HEART LIKE A COWBOY by Delores Fossen

December 29, 2023

Cowboy Brothers in Arms, Book 1

From the publisher:

He’s Emerald Creek’s hottest cowboy—and the one man she shouldn’t want

On the surface, Egan Donnelly is hometown hero material—top gun, commanding an elite fighter training squadron and ranching royalty. Inside, he feels like a fraud, convinced he’s responsible for his best friend’s death. At least he won’t let himself succumb to the heat between him and Jack’s widow, Alana. But now that she’s making regular trips to his ranch to care for his dad, that vow is getting harder to keep.

Alana Davidson isn’t just grieving her husband’s loss, she’s feeling betrayed over his secret infidelity. Wanting Egan makes things even more complicated. As a nutritionist, she can help Egan’s dad recover from his health scare, but it’s not so easy to get her own heart back on track. Because despite shared guilt and family pressure, she’s falling fast, and Egan is right there with her…
https://amzn.to/48AFBZh

This is the first book of a new series and it’s a good one. Set at the Donnelly family ranch in a small town in Texas, where the patriarch of the family has a heart attack. He survives, but is definitely weakened in body and soul. He has four sons, all in the military, but his oldest, Egan, takes leave for a month to come home and run the ranch. Egan figures his father will be back to himself quickly, but that doesn’t happen. His stepmother is a General and stationed overseas. She can only get away for a few days so it is up to Egan to make things work.

Alana is a nutritionist and is assigned to help out with the food side of getting Egan’s father heart healthy again. Egan has been avoiding her and her son, despite her being his best friend’s widow. Alana was hurt when Egan stopped coming around, but now that she sees him all the time she starts finding herself thinking about him. A lot.

Turns out Egan feels guilty about his friend’s death, and that’s why he’s been keeping his distance. Plus there is the tiny issue that he is strongly attracted to her and he feels guilty about that. It takes some time for these two to face their feelings and get to their happy ending, but it such a rewarding journey to get there. I loved these characters and the setting and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HEART LIKE A COWBOY by Delores Fossen. Canary Street Press; Original edition (November 28, 2023). ISBN: 978-1335009487. 384p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on HEART LIKE A COWBOY by Delores Fossen | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Cowboy | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Spotlight Review: THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND by Lucy Score

December 26, 2023

Knockemout Series, Book 3

From the publisher:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lucy Score returns to spicy-sweet Knockemout, Virginia with Lucian and Sloane’s story.

There was only one woman who could set me free. But I would rather set myself on fire than ask Sloane Walton for anything.

Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his abusive father’s mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building his empire. The more money and power he gains, the safer he feels.

Except when it comes to one feisty small-town librarian…

Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and their current mutual disdain, Sloane Walton trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.

When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, the flames are fanned, and it’s impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane more than ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.

Until Lucian learns the hard way that leaving Sloane is impossible―the very least he can do is to keep her safe.

Book 1: Things We Never Got Over

Book 2: Things We Hide from the Light
https://amzn.to/3TpSII9

December is usually a very slow month in publishing, so I’ve always used it to catch up on the books I missed during the year. I’m doing that, but there are still a handful of new books that I am reading as well. One of the nicest perks of my job is that I get 2 weeks off over the holidays, and I’m spending them baking, cleaning, reading, and watching Hallmark Christmas (& their one Hanukkah) movies!

This was my first read in this series, although I’ve read Lucy Score before and really enjoyed her. I did find this a bit slow going in the beginning, and I’m going to blame that on missing the first two books (which I’m definitely going to read sooner rather than later!) Our two protagonists have a past, and it’s not pretty. Sloane doesn’t trust Julian at all, but no one can deny their chemistry is off-the-charts hot. They both have a lot of baggage, and honestly, Julian is drowning in it, but even he realizes that Sloane is offering a hand up.

There were a lot of laughs and a lot of tears produced by this story, not to mention the heat! It is a long book, but once I got past the first 50 pages or so, I couldn’t put it down. And I can’t wait to read the first two books in this series.

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND by Lucy Score. Bloom Books (September 5, 2023). ISBN: 978-1728276120. 592p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on Spotlight Review: THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND by Lucy Score | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Happy Holidays!

December 25, 2023

Wishing you all the joys of the season!

