Audiobook Sunday: MR. SWOONY by Piper Rayne

May 4, 2025

Read by Connor Crais, Luci Christian Bell, Sean Masters, JF Harding, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, & CJ Bloom

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The Nest, Book 3

From the author:

Hockey players were never my type.

At least, that’s what I thought—until I met Conor Nilsen. In truth, I didn’t know he was the goalie for the Chicago Falcons when he struck up a conversation the night of my bachelorette party.

He proved he wasn’t just some hot guy looking to score when he helped me get my drunk bridesmaid safely back to our hotel. That’s when he discovered my 30-before-30 bucket list—a list I hadn’t managed to check a single item off.

What was meant to be a night of stargazing turned into so much more. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and after one innocent night together, I started to question everything—especially my upcoming wedding to a man I wasn’t sure loved me.

Fast forward to my wedding day, and just as I’m standing at the altar, Conor bursts through the church doors to object. And now, somehow, I’m his roommate. Yikes.

https://amzn.to/4ib9PX5

Conor is one of the best goalies in the NHL; he got there by keeping his head down and working on it all through high school and college, leaving no time for relationships. As a professional hockey player, he sticks with the puck bunnies to avoid any entanglements that could detract from his game. While he played for another team in Florida, he had a woman who, after a one-night stand, became his stalker to the point where he had a restraining order against her. But he’s in Chicago now, living in the Nest, and keeping his reputation as a playboy intact. Until he meets Eloise…

Eloise is engaged to a clone of her dad; a rich finance bro. Her bachelorette party gets derailed from her highly anticipated spa weekend to a night out clubbing, but her friend is drinking enough for the both of them, so Eloise is just hanging out in the booth with her bottle of water. She’s wearing the bridal regalia of most bachelorette parties, with the added bonus of a QR code so people can buy her drinks. Conor spots her and wanders over. He’s not the type to go after a woman who is taken, but he can’t help but notice she’s not having any fun. The fixer in him wants to help, and they hang out, talking, until her very drunk friend is ready to go. Conor helps pour her into a cab, then into her hotel room. He accidentally sees Eloise’s bucket list, and offers to help her out with it. They head out into the night to go stargazing, and spend the night talking.

Conor has never felt anything like this for a woman. She’s all he can think about, but she’s getting married in a week, so he tries to forget about her. Eloise is ruminating about her upcoming wedding, wondering if she is making the right decision. When she’s walking down the aisle, she can’t help but notice her groom isn’t even looking at her. She decides to back out, but before she can say anything, a slightly inebriated Conor bursts into the church and stops the wedding.

Next thing you know, Eloise is moving into Conor’s spare bedroom, and they start hanging out, platonically. Eloise decides she wants more, but Conor is holding off, wanting to make sure he’s not just a rebound. Meanwhile, the puck bunnies are constantly circling him, and things take a turn for the worse when his Florida stalker shows up.

Conor finally sees the light and lets Eloise decide what she is ready for, and the sex is beyond good for both of them. He decides to try and fix the stalker issue without letting Eloise know, wanting to spare her feelings, but of course, that backfires and causes the mini-breakup in the third act. No worries, though; Conor and Eloise get the happy ending they both want.

This is a Full Cast production in Duet Style, which I really love. Basically, it is read more like a play, with each actor reading a specific role, rather than dual style, with two actors alternating chapters. Connor Crais and Luci Christian Bell lead an incredible cast featuring Sean Masters, JF Harding, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, and CJ Bloom. Their performances bring the story to life in such an engaging way that I can’t recommend this audiobook series highly enough. Like all the books in this series, it is an entertaining escape with heat, heart, and humor. I loved it.

5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MR. SWOONY by Piper Rayne. Narrators: JF Harding, Brooke Bloomingdale, Sean Masters, Erin Mallon, Connor Crais, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, & CJ Bloom. Piper Rayne Inc.; February 24, 2025. Listening Length: 8 hours and 40 minutes.

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GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Emily Henry

May 2, 2025

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From the publisher:

Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.

Named a Most Anticipated book by The New York Times ∙ Rolling Stone ∙ People ∙ USA Today ∙ Harper’s Bazaar ∙ Marie Claire ∙ E! Online ∙ The New York Post ∙ Bustle ∙ Reader’s Digest ∙ BBC ∙ PopSugar ∙ SheReads ∙ Paste ∙ and more!

“What begins as a charming if standard rom-com evolves into a hauntingly beautiful meditation on what makes a life well lived in the latest showstopper from Henry . . . This is a stunner.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Both longtime Henry fans and new romance readers will devour this rivals-to-lovers slow burn, one of Henry’s best to date.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Henry continues to burnish her reputation for fashioning sublimely satisfying love stories with another perfectly calibrated, delectably witty tale featuring endearingly quirky, thoughtfully nuanced characters.”—Booklist (starred review)

https://amzn.to/4jEtoIa

I didn’t love this book as much as all the critics, or even as much as Henry’s other books. Actually, it is my least favorite of all her books. All that said, it is a good read, and I ripped through it in a day.

There are a lot of characters here, but the main protagonists are Hayden and Alice, and Margaret. Margaret is a recluse from a very famous, uber-wealthy family. She is living on a small island off the Georgia coast, and Alice had received a message telling her to look there for this mysterious woman. Once she confirms who she is, Margaret invites her to visit. Unbeknownst to Alice, Margaret has also invited Hayden to visit.

Hayden is a Pulitzer prize-winning biographer, and Alice loved his last book. When they both show up at Margaret’s home, she gets right to the point. She is ready to tell her life story, but she isn’t sure who she will allow to write it. She is giving them both a one month audition, so to speak – at the end of the month, they’ll give her their proposals and she will decide who will write her biography. It is sure to be a bestseller no matter who writes it, and Alice thinks this could be her big break. She has been writing celebrity gossip for an online magazine, so this would be a big step up for her. But how to compete with Hayden is weighing on her.

They arrange a schedule with each of them getting to spend three days a week with Margaret. Alice is the friendly, outgoing type, while Hayden is much more reserved. But Alice breaks through his reserve and they start sharing coffee in the morning then dinner at night. Before long, they have to come up with some ground rules – no talking about anything Margaret tells them. Besides which, she has them both sign strict NDAs. But they can’t help but compare from time to time, nothing specific, just gut feelings that Margaret is lying to them at times.

The book moves between their experiences with Margaret and their spending time together. Alice quickly realizes she is falling for Hayden, but he is keeping her at arm’s length, until that is no longer possible. They know it is going to be difficult at the end; whoever is chosen to write the book, the other will definitely have feelings about it that could, and most likely will, creep into their relationship. This dilemma follows them almost until the very end, when truths come out, but of course, the ending is a happy one.

I found it difficult at times to follow all the actors in this story. Margaret’s family is a cast of many, not to mention Alice’s and Hayden’s family have their stories as well. This is a slow burn romance of the slowest kind, but there are several twists along the way that keep the story interesting and moving along. I liked it, I just didn’t love it.

5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL LIFE by Emily Henry. Berkley (April 22, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593441299. 432p.

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SUMMER IN THE CITY by Alex Aster

May 2, 2025

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From the publisher:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Alex Aster comes her adult debut novel Summer in the City—a swoony, fast-paced rom-com set in New York City in which a screenwriter and a sexy tech CEO go from lovers to enemies and back to lovers again…

Twenty-seven-year-old screenwriter Elle has the chance of a lifetime to write a big-budget movie set in New York City. The only problem? She’s had writer’s block for months, and her screenplay is due at the end of the summer. 

In a desperate attempt at inspiration, Elle ends up back in the city she swore she would never return to, in an apartment she could never afford (floor-to-ceiling windows, skyline views, and a new coffee shop to haunt included). It’s the perfect place to write her screenplay…until she realizes her new neighbor is tech “Billionaire Bachelor” Parker Warren, her stairwell hookup from two years ago. It’s been a lovers-to-enemies situation ever since. 

When seeing him again turns into a full night of hate-fueled writing, Elle realizes her enemy/twisted muse might just be the key to finishing her screenplay… if she can stand being around her polar opposite. She writes anonymously, and he’s on the cover of every business magazine. He frequents fancy red carpeted events, and she doesn’t like leaving her emotional support five block radius. 

One summer. One wall apart. He needs to fake a buzzy relationship during his company’s precarious acquisition. She needs to write a movie around a list of NYC locations. Both need a break from their unrelenting schedules, and a chance to rediscover the skyscraper glimmering, pizza crusted, sunlit charms of the city.  

Summers always end, and so will this agreement. It’s all pretend. Promise. 

Until it isn’t.

“Best-selling YA author Aster makes her adult fiction debut with a superbly crafted, splendidly entertaining romance that deftly delivers all the snappy repartee and crackling sexual chemistry of Nora Ephron at her cinematic rom-com best while also offering readers a beautifully crafted love letter to the many joys of New York City.” Copyright 2025 Booklist Reviews.” — Booklist

“Bestselling Aster makes her adult debut with a rom-com featuring a lovers-to-enemies-back-to-lovers trope. It follows a screenwriter who likes to be private and a news-making tech CEO during their swoony summer in NYC. — Library Journal

Order now to receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION—only available on the first printing while supplies last! This collector’s hardcover features gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, illustrated color endpapers, and special design features on the case.

https://amzn.to/4jEtoIa

Elle is a screenwriter in the grip of severe writer’s block, tasked with crafting a romance film while grappling with lingering trauma from her past. She writes under a pseudonym, thus avoiding all the Hollywood hoopla. She returns to New York to housesit her sister’s upscale apartment—her globe-trotting, pregnant sister who seems to have it all together. Their father is absent, and the memory of their late mother continues to cast a long shadow over Elle’s (often unhealthy) worldview. The studio gives her a tight timeline to finish the script, and she’s hoping living in New York City for the summer will help. They have already pulled permits to film in various locations throughout the city, so Elle needs to keep those in mind while she crafts the script.

Enter Parker Warren: tech billionaire, and—surprise—Elle’s new neighbor. He also happens to be the man behind her chaotic stairwell hookup from two years ago, which she had chalked up to a one-night stand with a bodyguard. Turns out, he wasn’t a bodyguard, but rather a billionaire entrepreneur. Now he wants Elle to pose as his girlfriend for the summer. Why? Because she’s one of the few people who couldn’t care less about his money or influence—and in return, she’d gain access to high-end locations for her screenplay. He won’t have to worry about taking a gold digger to the social events he needs to attend, so it seems like a win-win.

There’s one more twist: Elle wrote her most successful script after their infamous encounter. Whether she likes it or not, Parker has become her secret muse. Around him, she starts to feel alive again—jogging at dawn, making new friends, even braving karaoke nights, and most importantly, she is writing again. But opening her heart to him would mean betraying everything she thinks her late mother stood for. Can she let herself risk real happiness—not just for a summer, but for something more lasting?

The city becomes another character with this vivid, heartfelt portrayal of New York, and that always appeals to me. The chapters capturing the city’s energy and charm were outstanding. I appreciated the emotional arcs, especially Elle’s journey toward self-acceptance and the subtle reveal of her hidden identity. The happy ending is a given, and while I am not usually a fan of the billionaire boyfriend, Aster did a terrific job with it here. Turns out, I didn’t mind a bit. This is a cinematic romcom, and I can only hope a movie will follow.

5/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SUMMER IN THE CITY by Alex Aster. William Morrow (March 25, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063411661. 304p.

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BookBitch Diary: May 1, 2025

May 1, 2025

Antisemitism is growing in the publishing industry, and somehow, I was unaware and surprised to hear this. I heard about it from my machatainista (Yiddish for my daughter-in-law’s mother; interestingly, there is no English word for this relationship!) Nancy attended a talk by Alison Hammer, who writes with a partner under the name Ali Brady (look for their new book, Battle of the Bookstores, in June) and Alison gave some specific examples, such as publishers refusing to publish Jewish authors, bookstores pulling books by Jewish authors, and an Israeli author being disinvited from a conference. That sent me down the rabbit hole – I am a librarian, and research is what I do – and what I found is extremely disturbing.

It seems like this has become more of an issue since October 7. Shades of McCarthyism with a blacklist of Jewish, or what they are calling Zionist, authors. The list was shared on Google Sheets, but Google has since pulled it down. I got this message:

We’re sorry. You can’t access this item because it is in violation of our Terms of Service.

This is completely abhorrent – same with the legal immigrants being disappeared in this country. I see the headlines and can’t help but think of this, written in 1946 by Pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

Holocaust Encyclopedia

I found a few articles about how Shelf Awareness, a book industry newsletter aimed at readers, booksellers, and librarians, that I have subscribed to for more years than I can remember, wouldn’t take an ad for a book with the word Israel in the title. Ad for Israel Book Canceled Because ‘Customers Might Complain’. I canceled my subscription.

I found this: Half of British publishers ‘won’t take books by Jewish authors’

And this: The Gaza War has become a war on Jewish books and authors

And this: Anaheim book event faces accusations of antisemitism after canceling Jewish author appearance

There’s a lot more, but you get the idea. Hammer is a member of a group called Artists Against Antisemitism, and I was happy to make a donation. Please help if you can. And thank you, Nancy, for helping me shine a light on this.

Book News

300 residents form human chain to help Michigan bookstore move 9,100 books

Food News

I have a 7-quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven in “Cerise Red” and a couple of baking dishes. I find it very heavy – when I use it and have to transfer it from the stove to the oven, or take it out of the oven, I generally enlist my husband’s or daughter’s help. Although I do like the baking dishes – yes, they are heavy but no more than most ceramicware. I tried the No Knead Bread recipe and the interior bottom of the Dutch oven cracked and crazed. I contacted Le Creuset (lifetime guarantee) and they said that wasn’t covered, but they replaced it anyway, which I greatly appreciated. This was the second time I had one of their Dutch Ovens just explode on me.

The first Le Creuset I ever got was the same 7-quart Dutch Oven, but in Caribbean Blue. I got it at one of Macy’s crazy sales, and I paid $99 for it, which is just insane, but the sale price was only for that color. I didn’t care, I was poor! When would I ever get an opportunity to get one of their ovens for that price. Then a year or so later, I was browning a brisket, and the interior bottom exploded, cracked, and crazed. I had to throw out the brisket (which was upsetting; it’s an expensive cut of meat), and I returned the pot to Macy’s for a new one. This was back in the day before everything was online, but I didn’t think it would be a problem. I had worked in retail years prior, and I knew that with defective merchandise, the store just sends it back to the vendor for a credit or some variation of that. Well, because I didn’t have my receipt, Macy’s staff was not especially helpful or kind; in fact, their response was to offer to sell me a new one. After escalating to the department manager and then moving up to the next level manager, and over an hour of waiting around, they finally agreed to exchange it, but for the red color – I guess they had a lot of those? Whatever. I didn’t care, and I was thrilled to get a new one. I have a Lodge enameled braiser that I’ve used for a few years now, and the outside enamel and the lid are chipped in several places. It’s still usable, but I think it illustrates the price difference between the brands. However, as my husband points out, I can buy at least two of the Lodge pans before hitting the cost of a new Le Creuset. (But not at the outlet store!)

These pots are supposed to last a lifetime. That article showed a picture of a set of pots this couple bought when they got married in 1965 and are still using! Not sure why I haven’t had that experience. Hopefully, the third time, or in this case, the third oven, is the charm, and I can leave it to my kids! Oh, and I bought an Emile Henry ceramic bread oven to make that no knead bread, which was before Le Creuset finally came out with one of their own. I also won’t heat up my Le Creuset past medium-high on my stove. Lesson learned.

Good News

A boy was in tears because he didn’t have PJs for Pajamas Day. His bus driver came to the rescue

Bus driver Larry Farrish Jr. made sure Levi was able to participate in Pajama Day at school. Jefferson County Public Schools

I’m not a birder, but even I can appreciate those who travel to exotic locales like these in Panama. Gorgeous pictures!

Other News

I thought this was so interesting!

April was a rough month for me, and it surprised me. April 11 was the one-month anniversary of losing my beloved Loki, and it was a hard day. I remember when I lost my mother, someone told me it takes a full year at minimum to go through the grieving process. You have to get through every holiday, birthday, and every other memorable occasion, and it held true for me. I just never thought it would also apply to losing my cat. Yes, he was a member of the family for sure, but I didn’t think that holidays and such would be so upsetting.

I mean, Passover – it didn’t occur to me that I would have an issue related to losing my Loki, yet it was. I was sauteeing chicken livers for chopped liver and dropped a tiny piece. My first instinct was to call Loki; he was always the beneficiary of a dropped piece of liver. Or chicken. Or turkey or steak. But no Loki this year.

Normally, I bake a sponge cake for Passover, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It was the craziest thing – when I would take that cake out of the oven to cool, Loki would go nuts. He’d stand up against the counter, stretching upwards, his little nose quivering. A sponge cake is baked in a two-piece tube pan, with feet, like an angel food cake. Once it comes out of the oven, you turn it upside down for an hour. There was something about the scent of that cake that appealed to him more than just about anything else I made. This year, I made Flourless Chocolate Cake for Passover, which is better for me because I’m not a fan, so a bite was more than enough. But everyone else at the Seder loved it. I brought the rest of the cake to work, and it disappeared in a hurry.

This was also the first year I didn’t get to celebrate my grandchildren’s birthdays with them. It was the first time I missed one of Jonah’s birthdays, he turned four, and I missed Sylvie’s first birthday. It was the first, probably not the last, though. I missed being with my family for Passover, but was happy I got to share it with good friends.

Sorry for being so maudlin. I can’t seem to snap out of it. I guess I will have to get through this year to feel any better at all.

As always, thanks for reading, and stay safe.

Thanks to The New York Times for allowing me to “gift” my readers with free access to these articles, a lovely perk for subscribers.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

Spotlight Review: HARDLY A GENTLEMAN by Eloisa James

April 29, 2025

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 Accidental Brides, Book 2

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Accidental Brides series with a romance about a forced marriage between a feisty heroine and a Scottish laird… neither of whom have plans to marry, let alone fall in love.

Desperate after her Season comes to a spectacularly disastrous end, the Honorable Miss Clara Vetry jumps into a carriage hired to take a housekeeper to Scotland.

The laird of Castle CaerLaven has no interest in a wife, especially a love match—but when Caelan sees his new housekeeper, he changes his mind. Marriage to a delectable bookworm strikes him as a perfect arrangement.

To his surprise, Clara refuses his proposal once…and again…yet again.

When her true identity is revealed, and they’re forced to marry, Caelan realizes he has a far more crucial challenge. 

He finally has Clara’s hand—but how will he ever win her heart? 

“With a fast-paced plot, dynamic leads, and plenty of heat, this proves unputdownable.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The second in James’s “Accidental Bride” series will be an instant favorite of friends-to-lovers romance fans, and readers of the first book, Viscount in Love, will delight in this sequel.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“James cleverly constructs another whimsically witty addition to her superbly entertaining Accidental Brides series that is graced with a delightfully book-obsessed heroine with a flair for designing animal-inspired drawstring bags and a smolderingly sexy Scottish hero with a penchant for clothes-free fly-fishing.” — Booklist

“James has long been one of the masters of zany, witty Regencies, and for much of the story she’s in top form. The second novel in her Accidental Brides series starts strong, with a setting that fans of Scottish romances will fall for… James’ many fans will be happy to add this laird to their shelves.” — Kirkus Reviews

https://amzn.to/3GdNrPr

James remains my favorite author of historical romances, and usually they are set in England. This time, the English lady, Clara, has a problem. She is not built like most aristocrats; she is not thin and willowy, but rather curvy instead. Unfortunately, she catches the eye of the very married crown Prince, and his lewd behavior towards her is unsettling, to say the least. He makes it well known that he is waiting for her to marry so that he may make her his mistress, and no one wants to marry her under those circumstances. Things come to a head when the very drunk Prince paws at her, shredding her gown, and she hits him, which is simply not done. Now in disgrace, Clara’s mother is beside herself and decides to send Clara to live with an aged aunt she’s never met in Scotland. Instead, Clara decides to take herself on an adventure. Instead of boarding the coach to her aunt’s home along with her maid, she convinces a hired coach that she is the housekeeper he has been sent to fetch back to Scotland.

Clara has never lifted a finger to do any kind of manual labor, but she is bright and friendly and doesn’t mind the idea of hard work. Clara is a dreamer and a lover of books, but she gets lost in her stories and tends to romanticize life because of that. When she arrives at the castle in the Scottish Highlands, it is exactly what she always dreamed of living in. What she hadn’t dreamed of is the Scottish laird who is buck naked and fishing in the loch behind the castle.

Caelan lost his wife a few years earlier and they never had children. His sister lives nearby with her family, and she is growing concerned about how he is living. Most of the staff has taken off, leaving the housekeeper who is a terrible cook and robbing him blind. She is fired, and his sister sends to England for a new housekeeper. There isn’t anyone in Scotland who would consent to work in the castle – it is in deplorable shape, filthy and overrun with vermin. And that is what Clara is entering into.

Caelan is bright, well-read, and wealthy, but that isn’t apparent to Clara. She thinks he’s poor because his clothes are dingy and not maintained, and of course, there is the condition of the house. Eventually, they both realize the truth about one another and a great friendship is formed. Except Caelan wants more – he wants to marry Clara but she is not having him. The romantic in her wants a man who will fall madly in love with her, and Caelan readily admits that while he feels lusty towards her, love is not on the table.

When one of their neighbors, a British couple, sees them in church, the jig is up. It turns out the lady is Clara’s sister’s best friend, and she is appalled that Clara has been living unchaperoned with Caelan. The next thing you know, they are married, and Clara is in big trouble – she has fallen head over heels in love with her husband.

Caelan has this reputation as a tragic figure, but it’s really not true. He and Clara delight in one another’s company, whether they are reading, fishing, eating, or kissing. Lots and lots of kissing. There is so much joy here, some serious heat, and a very happy ending. This terrific sequel may be read on its own, and I loved it.

Note: I hated this cover for the same reason I hated the cover of the first book in the series, Viscount in Love. This is a historical romance, and you really can’t tell from the cover. The male model has trimmed chest hair, like that was a thing in the early 1800s, and where the hell is his kilt??

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HARDLY A GENTLEMAN by Eloisa James. Avon (April 29, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063347465. 384p.

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Audiobook Sunday: WHEN WE BURN by Kristen Proby

April 27, 2025

Read by Erin Mallon & Sean Masters

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The Blackwells of Montana, Book 1

From the publisher:

From New York Times Bestselling author Kristen Proby comes When We Burn, a single-dad, friends-to-lovers, small-town romance, and the first in the Blackwells of Montana series, set in Bitterroot Valley!

Bridger: I’m her safe place. I always have been. The torment that Dani Lexington went through at the hands of her father was something no child should have had to endure. But I was the lucky one she turned to. Our age difference and the fact that her brother was my best friend kept her off-limits, even though something was always there, lingering under the surface. But when she was old enough, she left Bitterroot Valley, and I was forced to move on with my life. I got married and had my little girl. Now, I’m a single dad, focused on my job as fire chief and making sure my daughter stays healthy after a mysterious illness has plagued her for the past year. But after Dani’s father dies, she returns to Bitterroot Valley and is now living across the street from my daughter and me. Dani’s no longer a child. No longer off limits. This time, I won’t let anything or anyone stop me from being her safe place again.

Dani: I’ve been in love with Bridger Blackwell for as long as I can remember. He’s a smoke show, kind, and gives the best hugs in the world. But best of all? He’s everything my sorry excuse for a father wasn’t. Now, I’m back in Bitterroot Valley, living across the street from Bridger and his adorable daughter. It doesn’t take long for all those old feelings to come rushing back, and every cell in my body knows that I belong with them. That they’re mine. Bridger’s arms are where I feel safest. They feel like home. I’m growing to depend on him, to truly love him and his daughter. But I have deep-rooted baggage, and Bridger’s past has decided to rear its ugly head. Will we survive this, or is our relationship doomed from the start?

https://amzn.to/43zu8tA

This book touches on child abuse and animal abuse; those parts were very difficult to read and may be triggering to some.

Bridger and his family were always Dani’s safe haven when her childhood became too chaotic, thanks to her deeply troubled father. As her brother’s best friend, Bridger stepped in to protect Dani during those moments when his friend was dealing with their volatile home life. After high school, Dani left town for college, and life took them in different directions.

Bridger had a one-night stand that left his partner pregnant, and he did what he thought was best and married her. Turned out she was not fit to be a mother, and took off before their premature baby even left the hospital, relinquishing her parental rights, and leaving Bridger to raise his baby girl, Birdie, on his own. Years later, Dani returns to town and moves in across the street from Bridger—rekindling a connection that never truly faded. Their lives become even further entangled when Birdie starts kindergarten and Dani is her teacher.

Bridger Blackwell is a fiercely protective, dirty-talking firefighter, and Dani is a resilient, emotionally complex woman still navigating the scars of her past. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and their banter helps lighten the story a bit. Birdie is a standout character, and her bond with Dani is heartwarming. The warmth of their extended families adds richness and support to the story, making the emotional moments hit even harder. Add in a touch of the “you weren’t old enough for me then” trope, and you’ve got a powerful, emotionally charged romance that’s impossible to put down.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Sean Masters was perfect in voicing Bridger, and Erin Mallon truly captured Dani. Together, they did an excellent job bringing this book to life. I borrowed this audiobook through my public library’s app, Hoopla.

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WHEN WE BURN by Kristen Proby. Narrators: Erin Mallon & Sean Masters. Dreamscape Media. February 20, 2025. Listening Length: 8 hours and 45 minutes.

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UNLIKELY STORY by Ali Rosen

April 25, 2025

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From the publisher:

From the author of Recipe for Second Chances comes a swoonworthy romance bursting with wit about a therapist who falls for the wrong man…but perhaps the right one was hiding in the margins all along.

As a relationship therapist, Nora helps patients explore their feelings honestly. But she’s hiding an embarrassing relationship secret of her own: she’s in love with someone she’s never even met.

J edits the advice column Nora’s been writing anonymously for the last seven years. He’s in London, she’s in New York, and they communicate solely through shared files. When he confides that his girlfriend’s out of the picture, and her boss asks her to come to London, Nora takes both as a sign.

But that’s not the only thing on her mind. A client’s ex-boyfriend just moved into her co-op, directly beneath her. Eli blames Nora for his breakup and seems determined to make her life miserable, gleefully planning a noisy renovation.

Yet despite all his bluster, Nora eventually starts to see the softness behind Eli’s brusque, charming exterior…and after a slipup reveals a startling secret, Nora wonders whether someone can be two things at once.

“A swoonworthy romance reminiscent of a Nora Ephron movie. Rosen’s enemies-to-lovers romance is a delightfully modern take on You’ve Got Mail, mixed with the kind of will-they, won’t-they sort-of love triangle that’s the bread and butter of all rom-coms…Readers will be eating it up happily.” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

https://amzn.to/3YsqrST

This was such a fun read! Anything that hints at “You’ve Got Mail” and I’m on board. Nora is a therapist, but she also writes an advice column for a London tabloid. Her editor there, J, offers great critiques and eventually they fall into a pattern of writing each other notes along with the edits, and a friendship is formed. Eventually, Nora realizes that she is falling in love with someone she has never even met. As a therapist, she also sees a therapist, and hers is all for pursuing this long-distance relationship.

