PAPER DOLL LINA by Robyn Lucas

September 2, 2021

From the publisher:

One rip is all it takes to expose the devastating truth behind a seemingly perfect life.

Lina Henry is a wife and mother who likens herself to a pretty paper doll. She lives in a beautiful home in the Atlanta suburbs. Her husband, David, is a well-to-do investment banker. She’s raised two wonderful teenagers. To the outside world, the Henry family is perfect. What no one knows is that Lina’s paper doll life is being torn apart in a controlling and abusive marriage. When Lina develops an unexpected friendship with another man, and reconnects with her former best friend, she begins navigating a way out of the emotional minefield that is her home.

But as David senses his loss of control, he becomes more dangerous, and Lina must do everything in her power to protect herself and her children. In order to take back the happiness she deserves, Lina must first rediscover the strength and the fearlessness of her three-dimensional self.


Lina seems to have it all; a lovely home, a successful husband, two well behaved teenagers. But things aren’t always as they seem and, in this case, Lina’s husband David has been emotionally abusive for most of their marriage. The kids have created an exercise app that is taking off and loving the publicity they are getting, but David wants them to shut it down. While her kids are being interviewed on TV, Lina meets Noah, a renowned action movie star, and they become friends. Lina realizes that the emotional abuse is now affecting her kids, and she decides to confront David and ask for a divorce which escalates the abuse. Lina tries to convince herself to hang on for a few more years until the kids are out of school, but her friends give her the courage to move forward in her quest for freedom and Lina finds love. This is a gripping story with characters that come to life on the page, but it is a difficult, possibly triggering, read.  

Verdict: The heartbreak of an abusive marriage should be fertile ground for book groups. There are similar storylines in Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and The Journey by Danielle Steel.

©Library Journal, 2021

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

PAPER DOLL LINA by Robyn Lucas. Lake Union Publishing (September 1, 2021). ISBN: 978-1542030151. 365 pages.

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Cerebration: September 1, 2021

September 1, 2021

Covid. I thought we were finally beating this thing but nope, that Delta variant is kicking butt. Especially in Florida where our evil Governor DeSatan is working hard to make sure children are hospitalized and uneducated, and that our seniors all die. I am not being hyperbolic here. His largest donor makes tons of money off Regeneron, the monoclonal therapy being used to treat the disease. Then he donates big hunks of it to the governor’s PACs.

DeSantis top donor invests in COVID drug governor promotes

The governor arranged for treatments to be administered in that stronghold of wellness, the Jacksonville Public Library, AKA the Jacksonville Regeneron Clinic.

Viral photo of people on floor at Jacksonville Regeneron clinic ‘doesn’t convey how much pain they were in’

The governor issued an executive order that local school systems are not allowed to mandate masks or vaccines. So when a child gets Covid, his classmates and teacher need to quarantine. The executive order also forbids distance learning, so children don’t even have the Zoom option available. Luckily, some school districts have defied the governor and have mandated masks in school anyway, but the numbers are still bleak. As of 8/26/2021, Palm Beach County School District Reports 2,249 COVID Cases. “Roughly 4000 students are believed to be under a “stay home” order, meaning they are either infected with COVID-19, or may have been exposed.” That’s just one county after 13 days of school, and that’s with a mask mandate.

Then this happened: A Florida dad tried to enter a school maskless. When a student confronted him, he assaulted her, police said. “Tensions are particularly high in Florida, where more than half the state’s students are enrolled in school districts that have defied Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s ban on mask requirements, despite threats of funding cuts. Coronavirus cases continue to surge in Florida as the highly contagious delta variant rapidly spreads. The positivity rate among reported tests is nearly 20 percent, according to The Washington Post’s coronavirus tracker. In the past week, new daily reported deaths rose over 612 percent.”

The New York Times ran this headline: In Florida, the pandemic is worse now than it has ever been before.

This is all stressing me out. Thank goodness I can escape into books! Plus I have my beautiful grandson’s pictures to make me happy.

As always, thanks for reading and stay safe!

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


INSTANT GRATIFICATION by Jill Shalvis

August 31, 2021

Wilder, Book 2

From the publisher:

Welcome to Wishful, California, where the air is mountain clean, the people are small-town friendly and the wide-open spaces are perfect for a woman wanting to reinvent herself.

THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

There was a time when Dr. Emma Sinclair wanted to challenge herself, sharpen her medical skills by plunging into the relentless pace of a New York City ER. But she was younger then. Now she’s not that much older, but at least she’s wise enough to jump at the chance to run her father’s clinic for a summer in the Sierra Nevadas. Here she treats bee stings, stomach flu, and the occasional pet cat. She also contends with patients like Stone Wilder, laid-back and well-aware of his good looks—and irritating beyond belief. The man laughs at her. And Emma loathes him. Partly because she can’t resist his smile and the gleam in his eyes . . .

As co-owner of Wilder Adventures and Expeditions, Stone knows when he sees a fish out of water. He also knows how to put it back in the water. When he tries to help Emma loosen up a bit, he pictures white-water rafting or scenic mountain hikes. He never bargained for a much more intimate encounter. Still, Emma’s sure she has no place in a town like Wishful, but Stone knows different. Emma belongs here—in this town, in his life. Convincing her is a challenge he was born to take . . .


This is the second book in the Wilder series and I liked it as much as the first. This story centers around Stone and Emma. Emma lived in Wishful when she was a young girl, but when her mother decided to leave her father, there was no looking back for either of them. Emma was hurt that her father never tried to stay in touch with her, but she doesn’t have the whole story. I really liked this subplot, it added a lot of depth to the story and the character.

Emma’s father stayed in Wishful and is the town doctor. When he has a mild heart attack, Emma decides to help him out. She recently lost her mother and her father is her only family. But she is used to running a very busy ER in a NYC hospital, and the trickling in of patients is not fun for her. Especially when Stone shows up.

Stone is argumentative, stubborn, and has a real fear of needles. But he is really banged up and finally allows Emma to treat him. He drives her nuts but he is really good looking. And he thinks she is a knockout. Eventually they work out their differences and start dating and pretty soon, they are a couple. But the road to true love never runs smoothly, but that is half the fun of getting there.

This is a very hot romance with well developed characters and some humor. I loved it, and immediately read the rest of the trilogy. Reviews to follow.

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IINSTANT GRATIFICATION by Jill Shalvis. Kensington; Reprint edition (July 31, 2018). ISBN: 978-1496720849. 304 pages.

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SOMEONE TO CHERISH by Mary Balogh

August 30, 2021

The Westcott Series, Book 9

From the publisher:

Is love worth the loss of one’s freedom and independence? This is what Mrs. Tavernor must decide in the new novel in the Westcott series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.

When Harry Westcott lost the title Earl of Riverdale after the discovery of his father’s bigamy, he shipped off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, where he was near-fatally wounded. After a harrowing recovery, the once cheery, light-hearted boy has become a reclusive, somber man. Though Harry insists he enjoys the solitude, he does wonder sometimes if he is lonely.

Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, dreams of taking a lover. Her marriage to Reverend Isaiah Tavernor was one of service and obedience, and she has secretly enjoyed her freedom since his death. She doesn’t want to shackle herself to another man in marriage, but sometimes, she wonders if she is lonely. 

Both are unwilling to face the truth until they find themselves alone together one night, and Lydia surprises even herself with a simple question: “Are you ever lonely?” Harry’s answer leads them down a path neither could ever have imagined…


I think there are too many books in this series. I’ve not really had this issue before, and I’ve read some pretty long series; for example, Virgin River has 19 books and I’ve read them all. I’ve read about half of the Westcott series, but I really felt like I was slogging through this book. The entire first chapter is just introducing the family and all those characters from previous books. Then it seems like every time one of them is mentioned, there is a brief explanation of their circumstances or relationship, making this a very slow read for me.

I liked the characters, at least the main characters, and their story was a good one. Lydia is a young widow of the church vicar. Her husband was a charismatic and fervent leader, which led him to make some interesting life choices. He was also very good looking, and Lydia fell head over heels for him. But the marriage wasn’t a happy one, not that anyone ever suspected. He called her his “helpmeet” and made her feel as if her only purpose was to serve him and God. She wasn’t allowed to think or feel or have friends outside the church.

Lydia is much beloved in this small village. The vicar died while saving a child from drowning, elevating him to practically saint status – along with his widow. But it’s been more than a year, and it is time for Lydia to start living her life. She refused to move home with her father and brothers, and instead purchased a small cottage at the end of town where she lives alone, without even a servant. So when Harry is seen entering her home, then again at night, the scandal is real.

