Stacy Alesi

HIGHLAND JUSTICE by Heather McCollum

May 6, 2022

Sons of Sinclair, Book 3

From the publisher:

As the new chief of Clan Mackay, Gideon Sinclair knows the importance of maintaining order at any cost. To keep the conquered clan in line, Gideon must mete out ruthless justice or risk losing their precious new peace. But from the moment he meets Cait Mackay―aye, from the moment the sweetness of her lips captures his―all of Gideon’s careful objectivity is well and thoroughly compromised.
Cait knows that kissing the brawny Highlander is a dangerous game. It was bad enough she picked his pocket to feed the children in her care, but sometimes a desperate woman must disguise her crimes any way she can. Only her act of deception has made things worse… Because one kiss with the Highland’s most brutal chief leaves her breathless and out of her depth.
Now Gideon must choose between his duty and his heart when his lovely thief is accused of treason against the king himself.
Each book in the Sons of Sinclair series is STANDALONE:
* Highland Conquest
* Highland Warrior
* Highland Justice
https://amzn.to/3Fmj1Wx

I read the first book in this series, Highland Conquest, but somehow I never got the second book. So here I am, reviewing the third and I have to say it’s true, they definitely stand alone. And they are so good!

This series is set in Scotland during the 1500s, so a fascinating time period. This book begins each chapter with a rule of law that was used during that time and I found those so interesting, and each law explained ties into the story. The main characters are Cait, a beautiful young widow, and Gideon, one of the sons of Sinclair. They were raised as the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and Gideon is the Horseman of Justice. He makes the laws, and he enforces the laws, determining each suspect’s guilt or innocence. But when he meets Cait, everything changes.

Cait was married off when she was 15 years old by her father, to settle some debts. Her younger sister Willa was part of the package deal. But her husband was a cruel man, and told her she didn’t conceive because she’s a cold woman. She believes that until she meets Gideon.

Cait loves babies, and she takes in any children that need a home. Gideon is impressed with her good heart, and there is a strong attraction there. But when her oldest child, Jack, is accused of heinous crimes, Gideon must decide between helping Cait with her child, or the helping James, the King of Scotland, as ordered.

I really enjoyed this story and this time period. I haven’t read much set back then and I find it so interesting. These characters really touched me, and now I have to backtrack and try to find the second book in the series that I missed. If you like historical romances with some steamy sex, this is a good one.

5/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HIGHLAND JUSTICE by Heather McCollum. Entangled: Amara (April 26, 2022) ISBN:‎ 978-1649370761. 400p.

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BIRTH OF A BABY DADDY by Piper Rayne

May 6, 2022

The Baileys, Book 3

From the publisher:

If you’re having fun living your bachelor life in your Alaskan hometown and out of nowhere a woman shows up holding a baby she insists is yours, you need a plan-a birth plan.
BP Step #1 – Lift your jaw off the floor.
BP Step #2 – Figure out the baby’s age-do the math.
BP Step #3 – Try to remember the woman and with any luck, her name.
BP Step #4 – Double check that she’s not confusing you with your twin brother.
BP Step #5 – Ignore your five sister’s scowls as your entire family watches the drama unfold. There’s only one thing you shouldn’t do.
BP Step #6 – Don’t assume she’s there because she wants your daughter to call you Daddy. You’ll only end up disappointed.
Time to figure out a new plan-one that changes her mind.
https://amzn.to/3kMq1Tn

Piper Rayne and Hoopla – a marriage made in heaven! I found the third book in this series through my library and it looks like they have the rest.

I’m not usually that big a fan of oops babies creating a romance, but Rayne does it so well she’s changed my mind. Denver and Rome Bailey are twins. When Harley shows up with 2-year-old Calista in tow, she’s looking for the baby daddy, who told her his name was Denver. Denver was involved in a wilderness accident, where he saved his client, a famous music producer. The story goes viral and Harley is convinced she’s found her one night stand. Calista has a medical condition, so Harley wants the family medical history. She figures she’ll show up, get what she needs, and take off again. Little does she know that Denver wasn’t her one night stand – Rome was. And he wants to be a proper father to his daughter, not at all what Harley had planned for.

