Yes, I am still immersed in Piper Rayne’s world. I started this series last week and posted reviews of the first few books in the series, then I kept going, setting everything else aside. I tried reading a couple of other books but the Bailey’s kept calling me, so I succumbed.
From the author: This small town romance series set in the fictional town of Lake Starlight, Alaska follows the lives of nine orphaned Bailey siblings as they tumble into love. But between the anonymous town gossip blog and their matchmaker grandma, finding their happy ever after isn’t always a smooth or straight path.
Each book centers around one of the Bailey siblings, except for the “Operation” books. Those are novellas (available as eBooks or downloadable audio books) that give a little more detail to some of the storylines from previous books, and propel the story forward. There are also “bonus scenes” offered at the end of each ebook which compel you to subscribe to the Piper Rayne newsletters. Of course you can cancel, but I haven’t bothered because they are not overwhelming and I want all the bonus scenes! This option is not available in print books, as far as I know. If someone knows differently, please let me know in the comments.
All the books in the series are quick reads, humorous, with explicit sex scenes. It feels like this series covers most of the contemporary romance tropes; enemies to lovers, surprise baby, millionaire romance, boss/employee relationship, and so forth. I am fairly secure in saying you will find your favorite romance trope in this series, and maybe find some new ones! Some of the books deal with serious issues, like alcoholism and disability, yet they still manage to maintain the series feel of sweet, sexy romcoms.
And damn if Piper Rayne didn’t draw me in to the next series, the Greene Family. These books are like potato chips to me; I can’t just read one! But there are a bunch of new books that I have been waiting to read so I am setting aside the Greene Family, for at least a few days. Willpower!
The series in order:
1. Lessons from a One-Night Stand
If you’re a guy like me, and you find yourself having banged your sexy new boss—the school principal—in the back of your Jeep one drunken night, here’s a few takeaways based on my experience…
Lesson One: Always get her FULL name.
Lesson Two: Consider asking what she does for a living.
Lesson Three: Find out why she’s moved to town. Get details. Details are crucial.
Lesson Four: Don’t alter her bio in front of an auditorium of high school students unless you know she has a sense of humor for that sort of thing.
Lesson Five: If you ignore Lesson Four, apologize instead of flirt when you’re sent to the principal’s office.
Lesson Six: NEVER sleep with her again.
Lesson Seven: Pay attention to this one—it’s the most important of them all.
Don’t fall for your one-night stand.
Class dismissed.
https://amzn.to/35HKncD
This is Austin Bailey and Holly Radcliffe’s story. Austin is the eldest Bailey sibling. He returned home, giving up a promising career in baseball, when their parents were killed in a freak snowmobile accident. Austin got a job as a coach at the local high school, and the eldest girl, Savannah, took over their parents’ timber business. The two of them became pseudo-parents, guardians, for the rest of the kids.
The family of nine siblings include two sets of identical twins, one girls, one boys, along with other brothers and sisters. All the children are named for the cities in which they were conceived. Their mom was a travel writer, and their dad often accompanied her on trips. Grandma Dorie is the only grandparent they have, and she is a trip! Very much into her grandchildren, to say the least, she is a matchmaker at heart and determined to see all the kids settled.
2. Advice From A Jilted Bride
What’s a girl to do after being ditched at the altar by text message? That’s right. Text. Message.
How does she pick up the pieces and move on? I’m no Dear Abby but here’s a little free advice…
Advice #1 – First, purge your apartment of all things him—by tossing his belongings off the balcony.
Advice #2 – Do not, I repeat do not, throw anything out into the hallway because you’ll injure your hot new neighbor.
Advice #3 – When said neighbor brings over Chinese Food do not let him stay and keep you company. It’s awkward when you realize he’s your boss.
Advice #4 – Accept his offer to help you with your side business but think twice before using a date to his sister’s wedding as collateral.
Advice #5 – Investigate who your mystery neighbor really is. Don’t trust his word even if he’s the world’s best kisser.
If you listen to nothing else, pay attention to that last one. It’s the most important and will save you a lot of heartache.
