Contemporary | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole

January 11, 2021

Runaway Royals, Book 1

From the publisher:

An arranged marriage leads to unexpected desire, in the first book of Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series…

When Shanti Mohapi weds the king of Njaza, her dream of becoming a queen finally comes true. But it’s nothing like she imagined. Shanti and her husband may share an immediate and powerful attraction, but her subjects see her as an outsider, and everything she was taught about being the perfect wife goes disastrously wrong.

A king must rule with an iron fist, and newly crowned King Sanyu was born perfectly fitted for the gauntlet, even if he wishes he weren’t. He agrees to take a wife as is required of him, though he doesn’t expect to actually fall in love. Even more vexing? His beguiling new queen seems to have the answers to his country’s problems—except no one will listen to her.

By day, they lead separate lives. By night, she wears the crown, and he bows to her demands in matters of politics and passion. When turmoil erupts in their kingdom and their marriage, Shanti goes on the run, and Sanyu must learn whether he has what it takes both to lead his people and to catch his queen.

A contemporary royal marriage makes for a really good read. Cole’s latest has the perfect combination of love, passion, laughter, and drama. It actually reminded me a bit of the Eddie Murphy movie, Coming to America, so if you like that film, you should like this book. I sure did.

Shanti has spent her life preparing to be a queen, but when she is matched on royalmatch.com (if only!) to Sanyu II of Njaza, things don’t go as she imagined. The passion is there, but the King is following the tradition of basically trying out the marriage for a few months. Shanti’s opinions aren’t wanted, and she is relegated to “be seen and not heard,” which is not working for her. But the clock is ticking and she only has a few months to prove she is the real Queen her King and people need.

The King’s father had changed wives every four months for years, never finding his true queen, but Shanti doesn’t want that to happen to her. Her husband wasn’t really ready to lose his father and take over, and he’s not interested in marriage, per se. None of that helps the situation. But gradually they start working together and a happily ever after is reached.

This was such a good read! I loved her last series, the “Reluctant Royals” and if this first book is any indication, this new series is a winner as well.

1/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole. Avon (December 1, 2020). ISBN 978-0062933966. 384 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams

January 9, 2021

Bromance Book Club, Book 3

From the publisher:

“[A] catchy premise with surprising wisdom and specificity.”–New York Times Book Review on The Bromance Book Club

A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Title

A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.

Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.

Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.

Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

The friend-to-lover trope is always a good one, and Adams works her magic here for sure. This was one of those books I picked up and couldn’t put down until I (sadly) turned the last page. Hopefully, there will be more books in one of my favorite series. I have to say the first book is still my favorite (The Bromance Book Club) but I have truly enjoyed every one. I think they are best read in order, but each book definitely stands alone. And breaking news from Adams’ Twitter account: coming soon to Netflix!

The premise of these books is that this group of men learn how to treat women by reading (gasp!) romance novels. And it works. These are all big, alpha males who understand more about women because of their book club. That is not a bad thing. The other good thing is that these books are really funny, like laugh out loud funny, which I love.

The main characters in this book are Noah, a computer nerd who is best friends with Alexis. Alexis is a sexual assault survivor and she is very sweet and kind. Noah realizes he’s falling in love with Alexis but he also loves their friendship and is afraid to ruin it. But the book club teaches him how to make it all work out. There are some angsty moments for sure, but everyone gets their happy ending with a lot of laughs along the way.

If you haven’t started this series, please do yourself a favor and start reading. If you have read the first two books, what are you waiting for? Or start here, you definitely can. Put this one in the “must-read” column.

1/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams. Berkley (October 27, 2020). ISBN 978-1984806130. 352 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on CRAZY STUPID BROMANCE by Lyssa Kay Adams | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE COOKBOOK CLUB by Beth Harbison

January 7, 2021

A Novel of Food and Friendship

From the publisher:

New York Times bestselling author Beth Harbison whips together a witty and charming–and delicious–story about the secrets we keep, the friends we make, and the food we cook.

MUST LOVE BUTTER: The Cookbook Club is now open to members. Foodies come join us! No diets! No skipping dessert!

