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From Manhattan With Love (Book 1)

Paige was a sickly child with a heart condition, and her brother Matt has been overprotective ever since. She’s had a crush on Matt’s best friend Jake since high school, when he gently rejected her and promised Matt he’d keep away.

Fast forward and Paige is a successful events planner, working in NYC with her two best friends. Eva is a chef and Frankie is a floral designer, but they all lose their jobs in a huge layoff.

The girls are all despondent, until Jake suggests they start their own business. But a start up is a lot of work and in this case, pretty much no reward. Until Jake steps up and has them create a party for him that is a huge hit and gets their business going.

The old feelings Paige had return in full force, and the heat between her and Jake leaps off the page. Jake has his own problems; he’s a wealthy bad boy and a serial dater with childhood issues still plaguing him. The relationship between the friends rang a lot truer for me than the romance, but all in all it was a very enjoyable read.

This is the first book of a series and from what I understand, Eva and Frankie will get their own stories. I am looking forward to both!

6/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SLEEPLESS IN MANHATTAN by Sarah Morgan. HQN Books (May 31, 2016). ISBN: 978-0373789153. 464p.

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When I find an author I like, I go back and read all their books. Such is the case here. After reading Wedding Girl, I had to go find earlier books by this author and this is the first one I found.

Ballis writes foodie chick-lit, which is the best short description I can come up with. Recipe for Disaster also deals with renovating an old house, and since I divide my TV time between the Food Network and HGTV, this book was right in my wheelhouse. Plus I could read it while watching those shows, one of the reasons I like reality TV.

Anneke Stroudt is a contractor for a high end building company. Her co-workers have quite the men’s club going on that includes Barbie doll type receptionists, and Anneke is definitely an outsider, but her work is so good they keep her busy.

But then the shit hits the fan. Anneke catches her fiance cheating, and she tells off a client, with the end result of losing her fiance, her home (which was his) and her job. Or as she puts it, a “country song waiting to happen.”

Luckily she has the old historic wreck she’s been working on in her spare time. Her fiance is part owner but is feeling so guilty he tells her she can pay him back when she sells it. It’s a mess but now it’s home.

First thing she needs is some contract labor but no one will help her. Turns out her old boss has blacklisted her. Eventually she finds an Indian man wearing a turban who is looking for work. No one will hire him because of his looks, but Anneke is happy for the help.

In a slightly other worldly twist, she finds an old journal in the home from the original owner’s cook. Every time she has a decision to make, she opens the book at random and the answer to her question is there. Well, most of the time.

Meanwhile, a co-worker who she despised has offered up some cash and his expertise to help with the house. Desperate, she acquiesces and things really get moving.

Anneke learns to cook, to trust her friends and her instincts, and has her happy ending. This was a fun read and I will be reviewing more Ballis books for sure.

6/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

RECIPE FOR DISASTER by Stacey Ballis. Berkley (March 3, 2015). ISBN: 978-0425265505. 480p.

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Fool’s Gold, Book 22

I am working my way through a bunch of new-to-me contemporary romance writers, and having a blast. This is the 22nd book in a series and my first Susan Mallery read – and I loved it.

Fool’s Gold is the name of a small town that runs on tourism. Aidan Mitchell literally put the word “adventure” into the company he took over from his mom, Mitchell’s Adventure Tours. He specializes in outdoor adventures and dating tourists, many of whom are looking for a little sexual adventure, too. He’s a love ’em and leave ’em kinda guy, so this works well for everyone. Until it doesn’t.

One night at a bar, a young woman who looks vaguely familiar approaches Aidan. She wants more from their relationship, and he can’t even remember her name. She annihilates him and for the first time, he feels like maybe this isn’t the best way to live.

Shelby Gilmore hasn’t lived in Fool’s Gold that long. She escaped there, running from an abusive father after her mother dies. She lands her dream job working for a local bakery. But Shelby has a lot of creative ideas, and her boss isn’t always receptive to them.

Shelby’s been in therapy long enough to know that she has serious trust issues with men, and after witnessing the Aidan debacle in the bar, she comes up with a plan. She needs to make friends with a man, just friends, to learn how to trust one. And she decides Aidan might be just the man she’s looking for.

Aidan realizes he needs to change, so when Shelby approaches him about her project, he agrees – he needs to learn to treat women with respect, to learn they are not just sex objects. They agree to a six month period of hanging out, and being just friends. But of course, they fall in love.

This was a perfect romance; great characters, an interesting setting, and lots of angst, love and sex. Next time I need a quick, fun read I will reach for another Susan Mallery book.

5/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BEST OF MY LOVE by Susan Mallery. HQN Books (April 26, 2016). ISBN: 978-0373789191. 384p.

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