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WHAT THE HEX by Jessica Clare

May 19, 2023

The Hex Series, Book 2

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of April!

Enemies-to-lovers has never been more enchanting in this witchy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of Go Hex Yourself.

Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it.

Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone).

Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?

“Fans of Clare’s Go Hex Yourself will be happy with this follow-up in which Willem and Penny continue the enemies-to-lovers arc, with their own twist. Hand to readers who love witty banter, the fake-dating trope, and couples who fall hard fast.”—Library Journal

“Clare makes it easy to see why these two characters work together—and Penny’s feisty pet squirrel adds some laughs. Series fans will be pleased.”—Publishers Weekly

“Clare continues her delightful Hex series, introducing Penny, who is ultra-girly in “ruffles and pink,” with a “bubblegum and glitter” energy and an overwhelming desire to become a familiar for a witch or warlock…Willem’s iciness and aloof nature are belied by how he cares for Penny with cookies, milk, and great sex.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/3Mty311

I really enjoyed Go Hex Yourself, so I was ready to love this next book in the series, and I did! The publicist had told me that the books stand alone, and she was right. You don’t need to read the first book to thoroughly enjoy this new one, but it was so good that you should probably read it anyway.

This one is an opposite attracts romance. Willem is a curmudgeon for sure, and Penny is a ray of sunshine. All Penny wants is to become a familiar, like her parents. But those jobs are really hard to come by, so she is working in a shop that sells ingredients for spell casting while she waits. When her good friends ask her if she would be willing to work as a familiar, but in secret, she jumps at the chance.

It seems that Willem has had some trouble in his life, and his punishment is another decade of no spell-casting or familiars. But he has work to do and decides to ask his friends for a recommendation. It’s all hush-hush, but these are people who know how to keep a secret and while Penny is way too flashy and outgoing for him, Willem knows his options are severely limited. If they get caught, neither one of them will escape the wrath of the witches’ council.

Penny loves her new job, but because it is a secret, she must keep working her other job. Spell casting is exhausting work, and Willem isn’t thrilled that he has to work around Penny’s schedule, but he has no other options. There is an interesting side effect to his spells, and Penny doesn’t know if it’s normal or not and keeps it to herself.

Meanwhile, they have to come up with some sort of ruse as to why they are spending time together. Willem has a reputation as being standoffish, to say the least. He is not well liked by his community, but doesn’t really care what anyone thinks. On the other hand, Penny is going to have to somehow convince her friends that she has fallen for the aloof warlock, and that’s not easy either. But the more time they spend together, the more they start caring about one another.

There is enough drama to keep things interesting in this steamy romance, and of course there’s a very happy ending. This was a fast, fun read and while I am not always enamored of paranormal romances (in fact, I rarely read any) I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

Note: New York Times bestselling author Jessica Clare writes under three pen names. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance. As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. Finally, as Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WHAT THE HEX by Jessica Clare. Berkley (April 4, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593337585. 336p.

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THE SEASIDE LIBRARY by Brenda Novak

May 19, 2023

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on the Beach

There are secrets that bring friends together, and others that drive them apart…

Mariners Island is barely ten miles long, but when Ivy, Ariana and Cam were teenagers, it was their whole world. Beyond the pristine beaches and iconic lighthouse lies the beautiful old library that belongs to Ivy’s family. While that bound Ivy to the island as an adult, Ariana could not leave Mariners behind fast enough. The town holds too many…memories. Not only her unrequited feelings for Cam, but the tragedy that left a scar on the community.

When a young girl went missing, a teenage Cam was unthinkably the prime suspect. Ariana and Ivy knew he couldn’t have hurt anyone, and they promised to protect him—even if it meant lying on his behalf.

Now, twenty years later, Ariana returns to Mariners just as new evidence emerges on the case, calling into question everything the three friends thought they knew—and everyone they thought they could trust. What really happened that night? Over the course of one eventful summer, Ariana, Ivy and Cam will learn the truth—about their pasts, their futures and the ties that still bind them as closely as the pages of a book…

“Filled with mystery and drama, coupled with themes of family ties and secrets. This page-turner will not disappoint.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/3W7svxm

An old mystery brings three old friends together, but their stories are about to change. A young girl had gone missing on this small island twenty years earlier. Ivy and Ariana stretched the truth a tiny bit and said that Cam was with them until almost midnight when in fact, they had separated an hour earlier. But they were best friends, and that’s what friends do for one another. Besides, they were positive Cam had nothing to do with the missing girl.

