Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

COWBOY REBEL by Carolyn Brown

June 11, 2019

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Longhorn Canyon Series, Book 4

From the publisher:

A wild Texas cowboy is about to meet his match in an ER nurse in this heartwarming romance from a USA Today bestseller, which includes a bonus novella from Annie Rains.

Ever since losing his best friend in a motorcycle accident, Taggart Baker wants to make every moment count. No dare is too dangerous, no adventure too crazy for this cowboy. But after one bad brush with the law, he realizes it’s time to ditch his hooligan friends and grow up. Now he’s running his own ranch next to the Longhorn Canyon spread in Texas. Still, no one would ever call him tame.

Nikki Grady has worked too hard for her RN license just to throw it away for some reckless cowboy who shows up in her emergency room after a barroom brawl. But she can’t help being drawn to Tag’s sense of humor and those crystal blue eyes. The more time they spend together, the more she sees his good heart. But just as Tag seems ready to settle down for good, his troubled past comes calling-and this time he won’t be able to walk away so easily.

I liked these characters and I liked the story. What I didn’t like was the writing. It felt very stilted to me, especially the dialogue. I had trouble getting through the book because of that, but I liked the characters enough, and was invested enough in their story, to stick with it.

Another big disconnect for me was all the references to country music songs throughout the book. The characters motivations were often (and annoyingly) credited to some country song or another. They often communicated by talking about a song. Several times. I am sorry to say that I am not a fan of country music, so I was not familiar with any of the songs mentioned in the book. For what it’s worth, I have heard of most of the singers mentioned. But that aspect of the book was just lost on me. I have read many cowboy romances, and have run across an occasional mention of a song. I have even looked up a song or two to see why it was referenced and I was fine with that. But this was just too much for me.

I haven’t read the other books in this series so maybe that was another part of my disconnect here. In fact, I’ve only read one other of her books, The Magnolia Inn, and I liked that one a lot – but it wasn’t a cowboy romance. Although I’m not sure why that would matter. If you love country music, you may very well love this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

COWBOY REBEL by Carolyn Brown. Forever (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-1538748718. 400p.

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UNTIL YOU LOVED ME by Brenda Novak

June 10, 2019

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Silver Springs, Book 3

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak returns to Silver Springs

Sometimes starting over means finding everything you’ve been missing…

After catching her fiancé cheating—with another man—usually straitlaced, workaholic scientist Ellie Fisher liberates her wild side just long enough to indulge in a passionate one-night stand with a tall, dark stranger she meets at a trendy Miami bar. Embarrassed by her recklessness, she ducks out the following morning without learning the guy’s full name, something that shouldn’t have been a problem…until a pregnancy test turns positive.

Being a professional football player, Hudson King has always been cautious around women. But this one had been different—so disinterested in his celebrity, so convincingly into him. When Ellie tracks him down, claiming she’s carrying his baby, he’s stunned. And more than a little betrayed.

But after growing up as an orphan, he’ll do anything to stay involved in his child’s life, so he urges Ellie to move to Silver Springs, where they can co-parent. Hudson has a lot of love to give, certainly enough for his child, and when their initial spark reignites, perhaps for Ellie, too…

This is one of those series that definitely does not have to read in order. The books all share a setting, the small town of Silver Springs, California, and a school for troubled boys, but the characters don’t seem to overlap much. Which means you don’t really have to read them in order, but if you want to, great – just bear in mind that the first four books were published in 2017 so even if you already read them, you may be as fuzzy as I was on the details when you get to book 5, which just came out a couple of months ago.

This time out the story starts elsewhere, in my backyard, in fact – Miami. Ellie is a nerdy scientist who knows tons about science but pop culture just isn’t her jam. So when she meets a professional football player, she has no idea who he is. And he really likes that. Instead they connect on an intellectual and emotional level.

When Ellie finds out she’s pregnant, she has to deal with an ex-fiance who doesn’t believe he’s not the father and wants to adopt and/or buy the baby. His biological clock is ticking and he wants to have kids and sees Ellie’s pregnancy as a shortcut for a gay couple to adopt. She knows for a fact that it isn’t his baby and she also knows for a fact whose it is. But that surprise is not a pleasant one for Hudson.

I enjoyed watching these characters grow together and find their happily ever after. Another terrific entry into a wonderful series.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

UNTIL YOU LOVED ME by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (July 25, 2017). ISBN 978-0778330257. 400p.

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A FACE IN THE CROWD by Kerry Wilkinson

June 9, 2019

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Lucy and Ben are a very happy couple. They love each other and plan on marriage in a short while. As are many young couples, their incomes are not very big but that does not deter them from enjoying life together living with each other.

