NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends makes a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.
Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm, and the seeds of friendship are planted.
As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, they make a pact, promising to always be there for one another, no matter how separated they may become by circumstances or distance.
Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are all facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a shared journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.
In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides, helping us pick up the pieces?
“Giffin is at her best when she’s delving into the hard and sometimes outwardly questionable choices that her characters make in their pursuit of happiness, and her latest harks back to her bold, layered debut, Something Borrowed (2004). This thirtysomething coming-into-one’s-own tale feels true to life, messy in all the best ways, and hopeful. A triumph.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Want to indulge in juicy, page-turning escapism? The Summer Pact is about a group of friends . . . [and] a reunion tour, a decade after college, inspired by a long-ago promise to turn to one another in times of need. [They] take turns narrating their trip to the Italian island of Capri, where closure may or may not await.”—The New York Times
I’ve been reading Giffin since her first book came out twenty years ago, but this one was a bit of a disappointment. There is a group of friends from college, and I would say spoiler alert, but one of them dies, and that happens pretty much at the beginning of the book. Then they deal with it.
I feel like I’ve read a few stories with similar plotlines that were done better than this. There was diversity in the characters and it wasn’t subtle, to say the least. Yes, it was messy, but was it true to life? I’m not so sure. Not my favorite from an author I’ve always loved.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE SUMMER PACT by Emily Giffin.Ballantine Books (July 9, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593600290. 352p.
Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?
Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she’s distracted every time he’s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn’t have time for frivolous flirtations.
In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They’ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can’t quite avoid him.
And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He’s hoping he can convince Nova he’s worth some of her time.
“The way Borison softly weaves together a friends-with-benefits and opposites-attract romance, while also incorporating Charlie’s ADHD and people-pleasing and Nova’s perfectionism, will keep readers starry-eyed as they imagine visiting the beloved small town of Inglewild…This final and fourth book in the “Lovelight” series, after Mixed Signals, is a knockout.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Charming, sexy, and cozy, Business Casual is both a gratifying series conclusion and a worthwhile novel on its own about love and the perennial beauty of finding (and making) a home.”—Shelf Awareness
I have every book in this series on my Kindle, but somehow, I never read any until this last one. I hate when that happens! Especially because this was such a good read. So now I have to go back and read the three previous novels in the series. (Something to look forward to, at least.) I used to be able to save all the good books I missed until December, because it was such a slow month for publishing, at least in genre fiction. But no more! I already have 32 books to read that are being published in December. I can’t read a book a day anymore! And this is what happens. I miss one, and the next thing you know, I’m reading the fourth book in a series and haven’t read any of the earlier ones. Ugh. Okay, rant over.
So let’s start; reading this I had no idea it was part of a series. Every character was introduced and made sense to the plot, so kudos to Borison for that. It’s not easy to write a series and yet make each book work on its own. Our main characters are Charlie, a wealthy New York investment banker prone to wearing three-piece suits and watches that cost more than most people make in this tiny hamlet, and Nova, a bit of a grump who is the proprietor of the only female-owned tattoo parlor on the East coast. Neither is looking for a relationship. Charlie escapes to this small town to see his friends and unwind from the life that he lives in the city. They have been friends for years, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a strong physical attraction to one another, and acting on it may be just the thing they need to get it out of their systems. As if that ever worked in a romance novel.
This is a very steamy novel, so if that is not your thing, read elsewhere. The sex is hot and well written, and that says a lot to Borison’s skills. The story moves along rapidly, and as these characters start exploring each other beyond the physical, real intimacy grows, leading to their happy ending. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series!
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
BUSINESS CASUAL by B.K. Borison.Berkley (July 16, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593641170. 384p.
They’ve been trying to avoid each other. But this town has other ideas…
When Berkley Carr opened The Love Shack Animal Haven, she thought she’d finally put her past behind her. But sometimes she feels the sting of the scandal from her youth, especially when she keeps crossing paths with her handsome neighbor. So, she keeps her head down and pours all her love into caring for animals.
