One Spicy Christmas Elf

Ms. McConnell brings the holiday magic in santa-sized toy sacks in this charming, swoony holiday romance. 

You'll be falling fast in love with the ranch and reindeer as Nat with Jack when Tinsel Town takes over the property. 

There's all the right chemistry between Nat and Jack, coupled with reasons they should and shouldn't be together. Christmas miracles abound in the frosty skies of North Dakota. 

The perfect read next to a cozy fireplace, curled up with your hot beverage of choice, and paired with your favorite holiday treat. 

AMAZON

Question: How do you hide a flying reindeer when there are cameras everywhere?

Answer: You put her in the movie.

Natasha Newberry arrives on Reindeer Wrangler Ranch with big expectations and high hopes. As the production company’s (almost) official) liaison, she’ll work closely with the wranglers to scout locations, hold reindeer auditions, and more. The one thing she doesn’t need is a handsome wrangler distracting her with sleigh rides and stary nights.

But she got one.

Ever since his twin married, Jack’s looked for an angel of his own. When Natasha arrives, wearing an elf costume no less—he’s smitten. When she charms the reindeer, he falls head over boots.

When things fall apart on set, and Natasha’s job’s in jeopardy, will Jack help her, thus giving her a ticket back to Hollywood and loosing his heart? Or will the movie business tear them apart?

Find out in this magical Christmas story.

Grab your copy and start reading for a dose of Christmas spirit this holiday season.

A Player for Christmas

Fun to watch a rich NFL star with a rocky past finally get his heart made whole. 

This couple gets off to a rocky start, but things move fast after that as they work together to save Callie. Wonderful transformations by both characters. And just the right bit of divine intervention from Callie. 

A sweet holiday romance to enjoy during the season. 

AMAZON

Enjoy this fast-paced romance by best-selling romance by author, Taylor Hart.
Brooks Stone, wide receiver for the Miami Surf, isn’t the type of guy to make dreams come true; he’s too busy dealing with a high ankle sprain and the anniversary of his wife’s death.
Callie Given, a cancer patient at Primary Children’s Hospital, only has one wish for Christmas—dinner with Brooks Stone. He flatly refuses, until Sam Dumont threatens to make sure the coaches bench him if he doesn’t comply.
Ana Given thought fighting for her daughter’s life was enough of a challenge. She never expected famous football player Brooks Stone to actually show up. If he was a friend of her ex-husband, he’s definitely not someone she wants hanging around her daughter. Good thing she sends him away. Too bad her daughter sees him before he can leave.
When Brooks and Ana find themselves on a quest to find Callie’s father, neither would have imagined getting on a plane together, going to a cage fight, or…kissing. Brooks wonders how these two women have become everything to him in less than seventy-two hours.
Now he has to make a decision—get what he wanted for Christmas or become the player he was always meant to be.

Lonely Bachelor Christmas Collection: 4 Contemporary, Christian Romances

Lots of swoony fun to be had in this collection by Taylor Hart. 

Unfortunately, this one doesn't seem to be available on Amazon anymore. I don't know if the stories within have been rearranged into other collections. But if you can find them, they're worth a read. 

The Christmas Groom

The Christmas Boyfriend

A Player for Christmas

The Christmas Eve Kiss

Sugar Cookie Christmas

I really enjoyed this delightful holiday romance. 

Poor Emma and Miles are such tortured souls who desperately need to be together. Ms. Brasher takes her time torturing them in a tug of war with their hearts that's best read with a mug of cocoa and some sinfully delicious treats to match the story. Plus with all of the baking going on in the story, you'll want some yummies on hand to pair with the plot. 

A satisfying holiday read. 

AMAZON

A decade ago they eloped in Vegas, and not long after her father demanded they get their marriage annulled. Too bad the paperwork went missing, and they're actually still husband and wife.

Emma Watkins busted the century-and-a-half old myth that kissing your first love on the town's historical bridge ends with a happily ever after. They kissed all right and even got married. But then her world spun on her its axis and fell apart when Miles broke her heart and all his promises, so she followed her dream to New York and made something truly successful of herself. When her sister calls and tells her things are dire on the family Christmas tree farm, Emma is on the first plane home to help save things.

