Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.

Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he’s being condescending (which is all the time).

The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?

When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.

Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Byron Visser was the human manifestation of caution tape holding a red flag and a flare while setting off a smoke alarm.

I expelled his name, rancor commensurate to the surge of resentment within me permeated each syllable. Shutting my eyes, needing a moment, I wished I’d installed a trapdoor beneath wherever he presently stood, leading to a dungeon complete with giant bloodthirsty crocodiles. Perhaps donning laser beams atop their heads.

Winnie was a reprieve, not an obsession. She wasn’t air, she was a cool breeze. She wasn’t sunshine, she was a rainbow. She wasn’t water, she was rain.

Nothing is ever certain. There is no concrete flooring in matters of the heart. It’s all sand.

He’s got banana pants for you.

You feel like what I imagine bliss would if I could manifest the word as a tangible, touchable thing.

My Review:

 

Another delightfully consuming read from Penny Reid, I never fail to become hopelessly enamored with each and every one of her adorable yet complicated, highly intelligent, and multi-textured characters. I tend to savor rather than devour her deftly witty yet unpredictable tales as they typically include several deliciously contrived conundrums to solve.

I quickly lost myself to these characters’ brilliantly constructed vortex and when forced to emerge from their world into mine, I ruminated on their insightful inner musings and shrewdly plotted encounters until once again able to rejoin their engrossing chronicle. I covet Ms. Reid’s highly amusing storytelling skills and marvel at her wickedly clever pacing that kept me reeled in while taunting and teasing my curiosity, as well as frequently smirking and gleefully entertained. Penny Reid continues to hold the top spot on my list of favorites.

 

When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost.

But as the weeklong wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya.

However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Often, things we were in awe of when we were younger feel oddly unimpressive as adults. I used to think my house was a palace. I used to think my mother was the tallest woman in the world. Food laid out for me was a feast. Things change as you grow. As you understand the world for what it is. That we overcompensate in our memories because we didn’t know any better at the time.

Why was I like this? Why could I never be the Amaya that existed in my head? The version of myself that never made an entrance when I most needed it, instead of this watery, half-boiled counterpart?

A little mountain of, of course, Louis Vuitton clutch bags was nestled on the table between them, and they were all dressed in some variation of colorful, flowy maxi dresses. I couldn’t have felt more out of place— a crow in the middle of a flock of exotic flamingos.

Why was it so wrong that I tried to seek out a trophy husband? The only difference was that my golden trophy turned out to be cheap old brass underneath his glossy exterior…

It’s all a bit cliché now, of course. I didn’t see it at first. It was almost like, well, like those rocks that get shaped by the river. How could something as soft, something as beautiful as a river have the ability to change the complete structure of something as hard as a rock?

My Review:

 

Silly me, I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this one but I was soon sucked into a baffling, prickly, complicated, and distressingly compelling vortex filled with a vile and shallow cast of characters. This was an uncomfortably intriguing tale with storylines that eventually connected and entwined.

I was tossed into an intricate and unfamiliar caste system that had me looking in one direction and then another while no one was above suspicion and everyone was disappointingly annoying and guilty of at least subterfuge. I wanted to stick pins in fetish dolls for every one of them.

The main character was critically OCD and constantly looking for numerical patterns to determine if the time was going to be lucky for her or not by whether the numbers were repeated or sequential while she took deep breaths and counted to five. She also distracted and amused herself by visualizing the somewhat gruesome demise of people she found vexing. There must be something wrong with me to have found that entertaining, but I deflect all blame to this author’s sly and evocative word craft.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I thought of about twenty things I should have said. At least five of them were such intense burns, he would’ve needed skin grafts to recover.

Uber Stan… He didn’t actually work for Uber, just passed out a card with his phone number and told us all to text him if we needed a ride. Even made a fake Uber sign for his back window. Nobody told him that wasn’t quite how it worked, too proud of the sweet old man for managing to figure out texts and Venmo to break his heart.

Evangeline sighed and rolled her eyes. “God, sometimes I’m so thankful I’m not attracted to men. Y’all are dumber than a bag of hair.”

It’s so strange, being with him. It’s like a time machine back to when things were simpler and a glimpse into a future I can’t have. And I’m caught there in that place of wishes and lost dreams. I can’t make myself walk away.

My Review:

 

I think each new book I read by this author is her best and my favorite until I read the next one. Run For Your Honey is definitely my favorite, for now. The dichotomy of the characters’ conflict was perfectly pitched and so real it felt tangible. The amusing storylines were laced with broad humor, breath-stealing steam, and keen snark. I am not exaggerating when I say I adored every well-chosen word. I smirked and giggle-snorted my way through this well-nuanced and evocative read and finished with a sigh. Staci Hart has crazy good skills and I greedily covet and plan to amass, all her clever and entertaining arrangements of words.

