Spotlight & Excerpt A Love by Design

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A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: The Secret Scientists of London Series #3

Release Date: January 17, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

In the third installment of The Secret Scientists of London, the ladies of Athena’s retreat are back including widowed Margaret Gault. Margaret has big ambitions – she wants to establish England’s first woman owned engineering firm. But life isn’t always easy for a woman and Margaret runs into many roadblocks including one Earl Grantham.

Margaret and Grantham knew each other once, many years ago. What happened to end their friendship? Will they be able to mend their broken relationship – especially when there are so many forces working against them?

SYNOPOSIS

You couldn’t design a better hero than the very eligible and extremely charming Earl Grantham. Unless, of course, you are Margaret Gault, who wants nothing to do with the man who broke her youthful heart.

Widowed and determined, Margaret Gault has returned to Athena’s Retreat and the welcoming arms of her fellow secret scientists with an ambitious plan in mind: to establish England’s first woman-owned engineering firm. But from the moment she sets foot in London her plans are threatened by greedy investors and–at literally every turn–the irritatingly attractive Earl Grantham, a man she can never forgive.

George Willis, the Earl Grantham, is thrilled that the woman he has loved since childhood has returned to London. Not as thrilling, however, is her decision to undertake an engineering commission from his political archnemesis. When Margaret’s future and Grantham’s parliamentary reforms come into conflict, Grantham must use every ounce of charm he possesses–along with his stunning good looks and flawless physique, of course–to win Margaret over to his cause.

Facing obstacles seemingly too large to dismantle, will Grantham and Margaret remain forever disconnected or can they find a way to bridge their differences, rekindle the passion of their youth, and construct a love built to last?

EXCERPT

A LOVE BY DESIGN by Elizabeth Everett

Berkley Romance Trade Paperback Original | On sale January 17, 2023

Excerpt

Maggie had returned.

Of course, she was now known as Madame Margaret Gault.

Try as he might, Grantham could never twist his tongue around the name.

Almost his whole life, he’d called her Maggie.

His Maggie.

From upside down, he watched as she turned the corner of the carriage house, the wind unfurling the hem of her simple bronze pelisse. A brown capelet hung about her shoulders, and a matching muff hid her hands. Catching sight of him, she paused, tilting her head so he caught a glimpse of lush auburn curls peeking out from beneath her tea-colored bonnet trimmed with bright red berries. Margaret’s fair skin showed no hint of the freckles that had once plagued her every summer, and thick brown lashes shielded her hazel eyes.

She was unusually tall for a woman; nevertheless, she moved with effortless grace, and not even the blazing clash of colors adorning Violet next to her could detract from her beauty.

For she was a beauty, Margaret Gault. Once wild and graceless, she’d bloomed into a woman of elegant refinement.

A woman who was more than met the eye.

A woman who would rather feast on glass than give him the time of day.

For eleven years, the first day of summer meant Margaret would be waiting for him beneath the willow where they first met. She and Violet attended the Yorkshire Academy for the Education of Exceptional Young Women together. While Violet came home to her large, affectionate-and very loud-family, Margaret had no one waiting for her at home. Her father had died of a stroke when she was ten and her mother had little interest in Margaret’s whereabouts or well-being.

Violet and Grantham had been Margaret’s family. The three of them had been the best of friends until one hot afternoon when Margaret had smiled a certain way and the ground went out beneath his feet. A year later he was soldiering in Canada and Margaret lived in Paris and their summers together were nothing but a memory he pulled around himself like a blanket on cold lonely nights.

“Good afternoon, Grantham,” Violet greeted him, seemingly unaffected by his headfirst dive into her rosebushes. She wore a shocking yellow day dress beneath a burgundy velvet paletot and atop her head sat a garish blue bonnet topped with a life-sized stuffed parrot.

Swallowing a barrelful of curses, Grantham tried wriggling out of the bushes, every single thorn piercing his flesh a hundredfold as Margaret stared without saying a word.

“Ahem.” He cleared his throat as he managed to get to his feet despite being trapped in the center of one of the bushes. As he pulled a branch from his hair, a shower of wrinkled brown rose petals drifted down his shoulders. “You are especially . . . vibrant today, Violet. I brought this for Baby Georgie.”

He thrust the torn, dirtied rabbit at Violet, who received it with a bemused air. One of the buttons had come off and the silk was stained green and brown.

“Madame Gault,” he said, bowing to Margaret. “So lovely to see you again.”

No matter how strongly Grantham willed it, Margaret did not speak to him in return. Instead, she bent her knee a scant inch in a desultory curtsey, her lush mouth twisted like the clasp of a coin purse, no doubt to hold inside the names she was calling him in her head. He had a good idea what some of them were, considering he most likely had taught them to her.

Grantham hadn’t seen Margaret for thirteen years until their reunion-if one could call it that-a year and a half ago in the small parlor of Athena’s Retreat. He hadn’t exactly met the moment then, either-although to be fair, there’d been a hedgehog involved. The handful of times he encountered her since, she’d avoided meeting his eyes with her own, as though he were an inconsequential shadow cast by their past.

Someone to be dismissed.

