Returning to Magnolia Sound was never part of the plan. Then again, Parker Bishop rarely had one. Yet after confessing her love to her best friend right before his wedding, she needs time to lick her wounds from the disastrous scene that unfolds. After the unsympathetic welcome she receives from her parents and siblings, Parker finds herself absentmindedly driving through town in search of a place to stay.
That’s when she spots the flier and a familiar name…
Ethan Harlow enjoys the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, finding a moment of it becomes impossible when the flier he posts for a roommate brings Parker crashing into his life. Of course, he remembers her from high school. It’s impossible to forget little miss popular who was always the center of attention. All he wanted was to split the rent and keep to himself. Instead, Parker transforms his home and makes him question the dreams he gave up out of fear of stepping out of his comfort zone.
The attraction they feel to one another makes crossing the line from roommates to lovers seem inevitable. But the more Parker encourages Ethan to pursue his dreams, the less likely it becomes that they can have any kind of future together. Can they find a way to claim their happily ever after or will their individual paths make a future impossible?
I have read several books by this author and I always like the book and hate the cover. I didn’t hate this one! It is probably the best cover for one of her books that I’ve seen, so feel free to judge this book by its cover.
Having recently moved back to her hometown of Magnolia Sound, Parker is bouncing from one relative to another until she finds Ethan’s flier in the library. Her whole family lives here, and while she vaguely remembers Ethan from high school, her cousin, the librarian, vouches for him. She basically steamrolls Ethan into renting her a room in his house, and he isn’t sure this is going to work at all.
The funny thing was I had no idea this was part of a series when I read it, never mind the tenth book! Looking back I can see it, so kudos to Chase for doing such a good job with that.
Ethan is an introvert, a nerd, and completely intimidated Parker when they were in high school together and he was class valedictorian. Parker has the lowest self esteem of anyone I’ve read about in quite a while, but is so charming and self-deprecating that I couldn’t help but root for her. Ethan and Parker become roommates, then friends, then more while Parker tries to figure out her life.
Small town charm is abundant here, as are a lot of laughs from Parker’s crazy large family. I really enjoyed watching both these characters grow and bring out the best in one another. Not much sex either, if that is a factor for you. All in all, a very enjoyable read and yep, I’m looking for the earlier books in this series.
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
ALWAYS ON MY MIND by Samantha Chase. Chasing Romance, Inc. (March 22, 2022). ASIN: B09QD5FV3C. 277p.
Zig and Nola are back—in the hugely entertaining, highly anticipated follow-up to Brad Meltzer’s #1 New York Times bestselling thriller The Escape Artist.
What’s the one secret no one knows about you?
Archie Mint has a secret. He’s led a charmed life—he’s got a beautiful wife, two impressive kids, and a successful military career. But when he’s killed while trying to stop a robbery in his own home, his family is shattered—and then shocked when the other shoe drops. Mint’s been hiding criminal secrets none of them could have imagined.
While working on Mint’s body before his funeral, mortician “Zig” Zigarowski discovers something he was never meant to see. That telling detail leads him to Mint’s former top secret military unit and his connection to artist Nola Brown. Two years ago, Nola saved Zig’s life—so he knows better than most that she’s as volatile and dangerous as a bolt of lightning.
Following Nola’s trail, he uncovers one of the U.S. government’s most intensely guarded secrets—an undisclosed military facility that dates back to the Cold War and holds the key to something far more sinister: a hidden group willing to compromise the very safety and security of America itself.
This is the sequel to The Escape Artist, which I read several years ago. That book made my Best Books of the Year for 2018 list. Bonus – I remember more than I usually do because these characters are not your typical run-of-the-mill private detectives or cops or Feds or whatever. Instead, Zig is a mortician at Dover Air Force base, working on the bodies of fallen American soldiers. Nola is the U.S. military’s Artist-in-Residence, which means she goes to locations of tragedy or war (she gets to pick) and draws and/or paints what she sees – a job I had never heard of. Leave it to Meltzer to ferret out these interesting positions and incorporate them into a thriller – now a series. These characters might be considered “amateurs” like the kind you find in many cozy mysteries, but trust me, there is nothing cozy about this book, it is a thriller started on page one. The good news is that you do not have to read the first book in the series to understand this one; it stands alone beautifully.
