After eight days in a cramped stagecoach, divorcée Marigold Davis already regrets her decision to come to Denver City to marry. She certainly didn’t realize she’d signed up for mosquitoes, mud, and scores of rough men eyeing her like a hot meal on a cold day. But with her life in Kansas all but incinerated, Marigold needs a husband. Even if she’s not the bride that gold prospector Virgil Gardner is expecting…
Virgil Gardner has a reputation as a grumpy hard-ass, and he’s fine with it. He’s also no fool―this is not the woman he agreed to marry. It takes a tough-as-nails woman to survive the harshness of a Rocky Mountain gold claim, and this whiskey-eyed, gentle beauty is certainly not the type. Now it’s just a matter of how quickly she’ll quit so he can find a wife who will stick. Someone who can care for the only thing he values even more than gold–his children.
But Marigold isn’t about to give in. Cramped in a one-room shack. Berry picking turned into a bear escape. Or cooking for an entire crew of bottomless pits. She’s got more grit than most. And just when Virgil starts to realize his replacement bride might be the treasure he’s been looking for, an unannounced guest arrives…to change everything.
“Collins mines the setting for both danger and humor, providing the perfect backdrop to this sensuous romance. Readers won’t want to put this down.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review
I love cowboy romances, and this historical story is a good one. Set in the Kansas territory long before statehood, Virgil Gardner runs a gold mining operation. His wife is gone, leaving him with three children – two of whom are his. He takes care of all of them as best as he can, but he needs a wife, so he advertises for one.
The woman who shows up, Marigold, is actually the sister of the woman he agreed to marry. Virgil is a good man, albeit short-tempered and suspicious of most people, especially women. He cannot abide liars or cheats and feels like he was taken advantage of by this woman. He agrees to allow her to be his housekeeper but takes marriage off the table. Marigold loves children and is educated, so she is happy to take on her new role. She has never lived under such rugged conditions, and there is a definite learning curve. But she enjoys the children and even becomes friendly with the men working for Virgil, much to his displeasure.
Virgil is also surprised to find that he is drawn to the sassy woman and isn’t quite sure what to do about it. Eventually, they realize they have a strong physical attraction, which surprises Marigold – she had a horrible marriage, yet something about Virgil is warming her heart. Virgil and Marigold’s relationship blows hot and cold, and the men are all seeing more to it than they are. Just when you think everything is finally going to work out, there is a wrench thrown in the works that causes a massive setback. But no worries, a happy ending is just around the corner.
The historical aspects of this book were really interesting, and seeing how people lived under such extreme conditions was also fascinating. I liked these characters a lot, and this was a really good story. If you like historical westerns, this is a good one. The romance is just the icing on the cake!
4/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE PROSPECTOR’S ONLY PROSPECT by Dani Collins. Entangled: Amara (March 28, 2023). ISBN: 978-1649373410. 352 p.
One of my favorite April Fools Day jokes happened several years ago when the library where I worked was closed for renovation. I posted on early social media that the library was getting rid of all the books and using the space for additional computers. Well, people lost their minds over that! Today, I figured it would be met with a shrug. But then this happened…
A merged institution born out of financial strain seeks to balance cost with quality, while also reaching more rural residents. But its botched announcement led to an outcry, an apology and a no-confidence vote.
I’ve always loved books. I like how they feel in my hand. I like how they smell. I love the dust jackets, the covers. Since I was a young child, and at that time, at least in my neighborhood, hardly anyone owned books. My mom had a few antique editions of Shakespeare that the decorator placed in the corner of an antique writing desk with a turquoise glass obelisk sitting on top of them, in the living room where I was not allowed to step foot. We had an old edition of The Canterbury Tales, not an antique but maybe from my father’s brief foray into higher education, that I struggled to read through first and second grade. One of my mother’s friends gave her a copy of The Female Eunuch, by Germaine Greer, which she struggled with and gave up on but I devoured.
