From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes a romance about childhood friends who marry in Vegas and embark on a wild ride to find their happily ever after.
With two protective older brothers and a traditional Catholic Italian mother, it’s surprising that Chloe D’Angelo can manage a date without someone in the family naysaying her romantic choice. And Dante Mancuso…oh, no. Her brother’s best friend is not a dating-app right swipe.
But when they are left unsupervised on a late night in Vegas, all of that changes. Add in a Vegas wedding chapel and a couple of “I dos” and Chloe wakes up with a ring on her finger and a hangover. Dating Dante was always a secret desire, but marriage? The rift that this news would cause in her family has both of them keeping their nuptials to themselves as they scramble to undo their Vegas mistake.
Dante knew the rules: Chloe was off-limits. Only, he can’t stop once his mind starts to believe she might be his forever. Just as their attraction deepens, Chloe flees to Bali, desperate to clear her head.
All Dante has to do is keep her brothers from killing him and convince Chloe that they are meant for each other. But first, Dante has to find her.
I’m a huge fan of the best friend of a sibling plotline and Bybee’s newest is a treat. Chloe has had a crush on her brothers’ best friend, Dante, for ages. And unbeknownst to her, he’s felt the same. A wild weekend in Vegas finds them married to each other … and then the fun begins – ignore their attraction, find a way to get out of their vows, and keep it all from their friends & family.
While they handled a lot of this in a less than, well, mature way, I definitely enjoyed the two of them together. There’s plenty of heat and sass, leading to entertaining interactions and quite a few sizzling moments. Dante is a little bit alpha and, once he decides that he doesn’t want out of his relationship with Chloe, he shows himself to be quite the charmer and a good partner. She, on the other hand, doesn’t handle things quite as well but she’s written in a way that I found myself caught up in everything and engaged in them finding a HEA.
When an army vet becomes a firefighter in small-town Colorado, the flames of an old love reignite in this sweet romance by bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray
In Woodland Park, a small town nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, Anderson Kelly and Chelsea Davis were once the high school “it” couple—the star quarterback and the valedictorian. They broke up when Anderson joined the army and one poor decision at a fraternity party changed Chelsea’s life. Now, she works long shifts in a senior center to support her nine-year-old son, Jack.
After multiple tours in Afghanistan, Anderson has changed, too—physically scarred but mentally strong—and he decides to move back to Woodland Park. Anderson and Chelsea steer clear of each other to avoid reopening old wounds, until they are forced to reconnect through the senior center. They soon discover that the love they once shared never completely vanished. But it will take a fire, a dangerous collision, and the love of one little boy to help Anderson and Chelsea see that the future they’ve always yearned for is in sight…
The first in a new series, Coming Home is a sweet story about letting go of the past and moving into the future.
Chelsea and Anderson were high school sweethearts but their relationship ended messily. Years later they find themselves living in the same small town, which means they can only go so long without running into each other. And once they do, it’s obvious that things between them aren’t over.
Shelley Shepard Gray delivers a slow build love story, giving readers a chance to get to know the characters as they get to know each other all over again and maybe find something amazing together. It’s a heartfelt, quick-read, and a great beginning to a new series.
Hallmark and bestselling authorShelley Shepard Graypresent a Christmas Amish romancewith lots of surprises in store…
Wesley is so busy running his family’s Amish market at the holidays, he barely has time for Liesl, the young woman he’s been courting for years. When she suggests her aunt Jenny could help Wesley out, he agrees to the plan. But Liesl neglected to mention her aunt is only twenty-six years old—and as charming as she is hard-working.
Jenny, still healing after a painful breakup, welcomes the distraction of working at the market. She soon realizes Wesley is everything she ever dreamed a man could be. But how can Jenny even think about romance with the man Liesl expects to marry?
But Liesl’s own feelings are more complicated than she’s willing to admit. With humor, faith, and a little help from their friends in the community, everyone might just find what their hearts are looking for this Christmas at the Amish market.