The Baileys are a large family and an important one in this small Alaskan town. Harley and Rome try to work things out, and one thing leads to another and they become a family – and it is a lot of fun until they get there! Looking forward to book four.

5/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BIRTH OF A BABY DADDY by Piper Rayne. Piper Rayne (May 1, 2019). ISBN: ‎978-1987925524. 290p.

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Spotlight Review: THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews

May 3, 2022

From the publisher:

Summer begins with Mary Kay Andrews, in this delightful summer read about flipping houses, and finding true love.
Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at eighteen, married the boss’s son at twenty, and became a widow at twenty-five. Now, she’s passionate about her work, but that’s the only passion in her life. “Never love something that can’t love you back,” is advice her father-in-law gives her, but Hattie doesn’t follow it and falls head-over-heels for a money pit of a house. She’s determined to make it work, but disaster after disaster occurs, and Hattie’s dream might cost Kavanaugh & Son their livelihood. Hattie needs money, and fast.
When a slick Hollywood producer shows up in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist. Soon, there’s more at stake than bad pipes and dry rot: during the demolition, evidence comes to light that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years before.
With a burned out detective investigating the case, an arsonist on the loose, two men playing with her emotions, and layers upon layers of vintage wallpaper causing havoc, it’s a question of who will flip, who will flop, and if Hattie will ever get her happily-ever-after.
https://amzn.to/3vZfeKK

I love that with her thirtieth book in thirty years, MKA has gone back to her mystery roots. Many years ago, I was a bookseller for Borders Books & Music, a large chain of bookstores (think Barnes & Noble, but with a better collection) when I discovered the Callahan Garrity mystery series by Kathy Hogan Trocheck and I loved them. When as Mary Kay Andrews, she turned towards romance/chick lit, I went along for the ride. So I can say with some certainty that I like her writing style, and the genre just doesn’t matter to me. I feel like my summer doesn’t begin until I get the new MKA book, so hello summer!

This book was an especially fun one, involving a reality TV show on a HGTV-type network. Since I spend half my weekend watching that channel, this book was right in my wheelhouse. Mo is a producer in search of his next hit when he stumbles across Hattie working on restoring an old Victorian house in Savannah. She’s a beautiful young woman running a job site, and Mo is hooked. To his surprise, Hattie has no interest in becoming a celebrity but he is determined to make her one anyway.

After a series of events leaves Hattie hurting for money, she acquiesces and “Saving Savannah” is born. However, Mo’s contact at the network hates the title and wants to create a home renovation/dating show called “The Homewreckers.” She sends a celebrity interior designer, Trae, to Savannah to “help” with the renovation of the 100 year old beach house on Tybee Island. And in the process, a romance between Hattie and Trae will help jumpstart the series.

Hattie is a young widow with quite the back story, and she works for her father-in-law, Tug, renovating these old Savannah houses. But as they start the demolition, a wallet is found in the wall. It belongs to a young woman and mother who had gone missing seventeen years earlier, a beloved teacher at the girls school where Hattie went. The police are brought in and get to work trying to figure out how it ended up in the walls of the home. A short time later there is a dumpster fire at the job site, pictures of Hattie & Trae having a romantic dinner go viral, and a body is found. This is not your typical reno!

The Homewreckers has a bit of mystery and a bit of romance, and the combination makes this an unputdownable read. I loved it!

5/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews. St. Martin’s Press (May 3, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1250278364. 448p.

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Coronavirus Diary: May 1, 2022

May 1, 2022

For the first time since he was born, my 13-month-old grandson came to Florida. My son and daughter-in-law haven’t visited since pre-pandemic, so at least two years now. Then, while they were here, a trump appointed federal judge in Florida lifted the mask mandate for public transportation, including planes. All the major airlines immediately dropped their mask requirements, and at least one airport in South Florida, the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, also immediately dropped their mask requirements. That is the airport they were flying out of to head home, on a JetBlue flight that now was not requiring masks.

If it was just the two of them, two adults, they could wear their masks and feel fairly safe flying home. But they have this beautiful baby who is too young to be vaccinated or wear a mask. Sitting on an airplane full of unmasked people was a very scary thought for his safety. After briefly kicking around the idea of driving home instead, they reluctantly decided to fly and hope for the best. So far, it appears that their luck held. They made it home and everyone remains healthy.