Eventually, we got a World Book Encyclopedia set, which I constantly browsed, and in 6th grade, I won my own copy of Roget’s Thesaurus in an oral reading challenge. I bought books from Scholastic when I was in elementary school, one or two at a time as that was all we could afford. For every birthday or Hannukah, I asked for books, eventually accumulating almost all the Nancy Drews, a few Cherry Ames, a couple of the Hardy Boys (stolen from my brother who had learning challenges and hated reading,) and a few childhood favorites – Dr. Suess, The Phantom Tollbooth, Harriet the Spy, which I read over and over again. My mom gave away all my books to a friend of hers from high school who didn’t have much but had two kids, the oldest a year or so younger than me. I was pissed, but tried to be magnanimous. When I went to live with my father and his wife, I was in high school and my stepmother was a voracious reader. She gave me her first edition of Gone With the Wind that her high school boyfriend/first husband had given her. Then I found Marjorie Morningstar, Valley of the Dolls, The Godfather, and fell in love with horror – Jaws, The Exorcist, Stephen King; then thrillers, The Boys from Brazil, The Bourne Identity, The Day of the Jackal. I was always a fast reader, usually reading a book a day, and read many of these favorites repeatedly. Between reading the book and watching the Godfather movies (first 2) so many times, I can quote most of it from memory and point out the digressions from book to film.
After I was married, my husband and I moved to Dallas, Texas. We spent our weekends haunting this small chain of used bookstores, Half Price Books, I think there were maybe 10 stores or so – now well over 100 – and hitting area thrift stores. There were several that we visited regularly, and six years later when we moved back to Florida, we moved with 80 cartons of books. A collection was born.
When my children were born, the collection expanded exponentially to include children’s books. When I started working at Borders Books, we got a book allowance each month, I think about $40 to spend on books in addition to a staff discount. We also got in boxes of galleys, paperback editions of books that would be coming out, usually a few months off. Staff could take what they wanted, and surprisingly, many of the staff didn’t really care. I was happy to take any that were left over at the end of the month. Borders was also where I discovered remainders, new books that were marked down tremendously. I was in book heaven.
That was then, this is now. Twenty-some-odd years later, I have given away at least half of my books, probably more. I pretty much saved all my signed books, books in series that I love (Diana Gabaldon, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Janet Evanovich, Stephen King, David Rosenfelt,) classics, a small nonfiction collection of about 300 books, and I still have a serious cookbook collection of about 250 books (that was pared down significantly.)
To be honest, I read almost exclusively on my iPad or Kindle now. I have some severe eye issues, and that is the most comfortable and easiest way for me to read. When the Kindle first came out, my husband bought me one, and I thought, what am I going to do with this? It was pretty much a paperweight for a long time. Well, I’m on my fourth Kindle now, and my husband just gave me an “I told you so.”
The first person I knew who was reading on a Kindle back when they first came out was a friend of my mom’s who had macular degeneration. He subscribed to the New York Times and was only able to read it on his Kindle. That was my first inkling that this e-reader was going to be a success, but I never dreamed I’d be someone who would need that technology. At least not until I was much older!
At first, I started using it for travel and even doctor visits. I was that weirdo who if I only had a chapter or two left of a book, would take two books to the doctor. Heaven forbid I ran out of reading material and be forced to read old People magazines! I took three books with me to jury duty, and read them all. I’ll say one thing about readers; we never mind waiting for anything – at least I don’t. I read during traffic jams, while waiting in line anywhere, at any appointments where I have to wait, while I’m cooking & waiting for the water to boil, the oven to preheat, and, well, you get the idea. I am a reader, and damn proud of it. Welcome to my world!
We flew to New York a few weeks ago for my grandson’s second birthday. No more baby – he is a toddler for sure. We had such a great time – and his oh-so-talented mama made him a Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday cake! His language skills are incredible; he repeats everything he hears and retains it, be it in English or Spanish, and now a bit of Hebrew, too! He tells us Shabbat Shalom, asked for hamentaschen on Purim, and read us his book on Passover; he sang the beginning of Dayenu and the four questions. I am so sorry I won’t get to spend the holiday with them, but maybe next year.
