Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.

Emily persists, and spending her days bantering with the annoyingly handsome mercurial Irishman only makes her fall more deeply in love with the new life she’s built – and for the man who seems to soften toward her with every quip she throws at him. But when she discovers the reason for Kieran’s initial resistance, Em finds herself torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her now undeniable feelings for Kier. As Siobhan’s novel progresses, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.

A LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection!

“Whimsically wonderful and wryly witty…. This is a swoon-worthy romance that has not only a great deal to say about self-love, forgiveness, and the importance of living in the moment but also celebrates the undeniable magic of books and the important place they hold in a reader’s life.” —Booklist (starred review)

“A cleverly written forced proximity romance for book lovers.” —Kirkus Reviews

https://amzn.to/3WNfL1m

I’m in for any book set in Europe, and the setting here is a charming small village in Ireland. In a bookstore, my happy place. The main character is Emily, a librarian who takes a one year leave from her library in Martha’s Vineyard to be her favorite author’s assistant and work part time in the bookstore. Talk about a fantasy life! I was all in.

Kieran Murphy is the proprietor of the bookstore, but he is not happy at all with his new bookseller. It turns out he is afraid she is a bit of stalker – his mother is a world famous author with a severe case of writer’s block. But Emily is no stalker, just a huge fan with a good memory for her favorite series of books, which proves to be helpful to Siobhan, the author.

Kieran begrudgingly gives Emily an ancient laptop and orders her to the third floor of the bookshop to start doing inventory. Emily is not thrilled, but she does as he asks. As the two of them continue to butt heads, you know where this is going to end up.

Meanwhile, it turns out Siobhan has gone through a couple of bouts of breast cancer, which partially explains why she never completed the series. When she’s not doing inventory, Emily works with Siobhan and tries to get her to start writing again – and she is successful. But Keiran isn’t happy about that at all, causing more strife between them.

This enemy-to-lovers romance is a charming love story with enough depth to make these characters come alive on the page. McKinlay did herself proud here – I loved it!

5/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOVE AT FIRST BOOK by Jenn McKinlay. Berkley (May 14, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593545744. 368p.

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The Palace of Rogues, Book 7

From the publisher:

In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s latest installment in the Palace of Rogues series, a notorious rake meets his match in a lovely girl from the country, changing the course of both of their futures…

A London season is the chance of a lifetime for Catherine Keating. But the ton’s glitter and decadence and casual cruelty threaten to crush her hopes of finding a husband before her season even begins…until she accidentally acquires one of the most scandalous men in England as a secret chaperone.

Famously fiery Lord Dominic Kirke can hold the House of Commons—and any woman he chooses— in thrall. But when his house goes up in flames in the dead of night, he finds himself at the Grand Palace on the Thames. And there he discovers his cynical armor is no match for another guest: an innocent country girl with a crackling wit and eyes like a summer sky.

He’s maddening, elusive, hopelessly charismatic, wrong in every way—perfectly designed to break her heart. But she doesn’t know she holds his battered heart in her hands. And though it will destroy him, Dominic knows loving her means setting Catherine free for the life—and man—she deserves.

“Catherine and Dominic’s story builds wonderfully through conversations—held in corners of ballrooms, in front gardens, over group dinners—so that by the time the two take a step that Dominic fully knows is dangerous to them both, Catherine is already there. As would be expected from the vapidly inclined ton, danger indeed arrives—in the form of a scandal that the two resolve in heart-sweeping fashion. Long writes romances for romance novel lovers.” –Library Journal

https://amzn.to/3yt8p8Z

I’ve really been enjoying this series loosely set around the Grand Palace on the Thames, a boardinghouse owned by two women who board guests if they pass inspection, and who are expected to abide by the somewhat strict house rules; dinner with all the guests at least four times a week, time spent after dinner as well, and so forth. The first couple of books were centered around the women who own the property, but since then guests have become the central characters, and they get their happy ending, as is the case here.

My only quibble with this book is the cover! Catherine wears several dresses that are described, and one that is at the center of the scandal, but none of the dresses are red. I hate to be picky about stuff like that but seriously, would it have ruined the cover to have her in her blue dress???