But now the concern is this: do they dare fly anywhere again with their unprotected baby? Do they wait until a vaccine is available for him? Do they just plan trips where they can drive instead of fly? Or just throw caution to the winds and hope for the best? I’m sure they are not alone in their fears, but does that make it easier? Then this showed up on Twitter:

Hi @delta. Your flight attendants greeting us “would you like champagne? Let’s celebrate no more masks” is not what I paid for. It’s not only childish but also creates an uncomfortable, and potentially hostile environment for those of us still masked. COVID is also not seasonal.
— Free Brittany Martin (@IfyWorks) April 19, 2022

Celebrate that an unprotected baby might get sick from some unmasked passenger? Seriously?? I can’t even.

Jeep Beach

Since 2014, my husband and I have driven three and a half hours up to Daytona Beach for Jeep Beach. It’s a gathering of “Jeepers”, thousands of people who own and love Jeeps. They come from all over the country and Canada. We’ve even seen license plates from Alaska! They have these gathering all over the country, but this is the only one we’ve ever attended.

Daytona Beach is an old Florida city mostly famous for the Daytona Speedway, which is where the event is held. Jeeps take over the city and it’s always a lot of fun. It happens every April, although it was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. There are a tons of vendors selling everything Jeep related, from t-shirts to bumpers to stereos and well, more stuff than I can even name. The people who go are sort of divided into those that use their Jeeps as their primary cars, as my husband does, and those that are into off-roading. There are tracks set up and people attempt to drive their Jeeps over giant mounds of dirt, rock, etc. It’s fun to watch for sure, but every year we see at least one Jeep sustain serious damage.

Daytona is also famous for its beaches, where the sand is hard enough and wide enough to drive on during low tides. Weather permitting, there is a Jeep Parade on the beach Sunday morning. Jeeps as far as the eyes can see – and I swear, you don’t see two Jeeps alike. Jeepers love to customize their Jeeps, from wheels to tops to paint jobs to everything else. And driving so close to the ocean is pretty magical!

Book News

As always, thanks for reading and stay safe.

*Thanks to The New York Times and The Washington Post for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to these articles, a lovely perk for subscribers.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

LESSONS FROM A ONE NIGHT STAND by Piper Rayne

April 29, 2022

The Baileys, Book 1

From the publisher:

If you’re a guy like me, and you find yourself having banged your sexy new boss—the school principal—in the back of your Jeep one drunken night, here’s a few takeaways based on my experience…
Lesson One: Always get her FULL name.
Lesson Two: Consider asking what she does for a living.
Lesson Three: Find out why she’s moved to town. Get details. Details are crucial.
Lesson Four: Don’t alter her bio in front of an auditorium of high school students unless you know she has a sense of humor for that sort of thing.
Lesson Five: If you ignore Lesson Four, apologize instead of flirt when you’re sent to the principal’s office.
Lesson Six: NEVER sleep with her again.
Lesson Seven: Pay attention to this one—it’s the most important of them all.
Don’t fall for your one-night stand.
Class dismissed.
https://amzn.to/35HKncD

I’m still enmeshed in Piper Rayne’s world. I read the second book of this series, Advice From a Jilted Bride, then went back to find the first. Her books are all one night reads for me and my guilty pleasure of late! I love books set in Alaska, and while the setting is fun, it’s the characters that make this series.

The plot is fairly straight forward; Holly is the new principal at the high school, filling in for the principal on maternity leave. Shortly after she arrives in town, she meets Austin Bailey, for all intents and purposes the male head of his household. The Bailey family lost their parents in a snowmobiling accident, and Austin stepped up to take care of everyone. He blows off steam by having one night stands with tourists, and Holly is just his type.

What he didn’t realize was that she isn’t a tourist, but a new resident. All sorts of problems arise, not the least of which is he a coach at the high school and she is his boss. Things go from bad to worse before they get better, and there is a lot of sexy fun along the way.

Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

LESSONS FROM A ONE NIGHT STAND by Piper Rayne. Piper Rayne Incorporated (February 6, 2019). ISBN: ‎978-1987925487. 340p.

