Even his nemesis, Callaghan Glover.

Especially his nemesis, Callaghan Glover.

Lured into a game of Sherlock Gnomes, Percy finds himself hanging out with his neighbors more than might be considered healthy. Along with juggling new and surprising verbal grenades from Cal, and his burgeoning friendship with Gnomber9, Percy is starting to wonder if selling might have been the grief talking after all . . .

That’s right, Scorpio. With a little patience, heartbreak might be a thing of the past . . .

 

Review: GAHHHHHH! I wanted to read this book all in one big gulp, but sadly I have a job and kids and a life and stuff. I stayed up past my bedtime and had to force myself to put this book down. Then the following morning my kids woke me up 30 minutes before my alarm, and once I got them back to sleep instead of crawling back to bed to 20 minutes I sat down and got another couple of chapters in before I had to start my day.

I LOVE the snarky, witty banter between Percy and Cal! And how they call each other by their full, ridiculous names (Perseus and Callaghan) in pretend annoyance. Their witty hate banter reminded me a lot of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (which I also adored). The supporting cast is also really great, and I marked this on my “small towns” shelf because Percy and Cal live on a cul-de-sac that is a super close-knit community of neighbors that reminds me a lot of the neighbors on my own street in suburban Minnesota. One of the women in the neighborhood, Crystal, is way into horoscopes and gives everyone their readings all the time, as well as insight into each other (and themselves).

As a fellow Scorpio, I totally understand Percy’s insecurities and tendency to throw up walls of snark to protect his heart. Percy definitely has his issues, but he is also experiencing a lot of pain and grief throughout the course of this book. He’s all sass and sarcasm and sadness and sexy-times. I love Cal and his patience, his wit, his commitment to his family, her nerdy love of dinosaurs and words, his hot bod… ;) The verbal sparring between the two totally makes this book, and it just kills me how often they’re telling each other the truth in a tone dripping with fake sarcasm. I spent the entire time reading this book with a grin on my lips or with my heart in my throat and tears in my eyes… sometimes both at the same time.

I also love that I got this via Kindle Unlimited, because they also have the rest of the series and I am immediately going to go "check out" the first book in the Signs of Love series, Leo Loves Aries!

Book Review: You Say It First (Happily Inc #1) by Susan Mallery

Rating: 4 Stars

Published August 22nd 2017 by HQN Books

Summary: The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool's Gold romances invites you to visit Happily Inc., a wedding destination founded on a fairy tale

Sculptor Nick Mitchell grew up in a family of artists and learned from his volatile father that passion only leads to pain. As he waits on a new commission, he takes a day job as a humble carpenter at a theme wedding venue. The job has its perks—mainly the venue's captivating owner, Pallas Saunders. Although he won't let love consume him, for ecstasy with an expiration date, he's all in.

Pallas adores Weddings in a Box. But if she can't turn the floundering business around, she'll have no choice but cave to her domineering mother and trade taffeta for trust funds working at the family's bank. Then when a desperate bride begs Pallas for something completely out of the box, her irresistible new hire inspires her. Nick knows she doesn't belong behind a desk, and she knows in her heart that he's right—where she really belongs is in his arms.
(from Goodreads)

Review:
OK first and foremost - what the heck kind of name is Pallas? There's a little blurb in there explaining it, but I don't buy it. Her name was distracting for me through the entire book. Also, I think the town name is stupid and don't understand the relevance of the title. There, that's most of the bad stuff I have to say done with, now let's get to the good stuff!

This is the first in a series about the people in a small town called Happily Inc, which caters to weddings. What I don't get is, if the town is entirely about weddings, are there other wedding venues and wedding planners in the town? If not, then if Weddings in a Box shut down, would the entire town fold? Or if there are, why don't we hear about any of them at all?

Anyway, if you've read any of Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold novels, you have an idea what you're in for. There are a lot of side characters and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. Our leading lady, Pallas, is one of a group of six gal-pals who are all creative women than own their own businesses (for the most part). Then our main man Nick is one of five brothers (though only two of his brothers are in town, though his oldest brother is also mentioned a number of times as being engaged and I assume is the star of his own show in another series). We also have Pallas's twin brother Cade, her cousin Drew, and the mysterious and semi-reclusive bad boy famous mystery author (whose name I can't remember) to round out the number of eligible lads and ladies in town. And of course each one is super quirky in their own very special way. Which is, actually, your basic set-up for the first book in a series about a small town. There are some little hints about potential future pairings, as well as a fair amount of info dump on the pasts of several of the side characters. Again, pretty typical for your small town romance series.