I love these characters and we learn more about them this time, especially the enigmatic Nola. All the characters are interesting, multi-dimensional, diverse, and fully realized. The situations they find themselves in are often not of their own doing, but their resolve, ingenuity, and tenacity gets them where they need to go. That said, the body count is high and this is not a book for the squeamish. There are an almost a dizzying number of twists and turns and the pages fly by in this unputdownable thriller. Yes, I stayed up late to finish it! This is a worthy sequel, and the second book of what is shaping up to be one of my must-read series.
If you are not familiar, Meltzer does a ton of research for his books. I know this because over the past several years, on occasion I have helped him access obscure articles or articles behind paywalls. So trust me when I tell you that even though you may never have heard of some of the things in his books, they are generally based on impeccable research, including personal interviews with various government officials, even including Presidents (many have been fans of his work!)
I met Meltzer when I was working at Borders Books. His parents (since deceased) lived in Boca Raton, where I worked, and one day he stopped in to see if we had his book – his first novel, The Tenth Justice. In a funny coincidence, I had just read it and loved it. We chatted a bit and that was that. Or so I thought. He told me that I was the first bookseller he ever met who had actually read his book, and honestly, I thought he was full of it. But then a few years later, he told that story to a few hundred people at a booksigning at Barnes & Noble, when I was in the crowd with my daughter. And he’s repeated it since. So we have had a fairly long relationship – I believe he just celebrated the 25th anniversary of that first published novel. Brad is a really good guy, down to earth, madly in love with his wife, and consumed by his children – he once did an event for me at the Palm Beach County Library that we had to schedule around his coaching his son’s baseball team. Or t-ball. Whatever. The guy is a mensch – buy his book!
Watch Brad discuss The Lightning Rod with Seth Meyers!
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE LIGHTNING ROD by Brad Meltzer. William Morrow (March 8, 2022). ISBN: 978-0062892409. 432p.
A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy.
Sadie is a rising star in the trendy Seattle restaurant scene. Her dream is to create unique, modern, and mouthwatering takes on traditional Jewish recipes. But after a public breakup with her boss, a famous chef, she is sure her career is over—until she lands a coveted spot on the next season of her favorite TV show, Chef Supreme.
On the plane to New York, Sadie has sizzling chemistry with her seatmate, Luke, but tells him that she won’t be able to contact him for the next six weeks. They prolong their time together with a spontaneous, magical dinner before parting ways. Or so she thinks. When she turns up to set the next day, she makes a shocking discovery about who Luke is….
If Sadie wants to save her career by winning Chef Supreme, she’s going to have to ignore the simmering heat between Luke and her. But how long can she do that before the pot boils over?
Sadie was working as a sous chef for her boyfriend, who dumps her and fires her. Just when she thinks she’ll never get another job, she gets something even better; a call from Chef Supreme (think Top Chef) and the opportunity to be on national TV and get her reputation back. Sadie knows if she can make it through to the semifinals, everything will be golden – she may even get the opportunity to realize her dream of opening her own restaurant.
On the flight from Seattle to New York City, where the show is filmed (one of the small variations on the Top Chef formula) she is seated next to Luke, a good looking man who has the hands of a chef. Sure enough he is a chef, and they really get to know one another on the long flight. When they land, he goes with her to Queens where she will be staying and takes her to a Korean speakeasy of sorts. They have a magical date, but she is going to be untouchable for the next six weeks. She promises to call when she can, and she heads off.
Turns out Luke’s father is one of the most celebrated chefs in New York, and Luke has been tapped to judge on the TV show when the regular judge has a medical emergency. Sadie is shocked to see him there, and even more shocked when he calls her “Sandy” as if he doesn’t remember her.