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ADVICE FROM A JILTED BRIDE by Piper Rayne

April 22, 2022

The Baileys, Book 2

From the publisher:

What’s a girl to do after being ditched at the altar by text message? That’s right. Text. Message. How does she pick up the pieces and move on? I’m no Dear Abby but here’s a little free advice…
Advice #1 – First, purge your apartment of all things him—by tossing his belongings off the balcony.
Advice #2 – Do not, I repeat do not, throw anything out into the hallway because you’ll injure your hot new neighbor.
Advice #3 – When said neighbor brings over Chinese food do not let him stay and keep you company. It’s awkward when you realize he’s your boss.
Advice #4 – Accept his offer to help you with your side business but think twice before using a date to his sister’s wedding as collateral.
Advice #5 – Investigate who your mystery neighbor really is. Don’t trust his word even if he’s the world’s best kisser.
If you listen to nothing else, pay attention to that last one. It’s the most important and will save you a lot of heartache.
Xo,
LOVESICK IN LAKE STARLIGHT
https://amzn.to/35HKncD

After reading two of Piper Rayne’s series, I’m still looking for more. I found this book on Hoopla, and hope to find the rest of the series from my library. I am really enjoying Rayne’s writing style and it doesn’t seem to matter where the books are set. They are just fun, sexy reads, and this is no exception. This book stands alone just fine, but I still want to read the rest of the series.

Brooklyn Bailey is our jilted bride, whose fiancé sent her a text message breaking things off while she was literally at the altar. Luckily, her big family is there to support her and when she goes back to the apartment she shared with her fiancé, he is nowhere to be found. Luckily, he left all his stuff though, and Brooklyn releases some stress by tossing it all off the balcony of the apartment she is now stuck with. At one point she throws a book and it flies through the open door of the apartment, hitting Wyatt, her hot new neighbor, in the face. There is an instant attraction there, but Brooklyn is just coming off a bad breakup, and Wyatt is only in this small Alaskan town temporarily, as the new manager of the hotel where Brooklyn is a housekeeper.

There is some fake dating and other fakery going on here, and there are a lot of laughs before they reach their happy ending. The overly large Bailey family makes for what looks like a good series, so I’m on the hunt for more of the Baileys. A super fun, one night read for me; if you are looking for some light entertainment, look no further.

4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ADVICE FROM A JILTED BRIDE by Piper Rayne. Piper Rayne Inc. (March 18, 2019). ISBN: ‎978-1987925517. 380p.

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THE SUMMER GETAWAY by Susan Mallery

April 22, 2022

From the publisher:

One woman takes the vacation of a lifetime in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold a family together from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.
Single mom Robyn Caldwell needs a new plan for her future. She has always put her family first. Now, with her kids grown, she yearns for a change. But what can she do when her daughter has become the most demanding bride ever, her son won’t even consider college, her best friend is on the brink of marital disaster and her ex is making a monumentally bad decision that could ruin everything?
Take a vacation, of course. Press reset. When her great-aunt Lillian invites her to Santa Barbara for the summer, Robyn hops on the first plane to sunny California.
But it’s hard to get away when you’re the heart of the family. One by one, everyone she loves follows her across the country. Somehow, their baggage doesn’t feel as heavy in the sun-drenched, mishmash mansion. The more time Robyn spends with free-spirited Lillian, the more possibilities she sees—for dreams, love, family. She can have everything she ever wanted, if only she can muster the courage to take a chance on herself.
“The perfect escape for readers wanting to get away.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/3xK1BBG

Mallery has the skill to take an almost unbelievable situation and turn it into something that is clearly happening, with characters you can’t help but root for, and she does it really well. In this case, Robyn is fed up with her life. Her cheating ex is too reliant on her, her kids are growing up, and she is coming up on a balloon mortgage of sorts that she has not prepared for.

Robyn’s daughter has turned into bridezilla, and there is little she can do about it other than persevere. Her ex is dating their daughter’s fiance’s twin sister (read that again) and making life uncomfortable for everyone. Her boss and good friend is contemplating an affair and won’t listen to reason. Her doctor boyfriends lets slip that he doesn’t have much respect for her, and at this point, Robyn doesn’t have a whole lot of respect for herself. When her favorite great great aunt invites her to stay with her for as long as she wants, Robyn packs her bags and runs off to the other coast, shocking her family.