Lawson Salder moved to Cemetery, Indiana, to escape from the grinding poverty of his childhood. He barely knew Berkley from their old neighborhood, but every time he sees her, the shame and pain come crashing back. He knows she’s got major baggage of her own. They’re better off just avoiding each other.
But that’s downright impossible in a town full of matchmaking busybodies. Then there’s the hard-to-ignore attraction they feel every time they see each other. When the universe is conspiring to bring them together, will Berkley and Lawson let past hurts go and embrace the love they deserve?
I read the first book in this series, The Honeymoon Cottage, which I enjoyed. Somehow I missed the second book, The Little Flower Shop, which I’ll have to hunt down. The Love Shack is a great title (even if I can’t get the B-52’s out of my head!) and it’s also the name of the animal shelter run by the main character, Berkley. Berkley has moved to the small town of Cemetery to escape a troubled past, and is shocked to find someone from her past is already here in town, for the same reasons.
Lawson has a strong protective streak, especially when it comes to Berkley. There is another character of sorts in this series, Katherine, a mannequin that the townsfolk dress up and move around. She creeps out Lawson, but he is good natured enough to deal with it and it adds some levity to the story. The real fun is the animals though!
As Lawson and Berkley spend time together, they fall in love. There are obstacles in the way, but the meddling town founder, the elderly Betty Cemetery, has her heart set on making these two a match. Matchmaking not withstanding, this is a sweet romance with a tiny bit of heat and the requisite happy ending. Foster writes good stories, and I enjoyed this one.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE LOVE SHACK by Lori Foster.Canary Street Press; Original edition (June 11, 2024). ISBN: 978-1335517142. 336p.
A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romance by Lana Ferguson, USA Today bestselling author of The Nanny.
When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase’s team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team’s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate’s little sister…who isn’t so little anymore.
Delilah Baker is known as “the darling of baking” on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother’s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake—until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she’s never quite gotten over.
Delilah’s and Ian’s teams think it’s a true win-win situation—gaining higher numbers for Delilah’s show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. With more than just their careers on thin ice, the line between what’s real and what’s for show begins to blur, but one thing’s for certain: This PR stunt will either be a total game changer—or leave them both totally pucked.
Ian was Delilah’s brother’s best friend and her teenage crush, and now they are both professional hockey players in Boston, where they take their hockey very seriously. When Ian’s reputation takes a hit, his PR team is trying to find a way to make him look good again. Enter Delilah and her local cooking show. Her ratings are in freefall, and she comes up with the idea of baking with a hockey player. Her brother is a pro, and his teammates are askable. Ian is perfect – it will help both of them, and it does, except for that crush that is surprisingly still lingering.
Viewers love seeing Ian and Delilah together, and Ian is surprised at how much he enjoys Delilah’s company. Then things really heat up.
Ferguson writes steamy romances, and this is a good one. The hockey is just the “icing” on the cake! (sorry, I couldn’t help myself and hockey fans will get it!) There are a lot of good romance tropes here, including fake dating, friends to lovers, brother’s best friend, and also a lot of laughs. This is a fun, fast-paced rom-com, and I totally enjoyed it.
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE GAME CHANGER by Lana Ferguson.Berkley (July 9, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593816837. 400p.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with an all-new sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny…
Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.
Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.
Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.
“Come for the buzzy hockey romance trope, stay for the unique spins and swoon-worthy leading man that Bailey has become famous for crafting.” — USA Today
“Bailey writes banter and rom-com scenarios with aplomb, but for those who like their romance on the spicier side, she’s also the Michelangelo of dirty talk. She wields filth like Da Vinci does a paintbrush, and there’s a lot to be said for an author who can fill such exchanges with all the requisite heat, enthusiastic consent, and yes, even humor, of such a scenario without veering into corny territory.” — Entertainment Weekly
Bailey is one of my favorite writers, and I loved her latest! I was already halfway there with the hockey player storyline, and the single dad, grumpy-sunshine, forced proximity, age difference, and all the other romantic subgenres just brought this together in one terrific read for me.