 

 

Before and After You, an all-new heartfelt small-town romance from Hope Ellis is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

Leigh D’Alessandro is a fighter. She fought to escape her dysfunctional family, to end a soul-killing marriage, and to build a new life in a small Tennessee town. When the fate of the community hospital she works for is threatened, she’s primed and ready for battle. What she can’t fight any longer is her unshakable attraction to her best friend’s brother, who has a notorious reputation and triggers all her worst fears about trust and betrayal.

Walker Leffersbee is a lover. At least that’s the reputation he’s built in his hometown. Scion of a prosperous Tennessee banking family, he’s a known ladies’ man and a confirmed bachelor. His hands are full as he juggles competing demands from his family’s bank and his growing property renovation business. The last thing he needs is to give in to his long-standing craving for his sister’s headstrong and hot-tempered best friend. Especially because she’s the only one who knows the secret that threatens to upend his life.

When a home renovation project brings them too close for comfort, they both struggle to withstand the growing heat. As they grow closer helping each other navigate family minefields, Walker learns that love is not a four-letter word, and Leigh realizes that some battles are meant to be lost.

But Walker’s secret is the one thing that could keep them apart, unless they both decide to fight for the love they never looked for but now can’t live without.

‘Before and After You’ is a contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Leffersbee series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“What did you say you were doing here?” I prompted again, realizing with no small amount of uneasiness that we’d both been silently contemplating the other while I was absorbed in my thoughts. “Bitterly regretting that I left my crucifix and garlic at home,”

One day, you’ll understand the baffling blend of pride and fear that comes from raising your own son in this world.

I’d always joked that God had been bored the day he made Lucia and decided to dally long enough to sculpt the high cheekbones, cupid bow lips, and tip-tilted eyes that made her stunning.

‘You gonna be speechless after you find out what it’s like with a Southern gentleman… We do it different,” I informed her… She smirked. “What, does your dick wear a monocle like Mr. Peanut and talk like Deputy Dawg?”

This must be what the short road to hell felt like. Cozy and pleasant enough that you don’t care about the hot flames licking at your feet.

 

My Review:

 

This is my second time reading the cleverly amusing observational humor and insights of Ms. Ellis’s work and she has made a ride-or-die reader of me with her oddly compelling Leffersbees. I admire the complexity of her characters, even though I didn’t always like them or what they were doing. Her cast of characters was diverse, complicated, uncomfortably knowable and flawed, curiously irresistible, and authentically drawn. The story unfolded slowly and occasionally dragged, but I was invested, wriggling on the hook, and ensnared in the brutal betrayal of the unfolding family drama as well as the blossoming romance that was an inevitability with combustible sensuality that left me dehydrated and grabbing for libation. I’m beyond curious to see what she does with the remaining sibling who is truly unlikable.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Not his fault he’s got a gigolo brain, a stripper body, and a Boy Scout smile.

It’s official. She’s a loser who gets turned on by dental products. There’s probably porn about this.

“Chimbo?” “It’s penis slang in Colombia. Weirdly enough, it means ‘fake’ in Paraguay and ‘worn out’ in Venezuela.” Nic gives him a sweet smile. “All phallic words, if you think about it.”

He was thinking of growing old together. Of the pair of them sharing smiles and secrets and maybe gun mounts on their walkers.

My Review:

 

If a fun and beloved series has to be concluded, this is the way to do it. The busy storylines were active in all directions while engaging, amusing, surprisingly twisty, and delightfully unpredictable with generous helpings of smirk-worthy snark. I was pleasantly surprised at the multiple layers, clever texturing, and unexpected complexity of the characters, they were not who I was expecting them to be. Tawna Fenske is a wily one, and I revel in her easy-to-fall-into and humorously entertaining style, highly enjoyable storylines, and unfailingly quirky and appealing characters.

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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.

 

    For the reasonable price of $1, Natalie Malone just bought herself an abandoned villa on the Amalfi Coast. With a detailed spreadsheet and an ancient key, she’s arrived in Italy ready to renovate–and only six months to do it. Which seemed reasonable until architect Pietro Indelicato began critically watching her every move… .  

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Betrayal was never accidental. It was always a choice.

Pietro’s charm was universal— not something meant specifically for, or uniquely affecting, her. Natalie had seen toddlers swoon in his presence.

That’s why I came to Italy. To live in a beautiful little town with quirky but lovable people, great weather, and delicious food. Jorge gave me a rundown on the merits of naked beekeeping last week. Between him and Signora Carlota, I’m exceeding my goal.