There’s a big dollop of Christmas magic in Shelley Shepard Gray’s newest Amish romance.
I really enjoyed getting to know Liesl, Wesley, Jenny, and Roland, seeing their feelings deepen and their connections develop. There’s an earnestness to their interactions that is so compelling, drawing the reader in as they struggle to come to terms with some difficult decisions.
Christmas at the Amish Market has that Hallmark feel, and while it may be predictable from start to finish that doesn’t mean the journey isn’t enjoyable. It’s got a feeling of innocence, emotion, and holiday cheer that makes it a perfect choice for a December read.
I’m so happy to have Jessie Wells here today to talk about The Good News Gazette!
*****
I love nothing more than a good romance. Heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff that you think about long after you’ve turned the last page of the book.
On the surface, my debut novel The Good News Gazette, which is the first of a series, may not seem like a romance novel. After all, the main premise of the story is that it’s about a single mum who starts up a good news newspaper in order to combat the flow of negative news stories from her community.
However, the reality is that it’s actually all about romance. And it turns out there are a lot of romances to be had in the soulless suburb of Westholme.
First of all, there’s the romance between protagonist Zoe and her home town. Having grown up in Westholme, moved away and then been forced to return, she’s long had a love/hate relationship with the town that no-one’s proud to call home.
When she launches her news venture, the people she meets along the way cause her to re-evaluate her thoughts towards this rough-around-the-edges town, and she starts to see it in a different light. But can she see it differently enough to make her fall in love with it again?
There’s another romance brewing too, with hot children’s football coach Sam Milner. This former footballer, once an object of Zoe’s unrequited affections, has a heart of gold and seems to have Zoe in his sights. But she’s no longer an impressionable schoolgirl; she’s bringing up her son on her own, trying to make ends meet and start up a new business along the way. Is there really any space left in her life for a man as well?
Complicating matters is the presence of a less romantic figure; a ruthless property developer who is intent on ripping the heart out of Westholme by knocking down the past-its-best shopping parade and building a supermarket there instead. There’s not one single romantic thing about him, in fact, he’s the biggest threat to any kind of romance getting underway in Westholme at all.
His presence is making it even harder for Zoe to embark on the one romance she really must have if she is to have any hope of a happy ending – and it’s the one she needs to have with herself.
Once a successful journalist, Zoe fled back to Westholme from London nine years previously, pregnant and alone. Returning home meant giving up on the journalistic dreams she’d had since she was a little girl, and having to choose between her career and her unborn baby had left her feeling like an utter failure.
She’s spent years believing that to be the case; that she’s the girl who can’t get anything right, the one who cocks it all up, and it’s a belief that’s only been
reinforced by her well-meaning but completely insensitive Dad.
In order for Zoe to find any semblance of happiness, she has to learn to love herself all over again. The question is whether both her and her home town have enough fight left in them to rediscover their own spark – and create a new romance in the process.
*****
The Good News Gazette
by Jessie Wells
Blurb:
Because we all need something to smile about!
She may be down but don’t count this determined single mum out just yet…
Nine years ago, Zoe Taylor returned from London to the quiet hamlet of Westholme with her tail between her legs and a bun in the oven. Where once her job as a journalist saw her tearing off to Paris at a moment’s notice after a lead, now the single mum covers the local news desk. At least, she did…until she’s unceremoniously let go.
When Zoe invites her friends over to commiserate, wine and whining soon turns into something more… and before the night is out she’s plotted her next step: The Good News Gazette.
Now, as a developer threatens to force Westholme into the twenty-first century, Zoe’s good news movement finds her leading a covert campaign as a community crusader. She may have started The Good News Gazette as a way to save herself, but she might just be able to save Westholme in the process…
Jessie Wells lives with her husband and two children in Merseyside. She has always written in some form, and previously worked as a journalist on the Liverpool Echo and Sunday Mirror and as a freelancer for various national women’s magazines and newspapers before moving into finance. She loves nothing more than getting lost in her imaginary worlds, which are largely filled with romance, communities bursting with character and a large dose of positivity.