Falling for the nanny is a time-honored romance tradition – not sure how often it happens in real life (forget Hollywood, I mean real people life!) but it was definitely believable here – maybe because Burgess falls first? And fortunately, he is already divorced (I hate any nanny marriage breakups.) He has to work to sweep Tallulah off her feet, and he does. But then comes the tween-age daughter. She adores Tallulah until she realizes that her dad is involved with the nanny. Like most kids, she wants her parents to get back together and Tallulah refuses to be the reason they don’t.
There is a lot of turmoil and angst before they reach their happy ending, and a lot of very steamy sex, making this an emotional yet fun read. I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and I was invested enough to root for their happily ever after. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!
Note: Like most romance series, you do not need to read these in order. Each book is about a different couple, and while the couple from book one is mentioned, it wouldn’t matter if you hadn’t read it. That said, I think the first book, Fangirl Down, a golf romance, may have been even better than this one, so why not read both!
8/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE AU PAIR AFFAIR by Tessa Bailey.Avon (July 16, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063308428. 384p.
Bestselling author Olivia Dade welcomes you to Harlot’s Bay in this delightfully sexy rom-com about a woman who buys the town’s famous Spite House, only to realize the infuriating man she can’t stand lives right next door—and their unwilling proximity might spark something neither can ignore.
When Athena Greydon’s fiancé ends their engagement, she has no choice but to move into the Spite House she recklessly bought him as a wedding gift. Which is a problem, for several reasons: The house, originally built as a brick middle finger to the neighbors, is only ten feet wide. Her ex’s home is literally attached to hers. And Dr. Matthew Vine the Freaking Third—AKA the uptight, judgy jerk who convinced his younger brother to leave her—is living on her other side, only a four-foot alley away.
If she has to see Matthew every time she looks out her windows, she might as well have some fun with the situation. By, say, playing erotic audiobooks at top volume with those windows open. A woman living in a Spite House is basically obligated to get petty payback however she can, right?
Unfortunately, loathing Matthew proves more difficult than anticipated. He helps her move. He listens. And he’s kind of…hot? Dammit.
Matthew may not regret ending his brother’s engagement, but he does regret what the breakup has done to Athena. He’ll help her however he can. If that means finding her work, fine. If that means enduring nightly steamy story hours, so be it. And if that means watching Athena through their windows a bit too often and caring about her a bit too much…well, nothing can come of it. She’ll never forgive him. Even if she did, how could he ever tell his beloved younger brother the truth—that Matthew wants the very same woman he encouraged Johnny to leave?
A Library Journal Romance Pick of the Month
“With the sublime launch of her new Harlot’s Bay series, Dade once again dazzles and delights readers as she delivers a heart-meltingly romantic, sensually steamy love story that also embraces body positivity and thoughtfully explores such real-life issues as clinical depression and grief. Wielding a devilishly wicked sense of wit…Dade deftly demonstrates her mastery of love and laughter.” — Booklist (starred review)
“This swoony contemporary romance is well-written and paced, but what really makes it shine are the intricate characters that Dade has brought to life. Readers will connect emotionally with Athena and Matthew, laughing at their witty banter and tearing up when they’re vulnerable. Buy multiple copies of this title, because it won’t stay on the shelf.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“The adorable opener to the Harlot’s Bay series from Dade delivers all the laughs of a well-crafted rom-com while gracefully portraying characters struggling with mental health issues. … Equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, this charming love story will have readers clamoring for another visit to Harlot’s Bay.” — Publishers Weekly
“Dade’s romances…routinely show that people contain multitudes and that life is about offsetting personal pain with things that bring joy, and this one is no exception.” — Kirkus Reviews
I loved Dade’s first series, Spoiler Alert, so I was very happy to hear about this new one. It may even be better!
Athena is engaged to Johnny, but at their engagement party, she meets a very interesting man. They only talk for fifteen minutes or so, but there is a real attraction there. Until she finds out that man is her fiance’s brother, Matthew. Then she overhears Matthew telling Johnny that he is making a mistake by marrying her. Humiliated and furious, Athena doesn’t let on that she overheard, but Matthew keeps harping on Johnny until he eventually dumps her.