I liked Pallas and Nick as characters, and they both felt fairly real and rounded out to me. Pallas has a rough relationship with her mother, and Nick has a different but also rough relationship with his father. Both characters are able to give some insight to the other, and in doing so also gain some insight into their own situations, which I liked. There is a symmetry there that really works, and is even highlighted in some witty banter between Pallas and Nick!

"I like that you're emotionally broken," she said cheerfully. "It keeps the playing field level."
"I'm not broken. I'm quirky."
"Is that what we're calling it?"

This was a fun read, with a few emotionally-charged wrenches thrown in the works to keep things interesting. I didn't laugh out loud and I didn't cry, but I did smile a lot and almost tear up a time or two, so that's a solid 4 star rating for me.

This is the first in a series, but can for sure be read as a standalone.

Challenges:

• #2018AtoZChallenge - letter Y
• 2018 Unapologetic Romance Readers Challenge - #9 Contemporary Romance

Book Review: Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis

Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shalvis

Rating: 5 Stars

Published September 26th 2017 by Avon

Summary: Meet cute...

Run for the hills—temporarily. That's Colbie Albright's plan when she flees New York for San Francisco. Wrangling her crazy family by day and writing a bestselling YA fantasy series by night has taken its toll. In short, Colbie's so over it that she's under it. She's also under the waters of a historic San Francisco fountain within an hour of arrival. Fortunately, the guy who fishes Colbie out has her looking forward to Christmas among strangers. But she's pretty sure Spencer Baldwin won't be a stranger for long.

Make merry...

Spence's commitment to hiding from the Ghosts of Relationships Past means he doesn't have to worry about the powerful—okay, crazy hot chemistry—he's got with Colbie. Just because she can laugh at anything, especially herself... just because she's gorgeous and a great listener just because she gets Spence immediately doesn't mean he won't be able to let Colbie go. Does it?

and hope for a miracle.

Now the clock's ticking for Colbie and Spence: Two weeks to cut loose. Two weeks to fall hard. Two weeks to figure out how to make this Christmas last a lifetime.

(from Goodreads)

 

Review: It is a truth universally known that a book that requires the reader to immediately go request the rest of the series from the library must be rated 5 stars.

I'm pretty sure Colbie is my spirit animal (except my mom and brother aren't awful, thanks very much). I love that she's a YA author (and come on, what book blogger doesn't love a good book about a writer who is passionate about her writing?) and that she can laugh at herself. Colbie and Spence both have a self-deprecating sense of humor that I really like, and the development of their relationship was fun to read. There is a part with Spence's female friends taking Colbie to girls' night that make me cry for her, but I won't say more than that because I don't want to spoil it. Suffice it to say that Chasing Christmas Even made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me smile like a total goofball hard enough that my husband asked me what on earth I was reading that put that doofy look on my face!

Chasing Christmas Eve is the 4th book in the Heartbreaker Bay series. I didn't know that going into reading this book, but it became obvious partway through by the sheer number of supporting characters in Spence's life. I even correctly guess that it was the 4th book, based on the information that was tossed out that of Spence's Tribe there are three couples. (Take that, Sherlock!) While this is the 4th in a series, it can absolutely be read at a stand alone. There might be some minor spoilers for the earlier books, but nothing you wouldn't already know from reading the back cover blurbs. It was a little confusing trying to keep all of the side characters straight, so I pretty much just let it go and stopped caring who Elle was in relation to Archer in relation to Joe (though as I type this, I think I actually DO know that relationships, so yay?) and just focused on the main storyline and the fact that Spence has a lot of friends who care about him. I did go request books 1 and 3 from my local library to read them as well, so I suppose if I'm wrong I'll update my review to warn you of any spoilers. :) I have read the second book in the series (The Trouble With Mistletoe) and it was every bit as enjoyable as this book.