Lucy is attempting to complete her university studies while Ben is building up his clientele as a day trader. Ben usually works from their apartment with some travel as needed As the novel opens Ben is getting ready to meet clientele traveling to them by train. He leaves on his trip and the world comes apart for Lucy. She is notified that there was a train wreck with many fatalities and Ben is among them.

Five years later Lucy is working as a cashier in a small supermarket. She unfortunately discovered, much to her chagrin, that Ben had taken all their savings and lost them in the securities market as well as piling up debt for other investments beyond any near term means of repaying it. Lucy became responsible for repayment when it was discovered that her signature had been forged by Ben on loan applications. She is living from hand to mouth with no real means of getting out from under the debt.

Taking the bus to work every day brings the novel to an important moment in the story. Coming home from work she discovers that someone had inserted an envelope with thousands of pounds into her purse. The amount is equal to about three months of her salary from the supermarket but Lucy feels that the only option for her is to look for the person that placed the envelope in her bag and return it.

Finding the money brings Lucy to a juncture in her life. Is the money a means of bettering her situation or is it something causing a host of problems for her. The novel takes the reader through the events occurring due to the finding of the money and makes it a book that cannot be left aside, but must be finished in one reading. Certainly Wilkinson continues his excellent literary career with the expectation that future books by him must be bought and read. There is little doubt that they will be as mesmerizing as this one is.

6/19 Paul Lane

A FACE IN THE CROWD by Kerry Wilkinson. Bookouture (June 3, 2019). ISBN 978-1786817648. 280p.

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THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary

June 7, 2019

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From the publisher:

What if your roommate is your soul mate? A joyful, quirky romantic comedy, Beth O’Leary’s The Flatshare is a feel-good novel about finding love in the most unexpected of ways.

Tiffy and Leon share an apartment. Tiffy and Leon have never met.

After a bad breakup, Tiffy Moore needs a place to live. Fast. And cheap. But the apartments in her budget have her wondering if astonishingly colored mold on the walls counts as art.

Desperation makes her open minded, so she answers an ad for a flatshare. Leon, a night shift worker, will take the apartment during the day, and Tiffy can have it nights and weekends. He’ll only ever be there when she’s at the office. In fact, they’ll never even have to meet.

Tiffy and Leon start writing each other notes – first about what day is garbage day, and politely establishing what leftovers are up for grabs, and the evergreen question of whether the toilet seat should stay up or down. Even though they are opposites, they soon become friends. And then maybe more.

But falling in love with your roommate is probably a terrible idea…especially if you’ve never met.

So British! And a completely delicious debut.

Tiffy is still holding out hope that her on again, off again boyfriend will be on again. Until he gets engaged. Then she’s pretty sure that it’s truly over. But she can’t seem to move past him. Months later, she finally starts grappling with the dysfunctional relationship that she was in and never realized – but as she does, she starts learning a lot about herself.

Meanwhile, work is getting crazy and her flat mate is turning into a good friend, albeit one she’s never met. His girlfriend made sure of that. But when they do finally meet, it is not what either of them expected.

This is a very funny and often emotional read. I love the British wit. The story moves back and forth between Tiffy and Leon’s viewpoints, which makes for an intimate read. You really get to get inside their heads. There are also tons of back and forth notes, that is how they communicate for at least half the book so I would file this under epistolary novels for sure.

The characters are real and well drawn and the story moves quickly. All in all, an excellent debut – I can’t wait to see what comes next. Don’t miss it!

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary. Flatiron Books (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-1250295637. 336p.

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PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND OTHER FLAVORS by Sonali Dev

June 5, 2019

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From the publisher:

Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

· Never trust an outsider

· Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations

· And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with…

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.

Another love story that takes its lead from Jane Austen, which is not a bad thing. Here we have a Mr. Darcy (the “D” in “DJ” is for Darcy) with Trisha standing in for Elizabeth Bennett. It works. For me, an added bonus is the food-centric story. DJ is a chef and Trisha is a scientist who forgets to eat. Really. But when she eats DJ’s food, she is transported.

The two of them are strongly, and strangely, attracted to one another. DJ is aware there are class differences between them, which makes him self conscious and overly sensitive. Trisha is such a workaholic that it is hard for her to move beyond that – except for her family obligations. And those she feels very strongly.

DJ and Trisha fight their way through this story until I started wondering how on earth they would ever get together. Well done, Ms. Dev, well done. This was a delicious read that harkens back nicely to its inspiration. A thoroughly enjoyable romance.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

PRIDE, PREJUDICE, AND OTHER FLAVORS by Sonali Dev. Berkley (May 7, 2019). ISBN 978-0451490827. 320p.