Margo Everson sees the call out for the cookbook club and knows she’s found her people. Recently dumped by her self-absorbed husband, who frankly isn’t much of a loss, she has little to show for her marriage but his ‘parting gift’—a dilapidated old farm house—and a collection of well-loved cookbooks

Aja Alexander just hopes her new-found friends won’t notice that every time she looks at food, she gets queasy. It’s hard hiding a pregnancy, especially one she can’t bring herself to share with her wealthy boyfriend and his snooty mother.

Trista Walker left the cutthroat world of the law behind and decided her fate was to open a restaurant…not the most secure choice ever. But there she could indulge her passion for creating delectable meals and make money at the same time.

The women bond immediately, but it’s not all popovers with melted brie and blackberry jam. Margo’s farm house is about to fall down around her ears; Trista’s restaurant needs a makeover and rat-removal fast; and as for Aja, just how long can you hide a baby bump anyway?

In this delightful novel, these women form bonds that go beyond a love of grilled garlic and soy sauce shrimp. Because what is more important in life than friendship…and food?

I used to facilitate a cookbook club, AKA cookbook discussion group, so this title grabbed me right away. Harbison writes women’s fiction with some humor, romance, but mostly friendship. This book and one other of hers that I have read (When in Doubt, Add Butter) have a foodie slant, which I always enjoy, especially when there are recipes included. I must confess I haven’t made any of the recipes, but I might! I do have a recipe for a taco salad with Doritos (thanks, Judy!) and it is always a winner at any potluck.

Three women meet over an ad and a shared interest in cookbooks and cooking. I loved these women. I could be friends with all of them. There is a lot of humor and a lot of food and some very sweet moments as well. They all have stuff going on in their lives, but this friendship brings them something joyful. I knew I was going to like this book when Margo threw her husband out:

“Eat,” she said, shoving his bowl closer as she passed him. “You’re going to need your energy.”
“For what?” He took a big bite and rolled his eyes in bliss. “You’ve really gotten so good at this lean stuff.”
She gathered her internal strength, vision blurring. “Packing and getting the hell out of here.”
He shook his head, chewing. “I don’t have to leave right away,” he said with a mouthful.
“Oh yes, you do.” Seeing how much he was enjoying her food enraged her. It was probably more accurate to say it pulled the pin on the anger that was already tightening deep beneath her disbelief, but whatever caused it, she found herself unable to fight it. “In fact, you’ve got three seconds to eat whatever else you’re going to eat there before you’re wearing it.”
He looked genuinely shocked. “Margo, this isn’t like you!”
“Correction: this isn’t like Margo your wife.” The flames of fury engulfed her. She couldn’t believe this was happening, and that it was happening so… so casually. “Let me introduce you to Margo your ex-wife.”
“Can’t we be friends?”
The idea that they could suddenly shift baffled her violently.
“No.” She picked up the bowl and dumped the whole thing in his lap, careful to make sure the oily dressing saturated his shirt. She looked him over and clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Get yourself cleaned up, Calvin, honestly, you’re a mess. Oh, and you have half an hour to pack what you want and get out. If you don’t, I’ll call the police. I don’t know if they’ll be able to enforce anything, but I do know that will embarrass you to death, and if there’s one thing you hate, it’s being embarrassed.”

Gutsy move! Almost sounds like a fantasy, but life can be tricky sometimes so why not just go with it. These women share a love of cooking and learn to love one another, to lean on one another, and that makes for a delicious read.

1/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE COOKBOOK CLUB by Beth Harbison. William Morrow Paperbacks (October 20, 2020). ISBN 978-0062958624. 384 pages.

Kindle (As of this writing, the Kindle version is on sale for $2.99!)

Audible

Comments Off on THE COOKBOOK CLUB by Beth Harbison | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE FLIP SIDE by James Bailey

January 4, 2021

From the publisher:

Penny wise or pound foolish? A heartbroken young Brit decides to turn his love life over to the flip of a coin—in this delightfully British rom-com in the vein of Jenny Colgan, Rosie Curtis, Nick Hornby, and David Nicholls.