Unfortunately, he waits until after she’s booked the month-long honeymoon in Hawaii, and purchased the Spite House next door to him. The Spite House is actually attached to Johnny’s house on one side, and across a very narrow alley from Mathew’s house on the other side. The house itself was built to spite someone and is only ten feet across, so very narrow, and four stories tall. Athena is a big girl, and she can barely fit up the ultra-narrow staircase. She emptied her bank account to buy the house as a wedding gift for Johnny, but decides to move in after the wedding doesn’t take place.
Athena’s parents are very well off and have supported everything Athena wants. She has two master’s degrees but changes jobs every couple of years. She can’t seem to find herself and is embarrassed that she is now broke and dumped, so she decides to strike out on her own. The Spite House is her first stop. Somehow a bakery job falls into her lap, and that helps until she gets fired when the previous worker returns. Then another miracle job at the library is hers, for a few weeks anyway, as it’s only a temp job.
Meanwhile, she tells off Johnny and lets him know in no uncertain terms to keep away from her. Then Matthew starts leaving her huge tips when she worked in the bakery, and seems to be keeping an eye on her. She’s so angry at him that she starts doing little things just to mess with him. But when she loses her next job, she spirals into a depression. She can’t get out of bed, the house is a wreck, and she’s not answering the door or the phone. Matthew can see into her home from his, and becomes concerned. He pretty much rescues her and they become friends. He is so caring and kind and helpful that her anger just dissipates.
Matthew has his own troubles. He was the oldest of three brothers and was only eight years old when his middle brother died from an overdose of cough medicine. Their parents can’t deal and eight-year-old Matthew becomes a pseudo-father to the baby, Johnny. He is very protective of him and takes care of him, past the point that he should.
Eventually, Athena and Matthew realize they are in love, and their physical relationship takes them to another plane. But things go awry when Johnny finds out, and it seems like no one is going to get their happy ending.
This is such a good story with so much heart. These characters really come to life on the page, and I just wanted the best for them. Grief and depression are very serious issues but are handled beautifully here. There is enough laughter to lighten the story, with murder dolls and monster sex! I was sorry to turn the last page, but I’m happy this is the first book of a new series. I imagine Johnny’s happy ever after will be in a future book.
3/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
AT FIRST SPITE by Olivia Dade.Avon (January 17, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063215917. 400p.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns with the next book in her Chicago Stars series where a successful sports agent and the sister of his biggest client engage in a take-no-prisoners battle of the sexes.
Take one hard-driving sports agent…
Throw in a failed chocolatier…
And her superstar football player brother…
Add a quirky pink and purple food truck…
Then, to really screw things up, mix in a very unfortunate murder.
Brett Rivers is the hottest sports agent in the business—fast and furious, swift and deadly. Failure? Not an option.
Rory Garrett is—let’s be honest—a disaster. She has a big heart, an empty bank account, a passion for making exquisite chocolate, and a huge inferiority complex from living in the shadow of Brett’s most important client, her football legend brother.
Brett and Rory should never have met, and they absolutely, positively should never have had to deal with the consequences of one stupid, drunken night…one disastrous lie…one career in jeopardy…one missing football player…and a very dead body.
It’s going to get messy…and dangerous…and heartbreaking…and sexy. To Rory, Brett represents skewed values and a devious mind. To Brett, Rory is forbidden fruit, off limits, do not disturb, and no entry—definitely no entry.
A woman who has succeeded at nothing and a man who’s succeeded at everything confront the challenge of their lives as they struggle with themselves and each other. When it comes to love—what price are any of us willing to pay to be simply the best?
“The queen of the football romance is not Taylor Swift. It’s Susan Elizabeth Phillips.”—Wall Street Journal
Susan Elizabeth Phillips started this series in 1994! She is credited with creating the first sports romance, or the first football romance, depending on who you ask. Either way, she’s been doing this for a long time, and doing it well.
If you are not familiar, the Chicago Stars are a fictitious football team, and this book centers around their star quarterback’s sister, Rory, and his agent, Brett – and it has a touch of suspense when that quarterback is arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. But that’s a secondary plot line; this is a romcom at heart.
Rory is a wannabe chocolatier with some money troubles. She lost her mother when she was a young child and never really got along with her stepmother, especially after Clint was born. Then she lost her father, too. Clint was the golden child, and they are not close either. She won’t take money from either of them and is struggling to make a living. She bought a food truck with a partner, hoping to make enough selling store-bought candy to upgrade the truck with air conditioning, among other things. But the partner takes all the candy and disappears, leaving Rory with a $2000 fine from the city and nothing to sell.
Rory is somewhat friendly with her neighbor, who is a beautiful young woman determined to marry rich. When she starts dating Rory’s brother, her protective instincts kick in and she tries to warn him. But he’s in love, bought the ring, and Rory has visions of a brother marrying a gold digger without a prenup. Since he won’t listen, she tells the girlfriend that her brother is a gambler one step away from losing his job. When the girlfriend ends up dead on Clint’s patio, he is assumed to be the murderer.
Meanwhile, Rory is at a party where she has a one night stand with a super hot guy, except when he takes off early the next morning, he leaves $500 in cash on the dresser. Incensed, she finds him, but they quickly realize they have entered no man’s land. He thought she was a call girl, and she thought he was an athlete. But Brett is Clint’s agent, and Rory is his sister, and there is an unwritten but very strong rule about screwing around with the client’s family.
Rory is nothing like any woman Brett has ever been with. This is a guy who is on call basically 24/7 for his mega-successful clients, and is a workaholic, which is also why he’s so successful. But he can’t stop thinking about her, and when Clint is arrested, they start working together, trying to prove his innocence. The cops took the easy way out by arresting the homeowner/ex-boyfriend. Rory runs down one lead after another but gets nowhere fast. And Brett is always one step behind her, helping out when he can. Their chemistry is off the charts, but she knows he is a player and he can’t even understand his own fascination with Rory.
Everyone gets their happy ending, but it is so much fun getting there. SEP is in fine form with this story – there are lots of laughs, some steamy scenes, and the touch of suspense ratchets things up even more. This series does not need to be read in order, each book operates as a standalone. Highly recommend to readers who enjoy sports romances – SEP is the Queen for good reason.
2/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
SIMPLY THE BEST by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.Avon (February 13, 2024). ISBN: 978-0063248564. 384p.
Fate brings together a ballet teacher and a hockey player in this big-hearted novel about second chances and taking risks by the bestselling author Entertainment Weekly calls the “master of witty banter.”
Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can’t go to prom. I’m going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn’t like she was ever going to see him again…
Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”
The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.
Heartwarming, engaging… the witty banter and outrageous situations keep the tone upbeat even as characters face challenging situations.”―Library Journal
“Readers looking for emotionally intelligent romance will want to snap this up.”―Publishers Weekly
This book has such an interesting premise, but for me, it went sideways. Aurora was brought up to be a ballerina by a very pushy, ambitious single mom. When she was a young teen, she had no friends to speak of. Her peers thought she was aloof, and she often missed school for dance opportunities. She worked at a coffee shop at the Mall of America, and that was the only place she felt somewhat normal.
While at work, she meets two guys who were there for a high school hockey tournament. One of them, Mike, is very friendly and kind to her. Aurora turns that chance meeting into something more. She creates a fake boyfriend named Mike who is a hockey player from Canada. He’s a convenient excuse as to why she doesn’t socialize in high school and misses the prom. He also becomes her journal, in a manner of speaking. She writes him letters about her life and keeps them all in a binder.
Aurora gets into a prestigious dance school in New York City, but after two years, she decides to drop out. She is having panic attacks and anxiety, not to mention an eating disorder. Her mother is angry and disappointed, and Aurora can’t go home. She ends up in a small town teaching tap and jazz dance to kids. Her boss becomes her best friend, and she is content with her life. Until she meets Mike.
