Sunshine Bay, Book 3

From the publisher:

Sometimes you can go home again . . .
 
Attorney Sage Rosetti is a force to be reckoned with. Work/life balance? Never heard of it. But when the unexpected loss of her mentor sends her spiraling, she’s prescribed a healthy dose of time off. Luckily, she’s just inherited the perfect home where she can recover. Unluckily, she’s now co-owners with her high school crush/nemesis, Jake Walker. How can she truly relax when her heart is at risk?

Sage’s mother, Gia, is dealing with a crisis of her own. A new book is about to reveal their family’s biggest secret—and Gia’s devasting heartbreak. The only person she can confide in is the one man she shouldn’t be getting close to: her sister’s ex.

But just as Sage and Gia are starting to find their paths, someone from Gia’s past resurfaces who could ruin everything they’ve worked so hard to build.

Book 1: Summer on Sunshine Bay
Book 2: Three Little Wishes

https://amzn.to/46dTkXi

Sage Rosetti is a driven attorney whose life is consumed by her work advocating for the abused and mistreated. Her dedication leaves little room for anything else—no relationships, no vacations, no personal time. But everything changes with one unexpected loss.

When Sage learns that her beloved mentor, Alice, has gone missing, she rushes back to the small town of Sunshine Bay. There, she’s devastated to discover that Alice has passed away. In her will, Alice leaves Sage her home, law practice, and lavender farm. Sage plans to retreat into this inherited sanctuary—but she soon learns the house comes with a surprise co-owner: someone from her past.

Jake, once a troubled teen with abusive parents, was taken in by Alice, who gave him love, stability, and the tools to succeed. He also happens to be Sage’s high school crush—and to her surprise, the feeling was mutual. As Sage and Jake navigate their shared inheritance, old emotions, lingering insecurities, and outside pressures threaten to unravel the fragile bond they’re beginning to rebuild.

Meanwhile, Sage’s mother, Gia, is rediscovering her passion for painting. She’s also developing feelings for Flynn—her sister’s ex. But just as Gia begins to embrace happiness, her sister publishes a tell-all book exposing long-buried family secrets. The resurfacing of old wounds and familiar faces threatens to shatter the peace Gia has fought to reclaim.

This story weaves together family dynamics, romance, laughter, tears, passion, and a touch of mystery—all the beautiful chaos that makes up life’s sweetest moments. It’s a heartwarming family saga with romantic elements that creates a comforting, deeply satisfying read. Now I need to track down the earlier books in the series and catch up on all the drama I’ve missed.

9/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SWEET LIFE by Debbie Mason. Forever. (June 10, 2025). ISBN: 978-1538768792. 336p.

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From the publisher:

Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in this steamy sports romance about an infamous star soccer player who is forced to fake date a Hollywood starlet, only to develop real feelings for her—just as she learns he was pretending and vows to get even.

Abigail Hunt’s Hollywood dreams could best be described as slow burn…but she’s about to graduate from TV sidekick to dramatic actor. When the esteemed director of her breakout role suggests a deep dive for her part by shadowing the head of a struggling pro soccer team, she jumps at the chance to prove she’s ready.

Getting asked out by notorious grump and gorgeous star player Luke Wolfe wasn’t in the plan, but suddenly her research is getting a lot more…hands-on. Their relationship quickly sets social media on fire, and Luke seems determined to prove he’s more than his villainous reputation. But just when Abigail is happier than ever—her name in lights and her heart in good hands—the other cleat drops: Luke’s been coerced into faking their relationship to improve the team’s ticket sales.

Furious, Abigail refuses to give Luke the satisfaction of dumping him—she decides to get even. Over-the-top dates, treating his games like fashion shows, and befriending the fan club he hates? Count her in. It’s only a matter of time until she pushes the right buttons.

She just didn’t expect him to keep putting up with it—or to say I love you.

https://amzn.to/4lbWQ99

If you love “Ted Lasso” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, this book is tailor-made for you—it cleverly weaves together plotlines from both.

Luke is the archetypal grumpy soccer star with a heart of gold. He’s devoted to his cancer-stricken mother and even fosters kittens in his spare time. Though he plays for Los Angeles, he desperately wants a trade to his hometown of Seattle to be closer to his mom during her treatment.

Abigail is a TV actress recovering from public humiliation, determined to land a career-defining movie role. The film centers on a professional soccer scandal, so producers arrange for her to shadow the female owner of a local soccer team. The team owners see an opportunity: they convince Luke to fake-date Abigail for positive publicity and ticket sales, dangling that coveted Seattle trade as an incentive. Luke agrees—until he actually meets Abigail.

The arrangement becomes complicated when Luke genuinely falls for her. Their first date is magical, but he can’t bring himself to reveal the arrangement’s true origins. As their relationship deepens and social media buzz grows, everyone’s happy with the results. Then Abigail discovers the truth about how their romance began.

Channeling Andie from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” Abigail launches into hilariously over-the-top, cringe-worthy behavior designed to force Luke into breaking up with her. Chaos ensues until Luke finally comes clean about everything, confesses his true feelings, and they find their way to a happy ending.