Meanwhile, Nora lives in a brownstone and the woman who lived in the apartment above hers has passed away. Most of the owners in this building are older and have been there forever. When the woman’s grandson moves in, they recognize each other at once. Nora had done couples counseling with Eli and his ex, just a couple of sessions, but that was enough for Eli to blame Nora for his breakup. He ingratiates himself with the board members who remember him visiting his grandmother for summers while he was growing up. When he starts renovating, he doesn’t seem to mind disturbing Nora; in fact, he relishes it. But Nora has a dog that has anxiety issues, and the noise isn’t helping.

Eventually, they end up getting to know one another better, Eli backs off the noisy renovations at night, and they form a friendship. Now, Nora is torn; she still has strong feelings for her editor, but she is also starting to fall for Eli. When she is invited to London to meet the new boss, she is delighted that she will also get to meet her editor, but things don’t go as planned, and there is a surprise in store for Nora. I couldn’t help but see it coming, but it was still fun seeing how things were going to work out. If you want a light, engaging read with some humor and a bit of heat, look no further. Highly recommend!

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

UNLIKELY STORY by Ali Rosen. Montlake (March 1, 2025). ISBN: 978-1662527920. 318p.

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Spotlight Review: ANY TROPE BUT YOU by Victoria Lavine

April 22, 2025

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From the publisher:

A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice.

Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher.

Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she’s just landed in a romance novel instead.

The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date.

As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.

“Lavine turns many of the common romance novel tropes on their heads in this stunning debut. Top-notch banter will have readers laughing out loud as they root for Margot to finally achieve her own happily-ever-after.”—Library Journal, starred review, Romance Debut of the Month

“A love letter to ‘romancelandia’ and the tropes it celebrates.”—LibraryReads Top Ten Books for April 2025

“In Lavine’s often humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching debut, a jaded romance author navigates a slew of rom-com tropes…It’s sweet to watch the leads bond over their mutual understanding of caretaking and sacrifice. Readers will have no trouble rooting for this pair’s happy ending.”—Publishers Weekly

“This debut romance is beautifully written, nicely balancing humor and heat with realistic drama and conflict…Margot and Forrest’s roles as caretakers to their relatives ground the story in deeper emotion and lead to refreshing attitude shifts and insights for the characters.”—Kirkus

https://amzn.to/4cv9HAx

If this is a debut, Lavine knocked it out of the park. I hesitate to validate that because I’ve been burned too many times before by publishers (usually it’s the publisher) creating a “debut author” by changing the name of an established author. A new name does not a new author make. But I did my due diligence and searched the Library of Congress Authorities, and Lavine appears to be a debut author. Yay!

This was a very clever premise for a romance. The main character, Margot, is a best-selling romance writer who has been burned by relationships to the point where she is a complete skeptic about romance – but she keeps those thoughts to herself. She is beloved by her readers until someone hacks her computer and shares her “Happily Never After” file with the internet. This is a file where she writes what her cynical heart truly believes to be more realistic endings to her novels; instead of happily ever afters, there is violence, divorce, etc. Her fans are outraged and Margot is canceled, and her publisher drops her.

Margot is mortified and totally despondent. Her sister arranges for Margot to spend six weeks at a “resort” in a small town in Alaska, but when she gets there, Margot quickly realizes this is no luxury resort but rather a backwoods lodge, ready for ice fishing, snowshoeing, and hiking through snowy mountains, none of which appeal to Margot. But her sister has thought this through, and she is stuck but good. There’s no internet or cell service, so she can’t even call her sister to berate her.

Forrest runs the inn along with his incapacitated dad and the hotel manager. They have several regular guests staying with them who are there for adventure, and Margot’s sister has roped her into trying some of these events. For every event she completes, Forrest has a letter from her sister for Margot. Margot has always taken care of her sister, who has severe health issues, and she really needs the income from another book to help pay medical bills. So Margot decides to write a mystery, seeing if she can capture the same magic as her romance novels did. Her agent is on board, but the first problem is that Margot is not really familiar with the mystery genre or the terminology generally used in those types of books, and without the internet, she is sort of stuck. But she plots and schemes and writes anyway, figuring she’ll fix any technicalities later.

Meanwhile, Margot and Forrest spend time together, and the attraction is real. They go through several romance tropes, laughing all the way from no connection with the outside world for six weeks to forced proximity to enemies-to-lovers to sleeping in one tent and so forth, and it is a brilliant plot device. This is a laugh-out-loud romcom with some real heat, and it is definitely going to make my list of the best books of the year. Don’t miss it!

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ANY TROPE BUT YOU by Victoria Lavine. Atria Books (April 1, 2025). ISBN:  978-1668079270. 336p.

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Audiobook Sunday: MR. BROODY by Piper Rayne

April 20, 2025

Read by JF Harding, Brooke Bloomingdale, Sean Masters, Connor Crais, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, & CJ Bloom

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The Nest, Book 2

From the author:

I’ve loved Henry Hensley since I was seven years old. We’ve gone from best friends to lovers to nothing.