Mike is a professional hockey player who has been widowed, leaving him with a young daughter. The only normalcy left in her life is her dance classes, which she loves. As Mike is the one now taking her, he meets Aurora. Their relationship starts off slowly; neither is really looking for anything, and Mike needs help with his daughter more than a girlfriend. Turns out Aurora needs some help, too – her car is a broken-down mess, and the boyfriend who dumped her also left her on the hook for a two-bedroom apartment she cannot afford. Mike offers her a place to stay, her own floor in his very large home, and a car for her to use, and a job – helping out with his daughter. A nanny of sorts.
Mike goes back to his hockey career, which means a lot of travel, and Aurora is a big help, plus his daughter adores her. Things are going really well until Aurora and Mike fall into a real relationship that neither one is prepared for.
Here is where things go off the rails for me; at a fairly early point, she realizes that this Mike is the same Mike that she met all those years ago, but she never asks him or even mentions it. At one point, he starkly declares that he can’t abide liars, yet he lies to her several times. When Aurora finally tells Mike that she met him years earlier, he loses it. Then she gives him the binder of her letters, and that sort of resolves the situation.
I liked these characters and was definitely rooting for them, but their big obstacle just didn’t ring true to me; it seemed forced. I usually really like Jenny Holiday books and I did like this one, but that aspect of the plot just didn’t work for me.
2/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
CANADIAN BOYFRIEND by Jenny Holiday.Forever (January 30, 2024). ISBN: 978-1538724927. 384p.
Cosmetic tattoo artist Orla Stewart doesn’t do anything in half measures. She went from being the ultimate party animal to living a life that’s ridiculously straight and narrow. Turns out, cancer can change a girl. A lot. Adios to delicious cheeses, boozy dance parties and easy men. Hel-lo to celibacy and a sweet house-sitting gig with a massive pool. Until one very hot, very unwelcome intruder turns things upside down.
American rugby import Ronan Dempsey’s partying is trashing both his reputation and his game—and risking his chances for making the US Olympic team. He needs to clean up, and the pool house belonging to a family friend is the perfect place to hideaway. No. More. distractions. Which is exactly when a gorgeous, pink-haired hellion knocks Ronan on his ass…
The chemistry is instantaneous, charged, and absolutely, completely, totally off-limits. Proximity makes temptation nearly impossible to resist. Now it’s a deliciously torturous game of pushing boundaries and holding out. It’s just a matter of time before someone breaks…
Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is a STANDALONE: * Playing By Her Rules * Playing It Cool * Playing the Player * Playing With Forever * Playing House * Playing Dirty * Playing It Safe * Playing It Tough
I’ve read a few of Andrews’ books and enjoyed them all, but she is so prolific I can’t keep up! This is the eighth book in this series, but the first one I’ve read; I’ll be looking for the earlier books for sure.
Orla is housesitting when a strange man shows up and looks like he is trying to break into the pool house. Orla is one tough cookie and she doesn’t play. Before he knows what hit him, Ronan, a profession rugby player, is flat on his ass. Turns out his mom is friends with the property owner, and offered him the pool house for a while.
Ronan has been enjoying the spoils of professional athletes – one night stands, one after another. But his game is suffering for it, and he really wants to go home and make the American Olympic rugby team, which means he has to get his act together. He is being scouted and he can’t afford to mess up.
Orla is not thrilled with her new houseguest, even though they are in separate buildings as it were. But beggars can’t be choosers, and she loves where she is staying and he is awfully cute. Ronan has made a bet of celibacy with his teammates, and even though he is madly attracted to Orla, he is determined to keep his game strong and his libido in check. If you’ve read any forced proximity romances, you know how this is going to end, but who cares? It is so much fun to get there.
5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
PLAYING IT TOUGH by Amy Andrews. Entangled: Brazen (April 17, 2023). ASIN: B0BYX1YSMY. 260p.
I read most of this series last year, and I finally got the last three books in the series that I hadn’t read – thank you, public library! I really loved this series. There is a lot of humor and some steamy sex. The characters all overlap in these books as they are all members of the fictional Florida Fury hockey team, but they can also be read as standalones. I didn’t read them in order, and I still enjoyed every book. If you like hot sports romances, this is a terrific series. I was able to find almost all the books at my library – frankly, if I had a little more patience, I would have found them all!
