Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

SIDNEY SHELDON’S THE SILENT WIDOW by Tilly Bagshawe

May 10, 2019

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Sheldon was a prolific writer of novels, plays, TV shows and motion pictures. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2007, but his family made arrangements with Tilly Bagshawe, a British author and one with her own stellar reputation, to continue his legacy. She has already written several successful books under the joint name of both writers. The Silent Widow is her latest continuing the tradition of engrossing works in the style of Sidney Sheldon.

The beginning of the novel concerns a young woman that has traveled to Mexico to become the summer au pair of a wealthy family living in Mexico City. At a point ten years prior to the opening of the story, she disappears with no trace and cannot be found. In a decade from this event, a series of murders are committed in Los Angeles. Psychological examiner Nikki Roberts is seemingly involved with all of these since the deceased were her patients.

Nikki is going through her own set of trauma since her husband was killed in an auto accident and was at that point riding with a woman that fingers point to as her spouse’s lover. Nikki does a bit of background checking on the murders via hiring Private Detective Derek Williams, who coincidentally had worked on the missing girl’s case from ten years ago.

A good story is enhanced even further by bringing in ties to both the Mexican and Russian Mafias and their battle to take over the drug trade in Los Angeles. The permutations and complications of the factors involved keep the reader glued to the book trying to tie the loose ends together. Two policemen assigned to investigate the murders have ties to the events going on in addition to working to solve the crimes.

Action is the keynote from start to finish and the combination of Sheldon’s guidance and Bagshawe’s literary abilities make for a mesmerizing read guaranteed to make the reader returning for more. A well done book.

5/19 Paul Lane

SIDNEY SHELDON’S THE SILENT WIDOW by Tilly Bagshawe. Crooked Lane Books (May 7, 2019). ISBN 978-1643850931. 393p.

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MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim

May 8, 2019

From the publisher:

A thrilling debut novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng about how far we’ll go to protect our families―and our deepest secrets

My husband asked me to lie. Not a big lie. He probably didn’t even consider it a lie, and neither did I, at first . . .

In rural Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine―a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives” with the hopes of curing issues like autism or infertility. But when the Miracle Submarine mysteriously explodes, killing two people, a dramatic murder trial upends the Yoos’ small community.

Who or what caused the explosion? Was it the mother of one of the patients, who claimed to be sick that day but was smoking down by the creek? Or was it Young and Pak themselves, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? The ensuing trial uncovers unimaginable secrets from that night―trysts in the woods, mysterious notes, child-abuse charges―as well as tense rivalries and alliances among a group of people driven to extraordinary degrees of desperation and sacrifice.

Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek is a thoroughly contemporary take on the courtroom drama, drawing on the author’s own life as a Korean immigrant, former trial lawyer, and mother of a real-life “submarine” patient. Both a compelling page-turner and an excavation of identity and the desire for connection, Miracle Creek is a brilliant, empathetic debut from an exciting new voice.

I heard about this debut when it landed on the April LibraryReads list. It was blurbed by Scott Turow and Laura Lippman. It was recommended for readers who love Liane Moriarty (me, usually) and Celest Ng (definitely me!) All that and for me, a disappointment. I would say it was too much hype except it is a first novel and frankly, there can never be enough hype for a debut.

It started off interesting but for some reason, I quickly lost interest. I kept picking it up and putting it down. It took me a week to read and I read half a dozen other books in the meantime. I didn’t particularly care about any of the characters. The story was convoluted at times, and never really grabbed me. If it had, I wouldn’t have put it down.

This was a debut novel and I do understand its appeal; the cultural issues, the whodunnit at the heart of the story, the exploration of autism and all the controversies surrounding treatment, but mostly, I just found it slow.

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim. Sarah Crichton Books (April 16, 2019). ISBN 978-0374156022. 368p.

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SUNSET BEACH by Mary Kay Andrews

May 7, 2019

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From the publisher:

Pull up a lounge chair and have a cocktail at Sunset Beach – it comes with a twist.

Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried – to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job.

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance – her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions.

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may – or may not – involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon.

Sunset Beach is a compelling ride, full of Mary Kay Andrews’ signature wit, heart, and charm.

Andrews has gone back to her roots and given us a cozy mystery; actually two cozies for the price of one! It’s still as beachy a read as you could want, but the romance that was her hallmark has definitely taken a backseat. This also felt like it could be the first book of a series, so I’m curious to see how that plays out.