When there is Love at Sea, can a no-strings rebound turn into more than a distraction? For Grayson Hamilton, this all-expenses-paid cruise is his chance to focus and work on saving his reputation. But when his best friend’s little sister, Abby Winters, enters the picture all grown up with a freshly broken heart, he losses focus and finds himself making an offer neither one of them can refuse. Fans of best friend’s sibling romances will devour ABANDON SHIP by Karigan Hale, a spicy jilted bride romance.
Abandon Ship
Love at Sea series
by Karigan Hale
Blurb:
Abby
Instead of walking down the aisle, my fiancé walked out the door. So I’m taking our honeymoon cruise without him. I’ll enjoy seven perfect days of endless margaritas, pristine beaches, and island excursions even more with my best friend instead. What I need is a complete break from ANYTHING akin to romance. Complete break. That includes the tempting Grayson Hamilton, I remind myself. No matter how much of a crush I had on him back in high school. No matter how lickable his abs turned out to be. I AM ON A BREAK!
Grayson
Scoring my dream job with the industry’s leading travel magazine was a lucky break. Unfortunately, I’m just about out of luck. This all-expenses-paid cruise my employer sent me on is my last chance to save my reputation. I have to stay focused despite all the beautiful, single women on this Love at Sea cruise. Yep. Focused. Focused on my job. NOT on my best friend’s little sister, all grown up and smoking hot, looking like she needs someone to help her get over her freshly broken heart. On second thought, maybe a little distraction couldn’t hurt. Maybe an offer of a no-strings-attached rebound will help get her out of my system. Then I can concentrate on saving my career before we both Abandon Ship.
Abandon Ship is a jilted bride romance, part of the Love at Sea multi-author series. Get ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight of your favorite authors – happily ever after guaranteed!
Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades, guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.
I am reinventing myself. I’m a ME not a WE. Since I’m no longer Asshole’s fiancée, I can be anything I want to be. I could be a recovering circus performer who left the big top for big adventure. I could be a rich German heiress just waiting on wire transfers—oh wait, that’s already been done.
I could definitely be carefree and happy and not have people look at me like I’m going to crack. I can find myself again. I can be single and happy and unattached.
As we pass a group of oglers, I smile brightly and toss my hair. Instead of looking cool and collected, I am momentarily blinded by the sun and miss the small step to the ramp, pitching me forward into the crowd.
“Shit, Abby. You okay?” Jazz asks, trying, and failing, to grab my elbow.
Luckily, my fall is broken by the person in front of us.
Unluckily, my nose ends up embedded in his ass crack. I grab his thighs to keep myself from sliding down his backside. He clenches his muscles in surprise, but that only makes my face smoosh harder into his ass. I’m sucking in his khaki shorts instead of air, but if I let go, I will faceplant onto the gangway. I hold on until I can get my feet under me and pray I don’t pass out from lack of oxygen. Imagine the headline: “Jilted Woman Suffocates in Man’s Ass on Love Cruise.”
Jazz grabs my arms and helps me stand. I suck in khaki-free air.
“At least buy the man dinner first,” she quips.
The man glances over his shoulder with a frown. I give him a sheepish smile and a finger wave. “Crowds, am I right?”
He nods, lips twitching, and turns back around, putting his earbud back in his ear. The gesture and the way his dark hair falls over his forehead slams me with deja vu, but I can’t think of why. I shake off the feeling. I’m just too mired in memories today.
I can’t help but glance at his backside now that I’m at a distance to examine it. It looks damn good in the shorts he’s wearing. If I had to face plant into a butt today, I’m glad it was a nice one.
“Well, that’s one way to make an impression,” Jazz says, suppressing a laugh as we follow the slowly moving crowd up the ramp to board the ship. “I didn’t peg you for being into ass play. I guess what they say about school teachers is true.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Go on. Get it all out of your system so we never have to mention this again. Like ever.” I groan. “I’m so not good at this flirting thing. I’ll be your wingman and live vicariously through your overly friendly vagina. Just put a sock on the door if you don’t want me walking in.”