Miles has poured himself into being the best sous chef he can be at one of the most premiere restaurants the local ski resort has to offer. It's not the restaurant he always dreamed of opening himself, but he kissed that dream goodbye the night he left Emma waiting for him at the bus station, and never showed up. He never expected for her to come home, or to run into her almost everywhere.

And he certainly didn't expect to get paired with her again for the Sweetheart Games, especially when he didn't sign up.

The towns Matchmakers are at work again, trying to mend a marriage broken by young love and feuding families. Not only do they set Emma up for the annual Christmas bachelorette auction at the Christmas dance, they pair them together for the Christmas baking contest too. No matter how much distance they try to keep between each other, Emma and Miles find themselves stuck together at one holiday event after another, and eventually, their walls come down.

But will wounds from their past let them work enough toward the future to still have a happily ever after?

Four Sweet Christmas Romances in One

Lots of fun to be had in this sweet holiday to collection. Each story has it's own take on a nostalgic holiday film. Very creative and wonderful characters to enjoy. 

AMAZON

Four sweet romance novels in one box set. Curl up in your favorite reading place, wrap up in a soft blanket, and step inside each of these heart warming, toe curling reads. Christmas giving, loving, friendship and festivities all throughout.

Taming Scrooge
Ezra Stone wishes Christmas would go away.
Star Henley wants to save it.

When a desperate city council, panicked about losing their iconic main street, urges Star Henley to charm her way into developer Ezra Stone’s life, they hope to change his mind, unaware they could break his heart.

If the small town, Sanders Corners, can’t save its tree festival and protect their Main Street festivities, her father’s tree business and her Christmas shop will go out of business along with the rest of the town. She can’t let that happen, even if it means ingratiating herself into the cold, hard life of their town’s one and only billionaire nemesis. When a conniving city council forces them to work together on the festival of trees, the two clash as often as they connect, but everything could change on December 25.

It's a Wonderful Date
Love is the last thing on Sarah’s mind until she meets the small town doctor: single, handsome, and he lives across the street.

The doctor, however, has given up on ever finding love, not in this small town. As the only member of his practice, he has no time to himself when he works to be everything for everybody. But a beautiful new woman in his neighborhood keeps catching his eye.

When everything falls apart and he can't save a much-loved patient, he wonders how much good he really is for his town.

Sarah becomes the angel of his Christmas wishes, who shows him just how much he means to not just her, but their small town and everyone in it.

Miracle on the 34th Floor
What do you do when the man you’re falling for secretly works as Santa in a department store? Hire on as one of his elves.

VP of Marketing, Decker Kringle happens upon a conversation about shutting down Santa’s Visits at Gimbels, his favorite iconic department store in New York City. Without thinking, in order to save the store, he agrees to finish the night as Santa.

Joylin wants nothing more than for Decker Kringle to notice her. But why would he? He can’t see her tiny cubicle from his corner office. When she finds out he is filling in for Santa at Gimbels, she resorts to desperate measures to get his attention.

As Elf and Santa, the two navigate the pressures of their jobs at a huge firm as well as trying to save Santa at Gimbels while falling in love. Things heat up, when Decker walks by and sees his elf in the break room.

Invited Home for Christmas
A retired football player just needs a date. An ex-military beauty who is not a fan of being anyone’s arm candy is desperate for some cash.

One date turns to two and then three, and they find themselves trapped at a ski lodge for the weekend. When her heart begins to fall, more than anything all she wants for Christmas is a real date, the kind that ends with a kiss. And…

She wants to be invited home for Christmas.

Buy this delicious sweet romance for a taste of the nostalgic charm and romance that make up a beautiful Christmas season with one fake relationship that turns into the real deal.

A Yuletide Regency: A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 21

 A Timeless Romance Anthology Book 21 

Obviously there are more than a few books in this series, and I've been satisfied with each one I've read. 
This one wasn't any different. 

Wonderful authors who know their craft creating romantic tension between their flawed characters that have you rooting for HFA from page one of each story. 

