Contemporary | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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IF THE BOOT FITS by Rebekah Weatherspoon

November 17, 2020

From the publisher:

Cowboys of California, Book 2

A Smart & Sexy Cinderella Story

Set on a black-owned luxury dude ranch with a fairy tale twist, the second Cowboys of California romance by award-winning author Rebekah Weatherspoon absolutely sizzles! In this thoroughly modern take on the timeless tale of a struggling Cinderella who finds her prince charming at the eleventh hour, an Oscar-winning actor and an aspiring screenwriter attempt to make a relationship work away from the Hollywood spotlight.

A Bustle Best Books of Fall 2020 Selection
An Amazon Best of the Month Selection
An Apple Books Best of the Month Selection
A Best Book of Fall 2020 by NPR’s Boston Affiliate
A Bookish Most Anticipated Books Selection

“Heart-melting…a perfect fit for fans of contemporary romance authors Jasmine Guillory and Alexa Martin.” –Booklist

From award-winning author Rebekah Weatherspoon comes a thoroughly modern take on the timeless tale of a struggling Cinderella who finds her prince charming at the eleventh hour–and the adventure that ensues the morning after . . .

Working as the personal assistant to one of Hollywood’s cruelest divas has left Amanda Queen more determined than ever to sell her screenplay and gain her independence. In the meantime, she’ll settle for a temporary escape. When her employer is felled by the flu on Hollywood’s biggest night of the year, Amanda gets her glam on, struts out the door, and parties with the glitterati. But she never expects to come face to face–and closer than close–with one of the hottest stars in the game . . .

Following up his first Oscar win with a steamy after-hours romp with an enigmatic woman seems like the perfect way for actor Sam Pleasant to celebrate–until she suddenly disappears. Worse, she’s vanished with the wrong swag bag: the one containing his Oscar statue, leaving Sam even more intrigued about the beauty’s identity–and wondering if a repeat performance of their amazing night is in the stars. And when a second chance encounter happens, only a trip to Sam’s family ranch–and revealing the whole, not-always-glamorous, truth about themselves–will give them a chance to turn one magical night into forever . . .

Let me start out by saying I loved this book! It’s set in an (unfortunately) alternate universe where a black Academy-Award-winning actor is the grandson of a woman who has two Oscars. I like this universe, it’s where we should be living.

Sam is the actor in question. On the night of his Academy Award best actor win, he ends up sleeping with Amanda. But she slips out in the morning, figuring it’s better that way. When she gets home, she realizes she grabbed the wrong swag bag; she has his Oscar.

Amanda is the personal assistant to a cruel, selfish bitch of a diva. She expects Amanda to be on call 24/7, even when she’s officially off duty. And she’s really mean to her. Amanda is, as she calls it, “thick;” she’s a size 20 woman living in La-La Land, home of the size 3 is a fat woman. But Sam thinks she’s gorgeous, and while she knows she is big, she also has the confidence and self-esteem to pull it off. But that doesn’t make her immune to the nasty remarks her boss makes.

When Amanda goes to her friend’s wedding, she is shocked to see Sam again. Turns out his family owns this beautiful ranch/hotel/wedding venue. He is thrilled to see her, but Amanda’s a nervous wreck. This wedding is being covered by People Magazine, and she dodges the photographer all night. If her boss finds out she’s there, she will have a fit since she wasn’t invited.

Sam’s so laidback, yet eager to get to know Amanda and she slowly allows him in. But the paparazzi are always on the fringe, and although they try and keep things secret, eventually it all comes out with what seems to be devastating results.

Amanda and Sam are in love, but can their relationship survive the Hollywood assault? Happily ever after is guaranteed, but getting there was so much fun. These characters come alive on the page, as do the secondary characters, and I loved the ranch setting as well. I’m going to hunt down the first book in the series, A Cowboy to Remember, and then wait patiently (ha!) for the next book in the series.

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

IF THE BOOT FITS by Rebekah Weatherspoon. Dafina (October 27, 2020). ISBN 978-1496725417. 288 pages.