Harry is turning thirty, and his enormous family wants him to come to London. He doesn’t want to go, he doesn’t want a birthday party, and he really doesn’t want his family picking out a wife for him. He does attend the local parties he is invited to, and he finally meets Lydia, whose cottage is basically at the end of the driveway that leads to his estate. He ends up walking her home where she blurts out a few remarks about loneliness, and intimates that she would be open to taking Harry as a lover.

This is a small village, but Harry is intrigued. Lydia is not the woman he thought she was, a shy, retiring, invisible helpmeet. And he likes her. Things progress but there is that scandal, which in these times means marriage. But Lydia refuses him.

Lydia loves her freedom and independence. For the first time in her life, she is making all her own decisions and has some women friends. She is not willing to give that up to “obey” another husband.

We all know how this ends, and there is enough interesting backstory to keep the story moving, although all those pesky relatives slow things down too much for my taste. I think it is time I retired from reading this series. Probably.

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SOMEONE TO CHERISH by Mary Balogh. Berkley (June 29, 2021). ISBN: 978-1984802415. 416 pages.

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INSTANT ATTRACTION by Jill Shalvis

August 29, 2021

Wilder, Book 1

From the publisher:

The first in a sensational new series, Jill Shalvis introduces Cameron, Stone, and T.J. Wilder—three bad-boy heroes who effortlessly mix breathtaking adventure and scorching sex appeal…

Get Wild… And Then Get Wilder…

Accountant Katie Kramer is a quintessential good girl—working hard, recycling diligently, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. That’s all she wants. Well, that—and amazing sex, and the kind of daredevil escapade she can look back on when she’s crunching numbers in a dusty cubicle. Which explains why she just took a job in Wishful, California, working for Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. Waking up to find a magnificently built stranger towering over her bed—that part defies explanation…

After wandering the planet for months following a life-changing accident, Cameron Wilder has come back to the only home he knows. Under other circumstances, he might be thrilled to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in his cabin, but now, while he’ll risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits. Still, Katie’s killer smile triggers something deep in his gut… among other places. Showing her how exhilarating it can be to stop balancing her life as if it was a checkbook is the biggest rush he’s ever felt—and an adventure Katie’s wishing would never end…


Cam was an Olympic snowboarder until a horrific accident left him unable to compete on a professional level anymore. He made tons of money, but is just devastated that the life he lived was no longer. He wanders the globe for a year, until he finally comes home to his brothers and their adventure business. But when he goes into his cabin, dead tired and wanting nothing more than a bed, he finds a beautiful young woman sleeping there. Too tired to even discuss it, he calls her Goldilocks then falls asleep in the chair.

Katie has also had a life changing experience when the bridge she was driving on collapsed, and she was the only survivor. Determined to start a new life, she jumps in her car and heads north to Wishful. There she gets a temporary job as a bookkeeper for the adventure company. Determined to live her life to the fullest, she also wants adventure and good sex, and guess what: she finds it.

Cam has always had groupies and never had an actual relationship, but there is something about Katie. She isn’t looking for a relationship, just good sex. But of course, they both find love and a way to help one another heal.

This is a very hot romance with interesting characters and some humor. I loved it, and immediately read the rest of the trilogy. Reviews to follow.

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

INSTANT ATTRACTION by Jill Shalvis. Kensington; Reprint edition (March 27, 2018). ISBN: 978-1496720832. 320 pages.

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THE MIXTAPE by Brittainy Cherry

August 28, 2021

From the publisher:

Since the death of his twin brother, Oliver’s caught between pleasing his fans and finding himself. Emery finds him first.

Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them―no support system―any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.

Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.

He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?


I haven’t heard about mixtapes for decades, so I was intrigued. It is used as almost a device for communicating by these characters.

Oliver is drowning in guilt about his twin brother’s death and after six months of mourning, he is convinced it is time to get up on stage and perform again. Except he has a panic attack, takes off and ends up in a nearby dive bar. But once the crowd realizes who he is, things get ugly and the bartender, Emery, hustles everyone out and sneaks him out the back door. The only problem is that Oliver is completely wasted, but Emery gets him into her car, figuring she’ll just take him home. But after he pukes, he passes out and she has no idea where he lives. She brings him home with her, and when he wakes up in the morning with a mother of a hangover, she takes him home. That’s the meet-cute and while it wasn’t super cute, it was super effective.

Emery has a young daughter and her life revolves around her. Money is super tight, and even more so when the bar owner fires her for closing early and not collecting on all the tabs. Oliver finds out and offers her a job as his personal chef for an obscene amount of money, and things start looking up.

Emery has an interesting back story. Her family is super religious, but they are intolerant people, to say the least. Her sister is her best friend, but she’s been off “finding herself.” Emery struggles without that support, but Oliver quickly steps in to become that person for her.

Oliver has a girlfriend, but she is beyond awful. He is too depressed to do anything about it for a while. Meanwhile, Oliver and Emery become friends – and then more.

This was a really good romance with lots of angst and drama, which really makes the pages fly. It is not your typical romance novel, but has a lot more depth to it. I loved it.

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE MIXTAPE by Brittainy Cherry. Montlake (July 1, 2021). ISBN: 978-1542018364. 335 pages.

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Paul Lane

August 27, 2021

I was saddened to learn that my friend, Paul Lane, passed away.

I met Paul when he started working at the library with me. It was his second career; he had retired from a job in international sales and was bored. He was fluent in Spanish as his sales job took him to Latin America, and his wife was from Mexico. He worked full time at the library for many years, and finally retired for the second time a few years ago. But never one to sit around and do nothing, he volunteered with the Palm Beach County Sherriff’s department and wrote book reviews for my website.

Paul was an avid reader. We talked books for hours and hours (while working!) For many years, he refused to read any books in a series, but eventually he caved. Some of his favorite authors were Daniel Silva, David Rosenfelt, Steve Berry, Vince Flynn, Jeff Lindsay, Ben Coes, and so many more. He loved mysteries and thrillers and historical fiction, and when those were combined into one book, he was so happy!

Paul loved his wife and his family. While his life was cut short, his memory will live on.

Rest in peace, my friend. And thanks for all the reviews.


SUMMER OF NO ATTACHMENTS by Lori Foster

August 26, 2021

From the publisher:

Summer flings with no strings mean nobody gets hurt.

At least, that was the plan…

After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment.

Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind…and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.

And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.


This is a standalone double romance with a lot of heart. The main romance is Ivey’s; after two fairly uneventful and boring years, Ivey dumps the man who didn’t thrill her. A successful veterinarian, she decides she’d rather be single than be with someone who does nothing for her. He’s not a bad guy, just uninterested in her and frankly, she’s not too interested in him either. Until she breaks up with him – then he decides maybe they should be together but she isn’t having any part of it.

Corbin is a newcomer to this small town, and very good looking. He comes with a teenage son, and soon his older brother Lang comes to stay. Ivey and Corbin have some chemistry, which gets her to rethink her idea of a summer with no attachments. Corbin just learned he had a son when an old girlfriend drops him off and says adios. He is shocked, but happy, and is trying hard to build a relationship with his son.

Ivey’s vet assistant, Hope, is also her best friend. Hope is extremely shy, especially around men, because of an issue with her sister’s fiancé. But for some reason, Corbin’s brother appeals to her. He treats her with such kindness she can’t help but be drawn to him. Ivey is so happy for her friend as she is finally coming out of her shell.

Both romances work well here, and there is enough drama and laughter to keep the pages turning. Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors.

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SUMMER OF NO ATTACHMENTS by Lori Foster. HQN; Original edition (June 22, 2021). ISBN: 978-1335459893. 336 pages.

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THE DATING PLAYBOOK by Farrah Rochon

August 25, 2021

The Rajes, Book 3

From the publisher:

When a personal trainer agrees to fake date her client, all rules are out the window in this “fun, heartfelt, and totally relatable” romantic comedy (Abby Jimenez, NYT bestselling author of Life’s Too Short).

When it comes to personal training, Taylor Powell kicks serious butt. Unfortunately, her bills are piling up, rent is due, and the money situation is dire. Taylor needs more than the support of her new best friends, Samiah and London. She needs a miracle.

And Jamar Dixon might just be it. The oh-so-fine former footballer wants back into the NFL, and he wants Taylor to train him. There’s just one catch—no one can know what they’re doing. But when they’re accidentally outed as a couple, Taylor’s game plan is turned completely upside down. Is Jamar just playing to win . . . or is he playing for keeps?

  • PopSugar: Best Summer Reads of 2021
  • BookBub: Best Romance Books of Summer
  • Washington Post: Romance Novels to Read This Summer
  • Oprah Daily: Most Anticipated Romances of 2021

This is the second book of a no-named series, although it works well as a standalone, too. Although I loved the first book so much, I shouldn’t even tell you that, but if you can, please go read The Boyfriend Project. It made my best books of the year list for 2020.

This book has an added bonus for me; it’s a sports romance, which I love. Jamar has been booted from the NFL after his first year due to a serious injury. None of the teams want to take a chance on him, despite his surgeon’s clearing him to play. Determined to get back to the sport he loves, but wanting to avoid publicity about it, he decides to find a trainer to work with him from outside the NFL bubble. Jamar has seen Taylor’s boot camp style workouts online and besides thinking she’s pretty hot, thinks she is just the woman who can kick his butt back to the NFL. He shows up at one of her popup classes and impresses her when he can do one armed burpees. They chat after, and eventually he talks her into being his personal trainer.

Taylor loves what she does, but the business end of things sucks. She is losing money hand over fist and desperately needs an infusion of cash to pay her bills. She hasn’t gotten a couple of jobs she really wanted because she never went to college. It becomes apparent fairly quickly that something is up about that.

These characters were so well developed that I couldn’t help but care about them. Taylor has all kinds of family drama and Jamar has some serious guilt going on in his backstory. Even though they agree that they cannot be romantically involved, they end up in a fake relationship for the media attention. Which of course eventually turns into a hot romance.

I loved this story and these characters and I can’t wait for the next book in this series! Just wish it had a name.

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DATING PLAYBOOK by Farrah Rochon. Forever (August 17, 2021). ISBN: 978-1538716670. 384 pages.

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HITCHED TO THE GUNSLINGER by Michelle McLean

August 24, 2021

Gunslinger, Book 1

Gray “Quick Shot” Woodson is the fastest gun west of the Mississippi. Unfortunately, he’s ready to hang up his hat. Sure, being notorious has its perks. But the nomadic lifestyle―and people always tryin’ to kill you―gets old real fast.

Now he just wants to find a place to retire so he can spend his days the way the good Lord intended. Staring at the sunset. And napping.

When his stubborn horse drags him into a hole-in-the-wall town called Desolation, something about the place calls to Gray, and he figures he might actually have a shot at a sleepy retirement.

His optimism lasts about a minute and a half.

Soon he finds himself embroiled in a town vendetta and married to a woman named Mercy. Who, judging by her aggravating personality, doesn’t know the meaning of her own name. In fact, she’s downright impossible.

But dang it if his wife isn’t irresistible. If only she’d stop trying to steal his guns to go after the bad guys herself.

There goes his peace and quiet…


This was a very different read for me. It’s an historical cowboy romance, and I really loved it!

Gray is a gunslinger who has the reputation of being unstoppable, with a trail of dead bodies behind him to prove it. Turns out he “accidentally” got into it when he was defending himself. He learned to shoot as a child, and is quite skilled, but he is really tired of people trying to kill him just for the prestige of it.

Gray ends up in the little town of Desolation, where he meets Mercy. She offers him a place to sleep and meals if he will help her with one of her neighbors. It seems the man is trying every which way to get his hands on the property she just inherited when her father passed away. He tries proposing, threatening, offering money, but she doesn’t want to sell. Gray agrees to basically be her bodyguard, but when push comes to shove, Mercy blurts out that he is her fiancé, and the fake romance takes off.

Gray is a bit of a curmudgeon, and all he is really interested in is food and napping, but Mercy is a terrible cook and his naps keep getting interrupted. When he ends up shooting the gun out Mercy’s nemesis’s hand, the whole town is intrigued. But the sheriff is scared and takes off in the middle of the night. Gray is offered the position, which he finds hilarious as he’s always been on the wrong side of the law but eventually he takes it. And he soon learns what it means to be accepted, by a woman and a town.

Mercy and Gray marry, and he soon learns that caring about people may be dangerous to his health. Things come to a head with a shootout in the streets and of course, the happy ending. This was a really fun read, a hot romance, and I couldn’t put it down. Really looking forward to the next book in this series!

8/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HITCHED TO THE GUNSLINGER by Michelle McLean. Entangled: Amara (August 24, 2021). ISBN: 978-1649370228. 1330 pages.

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