Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

Series Synopsis*:

Swoon-worthy romances with lovable characters, loads of humor, and a healthy dose of drama on the way to a happily ever after.

The Blue Moon series by Lucy Score is a contemporary romance series set in the small town of Blue Moon Bend, in upstate New York. Each book features a different couple finding love amidst the quirky, close-knit community, often involving second chances, matchmaking meddling, and plenty of small-town charm. The series is known for its heartwarming, humorous, and steamy romance stories with engaging characters facing real-life challenges.

Blue Moon Bend is a character in itself, with its gossipy, but ultimately loving, residents and a strong sense of community. Rumor has it that a bunch of hippies got lost after leaving Woodstock and settled in Blue Moon Bend, creating a town that many years later is full of aging hippies and every stereotype you can think of associated with that time: VW buses abound, vegetarians, nudity, astrology, vintage clothes, and more.

Each book focuses on a different couple, but they are interconnected through the town and recurring characters and are best read in order (see author’s note about book 7). The series balances lighthearted humor with heartfelt moments, exploring themes of family, forgiveness, and finding love.

*Created using Google AI

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Book 1: NO MORE SECRETS

“Are you calling dibs?”

“She’s a woman, not the last piece of f**king pie. And yes, I’m calling dibs if it keeps your hands off her.”

Carter Pierce wants to spend his days tending the family farm he inherited, and that’s about it. After a tour of duty and a few bullet holes, he’s looking forward to some peace and quiet in his hometown. Unfortunately, Blue Moon doesn’t believe in peace and quiet. And his nosy neighbors sure as hell don’t know how to mind their own business.

As it turns out, neither does the big city journalist who arrives to interview him for a magazine article. Summer Lentz is out of place with her designer wardrobe and workaholic schedule. She asks too many questions and gets under his skin with her smart mouth and those denim-blue eyes. She’s also typing his family’s story a mile a minute at his kitchen table and sleeping in the bedroom across the hall. Carter’s only chance for peace is to scare her away from farm life so he can go back to his comfortable, solitary existence.

But Summer’s got a stubborn streak and secrets of her own. And once Carter starts pulling at those threads, he’s not so eager to send her packing. Will a nudge from the matchmaking Beautification Committee result in a happily ever after or a homegrown disaster?

From the BookBitch: This is a wonderful introduction to the kooky town and its inhabitants, along with a smart, sexy romance. It was so good I immediately started reading the next book, and the next – I ripped through this series in about a week, and with my vision problems, that was no small feat! These romcoms bring the sweet and the heat, and I was all in. This first book is a close proximity, opposites attract romance and it worked.

Book 2: FALL INTO TEMPTATION

“Your kids are great,” he said, changing the subject.

“Don’t be sweet. I can’t resist sweet,” Gianna warned him.

“Your kids are monsters, and I hate your face.”

Beckett Pierce is the most eligible bachelor in the nosiest small town in upstate New York. But after his last girlfriend handcuffed herself to his porch and set his welcome mat on fire, he’s not looking for any more romance.

Especially if it lands right in his own backyard. And has miles of red hair.

Gianna Decker has her hands full—no, overflowing—with problems. With two kids, a useless ex, and a brand new yoga studio, the last thing on her mind is finding a man who’ll demand more of her time.

Fantasizing about her hot, broody landlord? Mistake. Lusting after the sexy mayor of her new town? Terrible idea. Getting naked with the “favorite” son of her father’s new lady friend? N-O. Getting involved with Beckett has disaster written all over it.

Those stolen kisses were accidental. A few moments of strings-free, sizzling passion couldn’t possibly cause any trouble. At least, not until tempers flare when their families complicate things and the interfering citizens of Blue Moon step in with their special brand of chaos.

From the BookBitch: Blue Moon’s “Beautification Committee” is, in essence, a group of busybody matchmakers whose ideal is the pairing off of everyone in town so they all can live their best lives. They often go too far with their shenanigans, but everyone is always forgiven because you can’t argue with results. Great character development throughout the series hooked me, but the romances are what kept me coming back for more.

Book 3: THE LAST SECOND CHANCE

“You were made for me.”

“Shut up, Jax.”

There are two things Joey Greer is great at: Raising horses and holding grudges. Eight years ago, her high school sweetheart abandoned her, skipped out on his family, and fled to Hollywood of all places. She vowed never to forgive or forget.

Now big-shot screenwriter Jackson Pierce is back in Blue Moon demanding another chance. No place is safe from him. Not the stables. Not the only bar in town. Not even the clawfoot tub on her own deck.

No matter how good it feels when he sneaks past her defenses to land a kiss or a compliment, she is determined to pretend he doesn’t exist. Except maybe when he’s naked in her bed.

Jax can’t tell Joey the truth about the night he left. It would ruin far more than just their relationship. All he can do is sweep her off her reluctant feet with orgasms, flowers, bacon, and a rescue dog. Oh, and maybe handcuff himself to her for charity too.

The Beautification Committee has a few tricks up its devious sleeve where Jax and Joey are concerned. Tricks that will either leave the past in the past or ensure these two lovebirds can never be in the same room again.

From the BookBitch: This is a second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, and Score nailed it.

Book 4: NOT PART OF THE PLAN

“He’s the kind of man who would talk you into dropping your panties in a coat closet at a party, dole out orgasms like after-dinner mints, and then never call you again.”

Photographer Nikolai Vulkov is a love ’em and leave ’em bad boy with a leather jacket, motorcycle, and sexy-as-sin grin.