Drue is a terrific character, someone I enjoyed spending time with. Her curiosity drives the stories, and you can’t help but root for her to solve them. The family dynamics add another layer to the story as well. Having lost her mother, her career, her boyfriend and her home, Drue really can’t fall any lower so it’s up she will have to go. Her stepmother doesn’t help much with that and their relationship is tricky, to say the least, as is her relationship with the father that was absent for a good part of her life. But Drue is a tough cookie, able to pick herself up and move ahead, even when everyone around here is discouraging.

The two storylines, one present day and one set in the 1970’s, are intriguing for sure, and I thought they were going to come together at some point. I was wrong. But they both get resolved in very different yet interesting ways.

All in all, I enjoyed my first beach read of the summer!

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SUNSET BEACH by Mary Kay Andrews. St. Martin’s Press (May 7, 2019). ISBN 978-1250126108. 432p.

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THIS IS NOT A LOVE SCENE by S. C. Megale

May 6, 2019

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From the publisher:

“This Is Not A Love Scene rings brilliantly true from the first page to the last.” ―David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Funny, emotional, and refreshingly honest, S.C. Megale’s This is Not a Love Scene is for anyone who can relate to feeling different while navigating the terrifying and thrilling waters of first love.

Lights, camera―all Maeve needs is action. But at eighteen, a rare form of muscular dystrophy usually stands in the way of romance. She’s got her friends, her humor, and a passion for filmmaking to keep her focus off consistent rejection…and the hot older guy starring in her senior film project.

Tall, bearded, and always swaying, Cole Stone is everything Maeve can’t be. And she likes it. Between takes, their chemistry is shockingly electric.

Suddenly, Maeve gets a taste of typical teenage dating life, but girls in wheelchairs don’t get the hot guy―right? Cole’s attention challenges everything she once believed about her self-image and hopes for love. But figuring this out, both emotionally and physically, won’t be easy for either of them. Maeve must choose between what she needs and what she wants, while Cole has a tendency to avoid decisions altogether. And the future might not wait for either.

Let me start off by saying I LOVE THIS BOOK! I don’t read a whole lot of young adult fiction, but I heard about this book in a webinar with the publisher about books they were excited about. This book came up, so I requested a copy. At the time, Megale’s publicist didn’t even have galleys so she sent me hers, which I then lent out to librarians who do read/recommend YA. So far I’m batting 100%, everyone I know who has read it has also loved it. One of the reasons I started blogging about books is because I’m so opinionated, and when I find a book I love I want everyone to read it. So go read this book!

Maeve is a character that you can’t help but root for. She is in a wheelchair but that is no deterrent to this strong young woman. She is determined to live her best life and she truly succeeds. Of course she has plenty of teenage angst along the way. I liked her parents and her friends a lot, the characters are all well drawn and brought to life. The author shares some similar issues with the protagonist, and perhaps that’s why this story rings so true. I won’t be forgetting Maeve or her story for a very long time.

This is an intelligent love story filled with pathos, humor, and enough drama to keep things interesting. This is Not a Love Scene is an important and wonderful read, sure to make my best books of the year list. Don’t miss it!

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THIS IS NOT A LOVE SCENE by S. C. Megale. Wednesday Books (May 7, 2019). ISBN 978-1250190499. 320p.

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THE BETTER SISTER by Alafaire Burke

May 5, 2019

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From the publisher:

Keep your enemies close and your sister closer.

Though Chloe was the younger of the two Taylor sisters, she always seemed to be the one in charge. She was the honor roll student with big dreams and an even bigger work ethic. Nicky—always restless and more than a little reckless—was the opposite of her ambitious little sister. She floated from job to job and man to man, and stayed close to home in Cleveland.

For a while, it seemed that both sisters had found happiness. Chloe earned a scholarship to an Ivy League school and moved to New York City, where she landed a coveted publishing job. Nicky married promising young attorney Adam Macintosh and gave birth to a baby boy they named Ethan. The Taylor sisters became virtual strangers.

Now, more than fifteen years later, their lives are drastically different—and Chloe is married to Adam. When he’s murdered by an intruder at the couple’s East Hampton beach house, Chloe reluctantly allows her teenage stepson’s biological mother—her estranged sister, Nicky—back into her life. But when the police begin to treat Ethan as a suspect in his father’s death, the two sisters are forced to unite . . . and to confront the truth behind family secrets they have tried to bury in the past.

Oh, Alafair! What a terrific book; this was an all nighter for me.

I am not a fan of the unreliable narrator for the most part, but certain authors – and Burke is one of them – do such a good job that I’m hooked. This is such a great story. Sisters who married the same guy? Estrangement seems like it would be the least of their problems. And that turns out to be true.

