Is he the real deal…or did she truly summon a golem?
Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy.
Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone.
That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right?
When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…
But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.
“A laugh-out-loud funny romance with depth and heart, readers will love this spellbinding novel!” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Meltzer’s timely exploration of antisemitic propaganda is sensitive while never overshadowing the cute romance that blossoms between Faye and Greg. This is Meltzer’s best yet.” —Publishers Weekly
“Meltzer’s (Kissing Kosher) latest is a page-turner, and readers won’t be able to stop until they have all the answers.” —Library Journal
“The slow burn of their romance along with plenty of humor amid the serious concerns make Meltzer’s latest an excellent blend of Jewish culture and romance.” —Booklist
I have really enjoyed all of Meltzer’s books, and as serious an issue as this one covers, it is my least favorite. The story revolves around Faye, a “Jewitch”, and Greg, the perfect man for Faye except for one tiny flaw – she believes she created him from a Golem. If you are not familiar, a Golem is a Jewish mystical creature created out of clay or mud and brought to life, usually to protect Jews from antisemitism.
Faye is upset when the small, upstate New York town where she lives is the subject of an antisemitism campaign. Antisemitic flyers are plastered all over the streets, and the flyers include names and addresses of Jewish people and their businesses. Faye is a ceramicist, and owns a small store where she sells her wares. Frightened, she breaks into the wine and ends up creating a clay man that she buries in her garden. The next day, she is riding her bike when she hits a man. He goes down hard, ends up in the hospital, and has a case of amnesia. Feeling guilty, Faye decides to take him home with her so he can convalesce until his memory returns.
Greg and Faye form a strong bond, but they are leery of getting too close because they don’t know if he has a family, a wife, or someone else. The antisemitism problem starts escalating, as does the romance, but I found the book slow going and somewhat repetitive for the first couple of hundred pages. I was tempted to put it down more than once, but because I’ve always enjoyed her books, I stayed with it. It does pick up in the second half, with a somewhat unbelievable ending to the antisemitism plotline and a happy ending for Faye and Greg.
This was the first contemporary romance I’ve read that addresses the rising antisemitism in this country, so I believe it is an important story woven into the romance. It never felt preachy at all, but rather showed how these acts make people feel and some of the consequences of these actions. There are so many Christian romances that Meltzer’s books always feel special to me, especially since there is a dearth of Jewish romance novels out there. I wish there were more.
9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
MAGICAL MEET CUTE by Jean Meltzer.MIRA; Original edition (August 27, 2024). ISBN: 978-0778334415. 400p.
The #SpicyTok favorite GAME ON series by New York Times bestselling author Kristen Callihan brings the heat. Are you ready for it?
The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone and above all…no falling in love.
Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is most definitely not on her to-do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy, right?
Football has been good to Drew—two National Championships and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turn him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she’s shut him down. Completely.
That is…until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives. Anna wants it to remain a hook up, but Drew sees the possibility of something great. Now it’s up to him to persuade her. It’s a good thing Drew knows all about winning. As the saying goes, All’s fair in love and football… Game on.
The GAME ON series by Kristen Callihan:
Book 1: The Hook Up Book 2: The Friend Zone Book 3: The Game Plan Book 4: The Hot Shot Book 5: Only on Gameday – Coming 2026
I liked another book from TikTok! Or BookTok! Or SpicyTok?? I never even heard of that one but it is enshrined in the blurb. And I get it – this is another very sexy read, so if you don’t like a lot of explicit sex in your books, look elsewhere. I was also surprised that I liked this as much as I did because the main characters are in college. I’m a librarian at a small, private university, and I supervise all the student workers. I am privy to a lot of their drama and I understand how serious it can get, so I don’t always want to read about more of it.
Callihan did a good job, got me involved with these characters and determined to see their happy ending. But there was so much angst before they got there! Drew is the star of the football team, the Heisman trophy winner, and most likely to go on to the NFL. He’s also a really good student, works hard, and apparently was a bit of a player but has come to use his time more wisely. Until he meets Anna.
