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From the publisher:

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes a fresh romantic comedy full of “fierce humor and fiercer heart” about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers. (Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue)

Let me start by saying that I LOVED THIS BOOK. Yes, I’m shouting.

I’ve been having trouble reading lately, my mind wanders as I worry about everything and everyone. But this book sucked me in and I just about cried when I turned the last page. I wanted to stay with these characters – they are interesting and fun and damaged and thoroughly brought to life on the page. Sloan and Jason go through so much to get to their happily ever after, or in this case, “happy ever after,” that I just added them to my list of people I worry about until they got there. Did I mention how this book just completely sucked me in?

The meet-cute is a two-parter. Sloan finds a dog running around a busy road so she stops, and the next thing she knows, the dog has leapt through her sunroof and literally landed in her lap. He is a very well trained dog, and a breed I was not familiar with, and a hunting dog. The hunting stuff didn’t bother me at all, probably because there wasn’t any, just talk about Sloan’s blog of wild game recipes. But it was something that Jason and Sloan bonded over. She tries to find the owner and luckily, the dog, Tucker, is tagged. So she calls the number and leaves a message. Every day. For two weeks. By then she’s in love with Tucker and pissed at the owner and she decides the dog is now hers. And then Jason calls.

They get to know one another first by texting, and then by talking on the phone. Turns out Jason is halfway around the world, and Sloan agrees to give Tucker back if Jason can prove he loves the dog. Which he does. So the dog brings them together, and that kind of storyline always works for me. Weeks later, Jason comes home and they have their first real meeting, and fireworks. Sloan has been in a depression for two years, since her fiance died in a motorcycle/drunk driving accident. There is an author’s note at the end of the book about this type of depression that I had never heard of, and I’m glad she included it. And that is all I’m going to tell you about the story because YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK!

The titular playlist is compiled from each chapter’s title, a song title, and band, and to be honest, I never heard of most of them. On occasion, I heard of the band but not the song, and one song but not the (fictional) singer. It didn’t matter in the least, although the author does provide the complete playlist at the end of the book for people who want to listen. I’m assuming it’s available on Spotify or Pandora or something?

I don’t know much about the life of rock stars. I am not especially interested in pop culture. I don’t know who most of the people are in People Magazine these days. So I was kind of surprised by how much I loved this book. Maybe it is based on someone famous, I have no idea and it doesn’t matter.

Jimenez has written a terrific story that is bound for my best books of the year list. Don’t miss it!

4/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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From the publisher:

Where can you turn when the world turns against you? When Elizabeth Barnes’ life fell apart she never imagined that she’d be rescued by a new friend on four paws.

The plan was simple: Elizabeth would ignore the fact that she was unjustly fired from her dream job, fly across the pond to settle an unexpected inheritance in her father’s home country and quickly return to reclaim her position among the Silicon Valley elite.

But when Elizabeth stumbles upon an abandoned puppy, she’s shocked to realize that her brief trip to England might turn into an extended stay. Her strict itinerary is upended completely by the pup’s dogged devotion, and soon the loveable puppy helps her to connect with a tight-knit community of new friends on two legs and four, from the aunt and uncle she didn’t know existed, to a grumpy coffee shop owner to two very opinionated sheep. Along the way Elizabeth is confronted by long-kept family secrets, hard truths about her former life and a new romance that might lead her to question everything she knows about love. Because sometimes rescue magic happens on both ends of the leash.

Is this not the cutest cover ever?? The book is just as cute, especially if you like British romcoms –  and I do.

Elizabeth, or Bess as she is automatically christened in the UK, is a social media driven, San Francisco start-up, worker bee at the top of her game. Until she gives an interview and spills the tea, as it were. It costs her everything, her job, her stock options, her reason for being. So when a relative she never heard of tells her she has an inheritance, she figures why not and hops across the pond.

She never figured on falling in love – with her new family, the small, country town, the puppy she rescues, or the best looking man she’s ever seen. These characters – including the animals – come to life on the page, as does the location, and I never wanted to leave. But alas, I eventually had to turn the last page.

If you want a feel good read, and right now I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t, do yourself a favor and spend a few hours with this lovely book. Highly recommended!

4/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Bad Bachelors Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

Everybody’s talking about the hot new app reviewing New York’s most eligible bachelors. But why focus on prince charming when you can read the latest dirt on the lowest-ranked “Bad Bachelors”―NYC’s most notorious bad boys.

If one more person mentions Bad Bachelors to Reed McMahon, someone’s gonna get hurt. A PR whiz, Reed is known as an ‘image fixer’ but his womanizing ways have caught up with him. What he needs is a PR miracle of his own.

When Reed strolls into Darcy Greer’s workplace offering to help save the struggling library, she isn’t buying it. The prickly Brooklynite knows Reed is exactly the kind of guy she should avoid. But the library does need his help. But as she reluctantly works with Reed, she realizes there’s more to a man than his reputation. Maybe, just maybe Bad Bachelor #1 is THE one for her.

This story had an interesting premise, a new app that gives women the chance to post reviews of men they have dated, sort of like Yelp for dating. The setting is Manhattan, which was the part I had to overlook for this. In a city that populated, the app works like it is in a small town in upstate NY. Sort of odd, but maybe that’s just me. Suspend your disbelief and go with it.