“Next please?” the woman at the check-in booth says with a forced smile. Her cheeks must hurt by the end of the day.
“Sorry,” I say, handing over my passport to her. Jazz does the same.
“Welcome aboard, Abigail Winters and Jasmine Bucolo. You will be in Sea Terrace 13090A.”
I’m looking at my room key when a deep male voice startles me. “Excuse me.”
I jump a little and turn to see the man I bumped into earlier. My face heats to match the red carpet of the entrance way.
“I’m so sorry for earlier. I don’t normally grope strangers. I tripped and—”
“It was an accident. That isn’t why I stopped you. I—uh—this is weird, but did I hear your name is Abby Winters?”
I tilt my head at him, the fog of embarrassment lifting. And holy shit. “Grayson Hamilton?”
A broad smile lights up his face, smoothing out the strong angles, and my memories start clicking into place. Grayson and my brother, Alex, dominating the soccer field in high school. Grayson and the rest of Alex’s annoying friends teasing me to no end. Grayson’s adorable, crooked smile. Grayson dominating my fevered teenaged dreams.
He holds out his hand. “Little Breezy Winters. Of all the cruise ships in all the world, you had to board this one.”
I laugh a little too loudly and take his hand. “God, no one’s called me Breezy in years. How are you, Gray?”
Besides really freaking hot. His handsome features—that I used to discretely study more than my homework…but in a not-at-all creepy way—have filled out into strong manly angles. Small lines form around his mouth and deep brown eyes when he smiles. In short, he has aged very, very yummily.
No, I scold myself. I am most definitively on a break from men.
Copyright 2022 @Karigan Hale
*****
Author Info:
Karigan Hale is a writer, reader, wife, mother, teacher, and photographer. She married her high school sweetheart and has been a hopeful romantic ever since.
She’s highly susceptible to sudden summer thunderstorms and happily ever afters. Highly allergic to poison ivy and early mornings. And highly addicted to fountain sodas and true crime.
When she’s not reading or writing swoon-worthy romances, she’s usually stalki…er, chasing her two daughters around with her camera, grading papers, or cleaning up after the animals on her mini-farm (at least emus, goats, chickens, dogs, and cats are cute, right?).
Get ready to set sail through the Caribbean on Festival Cruises’ most alluring voyage with eight of your favorite authors – happily ever after guaranteed!
Experience everything the Love at Sea series has to offer. From speed dating to masquerades, guests are sure to enjoy the hot days and steamy nights. Explore hidden waterfalls, swim with dolphins, and watch as eight couples find their forever on the open ocean.
Each story features a brand new couple and a fun trope from our amazing line up of authors including: Kate Stacy, HM Thomas, Mari Sol, S.A. Clayton, T.L. Anderson, Karigan Hale, Susan Renee, and A.M. Williams.
This promotional event is brought to you by TheIndie Pen PR
Sometimes, the real story isn’t the beautiful city girl returning to her small town to save Christmas—it’s the townie chick who never left.
Jane Zielinski has her hands full this December, working three jobs and directing a homemade reality dating web series, Single Bells, as a stunt to keep her small town competitive with the ritzy resort towns luring tourists. Then the gorgeous Bella Bradley, Jane’s childhood BFF who had no qualms about skipping town when times got tough, returns with handfuls of cash and her smoking-hot business partner Nate Wright on her arm.
Jane can’t believe she’s being upstaged again, especially when Bella uses the Single Bells activities to rekindle a romance with her high school boyfriend—the man Jane had envisioned her future with. So if a little competition could convince Bella to leave town—again—Jane is ready to take the mittens off. And she’s not above sabotage, cheating, or flirting with Nate to win. Let the reindeer games begin…
Nate’s eyes lowered from the heavens to my face. His expression shifted away from embarrassment as his eyelids lowered a centimeter and his jaw shifted.
Why was my breathing so shallow? Why was I focusing so much on the bottom half of his face?