He is not Emma Merrill’s type. The feisty brewery manager isn’t impressed by Niko’s charm or his “no strings attached” offer. She’s the kind of girl a man settles down with. And the small town of Blue Moon is where she and her sisters have decided to put down roots.

In Niko’s experience, relationships only lead to heartache. Besides, he’s only in town until he finds a way to get his creative mojo back. He and Emma are completely wrong for each other. Even the matchmaking Beautification Committee agrees. They should definitely stay in the friend zone.

Okay. So maybe they gave in to their attraction that one time. Fine. Five times. Who’s counting? But once Emma’s ex-boyfriend shows up in town, she’ll come to her senses, and Niko will go back to New York. Right?

From the BookBitch: This book centered on a newcomer to town, but the Beautification Committee is on top of it. While Niko may have spent years as a man whore, he’s fallen hard and isn’t quite sure how this whole relationship thing actually works, but it’s so much fun watching him figure it out.

Book 5: HOLDING ON TO CHAOS

“I want to be upfront with you. No surprises, no secrets. I want you, Eva. And I think you might be it for me.”

Romance novelist Eva Merrill is a hot mess running from her past. She doesn’t mind telling a fib or two to protect her secrets and her family. It’s too bad that she moved to the nosiest small town in the world with Sheriff Sexy—the tall, built, human lie detector. He’s showing way too much interest in her and treating every conversation like it’s an interrogation.

Maybe that’s because she accidentally showed him her boobs in the middle of downtown Blue Moon. Or maybe it’s because he thinks she’s about to commit a crime. It’s definitely not that he’s attracted to her. That only happens in her novels.

Donovan Cardona loves his nice, quiet hometown, and he’s got some pretty strong feelings when it comes to a certain klutzy redhead too. But his gut says she’s hiding something. Just when he starts to peel back those layers to get to the naked truth, the entire town loses its collective mind—and inhibitions.

Can he save the girl from her past and the town from itself?

From the BookBitch: This was my least favorite book in the series. It actually reminded me of Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich, where she has a giraffe roaming the streets of New Jersey. This book was equally silly. The premise is that once every thirty-something years, the whole town goes bonkers, due to astrological phenomena and Uranus (but more for the fun of saying it.) Silly, but I did love the romance at the heart of it.

Book 6: THE FINE ART OF FAKING IT

Davis Gates. Naked. Tossing her a handful of orgasms like he was on a lust-themed parade float.

Innkeeper Eden has got it all. Well, mostly. She’s cornered the hospitality market in Blue Moon offering visitors a place to stay in her hippie-dippie hometown. Business is booming, she’s close—but not too close—to family, and she’s got her dogs and her friends to keep her company.

Unfortunately, she also shares a property line with the crush who broke her teenage heart.

Davis spends his days wrestling control of the family winery from his father’s semi-retired hands. He doesn’t have time for things like dating or dealing with his grudge-holding next-door neighbor. Besides, they’re just the latest generation to participate in their families’ fifty-year feud.

When the Beautification Committee resorts to an unprecedented—and disastrous—matchmaking scheme, enemies Eden and Davis join forces to take them down. These two frenemies can survive being fake lovers for a few weeks if it means teaching their neighbors all’s not fair in love and war.

From the BookBitch: Another second chance romance with some forced proximity thrown in, and once again, a terrific read.

Book 7: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

“This would be a lot easier if you had a sense of humor.”

“This would be a lot easier if you were a man.”

John Pierce has plans for these two hundred rundown acres. He sees a farm, a family, a future here. He’s not about to drag someone in on the ground floor. Not before he’s put in the work to turn rubble into a home. But his nosy neighbors have other ideas.

Now, he’s saddled with a grad student who was supposed to be a he. But the curvy, opinionated Phoebe is a smart-mouthed woman who seems to do nothing but question his every move. She’s ruining his nice, quiet life. And if she doesn’t finish her thesis and get out of his guest room soon, he’s going to have to scare her off.

Phoebe desperately needs this degree and the money it will bring. What she doesn’t need is this stubborn farmer’s attitude and his pathological need to avoid her. She’s trapped in this tiny hippie town, trying every trick in the book to get the stalwart John to open up. Her future is on the line. Her family needs her. And she’s not going to let a stubborn farmer stand in her way.

Very intense author note: John and Phoebe’s story is a prequel to the Blue Moon series. It follows the heart-warming, hilarious story of how they met, fell in love, and raised their boys together. But do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT read this book first. Read it sometime after book four. I’m protecting your reader experience here. I promise.

From the BookBitch: Totally agree with that author’s note! I was a bit trepidatious about reading this prequel because I don’t always love them, but this turned out to be my favorite book of the series and left me bawling more times than I care to think about. I am the first to admit that I rarely read a series in order, not because I don’t want to, but usually because I hear about a new book and I don’t realize that it is part of a series. That said, this series is best read in order, including this prequel coming in at book seven.

Book 8: THE MISTLETOE KISSER

“Just because I don’t run around with a stupid grin on my face all day every day doesn’t mean I’m grumpy.”

Ryan Sosa, grumpy former corporate accountant, has had it up to here with surprises. He didn’t see getting fired coming. And he certainly didn’t anticipate flying across the country to the world’s hippie-est, happiest, most annoying town to save his great-uncle from some mysterious emergency.