Sadie is of Jewish descent, and her goal is to let people know there is more to Jewish food than just bagels and latkes. She puts a gourmet spin on many of the most familiar dishes, and works her way towards her goal. Meanwhile, spending time with Luke is hard on her, and as it turns out, on him as well. But no worries, there is a happy ending in sight for both of them.
I loved this book so much! I am a huge Top Chef fan, and this felt like a peek behind the curtains of that iconic show. Having a Jewish protagonist was also a plus for me, not something I see very often in romcoms but that seems to be changing, very slowly for sure, but I’m always hopeful. While this is the first “Amanda Elliot” book and the author’s debut novel for adults, the author has several Young Adult books under the name Amanda Panitch. This was a terrific, one night read for me and I look forward to seeing what “Elliot” does next.
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SADIE ON A PLATE by Amanda Elliot. Berkley (March 15, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593335710. 352p.
Book 0.5Book 1Book 2Book 3Book 3.5Book 4Book 5Book 6
I started reading this series in the middle, as I often do, with SNEAKING AROUND WITH #34. I liked it, but in a weird coincidence, I read another hot hockey romance by a different author right before this one. They both published on the same date, so it led to immediate comparison, and the other book won. But not by much. And I liked this book enough that I began the hunt for the rest of the books in the series.
The first book, or 0.5 as it is labeled, Countdown to a Kiss, is actually a novella introducing the series. It was free from Amazon, so I downloaded it and read it immediately. I am not always a fan of novellas, but this was a good entry into a new series and I was glad to have read it. Some of it is repeated in the first book, in case you don’t read this one. The “countdown” refers to New Years Eve, and it is set at a New Years Eve party. We meet three of the hockey players, but the central romance is on one of the players, Tweetie (they all have nicknames) and Tedi, the woman he meets there.
Tedi is a fun character. She is basically obsessed with hockey players and has a “fuck it bucket list” and Tweetie heads the list. Neither one of them is relationship material and both are looking for a one night stand. But Tedi surprises herself by going back for more, and so does Tweetie. And before they know it, they are in a relationship.
That novella leads to the first book in the series, My Lucky #13, which was also free from Amazon. This story centers around Aiden, the team captain, and Saige, a social media manager for professional athletes. They meet at the New Year’s Eve party in Countdown to a Kiss, when Aiden’s manager brings Saige as his date to the party. Then he basically abandons her, and Aiden moves in. Wanting to date his manager’s girlfriend puts him in an awkward situation, and that is one of the major plotlines here.
When Aiden goes to kiss Saige at midnight, she suddenly backs up and throws her glass of wine in his face. Aiden has been in an eight game slump without scoring. He knows his neck is on the chopping block to get traded unless he can get back his mojo. He never believed in superstitions or the rituals that many professional athletes believe in, but after that night, he scores a hat trick (3 goals) in his next game. Deciding that Saige throwing that wine was the change he needed, he arranges for her to repeat it before the next game, and he scores again. His game is back, but Aiden decides that Saige needs to throw wine in his face before every game. A new ritual is born, plus Aiden gets to spend time with a woman he is falling for fast.
Saige has been burnt before and keeps Aiden thinking she is still dating his manager long after she dumps him to protect herself, but eventually the truth comes out and yes, they find their happily ever after.
Then I moved on to book 2, The Trouble with #9, which I found on CloudLibrary. Hoopla had the first two books but that was it. This one centers around Maksim, the Russian defender for the team. Maksim sees himself as the protector for his teammates, and every time the refs miss a call, he is there to remind the other team that he is watching. His temper is fierce on the ice, and the penalties he’s getting aren’t making the team owner happy. The owner decides to bring in Paisley, his daughter’s best friend, who is a psychologist. He wants her to work with Maksim, but all he does is flirt like crazy with her. Eventually, the owner decides every member of the team needs at least three sessions with the shrink and they all follow through except Maksim.
Ethically, Paisley is torn but decides since he isn’t talking to her anyway, she might as well date him. Maksim is really a sweet guy, and Paisley adores that side of him. Eventually she finds out why he is such a protector, and knows he needs therapy to work through his issues. But it isn’t until she dumps him that he learns that lesson. No worries, they find a happy ending as well.