Once there, she meets Mason, a long lost relative of her deceased uncle, who is set to inherit the crazy mansion where they are all staying. Robyn learns she is to inherit the furnishings of the home which includes many priceless pieces of art and other ephemera, not to mention antiques galore. Cataloging it all alone could take a year or more. There is something about Mason that draws Robyn in, and he is completely smitten with her.

Meanwhile, her family starts following her across the country and before long, everyone she ran away from is there with her. Lots of craziness ensues, but love always prevails. This is a wonderful, feel good story with a lot of laughs and some tears shed along the way. If you like family fiction with a touch of romance, then you should love this book as much as I do.

4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SUMMER GETAWAY by Susan Mallery. HQN; Original edition (March 15, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1335479990. 416p.

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Spotlight Review: MEANT TO BE by Jennifer Probst

April 19, 2022

Twist of Fate, Book 1

From the publisher:

Two broken hearts discover an unpredictable path to healing in an emotional romance about fate and second chances by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.
It’s been two years since Chiara Kennedy lost her dearest friend, Rory. Chiara misses everything about her. Rory’s widowed husband is another story. Sebastian Ryder is a man Chiara had secretly wanted, let slip away, and hoped to never see again. Then fate throws them together for an unexpected one-night stand and a morning after of new challenges.
Sebastian had a soul mate in Rory. Shutting down after his tragic loss, he kept a cool distance from everyone—including Chiara, with whom he once shared a deep if fleeting affection. That was over and done with a long time ago. But when they meet again, old emotions resurface along with a heart-wounding past that haunts them both.
As Chiara and Sebastian grow closer, finally getting to know each other, Chiara struggles with feelings of guilt even as she cherishes her second chance with Sebastian. Will fate allow them to overcome the past, or are they destined to always wonder if they are truly meant to be?
https://amzn.to/3EcbBEO

This is a terrific start to a new series! Chiara and Sebastian met a bar and spend the whole night just talking. But Chiara was not looking for any kind of relationship; she, along with her three best friends, were starting up a new business. They created a website for women, a sort of lifestyle/self help kind of place, and Chiara was completely devoted to making it successful. A year or so later, her best friend and business partner, Rory, introduced her boyfriend to the group. It was Sebastian, and in a moment of bad decision making, Chiara pretended she was just meeting him for the first time, and he went along with it. After that, Chiara tried to keep her distance, leading her friends to think she didn’t like him much.

In actuality, she thought he was perfect for Rory and thought if Rory knew they had any kind of history, she would push him away. Rory and Sebastian got married, then tried to start a family, but were unsuccessful and immersed themselves in the treatments available to them. Then Rory suddenly dies. Drowning in grief, Sebastian walked away from her friends and family and drowned himself in his work as a high school guidance counselor and volunteer at a youth center.

Two years later, Chiara was at a bar, trying to help a co-worker with research on a story about how to get rid of creepy guys in a bar while not actually leaving. It wasn’t going well, the creepy guy wouldn’t take a hint. But Sebastian happened to be there that night and saw what was happening. He swooped in, grabbed the drink creepy guy bought for Chiara, and downed it. Creepy guy took off, so mission accomplished. Except the drink was roofied, and Sebastian was going down.

This was no meet-cute but Chiara spent most of the night watching over him, making sure he was breathing. She finally goes to bed and a short while later dreams she is having amazing sex with Sebastian. It turns out that it wasn’t a dream, and guess what happens next.

Chiara and Sebastian both have a lot of issues with their families and difficult childhoods, and they bond over that. Eventually their relationship deepens, but Chiara is ever mindful that he was Rory’s husband, and they both have a lot of guilt.

This book was unputdownable – I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I loved these characters and can’t wait to see what happens next. But no worries, Chiara and Sebastian get their happy ending.

Just have to add that I hate the cover of this book. If I saw this on the shelf, I wouldn’t touch it. It’s just so generic and boring, and the book is anything but! Amazon Publishing needs to step up its cover game.

4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MEANT TO BE by Jennifer Probst. Montlake (April 19, 2022). ISBN:‎ 978-1542034807. 319p.

