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Audiobook Sunday: THE MATCH by Sarah Adams

February 2, 2025

Read by Leanne Woodward & Rusty Mewha

It Happened in Charleston, Book 1

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect comes an expanded edition of The Match—a charming romance novel about second chances and the healing power of love, with a never-before-seen chapter.

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it.

Evie Jones has dedicated her life and very limited funds working for Southern Service Paws, the company that matched her with the love of her life: Charlie, a service dog trained to assist with her epilepsy. But it’s no secret that the company has been struggling to make ends meet. It’s up to her and her longtime mentor and boss to throw the fundraiser of the century to keep the doors open.

Then, Evie meets Jacob Broaden at a client consultation meeting. There are instant sparks—but not the good kind, because Jacob’s daughter set up the meeting without his knowledge. Ten-year-old Sam has been recently diagnosed with epilepsy and has wanted a service animal ever since. While he has hesitations at first, it doesn’t take long for Jacob to be convinced that a service dog and possibly Evie, with her magical, woodland-green eyes, might just be the best thing for him and his daughter.

As Evie spends more time with Jacob and helps Sam find her perfect match with a lovable golden retriever named Daisy, she starts longing for something she’s never had before—a loving family. For Jacob, falling in love with Evie is the last thing he should be doing, but love has a way of finding those who need it most.

https://amzn.to/4hnPL3F

I have read most of Sarah Adams’ books, so when the algorithm showed me this one that I hadn’t read, I was all in. And I loved it! Apparently, this is an expanded edition of the original book with an extra chapter. I couldn’t tell you where or why though, it all flowed seamlessly to me.

Evie comes from old Southern money, but she is not too fond of her parents or their lifestyle. Her mother is super critical and pushy, and her father just goes along with her mother. When Evie is diagnosed with epilepsy as a teen, it changes her life. Her long-time boyfriend makes fun of her seizures, and she dumps him, much to her parent’s chagrin. Their fathers are lawyers and partners, and they hoped their children would marry one day. But that’s not going to happen if Evie has anything to say about it.

One day Evie meets a woman about her mother’s age, maybe older, who has a beautiful service dog with her. They get to talking and Evie is lucky enough to be able to purchase a service dog who can sense her oncoming seizures and take care of her. It’s a rather remarkable relationship, and it empowers Evie to move out on her own. Her parents cut her off, hoping that will force her home, but she is determined. She gets a job with the service dog company, and becomes great friends with her boss, who wants to retire and let Evie run the place.

Evie gets an email requesting a meeting for a man and his recently diagnosed young daughter. Evie is very excited; this is the first time she’s met someone else with epilepsy who needs a service dog. Except when she gets there, it turns out the child scheduled the meeting and manipulated her father into going. He is divorced; his ex-wife wanted to be an actress and took off for Hollywood, leaving him a single dad with his own successful architecture firm. It’s not easy and he probably hasn’t slept since his daughter’s diagnosis. He doesn’t know anything about service dogs but he knows he can’t handle the responsibility of one more thing.

Eventually, he sees the importance of the dog and makes amends with Evie. She spends a week with them acclimating them to their new dog. The more time they spend together, the more they realize how much they enjoy each other’s company. It’s a rocky road to a happy ending, and I loved every stumble along the way. The narrators were great and really pulled me into the story. Can’t wait to read the sequel, The Enemy!

2/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE MATCH by Sarah Adams. Narrators: Rusty Mewha & Leanne Woodward. Dreamscape Media; November 07, 2024. Listening Length: 9 hours and 7 minutes

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RULE by Jay Crownover

January 31, 2025

Marked Men, Book 1

From the publisher:

Opposities Attract in this Angsty Forbidden-Love College Romance, and Inspiration for the Upcoming Film “Marked Men: Rule and Shaw“

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight–A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want–and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

The first Marked Men novel in Jay Crownover’s combustible New Adult series.

https://amzn.to/3E94p0e

This book was a bit different from my usual; this is categorized as New Adult, with Shaw, the female protagonist a pre-med college student, and Rule, the male protagonist, a few years older and a tattoo artist. But I heard about the movie and decided to take a look, and I loved it.

Shaw is the quintessential good girl; pre-med, a rich, preppy boyfriend, and does whatever her parents want her to do. Rule is the complete opposite. He is tatted all over, and runs a very successful tattoo business with his best friend, financed by his uncle. He was also a twin, but his brother, Remy, died in a car crash on his way to pick up Rule. Rule hasn’t really recovered and his oldest brother, Rome, is in the service half way around the world. His mother blames him for Remy’s death and this family is really hurting. Remy and Shaw were best friends all through high school, and everyone thought they would eventually get married. After his death, she still hung out with his family who treat her like a daughter. Her own family has some serious issues – her parents are divorced and both remarried and are very wealthy. They like to control Shaw with money, basically telling her if she doesn’t do whatever they say, they will cut her off. Growing up with a father like that, I could definitely relate.

Shaw picks up Rule every Sunday and drags him to his family brunch, but it’s not a happy time. Half the time when she shows up, he is in bed with random women. What Rule and his family don’t know is that while Shaw loved Remy, she has been in love with Rule since she was fourteen years old. Remy knew, and it suited his purpose to have his family think they were a couple.

Meanwhile, Shaw has been dating Gabe, and her parents are thrilled, but she is not attracted to him and eventually breaks up with him. He refuses to take no for an answer and starts stalking her. Her parents don’t believe her, and Gabe is in constant contact with her parents, telling them they are working things out, which makes them happy – while it makes Shaw miserable. On her twentieth birthday, Shaw gets drunk, and Rule takes her home with him. She seduces him, and he is shocked by their chemistry. To his surprise, she is gone when he wakes up. Usually, he has to kick out the girls he beds, so this is a new experience for him.

Shaw and Rule start seeing one another, and for Rule, this is a first. He’s never had a girlfriend, never wanted one, but there is something about Shaw that makes him feel seen, and he isn’t sure how to handle it. Their relationship has its ups and downs, but things get super creepy when Gabe keeps sniffing around. At one point, Shaw’s parents invite Gabe and Shaw for dinner, and she can’t figure out a way to say no. He ends up attacking her in her bedroom, and she becomes scared of him. As it turns out, for very good reason.

There is a lot of drama and a lot of sex in this book, along with body modification, which I found interesting. The book was pretty much unputdownable, and I read it over the weekend. I was able to get the series from Hoopla, an app through my public library, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest. I’m looking forward to the movie as well.

The Marked Men Series:

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

RULE by Jay Crownover. Avon (January 3, 2023). ISBN: 978-0062302403. 432p.

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DESIGNS ON YOU by Jaci Burton

January 31, 2025

From the publisher:

Sparks fly when an interior designer and a game designer cross paths, but they must learn if they can design a happily ever after in this heartfelt romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton.

Natalie Parker is in her mid-thirties, divorced, and firmly focused on her newly resurrected career and her two children. When her sister asks her to help design the backyard in the new home she shares with her boyfriend, Linc, Natalie’s more than happy to take on the project. What she isn’t prepared for is Linc’s younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He’s smart, incredibly good-looking, and constantly flirts with Natalie. He’s also too young for her, which makes him totally off-limits.

Eugene is intrigued by Natalie’s beauty, smarts, and especially her sarcastic wit. When he teases her, she throws it right back at him. Besides that, they have an instant chemistry, but she keeps trying to get rid of him despite the sparks that fly between them. And Eugene never backs down from a challenge.

Natalie is running out of reasons to think being with Eugene is a bad thing. Her kids adore him, her sister loves him, and even her always negative mother does, too. The only person holding her back is…her. Maybe it’s time she take that leap and design herself a love for the ages. After all, if she can create the perfect home, she sure as hell can design a happily ever after.

https://amzn.to/40nELxI

I enjoyed this steamy romance with an older woman/younger man dynamic. Natalie is divorced from a very demanding husband and trying to find her own footing. She is not looking for a relationship, but she can’t deny the chemistry she feels when she meets her sister’s boyfriend’s brother. Eugene is five years younger than Natalie, and she has a hard time with the age difference. He doesn’t care; he is instantly smitten with the young mother. Yes, Natalie has two children who feature prominently in this story, as they should.

Luckily, Natalie’s sister and her kids think Eugene is great, so that eases the way for her to tiptoe into the relationship. She fights it for as long as she can, but eventually, they start heating up the pages. Natalie isn’t sure she wants more than just a fling, but Eugene wants forever and figures out a way to get Natalie on board. This was a fast, fun read and like all of Burton’s books, it is sexy as hell. It’s not especially memorable but it is very entertaining, and I enjoyed it.

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DESIGNS ON YOU by Jaci Burton. Berkley (December 3, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593439616. 352p.

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Spotlight Review: OUT OF THE WOODS by Hannah Bonam-Young

January 28, 2025

From the publisher:

A married couple joins a week-long wilderness expedition to help them reconnect in this heartfelt companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation Out on a Limb.

High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs.

But Sarah has begun to wonder . . . who is she without her other half?

When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memory of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter after all, independent and capable.

That is, until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.

The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances and doubts. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?

In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.

What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.

“Bonam-Young excels in creating nuanced characters on complicated emotional journeys and she makes Caleb and Sarah’s reconnection believable through both sweet and heat-filled moments. This is a delight. —Publishers Weekly

https://amzn.to/42aNXGS

I must admit I was feeling a bit trepidatious about reading this second-chance romance. It felt like it might be hitting a bit too close to home for me; after all, I met my husband when I was 17, and he was 19, and while we didn’t get married until six years later and our marriage has been a good one, there were ups and downs along the way. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book. Turns out, I loved it!

Sarah and Caleb have been through a lot together in their seventeen years of marriage. They married when they were nineteen years old, so Sarah’s mom could be at the wedding. She had ALS and died a few months later. Caleb came from a wealthy background but didn’t necessarily always agree with his parents and their life choices. He felt more loved and at home in Sarah’s house.

Sarah was raised by a single mom and her Aunt June, who also had a daughter, Win, who was the same age as Sarah. Caleb felt the loss of Sarah’s mom nearly as much as Sarah did. Several years later, she gets the idea to hold a fundraiser for ALS in her mother’s memory. It’s a formal gala, but the money isn’t rolling in like Sarah was hoping. At the last minute, Caleb gives her a huge check to make up the difference, and that gesture sends Sarah spiraling. She wanted to do this on her own, but after that check, it feels like Caleb rescued her, and she is tired of being rescued. She asks him to name one thing about her that is truly special and unique, and he doesn’t say a word. They end up not speaking for a few weeks.

Then Win tells her about this week-long marriage retreat in the woods that her boss is running. There is an opening for another couple, and while neither Caleb nor Sarah are the outdoorsy types, they decide they probably should go anyway. If being off the grid for a week can help their marriage, they are both willing to try. The camping and hiking trip is no picnic, but they start growing closer again, and it looks like it may have been just what their marriage needed, at least until a dreadful accident occurs.

This was my first read from this author; I believe she had several self-published books before this traditionally published book came out. It was well-written and engaging, and I loved these characters. I couldn’t help but root for their happy ending, and I was sorry to turn that last page. This was a different spin on a second-chance romance as the characters were married, but as someone who has been married for more than forty years, I can assure you it rang true. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Don’t miss it!

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

OUT OF THE WOODS by Hannah Bonam-Young. Dell (January 28, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593871867. 336p.

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Audiobook Sunday: BREAKING THE ICE by Amy Andrews

January 26, 2025

Read by Kate Handford

From the publisher:

A bookshop romance with a hunky hockey love interest and a pinch of spice from USA Today Bestseller Amy Andrews!

A bookshop face-off!

NHL hot shot, Nick Hawkeye Hawke has 4 months to recuperate from a potentially career-ending injury. All he has to do is take it easy and keep things low-key. So, looking after his grandmother’s beloved second-hand romance bookshop and working very closely with the ruthlessly efficient Samantha Evans is just what he needs right? Wrong!

Career-driven Sam has impulsively decided to swap her highly stressful corporate job for a slower pace in her favourite bookshop at the exact time her biological clock has started to tick. And she wants absolutely none of that. But when your boss is a hot hockey superstar and you can’t stop daydreaming of him being your baby daddy, forced proximity takes on a whole new meaning.

With temptation around every bookshelf, Nick and Sam find themselves skating on thin ice until they put themselves firmly in the friend zone. But the more they try to resist their slow burn, the more they want each other. How long can they stay in the zone until one of them breaks the ice?

Perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy, Bal Khabra, Emily Rath, and Hannah Grace.

Previously published as Risky Business

https://amzn.to/4a5SXP7

A professional ice hockey player and a bookstore? Count me in! When the owner of Sam’s favorite romance bookstore passes away, she is shocked to find the owner’s grandson taking over. Nick is a pro athlete; what could he possibly know about a romance bookstore?

Sam is in finance and setting the world on fire, that is until her boss decides to give all her accounts to his loser nephew. Sam is furious and quits her job. When Nick finds out she is unemployed, he offers her a job in the bookstore. She takes it, thinking it will be a nice break while she waits for the nephew to bomb out and her old boss to beg her to come back.

Sam and Nick find they have more in common than either originally thought. Sam has some body image issues (shocking, I know) and can’t understand why Nick is flirting with her. On the other hand, he thinks she’s gorgeous and loves her curves; he can’t understand why she puts herself down. The more time they spend together, the more feelings start to grow.

This is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance, and there is a lot of cute banter and a bit of heat, making this a fast and fun read. The narrator was really good, too; she totally brought me into this world, and I hated to leave.

Note: I’ve mostly been listening to audiobooks through Hoopla, a fantastic resource available through many public libraries. Like everything else online, they have an algorithm that suggests other books I may like based on what I’ve checked out. The next thing I knew, I was knee-deep in ice hockey romances! Some are definitely better than others, and I thought this was a good one, although, frankly, hockey had no real part in it! I will be reviewing a few others that I enjoyed.

On the other hand, Pucking Around by Emily Rath was a DNF for me, I got about three quarters of the way through and finally gave it up. It started out good but soon devolved into what just felt like bad porn to me. The plot was pretty thin; the story revolved around the female team doctor for a new hockey team and the men she was hooking up with. It started with a one-night stand leading to more encounters with that man, followed by a throuple. When it turned into a foursome, I gave it up. At that point, it was just descriptions of one sexual encounter after another, and all pretense at a plot was forgotten. It just didn’t feel like a romance anymore.

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BREAKING THE ICE by Amy Andrews. Narrator: Kate Handford. Boldwood Books; November 07, 2024. ASIN: B0DHWD1TC3. Listening Length: 8 hours and 23 minutes

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KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn

January 24, 2025

Book 1

From the publisher:

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon. They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they’re sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire—it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.

https://amzn.to/4g6jk8H

Being that I am a woman of a certain age, I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and it did not disappoint. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have been friends and co-workers for forty years. Now that they are sixty, it is time to retire. From being assassins.

They worked for an extra-governmental agency called the Museum. It was founded after World War II in order to hunt down and kill all the Nazis that had escaped Germany after the war. They were also involved in finding all the art stolen by the Nazis, and returning it to the proper owners. In other words, killing for good, not evil. Over the years their targets expanded beyond Nazis to drug traffickers, human traffickers, the occasional dictator, etc. And these women were excellent at their job.

To celebrate their retirement, they take a cruise together, but they spot a former co-worker. Since he hasn’t contacted them, they immediately get suspicious. Two of them search his room and find a briefcase with a bomb in it, set to detonate in a few hours. They realize that they are the targets and need to figure out who is responsible for making that decision, and why. The rest of the book is in pursuit of that end, and it is a lot of fun getting there! There is plenty of tension and some surprises, some laughs and some tender moments. All in all, it was a fun, satisfying read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Kills Well with Others, which comes out March 4. Pre-order now!

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn. Berkley; Reprint edition (August 15, 2023). ISBN: 978-0593200704. 368p.

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ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace

January 24, 2025

Maple Hills, Book 1

From the publisher:

A TikTok sensation! Sparks fly when a competitive figure skater and hockey team captain are forced to share a rink.

Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team.

Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.

Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.

But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.

Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried…because she could never like a hockey player, right?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Over 1 million copies sold!

Hannah Grace’s #1 New York Times bestselling Icebreaker in a spectacular deluxe hardcover edition featuring:
New bonus material
Pearlized and foiled jacket
Stunning sprayed edges
Designed endpapers
Foil stamped case

https://amzn.to/4jl63fl

I don’t read a lot of books with college student protagonists; I work in a college library supervising student workers, and I don’t need the added drama. But I heard good things about this book, plus it was centered around skating, so I gave it a shot. I was sucked in from the first page and didn’t put it down until the last.

Nate is the captain of the college ice hockey team, and he takes it very seriously. He’s already been signed to the pros, so he just has to get through his senior year without injury or trouble, easier said than done when he has to herd a bunch of rowdy college boys.

Anastasia is a figure skater with an eye on making it to the US Olympic team. She’s a pairs skater, and her partner is a good skater, but a lousy human being. Unfortunately, it takes her a long time to figure that out. There is a serious incident that causes one of the skating rinks to be shut down, forcing the hockey team and the figure skaters to share the ice. The coach demands to know who is responsible, and Nate takes the blame so the rest of the team can keep competing.

Schedules are worked out, and Nate goes to all the practices. There he meets Anastasia, and they start hanging out. She becomes friends with some of his roommates, and eventually, they fall for one another. Meanwhile, another incident occurs with Anastasia’s skating partner. He sustains a bad injury and blames Nate. Anastasia believes that Nate is innocent, but he still gets benched for several games. Nate offers to help Anastasia practice while her partner is out, and learns the difference between figure skating and hockey skating.