Not only is there actual snow on the ground, it also appears that elves on psychedelics have decked Blue Moon’s halls. But he doesn’t have time to be snarky about the impending Winter Solstice and Multicultural Holiday Celebration—whatever the hell that is. Not when he’s got a farm to save, a free-range sheep that he may or may not have nudged with his stupid microscopic rental car, and some small-town veterinarian telling him she can’t take the animal off his hands.

Dr. Sammy Ames has a practice to manage and a fundraising crisis to attend to. She doesn’t have time to deal with a big-city grouch who doesn’t remember being her first kiss ever. Especially not since he wants to dump a sheep named Stan on her. So not happening. No matter how cute—and pantless—Ryan is when he’s drunk.

Besides, as soon as he solves his uncle’s problem, he’ll be on the first flight out of Blue Moon, never to return again.

It will take a Winter Solstice Miracle or perhaps some matchmaking interference from the Beautification Committee to get these two to see eye-to-eye under the mistletoe…unless he’s the wrong Ryan after all.

From the BookBitch: Just what this series needed, a holiday-themed book! I loved how all the holidays were celebrated and how, once again, the Beautification Committee struck gold. Loved it!

Book 8.5: THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

From the author: Go back to Blue Moon to find out how our favorite hippie dippy small town was handling the pandemic. And of course I threw in a hilarious little romance… and goats. I also included your suggestions. Deputy Layla and Guidance Counselor Huck are trapped together. Layla is on the verge of being kicked out of her rental for rescuing too many pets. Huck was just given news meant for someone else!

NOTE: This is a fun short story/novella (50 pages) and is available to read for free on the author’s website. I linked to it in the title above.

If you haven’t read the series and want a tiny taste, you can start here, but it is probably better to read it last. That said, this entire series is available through Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited subscription. I got a three month free subscription during Amazon’s Prime Days last month. It doesn’t pay for me to purchase a subscription as I have access to review copies for free, but when they offer a free subscription, I almost always take them up on it and find something good to read, like this series!  For a monthly fee ($11.99/month), subscribers can borrow up to 20 titles at a time, enjoying unlimited reading and listening without due dates, as long as their membership is active.  It’s a good deal if you like the books they have, many of which are new, bestsellers, etc. I haven’t tried any of the audiobooks – I can’t figure out how that works exactly, and I’m not a magazine reader, so I haven’t bothered with those. But I can see this being a worthwhile subscription if you read at least a couple of books a month.

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

Paperback

Audible

I started this series – which I read in order! – with The Nantucket Inn, and I reviewed that first one here. I was able to find the entire series on Hoopla, through my public library, and listened to them all. These are self-published, and I’m sorry to say it shows.

Since Elin Hilderbrand retired, I was so happy to find this series. Hilderbrand created a world in Nantucket that I loved, and Kelley continues that magical feeling about the place. Not magical like the inexplicable, but magical as in a lovely, peaceful community where friendships are easy and love happens for everyone open to it.

The books revolve around the Beach Plum Cove Inn on Nantucket, which is at the center of the first book in the series. The subsequent books introduce new characters to Nantucket who stay at the inn, and most usually end up moving to the island permanently. It works beautifully. It truly feels like an escape to listen to these books, and I really appreciate that.

There are a few drawbacks to this audiobook series. The original reader, Karissa Vacker, did a terrific job and I really loved the first five books. However, the last four books in the series are read by Leslie Howard, and honestly, if I wasn’t already invested so deeply into the series, I would have stopped with Nantucket Threads. Howard is a breathy whisperer. Every voice she does sounds like they are whispering, and I find it super annoying. It reminded me of Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” which I guess is sexy for a two minute song, but becomes grating many hours in. I haven’t checked to see who is reading other Kelley books, but Leslie Howard is the first performer since I started my audiobook journey that is going on my “do not read” list.

They are self-published and, unfortunately, not carefully edited. One of the things I really like about this series is the constant food references, where the characters are dining, what they order, and what they prepare for dinner at home. I’m a foodie and enjoy this aspect. Except in this series, a character orders one thing at dinner, then a minute later are taking a bite of something else. There are little inconsistencies like that throughout this series, and most are just slightly annoying – they pull me out of the story for a moment. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so obvious if I hadn’t basically binged them all in order, but it became apparent that Kelley did not spring for a line editor. There are different types of editors in publishing, but a line editor is especially important in a series. They are responsible for pointing out repetition and inconsistencies in the story line.

This became a huge issue for me in the last book of the series, Nantucket Summer House. Like most romances, each book centers around one couple finding their happy ending. In the third book, Nantucket White Christmas, the romance centers around Angela and Philippe. Philippe is a minor character throughout the series until the third book when he took center stage. He was mentioned from time to time in all the books that followed until the last book, when inexplicably he became Pierre! I cringed every time I heard it and was thrilled this was the last book of the series. That is a major mistake, and I was shocked that no one pointed this out to the author. Or maybe someone did and she didn’t care? I don’t know, but as far as I’m concerned it is the height of hubris to think no one will notice or care if you change a character’s name after 8 previous books.

I have a few other minor quibbles. All the characters sound like fifty-something-year-olds, even the twenty and thirty-somethings, so the dialogue often feels stilted to me. I do love that there are successful writers living in Kelley’s Nantucket, as well as artists and photographers. I like to think that artists can make a living and afford the Nantucket lifestyle. On the other hand, everyone eats dinner at 6:00 pm and goes to bed early. Kelley has favorite wines that appear in every book, most of which are good (yay!) but I couldn’t help but think product placement?? If not, Kelley should definitely look into that. Everyone has “appetizer parties” on Nantucket, all of which feature cheese & crackers plus some interesting sounding dips and spreads – maybe that is really a thing? I don’t know.