I wasn’t able to get book 3, Faking It with #41 through my library so I requested they purchase it. They have the digital audiobook, but I’d much rather read it than listen. So I moved on to the next book, which is another novella, Tropical Hat Trick. I also couldn’t get that one from my library (again they had the audiobook though) so I used a credit I had on Amazon to buy it for $.99. I know, I splurged! This was a good story set at one of the team’s destination wedding – I guess from book 3?
This story is told from several points of view of the various team members at the wedding, plus a couple more who just happen to be there on vacation. One of them is Corey, a rookie, who meets Ande on the shuttle ride from the airport to the hotel. They have a steamy few days together, but he is the center of book 5, Second Shot with #76, so I suspect we will see more of Ande as well. That book comes out 4/19/2022. We also see the beginnings of something brewing with Kane, a new teammate who is one of the best in hockey, but has been around long enough that this will probably be his last season, and Jana, the team owner’s daughter. We also see Warner and Imogen meet up for the first time in years – which brings us to book 4, the one I read first in this series, Sneaking Around With #34, that feature this couple.
I will beg the publicist for the next two books in the series, or hope that my library gets them and reviews will follow. I am being very optimistic here! If you like sexy sports romances, or are a hockey fan, try this series. They are so engaging that I read all these books over a weekend, so enjoy!
Three professional hockey players from the Florida Fury attend a New Year’s Eve party at the team owner’s mansion and spend time with three very different women. As the countdown to midnight begins, each of them is hoping to start the new year off right with a kiss. But if that happens, does it mean they’re destined to see these women again? A sneak peek into Piper Rayne’s upcoming series, Hockey Hotties!
The one adjective used to describe my entire hockey career. I prefer to call it hard work, at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games and the team owner is talking about trading me.
I’ve never believed in superstitions. Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate. I’d wear the same socks for an entire year just to be the high-scoring center I used to be.
Imagine my surprise when after spending New Year’s Eve with a woman, I score a hat trick in the next game—that’s three goals in one game for you non-hockey lovers. Now, I have to track her down and bribe her to do it again before every game. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not talking about it.
I find her and when I get to know her better, I end up spending more time thinking about her than my game, but she’s made it clear she wants no part of me. She’s going to learn that I didn’t become a professional hockey player without having to fight for what I want.
One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy.
Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further. I want couch time with her but not the kind she’s used to.
I decide to lie to her just to finish off my therapy so I can do what I really want—date her—even if she says she doesn’t date hockey players. Just when my therapy sessions are up and I’ve made some headway with Paisley, it’s my parents who throw another wrench in my plans.
If I abide by my parent’s wishes to marry the one they’ve chosen, I’ll lose Paisley forever. But if I go against my parents, I’m failing my deceased best friend all over again.
It’s Ford and Lena’s destination wedding and every professional hockey player joining them for the big day are ready to let loose. But between vacation hook-ups, one player falling into bed with the boss and a surprise guest at the resort, there’s more action—and complications—than any of them could have predicted.
Note to Readers: This is a companion piece to the Hockey Hotties series but does not have to be read to enjoy any of the books in that series.
I have a reputation for being tight-lipped. You learn quick when you become a professional hockey player to be guarded with the media, so I’ve worked hard to cover up the mistakes of my youth.
But when I’m traded to the Florida Fury, where my ex–best friend is the starting right wing, I’m forced to confront my past. Ford and I have a lot of history, especially when it comes to his little sister, Imogen.
My heart still lurches in my chest when I see her. My hands want to reach out and touch her. My mouth wants to keep apologizing.
She’s the only woman who ever made me want more. But she’s also the one who fell victim to my most regrettable decision.
I’m not a believer in fate, but I must be back in her world for a reason. I’ve fought for everything I’ve gotten and I’m not backing down from what I know will be the best thing in my life.
My mom always said you don’t get a second shot at making a first impression. I’ve remembered that my entire career. Especially since I’m one of the few black men who play professional hockey.
I’m calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I’ve never taken a risk… until her.
