Contemporary | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

ALASKAN HOLIDAY by Debbie Macomber

October 3, 2018

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From a nice Jewish girl, Christmas book reviews, day 1.

From the publisher:

“[Debbie] Macomber brings her signature charm to this appealing tale of an aspiring chef. . . . This charmer will please Macomber fans and newcomers alike.”—Publishers Weekly

Debbie Macomber brings us to the Alaskan wilderness for a magical Christmas tale about finding love where it’s least expected.

Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community—including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder’s famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith.

Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she’ll be returning to reality and the career she’s worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town—not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love.

Fate has other plans. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality, and the Christmas magic that can happen when they put their faith in love.

Debbie Macomber is at her best in this beautiful holiday story about the far journeys we travel to find a place to call home.

I was really excited about this book. I love Christmas books, and have really enjoyed most of Macomber’s. I also love any book set in Alaska; living in Florida, it is like another world to me. And I’m a foodie, so any book with a chef as the main character automatically grabs my interest.

While I enjoyed this, it did not live up to my expectations. I actually put it down a couple of times to read other books, then came back and eventually finished it. I know that when that happens, it means the book is not holding my attention as well as it should. I didn’t get lost in the story, and I was kinda bored through much of it.

The plot was a geographic love problem; Palmer lives in such a small town that when winter comes, it can take weeks to get out and there’s no mail service. Josie is from Seattle, and loves living in that city. They fall in love but never tell each other and of course, this being a Debbie Macomber book, their physical relationship is limited to kissing. I can live with that, I know what to expect. But every obstacle was easily anticipated and worse, there were no real surprises and dammit, I want to be surprised sometimes.

I did like these characters and that helped me keep reading because I wanted them to get their happy ending. The secondary characters were not developed at all, they were just used as a way to move the plot on occasion.

Maybe the Hallmark movie will be better. I’m assuming there will be one, I think they have made movies from her last several Christmas books. I’ll wait and see.

10/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALASKAN HOLIDAY by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (October 2, 2018). ISBN 978-0399181283. 256p.

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THEN THERE WAS YOU by Miranda Liasson

September 29, 2018

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Angel Falls, Book 1

Look at me, starting a series with the first book! And an excellent start it is.

Angel Falls is the small town where Sara grew up. She left for college and medical school, and the only reason she returned was to get married. But the night before the wedding, the bachelor party included a girl jumping out of a cake, and that girl was the groom’s high school sweetheart. Despite their ten years together, he dumps Sara for the cake girl and she has to learn to deal with it.

A year later, she returns home to Angel Falls to become her father’s partner in his medical practice and to take care of her Nonna who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Her first patient is Police Chief Colton Walker – the groom’s best man and the man she thinks orchestrated the demise of her wedding. Luckily, she gets to stitch him up and give him a tetanus shot so at least she has a bit of revenge. But it turns out her arch enemy has changed quite a bit since the days he teased her in school. He is now much beloved in town and by her family as well.

This is the enemies-become-lovers storyline prevalent in so many romances and Liasson does a marvelous job with it here. Colton and Sara have a lot of hurdles to jump over but the tension between them really makes the pages fly by.

This is a charming, small town romance with warm, wonderful characters and enough angst to make the happy ending worth it. I loved it and am looking forward to the next book in this series.9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THEN THERE WAS YOU by Miranda Liasson. Forever (May 29, 2018). ISBN 978-1455541805. 368p.

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COWBOY SEAL CHRISTMAS by Nicole Helm

September 28, 2018

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Navy SEAL Cowboys, Book 3

Navy SEALS who are also Cowboys? At Christmas? Yes, please! The mashup of two sexy professions at my favorite time of year works very well here.

The premise of this series is that three Navy SEALS, forced into retirement after injuries, have purchased a ranch and named it Revival Ranch. They have created a place for other soldiers to come and heal. They have a therapist on staff, and a therapeutic horseback riding expert. Two of the men had PTSD, and from the information gleaned in this book, they have been helped and have found their happily ever after.

This time out it’s the therapist herself in need of romance, along with the third founder, Gabe Cortez. Monica Finley is a single mom who moved to the Montana ranch in hopes of helping the men who need her. She has fallen in love with the place, and finds herself strongly attracted to Gabe but he wants no part of her. Gabe doesn’t suffer from PTSD, but he definitely has some issues, one of which is a strong mistrust of therapy at all.

Gabe is estranged from his family and no one knows why because he will not talk about, not even with his closest friends, the SEALS he calls brothers. Monica has no chance of getting anything out of him, he wears his cynicism of her and her work on his sleeve. Gabe really likes her son, though, and is wonderful with him. Let’s face it, there is no surer way to a woman’s heart than by being kind to her child, and Monica soon finds herself falling in love.

Gabe is not sure why he is attracted to Monica, and he fights it every step of the way, hurting her repeatedly. But her patience knows no bounds, and eventually they find their way to the happy ending but not without hitting some major roadblocks along the way.