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THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Jane Green

June 4, 2019

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From the publisher:

The Friends We Keep is the heartwarming and unforgettable new novel from Jane Green, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sunshine Sisters and The Beach House.

Evvie, Maggie, and Topher have known one another since college. Their friendship was something they swore would last forever. Now years have passed, the friends have drifted apart, and they never found the lives they wanted—the lives they dreamed of when they were young and everything seemed possible.

Evvie starved herself to become a supermodel but derailed her career by sleeping with a married man.

Maggie married Ben, the boy she fell in love with in college, never imagining the heartbreak his drinking would cause.

Topher became a successful actor, but the shame of a childhood secret shut him off from real intimacy.

By their thirtieth reunion, these old friends have lost touch with one another and with the people they dreamed of becoming. Together again, they have a second chance at happiness…until a dark secret is revealed that changes everything.

The Friends We Keep is about how despite disappointments we’ve had or mistakes we’ve made, it’s never too late to find a place to call home.

I have been a Jane Green fan since her first book (Jemima J) and I’ve read every book since. I’ve never been disappointed. In fact, I’m usually gobsmacked about how this author just keeps turning out one terrific story after another. I had this one on my Kindle and also received a print galley, which I gave to my 93 year old mother-in-law. She reads a lot and rarely says much about the books I give her, but this time, she raved – and so did I.

These characters are so well drawn I couldn’t help but root for them all to find their way. I loved that the threesome of friends included a man, a refreshing change from the all women, all the time friendship stories that are so prevalent. While Topher’s story was secondary in the first half of the book, his presence is much more keenly felt in the second half.

This is a story of how friendships can flourish and grow, recede and return as life goes on. The secrets being held foreshadow a future explosion, but it’s the way everything is resolved that I found so inspiring. I found this book unputdownable, and I loved these characters so much that I know they will be staying with me for a while. A terrific and riveting summer read – don’t miss it!

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Jane Green. Berkley (June 4, 2019). ISBN 978-0399583346. 384p.

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UNFORGETTABLE YOU by Brenda Novak

May 31, 2019

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Silver Springs, Book 5

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak returns to Silver Springs, where no past mistake is so big the heart can’t find a way to fix it

Jada Brooks couldn’t have known how her life would change when she fell for bad boy Maddox Richardson back in high school. She couldn’t have known his troubled brother would leave hers forever crippled. Or that she’d be forced to shun Maddox completely—only to discover she was carrying his child.

Although Maddox was devastated by the events that transpired that fateful night, losing Jada was the worst of it. He’s back in Silver Springs, ready to make amends and provide the kind of youth outreach that once saved him. If only he’d known Jada was in town, too, he would never have come.

Jada has returned to Silver Springs to be with family after her father’s death. But when she sees Maddox, every tough decision she’s made concerning their now twelve-year-old daughter begins to haunt her. Falling for him again is so tempting, but she doesn’t just stand to alienate her family—if he finds out about Maya, she could lose what matters most.

I read the first two books in the series, but managed to skip books 3 & 4. So when I started reading this, I knew it seemed familiar, especially the setting and the school for troubled boys, but I was still a little lost. It turns out this series is all set in Silver Springs, but the characters don’t seem to overlap much. Which means you don’t really have to read them in order, but if you want to, great – just bear in mind that the first four books were published in 2017 so even if you read them, you may be as fuzzy as I was on the details. I’ve enjoyed each book I’ve read, enough that I just went and borrowed books 3 & 4 and will read them soon.

Not sure but I think Novak has some issues with children who are adopted or given up or in this case, the father isn’t told he even has a child. That seems to be a theme running through all her books. I am not a huge fan of not telling the baby daddy but it is explained well enough here to get me past it. There are so many obstacles between Jada and Maddox that it takes pretty much the whole book to get them through it all.

The characters and story rang true and I was involved with these characters from the get go. Some interesting sex, too – or should I say sexting. That’s not something that comes up very often in books for whatever reason, and I appreciated it here, it seemed likely.

It’s a roller-coaster of a romance, and I couldn’t put it down. Another excellent addition to the series. Don’t miss it.

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

UNFORGETTABLE YOU by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (February 26, 2019). ISBN 978-0778369851. 384p.