I could blame it on the fact that for once I pushed away the pressure of my career for the ocean waves, the sand, and good times with my new teammates. But those are excuses because the minute I saw her at the airport, something lit up inside me and the best week of my life was spent with her in my bed.
After our week in paradise, we said goodbye, exchanged phone numbers and both assumed that unless one of us was flying through the other’s city on the opposite side of the country, our vacation fling was over.
Then one night after practice I see her. She’s here. In my city. Telling me she moved here for a job. If that’s not fate tell me what is.
I’ve never wanted a second shot more than I do this time, but she’s determined to leave what we were on the island we left behind.
The last thing any professional hockey player wants is to be the old man in the game. The guy who doesn’t know when it’s time to retire. Still, I can’t bear the thought of leaving the game.
This past year I’ve reflected on all my regrets, and I told myself that once I retire it’ll be the time to settle down and start a family. But this is where it gets tricky.
I think I’ve found her—my Mrs. Although she’ll deny our connection to anyone who asks. We’ve been sleeping together casually and since I’m still playing hockey, I’ve let her get what she wants—me—whenever she wants.
After being told my career as a player is over, the owner of Florida Fury grants me a shot to stay in the game. A coaching position I didn’t know I wanted until it was offered. The catch? He’s also passing the family business down to his daughter.
Who’s his daughter?
The woman who’s been in and out of my bed for the past year. Which means the woman I intend to make my wife is now my new boss.
Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. If he’s lucky, he’ll get a job at the hospital cafeteria. If he’s extra lucky, he’ll earn more than minimum wage. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.
When he discovers that his great-great-grandfather’s beat-up old fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach. Together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Ray will have to piece together the clues to recover his treasured Strad … before it’s too late.
With the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray’s great-great-grandfather asserting that the instrument is rightfully theirs, and with his family staking their own claim, Ray doesn’t know who he can trust—or whether he will ever see his beloved violin again.
This was such a good read! I can’t stop thinking about this book, even though I’ve read a few books since I finished it. This is a debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what this talented author does next!
The main character, Ray, is unforgettable. He loves music so much that he keeps practicing and studying despite the lack of support from his mother, his teacher, and his family. The only one who supports his efforts is his grandmother. Her grandfather, PopPop, also played the violin, and she is thrilled that finally someone in the family is showing an interest. She tells Ray that he can have her grandfather’s violin, if he can find it. It’s buried somewhere in the attic. It takes a while, but he eventually uncovers it and it is in very bad shape. Ray gets an early brush with racism when he takes it to the mall to have it repaired. They do a crappy job, charge him too much money, but at least he now has his own instrument instead of relying on the school rental.
Ray progresses in his music, gets a full ride to college with a wonderful teacher, a Black woman who understands where he comes from and more importantly, where he could go. He is very talented but even more hardworking, pushing that talent until it takes him to the world stage. Ray needs a better violin than the old one he got from his grandmother, but understanding its sentimental value, his teacher helps him take it to a good repair shop where he finds out it is a very valuable violin. From there, they go to New York to one of the premier violin shops in the world. Sure enough, several thousand dollars later, his old violin is completely restored and proved to be a Stradivarius worth about $10 million.
PopPop was a slave and he played that violin for his slaver, and was rewarded with his freedom and the violin. Finding a Stradivarius makes the news, and all of a sudden the slaver’s family has decided they want their violin back and accuse PopPop of having stolen it. Then Ray’s family decides they want him to sell it and give them the money. But Ray is determined to keep the instrument and keep playing it. Eventually, he hires a lawyer and tries to work out the lawsuits.
Meanwhile, he has been accepted to compete in the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the “Olympics” of music competition where Americans are rarely accepted and none has won a gold medal since the 1970s. But shortly before the competition, his violin is stolen and ransomed for $5 million. Devastated, Ray buys another violin to use for the competition, but he is determined to get his violin back.