To most people, he’s the Chicago Falcons starting right winger and hot single dad, but to me, he’s my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love.

Eight years ago, that all changed when our lives took us in two different directions. Our break-up almost broke me, so I kept my distance until our hometown called me back to where our story began.

I promised myself a quick visit to help my family out, and then I’d leave town before he even knew I was back, which should have been easy. He’s way too busy being a professional hockey player and raising his son to ever find out.

Of course, I’m only in town for a week before I run into him, and one thing is clear from our brief encounter—Henry wants to hash out our past, whereas I’d rather forget it.

But my plan really goes up in flames when I take a temporary substitute teaching job, and on day one, his son walks into my classroom. Boom.

https://amzn.to/4cmqMfV

This story centers on Jade and Henry and is a second-chance romance. They dated in high school and after, but they went in different directions, so they broke up. Henry has an adorable young son, Bohdi, and he even gets some of his own chapters, which is really sweet.

Jade is back in Chicago but hopes to avoid Henry, meaning she runs into him immediately. She takes a job as a substitute teacher, and of course, Bohdi is in her class. There is no escape for these two, and they start talking and it quickly becomes apparent that there are still feelings there. Bohdi is all for it; he wants them to get together, so that’s helpful in avoiding the usual kid hates the new woman issue in so many single-parent romances.

I loved the humor here; it helped lighten the tension a bit, and there was plenty of tension between Henry and Jade! This is a great second chance romance, and the hockey was just an added bonus for me. While this can definitely be read as a standalone, I think it’s more meaningful when following the first book.

This is a Full Cast production in Duet Style, which I really loved. Basically, it is read more like a play, with each actor reading a specific role, rather than dual style, with two actors alternating chapters. JF Harding and Brooke Bloomingdale lead an incredible cast featuring Sean Masters, Connor Crais, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, and CJ Bloom. Their performances brought the story to life in such an engaging way that I can’t recommend this audiobook series highly enough. This book is an entertaining escape with heat, heart, and humor. I loved it.

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MR. BROODY by Piper Rayne. Narrators: JF Harding, Brooke Bloomingdale, Sean Masters, Erin Mallon, Connor Crais, Troy Duran, Teddy Hamilton, & CJ Bloom. Piper Rayne Inc.; December 26, 2024. Listening Length: 9 hours and 13 minutes.

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THE INFLUENCERS by Anna-Marie McLemore

April 18, 2025

From the publisher:

A social media influencer’s empire is burned to the ground—literally. The top suspects? The five daughters who made her famous.

What do you really know about the people you’ve made famous?

“Mother May I” Iverson has spent the past twenty-five years building a massively successful influencer empire with endearing videos featuring her five mixed-race daughters. But the girls are all grown up now, and the ramifications of having their entire childhoods commodified start to spill over into public view, especially in light of the pivotal question: Who killed May’s newlywed husband and then torched her mansion to cover it up?

April is a businesswoman feuding with her mother over intellectual property; twins June and July are influencers themselves, threatening to overtake May’s spotlight; January is a theater tech who steers clear of her mother and the limelight; and the youngest . . . well, March has somehow completely disappeared. As the days pass post-murder, everyone has an opinion—the sisters, May, a mysterious “friend of the family,” and the collective voice of the online audience watching the family’s every move—with suspicion flying every direction.

A campy and escapist exploration of race, gender, sexuality, and class, The Influencers is an evisceration of influencer culture and how alienating traditional expectations can be, ripe for the current moment when the first generation of children made famous by their parents are, now, all grown up—and looking for retribution.

https://amzn.to/4feobEH

Anna-Marie McLemore, an award-winning young adult author (Flawless Girls,) pens The Influencers, their stellar debut novel for adults. May Iverson has been a social media influencer since her five children were babies, and they all grew up on camera. This dysfunctional family lives a life of extreme wealth and privilege, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for May. Her children are of mixed race and decidedly mixed feelings about living their lives in public. All are grown, the youngest has disappeared, and May has remarried. Told through various points of view, including each of the family members and their followers, the story opens with May’s husband found dead and a fire raging through the enormous house. This is a gimlet-eyed look at how social media has infiltrated our culture and society, with the murder mystery as the fulcrum. Everyone is a suspect, everyone has a theory, and May’s life will never be the same again.

Verdict: A compelling read, rather like watching a train wreck. Recommend to fans of the Kardashians and books like Kevin Wilson’s The Family Fang.

©Library Journal, 2025

4/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE INFLUENCERS by Anna-Marie McLemore. The Dial Press (April 15, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593729175. 448p.

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