Xo,
LOVESICK IN LAKE STARLIGHT
https://amzn.to/3MjZwks
3. Birth of a Baby Daddy
If you’re having fun living your bachelor life in your Alaskan hometown and out of nowhere a woman shows up holding a baby she insists is yours, you need a plan-a birth plan.
BP Step #1 – Lift your jaw off the floor.
BP Step #2 – Figure out the baby’s age-do the math.
BP Step #3 – Try to remember the woman and with any luck, her name.
BP Step #4 – Double check that she’s not confusing you with your twin brother.
BP Step #5 – Ignore your five sister’s scowls as your entire family watches the drama unfold.There’s only one thing you shouldn’t do.
BP Step #6 – Don’t assume she’s there because she wants your daughter to call you Daddy. You’ll only end up disappointed.
Time to figure out a new plan-one that changes her mind.
https://amzn.to/3l95GI4
3.5 Operation Bailey Wedding
No one could have guessed a marriage could sprout from a one-night stand, but Holly Radcliffe and Austin Bailey appear to be written in the stars.
From the backseat of Austin’s Jeep to the altar they come.
The town of Lake Starlight along with the Bailey’s are prepping for the event of the year, but as usual things never go smoothly with these nine siblings and let’s not forget Grandma Dori!
This is a novella in the Bailey series!
https://amzn.to/3LbUAMQ
4. Falling for my Brother’s Best Friend
Let’s say you’re an independent, self-sufficient woman who runs the family company and you find yourself falling for your little brother’s best friend. Now, more than ever, you need to count all the reasons why you need to abandon falling.
Abandon Falling #1 – He’s a womanizer. Hasn’t had a serious relationship a day in his life and changes women more often than he changes his sheets.
Abandon Falling #2 – He’s never serious. He cracks one-liners, mostly at your expense.
Abandon Falling #3 – When things go wrong, he seems unfazed and always remains in control. It’s so annoying.
Abandon Falling #4 – He has tattoos. Lots of them. Everywhere. Not to mention, he owns a tattoo parlor. (Damn it! Why doesn’t that sound like a bad thing anymore?)
Abandon Falling #5 – There’s a growing list of how different you two are. You can’t get along for fifteen minutes—a lifetime together would land one of you in prison.
Keep repeating those reasons and drown yourself in work. Pretend you don’t notice his good qualities or how enticing he looks without a shirt, and do not, I repeat, do not agree to live with the man while your place is being repaired from flood damage.
Trust me, even the strongest of us can only forego temptation for so long.
https://amzn.to/3lapw5y
5. Demise of a Self-Centered Playboy
You might be wondering how you’ll know when your playboy ways are coming to an end. For some it might be an unexpected pregnancy (ahem… you know who), for others it might be finally landing the one woman you’ve always wanted (cough… I won’t mention any names).
For me, it was the death of my mentor and the subsequent reading of his will.The signs were there, they always are. But I didn’t notice them until it was too late, and my demise was complete.
Demise Sign #1 – You find yourself thrust into the land of responsibility and you don’t immediately hightail it out of town.
Demise Sign #2 – Despite being stuck with the world’s biggest Jekyll & Hyde, some sadistic part of you actually enjoys spending time with her.
Demise Sign #3 – Your family suddenly stops wanting to weigh in on every decision in your life.
Demise Sign #4 – Somehow you end up being the voice of reason in your tumultuous partnership.
Demise Sign #5 – You start thinking of other people before yourself.
Demise Sign #6 – You agree to put yourself in the middle of an Alaskan reality TV show that has both of you sleeping in the same tent.
Demise Complete.
https://amzn.to/3szJv1E
6. Confessions of a Naughty Nanny
When a famous music producer moves to Lake Starlight it can’t just be a coincidence. It’s the universe helping to move things along in the right direction so that Griffin Thorne can discover me.
I have to confess—I’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Confession #1: I may have overhead that he was in search of a nanny. What can I say? My brother has a big mouth.
Confession #2: It’s possible I helped along the assumption that I had nanny experience. Hey, babysitting my nieces and nephew counts, right?
Confession #3: There’s a good chance I oversold my qualifications. But my Grandma Dori backed me up, so it’s not completely my fault.
And it worked. He hired me. Only for me to find out that he left the business. I guess it’s on to Plan B.