Adam gets sole custody of Ethan when he leaves Nicky and moves to New York. Ethan is just a toddler so when Chloe marries Adam, she becomes his stepmom, and she is a good stepmom for the most part. But every family has their secrets and Burke is masterful at unspooling them at a pace that just keeps you turning pages.

Adam is killed and Ethan is the prime suspect as the family spirals ever downward. This domestic thriller evolves into a legal nightmare with family boundaries constantly changing until the shocker of an ending. Don’t miss it!

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE BETTER SISTER by Alafaire Burke. Harper (April 16, 2019). ISBN 978-0062853370. 336p.

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REPENTANCE by Andrew Lam

May 4, 2019

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Lam has written a novel taking place today, and also in the past when the United States committed a crime against its own citizens during World War II. He uses the characters of Daniel Tokunaga and his father Ray to bring the events to life.

Daniel is a world renowned heart surgeon who has been estranged from his father for many years. What the problem was that fomented the distance between them is really the crux of the matter.

Daniel and Ray are Japanese Americans and Ray and his family were among the thousands that were rounded up due to an edict from president Franklin Roosevelt and sent to internment camps for the duration of the war. Most of these people were completely Americanized and could not understand the harsh treatment at the hands of the government even with their former country – Japan – at war with the U.S. To prove to the U.S. government that they were not traitors, many of the young men enlisted in the army and eventually melded into the 442nd regimental combat team used only in Europe against the German army. As an aside, and an important one, Lam indicates that the 442nd became the most decorated unit in the history of U.S. warfare in history.

Ray enlisted and served at the front. Returning home he became withdrawn and almost a tyrant to his sons, Daniel and his brother.
The book tells the story of Ray passing away and Daniel unearthing the real story about his father and the facts of the incident that made the man a hero winning the second highest military honor that can be bestowed on anyone. It is a poignant story beautifully touching on real human emotions and the relationship between father and son. The ending is certainly real enough in scope to leave a lasting impression on the readers. It obviously brings to life the crime against Japanese Americans when both German and Italian Americans were not thought of as anything but citizens of their adopted country.

Note from the BookBitch: It is a little known fact that there were Italian-American internment camps and that many Italian-Americans were forced to register as “enemy aliens” with the government. Lisa Scottoline’s brilliant legal thriller, Killer Smile, was inspired by her grandparents’ registration cards and her subsequent research on the topic.

5/19 Paul Lane

REPENTANCE by Andrew Lam. Tiny Fox Press LLC (May 1, 2019). ISBN 978-1946501127. 308p.

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FUMBLED by Alexa Martin

May 3, 2019

The Playbook, Book 2

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of the Month
One of Apple’s Best Books of April

A second chance doesn’t guarantee a touchdown in this new contemporary romance from the author of Intercepted.Single-mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she’s built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it’s all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt his entire life about being in the NFL. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he’s moved on.When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they’ve suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they’ll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.

I love a good sports romance, and the reviews and buzz around this one drew me in. I haven’t read the first book in this series, Intercepted, yet – but after reading this one, I searched it out and it is now on my Kindle ready to go.

This has some real life behind it. The story revolves around an NFL player and Martin is married to one (now retired.) So she speaks with some authority here which really added to the story for me. Poppy is a terrific character, a great mom, and a good friend. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with her and when you can feel that comfortable with a character, that is a very good thing.

The football player in question, TK, is also a well developed character, not just a one dimensional athlete. I liked how his relationships with his mother and the other women in his life were explored; it all rang true for me. An important plot point centers around the concussion issue in the NFL. Martin tackles it head on, (if you’ll excuse the pun) which was a real plus for me. I love football, despite being a Dolphins fan (this is a rebuilding year, go Fins!) but CTE is a very serious issue so I was very glad she addressed it.

Martin is a good storyteller and her writing is crisp with lots of humor and pathos. She brought me to tears several times but also had me laughing out loud. A very enjoyable romance!

5/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FUMBLED by Alexa Martin. Berkley (April 23, 2019). ISBN 978-0451491978. 336p.

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A SCOUNDREL IN HER BED by Lorraine Heath

April 29, 2019

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Sins for All Seasons, Book 3

From the publisher:

The bastard son of a nobleman, Finn Trewlove was a shameful secret raised by a stranger. As Finn came of age, he had secrets, too—the clandestine nights spent with an earl’s daughter. But her promise of forever ended in betrayal.

Driven by a past that haunts her, Lady Lavinia Kent seeks redemption in London’s underworld, engaged in a daring cause inspired by the young man to whom she gave her innocence, and who then proved himself a scoundrel by abandoning her.