Comments Off on Happy Holidays! | Ramblings | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez

December 22, 2023

Part of Your World, Book 2

From the publisher:

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match from “a true talent” (Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

“Sparkling prose, skillful plotting… contemporary romance gold.”―Publishers Weekly

“A cute, slow-burn romance with plenty of funny moments and emotional challenges.”―Kirkus
https://amzn.to/473qshW

Jimenez writes romances with all the feels, and this one is a terrific, emotional read. Briana is a doctor who is in line for a promotion when her boss retires. Except he pushes off the retirement when his new hire, Jacob arrives at the hospital. Briana is pissed; she has all the qualifications necessary, not to mention years of putting in time and excellent work, not to mention she is a staff favorite. Jacob immediately hits her shit list, and things don’t get better when she literally runs into him in the hallway, breaking his phone. When he chastises her, we have our meet-cute.

But then Jacob does something completely unexpected; he writes her a letter. Not an email! He puts pen to fancy paper and apologizes. Briana loves that he took the time to do that, and a pen pal relationship is born, with the added bonus that they keep running into one another at work, sharing lunch and quiet spaces.

As they get to know one another, feelings start growing. Briana’s brother has some serious health issues; he needs a kidney transplant but has a rare blood type. As Jacob learns about the situation, he realizes he could be a good match, and he is definitely pro-donating after witnessing his mother’s lifesaving donation. He gets tested but insists that he be an anonymous donor.

Secrets get out, feelings surge, and the happily ever after is amazing! Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors.

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez. Forever (April 11, 2023). ISBN: 978-1538704394. 416p.

Kindle

Audible

Hardcover

Comments Off on YOURS TRULY by Abby Jimenez | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

MOM COM by Adriana Mather

December 22, 2023

From the publisher:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Adriana Mather comes a heartwarming tale of love, family, and pastry perfection.

Maddi DeLuca is coming home for the holidays with her nine-year-old son, only it’s not the triumphant return she might have hoped for. She recently broke down on a reality TV baking show, letting the entire country know she feels like a colossal failure. And she can be certain her mother will remind her of all the ways she hasn’t lived up to expectations over the years.

Ten years ago, all Maddi dreamt of was running her father’s beloved bakery in their tiny coastal town of Haverberry Cove, MA. Her best friend, Wilder Buenaventura, had his own dream–a life with Maddi. And for one brilliant moment when they were seventeen, those dreams collided. They baked together. They loved each other insatiably. But like a fallen soufflé, their relationship imploded, taking their lifelong friendship with it.

If she had her way, Maddi would have stayed in California, hiding her head in its beautiful white sands. But at her mother’s request, she has returned to her hometown to help deal with an urgent matter concerning her father’s will and his nostalgia-filled bakery. What Maddi doesn’t know is that this issue also mysteriously involves the one person she’s spent forever trying to forget–Wilder. Now she finds herself forced to make an impossible decision: give up her father’s bakery and her lifelong dream, or find a way to coexist with Wilder without murdering him with a cookie cutter.

“Mather makes her adult debut with this delightful tale…Romance fans will delight in the story, the addition of sweet bakery treats, and the showdown between the judgmental town, the snooty Buenaventuras, and the pull of the love that got away.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“A delicious second-chance romance…[Mom Com] is a heartfelt tale about learning to forgive both oneself and others. Readers will not want to miss Maddi and Wilder’s second chance at love.” —Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3NpMBzR

This was my first read by Mather, and considering this is her adult novel debut, I guess that makes sense. The cover appealed to my foodie sensibility, I always like a good second-chance romance, and I love finding new authors, so this book was a win-win-win for me!

Maddi adored her father and grew up helping out in his bakery. But they had a falling out, and she moved away. She and her son come home for the holidays, and she’s not sure how long she’ll stay – she had a very public breakdown and needs to reset. There’s no place like home for that, except she finds out her father left his beloved bakery to her and her arch nemesis, Wilder.

They have a history together but went their separate ways. Wilder’s family is wealthy, and he works in the family business. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just say Wilder and Maddi need to work together or lose the bakery, and neither wants that. As Maddi learns what’s been happening in Wilder’s life and he gets to know her all over again, feelings develop.

This was a completely engrossing story, and I couldn’t put it down. I loved these characters and how they finally found their happy ending, and the bakery was just an extra treat!

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MOM COM by Adriana Mather. Blackstone Publishing Inc; Paperback edition (November 14, 2023). ISBN: 979-8212877176. 350p.