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THE LAST THING SHE REMEMBERS by J. S. Monroe

May 30, 2019

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Monroe presents his readers with a puzzle upon another puzzle and so on. The reader is grabbed as soon as the story starts to unfold when an unknown woman arrives at a sleepy Wiltshire village in England directly from an arrival at Heathrow airport from Germany. She is not only unknown but also a mystery to herself when she has no memory of who she is, what her name is, reports her bag missing but has a train ticket home. She goes to a home in the town, knocks on the door and strangely is admitted. She shows a familiarity for the dwelling and the current residents believe that she might have lived there at some point in the past.

The author takes us through the interactions of the woman, the husband in the home she enters, the police and as an aside the appearance and shooting of another woman by the police when that person is thought to be the first lady. Puzzling no?

Monroe takes us on a roller coaster of a ride delivering enough evidence for the reader to change his or her mind several times during the events described. The finale is logical, but as in any conclusion in life is more than a little open ended and leaves some doubts in the readers’ minds. A very well done and satisfying story which leaves no doubt that subsequent novels by the author will be looked for and read.

5/19 Paul Lane

THE LAST THING SHE REMEMBERS by J. S. Monroe. Park Row; Original edition (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-0778307822. 416p.

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KEEP YOU CLOSE by Karen Cleveland

May 29, 2019

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This is Cleveland’s second published book and it follows on the heels of “Need to Know,” which was a mesmerizing novel dealing with a woman working as an analyst for the CIA. In her second book, the protagonist is a woman working for the FBI and the reader is again drawn into the story and kept there until the novel is finished.

Stephanie Maddox is in charge of an FBI unit dealing with internal affairs. She was promoted to the position at an age younger than her peer group and intends to earn the position as well as more by her hard work and dedication. She is the single mother of a teen age boy about to graduate from high school and awaiting acceptance to college. Stephanie is totally dedicated to Zachary, her son, and only wants what is best for him.

The unthinkable does happen suddenly when she finds a gun hidden in Zach’s effects; fully loaded with extra bullets in the same spot. At the same time, she is visited by a friend of hers that works with the FBI’s domestic terrorism squad. His visit is not social and his explanation is: “It’s about Zachary”.

Stephanie refuses to accept any supposition that her son is guilty of wrong doing and begins her own unofficial investigation into the matter. The book details what she finds and the reader will not be surprised that it involves people in very high places. These include the Russian Mafia and a U.S. senator that Stephanie has worked for in the past as well as an ex-boyfriend of hers.

Tightly woven, the author leads us on to an ending that is a bit tricky to accept but is a fitting one for the story. Another excellent read by Cleveland and definitely making sure that her future books will be high up on her readers’ acquisitions list.

5/19 Paul Lane

KEEP YOU CLOSE by Karen Cleveland. Ballantine Books (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-1524797058. 352p.

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SMITTEN BY THE BRIT by Melonie Johnson

May 28, 2019

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Sometimes in Love, Book 2

From the publisher:

DEFINITELY, MAYBE…OR LOVE, ACTUALLY?

English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene―and quickens Bonnie’s heart.

With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer―conveniently close to Theo―she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she’s falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo’s life makes Bonnie feel like she’s wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?

This second book of the series is maybe a bit better than the first, so let’s just say I loved them both. I loved Bonnie, we share a love of Anne of Green Gables, Jane Austen and Shakespeare – she’s my kind of people. She was introduced in the first book so I knew a bit of her backstory. She was engaged to the only man she ever was with, they met as young children and were together for most of their lives. Yet when Bonnie met Theo while on vacation in Great Britain, she was instantly attracted. She forced those feelings down and went about her vacation, trying hard to forget about the man they dubbed a Prince.

Turns out they weren’t far off. Theo is a Duke, and one with an estate that is in serious need of a cash infusion. And just like the historical romances I read, the best way to get that cash is to marry rich. Theo’s mother is on the job, matchmaking with a single-minded purpose and Theo feels obligated to do as she says. No, he’s not a little boy, he’s a man but a man who likes to play the hero, and takes his responsibilities, the upkeep of an estate in London and another in the Lake District, and all the people employed as serious business indeed.

But Bonnie goes back to merry old England after she dumps the fiance and accepts a summer teaching position at Cambridge. Her best friend, Cassie, heroine of the the first book in this series, is getting married at the end of the summer, in Scotland. So Bonnie finds herself thrust back into Theo’s circle. The attraction between them is strong and obvious, but there are hurdles galore. Despite all that, they get their happy ending.

This was a fun, sexy read and I highly recommend it. Can’t wait for the third book, and luckily I don’t have to wait long! Once Upon a Bad Boy arrives June 25. Pre-order now!

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SMITTEN BY THE BRIT by Melonie Johnson. St. Martin’s Paperbacks (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-1250193056. 384p.