When their paths cross again, they can’t deny the yearning and desire that still burns. As they discover the truth behind the deceptions that tore them apart, Finn and Lavinia must fight to reclaim what they’ve lost, no matter how dangerous—because love is worth the risk . . .

I was so proud of myself; I have been reading this series in order. But this book sort of threw me. It is the third book in the series but it moves back and forth in time for a while, making it sort of a prequel at times and then a sequel. It was an interesting was to create a third book in a series, leaving enough bread crumbs for first time series readers to find their way back to the beginning without feeling lost. Yet this book can stand alone as well, if that makes sense? We’ll just call it good writing because Heath, who has been writing romance for a long while, really knows what she is doing.

The series centers around a family headed by Ettie Trewlove, a baby farmer. Baby farmers were women that took in babies or children that were born on the “wrong side of the blanket.” They were paid to take the illegitimate offspring of wealthy men and women. For Ettie, a poor widow, it was an ideal way to have the family she always wanted. But many baby farmers were just in it for the money. In fact, there were many that abused the children, starved them, worked them to death, or even just outright killed them. It was not a good time to be illegitimate in England.

Fortunately for the family at the center of this series, Ettie was a kind and loving mother. I originally thought that none of the children she took in were related by blood, even as close as they all seem to be. But it turns out that two of them are half brothers, born weeks apart to two different mothers but sired by the same father. Ah, the English aristocracy. So debauched.

Lavinia is an interesting character. You do know, from the beginning, what happens to her and why she has left her Duke at the altar, and why she is set on rescuing children from baby farmers. But as the story moves on, it gets darker and more emotionally gripping.

Aidan is also an intriguing character. You can’t help but root for them to get together, especially as the horrors of their lives apart unfold. This was a really good romance, and the major plot about the baby farmers was eye opening and so disheartening. There has been mention of this sort of thing in other historical romances I’ve read, but this really delves into it. I am assuming that Heath did her homework as it really feels like she did.

Another excellent romance from one of my favorites. Can’t wait for the next book in this series! Oh, and the ending hints at who will be at the center of that one.

4/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A SCOUNDREL IN HER BED by Lorraine Heath. Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 31, 2018). ISBN 978-1492663355. 352p.

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UNTIL THERE WAS US by Samantha Chase

April 28, 2019

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Montgomery Brothers, Book 8

From the publisher:

He’ll have to play his cards just right for her to take a chance on him…

Megan Montgomery has always been careful…except that one time she threw caution to the wind and hooked up with a sexy groomsman at her cousin’s wedding. But that was two years ago―so why can’t she stop thinking about Alex Rebat?

Alex has been living the good life. He loves his job, has a great circle of friends, and doesn’t answer to anyone. The problem? There’s only one woman he wants and she ran out on him after one amazing weekend. But now that Megan’s coming back to town, Alex hopes he can convince her to take another chance on him…and on a future that can only be built together.

Montgomery Brothers Series:
Wait for Me (Book 1)
Trust in Me (Book 2)
Stay with Me (Book 3)
Return to You (Book 4)
Meant for You (Book 5)
I’ll Be There (Book 6)
Until There Was Us (Book 7)

This was my first book by this author and I have a theory about why that is. I got this book as a digital galley, pre-publication. In many instances, the books I’m reviewing don’t have cover art yet, so I get a white cover with the title and author in black print on it and that’s it.

There is an old adage not to judge a book by its cover, except publishers often spend quite a bit on cover art so really, don’t they want us to judge their books by their expensive covers? The publisher here chose not to go that route. Or if they did, it was not money well spent. I found this book on my Kindle (I have close to 3000 books on there so stuff gets missed sometimes) and I read it. I really liked it, too. When I went to write this review, I finally got a gander at the cover and I was surprised. To me, this looks like one of those cheesy romance novels from the 1980’s. I really dislike this cover and had I seen it, I probably would not have picked up this book and that would have been a shame. Plus I had no idea this was the eighth book in a series; that information is not always included in the advanced reader copy either.

This series apparently centers around the Montgomery family, and I’m guessing the brothers started out the series. But by book 8, we are dealing with a Montgomery sister, Megan. Megan has some baggage, as most of us do, and after spending a crazy, sex filled weekend with Alex, they sort of tried to keep it going. Except she lived on the east coast, and he lived on the west coast. And the one weekend they were supposed to meet up, she didn’t show up.

In an interesting twist, Megan is a workaholic who has spent her life trying to prove her worth to her father. He seems to think that women should be raised to get a husband and men to be brought into the ultra successful family business. But Megan is an IT expert, and has proven her worth to the company by being that workaholic. When she is offered a position working with her brothers on the west coast, she moves there. Her first night there, she runs into Alex, her brother’s best friend.

