About the book:

It was more than another blind date . . .

It was DEA Agent Caden Cooke’s third chance to impress beautiful chef Mia Martin. He’d already stood her up twice, and was shocked she was even giving him another chance. For Caden, taking down the bad guys is important, but Mia’s made it clear there’s no excuse for his bad behavior. So he’s vowed to make it worth her while with an apology he’s cooked up just for her.

From the moment they meet, it’s clear this isn’t just another fix up. The sparks flying between them are undeniable; the tension is electric. Then, suddenly, the best moments of their lives turn treacherous when a drug dealer set on revenge puts their lives in danger. And Mia and Caden quickly realize they will do anything to protect the other—and live for the love neither of them expected.

My thoughts:

Jennifer Ryan is one of my favorite authors. I have loved all of her books and read several of them more than once. I was excited that there was a new series coming that had characters already introduced in a previous book.

I loved Caden and Mia. Caden knows that missing his dates with Mia is bad. Mostly because he doesn’t want a lecture from his aunt, but also because it is a very ungentlemanly thing to do. For her part, Mia is understanding about Caden’s job. That doesn’t mean she is going to give him another chance if he stands her up a third time.

Their date takes many unexpected turns – some a little funny, but mostly very serious. Caden wants to protect Mia, but Mia is a kick ass heroine who does a lot of the saving herself. I loved that Mia wasn’t a wilting flower when faced with adversity. She plans to protect Caden while he’s protecting her.

With this being a novella, everything moves at a very fast pace. They go from not knowing each other to madly in love very quickly. The chemistry between the characters is evident from the beginning of their third-attempt at a first date.

Montana Heat: Protected by Love will definitely go in my re-read collection on my kindle.

Rating:

I give Montana Heat: Protected by Love a 5/5

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About the book:

Soft-spoken and shy Hannah Fisher is determined to make the man she’s loved her entire life finally see her as a woman. With the help of a makeover, a new mission—Operation Find My Happy—and the convenient forced proximity of a tour bus, she vows to win her best friend Deacon’s heart.

Former bad boy and current fiddle player Deacon Latrell has the world at his fingertips: a new gig with a famous band, plus his best friend on tour as his son’s nanny. Life couldn’t get much sweeter. Now if only he could stop imagining kissing the daylights out of his childhood BFF…

With one friend set on pushing the boundaries and the other afraid to rock the boat, one thing’s for certain—their story would make one heck of a country song.

Each book in the Country Blues series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1: You’re Still the One
Book #2: The Nanny Arrangement

My thoughts:

I’m a sucker for the best friends to lovers story. The love between Deacon and Hannah is obvious from the very beginning of the book, but Deacon doesn’t notice Hannah in that way. Or does he? I loved Deacon’s slow realization that he feels more than just platonic love for Hannah.

I loved the connection between Deacon and Hannah. Their friendship that had evolved through their teenage years to their mid-twenties.

The secondary characters, including Deacon’s sweet son Max, are an important part of the story.  Deacon is worried about being a good father to Max and a good member of his new band. He knows that Hannah is necessary to both working out. His son is in love with her and his band mates and their wives instantly bring her into the group. Deacon is afraid that if he crosses a line with Hannah, that is getting harder and harder not to cross, then everything in his world could go to hell.

The Nanny Arrangement is the perfect book to read while sitting out by the pool.

Rating: 

the book girl gives The Nanny Arrangement a 5/5

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About the book:

Love blogger Kate Bell is finished with men—especially the hot ones. Of course her only chance to save her career requires snagging an interview with the man who literally wrote the book on love, reclusive and super-sexy relationship expert Jake Wright. Who happens to be her boss’s brother.

The last thing Jake Wright wants is to be dragged back into the spotlight as a bachelor for his sister’s dating website. But when a sweet and sexy blogger crashes onto his island in the middle of a storm worse than his love life, keeping his hands off proves to be a challenge—especially when they’re stuck sharing the same bungalow.

Each book in the Smart Cupid series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 Breaking the Bachelor
Book #2 Unexpectedly His
Book #3 One Little Kiss

What I thought:

I loved this book! The characters are brilliant and sexy.

Kate is really bad at picking men, so she has given them up. New Kate is going to focus on her career and not having to return to Ohio and run the family business. It is imperative that she gets the interview with Jake (who happens to be her boss’s brother).

Jake wants nothing to do with being a Smart Cupid stud or being interviewed by Kate. Weather, a sexy bikini, and a meddling sister/boss bring these two together and the sparks immediately fly.

I really liked the way that Kate is able to change Jake’s perception of romance and the way Jake restores Kate’s faith in true love. One Little Kiss is sexy, sweet and has a perfect happily ever after ending.