“Are you familiar with the term ‘competence porn’, Jane?” he asked.
I was so distracted by his use of my actual name and how his night-quiet voice had gotten all roughed up and gravelly that it took me a moment to grasp his actual question. Before I realized I didn’t grasp it at all. “Huh?”
“Competence porn—” he paused to cock his jaw in the opposite direction and take a half step closer to me “—is when a viewer takes great enjoyment in watching someone do something well. Marveling at someone who is insanely good at something.”
I blinked a few times, confused and mesmerized. My lips formed into the shape they needed to make a W sound, but I couldn’t think of the right question to ask him. What does this have to do with me? When did you get so close?
“You fix things and make things and solve situations,” Nate all but whispered. “You order people around, and they do what you say.” He shook his head, as if in bewilderment. “There hasn’t been a problem you couldn’t solve.”
He might have looked frustrated if he didn’t look so…intent. “I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for competence porn, but I’ve never seen it embodied so much in one individual.” Those intense dark eyes became fixated on my parted lips. “So I didn’t know how apt the term actually was.”
“Let me get this straight.” I took a shuddering breath, so warm in my thin coat that I wondered how I could have felt cold earlier. “You’re turned on because I’m so competent?”
This might have been the oddest conversation I’d ever had with a man. A very odd, very hot conversation.
His lips quirked up at the corners. “It surprises me too.”
We were now only separated by inches, and his face was exactly as it had been in the video. Hungry. His gaze made my mouth water, and we were both breathing so hard that our breath made little white clouds around our faces.
I should have been backing away. I should have been rolling my eyes. But his eyes had their own gravity again, and their magnetic force was pulling my mouth to his.
“This is so stupid,” I whispered.
“I know,” he agreed.
Copyright 2022 Michelle Dayton
*****
Author Info:
There are only three things Michelle Dayton loves more than sexy and suspenseful novels: her family, the city of Chicago, and Mr. Darcy. Michelle dreams of a year of world travel – as long as the trip would include weeks and weeks of beach time. As a bourbon lover and unabashed wine snob, Michelle thinks heaven is discussing a good book over an adult beverage.
I’m Camille— the only pauper in Mount Evor. But that’s not why I’m on the no-fly list. Six years ago, the principality’s royal palace went up in flames. Several people died. My sister Jeannette, who worked there, disappeared. The inquiry blamed her for the arson. Since then, I’ve been an outcast—compromised and harassed—but determined to clear my sister’s name.
Four weeks before Christmas, the hunky Louis de Valois, Duke of Arrago, raps on my window. What if he has news about Jeannette’s case? I invite him in. He glances at his watch and declines my invitation. And then he asks me to marry him.
Perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis, Lauren Landish, Nicole Snow and Louise Bay, this full-length novel stands on its own within an ongoing saga.
I set up the stepladder by the side of my trailer, climb on it, and begin to remove the snow from the roof. Half an hour later, I’ve scooped and brushed off all I that could reach. After returning the equipment to the shed, I reenter the trailer and dart to the kettle to make some tea and thaw my frigid hands.
Someone raps on my window. I’ve done my research, so I know the visitor at once. It’s him, His Smashing Handsomeness Marquess Louis-Philibert de Valois, heir to the dukedom of Arrago, and second cousin to Crown Prince Theodor.
With stiff cold hands, I open the door a crack without removing the chain lock.
The marquess strides toward me. “Hello. Are you Camille Mussey?”
“Who’s asking?”
“My name is Louis de Valois. I believe my grandfather’s men told you I’d be paying a visit.”
Instead of confirming, I ask tartly, “How do I know you are who you say you are?”
“Er… You’re right. Of course.” He pulls an ID from the inner pocket of his coat.
I take the laminated card from his hand, read the name, look at the picture, then at his ridiculously well-proportioned face. Having seen dozens of photos of him online, I knew what to expect. I thought I was prepared. But I find myself gasping for air despite the chill.
No man should be allowed to look this hot, especially not a moneyed aristocrat. It’s like cheating. And I despise cheaters.