With no evidence, the case is put to rest until the body of a young girl is found at the beach. The case is reopened, and once again Cam is a suspect. Ivy never left the island; her family founded a library there and she still runs it. Ariana is back visiting when all of this comes to a head. A romance is brewing while the mystery starts to unravel. This is a pageturner for sure, with enough red herrings to keep the suspense going until the very end.

This was a fast-paced story with interesting characters and all the circumstantial evidence a mystery needs – until it gets solved. Novak is a great storyteller, and this novel of romantic suspense is a terrific beach read. Hello, summer!

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SEASIDE LIBRARY by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (April 11, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0778333517. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren

May 16, 2023

From the publisher:

Sparks fly when a romance novelist and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the perfect Hollywood love story and take both of their careers to the next level—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners.

Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in the New York Times bestselling The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.

“Another winning romance from Lauren, full of big laughs, a few tears, and some seriously steamy scenes.” — – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The authors gleefully play with romance tropes, blending the delight of the meet cute with smart critiques of more toxic dating habits and wrapping the whole in clever dialogue and refreshing sex-positivity. Readers will have no trouble rooting for Fizzy.” — –Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3MkelWl

Christina Lauren is the pseudonym for two writers, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, who have been writing together for years and are a must-read for me. Interestingly, Lauren Billings wrote her own romance, Scandalized, last year, but under another pseudonym, Ivy Owens. Which wouldn’t be a big deal, except that book was promoted as this incredible debut novel – of course it was incredible, it was hardly a debut and more like the 30th book she’d actually written! I am happy to blame the publisher for this; it seems doubtful that the author decided to parade herself around as a new writer, but nonetheless, it really pissed me off when I found out. I didn’t quite understand why they did it. I would think that the reputation of Christina Lauren would have propelled that solo effort up the bestseller list. But what do I know.

Putting that aside, this new book is terrific and exactly what I’d expect from this writing duo. This is a sequel to The Soulmate Equation, but easily stands alone. One of the secondary characters from that first book is our heroine in this new one. Literally. Fizzy is an uber-successful romance author who has hit a bit of a roadblock. So when she is approached to star in a new reality dating show, she agrees, but with some caveats. She works closely with the producer, Connor Prince, a former documentary maker, and they turn this reality TV show into a smashing success.

The premise of the show is that the heroine, Fizzy, will meet eight men, all of whom are a particular archetype of the romance novel & romcom industry. There will be the one who got away (one of fizzy’s exes,) the bad boy, the cinnamon roll, the vampire, and so forth. She will date them and the viewers will get to vote on which guy gets kicked off each week. There is also a subplot that the DNA dating app that was at the center of The Soulmate Equation, will be used to help select the men. I have never seen an episode of The Bachelor (or Bachelorette,) but I do watch Love is Blind and Married at First Sight so I am somewhat familiar with the genre. While it sounds like this is all the book is about, it is really a subplot, or more fittingly, a plot device to move the story along. And it works beautifully.

Almost the first half of the book is spent developing these characters and their romance. But how can Fizzy fall for the producer when he is providing her with all these men to date? It’s not easy on either of them, but the viewers are the ones voting so it doesn’t really matter how they feel.

Both of these characters are really well developed and so likeable. I couldn’t help rooting for them both, only I wasn’t sure how they were going to pull off the happy ending. Have no fear; in the hands of these writing pros, a happy ever after is guaranteed.

This is a beautiful homage to the romance genre in all its forms. The story is immediately engrossing, the characters flawed but so likable, and the storyline interesting and engaging. Christina Lauren once again provides us with what is sure to be a bestseller, and I, for one, am most appreciative. I love all their books (well, at least the 20 or so that I’ve read!) If you haven’t tried these authors, this is as good a place to start as any. Of course, reading The Soulmate Equation first would be my preference, but honestly I read it so long ago that I didn’t remember all the details, so you do you! Another book not to be missed by this terrific writing duo – kudos!