These are indeed timeless holiday reads. 

Pick up and enjoy. 

AMAZON

'Tis the season for six lovely and charming Regency romances!

Curl up by the fire, sip your favorite hot drink, and enjoy A YULETIDE REGENCY:

ALWAYS KISS AT CHRISTMAS by Regina Scott
Mary Rose has one goal for her mother’s annual Christmas Eve party: convince her childhood friend Julian Mayes to marry her. She has always admired Julian. Surely one moment under the kissing bough will convince him they were meant to be together. Newly hired by a prestigious London law firm, Julian is ready to shake the dust of the countryside off his polished boots. But he’s always had a soft spot for Mary. As the danger to her future becomes clear, will one kiss be enough to prove to him how far he will go to protect her?

A YULETIDE MATCH by Sarah M. Eden
Famed matchmaker to the ton, Adelaide Northrup cannot imagine a more perfect way to spend Christmas than answering the desperate call of Mr. Porter Bartrum: widower, young father, dunderhead. The young gentleman’s first marriage was an arranged one and he hasn’t the first idea how to find a wife on his own. His dear friend, Chloe Munson, has watched his attempts with amusement and finds this latest approach, the clandestine hiring of a matchmaker, his most entertaining yet. If Adelaide plays her cards right, and she always does, she might very well manage to secure two happy endings.

THE FORBIDDEN DUKE by Jen Geigle Johnson
They weren’t supposed to meet, but now that they have, nothing will ever be the same. The Duke of Salsbury blames her family. Lady Catherine blames his. Will an age-old dispute between the Salsburys and Asters rip apart any hope they have to be together? In this game of secrets and lies, can their love for each other conquer even the most tightly held family prejudices?

MISTLETOE AT WILLOWSMEADE by Annette Lyon
On Christmas Eve, Eleanor Hadfield, who works as governess at her childhood home of Willowsmeade, is stunned to learn that the love of her youth, Julian Phillips, is coming back after a decade’s absence. Once the gardener’s son, he has elevated his station to navy captain. Making a match with a mere governess would lower his position, if he were to still love her as he did as a young man, which is unlikely. Unable to bear the idea of noble Julian keeping an old promise out of obligation or pity, Eleanor decides to leave the only place that has ever been a home.

FOLLOW THE RIVER HOME by Krista Lynne Jensen
With her beloved home entailed away to a wealthy cousin, spirited Arabelle Hyatt has resigned herself to marry the arrogant man, if only to save her family from destitution. But before an understanding is reached, a childhood friend returns from war, wounded in more ways than one. With Christmas coming—what may be their last at Hybrigge—holiday traditions are celebrated, memories are revisited, and Arabelle learns what lies in a man’s words is not always what lies in his heart.

THE NEW EARL by Heather B. Moore
Celia Thompson knows she can’t live with the new earl who’s come to take her brother’s place. Before she can pack her belongings and reconcile herself to a fate of living as a spinster in her aunt’s home, the new earl arrives. Yet, Aaron, now Lord Banfield, is not the pompous, arrogant man she’d imagined. In fact, he’s quite . . . interesting and handsome. Celia decides to help the man acclimate to his new role. But the longer she stays on at Banfield, the more she realizes the new earl might be the answer she’s been looking for.

12 Kisses to Christmas is HERE!!!

START READING TODAY!!!

 

AMAZON

Holiday speed dating. 12 dates in 24 days. Could Lizzie be any more desperate or insane?

It’s been three years since Lizzie’s last date. If she wants to get married and have kids, then she’ll have to put her heart on the line again. Thus the holiday speed dating event her best friend drags her to. Crazy? Yes. Foolish? The jury’s still out. With each disastrous date, Lizzie questions her sanity. Is the algorithm off? The one thing keeping her going: Will. She has to report each date to him, and their video chats are the highlight of her nights. The problem: he’s the one man she can’t have. If only she could meet him under the mistletoe…but that’s against the rules.