Rating:

the book girl gives One Little Kiss a 5/5

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About the book:

For Pippa Turner there’s only one place to go when her life self-destructs on national TV—home to Ghost Falls, and her heavily perfumed, overly dramatic, but supremely loving grandmother, Philomene. If anyone will understand how Pippa’s hit makeover show was sabotaged by her vengeful ex, it’s Phi. But she’s not the only one who’s happy to see her—and Pippa can’t help but wonder if Matt Evans, her gorgeous high-school crush turned Phi’s contractor, is game for a steamy close-up…

Matt owes his whole career to Phi and her constant demands to embellish the gothically ridiculous house he built for her. Getting to see red-headed, red-hot Pippa is a bonus, especially now that she’s no longer the troublesome teenager he remembers. He’s willing to stay behind the scenes while she gives her own life a much-needed makeover, but not forever. As far as he’s concerned, their connection is too electric to ignore. And the chance to build something lasting between them—before she can high-tail it back to Hollywood—is going to the top of his to-do list…

My thoughts:

Positively Pippa is a cute book, but I just couldn’t connect to the main character. Pippa comes home after her ex-boyfriend sets her up and she looses her job. Throughout the whole book she is trying to get her show back and doesn’t seem to care about the effect her leaving would on her grandmother, Phi, or Matt. Although Matt tells her that their relationship is short-term and he’s okay with her regaining her previous life, it kinda felt to me like she was using him and his long-time crush to make herself feel better. I did love the character of Pippa’s grandmother, Phi. Phi is fabulous. The relationship between Matt and Phi is sweet. Matt is sexy as hell – a man who takes care of his family (no matter how crazy they drive him) and Phi, a diva past her prime who loves him and helped him in a time when he really needed it.

The writing is funny and sexy. I liked the plot and the relationship that grows between Pippa and Matt. I just wish that I could have connected to Pippa more.

How I rate it:

I give Positively Pippa a 3/5

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About the book:

CEO Aiden Kelley’s life of billionaire extravagance is flipped upside down when his ex shows up with a ten-year-old she claims is his. Totally out of his element and losing the control so integral to his success, he needs help. To top it all off, the only constant woman in his life, his executive assistant, has given notice just when he needs her help to survive his newfound fatherhood.

Chelsea Houston is an executive assistant, not a nanny. The only person more clueless about kids is her boss. Helping him on a daddy-daughter road trip is her last task before he’ll accept her two weeks’ notice and she can be free of the infuriating man she’s had a crush on for longer than she’d admit.

Aiden’s carefully ordered life has never been so disorganized, and he’s suddenly tempted by the things he thought he could never have. Things like love and family. Who knew chaos could be so damn fun?

Each book in the The Billionaire Dynasties series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 The Penthouse Prince
Book #2 The Irish Prince

My Thoughts:

The Irish Prince takes the reader on an emotional journey with both the romance and the relationship between Aiden and his daughter.

Aiden is unsure of himself as a parent and it has thrown him for loop. He has worked his whole life to be in complete control of every situation and when he struggles with that control he has Chelsea to help him. She is the one person he can count on in any situation, but Chelsea is tired of being his executive assistant. She wants more than finding random women’s underwear in her office and having to field calls and visits from those same women when they are inevitably pushed aside. This trip to the Grand Canyon with Waverly is the end of her working relationship with Aiden. She is done! Only Aiden isn’t ready to let her go and her wanting to leave him is making him see Chelsea in a new light.

The relationship between Aiden and Chelsea develops quickly once there is a timer on her leaving his employment. They both find themselves wondering “what if” and wanting to explore the chemistry between them. I liked that although they had worked very closely to each other for years, that Aiden and Chelsea had never taken their relationship in another direction. That it was professional between them and stayed that way until the trip to the Grand Canyon.

I also loved the humor of Chelsea and the awkwardness of Aiden as he explores his feelings for Chelsea and at becoming a parent to Waverly. It is the perfect balance.

How I Rate This Book:

I give The Irish Prince a 4/5

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About the book: 

Adeline Rigby will live with Accountant Jack Foster and pretend to be his fake fiancée for one month in order for him to seal a promotion to partner. In return, Accountant Jack Foster will intimately tutor Adeline Rigby in French before she leaves for Paris where she will fulfill her dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu.

The Terms:

1. Maintain distance. Three get-to-know-you dates before announcing their engagement will be tempting enough.

2. No kissing. Okay, fine. Three kisses. Maybe four. And neck kisses don’t count.

3. No touchy feely stuff. Or at least not too many public displays of touchy-feely stuff.

4. No sex.

5. All right, all right. One night of sex in order to be a believable engaged couple.

6. Two nights of mind-blowing sex to make sure first night wasn’t a fluke.

7. Absolutely, positively, no falling in love.

What I thought:

THE ATTRACTION OF ADELINE is a funny, sweet romance. I really loved the relationship that develops between Adeline and Jack. There is a lot of chemistry between them from their first meeting and it grows as they get to know one another.

At first, this story seemed like just a lighthearted read, but there was a lot more to the characters. Adeline is trying to fulfill promises made to a loved one and doesn’t believe that she has the time or the right to fall in love with Jack. Jack is trying to make a good impression at work and can’t see that his personal life is more important than his professional one. I enjoyed the character development that both Adeline and Jack go through to get their happily ever after.

I would recommend this book for anyone who wants just a little more depth within a really cute, contemporary romance.

Rating:

I give THE ATTRACTION OF ADELINE a 4/5

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