All the Wrong Choices
by C.A. Harms

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

When I say charming, I mean she looks as though she has itching power in her panties and is doing all she can to hide her discomfort.

I’m going home with Tony tonight… I’ve made the poor man wait long enough. And if I’m being honest, if I wait any longer, I’m going to attack him and most likely break him.

“He’ll come crawling back one day after he realizes what a mistake it was to walk away.” “And I’ll trip him as he moves on by…”

Reece is eyeing you like you’re a triple chocolate cake with cherries, and it’s been years since sweets have graced her tongue…

 My Review:

C.A. Harms is one of my go-to authors when I need a refreshing shot of sizzle and sass.   She populates her tales with primary and secondary characters who are endearing yet realistically flawed and packs her storylines with just the right balance of humor/angst/and sensuality to cure any funk I may have fallen into, whether it is a reading slump or external stressors. I enjoyed her latest missive featured a likable and accessible couple attempting to keep it casual when it was anything but.

About The Author

C.A. Harms
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I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple and true. I love the little things; they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to my new Keurig—oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have two children who truly are the greatest part of my days, and their faces never fail to put a smile on my face. I have been married to my best friend for seventeen years and looking forward to many more.

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My Review:

This was a delightfully fun read with the steamy treats and witty and irreverent humor that I tend to savor. I am totally enamored with Staci Hart. While I may be a relatively new acolyte I am now a devoted one. I enjoy her breezy and cleverly amusing writing style with edgy insights and keen observations. Her characters are lovable and endearing yet a bit frayed and struggling. The storylines were engaging, relatable, and highly entertaining. In a word, it was delectable.

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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The Complete Stars Duet
by Amie Knight

Favorite Quotes:

He was covered in tattoos. They didn’t just peek out of the sleeves of his shirt. No, this man wore his tattoos like clothes. They blanketed his arms and came out of the top of his shirt and onto his neck.

My finger brushed the paper and I felt a spark of something. Something that felt bigger than me… It was like coming alive. It was electric and it lit me up from the inside until I felt like all of the stars above my head were suddenly all living inside of me.

He was one big contradiction I couldn’t get enough of. His tattoos and attitude screamed bad boy, but his mind? It screamed nerd. I loved it.

I don’t just love you to that moon and back, baby. I love you to Pluto and back even if it would take me nineteen years to get there and back.

“Man, if I knew all it took was coffee to get a proclamation of love, I would have started with that sooner.” She took the coffee from my hand while holding up the blanket with the other and shot me a sassy look. “This isn’t just coffee, Adam. This is nectar of the gods.”

My Review:

Sizzle and snap, this was smokin’ hot and fever-inducing. While the first installment was angsty YA, the second half was adult-rated with breath-stealing sensuality and angsty adulting. Oddly, I didn’t seem to mind despite my abhorrence of constant contrived conflict. The characters were sympathetic and endearingly appealing while struggling with relevant issues, although I did want to give them each a few smacks to the back of the head from time to time. I adored Adam, he was such a romantic. The storylines were angsty yet intriguing and taut with flinch-inducing family drama and tensions that remained tautly held throughout. I had trouble putting my Kindle down. Amie Knight has mad skills.

About  Amie

Amie Knight has been a reader for as long as she could remember and a romance lover since she could get her hands on her momma’s books. A dedicated wife and mother with a love of music and makeup, she won’t ever be seen leaving the house without her eyebrows and eyelashes done just right. When she isn’t reading and writing, you can catch her jamming out in the car with her two kids to ’90s R&B, country, and show tunes. Amie draws inspiration from her childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, and can’t imagine living anywhere other than the South.

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Under Pressure 
(Lessons Learned #1) 
by Allie Winters

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Mia knows stress. She’s dealt with it her whole life. So when she gets an opportunity to run a psychology study to help her get into grad school, it should be no problem dealing with the prickly guy she suddenly finds herself paired with.

The one she had a secret crush on last year. The one who refuses to let anyone close. The one she’s discovering by the day may have a softer side than he lets anyone else see…

Tyler knows stress. He’s grappled with it for as long as he can remember. And just because he has to share credit with this girl on his new psychology study doesn’t mean he has to be friends with her. Except she somehow keeps worming her way into his life. In school. In the boxing gym.