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THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan

November 14, 2020

From the publisher:

A LibraryReads Pick

House Rules:
Do your own dishes
Knock before entering the bathroom
Never look up your roommate online

The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She’s the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too tempting to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true.

After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive—not to mention handsome—for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the Internet…

Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too.

This was a first for me. I don’t recall ever reading a romance where the protagonist is a porn star. Male escorts show up now and again but that is an entirely different kettle of fish. You don’t get to look them up online and watch them perform. But that’s what happens to Clara after she throws caution to the wind and moves cross-country to share an apartment with the guy she’s had a crush on forever.

But when she gets there, he tells her he’s hitting the road for a while and has sublet his room to another guy. All she knows is his name is Josh and he is really cute. Clara is disappointed but too ashamed to crawl back home so she decides to make the best of it. Fairly quickly she finds out he works in the porn industry and is a star. And when they find they can no longer resist the sexual tension, everything changes.

Josh, who has always viewed sex as a job, is not sure what to do about his feelings. He’s just not used to having any. Clara is also facing a dilemma. Her family is known for their shocking scandals, but she’s always been the good girl of the family. Until now – this one will top them all.

Can a socialite and a porn star form a meaningful relationship? Of course they can, but not without a lot of angst and laughter along the way. I also appreciated the glimpse into the sex worker industry, the inherent problems with that field of work, and how some performers manage it.

This book will not be for everyone, but if you like terrific characters, an interesting storyline, real conflict, a strong feminist agenda, and well-written sex scenes as much as I do, then you won’t want to miss it. I highly recommend this debut novel, and can’t wait for Danan’s next book, The Intimacy Experiment, which comes out in the spring.

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan. Berkley (September 15, 2020). ISBN 978-0593101605. 336 pages.

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MIRACLES AND MENORAHS by Stacey Agdern

November 11, 2020

Friendships and Festival, Book 1

From the publisher:

Sarah Goldman loves Hanukkah, and she’s thrilled to be appointed as vice chair of the Hollowville Hanukkah Festival. So when the festival is threatened with cancellation, she comes up with an idea: a new slogan and advertising campaign topped off with a metal menorah large enough to fill the center of town. But even though her heart and dreams are large, the committee’s budget constraints threaten to stop her grand plans right in their tracks.

Famous metal sculptor Isaac Lieberman also loves Hanukkah. But his vision of a perfect Hanukkah isn’t a commercial community event—it’s spending time with family, following age-old traditions. He’s not interested in the festival, no matter how many times his grandmother, his bubbe, asks him to contribute one of his sculptures.

Then Sarah comes tumbling into his life…can she change his mind about more than just the holidays?

It feels like I have been waiting forever for a Hanukkah romance. Last year, the Hallmark Channel teased that they had not one, but two Hanukkah romances, “Double Holiday” and “Holiday Date. ” The Lifetime channel announced they had a Hanukkah romance, too; “Mistletoe And Menorahs.” They both lied. They had Christmas romances with a tiny, itty-bitty bit of Hanukkah, but still mostly Christmas. And insulting, too, like with characters who celebrate Hanukkah never having seen a Christmas tree before. Have they been living under a rock???

The Washington Post did a couple of good articles on these films: Hallmark’s Hanukkah movies are really Christmas movies; “all of which involve plans for a Christmas celebration that go off the rails when a character is revealed to be Jewish, which, yikes.” And this: Hallmark’s making some Hanukkah movies; “These holiday specials are really Christmas movies with Jewish characters, and they draw on old, dangerous tropes.” NPR discussed it on “All Things Considered”: A Look At The Hanukkah Movies On The Hallmark And Lifetime Channels. You can listen or read the transcript.

Anyway, I like Christmas romances; I read them, I am glued to the Hallmark Channel all fall, although I have noticed I’m losing patience with some of them. I record a few every week and lately, I’ve only watched maybe one all the way through. They are getting repetitive, I think. And sometimes just silly.

I was very excited when I saw this book, a Hanukkah romance, on Netgalley and immediately requested it. It looked like it would actually be about Hanukkah, and it was. There was a tiny touch of Christmas in the form of a town leader determined to do away with the unusual Hanukkah festival that this small town has been celebrating for ten years, and replace it with a Christmas festival like every other small town in America.

I liked the premise of the story, and I liked all the characters. That said, it wasn’t a great book. I didn’t feel like I really knew these characters other than just on the surface. There wasn’t enough story here, this really should have been a novella. Or even a short story.

The few Jewish expressions used were used ad nauseam; it felt like every other page had either a “soofi” latte, a “tatala” and/or a “bubbe,” all Yiddish and/or Hebrew words. “Soofi” is short for sufganiyot, (the preferred spelling of) an Israeli donut eaten at Hanukkah. How they make a latte donut flavored is beyond me, although raspberry syrup was mentioned, which just sounds gross but I’m the last one to judge. I basically drink a candy bar in a cup when I hit Starbucks. “Bubbe” is a grandma, and “tatala” is a term of endearment, usually for a baby or small child. But Bubbe’s can call their grown-up grandsons tatala, too.

I wasn’t sure how religious these people were. Judaism comes in several sects, from Reform (me) to Conservative (probably what they were,) Orthodox, Modern Orthodox, Chasidic, and I don’t know what else. So an Orthodox romance would be akin to an Amish or Christian romance as far as family, community, and sex go. (Try The Saturday Wife by Naomi Ragen, she’s one of my favorite authors and this book is as close to a Jewish romance as I have gotten.) This book has an occasional mention of prayer and Shabbat, no sex, a couple of kisses in the last part of the book, and that wasn’t quite enough for me to figure out the religious angle. So I’m guessing Conservative.

The romance was slow building, and I didn’t know these characters well enough to be invested. I also had trouble with the major conflict in the story; if Sarah can’t get a big, beautiful, expensive metal sculpture of a menorah to put in the town square, the Hanukkah festival would be over. Maybe the time crunch would have been more believable if it wasn’t the 10th year of the festival! I couldn’t understand why that wasn’t the first thing they bought when they started the whole thing. But that’s nitpicky, I guess.

The bottom line is I liked the book and was happy to find it, but I wish it was better.

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MIRACLES AND MENORAHS by Stacey Agdern. Tule Publishing Group (October 12, 2020). ISBN 978-1952560033. 326 pages.

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LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT by Suzanne Park

November 9, 2020

From the publisher:

In a debut perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sally Thorne, a junior video game producer finds herself getting closer and closer to the one person she hates most after a mass troll attack online almost ruins her life.

Melody Joo is thrilled to land her dream job as a video game producer, but her new position comes with challenges: an insufferable CEO; sexist male coworkers; and an infuriating—yet distractingly handsome—intern, Nolan MacKenzie, aka “the guy who got hired because his uncle is the boss.”

Just when Melody thinks she’s made the worst career move of her life, her luck changes. While joking with a friend, she creates a mobile game that has male strippers fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Suddenly Melody’s “joke” is her studio’s most high-profile project—and Melody’s running the show.

When Nolan is assigned to Melody’s team, she’s sure he’ll be useless. But as they grow closer, she realizes he’s smart and sexy, which makes Melody want to forget he’s her intern. As their attraction deepens, she knows it’s time to pump the brakes, even with her Korean parents breathing down her neck to hurry up and find a man.

With her project about to launch, Melody suddenly faces a slew of complications, including a devastating trolling scandal. Could the man she’s falling hard for help her play the game to win—in work and in love?

This was such a fun read! If you didn’t know, there aren’t a lot of women in the video game industry, and sexism is rampant. So right off the bat, I loved the setting and the characters.

Melody Joo is torn between her passion for her work as a video game developer and her love and respect for her parents. All they want is for Melody to marry a nice Korean boy but she has other plans.