Will’s usually a rule follower, but when it comes to Lizzie, his rebellious side leaks out. Hearing about her dates with other men? Torture. Hearing her voice and seeing her face? Pure bliss, especially that dimple he can’t get enough of. He’ll bake up a storm while riding out her twelve dates, and then he can ask her out.

But when Lizzie’s contract ends on Christmas Eve and she’s free to date, a secret comes to light that could smash their chance at happiness like a shattered snowglobe.

If you like contemporary romance with a touch of humor, forbidden love, and sweet stories with just kisses, then you’ll love 12 Kisses to Christmas by award-winning author Lisa Swinton.

ClickandWed.com Box Set 1-3

I believe this is my first read by Bonnie Sweets. 

This boxset is a lot of fun and a fairly quick read, mostly because I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to find out what happened with the couples next. 

These are all arranged real marriages, but kind with a fake marriage feel at the beginning because the couples meet as strangers. 

I enjoyed all three of the stories, but Alex's might be my favorite. 

Despite all these couples being married, all that's shared between them are a few swoony kisses. A clean read. 

AMAZON

This ain't your mama's mail-order bride story!

Three profiles...

Three brides...

Three grooms...

Three different mail-order brides longing to find love and family.

With this Click, I Thee Wed

ClickandWed.com series, book 1

"Uh, oh, what did I do?"

A lonely divorcee…

A rancher who can lose everything…

One website that matches them for marriage…

Ido.Com

ClickandWed.com series, book 2

A bride leaves her fiancé...

At the altar...

Only to elope with a man she’s never met!

DIY Vows

ClickandWed.com series, book 3

Jack of all Hearts…

A woman and her tool belt…

A man and his cell phone…

Even her skill set as a handywoman is no match for their magnetic pull.

Get wrapped in these sweet romances that will have you grinning from ear to ear! 

Falling for a Starlet

I had great fun watching this couple come together. I love stories that have actors/actresses/celebrities in them. 

This pair had excellent enemies-to-lovers chemistry. I liked how the author showed their vulnerabilities and the ways they could compliment each other. Not to mention how much family played into the story and their motivations. 

Unfortunatley I can't find this availble to read on a retailer, so I'm not sure how I picked it up or why the author took it down. If you can locate a copy, I recommend grabbing it. You'll be happy you did. 

Love's Broken Road

This might be my first read by Ms. Bellon. I would read more by her. 

Lots of baggage on both sides for this widow and widower for different reasons. Great first contact and lots of conflict to keep the tension going. Plus the kid is adorable. 

There are heavy themes here. Don't let that stop you. There's tons of tenderness and sweetness too. A slight element of suspense. 

AMAZON 

Two broken hearts. One more chance for love.

After surviving a difficult marriage, Victoria Newel needs a clean slate for herself and her son. Taking a job as a math teacher, she moves across the country to the small town of Lincoln, Utah, where no one knows her and she can start over. However, her new colleague, Drew Dalton, offers her friendship and maybe something more. But has her heart healed enough that she could trust again?

Drew Dalton lost his wife to cancer years ago and he locked his heart away, throwing himself into his teaching job. But when Victoria Newel starts working at the high school, she awakens something in him that he never thought he’d feel again. Her gentle nature and quiet strength draws him to her, but it’s obvious she’s hiding something in her past from him. Can he open his heart to a woman who harbors so many secrets of her own?

Don't Bet on Love

It's always a good day when I get to sit down and read a book by Ms. Lieske. 

She takes a break from her contemporary romances to write a few YA, and proves her skills are perfectly transferrable. 

Lots of great tension between the characters and tons going on in their personal lives (really tough stuff!),  besides trying to navigate the pitfalls of a fake relationship. 

I recomend this book along with all of her others. 

AMAZON

It was just a simple bet. Too bad his heart got involved.

Get the school’s ice queen to go to Homecoming with him. Lane didn’t think it would be a big deal. He was on the football team. Girls liked him. He takes the challenge. What he didn’t know was that the ice queen overheard the whole thing.

Trudy was having the worst day of her life. And then she overhears Lane and Gabe talking smack about her. If Lane thought he could sweet talk her into going to Homecoming with him, he was going to be disappointed.