Kindle

Audible

Hardcover

Comments Off on MOM COM by Adriana Mather | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Christmas, Contemporary, Holiday | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Spotlight Review: A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

December 19, 2023

Christmas Notch, Book 2

From the publisher:

From the authors of A Merry Little Meet Cute comes a steamy holiday rom-com cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone—about an actress and a perpetually single former boy-band member reunited as costars on a steamy holiday film!

Kallum Liebermanis the funny one™. As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He’s living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends’ weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he’s ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel.

Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself—and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie?

With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars…especially Winnie who can’t seem to fake on screen pleasure she’s never experienced in real life. She’s willing to do the pleasure research—for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there’s no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum’s teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself.

They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?

“Well-developed protagonists with immediate chemistry and witty dialogue balance the emotional story as characters process big life changes and family trauma. Skillful, sympathetic writing weaves the conflict seamlessly into the storyline, creating a novel that will make readers laugh, cry, and cheer. This sexy, joyful romantic comedy from Murphy and Simone (A Merry Little Meet Cute) is a delightful read.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Murphy and Simone present another superbly written, splendidly witty holiday romance featuring another pair of expertly nuanced protagonists and a plot that flawlessly balances sizzling sensual heat and sweet romantic affection while joyfully celebrating body positivity.” — Booklist (starred review)
https://amzn.to/3TlL3KS

This book really appealed to me as a former Hallmark Christmas movie fan. I pretty much stopped watching them a few years ago when Netflix started making their own Christmas movies. The Netflix movies just felt more modern and realistic, and frankly, I was tired of the same half-dozen actors making the same movie over and over again. I hear they moved them to Europe this year, and that’s a nice change but not enough to bring me back. On the other hand, the Lifetime channel has a new Christmas movie with sex scenes!* I’ll be checking that out for sure.

Anyway, back to this book: a really fun, super sexy Christmas tale set in the world of made for cable Christmas movies. The Hope Channel is starting a new venture, turning their traditional Hallmark-style Christmas movies into adult versions. Soft porn, if you will. Talk about going to extremes! Their new female lead is Winnie, one of their mainstay Christmas movie stars who has had some disruption in her life and career and needs to start over. The male lead is Kallum, a former boy band member with a past that has come back to haunt him – an old sex tape has gone viral. Both think this is their opportunity to get on the right side of fame – sort of.

Winnie was brought up in a strict Christian home, married the man of her parents’ dreams, and divorced him when she caught him cheating. Her parents think she should forgive him and get back to making sappy movies, so they are really incensed when they find out she will be starring in this adult flick. The only problem is that Winnie has no sexual experience beyond her husband, and he was more about wham-bam-thank-you-mam than seeing to her pleasure. Embarrassed, she decides to ask her new co-star for help as he seems to have the experience she lacks.

Lots of laughs, some drama, and a whole lot of heat make this a terrific holiday read. I loved that there is an actual small town centered around Christmas all year long that everyone flocks to make these movies. I hope that’s a real thing! This was a fast, steamy read with a lot of heart and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

*Lifetime stuffs viewers’ stockings for the holidays with Christmas movie sex scene: “A Cowboy Christmas Romance” endorses the suggestion “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.”

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone. Avon (October 10, 2023). ISBN: 978-0063222649. 432p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on Spotlight Review: A HOLLY JOLLY EVER AFTER by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Christmas, Contemporary, Holiday | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Best Books of 2023

December 17, 2023

It’s that time of year again; these are the books that I liked best this year. This is my very subjective, very personal list. I loved a lot of books this year; I mostly read romances and romcoms, and those books tend to keep me happy. But to be honest, I forget a lot of them as soon as I’ve moved on to the next. So the ones that stay with me are the ones that end up on my annual list. I’ve read about 300 books this year, so had plenty to choose from. And I’m limiting myself to a top ten list again this year!

I hope you find this list useful and interesting!

THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride: My friend Judy recommended this book to me, and I put it off for a while – my mistake. This was a totally immersive read into a world of incredible characters wrapped in a mystery, and I loved it.

I’m not alone – this book has topped many of the best books of the year lists, from Amazon to Barnes & Noble to NPR/Fresh Air to The Washington Post to Time Magazine to Harper’s Bazaar to The New Yorker!