Catherine’s father is a doctor in the country, and her mother passed away years earlier. Catherine and her father are close, but he is growing older and wants to see his daughter settled. In Regency England, that means married. They don’t have a lot, but he has enough for a small dowry and to cover her living expenses in London, staying at the Grand Palace on the Thames. This is her one chance at having a season, so she hopes to make a happy match.

Lord Dominic Kirke had a bit of a kerfuffle with his mistress that ended with her practically burning down his house. While repairs are underway, he moves into the Grand Palace on the Thames as well. Kirke is well known to the whole of England as he is a fierce advocate of the poor, working to save children from horrible orphanages, sweatshops, and mines. He was born in poverty himself. One of seven children who all shared a bed, he determined early on to make his fortune, and he does, with the King recognizing his efforts and granting him the title.

Catherine is chaperoned by a woman who has more interest in gambling than keeping an eye on her protégées, but she is the only reason Catherine is even invited to a few balls. All she wants to do is meet a kind man who will be good to her, who wants a family, and if he has a bit of money and a home, so much the better. Catherine has never dealt with the ton, and her naivete is sweet, but she quickly is hurt by the vicious comments hurled her way by young women who think her too pretty and, therefore, competition.

Kirke sees what is happening and asks Catherine to dance. He has a reputation as a rogue for good reason; the housefire mistress is just one in a string of them. He hasn’t danced at a ball in over a decade, so when he does with Catherine, all eyes are upon them and her season is now made. Lots of single young men are now vying to dance with her despite her two-year-old dresses. But that infuriates the young women of the ton even more.

Since they both live in the boardinghouse, they spend a lot of time together and get to know one another. Catherine is such an innocent that Kirke doesn’t know quite how to handle her. But they quickly become each other’s confidante, and a relationship of sorts is born.

The scandal here was creative and original rather than the usual, being caught kissing or whatever. Kirke offers to marry her to save her reputation, but Catherine refuses. She loves him but doesn’t want to be his burden. On the other hand, Kirke has never planned on marrying so when Catherine leaves London for the countryside, he doesn’t intercede. But as the days go by, he realizes he misses her and finally confronts his feelings for her, and they get their happily ever after.

This is a fun series, well written with interesting characters and plotlines. My Season of Scandal is another terrific addition to this series.

5/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MY SEASON OF SCANDAL by Julie Anne Long. Avon (April 23, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063280953. 384p.

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From the publisher:

Is it ever too late to leave the friend zone? Discover the heartwarming friends to lovers romance that became a sensation on TikTok—now with a new chapter and a Q&A with the author!

The friend zone is not the end zone for Bree Camden, who is helplessly in love with her longtime best friend and extremely hot NFL legend, Nathan Donelson. The only problem is that she can’t admit her true feelings, because he clearly sees her as a best friend with no romantic potential, and the last thing Bree wants is to ruin their relationship. But those abs . . .

Nope! Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for Bree. In any case, she has other things to worry about. After a car accident ended her chance at becoming a professional ballerina, Bree changed paths and now owns her own dance studio, with big dreams to expand it. But one more rent increase could mean the end of the studio entirely.

Then, as usual, Nathan comes to the rescue and buys the entire building. A stubborn Bree is not happy about it and decides to rebel with a couple—okay, maybe more than a couple—of tequila shots. Then her plan backfires as she spills her deepest, darkest secret to a TMZ reporter. One viral video later, the world thinks Nathan and Bree are the perfect couple. Before they can really talk about her confession, Nathan’s publicist proposes a big opportunity that could mean financial security for Bree. The catch? They have to pretend to be in love. For three whole weeks.

What will happen when Bree gives in to the feelings she’s been desperately hiding for so long, and could she be imagining that Nathan is actually enjoying it? Sarah Adams scores more than touchdowns in this exciting romantic comedy.

https://amzn.to/3UYHYAM

After reading The Rule Book, I went back and searched out Sarah Adams’ books that I missed and found this one. It is more of a sweet romance without any sex to speak of, and it features friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes. It is told from both points of view, his and hers, so we know more than they do.