We usually go up during the summer to see them, but we have a big trip planned to Portugal* later this month, so not sure how much vacation time I’ll have left after that. It’s hard when family is so far away; we are in Florida, his other grandparents are in Chicago, and he lives in Brooklyn. Now I know how my mom felt when my son was born in Texas; I would say she’s sitting up in heaven saying I told you so, but that was never her way.
Food News
I celebrated Mardi Gras this year by baking a King Cake, with a little help from King Arthur Baking. If you are not familiar with their website, they are not just about selling the best ingredients and bakeware, they have tons of recipes – and those are all free! They have a blog, which is awesome. Recent posts include 20 spring celebration bakes for Easter, Passover, Ramadan, and beyond; A guide to different types of sugars, how to use them, and when to substitute; and Ask the Bread Coach: My dough isn’t rising — what now? If you like to bake, or want to learn (!) this is your best bet for foolproof recipes and tips and tricks. This recent post was a real eye opener to me – if you’ve ever struggled with folding beaten egg whites into a batter using a large spatula, as I have always seen it done, be it into pancake batter or, in my most recent case, tiramisu, there is a better way! It’s tricky folding enough to not have any more white streaks but also not deflating the batter. The solution was so simple I was just gobsmacked: Things bakers know: Why a whisk (not a spatula!) is the best tool for folding. (I don’t make a dime from KA, in case you were wondering why I keep bringing them up – it’s purely my need to share good stuff!)
My husband 3D printed me a baby Yoda to hide in the cake!
Book News
First there was this, which made me so angry! I posted it on Facebook (because I’m old!)
Again I ask, why does one parent get to decide what every child reads??? If you don’t want your child to read this book, that is your choice and your responsibility. It is not your choice or responsibility to force my child to abide by your decisions. Fuck off.
Lapeer County Prosecutor John Miller says he may file criminal charges against employees or officials of the Lapeer District Library if an LGBTQ-themed graphic novel isn’t removed from the shelves.
The librarians’ partial victory shows how pro-worker, anti-censorship organizing can work even in a conservative state. Missouri lawmakers on March 23, 2023, moved to strip state funding from public libraries in retaliation for a lawsuit challenging a new state law that bans certain materials in school libraries.
Over the 30-day comment period, Missouri residents registered more than 18,000 comments, comprising a stack of more than 20,000 pages, that forced Ashcroft to withdraw and revise the rule. It was a win for Missouri librarians and for intellectual freedom.
My husband and I are planning a trip to Portugal this spring. This is more than a tourist visit; we are thinking about retiring there in a few years. (Well, he wants to retire – I want to find some kind of part-time remote work. The thought of not doing anything at all just freaks me out!) I’d love to hear from anyone who has visited or lived there. Thanks!
As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.
Comments Off on BookBitch Diary: April 1, 2023 | Ramblings | Permalink Posted by Stacy Alesi
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ryan returns to the Wyoming Wilde series as the third Wilde brother finds himself entangled with his ex-girlfriend after she’s witness to a murder and the killer’s next target. Perfect for fans of authors like Maisey Yates, Joanne Kennedy and Carolyn Brown as well as Diana Palmer, Linda Lael Miller, and BJ Daniels.
They’re tough, tenacious, and sometimes tormented; they’re the Wildes of Wyoming, three brothers whose family ties are as strong as their wills.
And when Max Wilde reunites with his lost love, he’ll do anything to keep her safe and in his arms…
Max Wilde lived up to his last name and then some. Years ago, he fell hard and fast for Kenna Baker, thinking they had a love that would last for all time. When a horrible misunderstanding drove them apart, Max thought his chance to find the kind of love his brothers have is gone forever. He changed his bad boy ways, but he never got over the one who got away.
Now, their lives have collided once again, as Kenna is the only witness to a murder and needs a place to hide while in protective custody. Max is determined to keep her safe on the ranch, and also maintain an emotional distance, but as they spend more time together, the lies and half-truths that once drove them apart are also uncovered, bringing them closer than ever.
Kenna has always laid claim to Max’s heart—and soul—but will he be able to save her…and their love…before it’s too late?
The first two books in his series were fast, fun, and suspenseful reads, and this one lives up to those.
