New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming tale of three people who are bought together when they’re bequeathed an old Wild West inn that has the potential to pull their lives apart, but instead turns into the gift of a lifetime.
When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home–and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.
It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history–and secrets– causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.
Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace–rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for–acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.
~
Review:
Shalvis’s newest may be more women’s fiction than romance, but it definitely doesn’t scrimp on the feels. Alice is back in her hometown to reluctantly face her past, including her former best friend and her high school crush. For a woman who is quite good at running away from difficult situations, the next few weeks stuck together in the same house is guaranteed to be difficult. Luckily, Knox is amazingly centered and calm, able to handle Lauren’s self-doubt & scattered moments as well as Alice’s prickliness so that they manage to renovate Eleanor’s house … and something more.
Drama, love, healing, and friendship all mix together with a liberal dash of humor to delightfully entertain readers, as these three find their HEA in a meandering and satisfying way. There’s guilt, hurt feelings, and misunderstandings, but also a chance to finally make peace with themselves and each other.
(Part of a series but only in that it is set in the same community.)
M.A. Lee’s Wicked Inkis out now! Check out the gorgeous new adult tattooed romance, and be sure to grab your copy today!
Wicked Ink
Royal Ink Tattoo series
by M.A. Lee
Blurb:
From Amazon Bestselling Author, M.A. Lee comes another exciting new college romance novel.
Melissa is my biggest challenge yet. With her beauty, brains, and brazen sass, she is the first girl not to fall for my charm.
I want her.
I need her.
I’m getting high just from her presence. I know she will cave one day, I can see it in the way she looks at me and the way her body reacts when I touch her.
With each day that passes, I can feel her giving in. Her resistance is fleeting as she slowly falls for what we could be. What I want us to become.
They say bad boys are easy to love. And, Colton is your ultimate bad boy. It’s hard to blame him; with his dark hair, tattoos, striking eyes, and swagger, girls just can’t resist him.
I already had my fair share of bad boys and the last thing I wanted to do was to fall for Colton. Knowing that he owns a tattoo parlor and drives a motorcycle should have me running away at lightning speed–but it doesn’t.
I fell for him hard and we both know it, but I’m the last person to admit it. Call it stubbornness, but I am not the type of girl that Colton really needs.
Now, Colton refuses to give up his chase and I don’t know how much longer I can fight my feelings for him. I can tell he is different, but can I really trust him with my heart?
Lily always closes a deal. Rick never intends to sell.
Lily Hinsdale spends her California days designing extravagant hotels for Utopia Resorts. Her nights are filled with the glitz and glamour of upscale parties. Until her grandmother dies and leaves Lily property in wretched Vermont. The woods mean only one thing to Lily—nightmares. When Utopia wants the land for development, Lily is forced to travel to a place she’d rather forget.
Rick Stannard makes maple syrup and builds barns in the peace and quiet of picturesque Vermont. Noisy New York City nearly killed him a few years back, and now he lives a calm, simple life with his coyote, Poe, and his beloved book collection. It’s the only way he’s guaranteed to wake up each morning.
When Lily marches her expensive boots onto Rick’s land and proposes turning it into a mega resort, the serenity of the woods is shattered. Lily always closes a deal. Rick never intends to sell. Opposites attract, but they’ll need to compromise, or someone else will do it for them. Someone who is not afraid of the woods or the city. Or spilling a little blood.
The Maple Leaf Series, contemporary romance
“Fears, pride, love, passion ~ beautifully woven together with substance and depth.”
Christine DePetrillo can often be found hugging trees, conversing with dragonflies, and walking barefoot through sun-warmed soil. She finds joy in listening to the wind, bathing in moonlight, and breathing in the fragrances of things that bloom. If she had her way, the sky would be the only roof over her head.
Her love of nature seeps into every story she tells. As does her obsession with bearded mountain men who build, often smell like sawdust, and know how to cherish the women they love. Today she writes tales meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the power of love.
She lives in Vermont with her husband and many woodland creatures who defend her fiercely from all evils.