Rant over. Bottom line is I did enjoy this series, and I’m continuing to read more of Kelley’s work – but with a jaded eye on the continuity of the books and making sure any audiobooks are performed by anyone other than the whisperer. I do love the sense of family Kelley creates with all these charaxters, and I couldn’t help but care about them, plus it’s fun to see what they are all up to with each book.

Right now, I’m reading the Kindle version of the first book of a new series, The Nantucket Restaurant (review to follow!) This book (and the sequel) were originally self-published, but the copy I have is published by Sourcebooks, a traditional publisher, so I feel comfortable that I won’t have to deal with any of the consistency issues that cropped up in the Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series.

https://amzn.to/4mLgBq5

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Book 1: The Nantucket Inn
Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

Lisa Hodges needs to make a decision fast. Thanks to her dead husband’s gambling addiction, their savings is almost gone. In her early 50s with a large, waterfront home on Nantucket to support, Lisa hasn’t worked in over 30 years, has no in-demand skills and is virtually unemployable.

Her only options are to sell the house and move off-island, or, she could use her cooking and entertaining skills and turn her home into a bed and breakfast. She desperately needs it to succeed because she has four grown children with problems of their own and wants to stay close to them. Her oldest daughter, Kate, has a fabulous career in Boston – working as a writer for a popular fashion magazine and engaged to a dangerously handsome, photographer, who none of them have met. Kate’s twin, local artist, Kristen, has been reasonably content with her on-again off-again relationship with an older, separated businessman. Her son, Chase, runs his own construction business and is carefree, happily dating here and there but nothing serious. Youngest daughter, Abby, is happily married to her high school sweetheart, and they’ve been trying to have a baby. But it hasn’t happened yet, and Abby wonders if it’s a sign that maybe their marriage isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks.

Come visit Nantucket and see how Lisa’s new bed and breakfast has an impact on almost everyone in her family. It’s the first book in a new series that will follow the Hodges family, friends, and visitors to Nantucket’s Beach Plum Cove Inn.

Book 2: Nantucket Neighbors
Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

Book your visit to the Beach Plum Cove Inn today…meet widow Lisa Hodges and her four adult children, friends, and visitors to the newly opened waterfront bed and breakfast.

In the first book, The Nantucket Inn, Lisa learned that her deceased husband had a hidden gambling addiction and had blown through their retirement savings. Since she’d been raising four children and hadn’t worked in years, she had no employable skills. Her only option if she wanted to stay on the island near her loved ones, was to rent out her second floor rooms. And she’s loving it so far. Lisa’s first guest, restaurant owner Rhett Byrne quickly became a close friend and then something more. In her early fifties, it sounds strange to her to call him her boyfriend, but that’s what he is.

Her daughter Kristen, finally ended things with Sean, the separated man that no one in the family was excited about. It wasn’t until she was beginning to move on, that he filed for divorce, and then begged her for another chance. So she gave him one, much to everyone’s dismay. But then the cottage next door is sold, and she discovers who her new neighbor is. Chase, the only boy in the family, has never been serious about anyone before. But he’s suddenly withdrawn and has been secretive about who he’s seeing, which only makes everyone that much more curious. When they learn who it is, the concern grows as no one wants to see Chase hurt, again. Lisa’s best friend, Paige, has a new neighbor too and it’s one she is most decidedly not enthused about. Violet was one of the women who stood up at town meeting and protested against Lisa’s inn being approved by the selectman. Because the house is right next door, Paige can’t help but notice the steady stream of traffic. Violet seems to be very popular with a lot of people.

The inn is doing well and bookings are up, but then one Friday night, a guest that prepaid for the weekend never shows up. And quite a few people, including the police, come asking questions.

Book 3: Nantucket White Christmas
Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

Visit Nantucket’s Beach Plum Cove Inn this Christmas for a feel-good holiday story from the author of The Nantucket Inn and Nantucket Neighbors. Born on Christmas, Angela Stark has always hated the holiday. Bad things always seem to happen and this year is no exception when she is fired and evicted on the first day of December. She was living and working as a maid in San Francisco. Who will hire her at this time of year, especially if they learn why she was fired?

Her only family is Sam, an elderly and quite vocal orange cat. Her only option is to stay temporarily with her best friend Jane, but she is extremely allergic to cats. It’s not ideal, but it doesn’t look like she has a choice, until a certified letter arrives that changes everything. The next thing she knows, she and Sam are flying to Nantucket, a place they’ve never been before. It’s meant to be a temporary visit. But then Angela meets the Hodges family and friends and begins to question where home really is.

Book 4: A Nantucket Affair
Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

Everyone thought they had the perfect marriage. But things are sometimes not what they seem. Lisa Hodges has always thought her best friend Sue had a dream marriage. She’d married Curt, her high school sweetheart and current business partner. After 35 years of marriage, she never doubted him once – until Brandi Morgan joined their thriving insurance company. Brandi is 35, blonde and beautiful, and is also excellent at her account manager job. All the clients love her and business is up. Sue liked her quite a bit too – until the rumors started swirling.