It may have been two years since they were together, but time has not lessened their attraction to one another. As much as she tries to fight it, Megan just can’t help herself. And the fact that her brothers are really big on work-life balance and refuse to allow her workaholic ways into their business, she has time to have a social life. And finds herself re-prioritizing her life.

I liked this book enough to search out the rest of the series. It really does seem like there is an endless supply of good romance series. And while good is subjective, that is the point of this blog. I am still in need of happily ever afters and thoroughly enjoyed my escape with the Montgomery family.

4/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

UNTIL THERE WAS US by Samantha Chase. Sourcebooks Casablanca (May 1, 2018). ISBN 978-1492655909. 384p.

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SECOND CHANCE COWBOY by A. J. Pine

April 27, 2019

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Crossroads Ranch Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

Ten years ago, Jack Everett left his family’s ranch without a backward glance. Now, what was supposed to be a quick trip home for his father’s funeral has suddenly become more complicated. The ranch Jack can handle—he might be a lawyer, but he still remembers how to work with his hands. But turning around the failing vineyard he’s also inherited? That requires working with the one woman he never expected to see again.

Ava Ellis broke her own heart the night she let Jack go. She was young and scared—and secretly pregnant with Jack’s baby. Now that he’s back and asking for her help, Ava sees her opportunity to right the wrongs of the past. But how will he feel about the son he’s never known? Could this be their second chance—or their final heartbreak?

I’m including an excerpt from my review of Hard Loving Cowboy, book 3 in the series, the why of which will become clear in a moment.

I read the third book in this series, Tough Luck Cowboy, which I mistook for the second book, but somehow missed the first (not unusual for me!) and the actual second book. Maybe. Apparently Amazon is as confused as I am about the order of this series! I am going to have to backtrack and find them because I know there are holes in the background that I’m missing.

So first things first, as my mother used to say, do as I say, not as I do, and read this series in order! I am investigating. Because of my little bit of confusion, I skipped reading the bonus novella but I’m sure I will get to that eventually.

So I found this book, the first book in the series, at my library. Yay, libraries! Which reminds me, do you all know about the Google Chrome and Firefox library extension? This is the coolest thing ever! I tweeted about it and facebooked and then CNET wrote about it:

This browser extension shows you which Amazon books are available free at your local library. Available for Chrome and Firefox, the insanely great Library Extension saves you time and money.

I don’t know about you all, but I am all about saving time and money. I work full time as a librarian and do this blog and I’m working on a book as well and I read about a book a day so time is definitely precious. As for saving money, well, here is one of my favorite librarian “jokes,” in quotes because, well, maybe more true than funny?

What’s the difference between a large pizza and a librarian?

A large pizza can feed a family of four.

And after all those digressions, back to my review of the first book in this terrific series.

Having read the later books, I sort of knew what was going to happen, mostly because these characters are so memorable. Nonetheless, it was fun seeing how it all got started. Why Jack, an attorney, is primarily running a winery. Why all the brothers are so close. Why they are all attracted to strong women. Well, pretty much every romance written in the past few years has strong women protagonists. The helpless female being rescued by the strong male is no longer. He may save her a time or two, but he knows damn well that she could probably have saved herself.

So great characters here. Ava is a frustrated artist who had to make a living instead of making art but she’s never given up her dream. The surprise child, a popular trope in romance, works which probably explains its popularity. The chemistry between Jack and Ava is strong and fiery, and a treat to observe. All in all, I’m very glad I hunted down this book and will stick to my assertion that this is a series that is best read in order. But do read it, especially if you like cowboys, because it is a really fun and sexy series.

Crossroads Ranch Series, in order according to Amazon, sometimes:

Second Chance Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch Book 1) Feb 27, 2018
Saved by the Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch Book 2) Aug 7, 2018 (according to the author’s website, this is book 1.5 so maybe a novella?)
Tough Luck Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch Book 3) Aug 28, 2018 (according to the author’s website, this is book 2)
Hard Loving Cowboy (Crossroads Ranch Book 4) Mar 26, 2019 (according to the author’s website, this is book 3)

So according to the author, I’ve now read books 1, 2, and 3 and there is no book 4. I can’t borrow “Saved by the Cowboy” from my library so I guess I’ll have to cough up a few bucks and buy it for my Kindle. Stay tuned…

4/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SECOND CHANCE COWBOY by A. J. Pine. Forever (February 27, 2018). ISBN 978-1538727065. 320p.