While this book is marketed as a thriller, it is more a coming of age story, a story about racism in America and in particular, in the classical musical field. The mystery of the missing violin is a plot device that helps moves the story along, but it goes beyond that. I was so invested in Ray and his career that I couldn’t put this book down. I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the music terminology, but it didn’t matter. I loved being immersed in Ray’s world and was desperate for him to get his violin back and see his career rocket. According to the author’s note at the end, this is a bit of a bildungsroman as he is a Black man and a classical violinist.
This book was truly such a gift, and I am most grateful for it. It is sure to make my best books of the year (and I don’t say that lightly as it is only March!) Don’t miss it.
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY by Brendan Slocumb. Anchor (February 1, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593315415. 352p.
Things get textual when a steamy message from a random wrong number turns into an anonymous relationship in this hilarious rom-com by Lynn Painter.
Bad luck has always followed Olivia Marshall…or maybe she’s just the screw-up her family thinks she is. But when a “What are you wearing?” text from a random wrong number turns into the hottest, most entertaining—albeit anonymous—relationship of her life, she thinks things might be on the upswing….
Colin Beck has always considered Olivia his best friend’s annoying little sister, but when she moves in with them after one of her worst runs of luck, he realizes she’s turned into an altogether different and sexier distraction. He’s sure he can keep his distance, until the moment he discovers she’s the irresistible Miss Misdial he’s been sort of sexting for weeks—and now he has to decide whether to turn the heat up or ghost her before things get messy.
Olivia, her brother, and Colin are sharing an apartment because Olivia’s apartment building burned down. Because of her – an accident, certainly, but nonetheless it was her fault. Believe it or not, being accident prone is part of her charm and she is a delightful, memorable character. She is constantly getting herself into all sorts of trouble, but nothing compares with the relationship she ends up in with Colin.
One night, Olivia gets a text from an unknown number; classic fare of the “what are you wearing” variety. She replies with a smart ass answer, and a text relationship is born. Dubbed Mr. Wrong Number and Miss Misdial, they continue their banter over text, never taking it any further.
Meanwhile, Olivia has been forced to move in with her brother who rents a room from his friend Colin. She sleeps on a crappy air mattress on the floor of the office, and Colin barely tolerates her. As soon as she finds a new job, she’ll move out. That’s the plan and Olivia finds the job of her dreams – writing a parenting column. Except she doesn’t have kids. She knows this isn’t going to end well, but she loves what she’s doing and her boss, and that is rare.
Meanwhile, somehow things are heating up with Colin. Even her brother is on board, but the course of true love never runs smoothly, and when someone like Olivia is involved, there is bound to be one dilemma after another. This is a really funny romcom with a lot of heart and occasional steaminess. I loved Olivia and couldn’t wait for her to get her happy ending. If you want a thoroughly entertaining book, pick up Mr. Wrong Number!
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
MR. WRONG NUMBER by Lynn Painter. Berkley (March 1, 2022). ISBN: 978-0593437261. 352p.
Hooking up with my best friend’s little sister is one thing, getting drunk and marrying her in Vegas is another…
My team just won the Stanley Cup. I should be out on the town celebrating. Instead, I’m nursing a broken heart, courtesy of my ex-wife.
Next thing I know, I’m waking up with my teammate’s sister in my bed wearing a rock the size of the Grand Canyon on her finger. Neither of us remembers saying, I do… but turns out the marriage is as real as the diamond on her finger.
The press is going crazy. The team is pissed. And her brother… well he just might kill me. So, at the advice of my agent, we do the only thing that makes sense—make a plan to stay married until this madness blows over.
It might have started out fake, but Gabby is the one making my dreams come true and showing me what real love is.
Now I just need convince her to stay my wife forever.
I don’t quite understand why but I always enjoy the fake marriage romances, and this is a good one. I can suspend my disbelief to this trope without any problems. Plus it’s a hockey/sports romance, one of my favorites, although that doesn’t always guarantee a good read. I like Lynn’s books as a rule, and really enjoyed this one.
Gabby’s brother Garrett, who we met in the first book of this series, Game Changer, is Joey’s best friend and teammate, so when they wake up and realize they are married with no memory of the wedding, they know they are in trouble. They are friendly, but never dated so how they ended up married is a bit of a mystery. But if they break up, it will hurt the team, not to mention Garrett will kill Joey.