Bree and Nathan meet on the track in high school. Her shoe is untied, and instead of telling her, he just pops a squat and ties it for her. They become the best of friends. Nathan is a football star, and Bree is on her way to becoming a professional ballerina. He goes off to college on a football scholarship, and she gets into a car accident, ending her ballet dreams. Eventually, she opens her own dance school but is on precarious financial footing.

Meanwhile, Nathan is now an NFL football star and is living his dream. Bree had cut off contact with Nathan while she was recovering from her accident, but they are now thick as thieves again. Except there is one tiny little problem; they are in love with one another, but neither will admit to it in hopes of saving their friendship. This stretches throughout the book, almost to the breaking point.

Bree gets drunk at a club one night and pours her heart out to a woman in the ladies’ room. It turns out that the woman is a reporter who takes a picture and posts the story, which goes viral. Mortified, Bree will agree to anything to get Nathan out of trouble. Turns out his agent is cashing in on it – she finds a sponsor willing to put them in a Superbowl commercial if they will fake date in public for the few weeks leading up to it. And you know where this goes…

This was a very enjoyable romcom, but also frustrating at times. We, the reader, know that they are both in love with each other, but are also afraid of killing their friendship. A professional NFL player has to beat women off with a stick, and Nathan is no different, but his heart remains true to Bree. Eventually, they figure it all out and get their happy ending. These books do not have to be read in order; I read The Rule Book first and didn’t even realize it was related to another book.

5/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE CHEAT SHEET by Sarah Adams. Dell; Special Edition (April 26, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593500767. 336p.

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It Happened in Nashville, Book 2

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect comes an expanded edition of The Temporary Roomie—a witty and relatable romantic comedy about finding joy in the unexpected, with a never-before-seen chapter.

No one said fair trade needed to be “fair.”

As the owner of Honeysuckle Salon, Jessie Barnes usually has everything managed and on track, but now in her third trimester of an unexpected pregnancy, she feels a bit lost and increasingly desperate after faulty plumbing floods her apartment. Unfortunately, her knight in shining armor is actually Dr. Drew Marshall, her best friend’s brother, and also the man she chewed out not too long ago for being a chauvinistic dirtbag.

Every moment Drew’s had to prove her wrong since then has failed, so Jessie’s opinion of him hasn’t improved. That remains the case when he agrees to let her stay with him during renovations, under one condition: she pretends to be his girlfriend for upcoming work festivities. For the sake of her brother, Jessie is willing to make the tough situation work, and giving Drew a taste of his own medicine sounds . . . intriguing.

But when their rivalry sparks a deeper connection, Jessie’s future gets even more unclear—and with a baby on the way, she’ll have to make a decision soon.

https://amzn.to/3UYijIE

My deep dive into all books by Sarah Adams led me here, and I listened to the audiobook. I think the author has improved over the years as her newer books seem better plotted and better written to me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this rom-com.

Jessie is entering her third trimester of pregnancy. The baby daddy dumped her when he found out she was pregnant, so she is leery of any new relationship for sure. When her house suffers a major disaster, she is forced to move out while repairs are done. She moves in with her best friend, but that becomes a real hardship as her little boy is not allowing Jessie to get the rest she needs. Her friend offers up her brother’s house as a refuge. He’s a family doctor – OB/GYN – and his roommate recently moved out so he has the space. Jessie takes one look at him and decides the only way to deal with this super hot doctor is to just hate him on sight.

Drew is happy to help out his sister’s friend, but when Jessie’s grandfather is coming to visit, she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend. Unfortunately, he has a tough, all night long delivery, and oversleeps, forgetting about Jessie. But she is never going to let him forget that he let her down, even though her grandfather canceled and he wasn’t even needed.

The biggest problem I had with this book was how immature Jessie was. I understand she’d had a lot of trauma in her life, which is slowly explained, but her behavior was better suited to a young teenager than a grown woman on the verge of becoming a mother. Eventually, she accepts that Drew is as kind and nice as he is good-looking, and they find their happy ending. I liked this well enough to search out the first book in this series, The Off-Limits Rule, review to follow.

5/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE TEMPORARY ROOMIE by Sarah Adams. Dell (November 5, 2024)*. ISBN: 978-0593500767. 336p.

*The paperback isn’t coming out until November, but the ebook and audiobook are available now. I got the audiobook through Hoopla from my public library.

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