Anna walks in to his class, sits near him, and there is magic in the air. At first, their relationship is purely physical. Anna has a lot of insecurities and is sure this man is going to use and then abuse her. She is wrong, but it takes Drew hundreds of pages to convince her, with a lot of sex along the way. Both of these characters are well-developed and more than the stereotypes one might assume. Their discord is serious at times, but eventually, they reach their happily ever after.
Note: This is the first book in a series, and right now, it is only available as an ebook or through Audible.
9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE HOOK UP by Kristen Callihan.Canary Street Press (July 2, 2024). ASIN: B0CQD3LYX3. 354p.
In the sizzling hockey romance that has taken TikTok by storm, the ultimate player turns romantic to charm the woman he is desperate to win over.
“Endlessly sexy and funny. Consider Me will have you fanning yourself and googling your closest hockey team hangout.” ―Hannah Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Wildfire and Icebreaker
The first book in the globally popular Playing for Keeps series.
For a shot at love, he’ll do whatever it takes…
Carter Beckett is the NHL’s best player―both on and off the ice. His career is at its peak, his friends are performing better than ever, and there’s no shortage of women to spend the night with. What more could he want?
Olivia Parker isn’t new to professional hockey players, thanks to her best friend’s boyfriend, but she has no interest in dating one herself―no matter how hot he is. And anyway, she loves working as a teacher and hanging out with her best friend, drama-free. Why would she want to spend her time stroking the ego of an arrogant athlete?
But once Carter meets Olivia, he can’t think of anything else. Too bad for him, Olivia is hellbent on keeping him at arm’s length, with no intention of giving into his charms. Perhaps it’s time for Carter to up his game…after all, nobody said he had to play fair.
Sparks will fly as Carter does whatever it takes for Olivia to consider him.
I have tried a couple of the “TikTok” sensation book series, or rather read the first book, or sometimes even only part of the first book, and not bothered with the rest. I didn’t have high hopes for this one, but I do like to try new authors and I figured eventually TikTok, or rather BookTok as it is affectionately known, would lead me to a good read. Becca Mack did just that.
Just to clarify – I rarely go on TikTok. I am a reader and not a fan of the short video. Or the longer, YouTube or whatever video. When I want to know how to reset the timer on my coffeemaker, I do not want to slog through a five minute video. Just tell me what buttons to push and be done with it. But I digress.
This book is the first of a series, I have them all on my Kindle, and I’m looking forward to the rest. That said, I do have some criticism here. The book is too long and too repetitive; he’s huge, she’s tiny, we get it and don’t need to be told that over and over and over. It is also searingly hot, so if you don’t like reading sex scenes, this is definitely not your book. I’d guess at least half the book contains sex scenes; if it isn’t half, it felt like half, so same difference.
This is a hockey romance, so I love that. Big, burly hockey players with a heart of gold and the willingness to do whatever it takes to get the girl works for me. Carter is a fun character; dorky, sweet, hot as hell, and willing to give up his man-whore ways for Olivia. Olivia, the best friend of Carter’s best friend/teammate’s fiancee who has been warned away – actually, they’ve both been sternly warned away from each other but attraction cannot always be held at bay.
Olivia is a petite woman whose hockey-player-possible-boyfriend has always gone out with tall supermodel types, which doesn’t help her insecurities. Nor does the fact that any time they are out together, or he is out with the team, women just throw themselves at him. She also has trust issues, so this is not going to be an easy road to a relationship. On the opposite end, Carter has never been in a relationship longer than a weekend, so this is all new to him. But lots and lots of sex and fun and Oreos later, Olivia and Carter reach their happily ever after. Next up: book 2, Play With Me.
9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CONSIDER ME by Becka Mack.Zando – Slowburn (September 3, 2024). ISBN: 978-1638932413. 480p.