To coin a phrase, Josh is suffering a quarter-life crisis. He just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, lost his job, and moved back home with his parents (shudder). Welcome to rock bottom in Bristol. As Josh starts questioning all his life choices, he has a mad thought: Maybe he would just be better flipping a coin. After all, careful planning has landed him homeless, jobless, and single.

What starts as a joke soon becomes serious and Josh decides to start putting his faith in the capriciousness of currency. He doesn’t have anything to lose.

But when the chance of a lifetime and the girl of his dreams are on the line, will the coin guide him to a rich love life or leave him flat broke?

I am always curious about a contemporary romance novel written by a man. There aren’t a lot of them, but I like to read them just for an opposing viewpoint. This is a debut novel so double the pleasure; I love finding new authors as well.

This book opens on New Years Eve (probably 2019) and our hero, Josh, has made elaborate plans. You see, he is going to propose to his long term girlfriend and he wants it to be memorable. He reserves something called the “London Eye”, a glass bubble high above London with spectacular views. The occupants get to spend a predetermined amount of time in the bubble, and about halfway through, Josh drops to his knee to propose. Unfortunately, the girlfriend says no and to add coal to the fire, also tells him she’s been cheating on him. They get to spend an additional 28 minutes in the glass bubble after that. Painful, to say the least.

But that’s not the end of Josh’s troubles. Since his now ex-girlfriend is also the boss’s daughter, he feels compelled to resign his position. And since he lives with the ex-girlfriend in her spectacular loft, it means he has to move back in with his parents, your basic nightmare existence for a twenty-something. The icing on the cake? He arrives at his parents’ house to an engagement party.

He sneaks out of the party to watch a movie with his Pap, who offers him a coin to toss to determine which movie to watch. Since all the decisions he has made have not worked out, he decides to let the coin decide his life for the next year. He figures it can’t do any worse than he did.

The coin leads him on some crazy adventures, including chasing a girl all over Europe (but not in a stalker-ish way.) He learns a lot about himself throughout the year, and it was such a pleasure reading all about it. This is a very funny yet heartwarming read, and I just loved it. I am looking forward to more from this author. Highly recommend!

1/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE FLIP SIDE by James Bailey. William Morrow Paperbacks (November 17, 2020). ISBN 978-0063019393. 384 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on THE FLIP SIDE by James Bailey | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

A TAIL FOR TWO by Mara Wells

December 21, 2020

Fur Haven Dog Park, Book 2

From the publisher:

All paws on deck!

Carrie Burns has a successful business, a young son, Oliver, and an energetic Jack Russell terrier. She doesn’t have time in her busy schedule for her ex-husband and his talk of working together again. But when she runs into Lance in the dog park, their lives are turned upside down.

Lance Donovan wants to promote his fledgling construction company by helping his brother Caleb with a big condo conversion. Lance even knows the perfect interior designer to make this project a success―his ex-wife, Carrie. But after a fateful meeting at the dog park, Lance finds himself not only petsitting both his brother’s dog and the beloved Jack Russell terrier he had to leave behind in the divorce but babysitting a young son he never knew he had while his ex-wife tries to get back into dating. How did life get this crazy?

Lance is determined to win back the love he thought he’d lost―but he’s going to need a lot of help from his furry friends.

Fur Haven Dog Park Series:
Cold Nose, Warm Heart (Book 1)
Tail for Two (Book 2)

I actually read the first book in this series (yay, me) and I liked it enough to read the next and here we are. This one is a little bit better, probably because I was already familiar with the background story and some of the characters. It’s a cute read with an underlying sweetness that just dragged me in. There are dogs and sexy men and a good “will she or won’t she take him back” kind of romance. And Miami is always good for me. Oh, and cranky grandparents, too, a South Florida stereotype that became one for a reason!

All I can say is if you want a sweet, fun read for over the holidays, you can’t go wrong here. Enjoy!

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A TAIL FOR TWO by Mara Wells. Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 29, 2020). ISBN 978-1492698616. 384 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on A TAIL FOR TWO by Mara Wells | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

JINGLE ALL THE WAY by Debbie Macomber

December 19, 2020

From the publisher:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Love can transform even the best-laid plans in this heartfelt Christmas novel from the queen of Christmas stories, Debbie Macomber.

Trapped in the middle of five siblings, Everly Lancaster always had big dreams. Now a top real-estate executive, Everly finds her work is her life, leaving no space for anything (or anyone) else. Sensing her stress, Everly’s boss insists she take December off. At first, a month away seems crazy—how will the company survive without her? But Everly’s mother convinces her otherwise. She deserves a vacation—plus, when she returns, she’ll have no excuse to skip family Christmas like she did last year.

But after her vengeful assistant books a guided cruise in the Amazon instead of the luxury beach vacation she expected, Everly is horrified to realize that she’s about to spend the next two weeks trapped—with no Wi-Fi!—in the rain forest. Not even Asher Adams, the ship’s charming naturalist, can convince Everly that the trip will be unforgettable. Slowly but surely, she realizes he is right: the sights are spectacular. And with each passing day, Everly’s relationship with Asher deepens, forcing her to take a long, hard look at her priorities.

Everly and Asher begin to see magic in the possibility of a life together. But as the cruise nears its end, and Everly’s family Christmas approaches, both must decide if love is worth the risk. A merry surprise may be in store in Debbie Macomber’s newest holiday delight.

I have not always loved Macomber’s Christmas romances, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I started reading this one. In fact, I waited for a while and read a bunch of other Christmas books before finally getting to this one. I am happy to report that I loved it!

The characters were complex and likeable, and the setting on an adventure cruise through the Amazon made for an interesting backdrop. As usual, the secondary characters were very one dimensional and only used to advance the plot, but it didn’t bother me here as my focus was entirely on Everly and Asher.

Macomber has a way of stretching believability almost to the breaking point, but she manages to pull it back in enough to make it work. It is a short book and a fast read with enough drama, and some laughs, to move the story along nicely. And no sex, of course.

This book exemplifies why Macomber is the “Queen of Christmas stories”. Looking forward to the Hallmark movie (no, I don’t know anything but they have made films of many of her Christmas books, and this would be a good one with the Amazon as a backdrop.) Anyway, I recommend!

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

JINGLE ALL THE WAY by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (October 13, 2020). ISBN 978-1984818751. 272 pages.

Kindle

Audible

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Holiday | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE CHRISTMAS BACKUP PLAN by Lori Wilde

December 17, 2020

Twilight, Texas Book 12

From the publisher:

A regimented ex-Army man drives an irresistible wedding planner from Cupid to Twilight in the next Twilight, Texas, novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde.

You are cordially invited to a Twilight, Texas, Christmas Wedding! The town is decorated, the cookies are made, and the stage is set . . . for love.

Wedding planner Aria Alzate has one goal: to give her best friend a perfect day. But after a bump on the head, she’s under doctor’s orders not to travel on her own. So she’s stuck on the road to Twilight with upright, uptight Remington Lockhart in the driver’s seat. True, Remy is one long, tall, Texas male, but the ex-military man never saw a rule he didn’t like—making this one long road trip . . .

Remy has left the military, but the military lifestyle has not left him. The uncertainty this ex-paratrooper encountered during his tour of duty has convinced him that plans—combined with backup plans—will keep life under control. Aria is undeniably tempting, but her fly-by-the-seat of her pants attitude is never going to work.

Then a sudden snowstorm strikes, and these opposites come together in a night of unexpected passion. And suddenly the magic of a Twilight, Texas, Christmas takes hold, proving that sometimes the best plan is to have no plan at all.

Lori Wilde is one of the authors I really trust – I know her books are all good and all going to help me escape reality for a bit. This one is no exception.