The last Wilde brother to be single is also the youngest, and the one everyone thought would be married first. His high school sweetheart, Kenna, and he were bound for long-term, happily ever after, until she accused him of cheating on her. He was so hurt that she could even think that, he walked away without a fight. They were both young and hot-headed, and that was that. Until Kenna witnesses a murder and is now in protective custody. She needs a place to stay, and his ranch is offered up as a safe place for her. Max wants to protect her, but he is still angry with her.
Max has spent three years trying to forget Kenna by basically sleeping with every woman around. But he realized that wasn’t helping at all, and stopped. But now that Kenna is under his roof, his feelings are really mixed up. Of course, he wants her safe, but it is killing him to be so close to her yet not be with her.
The more time they spend together, the more Kenna and Max realize they still have those deep feelings for one another. Eventually, they figure out what happened to break them up and things start moving towards a happy ending – except for the little issue of someone trying to kill her.
Lots of action and suspense plus some sexy times make this a fast, fun read – especially since the happy ending is guaranteed. If you like second chance romances, cowboy romances, and romantic suspense, then this is your book, and it’s a terrific ending to the trilogy.
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ryan returns to the Wyoming Wilde series as a by-the-book lawman tangles with a stubborn young woman. Perfect for fans of authors like Maisey Yates, Joanne Kennedy and Carolyn Brown as well as Diana Palmer, Linda Lael Miller, and BJ Daniels.
They’re tough, tenacious, and sometimes tormented; they’re the Wildes of Wyoming, three brothers whose family ties are as strong as their wills.
The last thing lawman Hunt Wilde ever dreamed he’d do was fall hard for a purple-haired troublemaker like Cyn Wilson. While Hunt believes in law and order, Cyn lives life fast and loose—with fast cars and wild nights. But when Cyn’s sister disappears, she surprisingly turns to him for help. Never let it be said that a Wilde man turned down a woman in distress—and on a mission.
It takes a lot for Cyn to swallow her pride and ask Hunt for anything. The man never gives her a break and is always staring at her with those perceptive eyes. But beneath Cyn’s tough exterior beats a heart as wide and beautiful as Wyoming itself—and soon she finds herself surrendering to the overpowering attraction simmering between them and partnering with him in the search for her missing sister.
She won’t rest until she learns the truth, even if that means putting herself in harm’s way. And when Hunt discovers how much danger Cyn is in because of him, he’s even more determined to take down the man who would take her out of Hunt’s life—forever.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and with the third now available, I realized I missed this one! No harm, no foul – I already had it on my Kindle (thanks, Netgalley!)
The three brothers Wilde are the connection between these books. This one focuses on Hunt, a cop who is always on the right side of the law. That’s why he keeps ticketing Cyn for speeding – he gave her a warning the first time, which she took to mean nothing at all. She is a wild woman, the anti-Hunt if you will, but he can’t help but be drawn to her. Especially as he gets to know her.
Cyn’s sister is in an abusive relationship. While it’s not all that graphic, it could be triggering to anyone who has lived with that. Ryan does a good job showing how women can get caught in a bad relationship, and how difficult it can be for them to get out. Cyn is a successful hairdresser with her own shop, and she’s even opening a second location in the next town over. She has a house big enough for her and her sister and her baby niece, if she can ever convince her sister to move out. She finally reaches that point but then her boyfriend loses his job and of course, blames her. When she disappears, Cyn is frantic and turns to Hunt for help.
The more time they spend together, the more Hunt realizes that there is way more to this woman than her wild reputation. She is a deeply caring, compassionate and empathetic person and he truly admires her. She is drawn to the steadiness Hunt exudes as he helps her to find her sister and the baby. With such a tumultuous story, somehow Cyn and Hunt find their way to one another, even as they follow the leads to her missing sister. There is a lot of suspense here, some appropriate violence (it’s never gratuitous) and some steamy sex, too. This was a quick, unputdownable read and the perfect jumping off point to read the next book in the series.
3/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SURRENDERING TO HUNT by Jennifer Ryan. Avon (August 23, 2022). ISBN: 978-0063111424. 384p.
This powerful reimagining of Jane Eyre, set in a modern-day law firm, is full of romance and hope as it follows the echoing heartbeats of the classic story.