The Dundee series is a small town contemporary romance series consisting of eight full-length books and a novella to cap it off at the end. Because these are older books, the first connected books Brenda ever wrote, the covers have been updated and so have some of the titles. [For some reason, the audiobooks have not been updated.] Currently, the series goes like this:
This series became an experiment, of sorts, in my ability to listen to audiobooks. I found them all on Hoopla, a library app, so they were all free (my favorite kind of books!) Interestingly, they all had different narrators, so that was another test for me. There are many devoted audiobook readers who stick with specific narrators and will read anything they narrate. I get that, some are definitely better than others, but in this series, I pretty much liked them all, other than the last book, which was read by a man. He wasn’t great but I still managed to listen to it and not have my mind wander off. It is also the weakest story (other than the novella at the end,) so that didn’t help either.
Because this series is so old, originally published from 2002-2007, there are some things that really jumped out at me, like some of the characters smoked and they weren’t bad guys, which is a thing now; generally, anytime a character smokes in a movie or book or whatever, that hints at some negativity about that character, but not here. There were other things that I wished had also been updated, like a woman who has to lose ten pounds before the guy realizes he likes her, and in an early book, calling a guy in a wheelchair a cripple. That was tough to listen to, but I persevered and the fifth book actually featured that guy, who was no longer called that, thank goodness.
All in all, I really enjoyed this series and listened to the whole thing. I even found the final novella, A Dundee Christmas, also available on Hoopla but as an ebook. As usual with novellas, I didn’t love it and it didn’t tie up the series at all. In fact, Amazon calls it a short story, and as far as I’m concerned, it was a weak link if anything, to the series.
Book 1: A Baby of Her Own Carly Robins (Narrator)
What Delaney wants is a baby. A baby of her own. At 30 she longs to break away from the constraints of her life, longs to reach out for her heart’s desire. She’d prefer marriage as well, but there’s no man in Dundee, Idaho, she’s interested in marrying.
Then one winter night, she and her best friend, Rebecca, go to Boise with the intent of finding a man for Delaney. She meets a handsome stranger named Conner, a man who might be able to provide her with the solution she needs – and the baby she wants!
Afterward, she thinks she must have been out of her mind. But it’s too late. Because she’s pregnant. And because the stranger isn’t a stranger anymore. Conner Armstrong is now living on a ranch just outside Dundee.
Book 2: A Husband of Her Own Amy McFadden (Narrator)
Rebecca Wells desperately wants to overcome her reputation. She’s finally trying to put an end to her 24-year rivalry with the perfect Josh Hill, a rivalry that began when she was a kid and the Hills moved in across the street. Great looking, popular, a successful horse rancher, Josh is Dundee’s golden boy – and the son her father always wanted. But even when her father insists they call a truce, it’s hard for Rebecca to drop her resentment of Josh. She refuses to acknowledge that she feels more for him than she’s ever let on. The man she loves to hate is also the man she’d hate to love!
Book 3: A Family of Her Own Andi Arndt (Narrator)
Pregnant…and alone?
When Katie Rogers returns to Dundee, Idaho, it’s not because she wants to. It’s because she’s disillusioned, broke – and pregnant. She was going to make something of her life in the big city. Instead she’s paying a high price for trusting the wrong man.
Booker Robinson is the man she didn’t trust, the man she’d left behind in Dundee…and the first person she sees when she comes back. But despite Booker’s notorious past, he now has a successful business and a home of his own.
He’s also spent two years getting over Katie. She’s the last person he wants to see. But when her parents refuse to take her in, she doesn’t have anywhere else to go, and Booker soon finds himself with a roommate – one who needs a father for her baby….
Katie’s vowed she’ll never trust the wrong man again. But sometimes a man isn’t everything he seems. And sometimes he’s more….
Book 4: A Home of Her Own Rachel Fulginiti (Narrator)
When Lucky Caldwell was 10, her mother, Red – the best-known hooker in Dundee, Idaho – married Morris Caldwell, a wealthy and much older man. It didn’t last, of course, but Morris’ kindness was the highlight of Lucky’s life.
Mike Hill, Morris’ grandson, doesn’t feel too well disposed toward Red or her kids. He believes they alienated Morris from his family. Even Morris’ Victorian mansion, on the property next to the Hill ranch, wasn’t inherited by one of his grandchildren. Instead the house went to Lucky, who left it sitting empty for years.
Now that Red and Morris are both dead, Lucky has finally come back to Dundee. She plans to restore the derelict place – and to look for her real father, who has to be one of three men named in her mother’s diary.
That means Mike has a new neighbor. One he doesn’t want to like….
Book 5: Stranger in Town Molly Elston (Narrator)
Old grudges become new loves in this enchanting contemporary romance
The car accident was Hannah Price’s fault—a tragic mistake that changed Gabe Holbrook’s life forever, destroying everything he’d been or ever wanted to be.
He was a man who’d had it all. Intelligent, handsome, talented, rich, he’d been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Now he’s come home to Dundee, the small town where he was raised, but he’s a stranger to the people who once knew him. He’s bitter and withdrawn and entirely focused on recovering. But thanks to Hannah Price, there are some things that can’t be fixed.
Hannah has been struggling to recover from that fateful night, too. Unlike Gabe, she sustained only minor injuries. But she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to forgive herself for what happened. Especially when Gabe becomes her son’s football coach, and she begins to fall in love with the man she nearly destroyed…
Book 6: Big Girls Don’t Cry Amy Rubinate (Narrator)
Sometimes Mr. Right couldn’t be more wrong…
Thanks to a devastating revelation about her husband, Reenie Holbrook’s once-perfect marriage is over. For 11 years she had the life she wanted – and now it’s gone.
Sometimes Mr. Wrong couldn’t be more right…
Reenie decides that the first step in recovering from her ordeal is to find work; after all, she has three young children to support. She’s thrilled when she lands a job at Dundee High teaching history – until Isaac Russell, the man who triggered the unraveling of her marriage, accepts a temporary position teaching science. Then she’s tempted to quit. Reenie doesn’t care if the whole town admires Isaac…and she won’t admit that secretly she admires him, too. She doesn’t want to see him or his sister in her town.
Book 7: The Other Woman Tara Sands (Narrator)
A second chance doesn’t mean second best!
Elizabeth O’Connell has survived one of the worst betrayals a wife can imagine. Finding out that she wasn’t the only woman in her husband’s life meant the end of her marriage and a year of personal hell. Now she’s focusing on her new business and raising her two kids.
Carter Hudson isn’t part of her plan. When he’s introduced to Liz by well-meaning friends, her dislike is instant. But as she spends time with him, Liz realizes she likes having Carter in her life. More than likes it. However, Carter has secrets in his past that he can’t seem to escape, secrets that apparently involve a woman. Liz is sure of one thing: She’ll never be the other woman again!
Book 8: Coulda Been a Cowboy Adam Verner (Narrator)
Grandpa Garnier used to say love is like a bucking bronco. It takes guts and determination to hang on, but it’s worth the ride.
If only Grandpa was around now to help Tyson Garnier out of this mess. The famous pro football player is suddenly saddled with a very public scandal – and an illegitimate child. Tyson needs a good nanny now if he’s going to salvage his career. And plain, no-nonsense Dakota Brown is the ideal candidate.
Dakota doesn’t care for football – or for a man who doesn’t seem to want his own son. But she needs this job, and that precious little baby needs her.
Dakota isn’t Tyson’s kind of woman. But the more he sees of her – and the more he sees of his son – the harder he wants to hang on.
Down on her luck, Cierra Santos is seeking refuge in the small town of Dundee during a snowstorm when she is taken in by a man who helps her discover a new sense of home. But Ken Holbrook provides more than safety and comfort because, with him, she also finds love.
9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
Dundee, Idaho Series by Brenda Novak.Harlequin Audio. 2202-2007.