Joey is recently divorced, and is barely over it. But as he spends time with Gabby, he realizes that she may be the one for him. It takes her a little longer to get there, and there is some drama along the way, but nothing unsurmountable. Joey and Gabby have a lot of steamy sex before they reach their happily ever after, so if that isn’t your thing, skip this book. But if you like sports romances and fake marriages, or aren’t sure, but you do like hot romances, this is a terrific read. I loved it.
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
DREAM MAKER by Stacey Lynn. Independently published (March 8, 2022). ASIN: B09KTCKXHX. 280p.
I have a reputation for being tight-lipped. You learn quick when you become a professional hockey player to be guarded with the media, so I’ve worked hard to cover up the mistakes of my youth.
But when I’m traded to the Florida Fury, where my ex–best friend is the starting right wing, I’m forced to confront my past. Ford and I have a lot of history, especially when it comes to his little sister, Imogen.
My heart still lurches in my chest when I see her.
My hands want to reach out and touch her.
My mouth wants to keep apologizing.
She’s the only woman who ever made me want more. But she’s also the one who fell victim to my most regrettable decision.
I’m not a believer in fate, but I must be back in her world for a reason. I’ve fought for everything I’ve gotten and I’m not backing down from what I know will be the best thing in my life.
I just read two hockey romances back to back, so that inevitably led to comparisons. I thought the Stacey Lynn book, Dream Maker, was a tiny bit better, but honestly I probably would have enjoyed this book even more had I read something else in between – if that makes sense?
This book has a former-lover-to-enemy trope at its center. Warner and Imogen were inseparable in high school, until something happens that causes him to react badly and breaks them up. Imogen’s brother Ford plays professional hockey in Florida, and when his former best friend and Imogen’s ex shows up to join the team, he is pissed, to say the least. Imogen has recently been hired by the team to handle their social media as the team’s “hype girl,” and guess who they want her to hype.
Warner is thrilled and he tries very hard to talk to her, but she’s pushing him away as hard as she can, especially considering she still has feelings for him. Eventually, he wears her down and she finally listens to him, and she forgives him and they start seeing one another again. But Ford doesn’t know and if he finds out, heads will roll. As it is, his attitude towards Warner is hurting the team.
Eventually, Warner and Imogen reach their happily ever after, and Warner and Ford find their way towards friendship again. This is a steamy romance set in the hockey world, and is a fun read for sure. This was my first book by this author, and now I want to go back and read the earlier books in this series. Luckily, I found them on Hoopla!
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SNEAKING AROUND WITH #34 by Piper Rayne. Independently published (March 8, 2022). ASIN: B09D2CKW3D. 249p.
We stand there on the brink of something we both feel but neither of us is ready to identify, and the little half grin he shoots me is nearly as devastating as his full-blown smile….
One of the few bright lights in Rachel Beck’s life is her job at a Miami Beach luxury hotel – until she’s fired for something she didn’t do. As a single mom, Rachel knows she needs stability, and fast. On impulse, Rachel inquires about a position at a brewery hotel on a tiny island in Lake Erie called Kelleys Island. When she’s offered the job, not even the grumpy voice on the line can dissuade her from packing up her whole life and making the move.
What she finds on Kelleys Island is Mason, a handsome, reclusive man who knows everything about brewing beer and nothing about running a hotel. Especially one that’s barely more than foundation and studs. It’s not the job Rachel was looking for, but Mason offers her a chance to help build a hotel – and rebuild her life – from the ground up.
Trish Doller’s The Suite Spot is about taking a chance on a new life and a new love.
Rachel Beck is a single mom to a three year old daughter. She lives with her mom, works the overnight shift as concierge at an exclusive Miami Beach hotel, and wishes things would be different with the baby daddy – he’s irresponsible, pays no child support, and tends to dump his daughter when he has a date.
