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.
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.
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.
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.
A pro hockey player falls for an interior designer in this charming debut sports romance.
For fans of Icebreaker and Set On You, this flirty workplace rom-com explores mental health, belonging, and finding your way in the world.
Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn’t doing as well mentally as he says he is. Case in point: Nick’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.
To prove he’s fine, really, Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Alyssa’s thrilled at the chance to prove herself to her demanding boss—with job security at last, maybe she can finally put down roots and create a home for herself too. But Nick turns out to be infuriatingly stubborn and impossible to work with, and just when Alyssa decides to throw in the towel on the whole thing, Nick shows up for her in a way she never could have expected.
The icy path ahead of these two lost souls may be slippery and cracking, but when it comes to love, sometimes all you need is someone on your team.
“Kennedy’s shining adult debut will delight readers and intrigue fans of Sarina Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series and Icebreaker by Hannah Grace.” —Library Journal
This author has written some young adult and children’s books, but this is her first adult romance and it’s terrific!
I have tried audiobooks many, many times over the years, but the only ones I was able to listen to were the Harry Potter series, most of the Lemony Snicket series, and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – I loved them all. But anything else I tried, from biographies to thrillers to domestic fiction to romances, just didn’t hold my attention. I would be listening and all of a sudden realize I had no idea what was happening anymore. I gave up for a long time, but as my vision continues to worsen, I decided to make more of an effort with audiobooks. Plus my commute to work is the longest it’s been in over 20 years – about 20-25 minutes.
So I started again. I tried Hoopla, an app provided by my public library because everything they have is always available, so I figured if it took me a really long time to get through a book, I could just check it out again. Other library apps, like Overdrive or CloudLibrary, have limited availability and I didn’t want to get halfway through and then have to reserve it and wait for the book, giving my brain time to forget whatever I had heard.
Hearts on Thin Ice was the first romance I really enjoyed listening to! I think part of it is the reader, or in this case, readers – one for the female lead, Scarlett Everdeen, and one for the male lead, Nick Mondelli. (And I surprised myself by listening at home, too, while I folded the laundry, made dinner, and so forth.) I not only finished the book within the allotted loan period (3 weeks) I returned it early and braved another. I started with an old Brenda Novak book, the first of her Dundee, Idaho series, and I’m now on the fourth book in that series – all audio. I will eventually review that series.
Back to Hearts on Thin Ice – this is a hockey romance, and I do love a good sports romance. Nick is a professional hockey player who was in a small plane crash with several of his teammates, who were also his best friends. Everyone on the plane died except for Nick, and he has a severe case of survivor’s guilt. He also has extensive injuries, but eventually makes a full recovery and is traded to another team.
Nick’s new coach knows what happened and is worried about him. He is living in a completely empty apartment – mattress on the floor, one chair, a TV, and that’s about it. He orders Nick to go to therapy and to furnish his apartment so he can live like a normal person. One of his teammates is becoming a friend, and while at his house his wife recommends her interior designer to help him. Grudgingly, Nick goes to see her but her boss tries to steal his business. That gets Nick’s hackles up, and he refuses and leaves. Next thing he knows, this gorgeous woman is pushed out the door after him – Alyssa, the designer his friend recommended.
Alyssa goes to Nick’s apartment and is appalled by how he is living. But when she tries to talk to him about what he likes, style-wise, colors, etc. he just shuts down and tells her to do whatever she wants. She comes up with a masculine, industrial modern design, and when he sees it, he tells her it’s fine. Then he fires her. Devastated, Alyssa realizes something is wrong but can’t figure it out.
Then Nick is ordered once again to furnish his apartment, so he goes back to Alyssa. This time, he tells her he hated the design, it reminded him of the plane that crashed with all that metal and rivets on the furniture. She figures out a few ways to find out what he likes and they spend some time together. Nick really likes her but doesn’t feel deserving of a relationship when all his dead friends will never have one. Alyssa also has some of her own baggage, making them both interesting and real.
Theirs is a complicated relationship, and the characters are very well drawn with real depth, making it easy to root for them. There is some heat as well as some laughs. It’s not all death and destruction! That’s actually a small part of the story, but important background. This was a very enjoyable listen, and I’m so happy I am finding my way with audiobooks at last. I am grateful to Katie Kennedy, Scarlett Everdeen, and Nick Mondelli for getting me to this point.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
HEARTS ON THIN ICE by Katie Kennedy.Alcove Press (June 18, 2024). ISBN: 978-1639107735. 320p.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with an all-new sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny…
Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.
Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.
Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.
“Come for the buzzy hockey romance trope, stay for the unique spins and swoon-worthy leading man that Bailey has become famous for crafting.” — USA Today
“Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly
Bailey is one of my favorite writers, and I loved her latest! I was already halfway there with the hockey player storyline, and the single dad, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, age difference, and all the other romantic subgenres just brought this together in one terrific read for me.
Falling for the nanny is a time-honored romance tradition – not sure how often it happens in real life (forget Hollywood, I mean real people life!) but it was definitely believable here – maybe because Burgess falls first? And fortunately, he is already divorced (I hate any nanny marriage breakups.) He has to work to sweep Tallulah off her feet, and he does. But then comes the tween-age daughter. She adores Tallulah until she realizes that her dad is involved with the nanny. Like most kids, she wants her parents to get back together and Tallulah refuses to be the reason they don’t.
There is a lot of turmoil and angst before they reach their happy ending, and a lot of very steamy sex, making this an emotional yet fun read. I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and I was invested enough to root for their happily ever after. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!
Note: Like most romance series, you do not need to read these in order. Each book is about a different couple, and while the couple from book one is mentioned, it wouldn’t matter if you hadn’t read it. That said, I think the first book, Fangirl Down, a golf romance, may have been even better than this one, so why not read both!
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE AU PAIR AFFAIR by Tessa Bailey.Avon (July 16, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063308428. 384p.
A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up…
If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, but now she’s standing in her ‘shine like a star’ nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.
As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is until someone comes running out of a door, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.
When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to earth and reconnect with the mysterious man, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start. But in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind…
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
“Greenwood offers a charming, unique twist on a plethora of the best romance tropes. Sure to be a favorite of readers who love Sophie Cousens and Katy Birchall.” —Library Journal
“[T]he emotions are sweeping, the humor feels straight out of a network sitcom…. Fans of The Good Place should snap this up.” —Publishers Weekly
“Greenwood weaves themes of loneliness, grief and self-discovery into a romance filled with laugh-out-loud moments.” —USA Today
I kept hearing about this book so I finally picked it up – I’m so glad I did! I don’t care for a lot of woo-woo paranormal type romances, but I can deal in limited doses. An occasional witch. I do like time travel, and this sort of falls into that category, but with a twist. The afterlife twist.
Delphie is alone and very lonely, although it seems like she doesn’t even realize it. One day, she choked to death on a microwaveable hamburger, with no one there to Heimlich her. She arrives in what appears to be a laundromat but is actually the waiting room of heaven. There, a strange woman is trying to explain all of this to her when someone else pops in. A good-looking man who takes one look at Delphie and appears smitten – and she is as well. Except it turns out he is in the wrong place – not that place, but he’s not really dead and needs to be sent back. She’s told that he is her soulmate, and if she can get him to kiss her in ten days, she’ll be returned to life as well. All Delphie knows about him is that he lives in London and his first name, so not a whole lot to go on. But certainly worth a shot!
Delphie enlists the aid of her downstairs grumpy neighbor, Cooper. She thinks he is a computer programmer of some sort, and he does have some skills in that regard. They finally find out his full name, where he works, and Delphie has several attempts at trying to meet him. All are hilarious! Of course, spending time with Cooper has them growing closer and causing Delphie to wonder about her “soulmate”. Lots of hijinks ensue in this missing person’s type case, and everyone gets the happy ending they need.
This was such a fun read! It had many laugh-out-loud moments, some steamy sex, and a lot of heart. I loved it.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE by Kirsty Greenwood.Berkley (July 2, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593816134. 384p.
In a heartwarming new series from New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray, four siblings take a genuine leap of faith when they move to their grandparents’ farm in rural Ohio and decide to become Amish.
Exploring the relationship between Amish and English cultures through the lens of a single family, the Amish Again series is perfect for fans of Beverly Lewis, Suzanne Woods Fisher, and Charlotte Hubbard – and anyone who enjoys uplifting stories about faith, family, love, and the simple life.
Siblings Martin, Kelsey, Beth, and Jonny are as different as can be, but they have one thing in common. They’re all longing to reinvent their lives. Raised by their divorced lapsed-Amish father and English mother, they only knew real stability and a sense of family when visiting their Old Order grandparents, Josiah and Sylvia Schrock, in peaceful Holmes County, Ohio. Now the four want to try living with them and joining their faith—much to the Schrocks’ surprise . . .
Martin, the eldest, is reeling from a bad breakup, so he’s especially determined to make a fresh start. When he meets his grandparents’ neighbor, Patti Coblentz, he’s immediately drawn to her outgoing, helpful nature—but is so overwhelmed that he appears blunt and rude. Is there any way he can drop his defenses enough to admit she’s captured his heart?
Always self-conscious about the birthmark on her temple, Patti is resigned to never marrying and busying herself with the responsibilities of the large home and property she has inherited. Besides, Martin’s ill-mannered behavior and disconcerting directness make him the last man she’d ever want to wed—no matter how handsome he is.
Yet given time and patience—and adhering to their grandparents’ unexpectedly challenging rules—the whole family might just find what they’re looking for, even Martin and Patti.
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This was an interesting and surprising look at living Amish. These four siblings have grandparents who are Amish, but their father left the community and their mother is an Englisher. They all decide they might want to be Amish but all four of them will be overwhelming to their grandparents, so just two of them go to live there to see how they fit in and if they want to make it permanent. Martin just had a bad breakup, and recalls the peace he always felt at his grandparents’ home. Kelsey, the youngest, truly believes she wants to be Amish, so they are the first two siblings to stay with their grandparents.
Martin meets their neighbor, a young woman named Patti who has never married. She has a prominent birthmark on her face and believes that makes her unmarriageable. And Martin is very good looking and could have his pick of any of the single women in town. Martin doesn’t see her birthmark as marring or undesirable, just as a part of Patti and he likes all of her. But he can’t decide if he can commit to her and being Amish.
Kelsey meets someone in town, and even though hers is the secondary plotline to Martin, she is the one who gets the happy ending while Martin and Patti still are very much undecided. Hopefully, that will conclude in the next book in the series. This is a good start to a new series from the queen of the Amish romance. Shepard Gray is nothing if not consistent as she spins out one entertaining tale after another. If you like a gentle romance or an inspirational romance, this is a good read.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
A IS FOR AMISH by Shelley Shepard Gray.Kensington (June 25, 2024). ISBN: 978-1496748843. 288p.
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