Three professional hockey players from the Florida Fury attend a New Year’s Eve party at the team owner’s mansion and spend time with three very different women. As the countdown to midnight begins, each of them is hoping to start the new year off right with a kiss. But if that happens, does it mean they’re destined to see these women again? A sneak peek into Piper Rayne’s upcoming series, Hockey Hotties!
The one adjective used to describe my entire hockey career. I prefer to call it hard work, at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games and the team owner is talking about trading me.
I’ve never believed in superstitions. Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate. I’d wear the same socks for an entire year just to be the high-scoring center I used to be.
Imagine my surprise when after spending New Year’s Eve with a woman, I score a hat trick in the next game—that’s three goals in one game for you non-hockey lovers. Now, I have to track her down and bribe her to do it again before every game. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not talking about it.
I find her and when I get to know her better, I end up spending more time thinking about her than my game, but she’s made it clear she wants no part of me. She’s going to learn that I didn’t become a professional hockey player without having to fight for what I want.
One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy.
Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further. I want couch time with her but not the kind she’s used to.
I decide to lie to her just to finish off my therapy so I can do what I really want—date her—even if she says she doesn’t date hockey players. Just when my therapy sessions are up and I’ve made some headway with Paisley, it’s my parents who throw another wrench in my plans.
If I abide by my parent’s wishes to marry the one they’ve chosen, I’ll lose Paisley forever. But if I go against my parents, I’m failing my deceased best friend all over again.
It’s Ford and Lena’s destination wedding and every professional hockey player joining them for the big day are ready to let loose. But between vacation hook-ups, one player falling into bed with the boss and a surprise guest at the resort, there’s more action—and complications—than any of them could have predicted.
Note to Readers: This is a companion piece to the Hockey Hotties series but does not have to be read to enjoy any of the books in that series.
I have a reputation for being tight-lipped. You learn quick when you become a professional hockey player to be guarded with the media, so I’ve worked hard to cover up the mistakes of my youth.
But when I’m traded to the Florida Fury, where my ex–best friend is the starting right wing, I’m forced to confront my past. Ford and I have a lot of history, especially when it comes to his little sister, Imogen.
My heart still lurches in my chest when I see her. My hands want to reach out and touch her. My mouth wants to keep apologizing.
She’s the only woman who ever made me want more. But she’s also the one who fell victim to my most regrettable decision.
I’m not a believer in fate, but I must be back in her world for a reason. I’ve fought for everything I’ve gotten and I’m not backing down from what I know will be the best thing in my life.
My mom always said you don’t get a second shot at making a first impression. I’ve remembered that my entire career. Especially since I’m one of the few black men who play professional hockey.
I’m calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I’ve never taken a risk… until her.
I could blame it on the fact that for once I pushed away the pressure of my career for the ocean waves, the sand, and good times with my new teammates. But those are excuses because the minute I saw her at the airport, something lit up inside me and the best week of my life was spent with her in my bed.
After our week in paradise, we said goodbye, exchanged phone numbers and both assumed that unless one of us was flying through the other’s city on the opposite side of the country, our vacation fling was over.
Then one night after practice I see her. She’s here. In my city. Telling me she moved here for a job. If that’s not fate tell me what is.
I’ve never wanted a second shot more than I do this time, but she’s determined to leave what we were on the island we left behind.
The last thing any professional hockey player wants is to be the old man in the game. The guy who doesn’t know when it’s time to retire. Still, I can’t bear the thought of leaving the game.
This past year I’ve reflected on all my regrets, and I told myself that once I retire it’ll be the time to settle down and start a family. But this is where it gets tricky.
I think I’ve found her—my Mrs. Although she’ll deny our connection to anyone who asks. We’ve been sleeping together casually and since I’m still playing hockey, I’ve let her get what she wants—me—whenever she wants.
After being told my career as a player is over, the owner of Florida Fury grants me a shot to stay in the game. A coaching position I didn’t know I wanted until it was offered. The catch? He’s also passing the family business down to his daughter.
Who’s his daughter?
The woman who’s been in and out of my bed for the past year. Which means the woman I intend to make my wife is now my new boss.
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