When Rachel gets fired from her job after a “Me Too” moment goes badly, she is desperate. She really loved that job and now she has to settle for the night clerk position at a nearby seedy motel. Then she finds her dream job as a manager at a new hotel in Ohio. She decides to take the job, packs up her life and her daughter and moves to Ohio. Except when she gets there, the hotel isn’t built yet and the owner, Mason, is a bit of a grump and more interested in brewing beer than hotel building.
Mason had this idea for a specialty hotel on this remote island near Sandusky. His family owned an old, abandoned winery and house there, and he buys it with the idea of building a brewery and hotel on the property. But in the process, he loses his family, which devastates him. Unsure how to progress, he is hoping that Rachel will be the impetus he needs to get things moving.
For Rachel, this is the dream job. It wasn’t what she was expecting, but the opportunity to help build a new hotel from the ground up is too tempting to walk away from. Plus Mason is very good looking and kind, despite the occasional grumpiness.
As Rachel and Mason get to know one another, they eventually fall in love. But then disaster strikes in the form of the baby daddy suing for joint custody. Heartbroken, Rachel knows she has to move back to Florida to give her daughter a chance at spending time with her father. As a child, her father abandoned the family and Rachel never wants to be the cause of that for her daughter.
But Mason isn’t giving up that easily. It’s a struggle but Rachel and Mason find a way to be together by the end of this charming, sweet story. Set on Kellys Island, this is a lovely small town romance and an unputdownable read for me. I loved it!
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE SUITE SPOT by Trish Doller. St. Martin’s Griffin (March 8, 2022). ISBN: 978-1250809476. 288p.
In USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh’s new novel a notorious rake and an innocent debutante strike a scandalous bargain…
When Kieran Ransome’s latest antics result in a massive scandal, his father issues an ultimatum: find a respectable wife or inherit nothing. But as one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels, Kieran doesn’t know any ladies who fit the bill. Or does he?
Celeste Kilburn is a society darling, beloved by influential members of the ton. But keeping a spotless reputation leaves little room for adventure and she longs to escape her gilded cage, especially with her impending engagement to a stuffy earl. When Kieran—her older brother’s best friend and an irresistibly attractive rogue—begs for her help, Celeste makes a deal: she’ll introduce him to the right social circles if he’ll show her the scandalous side of London.
In between proper teas and garden parties, Kieran escorts Celeste—disguised as “Salome”—to rowdy gaming hells, wild fêtes, and sensual art salons. As they spend more time together, their initial attraction builds to a desperate desire that neither can ignore. But when someone discovers their midnight exploits, Celeste’s freedom and reputation are endangered, and Kieran must save the woman he loves… respectable or not.
Leigh writes compelling, page turning, sexy historicals and does it again here. I didn’t quite understand the beginning premise of Kieran and Finn helping their sister’s fiance escape the alter, but with their sister sent abroad to recover from being jilted, her ex and the brothers are in big trouble with their families. They’ve been playing fast and loose for years, and their parents threaten to cut them off if they are all not married to respectable women within a year. First up, Kieran.
Kieran has been avoiding respectable society for so long he doesn’t know how to find his way back. Unless their third’s completely-respectable-beyond-reproach sister, Celeste, will help him. She agrees but with terms; she wants to experience some of London’s seedier side as her brother has done for years. Desperate, he agrees and she agrees to introduce him to polite society once again.
Kieran’s obsession with Celeste’s neck only increases as they start spending time together. Her father was a longshoreman who made his fortune and is determined to see his daughter married into a fine family. She is engaged-to-be-engaged to a Lord, and her father is deliriously happy. Celeste, on the other hand, is miserable. But women have no rights to speak of in 1818, so marry him she will. But she falls in love with Kiernan and things become dicey. Especially when they have sex.
There doesn’t seem to be a way out of this mess and Celeste resigns herself to being unhappy for the rest of her life, but Kieran refuses to allow it – if only there was a way out. It is tense until the happy ending is reached, and it looks like Finn or Dom will be getting hitched next.
This was a fast, fun read with a lot of heat. Don’t miss it!
3/2022 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE GOOD GIRLS GUIDE TO RAKES by Eva Leigh. Avon (February 22, 2022). ISBN: 978-0063086272. 384p.
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