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren. Gallery Books (May 16, 2023). ISBN: 978-1982173432. 416p.

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SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal

May 12, 2023

From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal, a story of a couple from two very different restaurant families in rustic Minnesota, and the legacy of love and tragedy, of hardship and hope, that unites and divides them

Mariel Prager needs a break. Her husband Ned is having an identity crisis, her spunky, beloved restaurant is bleeding money by the day, and her mother Florence is stubbornly refusing to leave the church where she’s been holed up for more than a week. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in her family for decades, and while Mariel’s grandmother embraced the business, seeing it as a saving grace, Florence never took to it. When Mariel inherited the restaurant, skipping Florence, it created a rift between mother and daughter that never quite healed.

Ned is also an heir—to a chain of home-style diners—and while he doesn’t have a head for business, he knows his family’s chain could provide a better future than his wife’s fading restaurant. In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Ned and Mariel lose almost everything they hold dear, and the hard-won victories of each family hang in the balance. With their dreams dashed, can one fractured family find a way to rebuild despite their losses, and will the Lakeside Supper Club be their salvation?

In this colorful, vanishing world of relish trays and brandy Old Fashioneds, J. Ryan Stradal has once again given us a story full of his signature honest, lovable yet fallible Midwestern characters as they grapple with love, loss, and marriage; what we hold onto and what we leave behind; and what our legacy will be when we are gone.

“Stradal serves up another saga of food and family, hurt and healing, pitched between cliff-hanger moments. . . that make the pages fly.” —People

“Stradal…displays his gift for writing female characters who are fully realized, sometimes unlikable, but always as flawed and compelling as real people. The Midwest setting is written with love and respect, and while the story is often heartbreakingly sad, there’s also real warmth and comfort in Stradal’s writing. A loving ode to supper clubs, the Midwest, and the people there who try their best to make life worth living.” —Kirkus (starred)

“Stradal’s novels…always resonate…He explores universal themes: love, loss, regrets for one’s past mistakes, and longings for what might have been—plus, of course, the importance of family.” —Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/42efPal

I don’t know a whole lot about the Midwest, other than what I’ve gotten from books and a friend from St. Louis. Stradal’s books are firmly set there, so they are always a learning experience for me. Plus, he wrote one of my favorite books ever – Kitchens of the Great Midwest.

I’ve heard of supper clubs, probably from his earlier books, but this book dives deeply into the tradition. I’m still not 100% sure I can differentiate between a supper club and any other restaurant, other than in the reading it feels somewhat different. We try and understand things we aren’t sure of by thinking about things in our own lives that may be similar – to me, to my understanding, it feels almost like a country club restaurant, without the golf and the membership dues.

This is a story that spans generations, marriages, deaths, and estrangements. Once I started this book, I was hesitant to put it down and not because of anything gimmicky, like 2 page-long chapters (I’m looking at you, James Patterson et al.,) but because I wanted to see what happened next with this family. This is a book where you can’t help rooting for all the characters to come together, to find their happy endings, but as in life, not all the endings are happy. This story took me on an emotional journey, and I loved it.

Let me add that Pamela Dorman books never let me down. If you are searching for a new read, a good way to find one is by imprint, in this case, Pamela Dorman books. You can google her or even do a search in Amazon, and anything you find attached to her name will be a good book, (at least for me.)

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB by J. Ryan Stradal. Pamela Dorman Books (April 18, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1984881076. 352p.

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ALL THE DAYS OF SUMMER by Nancy Thayer

May 12, 2023

From the publisher:

A woman’s second act on the island of Nantucket delivers much more than she expected in this captivating novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.

“A beautiful, hope-filled, heartwarming story about new beginnings and second chances.”—RaeAnne Thayne, author of The Cafe at Beach End

Heather Willette has a good life in Concord, Massachusetts. But when her marriage has fizzles out, Heather has to decide what sort of life to live next. Ready to seek out her own happiness and discover herself again, Heather decides to leave her husband and rent a cottage on Nantucket. And her plan is going perfectly—until her son, Ross, announces he’s moving to Nantucket to work at his girlfriend’s family’s construction business instead of going back home to work with his own father, like he’d promised. Worst of all for Heather, this means having to get along with her.