When he accidentally overhears me singing, I expect nothing from him. Then he asks to work with me on a song for our town’s Founder’s Day Parade and it feels like a dream come true. Until…
Confession #4: I’ve fallen for him.
https://amzn.to/39MAfkf
6.5 Operation Bailey Babies
BUZZ WHEEL PRESS RELEASE:
Don’t drink the Lake Starlight water!
Bailey babies are busy growing in their mommies tummies and the Baileys are having a triple baby shower to celebrate.
If you want in on the pool on who pops first and when contact me. 😉
This is a novella in the series.
https://amzn.to/3l5HRRx
7. Secrets of the World’s Worst Matchmaker
Imagine you’re a matchmaker and you realize too late you’re in love with your childhood best friend. You only have yourself to blame—you’re the one who matched him and now he’s engaged to be married. When you find yourself in this position there’s a few secrets you’re going to need to keep…
Secret #1 – Smile when he tells you the happy news, even if your heart cracks in half.
Secret #2 – Don’t compare yourself to his beautiful French fiancée. You’re just as beautiful.
Secret #3 – Don’t tag along to the tux fitting with him alone. Just no.
Secret #4 – Don’t help him learn to dance to his wedding song.
Secret #5 – Erase all memories of the two of you through the years when lines blurred for even the briefest of moments.
https://amzn.to/38kvtu9
8. Winning my Best Friend’s Girl
Imagine lying in a hospital bed and the doctor who pulls the curtain back to treat you is the one who got away. Even if you never really had her in the first place. She’s not only your high school crush, she’s the ex-girlfriend of your ex-best friend. The one girl you’ve always wanted.
Here’s a step-by-step list to finally win her over…
Key to win #1: Try not to take offense that she snuck back into town without telling you—six months ago.
Key to win #2: Rekindle the friendship to ease the awkwardness. But… DO NOT enter the friend zone.
Key to win #3: Ignore the fact that she went speed dating the night before. Take it as good a sign—maybe she’s looking for a relationship.
Key to win #4: Attempt to keep the two of you out of the town gossip blog and away from your large family. Make sure you don’t let this last one throw you off your mission.
Key to win #5: Don’t get deterred when you find out the past is about to repeat itself. Because the man she met at the speed dating night is your best buddy from work.
Just remember, you sat back and let her slip away once, you won’t do it a second time. Failure is not an option.
Author Note: This book does NOT contain cheating.
https://amzn.to/37HLji5
9. Rules for Dating Your Ex
If your ex arrives in your hometown eighteen months after you walked out on him while you were eight months pregnant, follow this short list of rules before you give him a second chance.
Rule #1 – Don’t stand in the way of your brothers who want to rough him up.
Rule #2 – Don’t meet him for coffee and agree to allow him to meet your daughter.
Rule #3 – Don’t drool when your daughter falls asleep on his chest for the first time. It’s just your ovaries talking.
Rule #4 – Don’t let him hold your hand. While we’re at it, no hugs, no kisses on the cheek… just no physical contact in general. That only leads to remembering better times.
The last one is the most important…
Rule #5 – When you find yourself needing someone’s help and you’re tired of always asking your family, don’t let him be the one who’s there for you.
Because all those good qualities of his will suck you right back in and you’ll have no chance of fighting your feelings, especially now that he’s ready to be a father to your daughter.
https://amzn.to/39kULrV
9.5 Operation Bailey Birthday
LAKE STARLIGHT BUZZ WHEEL
PRESS RELEASE: Rumor around town is a certain matriarch of the Bailey family is having a BIG BIRTHDAY! It’s even spurred a few of the Bailey kids to return home to celebrate with their beloved great-grandmother, Dori. In fact, now that there are twenty-six Bailey great-grandchildren the event is going to be overflowing with laughter and love.
Also… I heard that Piper & Rayne have been speaking to some of the kids (i.e. Calista, Maverick, Easton, Brinley and Palmer) and so we’re getting some special POV’s. I can’t wait to report my findings the day after the party!
https://amzn.to/39giWI8
This is the last book/novella of the series, and it was great spending a bit more time with the Bailey’s. It also introduces the next series, The Greene Family, and I am looking forward to reading those nine books soon!
5/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 