She had once thought kissing straightforward— formulaic— then she experienced what Pietro could do with his tongue. Natalie was torn between wanting to be jealous of all the practice that had left him with skills like that and wanting to write personal thank-you notes to every woman who had contributed to his technique.

She didn’t think she’d ever felt so many different emotions at once. Pietro appealed to her sense of freedom, to her sense of humor, and even to her sense of logic. He knew how to get at her from anywhere.

 

My Review:

  This was an entertaining and relatable read with generous sprinkles of humor, a slowly developing new romance, gasp-worthy sensuality, observant insights, family drama, DIY renovations, gorgeous Italian sightseeing, and an interesting mystery. The writing had a smooth and easy-to-follow flow with taunting tidbits that teased my curiosity and kept me reading when the clock argued otherwise. The angst and contrived conflict levels were low, which is exactly how I like it. This was my second time reading her work and I find I enjoy Ms. Blade’s engaging writing style and liberal injections of humorous descriptions and amusing observations, which are some of the excellent reasons why she has been added to my list of favorites.   Kilby Blades is a USA Today bestselling author of Romance and Women’s Fiction. During her fifteen-year career as a digital marketing executive, she moonlighted as a journalist, freelanced as a food, wine, and travel writer, and lived it up as an entertainment columnist. She has lived in five countries, visited more than twenty-five, and spends part of her year in her happy place in the Andes Mountains. Kilby is a feminist, an oenophile, a cinephile, a social-justice fighter, and above all else, a glutton for a good story.  

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The One Month Boyfriend
(Wildwood Society #1)
by Roxie Noir 

 

It’s a simple enough agreement: for one month, Silas Flynn is my boyfriend of convenience.

 

He needs his old-fashioned boss to think he’s ready to settle down.

 

I need some arm candy to prove to my jerk ex-fiancé that I’ve moved on.

 

Perfect, right? Except for one minor detail: we can’t stand each other.

 

Everybody thinks he’s this perfect guy, but I know the real Silas. He’s a cocky, obnoxious jerk who thinks he can charm his way out of trouble and get anything he wants.

 

But there’s one tiny problem with fake dating: it looks a lot like real dating. Worse, it feels a lot like real dating.

 

I know once this is over, we’ll go our separate ways. No matter the smoldering looks he gives me, the possessive way he touches me, or the dirty things he whispers in my ear, Silas isn’t falling for me.

 

That’s fine. No matter how good being with him feels, I’m not falling for him, either.

 

One month. That’s it.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

God, I love air conditioning. The pinnacle of human achievement.

‘…if you want me to break into his car and put shrimp paste under the floor mats, I will.” Now that’s the kind of friendship I need. “In August, no less,” I say. “Can you imagine?” “I don’t want to.” “My cousin’s friend’s roommate said someone did it to her once when she left her car somewhere for a whole weekend, and it smelled so bad she called the cops because she thought there had to be a dead body in there,” she says, comfortingly. “Wow,” I say, my chin digging into her shoulder. “One of the cops puked. She had to sell the car for scrap.

My face goes hot. My lips go cold. My body is somehow every temperature at once, I can’t feel my fingertips, and I think I might pass out from the sheer, all-consuming blinding rage. It feels like someone hooked my brain stem to a car battery, it’s so forceful, so palpable that I swear if I move at all I’ll send shockwaves through the room.

I’ve had one drink and I feel like I’m made of night air and fireworks.

Sentences feel like tetris when I’m like this: all pieces that could easily fit together if only I had enough skill and speed to make it work, which I never do.

 

My Review:

 

This is a fun and humorous read despite being filled with a cast of complicated and fractured characters with a multitude of issues they struggle with on a daily basis. Some were obvious and some were masked. This clever scribbler obviously knows a thing or two about anxiety and the ridiculousness of the scenarios the sufferer can conjure to endlessly fret over.

The characters were well-textured and frequently annoying yet oddly endearing and endlessly entertaining. I unequivocally adored Silas, and I knew I would, based on this wily writer’s skills.

While the overall plot was a common one, the storylines were original, authentic, highly amusing, smirk-worthy, atomically steamy, and unpredictable. Just like every other book by Ms. Noir that I’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon. The gal has mad skills and remains near the top of my list of favorites.

 

I love writing sexy, alpha men and the headstrong women they fall for.

 

My weaknesses include: beards, whiskey, nice abs with treasure trails, sarcasm, cats, prowess in the kitchen, prowess in the bedroom, forearm tattoos, and gummi bears.

 

I live in California with my very own sexy, bearded, whiskey-loving husband and two hell-raising cats.

 

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