And it all began with A Nantucket Affair, the island’s biggest charity gathering with a catered dinner and dancing on the beach. As usual, Curt is the chairman for the gala, and this year, he has a new second-in-command, Brandi. Sue didn’t give it a second thought, until Curt suddenly dropped the fifteen pounds he’d been whining about wanting to lose and a few well meaning friends started asking her what was going on. Meanwhile, Kristen’s boyfriend, Tyler is dealing with a devastating loss and Kristen wants to be there for him, but isn’t sure how best to support him, especially when she discovers a secret he’s been keeping, one that could have devastating consequences for both of them.

Abby is busy learning how to be a new mother, and Lisa is madly in love with her first grandchild. And Chase and Beth have discovered a new passion project – flipping houses. Beth does the research to find the undervalued homes and Chase works his magic to renovate them. But then they get in over their heads when a project requires more than they could ever have imagined.

Book 5: Nantucket Weddings
Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

Mia Maxwell used to have her dream job. She is a sought after wedding planner on Nantucket, with no shortage of business. But she is struggling a bit to get back to loving her job. It has been bittersweet to plan other people’s weddings – ever since her own fiance died two weeks before their wedding.

That was a year ago and she was just starting to feel better, when she came back from a vacation to find her house burned down. So she will be staying with Lisa at the Beach Plum Cove Inn for a while, until her house is renovated. Mia’s also worried about her younger sister and best friend Izzy – she has a serious boyfriend who has grown more controlling over the past year. As it turns out, there are several member of the Hodges family that may be in need of Mia’s services – she’ll be planning not one but two weddings. There are a few road bumps along the way however.

Lisa has another long-term guest that she eagerly introduces to Mia. She finds this temporary neighbor equally intriguing and frustrating and she makes it clear that she’s not even close to ready to date. She’s not sure if she ever will be.

Book 6: Nantucket Threads
Leslie Howard (Narrator)

Izzy’s life is about to change soon in the biggest way possible. She is excited and nervous and torn about whether or not to give her ex, Rick Savage, another chance. Rick has tried to be a better man. He’s gone through anger management classes and really seems to be making an effort. But is that enough? Does she owe it to him, to them, to try one more time? Or is it okay for her to move on and possibly even consider a future with someone else? Not that she is looking to do that, but there is someone else who she has known as a friend for a long time.

He’s a very good friend, and at times, she wonders if there could be something more there. But, she has bigger things to consider first. Someone other than herself, and it’s all new to her. But, her sister Mia is there to help. Izzy is now living with Mia since her condo was renovated. And Mia has a promising new romance. And there’s a lot going on with the Hodges family, too. Kate has a very big announcement, and Lisa learns that she has been violating a major rule for her bed and breakfast. So, changes are coming….

Book 7: Nantucket News
Leslie Howard (Narrator)

Charleston native, Taylor Abbott, has just relocated to Nantucket for her dream job as a junior news reporter at the local paper. Ten years ago she was Abby Hodges’ college roommate and is looking forward to living near her best friend again. Until her rental cottage is available, she’s going to stay at the Beach Plum Cove Inn, Abby’s mother’s bed and breakfast.

Abby, meanwhile, is dealing with an issue she thought she’d resolved. Rhett discovers someone that works for him is a thief and tries to figure out who it is. Rumor is, there’s a celebrity or two on the island, and the media (including Taylor’s coworker, Victoria), is in hot pursuit to track them down.

Book 8: Nantucket Homes
Leslie Howard (Narrator)

It’s Fall on Nantucket—and change is in the air! There’s a new arrival to the island. Kay Johnson, a widow, was a friend of Lisa’s mother and is like an aunt to Lisa. Kay is excited to relax and enjoy Nantucket—she’s already signed up for a Needlepoint class. She’s not at all looking for romance, but she is happy to make a new friend in neighbor Walter Sturgess, a widower.

When the story begins, Walter’s son Travis, CEO of a tech company he founded in Silicon Valley, and his four-year-old daughter, Sophie, are living with Walter until Travis’s new home is ready for them to move in. That new home is being built by Chase Hodges, Lisa’s son, and is located on the ocean, next to the home where Victoria grew up—and is now living temporarily with her parents, since she and Sean—her long-term boyfriend and fiancé, broke up.

When she sees Travis for the first time in many years, Victoria realizes he is in a similar place, since his divorce. She didn’t even recognize Travis at first. He had to remind her that they’d once dated in high school, before she dumped him for Sean, the star quarterback. Travis is all grown-up now, but even if she was interested in dating, Victoria has never been anxious to have children, let alone take on someone else’s.

Book 9: Nantucket Summer House

Lauren is up for the opportunity of a lifetime, to be the lead producer for a new reality show set in Nantucket. Nantucket Influence will follow a group of young influencers as they spend the summer at a gorgeous waterfront home. It is a concept that Lauren has worked on successfully before and the job is hers—as long as she doesn’t mind that one of the influencers is Billy—the ex that she caught cheating on her. Does she really want to spend the summer working with him every day? This is her first chance to run a show, though, and she can’t pass it up.

Hudson, runs a Nantucket based production company, with famous actress and new Nantucket resident, Cami Carmichael. Hudson is good friends with Billy, but Lauren finds herself drawn to him. But she knows they shouldn’t be more than friends since they are working together—and since Lauren will be heading back to LA when filming ends.

Meanwhile Angela is thrilled to see her college friend Lauren and has some exciting news to share. And Lisa discovers that her nemesis, Violet, who runs a competing inn is ready to declare herself as the top lobster quiche maker on the island. But not if Lisa has anything to say about it—she signs up for the local food festival as well and will let the people decide who makes the best quiche.

6/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

Nantucket Beach Plum Cove (9 book series) by Pamela M. Kelley. Audible Audiobook Edition. 2019-2024.

Kindle

Paperback

From the author:

Swoon-worthy romance with lovable characters, loads of humor, and a healthy dose of drama on the way to a happily ever after.

From I’ve Read This: Instant bestsellers, Consider Me, Play With Me, and Unravel Me were all published in December 2023 after reaching massive success as e-books via their popularity on TikTok. Now that they are in print, they’re reaching an even wider audience to great success. Each is a romance that follows a different hockey player on a fictional NHL team closely modelled after the Vancouver Canucks, and not surprisingly, each book results in true love found. You don’t need to necessarily read them in order, but there are ‘relationship spoilers’ if you don’t. With each being 500 pages, it is a commitment, but one that many are clearly diving into anyway.

From Goodreads: There appears to be a fifth book coming in this series, Breathe With Me. No information on it from my usual sources though, and trust me, I did my research. There is a barely-there mention of it on The Bookseller, simply stating that book 5 will be out in 2025 in the UK, and I assume, in the US. Obviously, I am a tiny bit obessed with this series!

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I did a full review of the first book in the series, Consider Me, and here are my thoughts on the rest of the series.

I believe these were self-published, but Simon & Schuster published book 4, Fall With Me, and started up their publicity machine. I managed to get hold of all the books in the series thus far, and despite their long length, I read them in a few days. I loved them all! These books are full of well-defined characters that come to life on the page, lots of steamy sex, some real problems, and enough humor that I was laughing out loud. Plus, they are set in Canada in professional hockey with a fictional team, and even the hockey stuff all rang true. Being that the author is Canadian, that’s not a surprise. Canadians live and breathe hockey like Americans do with football, basketball, and/or baseball. Or hockey, for that matter.

See my comments below each book.

Book 1: CONSIDER ME

For a shot at love, he’ll do whatever it takes…

Carter Beckett is the NHL’s best player—both on and off the ice. His career is at its peak, his friends are performing better than ever, and there’s no shortage of women to spend the night with. What more could he want?

Olivia Parker isn’t new to professional hockey players, thanks to her best friend’s boyfriend, but she has no interest in dating one herself—no matter how hot he is. And anyway, she loves working as a teacher and hanging out with her best friend, drama-free. Why would she want to spend her time stroking the ego of an arrogant athlete?

But once Carter meets Olivia, he can’t think of anything else. Too bad for him, Olivia is hellbent on keeping him at arm’s length, with no intention of giving into his charms. Perhaps it’s time for Carter to up his game…after all, nobody said he had to play fair.

Sparks will fly as Carter does whatever it takes for Olivia to consider him.

From the BookBitch: Consider having plenty of Oreos around for this delicious read! Full review

Book 2: PLAY WITH ME

In the sizzling hockey romance that has taken TikTok by storm, a dedicated player struggles with the number one team rule: don’t go near the captain’s sister.

He’s found the perfect person—but she’s the only one he can’t be with…

Garrett Andersen knows that playing professional hockey requires absolute dedication to the rules. There’s just one rule he’s finding difficult to follow: stay away from his captain’s younger sister.

As a professional dancer, Jennie Beckett knows what it takes to excel. She prides herself on being every bit as confident and bold as her brother, sassy as hell, and the only person in charge of her pleasure. No wonder Garrett can’t stay away from her—even if he forgets how to form sentences whenever she’s around.

Jennie would rather avoid her brother’s teammate, especially after several embarrassing run-ins, but suddenly they’re neighbors. And as the connection between them grows, Garrett and Jennie decide to have some fun, no strings attached. Between their busy schedules and her brother’s disapproval, they know keeping things casual and low-key is the smartest play.

But what if their feelings get in the way? After all, they’re only supposed to be playing with each other…

From the BookBitch: Forbidden love is always a fun trope, and family relationships come into play here when team captain Beckett’s sister moves into the same building as his teammate, Garrett. Garrett is tasked with watching out for Jennie, and he does, happily. But as they grow closer, their friendship soon turns into a more physical relationship. When big brother finds out, that happy ending seems in jeopardy.

Book 3: UNRAVEL ME

In the sizzling hockey romance that has taken TikTok by storm, the star goalie discovers the family he’s always wanted when he falls in love with a single mother.

Can he leave the past behind to forge the future he’s always wanted?

When it comes to dating, Adam Lockwood wouldn’t know luck if it hit him in the face. After a failed relationship and a string of dates gone wrong, the thought of being vulnerable with someone is terrifying—most women only see his fame. But when his dog runs into Rosie Wells, a beautiful woman with a blush as pink as her hair, she doesn’t seem to have a clue who he is, and Adam seizes the opportunity as a chance to finally be himself.

Rosie has her hands full as a single mother and fourth-year veterinary student, and she certainly wouldn’t know a hockey player if she ran into one. She doesn’t have time to date, and she’s fiercely protective of her little family. But when a chance encounter leads her to Adam, she knows it’s worth risking her heart.

The only problem? Adam is used to wearing a mask—he’s a goalie, after all. And as he holds onto a secret that threatens to unravel him and destroy his new family, they’re both at risk of losing more than ever before.

NOTE: Unravel Me contains emotional references to the past death of parents and its surrounding grief, as well as brief discussions of foster care, depictions of child neglect (not by the main character), and the death of an animal (minimal descriptions and as it pertains to the FMC’s training as a veterinarian student; not main character’s pet). If you are sensitive to these subjects, please use this information to make an informed decision about whether to proceed with this story.

From the BookBitch: I loved this story! After a bad breakup with a woman who wanted Adam for everything he has monetarily, and a string of one-night stands with puck bunnies, Adam is done dating. He is a genuinely nice guy, and all he wants is a woman who loves him for himself. Convinced that is never going to happen, he meets Rosie while out walking his dog. She is a single mom, a veterinerary school student, and helps out at the local animal shelter. And best of all, she has no idea who he is other than this really sweet guy who also loves animals, and kids. Especially hers. Theirs is a rocky road to their happy ending, but I loved every page on the way there. This may be my favorite book of the series.

Book 4: FALL WITH ME

From bestselling author and TikTok sensation Becka Mack comes the next book in her sizzling hockey romance series about a playboy defenseman and the team photographer who reforms him.

It was supposed to be a one-night stand. But what if they can’t leave it in the past?

Jaxon Riley is exceptional at three things: starting fights on the ice, picking up women post-game, and going home to fulfill his role as the world’s best cat dad. Relationships, unfortunately, missed the list.

Lennon Hayes is supposed to be on her honeymoon. Instead, she’s alone and single, vacationing next door to a surly tattooed man who ran his date off the resort. When a run-in at the bar results in a night of bickering and cocktails, she finds herself tumbling into bed with the enemy next door, then sneaking out before the sun comes up.

Lennon’s plan to start over in a new city is going great, until she starts her new job. The job? The Vancouver Vipers’ new photographer. And the defenseman scowling at her from across the room? The one-night stand she wasn’t supposed to see again. Good thing neither of them are looking for anything serious… right?

Jaxon may not be used to falling, but if he’s going to go, he refuses to go alone. If he falls, he wants Lennon to fall with him.

From the BookBitch: Jaxon is the newest team member, but after being traded pretty much every year of his hockey career, he knows better than to grow attached to his teammates. But their captain, Beckett, his close group of teammates, and their wives happily ignore his standoffishness and embrace him as their newest family member. Lennon, thinking she is starting over in a new country after a bad breakup at her wedding rehearsal, is shocked to see the one-night stand she had on her “honeymoon.” But the WAGS (wives and girlfriends of the team) really love her and are including her in all their fun, keeping Jaxon and Lennon together whether they like it or not. And it turns out they like it, a lot.

9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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From the author:

The Dundee series is a small town contemporary romance series consisting of eight full-length books and a novella to cap it off at the end. Because these are older books, the first connected books Brenda ever wrote, the covers have been updated and so have some of the titles. [For some reason, the audiobooks have not been updated.] Currently, the series goes like this:

OLD TITLE => NEW TITLE
A Baby of Her Own => That One Night
A Husband of Her Own => Falling for You
A Family of Her Own => First Love Second Chance
A Home of Her Own => Say You Love Me
Stranger in Town => Meant for You
Big Girls Don’t Cry => Finding You
The Other Woman => Just the Two of Us
Coulda Been a Cowboy => The More I Love You
A Dundee Christmas as the novella that ends it all (Kindle only)

https://amzn.to/47e4iLf

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This series became an experiment, of sorts, in my ability to listen to audiobooks. I found them all on Hoopla, a library app, so they were all free (my favorite kind of books!) Interestingly, they all had different narrators, so that was another test for me. There are many devoted audiobook readers who stick with specific narrators and will read anything they narrate. I get that, some are definitely better than others, but in this series, I pretty much liked them all, other than the last book, which was read by a man. He wasn’t great but I still managed to listen to it and not have my mind wander off. It is also the weakest story (other than the novella at the end,) so that didn’t help either.

Because this series is so old, originally published from 2002-2007, there are some things that really jumped out at me, like some of the characters smoked and they weren’t bad guys, which is a thing now; generally, anytime a character smokes in a movie or book or whatever, that hints at some negativity about that character, but not here. There were other things that I wished had also been updated, like a woman who has to lose ten pounds before the guy realizes he likes her, and in an early book, calling a guy in a wheelchair a cripple. That was tough to listen to, but I persevered and the fifth book actually featured that guy, who was no longer called that, thank goodness.

All in all, I really enjoyed this series and listened to the whole thing. I even found the final novella, A Dundee Christmas, also available on Hoopla but as an ebook. As usual with novellas, I didn’t love it and it didn’t tie up the series at all. In fact, Amazon calls it a short story, and as far as I’m concerned, it was a weak link if anything, to the series.

Book 1: A Baby of Her Own
Carly Robins (Narrator)

What Delaney wants is a baby. A baby of her own. At 30 she longs to break away from the constraints of her life, longs to reach out for her heart’s desire. She’d prefer marriage as well, but there’s no man in Dundee, Idaho, she’s interested in marrying.

Then one winter night, she and her best friend, Rebecca, go to Boise with the intent of finding a man for Delaney. She meets a handsome stranger named Conner, a man who might be able to provide her with the solution she needs – and the baby she wants!

Afterward, she thinks she must have been out of her mind. But it’s too late. Because she’s pregnant. And because the stranger isn’t a stranger anymore. Conner Armstrong is now living on a ranch just outside Dundee.