It was a really heartwarming romance, with a bit of explicit sex, but it was the characters that really drove this story. I did enjoy the big sky setting as well. This was my first Nicole Helm book, and I will be back for more.

9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

COWBOY SEAL CHRISTMAS by Nicole Helm. Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 4, 2018)). ISBN 978-1492641599. 320p..

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HOT WINTER NIGHTS by Jill Shalvis

September 27, 2018

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A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

From the publisher:

Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

Heartbreaker Bay is a really fun series, and I especially love the Christmas stories, which encompasses about half the books in this series. This one also has a bit of suspense thrown in, which really helps to keep the pages turning. I read this in one sitting and enjoyed every page. The setting is the same in all the stories and as in most romance series, there is overlap with the characters, so it feels like visiting old friends when I read a new one. It’s funny and sweet and sexy, all the good stuff!

9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HOT WINTER NIGHTS by Jill Shalvis. Avon; Reissue edition (September 25, 2018). ISBN 978-0062741837. 384p.

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JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren

September 5, 2018

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From the publisher:

Most men can’t handle Hazel. But her best friend Josh isn’t most men. Don’t miss New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren’s new novel about two people who are definitely not dating…no matter how often they end up in bed together.

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?

Christina Lauren is the pen name of two women who write together, and they are quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. Two of my go-to authors? Either way, I’ve read their last three books and loved them, and that includes this one.

This is a smart, funny and completely irresistible romance. These characters are brought to life with such impact that I feel like I could run into either of them tomorrow. And wish that I would! Hazel is larger than life, a joy to be around unless, perhaps, you are on the receiving end of her lack of filter. Even then, she is so kind and so honest I don’t see how anyone could get angry with her. When she decides that Josh should be her best friend, he has no choice but to be swept into her orbit.

Josh is Korean, and his heritage is brought into the story in a gentle manner that really adds to the story. Their dual blind dates lead from one catastrophe to another, until they finally realize that they are meant to be together. But it’s the journey to get to that point that is a wonder to read.

I laughed out loud quite a bit and just couldn’t wait for their happy ending. There are some explicit sex scenes which work with the story but it is the sweet romance that really is the draw here. Another excellent read from the Christina Lauren duo and one of my favorite reads this year.

9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren. Gallery Books (September 4, 2018). ISBN 978-1501165856. 320p.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary | Permalink
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DIRTY DANCING AT DEVIL’S LEAP by Julie Anne Long

August 31, 2018

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Hellcat Canyon Series, Book 3

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of September

A 2017 RT Reviewer’s Choice Nominee for Best Book of the Year and Reviewer’s Choice Nominee for Best Contemporary Love and Laughter

She was a naive country girl. He was a billionaire’s spoiled son. He was her first crush, her first heartbreak…and now her sworn enemy.

As Avalon Harwood’s fortunes soared, Maximilian “Mac” Coltrane’s plummeted, and he had to fight his way back to where they both began: Hellcat Canyon. Now Mac and Avalon will play dirty—in more ways than one—to get what they each want: the glorious old abandoned Coltrane mansion. But when Avalon snaps the house up at auction, she discovers there’s something awfully familiar about the extremely hot caretaker…

Mac might have a heart of stone, and the abs to match, but Avalon—the dazzling girl whose heart was always too big and too reckless for her own good—was always his Kryptonite. And just like that, the stakes change: suddenly they’re fighting not just for a house, but for a magic they tasted only once before and never since—long ago, with each other, at Devil’s Leap.

This is one of those series that I read completely out of order. I don’t even remember where I started but this is the last book that I hadn’t read so now I’m sad to say that I’m done…unless there will be another one? One can only hope!

I loved this series and the books are written in a way that you don’t have to read them in order and you still understand who these people are and what is going on, so thank you for that Julie Anne Long. Trust me, as someone who tends to read series in the order I find the books, this is a true talent.

Not only do you get a romance here, again of the childhood sweethearts are the only way to find your forever love trope, but you also get a house renovation. Fans of HGTV will enjoy that aspect as well.

Another terrific romance in a wonderful series.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DIRTY DANCING AT DEVIL’S LEAP by Julie Anne Long. Sourcebooks Landmark (June 5, 2018). ISBN 978-1492664222. 342p.

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ONE AND ONLY by Jenny Holiday

August 30, 2018

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Bridesmaids Behaving Badly, Book 1

From the publisher:

In this “perfect rom-com” (Refinery29), USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday proves that when opposites attract, sparks fly.

With her bridezilla friend on a DIY project rampage, bridesmaid Jane Denning will do anything to escape – even if it means babysitting the groom’s troublemaker brother before the wedding. It should be a piece of cake, except the “cake” is a sarcastic former soldier who is 100% wicked hotness and absolutely off-limits.

Cameron MacKinnon is ready to let loose after returning from his deployment. But first he’ll have to sweet talk the ultra-responsible Jane into taking a walk on the wild side. Turns out, riling her up is the best time he’s had in years. But what happens when the fun and games start to turn into something real?

I really enjoyed the second book in this series, It Takes Two, so I was happy to find the first one at my library. They do not need to be read in order (I didn’t) but I think it helps. After reading this one a lot was clarified about the second one that I didn’t even realize I needed to know. If that makes sense?

This story centers around one of the four friends the series is based on, this time it’s Jane. She is asked to keep an eye on the groom’s wild younger brother, and she does so with some trepidation. But as she gets to know him, and he her, everything changes, even the bridezilla at the heart of the wedding part of the story.

I loved these characters and their struggles, and Cameron especially suffers. But they both get their happily ever after, and it sure is fun watching them get there.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ONE AND ONLY by Jenny Holiday. Forever (June 26, 2018). ISBN 978-1455542420. 384p.

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TOUGH LUCK COWBOY by A. J. Pine

August 28, 2018

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Crossroads Ranch, Book 2

Luke spotted Lily across a crowded bar and was instantly attracted. But so was his best friend, and when he moves in, Luke steps away. Things go from bad to worse when they marry a short time later. Luke is thrust into her company time and time again, and to protect himself acts like he can’t stand her. He never wanted either of them to know that he had feelings for her.

Lily ends up divorced, and thinks that Luke still hates her. But all of a sudden he is trying to protect her and that is confusing. They are forced to spend time together when she inadvertently ends up catering her ex’s wedding to a Food Network star, which could really make or break her career.

This was a good romance with some sizzling sex scenes and a lot of heart. The characters are well developed and enough of the back story is told to keep it all interesting and relevant without having had to read the previous book. But I do recommend reading it, it’s also a good read and a good introduction to the series. Another terrific cowboy romance, one of my favorite subgenres.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TOUGH LUCK COWBOY by A. J. Pine. Forever (August 28, 2018). ISBN 978-1538727102. 320p..

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ALL THE WAY by Kristen Proby

August 26, 2018

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Romancing Manhattan, Book 1

From the publisher:

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby’s brand new Romancing Manhattan series, three brothers get more than they bargain for as they practice law, balance life, and navigate love in and around New York City.

Finn Cavanaugh is known for being a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. He owns a successful law firm with his brother and brother-in-law in Manhattan. On the rare occasion that he has down time, he spends it at his home in Martha’s Vineyard. But when Finn’s troubled niece goes to stay with him for the summer in Martha’s Vineyard, he’s reluctant to take time off from work. That is, until he meets his beautiful new neighbor, London.

London Watson is a Tony Award winning actress on Broadway. When tragedy strikes her family, leaving her alone and injured, she flees Manhattan for Martha’s Vineyard. Hoping she can figure out how to pick up the pieces of her life, London is convinced that she’ll never be able to return to the stage. But when she meets the charming young girl next door and her sexy uncle, they soon lure London out of her shell as she finally begins to heal from the wounds of her past.

But when London feels confident enough to return to the spotlight, she’s dealt another devastating blow. Will the newfound love between London and Finn be enough to conquer all? Or will it be over before it has a chance to grow…?

I was surprised by how much suspense there was in this book, and it was very intriguing and enjoyable. London tragically lost her parents and her brother is the only family she has left, but he has been in and out of rehab and trouble for most of her life. Needless to say, they are not close and there is some resentment there when she inherits the bulk of their parents’ estate.

The romance, on the other hand, has its own form of suspense but it’s more of a will they or won’t they, as it should be. The characters were very well developed and the storyline completely engrossing. Highly recommended.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL THE WAY by Kristen Proby. William Morrow Paperbacks (August 21, 2018). ISBN 978-0062674913. 288p.

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TEMPTED BY LOVE by Jennifer Ryan

August 25, 2018

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Montana Heat, Book 3

(or 4 if you count a novella, Protected by Love)

I really enjoy this series and this latest installment is a good, fast read.

DEA agent Jay Bennett is happy to attend his best friend’s wedding. Except his friend’s baby sister, Alina, is there and he has always been attracted to her. Now she’s no longer a baby by any stretch of the imagination, and apparently the feeling is mutual. They end up in bed together after the wedding, causing all kinds of complications in both their lives.

They try and keep their relationship to themselves, but when Alina keeps finding herself in strange, dangerous situations, her brothers, also DEA agents, and Jay spring into action. The brothers soon realize that there is more going on than they thought, and to Jay’s surprise, they don’t kill him.

There is quite a bit of suspense here, more to do with the DEA stuff than the romance, but it does kick up the tension quite a bit. This was a page turner for sure, and another fun read in the series.

8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TEMPTED BY LOVE by Jennifer Ryan. Avon (August 28, 2018). ISBN 978-1335017529. 352p.