But when the principal forces her to tutor Lane in calculus, she’s stuck.

Trudy devises a plan to get back at him. What she didn’t plan on was losing her heart to him.

An Irish Heart

This is my first read by Ms. Zack, and I'm inclined to read more of her books now. 

There's a case of mistaken identity. Lots of Irish flare. A wounded hero. Intriuge. And tons of heart. 

Escape to Ireland today. 

AMAZON

An Emerald Land -
An Unknown Double -

Successful advertising manager, Greta Conner travels to Ireland to fulfill a last wish from her mother. After arriving in Ireland, she is drawn to a colorful village named Angel’s Hollow. When a dark-haired stranger approaches and calls her by another name, Greta is intrigued to discover she’s the image of Aedan O’Riain’s ex-girlfriend. Does she have a close relative unknown to her?

Aedan can’t understand his misfortune. Along with near bankruptcy in his future, his ex is trying to fool him by claiming she’s Greta Conner from the States. Is it some sort of plot to further ruin his reputation? Adding to his angst, his brother, Reece, insists on dating Greta if Aedan will not. All will certainly be lost if Reece falls into her plans.

Angel’s Hollow becomes like home for Greta, and there’s no one her heart loves more than Aedan. But will an unknown twin threaten all she’s longed for?

The Day He Asked Again

I'm a pretty regular fan of Ms. Johnson's work. I'll read anything she writes because I know what I'm getting in advance: a well-crafted clean read with swoony kisses and lots of heart. 

Really loved the challenge of bringing this couple together when she lost her first husband to the sea and he's a coast guard captain. Talk about conflicts of the heart! 

As always, Ms. Johnson delivers. I've enjoyed other books in this series too. 

AMAZON

A Coast Guard captain would rather spend his time on the sea...unless he's with the woman he's been crushing on for months. If Dave asks just one more time, will Brooklynn give their second chance at romance another shot?

David Reddington has spent years in the Coast Guard, and his career brings him a lot of joy. But he’s lonely even surrounded by his crew, and he feels like he’s perpetually looking out to the ocean, hoping and wishing he could be as fulfilled on land as he is at sea.

Brooklynn Parrish lost her husband three years ago to an accident on the ocean, and she can’t bring herself to accept Dave’s invitations to dinner. Or lunch. Or even coffee. How he can go out on his ship each day baffles her, and she’s not willing to lose another loved one to the relentless ocean waves.

But Dave only has eyes for her, and when they get put together to organize Hawthorne Harbor’s Spring Fling, Brooklynn can’t deny the attraction between them. As they go through the bachelor auction, tour the blooming apple orchards, and judge the dessert bake-off, their relationship deepens and strengthens. 

Will she be strong enough to battle the unyielding ocean? Or will she lose her heart to another man destined for a catastrophe at sea?

The Italian Villa

I love books that take me to foreign countries and let me experience the food, culture, and climate. 

This one takes the reader to the high mountains of Italy, where we explore the imaginary town of Montevino and it's colorful characters. 

An excellent historical, slice of life, coming of age novel with a romantic thread that captures the reader and makes me wish for a visit to Italy. 

Heartwarming and hearttugging. A wonderful read. 

The only bits that through me out were the uses of British words/phrases in an Itlaian setting as I'm an American. 

Note: this does have a fade to black intimacy scene for those sweet romance readers out there. 

This is my first read by Ms. Sacerdoti. I would read another novel of hers. 

AMAZON

Callie, a lonely small-town waitress, is still reeling from the discovery that she’s adopted when she arrives in Montevino, Italy in search of answers – the keys to the stunning hillside villa she has just inherited clutched tightly in her hand. Inside the rusted gates, and through a large wooden front door dripping with sun-kissed flowers, Callie can’t decide if she’s more astonished by her new home or her first encounter with the mysterious young groundskeeper, Tommaso.

Wandering the villa barefoot at night, Callie finds a diary belonging to a woman named Elisa, wrapped in faded blue ribbon and hidden in her birthmother’s antique wardrobe. Page by page, Callie is swept away by its story of love, passion, heartbreak and betrayal as she reads how Elisa married her childhood sweetheart in secret before fleeing to the woods to join the resistance. They vowed to find each other again when the war was over, but history had other plans.

Callie is certain that her and Elisa’s lives are somehow connected, and that the truth about her family is hidden somewhere within the diary’s crinkled yellow pages. It gives her the courage to start asking questions around the close-knit village until, at long last, she feels her closed-off heart begin to open. Perhaps even enough to let someone in…

But when a devastating betrayal in the final pages of the diary unlocks a heart-breaking secret about who Callie’s mother really is, the chance for a new life shatters in front of her. Can she persuade the locals to forgive her past and accept the truth about her identity?

Who Wants to Marry a Mormon Girl?

This is a quick engaging read that's framed around The Bachelorette premise. 

On girl. Twenty guys. And things get intense fast! 

And it's a love triangle. 

Overall it's a fun read. You do need some basic Christian/Mormon (they don't go by that anymore) culture knowledge to understand what's going on. But don't let that stop you. It's helpful but not imperative. 

There is mention of alcohol and recreational drug use. 

AMAZON

One elegant leading lady and twenty hot guys. What could possibly go wrong?

Michelle knew she wouldn’t meet her forever husband on a reality dating show. This was just for fun. You never know what might happen when surrounded by twenty hot guys, none of whom shared her values.

Running from his past, Ashton rides the waves to the pinnacle of his career as a professional surfer. He’s just arrogant enough to think he stands a chance with the elegant leading lady playing the part of bachelorette on the dating show, Love Letters.

Until he figures out she’s a Mormon.

Even before he makes the mistake of calling her out in front of the other guys he knows she’ll never choose him. Good girls don’t choose bad boys and there was no way he could hide his secrets from Michelle. Or could he?

Neither Here Nor There

Mr. Bryson's books are funny and a good way to pass the time. This audiobook kept me entertained on a roadtrip. 

Great way to escape to Europe for a bit. Not was funny as some of his other novels. 

A few swear words. 

AMAZON

Bryson brings his unique brand of humor to travel writing as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet and heads for Europe. Travelling with Stephen Katz - also his wonderful sidekick in A Walk in the Woods - he wanders from Hammerfest in the far north, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.  

As he makes his way round this incredibly varied continent, he retraces his travels as a student twenty years before with caustic hilarity. 

The Screaming Staircase

This is my first read by Mr. Stroud and it won't be my last. 

A friend recommended this to me on audiobook for a long drive and it was the perfect read. 

Plenty of intrigue and mystery. Great witty banter between the characters. Great fun trying to guess the twists and turns ahead of time and trying to work out how the characters would get out of their scrapes. 

Excellent narrator. 

Clean writing, as in no swearing. A few violent moments but that is to expected when dealing with the supernatural and it wasn't graphic or gratuitous. 

Good for the middle grade set and up. 

AMAZON

A sinister problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see - and eradicate - these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business.

In The Screaming Staircase, the plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood and Co., a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood and Co. survive the Hall's legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?

Listeners who enjoyed the action, suspense, and humor in Jonathan Stroud's internationally bestselling Bartimaeus books will be delighted to find the same ingredients, combined with deliciously creepy scares, in his thrilling and chilling Lockwood and Co. series.

The Protective Warrior

I don't know why I waited so long to read this. I love Ms. Checketts work. 

I'm not a necessarily a sucker for military men as leads but this book might convince me otherwise. I love the banter and chemistry between Ally and River. Goodnes that girl gets him in a lot of trouble. 

The characters aren't cliche or stereotypes. They have dark and painful places that need light and healing. I kept hoping it was time for bed so I could get back to the story. 

And now, I want to go to Hawaii and hike. Get a taco. And swim in a waterfall. 

AMAZON

A daughter escaping, a Navy SEAL sent to protect her, and the beautiful island that might prove more dangerous than her father.
Ally, daughter of the Duke of Gunthry, has spent her life terrified of her father and dreams of the day when she can escape his tyrannical rule.
When her mum helps her escape to the beautiful island of Kauai, Ally thinks she's found paradise and maybe more with the handsome River who keeps crossing her path.
But there are unexpected enemies lurking in the shadows. And no matter how tough River seems, no one can withstand the army her father will send when he discovers her location.
River Duncan is part of an elite security task force of ex-Navy SEALS. Little does he know his first assignment might prove irresistible to resist and protect. When he finds himself falling for the fun-loving Ally he plans to resign his position so they can join forces in their common goal of fighting human trafficking. River has never underestimated the enemy before, but is he fully prepared to protect and love Alexandria Gunthry?
Will River's protection and Ally's love be enough to conquer a lifetime of fear and responsibilities? Or will they be forced to give up on their dreams in the face of her sadistic and powerful father?

Black Cake

This is Ms. Wilkerson's debut novel. I doubt it will be her last. 

And it's a stunner. Well-crafted. Emotional. Full of twists and turns. 

The story is told in multiple points of view, spanning decades, and flipping between past and present in a masterful way, that a lesser author would've stumbled to execute. 

This was a local book club pick and I'm happy it was. I might not have run across it otherwise. 

Ultimately it's a story of love, but hits the more challenging parts of global racial history and cultural food. 

Worth the read. 

AMAZON

We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

A Suite Deal

I think this is my first read by Ms. Gibson. 

The story follows the correct romantic arc, but I struggled to get emotionally invested in the characters. All of the proper elements are there, but somehow I wasn't connected. I like the tropes, but it just didn't hit. 

I'm uncertain if this was a formatting issue of scene breaks being lost, but I was bothered by the head hopping. One moment I was in the woman's point of view and the next I was in the man's. I enjoy dual point of view in my romances so that wasn't the issue for me. The abrupt changes jolted me out of the story. 

AMAZON

Opposite-attract, but nobody ever said it'd be easy!

Dumped by her fiancé, Lily Greensly retreats to Buttermilk Falls to help out at her family's rustic fishing lodge…

But when she finds a new-age hotel spoiling the view from her cherished Osprey Island, Lily decides that the Nirvana Hotel's handsome owner warrants closer scrutiny.

Ambitious hotelier, Ethan Weatherall, is determined to buy Lily's island and convert it to a concrete helipad. But when Lily’s sweet soul and independent spirit start to make his heart beat faster, he struggles not to fall for a woman who hates the city life.

Now, Lily must figure out a way to stop Ethan from destroying the tranquility of the lake while trying to resist his charms. If she can't, there's more than just Osprey Island at stake.

You will adore this sweet romance because who doesn’t love watching two enemies fall in love?

Autumn Collection: A Timeless Romance Anthology

This is an excellent fall read or any time of year really. 

Six marvelous stories, well crafted by talented writers. Lots of emotional depth in bite size chunks that will keep you page turning. 

Delightful. 

AMAZON

2014 RONE Award Winner for Best Romance Anthology of the Year

*Crown Heart for Excellence* Awarded Book —IND’TALE MAGAZINE

"Just in time for fall, six loved authors have produced a collection of romantic suspense novellas which will tingle the spine and thrill the heart." —DESERET NEWS, Melissa Demoux

A HOUND DOG NAMED ELVIS by Heather Horrocks
Interior designer, Kaitlin Hartley returns to her hometown of Aspen Grove, California, to the job of her dreams after a year of specialized training in New York. During the town’s Autumn Festival, she enters her dachshund, Elvis, into the Running of the Hallowieners race. Joshua Moore, the man who hadn’t wanted her to leave Aspen Grove, but hadn’t waited for her either, enters Elvis’s sister, Priscilla. When Kaitlin gets home afterward, she realizes Elvis has left the building—with Joshua. She has the wrong dog! Can she get her dog—and the man she’s never stopped loving—back?

EYE FOR AN EYE by Stephanie Black
Mallory is just getting her life back together, living with her sister and brother-in-law and starting college. After a difficult few years following a family tragedy, she’s finally ready to move forward, which includes getting to know the charming Darien better. But when illegal drugs turn up in her sister’s drawer, the first person accused is Mallory, and suddenly she doesn’t know who to trust. She turns to Darien, but with all evidence pointing at her, she doesn’t know if Darien is the man to save her.