My breath is stuck in my throat just from looking at the man in front of me.
He’s tall and well-built and has intelligent hazel eyes, high cheekbones, a straight nose, chiseled lips, and a firm jawline. And all of that is framed by thick wavy hair the color of honey. He’s simply too much. If it weren’t for the crazy amount of sex appeal he gives off, I would’ve concluded that he isn’t human, but an android built to represent the perfect human male.
Mad at myself for the way I’m reacting to this toff, I return his ID. “What do you want?”
“Would you like the long version or the short version?”
“The short one, please.”
He glances at his expensive watch and mutters, “Just as well.” Then he meets my gaze. “I want to marry you.”
“Huh?”
The next second, I burst into laughter, double up, and go on and on, releasing the nervous energy that’s been building for days.
Once my heart rate is back to normal, I wipe my eyes, and inject all the snark I’m capable of into my words, “When I feel like being pranked, my lord, all I need to do is snap my fingers.”
He begins to protest, but I hold up my palm to shut him up.
“You see, half of the principality has been lining up for years for the honor. You don’t get special treatment. Take a number and go to the end of the line.”
*****
Author Info:
Alix Nichols is a caffeine addict, a fan of Mr. Darcy and an award-winning author on Book Riot’s list of 100 must-read international romances.
She pens sexy romantic comedies and romantic fantasy. Her books have been described as “pure pleasure” (Kirkus Reviews) that “keep fans of romance hanging off the edge of your seat” (RT Book Reviews).
At the age of six, she released her first book. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper. Decades later, she still writes. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), and her books have topped bestseller charts around the world.
She lives in France with her family and their almost-human dog.
He wants to destroy her show. She wants to get on Santa’s naughty list with him.
Rowan
No man wants to be nicknamed Cupid. My family’s run a matchmaking business for years, though, and my sister’s a romance novelist. You get the picture. To make matters worse, my narcissistic grandmother just sold a reality dating show to network television. Thanks to her, our small town is about to become a hotbed of tourists and opportunists.
Her show needs to be stopped, and I’m exactly the man to do it. Cupid, reporting for duty
The star of the show, Kennedy Littlefield, isn’t my type at all. She’s a wealthy heiress with an unhealthy obsession with Christmas.
There’s just one problem: I can’t stop thinking about her.
Kennedy
I’m lucky to be doing this show. Maybe I’ll start believing it if I repeat it enough…because I’m supposed to be dating eight men, and they all suck. I’m not here to fall in love—I’m trying to save a non-profit with the publicity from the show—but I’d hoped for a Christmas miracle.
I love Christmas, only it hasn’t come to the set because the show doesn’t air until spring, and no one—with the exception of me—wants to watch a Christmas show in March.
There’s only one thing I want more than Christmas cheer: the ornery grump who keeps hanging out around the set.
*****
Review:
Kennedy doesn’t particularly want to be on a dating show for rich people, especially after seeing the men that Nana has picked out, but she really needs the exposure for the non-profit she loves. She’ll just have to try her best, remember why she’s there, and rely on help from some new friends.
There’s quite a bit about the reality show that didn’t track for me (it definitely didn’t come across as big budget or well put together) but the personal & romance portions more than made up for it. I really enjoyed getting to know Kennedy and seeing more of Rowan’s softer side. He may be grumpy but he’s got such a big heart. His history makes it so that he feels the need to help kids in his community truly be able to enjoy Christmas. He also wants to help those he cares about be happy, which means keeping Nana Mayberry as far away from them as he can. If that gives him a chance to ruin her latest project, the one that can only mean bad things for the Mayberry name, then even better … then he meets Kennedy. Sweet and giving, big-hearted, everything her parents aren’t, and definitely not what Rowan expected. Before long he finds himself wanting to make sure she gets everything she needs, even if it goes again what he wants.