It’s love at first haunting in a seaside town that raises everyone’s spirits from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.
Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.
Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she’s catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.
As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don’t get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie’s worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick’s afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.
“DeLuca (Well Matched, 2021) imbues her characters with heart (even the dead ones), making this a feel-good read spiced with romance, friendships, and mystery. It is a delightful escape. Readers will enjoy the gentle haunting and ghostly communication along with the sweet love story.” –Booklist
“Boneyard Key has all the small-town charm a contemporary romance reader could want, with a slightly scary addition that adds a thrill without courting nightmares. A must-buy where romantic comedies are popular.” –Library Journal
I loved Jen DeLuca’s first series, Well Met, so I was eagerly anticipating the start of this new series. I don’t read much in the paranormal romance genre, so hauntings and ghosts usually aren’t in my repertoire, but if DeLuca writes it, I’m going to read it, and I loved this book, ghosts and all.
Boneyard Key, a fictitious small town on Florida’s west coast, is a huge tourist attraction because of all the hauntings. All the businesses promote their town’s ghosts, and there is even a ghost tour. Cassie has just moved there from Orlando, having scoured the state to find a home she could afford. Little does she know that she has purchased the Hawkins House, a home that was deserted for decades until a couple of investors bought it, did a bare bones flip, and now it’s Cassie’s home. She also didn’t know that it came with a ghost, mean old Mrs. Hawkins.
Down the street is Haunted Grounds, a lovely cafe where Cassie ends up when her laptop refuses to charge in her new home. The cafe owner, Nick, is surprised to hear where she is living and offers up the town handyman to look into her wiring issues. Nick is related to one of the founding families of Boneyard Creek, and he, too, lives with a ghost. Like Cassie, Nick bought the business for a song since the previous several owners couldn’t handle the ghostly interference.
This is all fun and games until Cassie puts some magnetic poetry on her refrigerator and her ghost starts leaving her messages. Slightly freaked out, Cassie isn’t sure she is going to stay, no matter how cute the local barista is. Oh yes, there is a strong attraction between Cassie and Nick, but Nick has serious issues with people leaving him. He doesn’t want to get involved with Cassie because she isn’t sure she is staying.
This is another charming DeLuca read and is supernaturally fun, something I don’t say very often (ever?!) The ghosts are more in the vein of Disney’s Haunted Mansion than Poltergeist. I loved this little town and its inhabitants, real and revenant, and I’m looking forward to the next book in this new series.
9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
HAUNTED EVER AFTER by Jen DeLuca.Berkley (August 13, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593641217. 352p.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends makes a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.
Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm, and the seeds of friendship are planted.
As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, they make a pact, promising to always be there for one another, no matter how separated they may become by circumstances or distance.
Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are all facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a shared journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.
In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides, helping us pick up the pieces?
“Giffin is at her best when she’s delving into the hard and sometimes outwardly questionable choices that her characters make in their pursuit of happiness, and her latest harks back to her bold, layered debut, Something Borrowed (2004). This thirtysomething coming-into-one’s-own tale feels true to life, messy in all the best ways, and hopeful. A triumph.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Want to indulge in juicy, page-turning escapism? The Summer Pact is about a group of friends . . . [and] a reunion tour, a decade after college, inspired by a long-ago promise to turn to one another in times of need. [They] take turns narrating their trip to the Italian island of Capri, where closure may or may not await.”—The New York Times
I’ve been reading Giffin since her first book came out twenty years ago, but this one was a bit of a disappointment. There is a group of friends from college, and I would say spoiler alert, but one of them dies, and that happens pretty much at the beginning of the book. Then they deal with it.
I feel like I’ve read a few stories with similar plotlines that were done better than this. There was diversity in the characters and it wasn’t subtle, to say the least. Yes, it was messy, but was it true to life? I’m not so sure. Not my favorite from an author I’ve always loved.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin.Ballantine Books (July 9, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593600290. 352p.
Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?
Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she’s distracted every time he’s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn’t have time for frivolous flirtations.
In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They’ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can’t quite avoid him.
And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He’s hoping he can convince Nova he’s worth some of her time.
“The way Borison softly weaves together a friends-with-benefits and opposites-attract romance, while also incorporating Charlie’s ADHD and people-pleasing and Nova’s perfectionism, will keep readers starry-eyed as they imagine visiting the beloved small town of Inglewild…This final and fourth book in the “Lovelight” series, after Mixed Signals, is a knockout.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Charming, sexy, and cozy, Business Casual is both a gratifying series conclusion and a worthwhile novel on its own about love and the perennial beauty of finding (and making) a home.”—Shelf Awareness
I have every book in this series on my Kindle, but somehow, I never read any until this last one. I hate when that happens! Especially because this was such a good read. So now I have to go back and read the three previous novels in the series. (Something to look forward to, at least.) I used to be able to save all the good books I missed until December, because it was such a slow month for publishing, at least in genre fiction. But no more! I already have 32 books to read that are being published in December. I can’t read a book a day anymore! And this is what happens. I miss one, and the next thing you know, I’m reading the fourth book in a series and haven’t read any of the earlier ones. Ugh. Okay, rant over.
So let’s start; reading this I had no idea it was part of a series. Every character was introduced and made sense to the plot, so kudos to Borison for that. It’s not easy to write a series and yet make each book work on its own. Our main characters are Charlie, a wealthy New York investment banker prone to wearing three-piece suits and watches that cost more than most people make in this tiny hamlet, and Nova, a bit of a grump who is the proprietor of the only female-owned tattoo parlor on the East coast. Neither is looking for a relationship. Charlie escapes to this small town to see his friends and unwind from the life that he lives in the city. They have been friends for years, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a strong physical attraction to one another, and acting on it may be just the thing they need to get it out of their systems. As if that ever worked in a romance novel.
This is a very steamy novel, so if that is not your thing, read elsewhere. The sex is hot and well written, and that says a lot to Borison’s skills. The story moves along rapidly, and as these characters start exploring each other beyond the physical, real intimacy grows, leading to their happy ending. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series!
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
BUSINESS CASUAL by B.K. Borison.Berkley (July 16, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593641170. 384p.
Most Anticipated by Goodreads, Cosmo, E! News, and more!
Two best friends who haven’t spoken in ten years pretend to date after break-ups with their respective exes go viral, in this delightfully fun and deeply emotional novel from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.
June and Levi were best friends as teenagers―until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they’ve barely spoken in years.
But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own―a photo of them together has the internet convinced they’re a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they’re in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.
Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?
“Light, feel-good fare that’s perfect for the beach.” – Publishers Weekly
“A relatable rollercoaster for anyone who has ever found themself at an impasse in life…a charming story about the power of second chances.” – Kirkus (Starred Review)
“The perfect small-town romance for summer…for fans of Sarah Adams and Emily Henry.” – Library Journal
June and Levi were best friends in high school, had a falling out, and haven’t spoken since. June just got dumped on TV and turned in a “crying girl” meme. Levi, a writer, also has a very public breakup when his fiancee leaves him for an A-list celebrity. They both end up in their hometown of Benson Beach to lick their wounds.
June lost her sister and has taken over her tea cafe. But her heart isn’t in it without her sister, and business reflects that. Levi is having difficulty with his book and a deadline is looming. He starts writing in the tea cafe, and June and Levi fall into an easy friendship after all those years. When a picture of the two of them goes viral, they decide to cash in on it and start fake dating, with June’s friend documenting their dates on social media. Business is booming at the tea cafe, with tourists wanting to take selfies with the crying girl and her new hot boyfriend. Not to mention both of their exes are getting jealous.
This seems like a win-win for both of them. Levi wants to get back together with his ex, and while June is glad her ex is gone, she is starting to develop feelings for Levi. He is fighting the same feelings and it all blows up eventually, but there is a lot of angst and plenty of laughs along their journey.
The fake dating trope is extremely popular, and this is a good example of why. I personally don’t know anyone who has ever fake-dated, but I guess it must be a thing as there are so many romance novels based on it. If you like your beach read with some laughs and some heat, this is your book! It is a fast, fun read.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE BREAK-UP PACT by Emma Lord.Griffin (August 13, 2024). ISBN: 978-1250845306. 320p.
They’ve been trying to avoid each other. But this town has other ideas…
When Berkley Carr opened The Love Shack Animal Haven, she thought she’d finally put her past behind her. But sometimes she feels the sting of the scandal from her youth, especially when she keeps crossing paths with her handsome neighbor. So, she keeps her head down and pours all her love into caring for animals.
Lawson Salder moved to Cemetery, Indiana, to escape from the grinding poverty of his childhood. He barely knew Berkley from their old neighborhood, but every time he sees her, the shame and pain come crashing back. He knows she’s got major baggage of her own. They’re better off just avoiding each other.
But that’s downright impossible in a town full of matchmaking busybodies. Then there’s the hard-to-ignore attraction they feel every time they see each other. When the universe is conspiring to bring them together, will Berkley and Lawson let past hurts go and embrace the love they deserve?
I read the first book in this series, The Honeymoon Cottage, which I enjoyed. Somehow I missed the second book, The Little Flower Shop, which I’ll have to hunt down. The Love Shack is a great title (even if I can’t get the B-52’s out of my head!) and it’s also the name of the animal shelter run by the main character, Berkley. Berkley has moved to the small town of Cemetery to escape a troubled past, and is shocked to find someone from her past is already here in town, for the same reasons.
Lawson has a strong protective streak, especially when it comes to Berkley. There is another character of sorts in this series, Katherine, a mannequin that the townsfolk dress up and move around. She creeps out Lawson, but he is good natured enough to deal with it and it adds some levity to the story. The real fun is the animals though!
As Lawson and Berkley spend time together, they fall in love. There are obstacles in the way, but the meddling town founder, the elderly Betty Cemetery, has her heart set on making these two a match. Matchmaking not withstanding, this is a sweet romance with a tiny bit of heat and the requisite happy ending. Foster writes good stories, and I enjoyed this one.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE LOVE SHACK by Lori Foster.Canary Street Press; Original edition (June 11, 2024). ISBN: 978-1335517142. 336p.
A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Nanny.
When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase’s team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team’s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate’s little sister…who isn’t so little anymore.
Delilah Baker is known as “the darling of baking” on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother’s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake—until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she’s never quite gotten over.
Delilah’s and Ian’s teams think it’s a true win-win situation—gaining higher numbers for Delilah’s show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. With more than just their careers on thin ice, the line between what’s real and what’s for show begins to blur, but one thing’s for certain: This PR stunt will either be a total game changer—or leave them both totally pucked.
Ian was Delilah’s brother’s best friend and her teenage crush, and now they are both professional hockey players in Boston, where they take their hockey very seriously. When Ian’s reputation takes a hit, his PR team is trying to find a way to make him look good again. Enter Delilah and her local cooking show. Her ratings are in freefall, and she comes up with the idea of baking with a hockey player. Her brother is a pro, and his teammates are askable. Ian is perfect – it will help both of them, and it does, except for that crush that is surprisingly still lingering.
Viewers love seeing Ian and Delilah together, and Ian is surprised at how much he enjoys Delilah’s company. Then things really heat up.
Ferguson writes steamy romances, and this is a good one. The hockey is just the “icing” on the cake! (sorry, I couldn’t help myself and hockey fans will get it!) There are a lot of good romance tropes here, including fake dating, friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, and also a lot of laughs. This is a fun, fast-paced rom-com, and I totally enjoyed it.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE GAME CHANGER by Lana Ferguson.Berkley (July 9, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593816837. 400p.
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