Someone wants Police Chief Emilio Mendoza dead. And if his unknown assailant doesn’t kill him, pining for Sheriff Abraham Beecham just might.
Abe and Lio’s thirty-year journey has taken them from heated rivals to best friends with countless labels and pit stops along the way. Romance is the only avenue left unexplored but not from lack of love or desire.
Abe pushes people away before they can get too close, and Lio doesn’t engage in situations he can’t control. They’ve reached an impasse, and neither are willing to risk their friendship until fate intervenes, forcing them to reassess their priorities.
But when an unhinged enemy targets Lio, will their gamble be too little too late, or will their love truly conquer all?
Just Say When is a standalone romantic suspense novel within the author’s Savannah universe. This book contains mature content and is attended for adults.
“Alex clearly doesn’t get his sportsmanship from his father,” Abe quipped.
“Kiss my ass, Beecham,” I said softly in deference to the kids around us.
Abe leaned in until his hot breath ghosted over my ear. “Gladly.”
I turned my head and looked at my best friend. His expression held a carnal promise that made me swallow hard. If I gave him the word, Abe would take me home, yank down my pants, and bury his face between my ass cheeks. I could practically feel his hot breath against my quivering pucker. His tongue would swirl and tease the rim before pushing in. Lust gripped my balls and squeezed. God, I wanted him so bad.
“Now I really need to hear this story,” Russ quipped, jerking me back to reality and saving me from breaking my own heart. I blinked away the fantasy, and Abe’s lips curled into a proud, wolfish smile. Unaware of the tension arcing between Abe and me, Russ continued chatting. “I knew you and Beecham went way back, Lio, but it sounds like there’s more to it than I realized.”Few people knew the full story because I was stingy when it came to Abe. Our relationship had been fueled by variations of hate and love for three decades, but there had never been a right time to explore whether those feelings could develop into something more profound. My heart wanted to say until now, but my brain knew better than to get my hopes up. Abe and I had both drawn lines in the sand, and neither showed signs of relenting.
*****
Review:
There’s a few complaints that this one really doesn’t stand on its own but I didn’t have any issues. Yes, we start the book with the main characters on the bring of moving from friends to a romantic relationship but the main block to their HEA still needs to be resolved – Abe’s issues with abandonment. His mom left him as a kid at the mercy of his abusive father, his grandmother died, and now he’s afraid that anyone he loves will also leave him. Lio knows all about Abe’s issues and is willing to wait for him, but he needs him to be open to addressing it before he will take their relationship any further. It’ll take some time and patience but Lio knows their future is worth it. I enjoyed how Abe & Lio worked their way to the new aspect of their relationship. It felt like they were willing to make sure that it was on a solid footing. But then someone puts that future in peril.
**potential minor spoilers ahead**
My understanding is that Walker is great at crafting a good mystery and I can see it. I didn’t guess where things were going until she revealed the threat. I do have to agree with some reviewers that the motive is potentially problematic and while I feel for what the main characters went through, given the who and why, I would have liked more compassion given to the person and their reasons. But if this is any indication of the kind of suspense element brought by the author I’m open to more.
I’ll admit I’m a pretty vanilla kinda girl and while I enjoy a spicier read, it’s not something I would be comfortable with in my own life so I tend to be a bit … unsure of how these scenes come across for others. To me, Wilson delivered the heat & then some, and I’m not really seeing anyone else complain, so if steamy and explicit m/m scenes are your jam, then read away!
A satisfying blend of tension, eroticism, and affection, Lio and Abe’s story was a good introduction to a new to me author and has me interested in what else she has to offer 🙂
*****
Author Info:
Ever since she was a little girl, Aimee Nicole Walker entertained herself with stories that popped into her head. Now she gets paid to tell those stories to other people. She wears many titles—wife, mom, and animal lover are just a few of them. Her absolute favorite title is champion of the happily ever after. Love inspires everything she does, music keeps her sane, and coffee is the magic elixir that fuels her day.
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Drake McGinn turned his back on hockey after the league betrayed him. Will the Titans be his chance to clear his name and take back the career he once loved?