A former foster kid, Jane has led a solitary life as a waitress in the suburbs, working hard to get by. Tired of years of barely scraping together a living, Jane takes classes to become a legal assistant and shortly after graduating accepts a job offer at a distinguished law firm in downtown Toronto. Everyone at the firm thinks she is destined for failure because her boss is the notoriously difficult Edward Rosen, the majority stakeholder of Rosen, Haythe & Thornfield LLP. But Jane has known far worse trials and refuses to back down when economic freedom is so close at hand.
Edward has never been able to keep an assistant—he’s too loud, too messy, too ill-tempered. There’s something about the quietly competent, delightfully sharp-witted Jane that intrigues him though. As their orbits overlap, their feelings begin to develop—first comes fondness and then something more. But when Edward’s secrets put Jane’s independence in jeopardy, she must face long-ignored ghosts from her past and decide if opening her heart is a risk worth taking.
“Fans of Jane Eyre will enjoy spotting the Easter eggs…More importantly, the love story stays faithful to the original, with the addition of some spice… Edwards’s debut is a retelling that will please both diehard Brontë devotees and contemporary romance readers.” —Library Journal
As every English major knows, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a classic for a good reason. While I don’t love it like I love the Austen books, it is a story worth modernizing for sure, and Edwards does a superb job. She keeps all the important plot points yet manages to transform them into a contemporary romance.
Jane lost her father, a renowned professor and author, when she was barely a teenager. Her mother died when she was a baby, and as far as she knows, there is no other family. Unfortunately, her father left no will, no provisions for her or his estate. Jane ends up in foster care until she ages out at 18. Her social worker helps her find a cheap apartment and she finds a job waitressing.
Jane has overheard some co-workers discussing this program to be a legal assistant at a nearby school, and she signs up. Much to her surprise, when she finished the program she is offered a job as assistant to the top partner at a downtown Toronto white-shoe law firm. Edward Rosen has not been able to keep an assistant for more than a few weeks – he is loud, messy, ill-tempered and a bit of a bully. Jane has dealt with worse – hello, foster child here – and to Rosen’s surprise, he doesn’t make her cry or walk out. He is intrigued with his super-organized, smart assistant. That intrigue turns to something more.
Jane eventually realizes she has feelings for her boss, a definite no-no in this corporate environment, and when she finally admits her feelings to him, he reciprocates, much to her surprise. They fall into a hot and heavy romance, but it turns out Edward has a secret that ends up destroying their relationship.
If you are familiar with Jane Eyre, you will guess the secret, but I’m not telling. I really enjoyed this book; the characters are very well developed, more so Jane than Edward, and I liked the way the story played out. My only criticism is that the ending seemed a bit rushed to me, but maybe that was me being sorry it ended! All in all, an excellent read (especially for Jane Eyre fans) and a terrific debut. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author. Let me add that I loved the cover of this book, too – it’s a bit different than the usual contemporary romance covers and serves the story well.
3/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
JANE & EDWARD by Melodie Edwards. Berkley (March 21, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593440773. 352 p.
My life has always been pretty predictable. Run into burning buildings, save those in distress, be a hero. Shoot the shit with my fireman buddies, come home, and do it all again tomorrow. Little did I know that a random SOS call from a woman stuck in a plaster cast with nothing underneath (I swear I only caught a flash of skin) would throw me for a complete loop.
Until I see the flighty artist again. At my mom’s engagement party. To her dad.
Suddenly the unpredictable woman I couldn’t stop thinking about is my soon-to-be-stepsister. Yeah, the same one I mortified when I accidentally saw her a tiny bit naked. This should make family gatherings way more interesting.
Except when your mom’s as loaded as mine is, you can never fully let your guard down when a guy comes sniffing around. So I can’t help but be suspicious, even though his daughter’s the perfect blend of beautiful and wild. As we spend more time together, prepping for our parents’ wedding, we both agree that maybe there’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun in the meantime. But if she knew I was investigating her dad on the side, she would never forgive me…
Somehow, I missed this book but read the next two in the series. I liked those so much I hunted this one down, and I’m so glad I did.
This is a really fun read. Tamsen is a young artist who is waitressing to make a living and interning in an art gallery, plus doing her own artwork. She is one busy young woman, so it’s easy to understand how she forgot to oil her skin before covering her torso with plaster to make a mold for her latest piece. But as the plaster dries, she quickly realizes she is in trouble. She calls 911 and three super hot firemen come to her rescue.
Parker loves being a firefighter, and helping out a damsel in distress is all in a day’s work to him. But this damsel really appeals to him. Hitting on someone you’re helping doesn’t feel ethical to him, so he puts off that idea. Until they meet up again – turns out Tamsen’s dad is now engaged to Parker’s mom.
Tamsen lost her mother when she was just a toddler and grew up watching her father struggle on his own. He was a wonderful father, but devastated by losing his wife. Tamsen is really happy he has found someone else to love.
Parker’s father took off when he was a teenager, and was rarely heard from since. His mother is very wealthy and in fact, her first marriage was a society one. She’s come close to marrying again, but both times Parker hired a private investigator to look into those men, and they were bad news. So he hires the same P.I. to investigate her new fiance.
Parker and Tamsen are shocked to find they are going to become step-siblings, and their parents ask them to plan a wedding shower for them. Their attraction to one another is so strong that they can’t put it aside, and Tamsen comes up with the idea of just getting it out of their system – keep it fast and fun and end it. Neither one of them is interested in a relationship but you know that it’s only a matter of time.
This book was a bit uneven for me, and I liked the two that followed more. Nonetheless, I’m glad I went back and read this one. The books all stand alone, but I enjoyed reading them all.
2/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE WEDDING DILEMMA by Mariah Ankenman. Entangled: Amara (May 17, 2021). ISBN: 979-8504056166. 280p.
The first novel in a new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh—you’ve met the Mackays; now it’s time to meet their friends.
Danger is stalking Isabeau Boudreaux. After the deaths of her parents ten years ago during a violent attack that left her blind, remnants of her vision are returning. But a series of accidents has convinced her friends the Mackays of Somerset, Kentucky, that someone wants her dead. When a roadside blowout proves to be almost fatal for Isabeau and her good friend Angel, Angel’s brother mercenary Tracker Calloway knows this was no accident.
After a particularly bloody job, the last thing Tracker wants to do is get involved. But whoever is after Isabeau almost hurt his sister, and Isabeau is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Tracker is determined to protect her but knows staying away from Isabeau is impossible. He begins a steady seduction to tempt the innocent woman into a world of hunger like she could have never imagined. And keeping her is the only option—if he can save her from an unknown enemy as her sight begins to slowly return.
This was a different sort of read for me; the best way I can describe is that it’s an erotic romantic thriller! Isabeau is blind, and her brother and his best friends treat her as a fragile object. Isabeau was blinded when her father killed her mother, shot her in the head, then killed himself. She has had several “accidents” since the murder, and has escaped each time. But when her friend Angel’s driving her to a party, someone shoots out the tire, but somehow Angel manages to keep the car on the road until it is safe to pull over.
Angel’s brother Tracker is a mercenary and has experienced enough horror in his life to protect his heart at all costs. Until he meets Isabeau. He is very observant, and quickly realizes that she is not completely blind. He also thinks she is beautiful and wants her in his bed. He quickly seduces her, but it goes beyond sex. She feels safe with him. She is warned to protect her heart as he is not the type to stick around. and she tries. But as her sight slowly returns, more “accidents” keep happening, and Tracker realizes the killer is closing in.
Isabeau could never understand how her father, who was so loving and kind to her and her mother, could have done what she was told. But even Tracker doubts the story – why would someone else be trying to kill her if the man who shot her was already dead? It makes no sense but he will figure it out – eventually.
There is violence throughout the story and a lot of very explicit sex. I finished the book, but I doubt I’d read another in this series; it’s all a bit too much for me but it is a page-turner for sure.
3/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
IN ISABEAU’S EYES by Lora Leigh. Berkley (March 21, 2023). ISBN: 978-0399583872. 288p.
A wedding brings a shocking surprise in New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde’s newest Moonglow Cove novel. Perfect for fans of Susan Wiggs, Jill Shalvis, and Robyn Carr.
It wasn’t the wedding night she’d expected!
When Samantha said “I do” to Luca Ginelli, she knew she’d found a reliable soulmate—a strong, sexy man who’d stand beside her through thick and thin. And so she’d started her wedding day filled with joyful expectation, only to have her dreams shattered when the man she married years before shocking, unexpectedly, reappears, insisting she was still his wife!
Seven years before, Luca’s brother, Nick, had stubbornly set off in a sailing adventure, ignoring the pleas of his young bride and all common sense. He’d disappeared without a trace; everyone thought he was dead—but now he’s expecting to pick up where they’d left off. He’d once been Samantha’s “lightning strike,”—the person you know is the one from the moment you first see them.
But seven years is a long time and so much has changed. Now Samantha is faced with an impossible choice and no matter which decision she makes, it threatens to shred the very fabric of the one thing she holds most dear—family.
“Fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery will relish the complex family relationships Wilde creates.” — Booklist
Lori Wilde is an author I always read, and this unusual story was unputdownable. Samantha is all set to marry Luca Ginelli in a beach wedding in this small town, which would be an unconventional way to start a romance – except this is not her first wedding. Her first wedding was to Nick Ginelli, Luca’s younger brother. But this isn’t a book version of While You Were Sleeping; Nick has just been declared dead after being lost at sea for seven years.
Turns out Luca has been deeply attracted to Samantha since she was in high school, but he was several years older and his brother had declared his intentions the first time they met. Luca stepped aside, and after Nick married her, Luca moved as far away as he could get, to Alaska. But with Nick’s disappearance and his father’s subsequent stroke, Luca has moved back to Moonglow Bay to take over running the family restaurant. Samantha does the books, and over the seven months or so that they work together, they start dating, and they fall in love. They decide to wait for their wedding night to consummate the relationship, and the wedding is scheduled right after Nick has met the legal standard to be declared dead.
I don’t think it is a spoiler to say that Nick is rescued and returned home that night, sending Samantha spiraling down an emotional rollercoaster. Nick was her first love, and she is torn between what she felt for him and what she currently feels for his brother. This is a complicated triangle, to say the least, but in Wilde’s competent and creative hands, we are led gently along for the ride. It was an engrossing read that leads to an ending that is not a surprise but is satisfying. Family relationships can be fraught, and I really liked the way this was handled. While this is the fourth book of a series, it easily stands alone. Highly recommend!
I also want to add that I loved that every chapter started with a quote about love – some were really meaningful to me and some were sort of sad. I especially loved these two:
The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. – Victor Hugo
Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. – Robert A. Heinlein
3/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE WEDDING AT MOONGLOW BAY by Lori Wilde. Avon (March 21, 2023). ISBN: 978-0063135901416. 368 p.
Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Wrong Number.
Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it’s time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.
After agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.
Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.
Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they both struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
“Painter follows up Mr. Wrong Number with an equally cute friends to lovers romance…Their equally filthy sense of humor makes their connection feel real and their game of constant one-upmanship is a lot of fun. Painter’s fans won’t be disappointed.”—Publishers Weekly
“A fun, flirty, and timely read from Painter (Mr. Wrong Number), with likable characters to boot.”—Library Journal
I loved Mr. Wrong Number, so I was thrilled to get this new book, and it did not disappoint. This was laugh-out-loud funny, sweet, a bit sexy, and totally unputdownable. This book is the second book in the series; the first book revolved around Olivia, and this book is about her brother, Jack. That said, this book stands alone easily, and I didn’t even realize it was a sequel until I saw the series title on Goodreads.
Jack meets Hallie at his sister’s wedding, and they have such amazing chemistry that they end up drunk and in bed together. Hallie is not usually a one-night-stand sort of girl, so when she wakes up to find herself in bed with Jack, she decides to sneak out of the room and try and forget about it.