The Twilight, Texas series is a terrific series and I really enjoyed every book, which is saying a lot, considering this is the twelfth book in the series! Her characters always come to life on the page and I can’t help rooting for them. Even this time, with Remy, a veteran with a stick up his butt. He is a real rules kind of guy, and he can’t understand someone like Aria at all. She just does things without a plan sometimes or makes the best of things when something goes wrong. If only she would have a backup plan for her backup plan, he wouldn’t have to worry about her so much.

But worry he does, because somehow he is falling in love with this unorganized woman. And while she laughs at his rules, she, too, is falling in love. But rules are rules and Remy knows she is not the one for him. Until he finally figures out that she is. All set against a Christmas wedding backdrop, this was a very fast, really good read. Another winner for Wilde.

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE CHRISTMAS BACKUP PLAN by Lori Wilde. Avon (October 27, 2020). ISBN 978-0062953148. 368 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Hardcover

Comments Off on THE CHRISTMAS BACKUP PLAN by Lori Wilde | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Holiday | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman

December 15, 2020

From the publisher:

The author of Other People’s Houses and The Garden of Small Beginnings delivers a quirky and charming novel chronicling the life of confirmed introvert Nina Hill as she does her best to fly under everyone’s radar.

Meet Nina Hill: A young woman supremely confident in her own…shell.

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.
1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.)
2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee).
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

Another book that slipped through the Kindle cracks! I really need to get my Kindle more organized. I haven’t read Waxman in a while and I’m not sure why as I’ve always enjoyed her books. This one was a really fun read if you like quirky characters and a charming love story, and I love that combination.

Nina Hill is someone I could be friends with; she loves books, her cat, and trivia. One of my fondest memories of working for the Palm Beach County Library was winning the trivia contest. It was really close, but James Patterson got us the trophy (and I’m sure he has no idea and couldn’t care less!)

Anyway, Nina is on a trivia team that meets at local pubs and they are doing really well until a new team shows up and starts kicking their butts. The captain of their team, Tom knows sports, about which Nina and her team know very little. Tom is also cute and seems interested in Nina, but she is not an experienced woman of the world and probably she is wrong. She also works in a bookstore that is not doing that well. There’s an old saying, if you want to make a little money in a bookstore, start out with a lot of money. There is an idiosyncratic crew working there, and the owner does her best to dodge the landlord. Needless to say, Nina fits right in.

Then there’s the whole new family thing. Nina grew up in a single-parent household, with a mother who never really mentioned her father. Nina and her mom were very close, and Nina was devastated when she lost her mom. So she was really shocked to find out who her father was, especially as she only finds out when his lawyer contacts her to come to the reading of his will. Nina never really had any family, and now there is a rather large family all wanting to meet her. Seems her father has been married several times and had children with a few of the wives. A couple of them treat her like she is a conman out to steal their inheritances, but more of them are happy to meet her and want her to be a part of their crazy, modern family.

Abby doesn’t deal with chaos very well or change, for that matter. But she manages to muddle through and without giving too much away, let’s just say there is a most satisfactory ending all the way around. I’m moving Waxman up to my ‘must read’ list.

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman. Berkley; Illustrated edition (July 9, 2019). ISBN 978-0451491879. 352 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE BEST COWBOY CHRISTMAS EVER by June Faver

December 7, 2020

The Best Cowboy Christmas Ever, Book 1

From the publisher:

Enjoy a down-home Texas cowboy Christmas!

When handsome town sheriff Derrick Shelton meets Angelique Guillory and her young daughter at the Garrett ranch, he is immediately drawn to the woman who seems to desperately need a true family Christmas. Determined to erase the shadows from her eyes, he decides to give her the best holiday she’s ever had.

Angelique Guillory is a woman with a past, haunted by violence and searching for the family she never knew. When she and her little daughter find their way to the Garrett family and meet Derrick, she hopes to have finally found a safe haven.

But Angelique is still looking over her shoulder. Despite her doubts, with a little Christmas magic and the warmth of the Garretts, Angelique may find more love and acceptance than she ever thought possible.