This is a fun, fast-paced rom-com with plenty of humor, a touch of heat, and a whole lot of heart. It reads like the first in a series, with hints of the next couple waiting in the wings. A quick, light-hearted read that’s perfect for a weekend escape.

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

RELATIONSHIP GOALS by Brittany Kelley. Berkley. (July 8, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593819081. 352p.

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From the author:

One sensational love story.

American journalist Ethan Fletcher traversed the globe to claim his late uncle’s Fleet Street print shop, only to find his unexpected inheritance is shackled by ruinous debt. To save his business and finally direct his own course, he needs to raise capital, and quickly. Good fortune comes in the form of Belinda Sinclair, the eccentric daughter of a respected London judge—and she just so happens to be a beautiful failure of a novelist.

Bruised by scandal, Belle has spent years writing a gruesome courtroom mystery no respectable publisher will touch. Until she meets Ethan—barely respectable, barely a publisher, but with two broad hands that can work a press and an enterprising spirit that breathes new life into her pages. Emboldened by the prospect of seeing her story in print, Belle agrees to Ethan’s plan: she will transform her grisly manuscript into a serialized penny dreadful, and he will sell it as a means to settle his accounts.

In the close confines of the print shop, Ethan and Belle discover their partnership is conducive to far more than fiction. Helpless to deny their deepening devotion, they dare to compose a future free of his financial burdens and her social constraints. But when a series of punishing obstacles jeopardizes the story they’ve been writing off the page, they must confront how much they are willing to lose… and what it will take to save everything.

https://amzn.to/4ondc1w

This author was new to me, and while the book was published last year, and it made the Washington Post’s list of the best romances of 2024, it’s been sitting in my to-be-read pile ever since. This historical romance was a delightful departure from the typical nobility-focused novels that dominate the genre. Instead of the usual parade of dukes and earls, it centers on ordinary people navigating their extraordinary circumstances—a refreshing change that offers insight into how ordinary people actually lived.

Ethan, an American, arrives in London after he inherits his uncle’s print shop, only to discover he’s inherited crushing debt along with it. Having spent nearly everything on the journey, he faces losing it all unless he can find a way to pay what’s owed.

Belle, the daughter of Justice Sinclair, has an unusual passion: she loves eavesdropping on her father’s courtroom proceedings, drawing inspiration for the gory mystery novel she’s writing. Unfortunately, no publisher will touch her work, and she’s already considered a social outcast after breaking off her own engagement.

When chance brings them together, they strike a mutually beneficial deal. Ethan will serialize Belle’s novel as penny dreadfuls, using the profits to escape his debts. His ultimate dream is starting a newspaper like the one he worked for in Boston, but England’s punishing newspaper taxes make such ventures financially fraught and out of the reach of the masses.

What unfolds is a beautifully crafted story of forced proximity and shared ambition. Working side by side, Ethan and Belle gradually recognize the deepening connection between them. Their relationship develops with tender respect and genuine hope—each shared moment drawing them closer to love, each thought colored by care for the other’s dreams and happiness.

This emotionally rich novel is utterly unforgettable. For readers seeking a love story built on longing, mutual respect, and the slow, authentic unfolding of true connection, this one is a must-read.

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE FINEST PRINT by Erin Langston. Erin Langston (self-published). (September 26, 2024). ISBN: 979-8988316534. 364p.

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From the publisher:

She returned to prove her father’s innocence, but there’s no telling what she’ll find…

It’s been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair saw her father. Fifteen long years since she sat in a courtroom and watched him sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims—all people she knew—which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.

An old flame, Ford Wagner, makes his own return to North Hampton Beach, fleeing a marriage that seems destined for divorce. He’s wary of Lucy and her digging into the past, but the more time they spend together, the closer they get and the more he finds himself reconsidering the truth behind the death of their mutual friend that summer. Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet…

https://amzn.to/3H9av2B

Lucy was seventeen when her father was convicted of murdering three people in their small town. The conviction shattered her world—the townspeople turned against her, and she felt forced to flee. She hasn’t returned home or spoken to her father in fifteen years.

Now, haunted by unanswered questions about that terrible summer, Lucy decides to return to uncover the truth she’s never understood.

The town has always drawn wealthy summer residents to their sprawling beachfront homes, and Ford is among them this year. He’s come back to prepare his family’s house for sale while grappling with his impending divorce. Fifteen years ago, he and Lucy had shared an intense but brief romance during that fateful summer. Though they’d fallen hard for each other, Ford abandoned Lucy when his family pressured him to cut ties after her father’s arrest—a decision that has haunted him ever since.

When Ford discovers Lucy has returned, his protective instincts flare. The townspeople make their hostility clear, especially as Lucy begins asking dangerous questions about the past. What begins as renewed friendship deepens into something more as Ford joins Lucy’s search for answers.

While a bit slow and somewhat repetitive in the beginning, as the story unfurls, it becomes much more engaging. This second-chance romance weaves together mystery and passion as two former lovers investigate the crimes that tore their world apart. The combination of coastal intrigue and rekindled love creates a compelling story of redemption, truth, and the courage to face the past.

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING by Brenda Novak. MIRA (June 3, 2025). ISBN: 978-0778360162. 368p.

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