Read my full review

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt: What an incredible read! My friend Nora recommended this book to me while we were on a *mini-vacay, and I’m so happy she did! There are two main characters, Tova, an elderly woman who cleans the small town aquarium, and Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. It is an incredible debut filled with memorable characters and an unusual yet believable storyline.

Read the full review

RESURRECTION WALK by Michael Connelly: The new Michael Connelly book is always one of the highlights of my reading year, and this book is truly exceptional; in fact, it may be one of his best…There are plenty of twists in this legal procedural, but what I really loved was the writing – Haller is in first person, Bosch in third, making it easy to tell whose point of view we are in and how these two very independent men come to rely on each other. Another incredible read from the master of crime fiction.

Read the full review

HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry: I’ve read Henry’s last few books, and all were excellent, but I think may be her best yet…This is an engrossing romance with enough ups and downs and emotional entanglements to make me incredibly anxious until the requisite happy ending – I couldn’t figure out how they would work it out until they showed me. Another excellent read from a terrific author!

Read the full review

THE SECRET by Lee Child & Andrew Child: I had almost given up on this series as I didn’t much care for the first two books written by Lee Child with his brother, Andrew…I skipped the third book, No Plan B. But then I read that Andrew had gotten a contract for the next four books in the series alone, with no Lee Child involvement. So I decided to give him one more chance, and I’m very glad I did….This was a completely engrossing read with all the usual Reacher tropes; a decidedly taciturn Reacher, a deserted old building, underground passages, an occasional fight with Reacher against multiple opponents, and some really good twists at the end.

Read the full review

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal: I don’t know a whole lot about the Midwest, other than what I’ve gotten from books and a friend from St. Louis. Stradal’s books are firmly set there, so they are always a learning experience for me…This is a story that spans generations, marriages, deaths, and estrangements. Once I started this book, I was hesitant to put it down…This story took me on an emotional journey, and I loved it.

Read the full review

ROMANTIC COMEDY by Curtis Sittenfeld: If you’ve never read Sittenfeld, it’s high time you started…She writes smart, literary but always engaging stories that are interesting, worthwhile, and discussion worthy…That Sittenfeld chose to title her book this way felt like she was creating a significant crack in the divide between literary and genre fiction, and as someone who reads it all, that alone is a triumph. Put this on your must-read list and bring it to your book club; they will thank you for it.

Read the full review

THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner: Weiner never takes the easy way in any of her books. Relationships are complicated, people are complicated, and such is the case here. I loved her main character and wanted her to be happy – one of Weiner’s gifts is getting us so involved with her characters that you just can’t put down the book, and you can’t stop thinking about it when you finally do. This was a book that tempted me to call in sick to work just so I could finish it! But, ugh, I am way too responsible to do that. Unfortunately, it did keep me up half the night, and I was very happy when I finally turned that last page. That’s the best possible outcome from reading a book, don’t you think?

Read the full review

TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett: I thought there would be a lot of books set during the pandemic, but if there are, I haven’t run across them. This book is about a family isolating together on their cherry farm. The adult children come home to help out since there are no farm hands available to help harvest the fruit…The book moves back and forth between the early pandemic and an earlier summer as Lara tells her daughters the story of her life. In anyone else’s hands this might not work, but Patchett draws us in and keeps us enraptured until all the secrets are revealed. If you haven’t read her, you are in for a treat. If you have, you will appreciate this beautiful tale from a gifted storyteller. Don’t miss it.

Read the full review

DIRTY THIRTY by Janet Evanovich: Like millions of others, I loved this series but finally stopped reading at book 23. They really started to go downhill around book 20, with ridiculously far-fetched plot lines, including giraffes wandering the streets of Trenton, New Jersey, but once the zombies arrived, I was done…I read about Evanovich reaching this milestone, the thirtieth book of an uber-successful series. I decided to take a look at it. And I enjoyed it! Things seem to have gone back to where they started, without forcing me to strain credulity and just enjoy the ride…There are several surprises along the way, and some nice twists towards the very shocking ending. Maybe taking a few years off helped, but I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Plum adventure, and look forward to whatever comes next.

Read the full review

Last year was the first time I ever limited myself to a specific number of favorites in any given year. I did a top ten, as is this year’s list, but there were several other books I felt were worthy of a mention.