FIRST HEIST by Heather B. Moore
Mia, an undercover agent is about to make a handoff to co-agent, Omar Zagouri. But before she can complete her assignment, her cover is blown, and she finds herself escaping with Omar. The only problem is, her boss warned her about Omar and his sketchy history of landing himself in the middle of danger. After losing her mother in an attack planned for Mia, pulling off any heist with a man like Omar is the last thing she needs for her career . . . or her life.

LETTER FOR TWO by Sarah M. Eden
Sophia looks forward to the 5:30 p.m. mail sorting she does with her next door neighbor, Ethan. They live in a renovated house, now split into two apartments. Ethan is one of those dreamy, smart guys, but he shows no interest other than being friendly toward Sophia. When they find a mysterious letter addressed to Eleanor, dated to 1953, Sophia and Ethan determine to solve the puzzle together. Sophia knows that spending evenings with Ethan in ‘research’ might be her only chance to convince him that she should be more than just a neighbor.

SILVER CASCADE SECRETS by Rachelle J. Christensen
Jillian is the master landscaper at a beautiful park. Meeting Travis there soon after breaking up with her boyfriend, Jillian is wary at first. Travis seems like a great guy, but Jillian had fallen for great guys before. When she learns that his brother, Craig, was murdered six months before, her heart goes out to Travis. True to her curious nature, she starts asking questions and learns about Craig’s close connection with the park. But finding the answers puts Jillian’s life in danger, and she must decide who she really trusts.

CHOCOLATE OBSESSED by Annette Lyon
Whitney, an executive pastry chef, is working her resort’s booth at the New York Chocolate Show. The only problem is that she shares the shift with her arch rival, Stephen. But then an unexpected visitor shows up: Jeremy, a man who lost a dessert competition she judged. When Jeremy confronts her and becomes threatening, Stephen gets Jeremy dragged off by security. But that doesn’t throw Jeremy off for long; soon Stephen and Whitney are running for their lives.

Autumn Collection is a Timeless Romance Anthology® book

More TIMELESS ROMANCE ANTHOLOGIES:
#1: Winter Collection
#2: Spring Vacation Collection
#3: Summer Wedding Collection
#4: Autumn Collection

The Women of Ambrose Estate Box Set

This is a fabulous box set of this series. All four books included. 

I think my only complaint was that I wanted to see all of the sisters love stories. I hope they'll get added on. 

Great storytelling and all the feels by these two talented authors. 

AMAZON

Generations of secrets and an ancient curse keep the sisters of Ambrose Estate from following their hearts.

Join each heir of the Ambrose family as they work to overcome their dark legacy and break the deadly curse that threatens any happiness for their futures.

MOSTLY DANGEROUS Sofia Ambrose might be falling in love with Gavin Spencer while they work together on saving the estate’s oil well, but an old family curse discovered in a long-lost journal from a hundred years ago stands like a burning fire between them and true love.

MOSTLY PERFECT Lauren Ambrose knows that millionaire investor Nick Matthews might be perfect for her, but money has no power over the curse that haunts her every relationship.

MOSTLY RISKY When Amelia Ambrose accepts that co-worker Grigg Edison is the man she wants in her life, it’s a whole other matter to risk that love against a curse that’s more powerful than both of them.

MOSTLY PERILOUS Emma Ambrose didn’t plan on falling for the local county coroner, and if Ian Phelps should know anything, it’s to stay away from a family with empty graves and centuries of secrets. But together can they finally find the hidden secrets to break the Ambrose curse once and for all?

If you like enchanting romance, intriguing legacies, and moody mysteries, then you’ll adore these smoldering love stories.

Saving Ceecee Honeycutt

 I had the good fortune of my book club selecting this novel, otherwise I would've missed it. 

If you're looking for a slice of life story with solid writing, lots of heart, and plenty of growing up struggle, then this is the right book for you. 

Love the immersion into the Southern culture and feeling I was in the story. So powerful. 

AMAZON

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.