Kailee Essex is thrilled that Ross is willing to move to her hometown. She has big hopes for their happily ever after, especially now that her parents are finally showing interest in her career. She’s less thrilled, however, about his mother living nearby. Kailee has clashed with Heather since the day they met. But anything is possible in the summer sun and sea breezes of Nantucket—even reconciliation. And when change comes sooner than either Heather or Kailee expect, they must learn to overcome their differences to fight for the future they want.

With All the Days of Summer, beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer delivers a moving novel that explores the complexity of family and the unexpected ways fate can guide you forward.

“Thayer delivers another heartwarming story that fans will enjoy.”—Booklist
https://amzn.to/42efPal

Nancy Thayer writes heartwarming stories with strong female protagonists, and the setting on Nantucket is just the icing on the cake here. Heather has been married for a long time, but her son is getting ready to finish college and she decides it’s time for her to find some happiness. Not that her marriage is a bad one, it’s just not especially happy or fulfilling. Heather and her husband have grown apart and while that isn’t enough of a reason for some people to divorce, it is for her. When her best friend finds a small cottage for rent on Nantucket for $10,000 for the summer – a steal for this market – Heather decides to take some of the money she’s been squirreling away for years and splurge on this summer rental. Her husband doesn’t quite understand why she is leaving him, but he doesn’t put up much of a fight, either. I think her calmness and logic in all of this is a rather nice change from the usual craziness of so many divorces.

The only downside to Heather’s plan is that her son, whom they expected to take over the father’s hardware store, is not interested in doing that. He has a girlfriend and it is getting serious, so when her father offers him a summer job working for his company, the largest construction company on Nantucket, he jumps at the chance. His girlfriend is none too thrilled to find out that Heather is staying on the island, too. She is immature in a lot of ways, and it takes some time to see her grow up.

Heather and her future daughter-in-law both do a lot of growing this summer. I liked seeing Heather come into her own here, and while the ending is a bit too neat, it is perfect for my first read of the summer books. The calendar may not say summer yet, but Thayer took me there anyway. I enjoyed the writing, the setting, and the characters in this domestic fiction with a touch of romance – everything I like in a book.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THE DAYS OF SUMMER by Nancy Thayer. Ballantine Books (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593358450. 352p.

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Spotlight Review: ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by William Landay

May 9, 2023

From the publisher:

A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .

“Astonishing, powerful, and provocative, this book is worth the excruciating wait for another William Landay.”—Louise Penny, author of A World of Curiosities

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?
https://amzn.to/42k1lFo

I’ve read a couple of William Landay’s books that were excellent; his first novel, Mission Flats, and his bestseller, Defending Jacob. Defending Jacob became a limited drama series on Apple TV+ with Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery, and was very good. I was looking forward to this new book and was not disappointed.

This is a family nightmare – the mother goes missing one day, and no one knows what happened to her. Of course, the father/husband is the chief suspect, but they don’t get anywhere with him because he is a criminal defense lawyer. His kids, on the other hand, have their own theories. The family is split, but they come together when their mother’s body is found twenty years later. The original detective is retired, but he’s never forgotten this case and has always been sure of the father’s guilt. He starts working with the family to try and solve the mystery.

I don’t want to give anything away here. Most of the book explores the family dynamics, at least until the mystery starts unraveling. I found the ending to be a bit muddled, but definitely worth the read to get there. This is a beautifully written, interesting, and gripping mystery.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by William Landay. Bantam (March 7, 2023). ISBN: 978-0345531841. 336p.

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FALLING HARD FOR THE ROYAL GUARD by Megan Clawson

May 5, 2023

A new and royally good debut rom com for Spring 2023, perfect for anyone who likes London, laughing out loud and love

From the publisher:

Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com – perfect for anyone who likes relatable heroines (with great hair), hot and aloof book boyfriends (with great hats), near misses, almost kisses and a corgi or two.

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

A right royal rom com, perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and The Royal We.
https://amzn.to/3Ll3udk

This was such an interesting and fun read! The author, an influencer, actually lives in the Tower of London, as does our heroine. I have never been to the UK, and I have always assumed the Tower of London is just that; a tower. Turns out it is a castle with various buildings and tons of history.

Maggie’s father is a beefeater, and since her mother’s passing they live together in the Tower. Maggie works at the ticket counter selling entry to interested tourists. Her boss is a bit of a dick, and her co-workers are all mean girls, and her boyfriend of seven years was cheating on her. They’ve called it quits but he keeps sniffing around.

There are rotating teams of Royal guards at the castle and Maggie meets Freddie and their chemistry just lights up on the page. Except he comes and goes and can be a bit standoffish. Even when he invites her around, he lets his friends entertain her. Eventually, they spend a bit of time together and Maggie finds herself falling for him. She isn’t sure about his feelings though – all that British stiff upper lip makes it hard to get a read on him.

His friends help her set up a profile on a dating app, and she promises them she will try five dates. One is more horrible than the next, and anyway, no one really compares to Freddie. Except it turns out he may not be as available as she would like.

This is a laugh-out-loud funny British romcom with enough details about the Tower to make me want to visit. A super fun read – don’t miss it.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FALLING HARD FOR THE ROYAL GUARD by Megan Clawson. Avon (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0008554415. 384p.

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PLAYING IT TOUGH by Amy Andrews

May 5, 2023

Sydney Smoke Rugby Series, Book 8

From the publisher:

Cosmetic tattoo artist Orla Stewart doesn’t do anything in half measures. She went from being the ultimate party animal to living a life that’s ridiculously straight and narrow. Turns out, cancer can change a girl. A lot. Adios to delicious cheeses, boozy dance parties and easy men. Hel-lo to celibacy and a sweet house-sitting gig with a massive pool. Until one very hot, very unwelcome intruder turns things upside down.

American rugby import Ronan Dempsey’s partying is trashing both his reputation and his game—and risking his chances for making the US Olympic team. He needs to clean up, and the pool house belonging to a family friend is the perfect place to hideaway. No. More. distractions. Which is exactly when a gorgeous, pink-haired hellion knocks Ronan on his ass…

The chemistry is instantaneous, charged, and absolutely, completely, totally off-limits. Proximity makes temptation nearly impossible to resist. Now it’s a deliciously torturous game of pushing boundaries and holding out. It’s just a matter of time before someone breaks…

Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is a STANDALONE:
* Playing By Her Rules
* Playing It Cool
* Playing the Player
* Playing With Forever
* Playing House
* Playing Dirty
* Playing It Safe
* Playing It Tough
https://amzn.to/3UzBZk8

I’ve read a few of Andrews’ books and enjoyed them all, but she is so prolific I can’t keep up! This is the eighth book in this series, but the first one I’ve read; I’ll be looking for the earlier books for sure.

Orla is housesitting when a strange man shows up and looks like he is trying to break into the pool house. Orla is one tough cookie and she doesn’t play. Before he knows what hit him, Ronan, a profession rugby player, is flat on his ass. Turns out his mom is friends with the property owner, and offered him the pool house for a while.

Ronan has been enjoying the spoils of professional athletes – one night stands, one after another. But his game is suffering for it, and he really wants to go home and make the American Olympic rugby team, which means he has to get his act together. He is being scouted and he can’t afford to mess up.

Orla is not thrilled with her new houseguest, even though they are in separate buildings as it were. But beggars can’t be choosers, and she loves where she is staying and he is awfully cute. Ronan has made a bet of celibacy with his teammates, and even though he is madly attracted to Orla, he is determined to keep his game strong and his libido in check. If you’ve read any forced proximity romances, you know how this is going to end, but who cares? It is so much fun to get there.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

PLAYING IT TOUGH by Amy Andrews. Entangled: Brazen (April 17, 2023). ASIN:‎ B0BYX1YSMY. 260p.

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TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone

May 5, 2023

From the publisher:

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND NATIONAL BESTSELLER.

Tautly wound and expertly crafted, Two Nights in Lisbon is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line.

You think you know a person . . .

Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone―no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.