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UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover

April 15, 2022

From the publisher:

Number-one New York Times best-selling author Colleen Hoover returns with a new heart-wrenching love story.
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn’t think it’s love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her:
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.
https://amzn.to/366Qkjj

I thought I had read all of Hoover’s adult books, but somehow I missed this one. I’m very happy I stumbled across it from my library.

Tate is a nurse pursuing a graduate degree, so she moves in with her brother while she is in school. She meets Miles on move-in day when he is dead drunk and passed out at the front door of the apartment. Miles is a good friend of her brother, and is very good looking, and the chemistry between Tate and Miles is off the chart. They start a sexual relationship as he is not interested in getting involved – his rules: ‘Don’t ask about my past, and never expect a future.’ Tate is all in as she doesn’t have time for anything more than work and school. So win-win. Until things change.

There is another storyline set in the past about Miles and Rachel’s relationship, which is what causes him to avoid relationships at all. It takes some time to get there, and all I’ll say is the “ugly” in the title may refer to the “ugly crying” this book caused! But it is also heartwarming, heartwrenching, and all in all, a terrific read.

Hoover is definitely one of my favorites. Her books are all well written with characters that come to life on the page. If you love emotional romances that really draw the reader in, then this is your book. I loved it.

4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover. Atria (August 5, 2014). ISBN:‎ 978-1476753188. 336p.

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TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE by Martha Waters

April 15, 2022

The Regency Vows, Book 3

From the publisher:

The “sweet, sexy, and utterly fun” (Emily Henry, author of People We Meet on Vacation) Regency Vows series continues with a witty, charming, and joyful novel following a seasoned debutante and a rakish theater owner as they navigate a complicated marriage of convenience.
Lady Emily Turner has been a debutante for six seasons now and should have long settled into a suitable marriage. However, due to her father’s large debts, her only suitor is the persistent and odious owner of her father’s favorite gambling house. Meanwhile, Lord Julian Belfry, the second son of a marquess, has scandalized society as an actor and owner of a theater—the kind of establishment where men take their mistresses, but not their wives. When their lives intersect at a house party, Lord Julian hatches a plan to benefit them both.
With a marriage of convenience, Emily will use her society connections to promote the theater to a more respectable clientele and Julian will take her out from under the shadows of her father’s unsavory associates. But they soon realize they have very different plans for their marriage—Julian wants Emily to remain a society wife, while Emily discovers an interest in the theater. But when a fleeing actress, murderous kitten, and meddlesome friends enter the fray, Emily and Julian will have to confront the fact that their marriage of convenience comes with rather inconvenient feelings.
With “an arch sense of humor and a marvelously witty voice that rivals the best of the Regency authors” (Entertainment Weekly), Martha Waters crafts another fresh romantic comedy that for fans of Julia Quinn and Evie Dunmore.
“Sure to delight Bridgerton fans.” —USA TODAY
https://amzn.to/3uwuy1V

This is my first time reading this author, so I haven’t read the first two books in the series – but I could tell I was missing information. Nevertheless, the story pulled me in and the characters came to life on the page.

Lady Emily was an interesting character; a dutiful daughter, an intelligent woman, and a woman always in complete control of her emotions. When Lord Julian proposes this marriage of convenience, Emily is thrilled to escape from under her parents iron-fisted rule, and happy to jilt the man who’s been squiring her about for a few years, without a proposal in sight. Not that she wants to marry the odious man, but the scandals that have befallen her family leave her out of the running for most men.

But Julian is different. He owns a somewhat disreputable theater and is estranged from his family because of it, especially his father who gave him an ultimatum to either sell the theater or he would be cut off. Julian is making tons of money from the theater and doesn’t need his father’s money, but deep down he would like his approval. So he hatches this plan to marry a proper society woman in hopes of getting the ton to come to his theater – the wives, not just the mistresses.

Of course they fall in love, but both are afraid to admit it, and to admit what it might mean for their plans. But no worries, Julian and Emily mend fences, support one another, and get their happily ever after. Now I have to find the first two books in the series!

4/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE by Martha Waters. Atria Books (April 5, 2022). ISBN: 978-1982190484. 336p.