In his bed.

But everyone knows it’s safer to keep to yourself. You can’t hurt anyone that way. Even if it means giving up the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

As things heat up in the Stress Lab, will this match be able to work together without disruption, or will this growing attraction between them eventually… combust?

‘Under Pressure ‘ is a full-length new adult contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #1 in the Lessons Learned series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe. 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

My heart is in your hands.

My Review:

This was my first exposure to the steamy delights of an Allie Winters story – and sizzle and snap – she had me gasping and seeking libation to rehydrate. I struggled with the heavy angst, which isn’t on my list of favorite things, but I enjoyed the premise and humor while also intrigued by the complexity and allure of the characters, although I wanted to give Tyler more than a few pinches and the name of a good proctologist to remove his head from his colon, although he finally achieved that on his own.

Allie is the author of the Suncoast University series, the Bishop Brothers series, and the Lessons Learned series. She lives in sunny Florida with her husband, daughter, and two cats. A librarian by day, she spends her nights writing happily ever afters. She enjoys reading, playing video games, and all things Disney.

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Let it Show
(Juniper Ridge #2)
by Tawna Fenske

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How the hell did I end up on TV faking like I’m not falling for the world’s sexiest shrink?

Yeah, I agreed to live at an old cult compound and let cameras tail me around, but a plotline about a grumpy single dad finding love? Big nope. All I want is a brewery to run and a fresh start with my daughter. Just toss me the keys, keep the psych sessions short, and remind me again why I can’t fall for Dr. Mari Judson.

At least I’m not alone. She’s as thirsty as I am for what’s brewing between us, but Mari runs scared when we get close. Something’s stopping her, and a woman with secrets is a recipe for heartache. Trust me, I know.

Blame her sexy brain, her quirky parrot, or the way my kid adores her, but I can’t quit chasing Mari. It’s bound to blow up like a can of Kolsch tossed down the stairs, so why can’t we stay apart?

And why do I think the good doc is hiding something huge?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

What the hell was I thinking? I’m starting to wonder if I should tattoo the phrase on my wrist as I grab my keys and sweater and try not to make eye contact with anyone.

 

I can’t stop kissing her, murmuring words that come out in a jumble of syllables even I can’t understand. She’s reduced me to speaking in tongues.

 

“You know I don’t like judgment words.” That’s what I say out loud, but inside my brain shrieks, “bitch” at maximum decibels.

 

“You know, I usually just urge patients to cry it out. Releasing emotions is cathartic.” “You’ve got catharsis handled already… We’re taking care of you with shallow beauty tips and booze.”

My Review:

 

As with every Tawna Fenske book I’ve been fortunate enough to pick up, this was another fun and amusing read with endearing characters tumbling into a sweet and sexy romance, which is my favorite kind, and honestly – they should all be as such! The witty and engaging storylines held numerous interesting, unusual, and entertaining elements such as a fledgling new romance, major life and career transitions, the foibles of being a therapist and a human, a swearing parrot, living in a new reality show community, celebrity, a shifty and shallow ex, damaging secrets, itchy family issues, and beer.   Something to please everyone – and that is not just the former therapist in me talking as that naughty bird certainly put more than a few smirks on my face.

 

About the Author    

Website 
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Goodreads

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

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From M.O. Mack comes the second standalone thriller, SHE’S GOT THE MONEY.

When Emily escaped an impossible situation back home, she never imagined she’d end up working for a dangerous hitman. Not good.

But every step forward leads two steps deeper into his world.

Now, she’ll have to decide. Be like him and survive? Or run from his enemies and her past forever.

Either way, her choices thus far have left unpaid debts. And everyone wants their money.

Until she pays up, there’ll be no breathing room to figure a way out.

My Rating:

Marriage and Murder, an-all new quirky and witty cozy mystery, and the second book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Penny Reid is available now!

Marriage and Murder (Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #2) by Penny Reid 

The Devil is in the details . . .

Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries). His future mother-in-law has other plans, plans his intended has been willing to indulge, much to Cletus’s chagrin. Therefore, so must he. To a point. But truth be told, he wouldn’t mind if the meddlesome matriarch disappeared, at least until the nuptials are over.