Honorable Mentions

THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry

GHOSTED by Sarah Ready

STONE COLD FOX by Rachel Koller Croft

EXES AND O’S by Amy Lea

AN EARL TO REMEMBER by Stacy Reid

LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood

1 Comment | Best Books of the Year | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood

December 15, 2023

The Love Hypothesis, Book 3

From the publisher:

“The reigning queen of STEM romance.”—The Washington Post

An Indie Next and Library Reads Pick!

Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

“The reigning queen of STEMinist rom-coms returns with a tale set in the cutthroat world of elite academia full of delightful humor, realistic emotions, and the messy search for self-acceptance.”—Booklist, starred review

“A decidedly quirky and thoroughly charming tale…Geeky science jokes, humorous student emails, and expertly delivered snarky banter enhance the narrative. Readers will cheer for Jack and Elsie and their bumpy road to happily ever after.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Hazelwood’s latest STEM-set novel may be her best yet, addressing not only discrimination among different realms of physics, but the unconscious bias Elsie has to continually fight as a woman in her field…A dynamic rivals-to-lovers romance.”—Kirkus, starred review
https://amzn.to/473qshW

I love this series so I was shocked to see I missed the summer release of this latest offering. But no worries, I hunkered down and read it over the weekend and I’m so glad I did!

I am the least STEM person around – I even had to look up what STEM stands for (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). I went to grad school at the University of South Florida because I didn’t have to take the GRE (my GPA was high enough) and there’s MATH on that test! Tech I’m okay with, but that’s it. Nonetheless, I love these books even if I don’t understand a lot of the back story. Like there are two schools of physicists? I can spell physicists but that’s about the extent of my knowledge of physics. So now I know there are theorists and experimentalists, and I sort of understand the difference. But it doesn’t really matter. All you really need to understand is that the difference is the main reason for this enemies-to-lovers romance.

I also really enjoyed the university setting of the story as I work in one, even if we don’t have a physics major (I don’t think??) Elsie is an adjunct professor, which means she is basically part time and paid by the class – and they don’t get paid much. There are no benefits, no insurance, no vacation. It’s a really sucky job, to be honest. And Elsie is an adjunct at a few schools (also not uncommon) to try and make ends meet. So when she gets the opportunity to apply for a faculty position at M.I.T., with benefits and a lab, she is over the moon. Until she meets one of the professors on the hiring committee.

Jack Smith turned the theoretical physics world on its head when he was in high school, and Elsie’s mentor was the target. Once he hears where she is interviewing, he is not too happy. And I loved that her mentor calls her Elise – so typical that he can’t even bother to get her name right. As Elsie goes through the hiring process, she spends time with Jack and the next thing you know, feelings are developing. But there are major roadblocks here, and it takes quite a bit of time for them to work past them to their happy ending.

I loved the humor here, the setting, and of course, the characters. This was another unputdownable read from one of my favorite authors. I love these books and I swear I feel smarter when I finish one! Don’t miss it.

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LOVE, THEORETICALLY by Ali Hazelwood. Berkley (June 13, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593336861. 400p.

Kindle

Audible

Hardcover

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, STEM | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE FAKE MATE by Lana Ferguson

December 15, 2023

From the publisher:

Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.

Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.

Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?

Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

“This fun, steamy romance has interesting, well-drawn characters who happen to be shifters…Fans of fake relationships will appreciate Ferguson’s paranormal twist on the trope.”—Library Journal

“What begins as a typical fake relationship story quickly slides into a delightfully endearing study of two people overcoming expectations.”—Publishers Weekly

“Charming. Funny. Primal. Ferguson’s paranormal romance manages to be sweet and spicy at the same time, with two likable leads who can’t ignore their wolfish urges…Readers will tear through this omegaverse novel.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/3tfucik

I have never read a paranormal romance like this. In fact, I rarely read any paranormal romance but this past year I decided to give it a go and read a couple of witchy romances, which I enjoyed. But I’ve never read about shifters or wolves or whatever this is. I’m still not totally clear about it – are they werewolves? I’ve heard of those at least, but it doesn’t seem like an exact match. But I pushed on through and it was a super fun read, even if I was a tiny bit confused about it all.

Mackenzie is a young doctor working in the emergency room of a hospital. She is an omega, a special kind of wolf/shifter (I really don’t know what I’m talking about!), and is well liked by the staff and her colleagues. Noah is a cardiac surgeon and has the arrogance that sometimes goes along with those positions. He is feared more than liked, and rumors about him flow through the hospital. His only friend is the former head of cardiology, who recommended Noah to take his place. Another cardiologist was really angry about that – he thought the job should be his by virtue of him being there longer.