Eventually, the truth wills out as it always does, and Nate and Anastasia find their happy ending. There is a lot of drama and some laughs along the way, and a bit of heat, too. I understand why this book is so popular, and I’m looking forward to the rest of this series, which are all available.

The Maple Hills Series:

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace. Atria Books (November 19, 2024). ISBN: 978-1668080399. 464p.

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Spotlight Review: MY INCONVENIENT DUKE by Loretta Chase

January 21, 2025

Difficult Dukes, Book 3

From the publisher:

USA Today bestselling author Loretta Chase continues her Difficult Dukes series with this charming brother’s best friend second-chance historical romance.

Of all the dukes in all the world, why does it have to be him?

Lady Alice Ancaster needs a husband, and fast, because her reckless brother is going to get himself killed, leaving the dukedom—and her future—in their repellent cousin’s clutches.

The Duke of Blackwood has known Alice since childhood, and they’ve always had a special connection. But years ago he broke it, when he chose a riotous life with his two best friends instead of a reasonable one with her.

The trouble is, the tall, dark, sardonic rogue keeps turning up exactly when needed, and ready—though he sometimes needs a push—to play the hero, if only for as long as it takes.

Being irresistibly drawn to the Wrong Man is not convenient, but when events come to a crisis, Alice has to make a choice. The question is, can she live with it?

A Captivating Historical Romance with a Rebellious Hero, Perfect for Winter 2025, Fall in Love All Over Again

“With the latest dazzling addition to her Difficult Dukes series, readers will again revel in Chase’s buoyant yet deliciously sharp sense of wit and her ability to craft radiantly romantic love stories rendered with the meticulous attention to detail she pays to everything, from nuanced characterization to an expertly evoked historical setting.” — Booklist (starred review)

https://amzn.to/42fXg8H

I usually love Loretta Chase books, and while I enjoyed this one, I also found it a bit odd, for lack of a better word. Lady Alice’s brother, Ripley, has two best friends, Blackwood and Ashmont. They have been friends since she was a child, and they’ve been getting into trouble ever since. But Alice has decided it is time for her to marry, after spending several years traveling on the Continent. She’s back in London, and has set her sights on a Duke with a previous aversion to marriage, but he seems fairly smitten with her.

Alice had a very bad experience as a child when her father, a man who was not in his right mind, sent her to an awful school where she was severely mistreated. A few months after her arrival, her aunt and uncle rescued her, and she’s been safe with them ever since. Her aunt drew her into helping create good schools for impoverished children, and that has become her mission in life. And being a Duchess would be helpful in that regard.

One thing leads to another, and Alice finds herself in a compromising position, having spent the night out of town with Blackwood. He attempts to help her find a missing boy and, in doing so, compromises her, so he offers her marriage. She accepts, and it seems like little more than halfway through, they are married. Then some problems arise. Meanwhile, her brother marries and eventually Ashmont does as well, but both are merely mentioned in passing. Eventually, Blackwood helps Alice with the schools and some other family issues, and they live happily ever after. I’m not sure why but the story felt rushed in getting everything squared away and all loose ends tied up.

The characters were interesting, and while Blackwood didn’t have much backstory, Alice certainly did. The secondary characters were all just slotted in to make the story work, with little emphasis on their character development. Even Blackwood remained pretty much an enigma. The first book in this series, A Duke in Shining Armor, was one of my favorite reads that year. I loved the second book, Ten Things I Hate About the Duke. This one was a disappointment.

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MY INCONVENIENT DUKE by Loretta Chase. Avon (January 21, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063094550. 336p.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical | Permalink
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Audiobook Sunday: THE ONE I DIDN’T SEE COMING by Piper Rayne

January 19, 2025

Read by Jason Clarke & Ava Erickson

Plain Daisy Ranch, Book 3

From the publisher:

It’s the classic story—girl returns to her hometown only to end up moving in with her high school crush, who she hates.

Returning to Willowbrook was my only option after Chicago chewed me up and spit me out. Technically, it wasn’t Chicago’s fault. It was his fault—the man I thought I knew who turned out to be a liar.

My older sister, always the one to swoop in and fix things, secured me a job as a yoga instructor on her fiancé’s family ranch. As my self-assigned protector, she’s keeping one eye on me and one eye on Emmett Noughton, her fiancé’s brother.

He’s the charming, fun-loving, take-life-as-it-comes kind of guy, and once upon a time, his name was scribbled in my notebooks. Back then, I was invisible to him. Now, he’s looking at me like I’m the only thing in the room. But he lost his chance with me a long time ago.

It’s easy to keep him at arm’s length and nurse the grudge I’ve held onto for years. Until the house I’m staying in sells, and I have nowhere to go except his house. Now, resisting him isn’t just difficult—it’s impossible.

https://amzn.to/420T1h4

Briar has moved back home, but her house sells almost immediately, leaving her temporarily homeless. Her sister’s father-in-law insists that she move in with Emmett, the youngest son, as he has tons of extra space. Unfortunately, Briar had a huge crush on him when she was young, but overheard him say something about her that she didn’t like, and now she hates him. But a roof over her head is a necessity so she moves in.

Emmett is trying to find his place in the family business, but his siblings all pretty much ignore the baby of the family. But Emmett is no baby, and it takes some moxie to make his family realize that. He also has a strong protective streak that works out well for Briar. Unfortunately, the eldest brother pretty much threatens Emmett with bodily harm if he goes near Briar, but the more the family tries to keep them apart, the closer they get, especially when living together.

Like all of Piper Rayne’s books, this is a spicy romance with a lot of humor. The story is compelling, and I really enjoyed listening to these narrators; they were both really good and brought the story to life. I’ll read anything by the writing duo known as Piper Rayne, and lucky for me, they are prolific!

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE ONE I DIDN’T SEE COMING by Piper Rayne. Narrators: Jason Clarke, Ava Erickson. Piper Rayne Inc.; September 06, 2024. ASIN: B0DG9D8YY6. Listening Length: 6 hours and 46 minutes

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

FORGET ME NOT by Julie Soto

January 17, 2025

From the publisher:

A wedding planner and her grumpy ex must work together to plan a celebrity event in this deliciously spicy and funny novel from Ali Hazelwood’s “favorite writer.”

Ama Torres is an optimistic wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage. But weddings? They’re amazing. Elliot Bloom is a brooding florist who hates owning a flower shop…until a certain bright-eyed, donut-loving workaholic shows up at his door.

Once upon a time, they collaborated on events by day, and by night, Ama traced the intricate flower tattoos etched along his body. Then Ama shattered his heart and never spoke to Elliot again.

Now they’re working on an event that could make or break both of their careers—except neither of them has gotten over what happened two years ago. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. But as the wedding takes on a life of its own, Ama and Elliot are about to discover that some things can survive a complete catastrophe . . .

Smart and hilarious, Forget Me Not is about two people giving themselves—and love!—a second chance.

https://amzn.to/40nELxI

I read this author’s second book, Not Another Love Song, and I liked it so much that I hunted down this one. There are a couple of characters who cross over, but both books stand alone just fine.

This book is about a wedding planner, Ama, who worked for one of the most successful wedding planners in town, but with her boss’s blessing, she’s gone out on her own. Her boss does strictly high end weddings, and Ama wants to work with brides on a budget. Her business is going pretty well, but she’s barely scraping by, using a myriad of relatives to help in lieu of paid full-time staff. But everything changes when a social media influencer wants Ama to plan her & her bride-to-be’s wedding, and money is no object. The brides also insist on using Bloom as the florist.

Little do the brides know, but Ama and Elliot Bloom have a history. The story spends a lot of time in the past, building up to the reason why they no longer work together and are “enemies.” But Ama knows that Elliot is very talented and is happy to swallow her pride and ask him to work on this wedding. The details of the wedding are so original, it added another layer of interest to the story.

Elliott is the strong, silent type – even rude to a point, but Ama understands him perfectly. With every hiccup in the planning, Elliot is there to back her up and help. His caring for Ama overrides any issues I may have had with his grumpiness (and I really didn’t have any,) and the second-chance romance leads to a happy ending.

I enjoyed this read and was so excited to see what Soto would do next that I checked, and boy, am I disappointed. She has two books coming out later this year; one is a Young Adult book, and the other is a romantasy, the latest trend in romance, and a subgenre I don’t particularly care for. I wish her the best with both books, of course, but doubtful I’ll be reading either. Lucky for me, there are still lots of terrific romance writers who haven’t been driven to the dark side, by which I mean romantasy.

1/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FORGET ME NOT by Julie Soto. Forever (July 11, 2023). ISBN: 978-1538740880. 352p.