I gotta say, as much as I enjoyed Rowan & Kennedy together and seeing them figure out their way to a HEA, it was Harry that stole my heart. A little bit of awkward wrapped up in a whole lotta goodness, I cheered every time he was on the page. It’s those kinds of interactions, the characters with their merits and their foibles, that make these authors a go to for me time and time again.
(Part of a series but can easily stand on its own.)
He wants to destroy her show. She wants to get on Santa’s naughty list with him.
Rowan
No man wants to be nicknamed Cupid. My family’s run a matchmaking business for years, though, and my sister’s a romance novelist. You get the picture. To make matters worse, my narcissistic grandmother just sold a reality dating show to network television. Thanks to her, our small town is about to become a hotbed of tourists and opportunists.
Her show needs to be stopped, and I’m exactly the man to do it. Cupid, reporting for duty
The star of the show, Kennedy Littlefield, isn’t my type at all. She’s a wealthy heiress with an unhealthy obsession with Christmas.
There’s just one problem: I can’t stop thinking about her.
Kennedy
I’m lucky to be doing this show. Maybe I’ll start believing it if I repeat it enough…because I’m supposed to be dating eight men, and they all suck. I’m not here to fall in love—I’m trying to save a non-profit with the publicity from the show–but I’d hoped for a Christmas miracle.
I love Christmas, only it hasn’t come to the set because the show doesn’t air until spring, and no one—with the exception of me—wants to watch a Christmas show in March.
There’s only one thing I want more than Christmas cheer: the ornery grump who keeps hanging out around the set.
DENISE GROVER SWANK is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who writes romance mystery and romantic comedy.
She lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, MISSOURI. (So many people think it’s in Kansas.) She has six kids—three out on their own, one in college, and two in high school. She has three dogs. She spends her free time binging Netflix, drinking wine, and reading. Not necessarily in that order.
ANGELA CASELLA is a romcom fanatic. Writing them, reading them, watching them—she’s greedy, and she does it all. She writes the Fairy Godmother Agency series solo, and she’s lucky enough to collaborate with Denise Grover Swank on multiple series.
She lives in Asheville, NC. Her hobbies include herding her daughter toward less dangerous activities, the aforementioned romcom addiction, and dreaming of having someone else clean her house.
Three days ago, all Maisy Norgate had was a stack of bills, about a gazillion jobs, and her sunny-as-hell outlook. Now, thanks to an uncle she never knew about, she’s inherited an ornate skeleton key with absolutely no idea what it’s for–or why she has it. Which is exactly when a ridiculously handsome guy claiming to be an angel shows up at her door and all hell breaks loose…
Nephilim Rhys Boyce cannot believe that Maisy is the new Keeper of the Key. Why would anyone bequeath this warm, bubbly redhead the key to Hell? And to make matters worse, she’s given the key to the first person who asked for it. A demon. Yep, Maisy is determined to make his job–not to mention some seriously inconvenient temptation–as hard as possible.
First a half angel with a very human chip on his shoulder must find a way to convince Maisy that angels and demons do exist. Then Rhys will have to break the really bad news…that she might have accidentally ended the world.
*****
Review:
Maisy is cheerful, even when life throws her a whole lot of curve balls, and she’s going to need all of that positivity with what’s coming at her now. Rhys is the opposite of Maisy. His life as a warrior means that he needs to always be serious, ready for anything, and seeing some of the worst things on earth (and hell) has led him to be a bit … dour. Crossing paths guarantees that sparks are going to fly.
There’s a bit of insta-love but I felt like it worked in this situation. You get a lot of this kind of thing in paranormal romances – something about magic being involved usually means that there’s an unexplainable connection. Some might find it problematic but it’s pretty standard. And I think that the two work together well – they rub each other the wrong way. And all sorts of right ways 🙂
I found Barth’s newest to be fun, humorous, & entertaining and I really hope there are more books coming. She’s created an interesting new world, full of all sorts of known and unknown creatures, with a good amount of danger and excitement mixed with more lighthearted moments. Plus, Rhys’s friends definitely need to find women who will give them a run for their money
Romantic Reads and Such 