Noah is also a wolf/shifter, but he an alpha which apparently means he is prone to be violent or something. It wasn’t quite clear to me, but he kept that a secret. I found it interesting that everyone just accepts these shifters working and living among them. But an anonymous tip lets the hospital board know that Noah is an alpha, and he is afraid they will let him go because of deep seated prejudices.

Noah and Mackenzie find themselves in the staff lounge one day. Mackenzie is constantly being setup on blind dates by her grandmother, and one is worse than the next. She gets the idea of asking Noah to take a selfie with her that she can show her grandmother in hopes of getting her to back off. He agrees, but has his own favor to ask. If he can tell the board that he is mated, they won’t care if he’s an alpha. They both agree to the deal, and the fake dating begins. They find they have a lot in common and begin to have real feelings for one another, but there is trouble afoot in the hospital that appears to be destructive to their relationship.

Honestly, the only reason I even read this was because I liked Ferguson’s first book, The Nanny, so much. She is a good writer, builds interesting characters, and they inevitably have steamy sex. In this case, the alpha-omega thing means something very specific in the bedroom, and that adds another dimension to the story. Ferguson has made a paranormal romance reader out of me!

There is some humor here as well, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. If anyone reads it or can explain shifters to me, please leave a comment!

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE FAKE MATE by Lana Ferguson. Berkley (December 5, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593549377. 400p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on THE FAKE MATE by Lana Ferguson | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Paranormal | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Spotlight Review: THE FAIRYTALE LIFE OF DOROTHY GALE by Virginia Kantra

December 12, 2023

From the publisher:

A woman learns to follow her own road in this heartwarming novel inspired by The Wizard of Oz by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

Dorothy “Dee” Gale is searching for a place to belong. After their globe-trotting mother’s death, Dee and her sister Toni settled with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em in Kansas, where Dee attends graduate school. But when Dee’s relationship with a faculty member, a bestselling novelist, ends in heartbreak and humiliation, she’s caught in a tornado of negative publicity. Unable to face her colleagues—or her former lover—Dee applies to the writing program at Trinity College Dublin.

Dee’s journey to Ireland leads her to new companions: seemingly brainless Sam Clery—who dropped out of college and now runs a newsagent’s shop—is charming and hot, in a dissolute, Irish poet kind of way; allegedly heartless Tim Woodman—who stiffly refused to take back his ex-fiancée—seems stuck in his past; and fiercely loyal Reeti Kaur, who longs for the courage to tell her parents she wants to teach underprivileged girls rather than work in the family business.

In a year of opportunities and changes, love and loss, Dee is mentored by powerful women in the writing program, challenging her to see herself and her work with new eyes. With her friends, Dee finds the confidence to confront her biggest fears—including her intimidating graduate advisor, who may not be so wicked after all.

Faced with a choice with far-reaching consequences, Dee must apply the lessons she’s learned along the way about making a family, finding a home…and recognizing the power that’s been inside her all along.
https://amzn.to/3pGajiK

Kantra branches out from her reimaginings of Little Women (Meg and Jo, Beth and Amy) to this modernization of The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy “Dee” Gale was orphaned and taken in by her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas. She is in a graduate writing program, but when her boyfriend, a faculty member, publishes a bestselling novel with Dee thinly disguised as the heroine, she finds herself in a whirlwind of gossip and makes her escape to the Emerald Isle at Trinity College Dublin. There she makes new friends: Reeti, who is struggling to tell her traditional parents that she wants to be a teacher, not just a wife; Tim, their neighbor who had a bad breakup, causing him to retreat into himself and lock out the world; and Sam, a college dropout working in his family’s bodega, unable to commit to anyone or anything. Despite being intimidated by her grad school advisor, Dee grows as a writer and, in the process, realizes that she held the power to change all along.

Verdict: This charming update of a classic with a touch of romance should appeal to readers who enjoyed Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible or Cathleen Schine’s The Three Weissmanns of Westport.

12/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE FAIRYTALE LIFE OF DOROTHY GALE by Virginia Kantra. Berkley (December 5, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593547717. 384p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on Spotlight Review: THE FAIRYTALE LIFE OF DOROTHY GALE by Virginia Kantra | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi