TEMPTED BY LOVE by Jennifer Ryan

August 25, 2018

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Montana Heat, Book 3 

(or 4 if you count a novella, Protected by Love)

I really enjoy this series and this latest installment is a good, fast read.

DEA agent Jay Bennett is happy to attend his best friend’s wedding. Except his friend’s baby sister, Alina, is there and he has always been attracted to her. Now she’s no longer a baby by any stretch of the imagination, and apparently the feeling is mutual. They end up in bed together after the wedding, causing all kinds of complications in both their lives.

They try and keep their relationship to themselves, but when Alina keeps finding herself in strange, dangerous situations, her brothers, also DEA agents, and Jay spring into action. The brothers soon realize that there is more going on than they thought, and to Jay’s surprise, they don’t kill him.

There is quite a bit of suspense here, more to do with the DEA stuff than the romance, but it does kick up the tension quite a bit. This was a page turner for sure, and another fun read in the series.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TEMPTED BY LOVE by Jennifer Ryan. Avon (August 28, 2018).  ISBN 978-1335017529. 352p.

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WHEN A DUKE LOVES A WOMAN by Lorraine Heath

August 23, 2018

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Sins for All Seasons, Book 2

I actually started this series with the first book (Beyond Scandal & Desire) which I really enjoyed, and this is an excellent continuation.

The series centers around a family of, for lack of a better word, bastards that a poor widow took in. None are related by blood but they are all as close as siblings usually are. The youngest is actually the mother’s only natural child, and one of two girls, and this book centers on the older girl, Gillie Trewlove.

Gillie is a most independent woman, raised to stand on her own two feet and take care of herself. Yes, she has four very tough brothers to look out for her, but even as a young child she was fiercely independent. In this story, she is thirtyish, unmarried and owns a tavern. She dressed as a boy for most of her childhood, and her mother’s dire warnings about getting pregnant have her binding her breasts and dressing in shapeless clothes as her regular attire. She is used to being ignored by men and is fine with that.

One night after closing the tavern, she hears a scuffle out back and goes to investigate. There she finds a man being beaten & robbed by four men, who run off as she approaches, leaving him for dead. He is severely wounded, and Gillie takes him upstairs to her apartment over the tavern and nurses him back to health. He is the most beautiful man she has ever seen, and he finds her most attractive and intriguing as well.

Turns out that man is Thorne, a Duke. He had been left at the altar earlier that day and was trying to find his runaway bride when he was attacked. Gillie helps him search for days, and they get to know one another in the process and fall in love. But neither can or will admit it or act upon it, at least not for a long while.

Gillie knows that the Duke must marry someone in duty to his family, not for love, and she has no interest in marrying into royalty or really anyone, as then her tavern would become her husband’s property. Eventually they work through their difficulties to find their happily ever after, and have some of the steamy love scenes that Heath is known for in the process.

I was a bit annoyed by the whole duke-can’t-marry-a-commoner issue as in my admittedly limited experience in the genre, Dukes generally do whatever the hell they want and the ton learns to deal with it. Beyond that minor quibble, it was a most enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WHEN A DUKE LOVES A WOMAN by Lorraine Heath. Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 31, 2018).  ISBN 978-1492663355. 352p.

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ALL DRESSED IN WHITE by Charis Michaels

August 21, 2018

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The Brides of Belgravia, Book 2

Tessa St. Croix and two of her friends post an advertisement for husbands, offering a large dowry. They are hoping to find husbands who will take the money and basically run, leaving them to live their lives as they want, as respectable married women who happen to live by themselves.

Joseph Chance and two of his friends respond to the ad. Chance is a self made man, quite wealthy but he has an idea for a business venture that needs an infusion of cash. His friends are all in, so they marry the women, and plan to leave on their adventure. But for the couple of weeks they court, Joseph finds himself falling for Tessa, and she seems to be falling for him as well.

Then on their wedding night, Tessa reveals an ugly secret, and Joseph is heartbroken and furious. He leaves, their marriage unconsummated, and is gone for months. Tessa is also heartbroken but feels she had no choice. She would like to make amends, if possible, so when he returns they slowly, cautiously try and find their way back towards one another.

Love heals all wounds, of course, at least in romance novels and this is no exception. I enjoyed spending time with these characters, although Tessa was often maddening. I suppose that just added to the tension though. An enjoyable romance. I imagine the two friends will each get their own story in the next couple of books – or maybe they already did? Once again I didn’t read the first book in the series so I’m at a loss, sorry.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL DRESSED IN WHITE by Charis Michaels. Avon Impulse (August 21, 2018). ASIN: B07238XNZG. 384p. eBook only.

 

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BRAVE NEW EARL by Jane Ashford

August 19, 2018

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The Way to a Lord’s Heart, Book 1

The Earl of Furness, Benjamin Romilly, was heartbroken when his wife died. Left behind was his son who looks so much like his lost wife, the Earl can barely stand to look at him. Left in the care of servants and an orphan boy slightly older than the child, he is a child run wild, to say the least. Then the countess’s cousin, Miss Jean Saunders arrives to determine whether or not to take the boy away, which seems to awaken the Earl to his surroundings.

Jean’s circumstances are not exactly what she purports them to be, and the Earl finds himself both intrigued and alarmed by the woman. Theirs is a tempestuous relationship, which lightens this read that deals primarily with grief.

The romance is on the sweet, sentimental side for sure with a bit of humor thrown in now and then, which it desperately needs as otherwise it would be a tad maudlin. I liked it and will read more of this series as it becomes available. Yes, I actually started a series with the first book (don’t get used to it, heaven knows I won’t!)

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BRAVE NEW EARL by Jane Ashford. Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 31, 2018).  ISBN 978-1492663355. 352p.

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BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DUKE by Kelly Bowen

August 18, 2018

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A Season for Scandal, Book 3

From the publisher:

2017 RITA award winning author!

Their love was always in the cards.
He should have thrown her out. But when club owner Alexander Lavoie catches a mysterious blonde counting cards at his vingt-et-un table, he’s more intrigued than angry. He has to see more of this beauty-in his club, in his office, in his bed. But first he’ll have to devise a proposition she can’t turn down.

Gossip said he was an assassin. Common sense told her to stay away. But Angelique Archer was desperate, and Lavoie’s club offered a surefire way to make quick money-until she got caught. Instead of throwing her out though, the devil offers her a deal: come work for him. Refusing him means facing starvation, but with a man so sinfully handsome and fiercely protective, keeping things professional might prove impossible…

This was a terrific historical romance, and a little different than most. The main characters aren’t trying to marry royalty, for starters. Alex has many rumors swirling around him but his main occupation is running a high end gambling establishment. Angelique is a brilliant woman with a gift for numbers, also most unusual, for this time period especially.

The setting is interesting, the characters are skillfully brought to life and believeable, and I loved their struggles. There are some good backstories here and a mystery. A very good read.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DUKE by Kelly Bowen. Forever (January 31, 2017).  ISBN 978-1455563418. 352p.

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IT TAKES TWO by Jenny Holiday

August 16, 2018

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Bridesmaids Behaving Badly, Book 2

From the publisher:
This USA Today bestselling author “charms with an irresistible romantic comedy” (Entertainment Weekly) that proves when best man and maid of honor compete, what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas…
Wendy Liu should be delighted to be her best friend’s maid of honor. But after years spent avoiding the bride’s brother – aka the boy who once broke her heart – she’s now trapped with him during an endless amount of wedding festivities. Luckily she’s had time to perfect her poker face, and engaging Noah Denning in a little friendly competition might just prove that she’s over him for good…
Noah Denning is determined to make his little sister’s wedding memorable. But it seems Wendy is trying to outdo him at every turn. Challenging each other was always something he and Wendy did right, so when she proposes they compete to see who can throw the best bachelor or bachelorette party in Sin City, Noah takes the bait – and ups the stakes. Because this time around, he wants Wendy for keeps. And when you’re fighting for love, all bets are off.
This was a really fun read. It’s the romance trope of childhood sweethearts belonging together forever, so if you don’t mind that it is a terrific romance. I didn’t read the first book in the series, but there is enough story given to put it all in perspective so it didn’t matter. Well, other than the fact now I want to read the first one!
The characters were well developed and likeable, even when they are behaving badly. And let’s face it, bad behavior is the most fun in any romance! If you like romantic comedies, and I do, then this is a good read for you.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IT TAKES TWO by Jenny Holiday. Forever (June 26, 2018).  ISBN 978-1455542420. 384p.

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SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR TO FALL, now in paperback!

August 8, 2018

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A Collection of Outlander Fiction

As regular readers know, Diana Gabaldon is on the shortlist of my favorite writers. SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR TO FALL is a collection of the novellas that have previously been published as Kindle Singles and such, now collected in this anthology and now out in paperback. I have not read the Lord John Grey stories as I read the first of that mystery series and it wasn’t for me. But I have read the Outlander novellas and they are fabulous!

SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR FALL begins with “The Custom of the Army,” and Lord John Grey being shocked by an electric eel and ends at the Battle of Quebec. Then comes “The Space Between,” where it is revealed that the Comte St. Germain is not dead, Master Raymond appears, and a widowed young wine dealer escorts a would-be novice to a convent in Paris. In “A Plague of Zombies,” Lord John unexpectedly becomes military governor of Jamaica when the original governor is gnawed by what probably wasn’t a giant rat.

“A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows” is the moving story of Roger MacKenzie’s parents during World War II. In “Virgins,” Jamie Fraser, aged nineteen, and Ian Murray, aged twenty, become mercenaries in France, no matter that neither has yet bedded a lass or killed a man. But they’re trying… “A Fugitive Green” is the story of Lord John’s elder brother, Hal, and a seventeen-year-old rare book dealer with a sideline in theft, forgery, and blackmail. And finally, in “Besieged,” Lord John learns that his mother is in Havana—and that the British Navy is on their way to lay siege to the city.

Filling in mesmerizing chapters in the lives of characters that readers have followed over the course of thousands of pages, Gabaldon’s genius is on full display throughout this must-have collection.

Diana Gabaldon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Outlander novels—Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes (for which she won a Quill Award and the Corine International Book Prize), An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood—as well as the related Lord John Grey books Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner; two works of nonfiction, The Outlandish Companion, Volumes 1 and 2; the Outlander graphic novel The Exile; and The Official Outlander Coloring Book. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband.

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GOOD LUCK WITH THAT by Kristan Higgins

August 7, 2018

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I love Kristan Higgins, but I didn’t love this book. It is a bit of a departure for her, tackling a pretty serious subject, the plight and discrimination that fat women face in this country.  I admire her for tackling such a tough subject, but I missed her usual humor for sure. Or maybe I didn’t like it that much because it hits a bit close to home for me.

Emerson is one of those women who is so obese that she can barely get out of bed. She has a cousin who is her caretaker, and a boyfriend who brings her food. When she dies, she leaves a letter for her two best friends, Georgia and Marley.

They all met in fat camp as teenagers and remained friends over the years. Georgia and Marley share a house in New York and haven’t seen Emerson in years, so they are shocked at how large she had become and at her death. She leaves them a list that they all made together when they were in fat camp, and asks her friends to complete the list. This is a “when we are thin” list – tuck in a shirt, get a piggy back ride, eat dessert in public, and so forth.

The women tackle the list and learn a lot about themselves in the process. We are never told Georgia and Marley’s actual weight, just the body issues each of them faces. There is romance, too, but that wasn’t enough to save this book for me. I’m really curious as to what other people think of it.

3/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT by Kristan Higgins.  Berkley (August 7, 2018).  ISBN 978-0451489395. 480p.

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THE SIMPLE WILD by K.A. Tucker

August 6, 2018

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From the publisher:

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.

It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

I am a sucker any book set in Alaska and this was a good one. Set in the fictional town of Bangor in Western Alaska, this is a good look at the life in a small, rural town. The characters are only there for summer so we don’t learn much about winter but we do learn about $10 boxes of cereal and the importance of relying on your neighbors and friends. They all lean on one another to get through life. And I liked learning about the business of owning a business in rural Alaska, it was different for sure.

It is, perhaps, a somewhat idyllic view of what is undoubtedly a very hard life, but this is a love story so why not. The characters are interesting and brought to life really well. The relationships between Calla and her family members, Calla and Jonah, and Jonah and her father all ring true. Watching Calla follow in her mother’s footsteps was heart-wrenching at times but the happily ever after does make it all worthwhile.  All in all, a most enjoyable read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. She is the bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series and the novels He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, and Keep Her Safe. She currently resides in a quaint town outside Toronto with her husband and two beautiful girls.

THE SIMPLE WILD by K.A. Tucker. Atria Books Paperback, August 7, 2018. ISBN: 9781501133435. 400 pp.

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FIND K.A. TUCKER ONLINE:

Website: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

Twitter: @kathleenatucker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.stuart.10

Instagram: @katucker_

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GRACE VALLEY TRILOGY by Robyn Carr

August 5, 2018

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This is the second series I’ve read by this author and she has become a favorite. These books – Deep in the Valley, Just Over the Mountain, and Down By the River combine to create a world that I loved spending time in.

Grace Valley is a small town filled with warm, likable characters, and the books center around the town doctor, June Hudson. June’s grandparents basically founded the town and her dad was the town doctor before he retired, leaving June to take over. Her Aunt Myrna, an eccentric but very successful novelist, built the clinic where June works.

Myrna raised her baby brother and didn’t marry until late in life. Her husband, a traveling salesman, disappeared and the townsfolk speculate that Myrna, whose novels usually center around a wife killing her cheating husband in myriad and gruesome ways, is writing what she knows. And she encourages those rumors.

A lecherous preacher, a gas station owner who’d rather fish than work, a cafe owner who gives away free meals on a regular basis, June’s best friend, the sheriff, and her godmother are the other major players in the story along with many more. Carr brings them to life, lovable quirks and all. Then there are the others, the poor, the abused, and the criminal that round out this tiny town. The way these characters interact and take care of each other is inspiring. Makes me want to live in a small town, although I suspect towns like Grace Valley are strictly fiction.

One night, two men come into June’s clinic, ordering her to remove a bullet from one of the men. The other man is holding a gun on her, but as she starts her work, he faints, sending the gun skittering across the room. June suspects that the faint was faked, and it turns out she was right. She’s also very attracted to the gunman, leaving her to think he is not at all what he seems and she is right about that as well. That’s where the story begins and it meanders beautifully through all three books and completely sucked me in. I read all three books in a weekend.

This is women’s fiction with a touch of romance and a lovely read. If you are looking for an escape, I highly recommend this trilogy. I loved it and I’m truly going to miss these characters.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

The Grace Valley Trilogy by Robyn Carr. MIRA (August 1, 2017). ASIN: B071YCRFTV. 662 p.

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