LOST RIDER by Harper Sloan

May 11, 2017

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The Coming Home Series, Book 1

This was the first book I’ve read by this author but I will definitely be back for the next book in this new series.

I’ve been expanding my romance horizons into western territory and enjoying them. This is a contemporary western set in Texas featuring Maverick Davis, a champion rodeo star who has taken one tumble too many. His doctor tells him no more riding bulls or else, so he spends a couple of weeks drinking before heading home for his father’s funeral.

They never got a long, but his brother and sister need him and he has no where else to go. He had left town as soon as he was able, breaking his sister’s best friend’s heart in the process. Leighton James had grown up next door and had been in love with Maverick for as long as she could remember. But before he left town, he’d been unspeakably cruel to the young woman and she wore those scars for all the years he was gone.

Now that he’s back, he realizes he made a huge mistake in hurting her like that. He has a lot of fences to mend, with Leighton and with his family, and he is working hard at righting things. Leighton is scared to death of being hurt again, and isn’t making it easy on him.

There is great chemistry here, some explicit sex, and a really interesting back story. I’m really looking forward to more from this author.

5/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

LOST RIDER by Harper Sloan. Pocket Books (April 25, 2017). ISBN: 978-1501155192. 400p.

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THE THING ABOUT LOVE by Julie James

May 9, 2017

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FBI/US Attorney Series, Book 7

 FBI agent Jessica Harlowe finished at the top of her class from Quantico, at least in academics. As a petite woman, one of only two women in the class, she was physically outmanned by John Shepherd. They both graduated and went their separate ways. Until she moved back to Chicago from California, and her first undercover assignment is with her nemesis.

Shepherd remembers thing a little differently and had a major crush on Harlowe. But he’s just been through a bad breakup after walking in on his girlfriend in bed with one of his best friends. And Harlowe is a recent divorcee, and neither is in a very good mood about working with the other.

Tongue in cheek jabs at books featuring FBI agents, especially female ones, was a sly wink at the genre and one I enjoyed. There is a lot of heat between Shepherd and Harlowe – eventually. And I really enjoyed the humor, as did my cat!

Another terrific read in this series.

5/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE THING ABOUT LOVE by Julie James. Berkley (April 18, 2017). ISBN: 978-0425273777. 384p.

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THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS by Abbi Waxman

May 5, 2017

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How long does it take to get over the death of your husband? For Lili, it’s been four years and counting and it seems the answer to that question is never.

After a little breakdown – she did, after all, witness her husband’s death, so it’s understandable – she’s mostly better these days. She fills her time with her two daughters and work as an illustrator. Oh, and her sister, Rachel, is around all the time to keep her company too. Life is pretty good, all things considered. But in spite of her sister’s urgings, Lili isn’t ready to move on and meet someone new.

The small publisher Lili works for is branching out and has taken on a new project involving a set of vegetable guides Lili is to illustrate. The account could be huge for the struggling company, and they want Lili to do everything she can to impress their new client. Including taking a new gardening class led by them. The class sounds like a fun way to spend a few Saturday mornings, and kids are welcome, so it seems like a win. But Lili isn’t prepared for the feelings she begins to develop for their new teacher. How can she allow love to bloom while she’s still grieving her husband?

Abbi Waxman’s debut is the perfect mix of heart and humor; laugh out loud hilarity balances out the truly heart wrenching moments as Lili learns to move on in life and love.

The Garden of Small Beginnings is a seriously fun feel good read. A sure-footed debut, too, filled with characters you’re guaranteed to adore. From Lili and her kids and sister, to the crew Lili meets in her gardening class, each and every one adds something new and meaningful to Lili’s life and to the overall story.

I adored this book, tears and all (and it’s really not THAT sad). It was the perfect almost one sitting read for spring and a great introduction to a fantastic new writing talent.

5/17 Becky LeJeune

THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS by Abbi Waxman. Berkley (May 2, 2017).  ISBN 978-0399583582. 368p.

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THE RED HUNTER by Lisa Unger

May 2, 2017

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Two women and their interwoven story lines come together in the latest from thriller writer extraordinaire, Lisa Unger.

Claudia and Ayers are happily married and trying to get pregnant when an intruder rips their lives apart. Claudia is raped, and a month later is pregnant but determined to get on with her life. But the marriage falls apart and eventually Claudia and her daughter move out to an old farmhouse she inherits. The place is literally falling apart, and Claudia decides to renovate the property and blog about it, mistakes and all.

Zoey Drake was a teenager when her family suffered a home invasion. Her father was a cop and the men who attacked them were after some money. He denied any knowledge of it, and the family was tortured and left for dead. The men were never caught.

Somehow Zoey survived, and her uncle raised her, bringing her to adulthood a strong – very strong – woman. Zoey studied martial arts and eventually decides to seek her own justice.

This is a story about women who refuse to be beaten down and instead, rise up to the challenges of life. The characters are so relateable that the reader can’t help but be drawn in, making the book unputdownable until the stunning ending. If you haven’t read Lisa Unger, this standalone thriller is a terrific place to start.

5/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE RED HUNTER by Lisa Unger. Touchstone (April 25, 2017)). ISBN 978-1501101670. 368p.

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MY NOT SO PERFECT LIFE by Sophie Kinsella

April 27, 2017

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Kate Brenner is from Somerset, England, a small farming town. But she’s always dreamed of moving to London and finally does, landing an entry level position in a marketing company. Rents are super high, so she has a tiny bedroom in a shared apartment. But she is determined to make it and her Instagram feed is a reflection of the life she wants, rather than the life she lives.

Demeter runs the department and is a scatterbrained leader, whose staff feels bullied at unappreciated. When she asks Kate to get rid of Alex, a guy waiting to see her, Kate falls for him – until she finds out he is having an affair with Demeter. And then Kate gets fired.

She moves home to the farm, where her stepmother has a bit of money and wants to start a glamping business. Kate helps, creates a website and brochure and the business takes off. And then Demeter shows up. Kate gets her revenge but also finds out she really likes Demeter, and her Instagram life is not as perfect as it looks, either.

This was a bit slow at the beginning for me but once I got into it I raced through the rest. The characters were quirky, and the storyline had enough angst and even some suspense to make it interesting. If you like Jane Green, Emily Giffin or Helen Fielding, or you ‘re just looking for a fun read, look no further.

4/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MY NOT SO PERFECT LIFE by Sophie Kinsella. The Dial Press (February 7, 2017). ISBN: 978-0812998269. 448p.

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A WEDDING IN ITALY by Tilly Tennant

April 26, 2017

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From Italy with Love, Book 2

A feel good summer holiday romance

I don’t usually read series in order with romances because it generally doesn’t matter. But I was lost with this book. I finished it and went back to the beginning to see if I could find the part I somehow missed. It wasn’t until I went on Amazon and saw that this was book 2 of a series that I realized what I missed was the first book!

Setting aside my confusion, I didn’t love this book. I love Italy, would live there if I could, just like Kate, our protagonist. She’s moved to Rome from the UK after a divorce and meets and falls in love with Allessandro. They were talking about marriage from the very beginning of the book, which was baffling, but again most likely because I didn’t read the first book.

I don’t mean to be repetitious here. Here’s the synopsis from the publisher:

Sun, spaghetti and sparkling prosecco. When it comes to finding love, there’s no place like Rome…

Kate is living the dream with her gorgeous boyfriend Alessandro in his native city, but the reality is sometimes a little less romantic than she’d hoped. Every day in her new home is a fight against leaking pipes, her cantankerous landlord and her less-than-perfect grasp of the Italian lingo.

All around her there is talk of weddings, but when a secret from her past is thrust out into the open, Kate must fight to prove to Alessandro’s Mamma – and the rest of his formidable family – that she truly is Italian marriage material.

With the women in Alessandro’s life on a mission to break them apart, the cracks begin to show and Kate starts to question if Alessandro really is the man of her dreams. Can love and the city of romance conquer all, or is that just a fairy-tale?

Let Rome steal your heart this summer in this gorgeously romantic escapist read.

While Rome didn’t steal my heart (Sicily did 35 years ago) I could still appreciate the charm here. There wasn’t enough tension to qualify anything as a secret until the last part of the book. Allessandro and his big, crazy family were wonderful, but Kate was strongly in need of some assertiveness training so I found her a bit annoying.

All in all, I didn’t love this book enough to bother finding the first one to get the beginning of the story.  If you read the first one, have at this one. If not, don’t bother.

4/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A WEDDING IN ITALY by Tilly Tennant. Bookouture (March 22, 2017). ISBN: 978-1786811677. 328p.

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GONE WITHOUT A TRACE by Mary Torjussen

April 25, 2017

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After a day trip for work, Hannah returns home to find that her boyfriend, Matt, has left her. Not only has he left her, he’s stripped their shared home of any and every item he brought to it: his dvds and cds are gone and Hannah’s previously packed away books have replaced them on the shelves. His art is missing from the walls. Even the comforter and sheets, his before they were together, have been replaced on the bed. But the worst part? Every trace of Matt has been removed from Hannah’s phone, tablet, and social media – no contact information remains, no texts between the two of them, and every photo of Matt has been deleted.

Hurt and confused, Hannah becomes determined to try and find out what happened – why Matt left her and where he’s gone. But as the days and weeks become months, Hannah becomes convinced Matt is following her, sneaking back into their home and leaving messages on her phone. But why? Why would he leave? And why would he torment her so?

Mary Torjussen’s debut is a twisty psychological thriller that begs the question – just how far would you go to get answers if the person you loved most left you? It begs other questions, too, but those would give too much away.

Hannah is understandably devastated to find that Matt has left her. To her mind, everything had been going great between the two of them. Work was looking up too, but that begins to fall apart as well as she tries to find answers.

As a reader, given the information that Torjussen conveys through Hannah, all kinds of possibilities crossed my mind. Was Matt behind the messages in the first place? Did he leave willingly? And most importantly, what’s missing from this story?

I did not see the end coming. The clues are there, but I didn’t guess at all. Torjussen builds a story that is packed with tension, so much so that getting through it is both frustrating and thrilling. And worth it.

4/17 Becky LeJeune

GONE WITHOUT A TRACE by Mary Torjussen. Berkley (April 18, 2017).  ISBN 978-0399585012. 352p.

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DEVIL IN SPRING by Lisa Kleypas

April 24, 2017

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The Ravenels, Book 3

This is the third book in the series and I was all excited, thinking I had read the first two but quickly realized I had not. So I put it down, and luckily found the second book on the shelf at my library. So finally I have read all the books in a series in order! Well, at least the first three.

Lady Pandora Ravenel is a twin to Cassandra, and this is their season. Cassandra would like to meet a titled gentleman and marry. Pandora is completely opposed to the idea, but loves her sister enough to go along with it all.

Pandora is an odd duck. She has some health issues regarding night vision, balance and hearing, but that is not all. She is an inventor of board games, and her brother-in-law, Winterbourne, has agreed to stock her new games in his large department store for Christmas. But if she marries, she won’t be able to work, won’t be able to sign a contract or do anything without her husband’s express permission and Pandora is simply not interested in giving up all her rights.

Pandora and Cassandra attend balls, with Pandora usually faking injuries to avoid dancing. Instead she sits in the corner, a happy wallflower, simply observing. Until a friend begs her to do a favor – go out to the summer house and find the earring she lost during a rendezvous. Pandora nervously agrees, but when she finds the earring behind an ornately carved settee, she gets herself stuck in the carvings.

Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, is passing by and hears her cries for help. As he tries to disentangle the girl, the host of the party appears, and Pandora and Gabriel are caught alone in a very compromising position in the summerhouse. The host demands that Gabriel marry the girl as her reputation is now ruined, but Pandora is not having it. He may be the catch of London, heir to a dukedom, but she is not interested. And he doesn’t know her, other than the fact she is a bit peculiar.

The families decide to spend a week together and Pandora’s guardian swears he will not force her into marriage. She feels guilty because is she refuses, it will hurt her sister’s chances of marrying well. And the Duke is concerned because he needs a more traditional wife. But you can’t always plan these things, sometimes fate steps in and works its magic, as is the case here.

I loved the subplot about the first woman doctor in England, that was a definite bonus for me. I read the second book in this series, then the next day read this one. I have to say that this is turning into one of my favorite series!

4/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DEVIL IN SPRING by Lisa Kleypas. Avon (February 21, 2017). ISBN 978-0062371874. 384p.

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THE LAST NIGHT AT TREMORE BEACH by Mikel Santiago

April 23, 2017

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Peter Harper, a well known and awarded composer, is experiencing what could be devastating writer’s block. Brought on in part by his recent divorce. Given everything, a vacation is definitely in order, and an isolated beach house on the coast of Ireland seems to be the perfect thing.

And it is, until Peter is struck by lightning one summer night. From that moment on, Peter suffers painful headaches and terrible nightmares. But these aren’t ordinary nightmares by any stretch. Peter experiences them as if they’re real, waking abruptly to find himself acting out the very actions he’s been dreaming. Peter knows something is very wrong, but his greatest fear is that the dreams are more than just dreams and that he could become a danger to the people he cares about.

Mikel Santiago’s debut is fabulous. Perfectly atmospheric and excellently chilling.

In Peter Harper, Santiago has built a character who is on the verge of a meltdown already. He’s separated from his family, and he’s unable to pen any new music worth anything. Music is his livelihood and his family is his everything.

Things are looking up regarding the latter, however. Peter’s kids are set to visit him at his rental soon and it’s a visit he’s been looking forward to with great anticipation. Even getting struck by lightening doesn’t put a damper on that. At least not until the dreams begin.

The dreams are threatening, at the very least, his sanity. Even those who know him best are worried. And from the moment his kids arrive, all of Peter’s energy is spent ensuring their safety. His greatest fear is that he’ll be some sort of threat to his own kids and that makes him an incredibly easy character to sympathize with.

As we root for Peter, in hopes he’ll find answers and that all will be ok, the mystery behind the dreams drives the story to an almost frenetic pacing. The result is an irresistible page-turner of a tale – the kind I’d recommend carving out enough time to read in one sitting.

Highly recommended – I can’t wait to see more from this author.

4/17 Becky LeJeune

THE LAST NIGHT AT TREMORE BEACH by Mikel Santiago. Atria Books (February 14, 2017).  ISBN 978-1501102240.  320p.

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MARRYING WINTERBORNE by Lisa Kleypas

April 22, 2017

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The Ravenels, Book 2

This book put me in mind of the PBS series, Mr. Selfridge, about the American who built the glamorous department store in Great Britain at the turn of the last century. Rhys Winterborne is a self made Welshman, son of a grocer, who has built the world’s largest department store in London.

Winterborne may be one of the richest men in England, but he is still considered working class. So when he meets Lady Helen Ravenel, he is determined to have her. As wealthy as he is, he knows the only way into the gentry is to marry into it.

The become betrothed, but when he kisses her she gets scared. Helen is shy, virginal and beyond naive, and she ends up crying in her room. Her sister-in-law goes to Winterborne and breaks off the engagement, but when Helen finds out she is determined to get him back. She sneaks out on her own and barges into his office, telling him she wants him back. But he knows her guardian will not be pleased with this turn of events, so he makes her a deal – if she’ll sleep with him, thoroughly ruining her reputation, that will force her guardian to allow them to marry and convince Rhys that she is serious. She agrees.

They make their plans but as we well know, the best laid plans often go awry, and they do here. Helen finds out there is a big family secret about her parentage, and she is convinced that Rhys will not want to marry her once he finds out.

As always, Kleypas creates engaging, well drawn characters and an interesting storyline, fraught with the great pitfalls of romance. But fear not, there is, of course, a happy ending. If only life could come with the same guarantees. Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors.

4/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MARRYING WINTERBORNE by Lisa Kleypas. Avon (May 31, 2016). ISBN 978-0062371850. 416p.

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