She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new―much younger―husband?

The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

With sparkling prose and razor-sharp insights, bestselling author Chris Pavone delivers a stunning and sophisticated international thriller that will linger long after the surprising final page.

“This smart, calculating author remains many notches above others in his field” ―The New York Times

“Devilishly clever . . . Wait until you read the ending that Pavone springs on you.” ―St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Nothing is quite as it seems in this energetic thriller that calls into question marriage, loyalty, and truth.” ―The Washington Post

Nominated as best hardcover novel, 2023 ITW Thriller Awards!
https://amzn.to/3L7O5Nc

I haven’t read Pavone in a while, but since I was heading to Lisbon I queued this book up on my Kindle and started reading as soon as the plane left the ground. We were flying to Lisbon from Miami via Air France, so a stop in Paris (always a hardship!) and then a short hop to Lisbon. I finished this book before Paris – it was unputdownable and the twists never stopped coming.

This book came out last year, and the paperback just came out this week. Fortuitous timing! This thriller features an unreliable narrator, an intriguing foreign setting, and a cast of sketchy characters, none of whom is quite what they appear to be. It starts off with a kidnapping – the main character, Ariel, wakes up to find her husband gone. And he’s not answering his phone. Nothing else seems to be missing, so she heads down to the front desk of the hotel but no one remembers seeing him. She then reports it to the local police, but since he’s only been gone a few hours, they are none too interested. Either is the American Embassy. At least they are not interested until she receives a ransom note.

Ariel has connections with someone pretty high up in the American political arena, and has enough dirt on the man to gain his cooperation in raising the ransom money. But nothing is as it appears, and as the layers unfold in this twisty story, things seem to get more and more complicated, instead of the other way around.

I never saw the ending coming, but to be fair I don’t really try and figure out books like this. I just enjoy the ride and this was a terrific ride indeed!

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone.‎ Picador; Reprint edition (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1250872302. 448 p.

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Spotlight Review: THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane

May 2, 2023

From the publisher:

From the beloved author of the triumphant New York Times bestseller Ask Again, Yes comes a magnificently told novel about the complexities of marriage, family, longing, and desire.

Malcolm Gephardt, the handsome and gregarious longtime bartender at the Half Moon, has always dreamed of owning a bar. When his boss is finally ready to retire, Malcolm is inspired to buy the place. He sees unquantifiable magic and potential in the Half Moon and hopes to make it a bigger success—but quickly realizes that his customers don’t like change and that making a profit won’t be easy.

Malcolm’s wife Jess is smart, confident, and has dedicated herself to her law career. But after years of trying to have a baby, she’s struggling to accept the idea that motherhood may not be in the cards for her. Like Malcolm, she feels her youth beginning to slip away, and while her hopes and expectations fall short of the current reality, she wonders how to reshape her life.

Taking place over the course of one tumultuous week—when Malcolm learns shocking news about Jess, a patron of the bar goes missing, and their town gets hit by a massive blizzard—award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s skilled storytelling and generous spirit are on full display as she carefully explores a marriage in crisis, what it takes to make a life with another person, and the true meaning of family.
https://amzn.to/3XpjOyn

Mary Beth Keane (Ask Again, Yes) takes us into a marriage that is struggling. Jess and Malcolm married when she got pregnant, but she lost that baby. That turns into years of infertility treatments and IVF, which is immensely frustrating and expensive. Jess is an attorney but doesn’t love her job, only the paycheck that comes with it. Malcolm recently purchased the bar where he’s worked for over twenty years, but he neglects to tell Jess that he also bought the building on a handshake deal with his old boss, which proves to be a problem. Everything comes to a head one week in this small town when a blizzard hits and everyone loses power, one of the bar’s regulars goes missing, Malcolm is feeling overwhelmed with money problems, and worst of all, Jess has left him for another man, begging the question: can this marriage be saved?

Verdict: This deep dive into the complexities of marriage makes this perfect fodder for book discussions. Should appeal to readers who enjoy Elizabeth Berg, Eleanor Lipman, or Meg Wolitzer.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane. Scribner (May 2, 2023). ISBN: 978-1982172602. 304p.

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