Darcy is a librarian, but not really stereotypical. Okay, she is an introvert and she loves books, but she’s also young and tatted up, much like several librarians I know. So maybe hipster stereotypical? Oh, and she lives in Park Slope. So a well-paid librarian? But I digress, these details are not really important. What is important is that she is a well-developed character, and her enemy to lover hunk is as well.

Reed is the number one Bad Bachelor on the app. There are so many horrible reviews about him that it starts to affect his job. He loses his biggest client and his boss is breathing down his neck. He goes online and reads the reviews, recognizes some of the women but also realizes some of them are completely fictitious, he never went where they say he went and so forth. He decides to try and find out who is running this app and why they are targeting him.

Meanwhile, he has been voluntold to help the library with its fundraising. He has to work with Darcy, and they are coming from two different worlds. He is used to fancy parties and raising thousands of dollars; she is used to asking for donations from library patrons and raising hundreds, if that. They clash but there is also an attraction there, and soon Darcy has wormed her way into Reed’s life, and he finds himself enjoying it. Until everything goes sideways.

No worries, this is a romance so they reach their happily ever after but not until there have some hot sex, fights and eventually makeup. This was a one night read for me and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

4/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Sugar Lake Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

Bakery owner Willow Dalton’s friendship with Zane Walker has always been a bit complicated. Now a scrumptiously hot A-list actor, Zane’s always had a reputation as a player. He’s arrogant, and he’s definitely not boyfriend material. Sure, he did Willow a favor by agreeing to take her virginity before college, but is that reason enough for her to go along with a fake engagement a decade later—even if it comes with a real diamond ring?

Zane should have known better. Nothing involving Willow has ever been easy. Still, he knows her better than anyone, and becoming America’s hottest new leading man means cleaning up his reputation. An “engagement” to curvy, sass-mouthed Willow is the perfect PR move…provided no one gets hurt.

Now Zane and Willow’s little white lie has turned into an irresistible recipe for sweet temptation. And soon no one will be able to tell the difference between their fake engagement and the real thing—including them.

Let’s face it, a rich, hot man and a bakery are always going to be a winning combination. Willow and Zane have been friends since childhood and maintained a texting (not sexting) relationship even after he became a huge action movie star. But now he wants to change his bad boy image, and figures Willow is the perfect antidote. He convinces her to pretend to be his fiance and even gives her a rock to wear.

Willow’s family is shocked, they didn’t even know they were dating (because they weren’t) but they love Zane. He practically grew up in their house and Willow’s brother is his best friend. Eventually, the truth is going to have come out, but to Willow’s surprise, the truth is not at all what she thought it should be.

There are a lot of laughs in this romantic comedy, and some heat, too. If you want a fast, sexy read, you’ve found your next book.

NOTE: The Kindle version of this book was free for AmazonPrime members, which is how I actually started this series with the first book!

3/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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From the publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author behind the “joyful, warm, touching” (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author) The Unhoneymooners comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own.

Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.

I don’t think anyone reading this wouldn’t immediately think of Chip and Joanna Gaines, unless you don’t watch their reality show, shop for their home goods at Target, read their books, or you haven’t dreamt of a vacation to Austin to stay in their bed & breakfast, shop at the Silos, and eat at their restaurant. Obviously, I am a fan. Hopefully, this book is not based on their relationship! But it is about an über-successful husband and wife who renovate homes and have a hugely popular TV show and home renovation empire. So you can see why the comparison springs to mind.

These two fight like cats and dogs, but their new book, all about how to have a successful marriage, depends heavily on their assistants keeping the public from finding out what is really going on there. This leads to a lot of really funny incidents, and some heart-wrenching ones as well. Meanwhile, his-and-her assistants start relying on one another. One thing leads to another, and, well, this is a romance so there has to be a happy ending!

This was a super fun read and the perfect antidote to what is going on in the world around us. Escape with Christina Lauren, and you’ll be very glad you did. I loved it.

3/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Bromance Book Club, Book 2

From the publisher:

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction. 

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef-owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart. . .even though she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

The first book in this series, The Bromance Book Club, was one of my favorite books last year, mostly because the premise was so original and clever. That ship has sailed, so I wondered how this book would fare. I shouldn’t have worried, it was really good.

Liv is one tough cookie. She has so much baggage she is a shrink’s dream. But instead of therapy, she has good friends and they help lead her down the right path. Okay, they drag her, kicking and screaming.

There is a strong #metoo message, but I really like that there is balance as well. The men in the book club are all strong and successful, but would never dream of treating women like the Chef, who really needs to be dropped into his deep fryer.

A lot of humor here as well, and I was laughing out loud on several occasions. If you like a strong message along with your laughs and romance, this is your book. It definitely worked for me.

3/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

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Love in the Heartland, Book 2

From the publisher:

From bestselling author Stacey Lynn comes This Time Around, an emotional and sexy standalone contemporary romance!

Five years ago I married the man of my dreams. He was supposed to be my last first kiss–my happily ever after. He promised to hand me the world, but in one night, all of those promises were shattered.

Now, I was barely surviving the tragic loss of my husband, struggling daily to manage what was left of the life we’d promised to build together, when Cooper Hawke unexpectedly walked into my life.

The Hollywood heartthrob had plenty secrets of his own and his eyes held the same darkness as mine. I couldn’t stop myself from needing to know why. And as much as I tried to keep him out of my heart, he slipped past all my defenses.

We both had pasts that destroyed our trust and had broken our hearts, but nothing will stop Cooper from trying to convince me we could have it all this time around.

3/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™