Also by June Faver, the Dark Horse Cowboys series:
Do or Die Cowboy (Book 1)
Hot Target Cowboy (Book 2)
When to Call a Cowboy (Book 3)
Cowboy Christmas Gold (Book 4)

This is only my second read by this author and I’m not sure why. I really liked the first book I read back in 2018. At least this is the first book of a new series so I can feel good about that. Cowboys and Christmas in one book put this on my must-read list. This was a good story, but it definitely had some issues. To be honest, there are enough holes in this story to drive a truck through. That said, the characters were well developed and I liked most of them.

Angelique only learns who her father is as her mother is dying. She also lost her husband, whose father is some sort of New Orleans Mafia chief who decides he is going to raise his grandchild himself. She takes off with the kid and escapes to this small town to meet her long lost father. Here come the holes…

She meets the sheriff on her way into town and apparently, it is love at first sight. She shows up at the Garrett ranch, a very rich homestead, and her father just accepts her word that she is the daughter he never knew about. No DNA test required. Her new half-siblings aren’t as gullible and tend to make her life miserable until they figure out all she really wants from them is family. And a place to live. And a job. And babysitting. And you get the idea.

I liked this book well enough to read the next one in the series. I understand it is sometimes difficult to introduce a bunch of new characters and situations but there is a better way than this.

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE BEST COWBOY CHRISTMAS EVER by June Faver. Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 29, 2020). ISBN 978-1728214511. 352p.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on THE BEST COWBOY CHRISTMAS EVER by June Faver | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Cowboy, Holiday | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

NO OFFENSE by Meg Cabot

November 21, 2020

Little Bridge Island, Book 2

From the publisher:

New York Times-bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a charming romance between a children’s librarian and the town sheriff in the second book in the Little Bridge Island series.

Welcome to Little Bridge, one of the smallest, most beautiful islands in the Florida Keys, home to sandy white beaches, salt-rimmed margaritas, and stunning sunsets—a place where nothing goes under the radar and love has a way of sneaking up when least expected…

A broken engagement only gave Molly Montgomery additional incentive to follow her dream job from the Colorado Rockies to the Florida Keys. Now, as Little Bridge Island Public Library’s head of children’s services, Molly hopes the messiest thing in her life will be her sticky-note covered desk. But fate—in the form of a newborn left in the restroom—has other ideas. So does the sheriff who comes to investigate the “abandonment”. When John Hartwell folds all six-feet-three of himself into a tiny chair and insists that whoever left the baby is a criminal, Molly begs to differ and asks what he’s doing about the Island’s real crime wave (if thefts of items from homes that have been left unlocked could be called that). Not the best of starts, but the man’s arrogance is almost as distracting as his blue eyes. Almost…

John would be pretty irritated if one of his deputies had a desk as disorderly as Molly’s. Good thing she doesn’t work for him, considering how attracted he is to her. Molly’s lilting librarian voice makes even the saltiest remarks go down sweeter, which is bad as long as she’s a witness but might be good once the case is solved—provided he hasn’t gotten on her last nerve by then. Recently divorced, John has been having trouble adjusting to single life as well as single parenthood. But something in Molly’s beautiful smile gives John hope that his old life on Little Bridge might suddenly hold new promise—if only they can get over their differences.

Clever, hilarious, and fun, No Offense will tug at readers’ heartstrings and make them fall in love with Little Bridge Island and its unique characters once again.

A librarian as the protagonist? In Florida? Hell yes! Off to a good start just from that. The fact that it is Meg Cabot pretty much guarantees a good read, and this book certainly was.

I feel like I’ve read other romances where the librarian and a cop get together, but in real life I don’t think I know of any such couplings. It does seem like a natural, especially here. Librarians as a rule like to help and public librarians serve the public. Cops also serve the public and like to help, at least in theory. The few cops I know personally fall under those parameters for sure, so I can live with it.

This probably falls into the sort-of enemies to lovers category. There is a bit of tension throughout the book, but the chemistry cannot be denied. Cabot once again delivers an entertaining read and a pleasant diversion from reality, which I think we all need right now. Enjoy it!

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NO OFFENSE by Meg Cabot. William Morrow Paperbacks (August 11, 2020). ISBN 978-0062890078. 352 pages.