After I made the decision to divorce, my ex-wife set out on a smear campaign against me, telling anyone who would listen that I was betting on hockey and throwing games. It wasn’t surprising that my ex told the lies, but the fact that the media, league, and fans chose to believe her baseless claims was unforgivable. I walked away from it all and never looked back.
Having settled into life as a single dad to three boys, I’m content. I have more money than I could ever need, and plenty of time to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and whoever I want. So when Brienne Norcross, the team owner for the Pittsburgh Titans, shows up at my house with a job offer, I have no problem turning her down. But the no-nonsense billionaire, with sinfully seductive red lips and killer heels that would look hot as hell thrown over my shoulders, won’t take “no” for an answer.
Now I need to find balance between hockey, my boys, and the explosive chemistry Brienne and I can no longer deny. A cast-off hockey player and the league’s only female team owner? I can think of a million reasons why it could never work but can’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. Game on.
Drake has some serious trust issues after being betrayed by both his ex-wife and the league. It makes his attraction to Brienne very complicated – he can handle things when its just his body involved but as soon as its his heart things become problematic.
While Brienne tries, she can’t resist the pull she feels for the cocky hockey player. If they can keep it superficial … but as he shows her his caring side, for his family and for her, deeper feelings soon follow.
Bennett is amazing at delivering characters, both male and female, that are strong but with vulnerabilities that need to be overcome on their way to a HEA. Both Drake and Brienne have their reasons for keeping things light but their attraction is so overwhelming that they find themselves spending more and more time together, with emotions developing that neither of them want. Steamy, sassy, and smart Bennett delivers yet another must read. Her Titans are guaranteed to deliver and I’m ready to see what she will bring next.
(I think there should be a content warning for those who have concerns around consent. Drake is very alpha and a take charge guy in the bedroom. He also recognizes that while Brienne owns her sexuality, most of the time she wants to give up control because she spends so much of her time making big decisions as the CEO of her company. It works for a romance novel but it may be disturbing for some as there are times when Drake pushes her a little. Just putting that out there for those that need it.)
*****
Author Info:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
Miss Julia Beaumont has exactly one night to find herself a husband…
The Weatherford Ball is the last chance Julia Beaumont has to escape the clutches of her horrid stepmother. Any potential husband will do–rich, poor, even a reasonably well-groomed walrus. But all of Julia’s matrimonial chances are completely obliterated…thanks to the actions of an infuriating and utterly rakish duke.
Gregory Carter, Duke of Ashworth, would never risk his cherished bachelorhood by flirting with marriage-starved debutantes. But one look at the luscious and refreshingly clever Julia, and he simply can’t resist a stolen kiss–scandal be damned. Then just as things start getting deliciously interesting, the lady flees…leaving only a slipper behind.
And it must have been one dandy of a kiss. Because now Julia has proposed to him. After all, the lady needs a husband, and this roguish duke will certainly do. It’s simply a matter of making him the perfect scandalous offer…
*****
Author Info:
Lydia Drake is a reader of all things romance and a drinker of all the tea. A New Jersey resident, her favorite activities include taking the train to New York City, scouring used bookstores, spending time with her family, and wrangling her hyperactive cockapoo puppy. She loves talking romance with her fans.
*****
Review:
I admire Julia’s gumption – when a chance encounter with one of Society’s most sought after rakes means that she’s lost out on her chance to make a match for herself, she does what any self-respecting spinster with a brain and a lot of courage would do. She proposes to the man.
Gregory is not in the market for a wife. Ever. But faced with a business proposition from one of the first ladies to catch his attention in quite a long time, he’s not going to let a good thing go.
Which leads to a lot of fun for readers – these two are delightful together, with more than enough wit and sass, plus a good deal of humor and sizzle. Their interactions are both entertaining and at times frustrating as they let their insecurities and assumptions lead them away from what they truly want out of their relationship. Forever.
Drake’s newest reminds me once again how much I love historical romances. It includes a rake to reform, a marriage of convenience, and an attraction that they just can’t ignore, all wrapped up in a enjoyable (and winding) trek to a HEA. I’m definitely looking forward to what comes next from this author.
Romantic Reads and Such 