On the night of Cletus and Jenn’s long-awaited engagement party, just when the surly schemer is of a mind to take matters into his own hands, a shocking event upends everyone’s best-laid plans and sends the small hamlet of Green Valley into complete disarray. The final months leading up to Cletus and Jenn’s matrimonial bliss are plagued with chaos and uncertainty. Will Cletus and Jenn finally make it to the altar? Or will murder and mayhem derail their happily-ever-after? And most importantly, who done it?

‘Marriage and Murder’ is the second book in the cozy mystery series Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries. It is best read after Winston Brothers #3, ‘Beard Science’ (which can be read as a standalone) and Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #1, ‘Engagement and Espionage.’

Download your copy today!

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

  Good Lord, the woman had invited everyone in East Tennessee and all their neighbors but none of their children. An intimate engagement party is what she and Jenn had promised me last year when the wedding planning had begun. This evening would be as intimate as an orgy in Times Square and would likely be better attended.  

This chafed like wet pants on a ten-mile hike.  

The woman was not usually one to offer comfort. At her most agreeable, she was saltier than a sardine.  

She looked like a lawyer. You know, learned and poised to argue.  

My Review:

This was a delightfully fun and highly entertaining read with romance, sizzling sensuality, family drama, a murder mystery, and my best-loved character from among my favorite family of quirky hillbillies, Cletus. I am enamored with him as well as his intended bride Jenn. They are an adorable couple and both with odd and complicated family dynamics. The storylines were intriguing, the characters were delectably peculiar, and the writing was cleverly amusing and kept me fully engaged on all thrusters.   I hope to be reading these tales into perpetuity with these characters reaching the age of having spirited nursing home shenanigans.  

Meet Penny Reid

Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full-time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

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The One That I Want (Scorned Women’s Society #3) by Piper Sheldon

The One That I Want, an all-new opposites attract contemporary romance from Piper Sheldon, is available now in Kindle Unlimited!

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There is no such thing as luck.

Roxy Kincaid isn’t a biker chick anymore. She’s made herself more than Jethro Winston’s castoff, and she’s never going back to her old life with the Iron Wraiths. But one summer night, a charming stranger threatens to sweep Roxy off her feet. Ignoring fate and their instant attraction, she has to get back to her real-life in Green Valley. He couldn’t be the one that she wants when he’s exactly the thing that could ruin everything. If only she could stop thinking about him.

Luck is everything.

Sanders Olsson is going to fix his mistakes. He’s determined to show his best friend he’s a reliable business partner not the distracted flake he’s been lately. But he has to listen when the universe brings him a sign in the form of a guarded beauty he can’t keep his eyes off. Their instant connection is almost magical but she leaves without giving him even a last name. When fate gives Sanders a second chance in life and love, he sets out for Green Valley without a backward glance.

Their summer lovin’ happened so fast but what will it take to make it last?

‘The One That I Want’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Scorned Women’s Society series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe. 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“You’re a tough cookie, aren’t you?” I asked her and squeezed her hand. “Just ask the guy who told me to smile once,” she said. “You’ll have trouble though because his jaw is still wired shut.”

He was as hard to read as a French dictionary…

He smiled at me and I smiled back. A full smile. If it were a movie, the needle would scratch on a record and everything would go silent.

I finally let my smile drop because it was beginning to hurt and experience told me that it was getting that strained look that caused the elderly to scurry away.

It occurred to me in that this was one of the reasons why women go in pairs to the bathroom. I always thought it was just so they could discuss the deepest secrets of their mysterious sex. But they obviously had a more practical application for avoiding men who were waiting for drunk “easy targets” to break off from their friends.

My Review:

I enjoyed this book overall but I also struggled with it as the storylines were heavy with angst and conflict, which are not items on my Christmas list. Thankfully, there were also generous servings of snarky humor and sizzling sensual scenes that had me gasping. The writing was easy to follow and kept me curious despite character behaviors that had me grinding my teeth with the prickly push/pull.

Both main characters were beautiful piles of hot mess while loaded with inner turmoil and less than appealing traits. They were also emotionally scarred to the point of damage. RBF Roxy was the most difficult for me to warm up to as she was fatally insecure and on a constant boil of hostility and gave mixed messages yet was easily annoyed when others misunderstood. Roxy was unpredictable and edgy, which intrigued me, although she was also more than a bit tiresome. Sanders was her polar opposite and appeared blithely cheerful while childishly ignoring and denying his unresolved issues and personal pain. He was often reckless and irresponsible as he scurried away rather than deal with unpleasant yet necessary adulting. Yet both were driven, good people at heart, and working hard improve.

Jethro Winston has a lot to account for.

Start the Scorned Women’s Society Series of standalones today!

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My Bare Lady

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The Treble With Men

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Excerpt

“Watch it,” I mumbled as I was steadied by strong hands on my shoulders. Then I remembered to be nice and tried to scoot to the side.

The arms held me gently in place. When I looked up, glaring pointedly, he dropped them. It was Mr. Eye Contact from across the room. A little thrill tickled the back of my knees. He was damn fine this close up. Not my taste, but definitely a certain appeal. Like, if I wanted to know someone with a yacht to “summer on,” he’d be my type.

His eyes were startlingly blue. His hair was this dark shade of blond, thick waves swept back with lighter tips that looked as though it had been bleached naturally by the sun. A smile quirked his mouth and my focus moved there. He had soft crinkles around the corners of his eyes and a natural tan that spoke of time outside.

He said something with the tilt of his head and a soft smile on his lips. I blinked away, wondering if my mouth had been hanging open catching flies as I took him in.

“What?” I yelled and pointed to my ear. The band had just started back up.

His smile grew to expose that two front teeth protruded just a little. It was a disarmingly charming flaw, like a puppy with just one floppy ear. His gaze moved over the exposed skin of my neck and shoulders under my tank top, seemingly studying the tattoos.

I wasn’t knocking my edgy looks, but I typically didn’t attract men who could have been plucked straight from an Ivy League fraternity mixer. At least the collar of his black button-up wasn’t popped. And he wore nice sneakers and jeans, not boat shoes and pink shorts. Okay, so he wasn’t preppy per se, but squeaky? Like he’d hurt my teeth to take a bite out of. He didn’t even have a beard, for crying out loud. Not to box this guy in, but guys like this did not go for girls like me. Then again, sometimes there were the guys who liked to “slum it” with the easy small-town girls from Green Valley.

Mr. Eye Contact leaned closer. He smelled like a shower after a hard workout. It was like the cleansing smell of a spring morning after working all night at the Dragon Bar. My jaw was clenched tight, thinking about taking a bite out of him again.

“Dance?” he asked. His voice had a rich and deep timbre that sent a tiny shudder down my spine.

His confidence was sexy without being overwhelming. He tucked his hands deep into his pockets and waited patiently as I took him in, studying him head to toe. There was no pressure in his question. I suspected if I said no, he’d walk away without another word. I told myself I wanted to dance alone but suddenly I wasn’t so sure. Wouldn’t it be nice to have hands on me? Wouldn’t it be an escape to just be a woman dancing with a man to good music?

Shocking myself, I realized I was interested. So I felt a zing for this man? It didn’t mean anything. It meant that my warning system wasn’t going off. It meant that I was a person who wanted to dance. It didn’t have to mean anything.

He extended his hand. I bit my lip. I was here to celebrate my hard work. It was one night before an early flight home tomorrow.

“What the hell?” I said unheard in the club.

I slid my hand into his. His hand was not the buttery-soft warmth of an Ivy Leaguer. His hand was calloused and hot. What might it feel like to have those rough palms gripping the tender skin of my hips?

He pulled me only long enough to let me pass, then he let me lead the way to the floor. As I made my way to the other dancers, I felt his gaze on my backside like the vibration of a motorcycle. I risked a glance over my shoulder. His focus returned to mine as he licked his bottom lip.

“Lord, help me,” I mumbled to myself.

Good thing it was just one night and just one dance. This guy would be way too easy to fall for. But what could one dance with a stranger hurt?

About Piper Sheldon

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books are a little funny, a lotta romantic, and with just a little twist of something more. She lives with her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the desert Southwest. She finds writing bios in the third person an extreme sport of awkwardness.

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