Jack’s sister signs him up on a dating app and when Hallie joins the app, he is the first one she sees. They start messaging in the app, then off the app, and decide to be each other’s wingman. They also make a wager to see who finds love, the “one”, first. They set up dates with their app matches, but at the same place and time so they can bail each other out and go get tacos if things aren’t going well. That leads to a lot of tacos until Hallie meets Alex.
Alex is a good looking man and the first one that Hallie feels comfortable with. She likes him, he seems kind, and they have fun together, which is driving Jack nuts. Hallie and Jack have become best friends – or is it more? When Hallie needs a last minute date for a family wedding, Jack happily steps in and agrees to be the perfect boyfriend/wedding date, reminiscent of one of my favorite romcoms with Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney, The Wedding Date. Jack and Hallie have fallen in love, but neither wants to pull the plug on their friendship for a shot of romance – until they just can’t help themselves.
This is a terrific romcom with a bit of heat and a lot of laughs, and Painter is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. If you are looking for a really fun read, you’ve found your book. Don’t miss it!
3/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE LOVE WAGER by Lynn Painter. Berkley (March 14, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593437285. 320p.
Beloved bestselling author Susan Mallery brings readers an emotional, witty, and heartfelt story that explores the nuances of a broken family’s complex emotions as they strive to become whole in this uplifting story of human frailty and resilience.
Finley McGowan is determined that the niece she’s raising will always feel loved and wanted. Unlike how she felt after her mom left to pursue a dream of stardom, and when the grandfather who was left to raise them abandoned her and her sister, Sloane, when they needed him most. Finley reacted to her chaotic childhood by walking the straight and narrow—nose down, work hard, follow the rules.
Sloane went the other way.
Now Sloane is back, as beautiful and as damaged as ever…and she wants a relationship with her daughter. She says she’s changed, but Finley’s heart has been burned once too often for her to trust easily. But is her reluctance to forgive really about Sloane or worry over losing what she loves the most? With the help of a man who knows all too well how messy families can be, Finley will learn there’s joy in surrendering and peace in letting go.
“Mallery beautifully illustrates the power of female friendship and the importance of reaching for one’s dreams.”—Publishers Weekly
“Mallery is an expert at writing about strong women, their friendships, and their romances.” —Booklist
Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors, and this book is a good example of why. The sisters are Sloane, a recovering alcoholic, and Finley, who is raising Sloane’s daughter. Sloane hit rock bottom after she stole Finley’s work truck with over a $100,000 worth of plumbing fixtures, sold them for pennies, and crashed the truck. She dried out in prison and when she got out, she started working the AA program. Her ex was killed and that’s how Finley ended up with her niece, and after she paid back her boss for the stolen fixtures by maxing out her credit cards, they end up living with Finley’s mother, Molly.
Molly floated in and out of her daughters’ lives in her pursuit of stardom. Her father, Lester, was the stabilizing influence in their lives until her mother decided to return home permanently. She forced the girls to choose between her and their grandfather, and he was so hurt that they chose their mom that he disappeared from their lives altogether. Until he got old and sick, and Molly decided to take him in.
Finley is a plumber and meets the owner of the construction company that is building this new neighborhood that she is working in. Jericho is a really nice guy, not to mention good looking, who has some family troubles of his own. His wife and his brother had an affair, he got divorced and stopped talking to both of them, but his mother is not happy about that. When his ex announces she is pregnant and they are getting married, his brother has the nerve to ask him to be his best man. He refuses, but eventually his mother wears him down.
Finley and Jericho become friends, commiserating with each other about their horrible families. Eventually, they become more than friends, but while their romance is a subplot here, the real story is about the sisters. Finley has a lot of resentment about her life, with good reason. She feels like she has always done the right thing, but all this horrible stuff happens to her. She is not interested in her sister’s sobriety other than making sure her niece is kept safe. We learn a lot about alcoholism and the toll it takes on the family in this moving, emotional read. I fell into this story and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I was rooting for everyone to find their happy ending, and they did. I loved this unputdownable read that is perfect for book discussion. Don’t miss it!
3/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE SISTER EFFECT by Susan Mallery. HQN; Original edition (March 7, 2023). ISBN: 978-1335448644. 416p.
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