As a joke, she dreams up this ultra-feminist shooter game, which if it exists at all, is not a bestseller by any means. But her boss overhears her talking about it and decides it is just what the company needs to fight the old boys network stereotype. He saddles her with an intern, who everyone believes got the job because of nepotism, so she isn’t thrilled. But he is really cute, and when he starts proving his worth she’s in a real dilemma. It’s not cool to have a thing with someone she’s supervising, which means lots of sexual tension. There are a lot of laughs and many a bump in the road until the happy ending is reached.

NOTE: I was curious about women in the video game industry and about women who play video games, so my first stop was with my daughter. She is 28 and a fairly serious gamer. I did some research and found that “in 2020, it was calculated that women accounted for nearly 41 percent of all gamers in the United States” and I asked her how that was possible.

She pointed out that I played video games, but I don’t think of them like that. I play games online like the NYT crossword, Candy Crush, solitaire, backgammon, Scrabble, etc. I was thinking of shooter type games, but that 41% includes all kinds of games, even the ones I play. I did a little digging (sorry, I am a librarian; researching everything is an occupational hazard!) and found a few articles that shed some light on the subject for me. There are a lot more, but if you are curious, these should get you going.

For more information:

U.S. computer and video gamers from 2006-2020, by gender.Statista

The Effect of Women in Gaming. GameDesigning.org

‘I was always told I was unusual’: why so few women design video games. The Guardian

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT by Suzanne Park. Avon (August 18, 2020). ISBN 978-0062990693. 368 pages.

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

WAITING ON A COWBOY by Jennifer Ryan

November 8, 2020

McGrath Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

Meet New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ryan’s McGraths: a family as untamed as the land they call home.

Tate McGrath just didn’t get it. Why was Liz Scott, his best friend—and the person he relied on and trusted most—suddenly avoiding him! When he finally tracks her down, he finds her with a man he knows nothing about and she’s been dating for weeks. Suddenly, he can’t make himself ignore her tempting curves and deep green eyes, and all he wants to do is keep her all to himself. What was going on? Could he possibly be…jealous?

Liz had made the decision: stop carrying a torch for Tate and find a guy who wants to be her everything. Tate had always seen her as honest, dependable, smart, kind…Best friend, not girlfriend! And she needed to give up the dream of marrying the man she’d loved since preschool and move on.

But when Liz’s boyfriend turns dangerous, Tate steps up to help and soon realizes he’s the cowboy hero she’s been waiting for him to be all along.

Ryan writes some of the best cowboy romances, so I was very happy to see a new series in the works. Look at me, starting with the first book! There is some connection to her Wild Rose series, but you don’t have to have read that series to enjoy this book. It is a really good series though!

This story revolves around lifelong friends Liz and Tate. Liz knew she was in love with Tate when she was pretty young, but Tate is a player who has kept Liz firmly in the friend zone. She finally decides to give up and see who else is out there for her.

Liz meets Clint, who seems like a really good guy and she is determined to try and make the relationship work. But fairly quickly his true colors start to show. He becomes abusive and controlling, and Liz is troubled.

Tate slowly realizes that he hasn’t seen Liz in a while. Then he hears she has a boyfriend but he knows nothing about it. They are best friends, and he can’t figure out why Liz is avoiding him. But when Tate sees what’s going on with Clint, it is the wake up call he needed. His protective side rears up, and he starts to realize that he is also feeling jealous. He eventually figures out that Liz is the love of his life.

Meanwhile, there is a lot of suspense and tension around Clint and his stalker tendencies, which helped make the pages fly by. I really liked how serious problems are addressed here, but no worries, the happily ever after is guaranteed. A great start to a new series!

Just a personal note: I actually read this book back in the summer. Right now I have a list of about 15 books I’ve read that need reviewing. If you didn’t notice, great, but I was having a hard time updating my website for a month or two. Not for any real reason other than the stress of life. I was also having a hard time reading, I couldn’t focus. 2020 can’t be over soon enough for me. So thanks for sticking around anyway, and lots more reviews to come.

11/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TOUGH TALKING COWBOY by Jennifer Ryan. Avon (August 18, 2020). ISBN 978-0062851932. 384p.

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Comments Off on WAITING ON A COWBOY by Jennifer Ryan | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Cowboy | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi