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The Holloway Girls, Book 1

This was one of those times when I absolutely judged a book by its cover and went for it. It was a serendipitous find in the library and the book reads as cute and delicious as the cover looks. And it’s a debut novel, and I always love finding a new author!

While not paranormal exactly, because I don’t do those, this book is a touch magical so if you think that is not your thing, maybe try this and see if you like it. It’s a quick read with a good story filled with interesting, quirky characters (my favorite kind.)

Emma Holloway lives in her ancestral, somewhat broken down and enchanted family home in a tiny town near Seattle. She owns a bakery called Fairy Cakes, where she makes special cupcakes – they fulfill wishes to those who need them. Not individual, I wish I would win the lotto kinds of wishes, but more general, happy good wishes. Love. Sweet dreams. Sweet success. And she accidentally sells three success cupcakes to a gorgeous newcomer who, it turns out, is building a bakery right down the road.

Emma’s business is very seasonal and she is barely holding on. Hunter Kane is a real estate mogul who is trying to buy up most of the seaside to build a high end restaurant and bakery. But he needs to get involved in the small town politics to get what he wants. And there he and Emma get to work together on the big summer kickoff.

The chemistry is lightning hot between Hunter and Emma but can they work out their differences in the name of true love? No worries, this is a romance after all.

This book is as light and sweet and fluffy as cotton candy, but a bit more emotionally satisfying. I spent a very enjoyable afternoon reading it and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

6/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DON’T CALL ME CUPCAKE by Tara Sheets. Zebra Shout (April 24, 2018). ISBN 978-1420146264.  304p.

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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 6

Yes, it’s back to the tiny hamlet of Avalon for me, nestled in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. This time it’s a slightly magical Christmas story, which I can always get behind. There are actually a couple of Christmas books in this series. and this is the first one.

This time out our heroine also happens to be the town librarian, so it speaks to me, even if she is a bit cliché. She may look and sound like a stereotypical librarian when the book opens, but by the end she is someone I could be friends with. At least she is professional, and bookish, and those are qualities I see in myself and many of my co-workers.

Maureen is very excited because this is the first year she will get to direct the annual Christmas pageant. Unfortunately, she is stuck with an assistant not of her own choosing. Eddie Haven was a child star who ran into a bit of trouble and his community service requires him to help with the pageant.

You could not find two  people more different. Maureen, and every other woman in town, find Eddie gorgeous. He’s also very laid back and easygoing. Maureen, on the other hand, thinks she’s plain and dumpy and dresses to make sure she looks that way. She’s also freaking out because the library has a budget shortfall and will be shutting down. Nevertheless, Eddie is intrigued with her and yes, they fall in love and find their happily ever after but only after a lot of angst and drama along the way.

That’s the romance portion of the story. There is also a magical subplot about a young man who shows up out of nowhere and has a voice like an angel…and leaves no footprints…and you get the point. I love that slightly mysterious, mystical, magical Christmas stuff so this worked for me.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. I would have liked to say this was my favorite (librarian character and Christmas and all) but it wasn’t. It is a very enjoyable read, however, especially if you love Christmas magic.

5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

LAKESHORE CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010). ISBN 978-0778327820. 384p.

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Sullivan’s Crossing, Book 3

As per my usual, I stumbled across this book, loved the cover (isn’t it pretty?) and started reading. Yes, I occasionally do judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, this is the third book in a romance series that is probably best read in order. I was a bit lost, but I liked it enough to go find the first two books, What We Find (2016) and Any Day Now (2017) and read those. Then it all came together for me and I am happy to report that this is a terrific series.

Dakota Jones has just gotten out of the army and isn’t really sure what he wants to do with his life. Like most soldiers, he has baggage aplenty so he decides to move to the small Colorado town where his brother and sister have landed. He finds himself enjoying reconnecting with his siblings and really likes the peaceful atmosphere of the small town, the friendly people and the surrounding mountains.

Dakota’s not planning on hanging around for too long, though, until he meets Sid Shandon, a bartender who seems immune to his charms. Meanwhile, there are a couple of other women who find him most appealing and make for an interesting subplot with the lengths they will go to date him. Sid and Dakota both have really interesting backstories and it is fun watching them make those discoveries and fall in love.

5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE FAMILY GATHERING by Robyn Carr. MIRA (April 17, 2018). ISBN 978-0778330769.  352p.

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Sullivan’s Crossing, Book 2

This sequel to What We Find is a wonderful story again set at Sullivan’s Crossing, where the Colorado and Continental Divide trails converge. The first book was centered around Cal Jones, and this one is about his sister, Sierra.

Sierra’s had a troubled life,and she lands at her brother’s place for a brief stop – or so she thinks. Growing up, the siblings had parents that were difficult. Their father suffers from possible schizophrenia, and their mother spends all her time protecting him. He self medicates and refuses any traditional therapies. They traveled a lot, living on communes before ending up on a farm. Because Sierra was the youngest, she was alone with them for a while. She ended up a drug addict, but after a stint in rehab she is ready to start over. Unfortunately, she has a bit of a stalker issue as well.

Sullivan’s Landing is run by Maggie’s father, Sully, and he takes a shine to Sierra and she to him. He is the father figure she always wanted. She helps out at the store to earn her campsite and meets Connie, a firefighter and rescue worker. She is not ready for a relationship, and he is willing to take it as slow as she likes.

There is a lot of meat to this story, it is not the usual fluffy rom-com type romance. I really liked this characters, Carr does a terrific job of creating three dimensional characters that I couldn’t help get invested in. This was an excellent addition to the series.

5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ANY DAY NOW by Robyn Carr. MIRA; Reprint edition (February 20, 2018). ISBN 978-0778331186.  400p.

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Sullivan’s Crossing, Book 1

This is the first book in a wonderful series, and I made the mistake of reading the third book first. I definitely felt like I was missing too much, so went back and read this one next. I’m very happy I did.

Maggie Sullivan is a neurosurgeon in Denver who is beyond stressed. An emergency car accident leaves some teens in big trouble, and triage indicates one could wait longer than the others. Unfortunately, Maggie was the one who made the call and his family is now suing her for malpractice.

With her practice shut down, Maggie decides to get out of town and decompress while the lawsuit plays out, so she goes home to Sullivan’s Crossing, the campground her father owns and run in rural Colorado at the crossroads of the Colorado and the Continental Divide Trails. It’s a family business, passed down from one generation to the next and includes a general store as well. I have to say that I really enjoyed the bits about hiking and camping as my husband does both, and I felt like I gained a bit of insight into something he is so passionate about.

Cal Jones is a camper that’s not in any kind of rush to hit the trail. So when Maggie’s father becomes somewhat incapacitated, Cal steps up to help out. Maggie is suspicious of the stranger and his motivation, but eventually his kindness and laid back demeanor win her over. Eventually, they realize they belong together and I totally enjoyed watching their journey to get to their happily ever after. Book 2 up next!

5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WHAT WE FIND by Robyn Carr. MIRA; Reprint edition (February 28, 2017). ISBN 978-0778319788.  400p.

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Guthrie Brothers Series, Book 2

This book is the perfect example of one of the best reasons to visit a library, and why I love my job. While helping a patron find a book, I noticed this one on the shelf and grabbed it. Serendipity, baby – Amazon can’t do that!

Violet Shaw is a tough single woman running her own restaurant. Hogan Guthrie is a single dad with the world’s best teenage son. He’s fairly new in town, working as an accountant by day and as the barbeque master at Violet’s diner on the weekends. They continually butt heads but in a fun way.

Hogan had lost his wife, but he would have left her if she lived. She was cheating on him and on her way to meet her lover when she died. Father and son have had a lot to deal with, and moving to this small town to the house next door to Hogan’s brother has helped the healing process for both of them.

There is a lot of sexual tension betewen Violet and Hogan, but she is keeping her distance. One of the ways Hogan dealt with his pain was by sleeping around – a lot. But a year has gone by and he realizes he needs to set a better example for his son and he gives up the chase. Violet, on the other hand, is a temptation that is getting harder to resist.

I really enjoyed this book. Besides the Violet/Hogan romance, there is a secondary romance featuring the sheriff and his mysterious neighbor that adds a little bit of a mystery, and Hogan’s son has a sweet romance, too. All good stuff and a very good read.

5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WORTH THE WAIT by Lori Foster. HQN Books (July 25, 2017). ISBN 978-0373789672.  384p.

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Love Games, Book 1

I usually enjoy contemporary romances that involve sports, and this book really takes it to the next level. Usually these types of books revolve around a pro athlete and their athleticism. Occasionally the female protagonist is also an athlete, or a trainer or a physical therapist, but here our heroine, Kate Snyder, is a former Olympian and the winningest women’s college basketball coach, and she rules the school. Until they hire a new football coach for their last place football team.

Danny McMillan is a former pro quarterback who was fired from his Division 1 college coaching position for a number of infractions, including having an affair with a student. True, she was a grad student and certainly of age, but that was just the icing on the cake. He was made an example of, and it rankles. He takes the job but there’s a morals clause in his contract.

Kate is pissed because the new football coach is being paid way more than she is but her contract is coming up for renewal and she knows the latest national championship means she’ll be able to get the big money. But she decides to hate the new coach anyway. Danny is shocked to find he is strongly attracted to Coach Snyder, she’s not his usual type but he can’t help himself. The university wants to play up their animosity and they oblige, until their feelings for one another threaten both their jobs.

This was a really fun read with a bit of sex thrown in here and there. But it’s the terrific characters that drive this story and it’s a good one. Seeing a strong woman come out on top makes me happy.

5/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

LOVE GAME by Maggie Wells. Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 6, 2018). ISBN 978-1492651499.  384p.

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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 3

This third entry into this wonderful series centers around the town mayor, Nina Romano. A teenage mother, her own daughter is now a teenager and off to college and Nina is a bit at loose ends. That combined with a town scandal, she decides she’s had enough of being mayor and is determined to follow her dream of restoring and running the Inn at Willow Lake.

The bank makes her a deal; they will put her in charge of the project and once it is up and running, she will qualify for a small business loan and the bank will sell her the inn. Except right before this is all going to happen, someone else buys the inn out from under her. Greg Bellamy, newly single dad to two kids who also happens to be Nina’s teenage crush. Nina is furious and feels she’s been double-crossed, but Greg doesn’t understand. He just knows he needs her to run the place and wants to renegotiate her contract.

Once Nina gets past her anger, she realizes the increase in salary will make her life easier, plus she now has the home she’s always wanted, the apartment above the boat house with the fabulous views – which include the house where Greg and his children are now living. Romance is in the air but they both are fighting it every step of the way.

I’m enjoying this series but one thing is sort of bugging me – it seems like every one of these romances in these first three books of the series are about first loves coming full circle back to happily ever after. I know there is something special about a first love, but I also think it is rare that it is the only way to happily ever after. But not in these books – it’s the only way. I’m curious to see if the next few books follow this same pattern.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DOCKSIDE by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; Reissue edition (June 22, 2010). ISBN 978-0778329640. 400p.

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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 2

Jenny Majesky runs the  family bakery since her grandparents died. Her mother disappeared when she was a toddler and was never heard from again. Jenny has accepted it but still always wonders why. In the first book in the series, she finds out who her father is and then in this book, she starts to get to know him and her sister, but that’s only a small part of the story. This is a romance, after all.

The local police chief, Rourke McKnight, has some sort of relationship with Jenny that slowly unfurls as the book moves between their childhood meeting and their present day. They don’t really speak to one another, in fact, they avoid each other. But then there is a horrific fire in the middle of the night – Jenny’s house burns to the ground and Rourke is frantic that she may still be inside. It turns out she was at the bakery, and is now homeless. Rourke insists she move in with him and their relationship starts moving forward, in a very rocky way.

The mystery of the missing mother lends another layer to this story, and it is an excellent sequel to Summer at Willow Lake.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WINTER LODGE by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; a edition (December 22, 2009). ISBN 978-0778328919.  416p.

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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 1

From what I can tell, this book originally came out in 2006 and has been reissued many times over the years, the most recent was last year. I enjoy Susan Wiggs and hadn’t read any of this series, so decided to start at the beginning.

First off, I loved the setting. Willow Lake was the childhood camp where Olivia, then called Lolly, spent every summer. Her grandparents owned and ran the camp, and all the family was expected to attend and eventually work there. Lolly never really fit in, but made one really good friend – Connor. He was her friend, but also her first love and she never really got over him.

Eventually the camp closed, but her grandparents want to spend their fiftieth anniversary there and renew their vows. They ask Olivia to fix up the place. It’s been deserted for years and is very run down. They give her a healthy budget and off she goes. First up, find a contractor.

The only contractor in town is, you guessed it, Connor. The book alternates between then, the camp days, and now, the fixing up the camp days and it’s a joyous ride. Some of my best childhood memories are of going to camp, so I really enjoyed that aspect of it. Plus it’s a great romance. I am planning on working my way through the rest of the series.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SUMMER ON WILLOW LAKE by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; Reissue edition (October 11, 2016). ISBN 978-0778330073.  464p.