Someone who had broken her heart and whom she would never forgive.

“See who is come to live in England for good.” Violet linked her arm with Margaret’s and beamed at her friend.

This was news.

When Margaret had come to stay at Athena’s Retreat a year and half ago to complete an engineering project for her father-in-law’s firm, Grantham had hoped she’d stay but she returned to Paris after three months. He’d asked Violet if Margaret might ever return, but Violet had doubted it.

“She’s one of the only women engineers in Europe with an excellent reputation. Why give up a dream hard fought to come back to England and fight all over again?” Violet had asked.

Something had changed, however, and now Margaret was home.

His heart leapt in his chest and the bitter orange flavor of hope flooded his mouth.

“Clean yourself up and come inside for tea,” Violet said to him now.

Margaret did not echo the invitation. Instead, she tightened her hold on a stylish carpet bag and accompanied Violet and Arthur into the building.

There are moments in life when the world shifts as though a door has opened somewhere out of sight. Whether a person runs toward that opened door or not depends on how fast they’re stuck in place. Grantham considered for a moment how painful it would be to get himself unstuck.

Although the tangle of branches in front of him twisted menacingly, he pulled a deep breath of resolution into his lungs alongside the scents of rosehips and crushed greenery. Gritting his teeth, he made his way through the thorns toward the open door.


Excerpted from A Love by Design by Elizabeth Everett Copyright © 2023 by Elizabeth Everett. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. 

Spotlight The Fraud Squad

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The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 17, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Crazy Rich Asians + Gossip Girl + Devil Wears Parada come together in The Fraud Squad, the debut novel by Kyla Zhao. Samantha Song has longed to write for a high-society magazine, but she doesn’t quite have the clout to write for one…yet. When Samantha gets an opportunity to date the son of one of Singapore’s elite families she sees a chance to get in! She’ll just fake it until she makes it. But the more she fakes it the harder it becomes to stay true to herself. How much of a fraud is Samantha willing to be until she finally achieves her dream? How much of herself is she willing to lose along the way?

SYNOPSIS

A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.

For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.

Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.

To Samantha’s surprise, Timothy and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she’s determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.

Spotlight & Excerpt Back in a Spell

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Back in a Spell by Lana Harper

Genre: Fantasy Romance / LGBT

Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove #3

Release Date: January 3, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

After nursing a broken heart – and broken engagement – powerful witch Nina is willing to try dating again. Her friends urge her to give dating apps a try and this is where she meets Morty Gutierrez – the non-binary co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron. He is most definitely not a witch and not interested in Nina after their awkward and horrible first date.

When Morty begins to develop powers and Nina’s powers simultaneously grow stronger – these two realize that they are somehow bound to one another. They must figure out a way to break the bond between them. Yet at the same time, their attraction to one another grows – will they manage to break the bond without falling for each other?

SYNOPSIS

An awkward first date leads to a sparkling romance between one of the most powerful witches in town and a magical newbie in this rom-com by Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch.

Even though she won’t deny her love for pretty (and pricey) things, Nineve Blackmoore is almost painfully down-to-earth and sensible by Blackmoore standards. But after a year of nursing a broken heart inflicted by the fiancée who all but ditched her at the altar, the powerful witch is sick of feeling low and is ready to try something drastically different: a dating app.

At her best friend’s urging, Nina goes on a date with Morty Gutierrez, the nonbinary, offbeat soul of spontaneity and co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron. Their date goes about as well as can be expected of most online dates—awkward and terrible. To make matters worse, once Morty discovers Nina’s last name, he’s far from a fan; it turns out that the Blackmoores have been bullishly trying to buy the Shamrock out from under Morty and his family.

But when Morty begins developing magical powers—something that usually only happens to committed romantic partners once they officially join a founding family—at the same time that Nina’s own magic surges beyond her control, Nina must manage Morty’s rude awakening to the hidden magical world, uncover its cause, and face the intensity of their own burgeoning connection. But what happens when that connection is tied to Nina’s power surge, a power she’s finding nearly as addictive as Morty’s presence in her life?

EXCERPT

BACK IN A SPELL by Lana Harper

Berkley Romance Trade Paperback Original | On Sale January 3, 2023

Excerpt

Chapter One

Let It Snow

I’ve never been what one might call a winter person.

Witches are supposed to feel naturally aligned with the Wheel of the Year, receptive to the charms of every season-and nowhere is that easier than in Thistle Grove, where every type of weather is utterly and gorgeously flamboyant, the most extravagant cosplay version of what it might look like anywhere else. In theory, I could appreciate the extremeness of its contrasts; all that diamond-faceted white, blazing against the blue of windswept skies and the stark black silhouette of Hallows Hill. I could even get behind winter chic, when it came to sleek après-ski wear. And then there was Yule, with its fragrant wreaths and crackling logs and sea of candlelight. Arguably the most luminous and magical of the solstices.

But in practice? Winter is horribly inelegant and messy, almost impossible to calibrate. One too many layers leaves you sticky and sweltering, while one too few lets the chill creep into your bones. Your hair turns into kindling, or poufs into a staticky halo immune even to glamour spells. You can’t even run properly in winter, unless you’re a die-hard marathoner with no self-preservation instincts left intact.

All around cruel and unusual. At least we rarely suffered more than two months or so of such yearly punishment in Thistle Grove.

But this year, strangely, winter seemed to suit me. This year, I found every fresh snowfall soothing, almost meditative. There was one raging right now beyond the frost-rimed window of the Silver Cherry, where I was grin-and-bearing my way through a jewelry-making class; a feathery whirlwind, like being inside a shaken snow globe filled with drifting down. It felt hypnotic, a chaotic escapade of white that made it hard to hold on to any single thought for long. Which, these days, was more than fine by me.

These days, my thoughts and I didn’t tend to be on the best of terms.

“Sweetheart,” Jessa said, in that delicate tone she’d taken to using on me, like one harsh note might topple me over, damage me in some irreparable way. She didn’t have to be quite that careful with me, but I loved that she wanted to be. “You’re doing your depressed mime face again.”

The words themselves didn’t tend to match up with the spun-sugar tone all that often, because she was still Jessa, and I loved her for that, too.

“What?” I mumbled, finally tearing my eyes from the window. “My . . . what?”

“You know.” She rearranged her adorable, ringlet-framed features into a truly dismal expression, drooping puppy-dog eyes and a dramatically downturned mouth like a melancholy bass. “Like you’re about to perish of chronic woe. Or possibly planning to re-create that scene from The Giver where the kid and his little brother escape into the snow to die with their emotions.”

“It’s been a while since middle school English class, but even so, I’m fairly sure that wasn’t supposed to be the takeaway,” I told her with a snort. “And hard pass on that cold demise. If I absolutely have to die somewhere with my emotions, I’d rather go all nice and toasty.”

Dragging my attention back to my little work tray, strewn with a glittery mishmash of wire and beads, I saw that I’d been halfheartedly tooling around with making earrings before the blizzard got the best of me. Once upon a time, I’d have crafted something gorgeous given an opportunity like this, painstakingly applied myself until I had it just right. Too bad “once upon a time” felt like several eons and an infinity of wrong turns ago.

“Burn you at stake, then, noted,” Jessa quipped-though of course, thoroughly normie as she was, my best friend had no idea how close to home that hit. As far as I knew, Jessa had never once seriously considered the notion that our charming postcard of a town really was settled by witches, exactly like Thistle Grove legend would have you believe.

To her, I was just Nina. Best friend and partner in crime from our shared law school days, now in-house counsel to my family’s extensive business interests. Not Nineve Cliodhna of House Blackmoore, second in line to the most powerful witch dynasty in Thistle Grove.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” I assured her. “I do still have considerable will to live. Just not, like, enough zest to care about these earrings, apparently.”

Jessa pooched out her lower lip, abandoning the complicated (and suspiciously BDSM-looking) beaded choker she’d been working on.

“But that’s the point,” she insisted, smooth brow wrinkling with concern. “That’s what these classes are for, Nina. We’re supposed to be nurturing our creative selves, meeting new people, rediscovering your zest. Unearthing it.”

She looked so crestfallen that for the barest moment, I entertained the idea of assembling the pitiful bead hodgepodge into something pretty with a simple transmutation spell of the pumpkin-into-carriage variety, but even more basic. The raw materials were already right in front of me, half-threaded. I could have done it with just a few words, using a single, purely distilled thought as a vehicle of my will.

But that wouldn’t have been honest or fair, which was part of the reason I never did magic in front of my best friend. For the safety and the continuing preservation of our town, as per the Grimoire-the spellbook that also held sway over the conduct and governance of Thistle Grove’s witch community-only long-term, witchbound partners were permitted access to that secret. And for all that I adored Jessa to pieces, our friendship wasn’t the kind of love the founders had had in mind when deciding who should be privy to our magic.

Letting the oblivion glamour that was cast over the town take hold of her, erasing her memory of whatever spell I’d worked, would have felt . . . traitorous. A little gross, even.

And it would have been a cop-out at best. Jessa was the kind of delightful whirlwind of a person who effortlessly transformed strangers into friends-or short-lived partners, as the case may be-wherever she went, and I knew she’d been hoping a little of that joie de vivre might rub off on me. Tonight’s jewelry-making class was the fourth hopeful outing of its kind, following a disastrous wine-and-paint night (during which I’d gotten the not-artistically-conducive kind of wasted), an equally catastrophic pottery class that had reminded me of Sydney’s love of ceremonial teacups and sent me spinning into a meltdown, and a flower-arranging class that had only managed to unearth memories of the ivory-and-rose-gold palette I’d chosen for the flowers at my own wedding.

A wedding that was never going to happen, much like the perfect life with Sydney that had been meant to materialize thereafter. A life that now seemed not just fictional, but so fantastically unbelievable that I, a flesh-and-blood descendant of the sorceress Morgan le Fay, couldn’t conceive of it as a reality.

“You’re talking about me like I’m some archeological dig, Jess, and we’re troweling for ancient potsherds of joy. What if there’s no zest to unearth? What if I’m just a barren wasteland?” I dropped my chin, the familiar, hateful well of tears pressing against my eyes. I was so damn sick of crying at the slightest provocation, like some weepy damsel stuck in a mire of never-ending distress, but I’d apparently won the sob lottery. Team #Leaky4Life over here. “Permanently broken?”

Excerpted from Back in a Spell by Lana Harper Copyright © 2023 by Lana Harper. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. 

Loathe to Love You ARC Review

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: January 3, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

SYNOPSIS

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a collection of steamy, STEMinist novellas featuring a trio of engineers and their loves in loathing—with a special bonus chapter!

Under One Roof
An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell—a detestable big-oil lawyer who won’t leave the thermostat alone.

Stuck with You
A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry—and love—to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.

Below Zero
A NASA aerospace engineer’s frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

REVIEW

I loved this collection of steamy STEM forward novellas from Ali Hazelwood. My favorite part of Loathe to Love You was the friendship between Mara, Sadie and Hannah. I loved how they were always there for one another throughout each of the novellas. It made it so fun to follow along with their journeys.

Under One Roof: 5/5
This novella was definitely my favorite out of the three. I loved Liam and Mara so much!
Under One Roof had so many of my favorite tropes all wrapped up in one amazing book including
-forced proximity
-roommates
-enemies-to-lovers
-slow burn
-bonding over grief
-strong women in STEM

Stuck with You: 4.5/5
Stuck with You starts off with Sadie being stuck on an elevator during a power outage. Maybe not the best place to be, but it gets worse when Sadie finds out she’s stuck with the person she hates the most right now – Eric Novak. Erik and Sadie had one heated, perfect night together before Sadie finds out that he betrayed her in the worst way. Will being stuck in the elevator get them to work past their issues or make them worse?

Okay first of all, I absolutely love a book with flashback scenes and in Stuck with You the scenes alternated to being stuck in the elevator and Sadie and Erik’s first meeting. While I’m typically not a fan of insta-love, it worked for me in this case.

Below Zero: 4/5
Hannah first meets Ian when she’s still in school. Forced to write an informational interview on someone who shares the same career girls, she decides to write it on her friend Mara’s cousin Ian. Ian is a NASA engineer and Hannah’s career aspirations are to one day work as a NASA engineer. Their one short afternoon together turns in to so much more when they act on their attraction to one another. But Hannah doesn’t do relationships and tells Ian this. He is hurt, but understands and they part their separate ones.

That is until 4 years later when Hannah and Ian meet again at NASA when Hannah ends up working there. Soon they work together and are constantly in each others orbit. But when Hannah finds out that Ian may be keeping her from her ultimate goal her shields go up.

Only, when Hannah finds herself trapped in a snow storm on an expedition it’s Ian who comes to her rescue. Will she be able to put aside her differences to find out why he’s there when he challenged her project every step of the way?

Below Zero was a short and fun novella. At this point I expect Ali’s books to make me laugh, swoon and deliver on the 🔥 and Below Zero did exactly that. I do love a good time lapse and it was fun to see Hannah, Mara and Sadie first meet and get to know each other through the length of this novella.

Ian was the ultimate cinnamon roll hero and I loved how much he cared for Hannah. I needed to know what happened to put these two individuals who liked and respected each other at odds. I totally binged this novella.

I will say that out of the three novellas, this book maybe felt the most like a novella to me and I wanted to feel more of a connection to Ian and Hannah. Overall I did enjoy Below Zero and this series of novellas as a whole!

My Favorite Reads of 2022

~ Tej ~ 2 Comments

2022 was a pretty fantastic reading year for me. While I do feel like I went through a few reading slumps here and there – overall I ended up reading more books than I did last year. Quite a few of those were rereads including The Wildflower Wager by Tessa Dare, You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle and The Roommate by Rosie Danan. These are romances I will always recommend and they’re still favorites, even years after I first read them.

2022 was the year for me to discover indie romances as well as read a lot of Kindle Unlimited (KU) romances. I discovered so many new favorite authors including Elsie Silver, Elizabeth O’Roark and Kate Canterbary. Longtime favorites made my list as well including Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry and Sarah MacLean. I love reading a diverse sub-genre of romances. This year I broadened my horizon and read so many types of romances – from mafia and alien romance to historical and romantic fantasy.

I will never tire of reading romances and can’t wait to see what 2023 brings in store!

Disclosure: The links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize the purchase.

1. The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary

I ended up discovering what a gem this book is while on vacation. One of my favorite book besties literally told me I needed to download The Worst Guy and read it asap. She knows how much I love a grumpy, growly, asshole and Sebastian Stremmel fit the bill. Gah how I loved the chemistry between Sebastian and Sarah. Their relationship was so tumultuous and yet they cared about each other so much. Seriously can’t recommend this book enough.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited!

2. A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L Armentrout

Romantic fantasy is a newer to me genre. I have been reading it more lately and decided to pick up From Blood and Ash after seeing it all over social media. As soon as I finished that book I knew I had to move on to book two, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire and I honestly feel like this is one of my all time favorite fantasy rormances next to A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas. Poppy and Casteel had that type of banter and chemistry that I absolutely love, but also the angst in this book was top notch. Highly highly recommend the first two books in this series – I’m still making my way through the rest of it!

3. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

I didn’t know much about The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy before I started reading it. I kind of went in without any idea of what the book was about and this ended up being one of my favorite romances of the year. I’ve already reread it and listened to it on audio (which I highly recommend). Hart and Mercy had that perfect tension that you expect to find with an enemies to lovers romance. They truly loathe each other and yet…their anonymous penpal letters to each other are so sweet, you can’t help but want these two to meet and fall in love. The underlying threads of grief are woven beautifully through this sci-fi/thriller romance. If you’re looking for a unique twist on a sci-fi romance with You’ve Got Mail vibes – this is your book!

4. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

Things We Never Got Over released in January and in took me until October to read this phenomenal small town romance. To be fair it has tropes that I didn’t think I really enjoyed including: single parent and small town (I usually stay away from both of those tropes). But seriously this is how you do a small town, single parent romance. I fell in love with all of the characters in this book, especially Knox and Naomi. Things We Never Got Over was the perfect balance of rom-com, angsty, suspense and small-town charm. I can’t wait for the next book in the series – Things We Hide From the Light.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited

5. Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth O’Roark

The Devil series by Elizabeth O’Roark is a series that I saw all over my social media feed this summer. I decided to pick up the first book in the series – A Deal with the Devil and immediately fell in love with Elizabeth O’Roark’s writing. I loved that book, but when I got to book two of the series – Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, I absolutely fell in love with Josh and Drew. This book was so angsty and swoony and I could not get enough of it! If you love a good enemies to lovers romance with two strong leads I highly recommend Devil and the Deep Blue Sea!

Also available on Kindle Unlimited

6. Flawless by Elsie Silver

Cowboy romances and small towns are so not my thing. Which is why it took me so long to pick up Flawless even though friends have been raving about this book for months now! I finally decided to pick it up and literally read this book in less than a day. It has all of my favorite tropes: forced proximity, only one bed, he’s jealous (that scene had me screaming) and plenty of spicy scenes! Elsie Silver is one of my newest favorite authors and I’ve been on a reading binge of her backlist. I love the Chestnut Springs series and can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released!

Also available on Kindle Unlimited

7. A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L Armentrout

After falling in love with Poppy and Casteel from the Blood and Ash series, I couldn’t wait to start this spin off. I picked up A Shadow in the Ember and devoured it and couldn’t wait to read more about Sera and Nyktos. Without giving too much away – I highly recommend this book and this entire series if you were a fan of the Blood and Ash series. A Light in the Flame was angsty, swoony and filled with so much pining. I can’t wait for more books set in this world – Jennifer L Armentrout does romantic fantasy so well!

8. Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite historical romance writers so it’s no surprise that I loved the first book in the series and couldn’t wait for Heartbreaker to be released! This book had the best banter that I have read in some time. I loved loved loved Adelaide and Duke Clayborn. I was often laughing and swooning in equal measure! I kind of want to reread it now that I’m remembering how much I loved it! If you’re a historical romance fan I highly recommend the Hell’s Belles series and this book!

*Heartbreaker is a Harper Collins titles. The Harper Collins Union has been on strike since 11/10/22 to get a fair contract for their workers and I stand in solidarity with them.

9. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

I loved Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, so I was excited for Book Lovers and Emily Henry did not disappoint. While I feel like this book had a slower start, it required a lot of character development and I appreciated that as the story progressed. Charlie and Nora were so perfect for one another and I adored their banter! I’ve already reread this book a few times and look forward to whatever Emily Henry writes!

10. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

I loved loved loved The Love Hypothesis and to say that Love on the Brain was my most anticipated read would be an understatement. I adored Levi and Bee. Was this book a bit hectic and chaotic at times – yes absolutely, and yet I still couldn’t stop reading this enemies-to-lovers/it’s always been you romance! I’m a huge Ali Hazelwood fan and I’m always eager to read her next book.

11. The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe

I only recently discovered Joanna Shupe, but I have devoured a huge chunk of her backlist. The Bride Goes Rogue was swoony, angsty and so sexy. Joanna Shupe has such a way with words and once I started reading The Bride Goes Rogue, I had a hard time putting it down. Katherine and Clarke’s relationship wasn’t always easy. These characters were never black and white – and the scenarios they found themselves in had my heart breaking on their behalf on more than one occasion. If you’re looking for a sexy, angsty and swoony historical romance I highly recommend The Bride Goes Rogue.

*The Bride Goes Rogue is a Harper Collins titles. The Harper Collins Union has been on strike since 11/10/22 to get a fair contract for their workers and I stand in solidarity with them.

12. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

The Dead Romantics surprised me in the best way. A ghostwriter who is in a writing slump but also sees ghosts – yes! I love a good story with a paranormal aspect to it and Ashley Poston delivers with The Dead Romantics. I loved each and every character that was written throughout this book. I have so many passages highlighted throughout this book that resonated with me. I’d find myself laughing out loud one minute and then shedding tears the next. This book deals with grief – the grief of moving on, the grief of ending a relationship, the grief of having to bury a family member. But it also celebrates life and the living in the here and now.

13. Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

I have read a few books by Kate Clayborn now and I seriously feel like every single book of hers is somehow better than the last?! And that’s saying something because they have all been five star reads for me. I have so many pages and passages highlighted from Georgie, All Along. Passages about second chances, friendships, forgiveness and of course swoony love. Kate’s writing is always so beautiful. The way she talks about relationships – whether that be romantic relationships or relationships that her characters have with friends or family – really feels like she’s speaking directly to you.

Georgie, All Along is the only book on my list that isn’t released yet! Definitely pre-order this gem for when it releases on January 24, 2023.

14. Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare

Gah! How much did I love Go Hex Yourself. I will be honest – a lot of fantasy/paranormal romance featuring witches and magic just falls flat for me. So I was a bit weary going in to Go Hex Yourself, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I adored this book and the characters in it. Ben and Reggie had so much chemistry together and I wanted more of them from their very first interaction. Ben was the grump to Reggie’s sunshine and these two were completely perfect for one another. Their relationship was slow growing and I really enjoyed the way that they begin to trust each other before deciding to move their relationship along. And YES, Jessica Clare totally brought the 🔥🔥🔥 I loved this quirky, funny and sweet romance! Once I started it I had a hard time putting it down.

15. Bloody Heart by Sophie Lark

I love a second chance romance and when I read the synopsis to Bloody Heart I knew I had to read it. I started The Brutal Birthright series in the summer and picked up the series again recently. I always read series out of order and picked up this one after reading the synopsis. Bloody Heart had all of my favorite tropes including young love, it’s always been you and a second chance romance. I absolutely fell in love with this book. You can read my review here for content warnings as there are a few of them.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited

**Honorable Mention – Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

I read an early copy of Hook, Line, and Sinker last year and fell in love with Fox and Hannah. It was already mentioned in my favorites list of 2021, but I had to mention it again in this years list because it was technically released in 2022. The angst, the slow burn and the friends to lovers aspect of Hook, Line, and Sinker was absolute perfection for me.

ARC Review -The Frat Boy

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The Frat Boy by Nikki Sloane

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Nashville Neighborhood #4

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: December 6, 2022

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Valentine PR.

SYNOPSIS

Colin Novak is the big man on campus. Huge—if the rumors are to be believed. Nearly every girl at Davidson University has had a ride on him . . . everyone, except me.

Which is fine. This frat boy may be irritatingly hot, all carved muscle with a deceptively wholesome smile, but that’s irrelevant. He’s a Sig.

When I catch his fraternity cheating at the Greek Week tournament, he denies it—causing our rivalry between houses to escalate. Colin and I may have started the mud fight, but it grows into an all-out war, and ends with us expelled from our houses.

Now I’m homeless and it’s all his fault.

So, while answering an ad for a leading role at an adult film company wasn’t part of my career path, the work comes with a lot of perks. Steady salary. Accommodations close to campus. A safe place to explore my fantasies.

Except when I show up for my audition, my partner is none other than my new archenemy—Colin. And our sexual chemistry is explosive.

We hate how attracted we are to each other, and I despise that I want every scene to be with him. Because the longer we live together, the more I see he’s not who I thought he was.

This frat boy was so easy to hate . . . but what if he’s even easier to love?

REVIEW

Colin and Madison are rivals in every single way. Their fraternities have been rivals for years and each want to compete in the Greek Week tournament and call themselves the champions. When Madison calls out Colin’s fraternity for cheating the frat boy doesn’t believe her. This in turn causes the rivalry to escalate to the point that both Colin and Madison are kicked out of their respective houses.

With no where to go, Madison answers an ad for a leading role in an adult company. She’ll have a place to stay and she can make some extra money while she finishes school. Madison is nervous and scared, but what truly throws her is that her partner will be Colin!! Their chemistry is explosive, but will these two survive living in the house together?

Nikki Sloane’s writing is always 🔥🔥🔥 and The Frat Boy definitely brought the heat. I read nearly half of the book in one sitting. I loved the chemistry between Colin and Madison. The fact that they truly hated each other, but also had to act intimate together while on screen made their chemistry so explosive.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in The Frat Boy. While this maybe a taboo book in the sense that adult stars and adult film is discussed, it always felt respectful. I truly enjoyed the interactions that the characters had while they were all living in the house.

I will say that sometimes the secondary plots got to be a bit much and I found myself looking for more time with just Colin and Madison together.

If you’re looking for a fast paced book with lots of spicy scenes I would definitely recommend this book! Overall I would give The Frat Boy 3.5 – 4 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Valentine PR.

Spotlight A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

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A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

Genre: Contemporary Romance/LGBT

Release Date: December 6, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

Tropes you can expect to find in A Dash of Salt and Pepper : enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance, single dad and age gap! This is a perfect rom-com for foodie lovers.

When Xavier finds himself back in his home town of Harper’s Cove, Maine he doesn’t expect to be working as a prep chef for the hot single dad chef who doesn’t know how to operate his own kitchen. But soon these two find themselves heating up the kitchen – will they be able to make their relationship work?

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes two cooks in the kitchen are better than one in this swoony romantic comedy from the author of I’m So (Not) Over You.

Xavier Reynolds is doing less than stellar. He just got dumped, was passed over for a prestigious fellowship, and to top it all off he’s right back home in Harper’s Cove, Maine (population: 9,000). The last thing he wants to do is to work as a prep chef in the kitchen of the hip new restaurant in town, The Wharf. Especially since the hot, single-father chef who owns it can’t delegate to save his life.

Logan O’Hare doesn’t understand Xavier or why every word out of his mouth is dipped in sarcasm. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to hire him–he needs more help in the kitchen and his tween daughter, Anne, can only mince so many onions. It might be a recipe for disaster, but Logan doesn’t have many options besides Xavier.

Stuck between a stove and a hot place, Logan and Xavier discover an unexpected connection. But when the heat between them threatens to top the Scoville scale, they’ll have to decide if they can make their relationship work or if life has seasoned them too differently.

ARC Review – A Very Merry Bromance

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A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Bromance Book Club #4

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: November 1, 2022

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley and audiobook from prhaudio

SYNOPSIS

‘Tis the season for a Bromance Book Club matchmaking mission! This time, they’re pulling out the mistletoe for everyone’s favorite country music star, Colton, and his second chance at love.

Country music’s golden boy Colton Wheeler felt the most perfect harmony when he was with Gretchen Winthrop. But for her, it was a love him and leave him situation. A year later, Colton is struggling to push his music forward in a new direction. If it weren’t about to be the most magical time of year and the support of the Bromance Book Club, he’d be wallowing in self-pity.

It’s hard for immigration attorney Gretchen not to feel a little Scrooge-ish about the excess of Christmas when her clients are scrambling to afford their rent. So when her estranged, wealthy family reaches out with an offer that will allow her to better serve the community, she’s unable to say no. She just needs to convince Colton to be the new face of her family’s whiskey brand. No big deal…

Colton agrees to consider Gretchen’s offer in exchange for three dates before Christmas. With the help of the Bromance Book Club, Colton throws himself into the task of proving to her there’s a spark between them. But Gretchen and Colton will both need to overcome the ghosts of Christmas past to build a future together.

REVIEW

Colton Wheeler had a pretty wonderful night with Gretchen. But when he decides he wants something more from their one night stand, Gretchen flees. Colton hasn’t seen her in over a year when she finally waltzes back into his life with something akin to a business proposal.

Gretchen hasn’t had the best relationship with her family. But when her wealthy family decides that they want Colton as their ambassador for their whiskey line they turn to Gretchen to seal the deal. Gretchen doesn’t want to be back in Colton’s presence, but will do what’s necessary to secure a position on the board of her family’s business.

Colton’s no young buck, and decides if Gretchen wants to snag him as an ambassador then she has to agree to go on a few dates with him. Gretchen finally relents and that’s how these two slowly start to spend more time with one another and get to know about what makes each other tick.

A Very Merry Bromance was a fun addition to the Bromance Book Club series! It was great seeing the bro’s together again. I was laughing quite a lot whenever they’d all be on the same page.

I enjoyed the dichotomy of Gretchen and Colton. Where Colton was all shine-y and had a ton of Christmas spirit, Gretchen was grumpy and less so inclined to even give Christmas a thought. These two were perfect for each other and I loved how patient Colton was in giving Gretchen the space she needed especially considering her strained relationship with her family (and d-bag of a brother).

I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook of A Very Merry Bromance and really enjoyed listening to Andrew Eiden as narrator. He did a great job voicing Colton and Gretchen and I was laughing out loud whenever all the bro’s were together.

Overall, I enjoyed A Very Merry Bromance and this series as a whole!

Review – Flawless & Heartless by Elsie Silver

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Flawless & Heartless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Cowboy Romance

Series: Chestnut Springs #1 & #2

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

I ended up reading this series after I kept seeing these books all over booktok and bookstagram! I’m so glad I decided to pick them up because I ended up reading both books in the Chestnut Springs series in a matter of just a few days. I love the world that Elsie Silver has created with this series. I’ll be the first to say that I’m not a big fan of cowboy romances and yet I could not stop reading and being fascinated with bull riding and ranching. So yeah – big fan of Elsie Silver 😍 I can’t wait to go back and read through her backlist! If you pick up either of these books I’d love to know your thoughts.

Flawless by Elise Silver

Review

Rhett Eaton has been felled by milk.

When the media catches wind of bull riding superstar Rhett Eaton saying that he hates drinking milk – one of his biggest sponsors drops him. Not only that – Rhett manages to come under heat after punching a reporter who wouldn’t get out of his face. So when his manager assigns him an associate from his office to watch over Rhett to make sure he doesn’t get into anymore trouble, Rhett does not anticipate it being his agents daughter Summer.

Summer just graduated law school and is looking to join her dad’s firm. This seems like a test to her and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to work with her dad and stay on at the firm. If that means making sure that Rhett maintains his good boy image, then Summer is willing to do whatever it takes. He doesn’t need any more scandals before he tries to win his third golden buckle.

Flawless had so many of my favorite things in a romance
-forced proximity
-slow burn
-often hilarious text messages
-dual POV
-angst
-spicy scenes
-a hero who seems like an asshole, but is actually a sweetheart
-a fierce/independent heroine who doesn’t judge the hero

I could go and on about why I loved this book. The chemistry, the banter, the way these two needed each other. Not because they felt incomplete, but rather because they lifted each other up. They were always there for one another and their relationship was built on that foundation.

I’m so glad I decided to read Flawless!

Heartless by Elsie Silver

Review

After finishing Flawless, I knew that I had to start Cade’s story with Heartless and I loved this single dad romance so much! Cade is striking out on finding nanny’s for his son, Luke. When Summer (Rhett’s fiancee from book 1) says she has the perfect candidate in mind for Cade, he doesn’t expect for it to be her HOT best friend Willa.

Willa’s not quite sure how she got roped into being nanny to a little boy for the summer while his grumpy dad works on the ranch. But she’s been feeling restless and decides a little change for the summer will be good for her. What Willa doesn’t count on is falling for both the sweet boy she’s caring for as well as his dad.

Okay, first off – I don’t usually gravitate towards single dad romances. I’ve read them in the past and they’ve been meh – but after reading and falling completely in love with link: Flawless I knew that I had to continue with the next book in the series. And oh boy – how I loved Daddy Cade and Willa together. These two had so much chemistry and the way they flirted with one another was so 🔥. If I’ve learned anything about Elsie Silver is that she definitely knows how to write those dirty talking heroes. The scene in the kitchen – iykyk

What worked for me the most was how these two individuals didn’t want to depend on another person. Cade has been used to holding down the fort. He’s always been the one to take care of his siblings and then his son when his ex-wife ran off. So it’s hard for him to be taken care of. Willa is the same – she’s always been able to move around. I loved her growth throughout the book and how content she was even though she didn’t have her whole life figured out yet.

What I love about Elsie’s books is that she’s able to bring all the elements I love in a romance
-hilarious banter
-angst
-texting – not just between Cade & Willa, but every single character in this world
-scenes that make me laugh out loud
-scenes that make me want to cry

I could go on and on about how amazing this series is! I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!

ARC Review – The Devil Gets His Due

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The Devil Gets His Due by Elizabeth O’Roark

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Devil #4

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: December 1, 2022

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Valentine PR.

SYNOPSIS

Keeley: Last January, I drunk-married my nemesis—hot, oversized geek Graham Tate. With no memory of how it came about, there was only one solution: run off before he woke up and pretend it didn’t happen. It would have worked perfectly if I hadn’t wound up pregnant.

Graham is the opposite of everything I want in a man—practical, disciplined, frugal—but living with him until the baby arrives has me wondering if, perhaps, I’ve been wanting the wrong things all along. And if that drunk version of me last January might have been onto something.

Graham: I never planned to have kids, and I certainly wouldn’t have planned on one with Keeley Connolly—a woman who does not believe in savings accounts or personal safety and thinks Lucky Charms is a health food because of the non-marshmallow bits.

A woman who also didn’t think twice about marrying me in Vegas and ditching me hours later.

I can’t wait to put this behind me and return to my careful, chaos-free life in New York. But the more time I spend with Keeley, the more I’m remembering the things that led me to marry her in the first place…and wondering if I can live without them when this ends.

REVIEW

What you can find in The Devil Gets His Due:
-enemies-to-lovers
-whoops we went to Vegas and now we’re married
-accidental pregnancy
-forced proximity

Keeley and Graham have been communicating over the phone for weeks and they do not like each other. But when Keeley’s best friend Gemma decides to marry Graham’s brother Ben – they have no choice but to work together to throw them a wedding party. When they finally meet face to face at the actual party – that’s where sparks fly. But their one night stand turns into two. And when Keeley wakes up with a wedding ring on her finger in Vegas (!!) and Graham Tate happens to be the groom she flees. Pretends like it never happens, except she’s keeping a big secret that she’ll have to tell Graham about much sooner than later. Will these two be able to come together to an agreement to make their situation work or are they doomed before they even try?

I’m going to start off this review by stating that accidental pregnancy is not a favorite trope of mine. BUT…Elizabeth O’Roark knows how to write great chemistry and I was immediately falling for Graham and Keeley. I also really enjoyed the fact that Keeley didn’t remember much of their drunken debauchery the night they got married and the hot flashbacks that would come to her out of nowhere were 🔥.

While this romance was definitely steamy right off the bat, I would definitely still qualify it as a slow burn. The tension between Keeley and Graham was always ratcheted up and I was itching for these two to finally realize they wanted to be together.

I also actually laughed out loud quite a lot while reading The Devil Gets His Due. Parts of this book were hilarious and I loved that in the moments of angst/tension between Keeley and Graham.

It was great to see cameos of previous couples in The Devils series.

Overall, I would give The Devil Gets His Due between a 4 and 4.5. I couldn’t stop reading the book once I started and will definitely be going back to re-read my favorite scenes.