Book 2: A Husband of Her Own
Amy McFadden (Narrator)

Rebecca Wells desperately wants to overcome her reputation. She’s finally trying to put an end to her 24-year rivalry with the perfect Josh Hill, a rivalry that began when she was a kid and the Hills moved in across the street. Great looking, popular, a successful horse rancher, Josh is Dundee’s golden boy – and the son her father always wanted. But even when her father insists they call a truce, it’s hard for Rebecca to drop her resentment of Josh. She refuses to acknowledge that she feels more for him than she’s ever let on. The man she loves to hate is also the man she’d hate to love!

Book 3: A Family of Her Own
Andi Arndt (Narrator)

Pregnant…and alone?

When Katie Rogers returns to Dundee, Idaho, it’s not because she wants to. It’s because she’s disillusioned, broke – and pregnant. She was going to make something of her life in the big city. Instead she’s paying a high price for trusting the wrong man.

Booker Robinson is the man she didn’t trust, the man she’d left behind in Dundee…and the first person she sees when she comes back. But despite Booker’s notorious past, he now has a successful business and a home of his own.

He’s also spent two years getting over Katie. She’s the last person he wants to see. But when her parents refuse to take her in, she doesn’t have anywhere else to go, and Booker soon finds himself with a roommate – one who needs a father for her baby….

Katie’s vowed she’ll never trust the wrong man again. But sometimes a man isn’t everything he seems. And sometimes he’s more….

Book 4: A Home of Her Own
Rachel Fulginiti (Narrator)

When Lucky Caldwell was 10, her mother, Red – the best-known hooker in Dundee, Idaho – married Morris Caldwell, a wealthy and much older man. It didn’t last, of course, but Morris’ kindness was the highlight of Lucky’s life.

Mike Hill, Morris’ grandson, doesn’t feel too well disposed toward Red or her kids. He believes they alienated Morris from his family. Even Morris’ Victorian mansion, on the property next to the Hill ranch, wasn’t inherited by one of his grandchildren. Instead the house went to Lucky, who left it sitting empty for years.

Now that Red and Morris are both dead, Lucky has finally come back to Dundee. She plans to restore the derelict place – and to look for her real father, who has to be one of three men named in her mother’s diary.

That means Mike has a new neighbor. One he doesn’t want to like….

Book 5: Stranger in Town
Molly Elston (Narrator)

Old grudges become new loves in this enchanting contemporary romance

The car accident was Hannah Price’s fault—a tragic mistake that changed Gabe Holbrook’s life forever, destroying everything he’d been or ever wanted to be.

He was a man who’d had it all. Intelligent, handsome, talented, rich, he’d been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Now he’s come home to Dundee, the small town where he was raised, but he’s a stranger to the people who once knew him. He’s bitter and withdrawn and entirely focused on recovering. But thanks to Hannah Price, there are some things that can’t be fixed.

Hannah has been struggling to recover from that fateful night, too. Unlike Gabe, she sustained only minor injuries. But she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to forgive herself for what happened. Especially when Gabe becomes her son’s football coach, and she begins to fall in love with the man she nearly destroyed…

Book 6: Big Girls Don’t Cry
Amy Rubinate (Narrator)

Sometimes Mr. Right couldn’t be more wrong…

Thanks to a devastating revelation about her husband, Reenie Holbrook’s once-perfect marriage is over. For 11 years she had the life she wanted – and now it’s gone.

Sometimes Mr. Wrong couldn’t be more right…

Reenie decides that the first step in recovering from her ordeal is to find work; after all, she has three young children to support. She’s thrilled when she lands a job at Dundee High teaching history – until Isaac Russell, the man who triggered the unraveling of her marriage, accepts a temporary position teaching science. Then she’s tempted to quit. Reenie doesn’t care if the whole town admires Isaac…and she won’t admit that secretly she admires him, too. She doesn’t want to see him or his sister in her town.

Book 7: The Other Woman
 Tara Sands (Narrator)

A second chance doesn’t mean second best!

Elizabeth O’Connell has survived one of the worst betrayals a wife can imagine. Finding out that she wasn’t the only woman in her husband’s life meant the end of her marriage and a year of personal hell. Now she’s focusing on her new business and raising her two kids.

Carter Hudson isn’t part of her plan. When he’s introduced to Liz by well-meaning friends, her dislike is instant. But as she spends time with him, Liz realizes she likes having Carter in her life. More than likes it. However, Carter has secrets in his past that he can’t seem to escape, secrets that apparently involve a woman. Liz is sure of one thing: She’ll never be the other woman again!

Book 8: Coulda Been a Cowboy
Adam Verner (Narrator)

Grandpa Garnier used to say love is like a bucking bronco. It takes guts and determination to hang on, but it’s worth the ride.

If only Grandpa was around now to help Tyson Garnier out of this mess. The famous pro football player is suddenly saddled with a very public scandal – and an illegitimate child. Tyson needs a good nanny now if he’s going to salvage his career. And plain, no-nonsense Dakota Brown is the ideal candidate.

Dakota doesn’t care for football – or for a man who doesn’t seem to want his own son. But she needs this job, and that precious little baby needs her.

Dakota isn’t Tyson’s kind of woman. But the more he sees of her – and the more he sees of his son – the harder he wants to hang on.

A Dundee Christmas: A Holiday Romance (Kindle)

For the first time as a stand-alone ebook!

Down on her luck, Cierra Santos is seeking refuge in the small town of Dundee during a snowstorm when she is taken in by a man who helps her discover a new sense of home. But Ken Holbrook provides more than safety and comfort because, with him, she also finds love.

9/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

Dundee, Idaho Series by Brenda Novak. Harlequin Audio. 2202-2007.

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