Category: Contemporary Romance

What Doesn’t Kill You by Laura E. James

Posted November 27, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: What Doesn’t Kill You
Series:
Author: Laura E. James
Genre: Romance
Published: November 27, 2015
Publisher: Dark Choc Lit
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – but how strong can one person be?

Griff Hendry knows what it is to be strong. After a turbulent past, he’s dedicated himself to saving lives, working as a coastguard along the breath-taking shores of Dorset. It’s Griff’s belief that everyone is worth saving – which is why he can’t forgive his father, Logan, for what he did.

Griff’s future is plunged into uncertainty when his wife, Evie, tells him she wants a separation. The revelation is a shock and leads Griff to question what Evie could possibly be hiding – and she isn’t the only one holding back. Griff’s troubled stepdaughter, Tess, also harbours a dark secret.

As the truth is uncovered, Griff is forced to accept that perhaps he’s never understood what real strength is.

From Dark Choc Lit – compelling, emotional, hard-hitting novels. Not your typical romance story.

Read on for my thoughts on What Doesn’t Kill You. No true spoilers, promise.

Christmas Romance 2015: Places To See by Multi-Authors

Posted November 24, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Christmas Romance: Places To See
Series:
Author: Jennifer Conner, Sharon Kleve, Angela Ford, Natalie-Nicole Bates
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 19, 2015
Publisher: Books To Go Now
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Together for the first time together in a boxed set.

Aubri, Paget, Erika, and Jade were there to support their boss after the loss of his daughter. Mr. Simon knows the women work too hard and with his daughter’s death, he’s found that life is short. For Christmas, he decides to give the four women an early present and fly them anywhere in the world they want to go with all expenses paid.

They chose Germany, France, Italy, and Bulgaria.

The girls know how to work but can they learn how to have fun?

Come along with Aubri, Paget, Erica, and Jade and they travel around the world and maybe along the way…even fall in love!

Kisses and Strudel – Places to See Germany – Jennifer Conner
In Love with Paris – Places to See France – Sharon Kleve
Christmas in Tuscany – Places to See Italy – Angela Ford
Twice as Nice Christmas – Places to See Bulgaria – Natalie-Nicole Bates

Read on for my thoughts on this Christma Romance 2015: Places To See Bundle. No true spoilers, promise.

Should’ve Said No by Tracy March

Posted November 24, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Should’ve Said No
Series: Thistle Bend #1
Author: Tracy March
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: November 24, 2015
Publisher: Loveswept
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

A year after being laid off from the Smithsonian, Lindsey Simms says yes to a job offer as curator of a heritage museum in Thistle Bend, Colorado (population 1,519). It could be worse—and it is. Because the new museum has escalated a dispute between the Karlssons, Lindsey’s relatives, and the Crenshaws, a blood feud which goes way back to a land deal that changed the fortunes of both families. Trying to stay objective, Lindsey can’t tell anyone about her conflict of interest—especially not the ruggedly handsome handyman fixing up her cabin, who seems to be keeping secrets of his own.

Although he’s the executive director of the family trust and one of Colorado’s most eligible bachelors, Carden Crenshaw prefers getting his hands dirty in town and on his sprawling ranch. Staying busy has given him an excuse not to risk heartbreak, but getting to know the beautiful “museum lady” makes him reconsider. Little does he know, the heat between them will only add fuel to the fire—unless this unlikely couple can prove they’re lovers, not fighters.

Read on for my thoughts on Should’ve Said No. No true spoilers, promise.

Getting Lucky by Stacy Finz

Posted November 21, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Getting Lucky
Series: Nugget #5
Author: Stacy Finz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Kensington Books / Lyrical Shine
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

In Nugget, California, a tiny town tucked into the Sierra Nevada mountains, luck is what you make it, and love is never far behind…

From his humble beginnings in Nugget, Lucky Rodriguez has become a champion on the rodeo circuit, truly living up to his name in every regard. But when he returns home, he gets something success can’t buy: a daughter he never knew he had. And the girl’s mother, an old friend he has hasn’t thought about since, now touches his heart like no buckle bunny ever could.

Tawny Wade hasn’t always had luck on her side. She fell for a boy she couldn’t have, lost her parents too young, and now her daughter needs a transplant she can’t provide. But if Lucky is a stem cell match, all that could change. The trouble is, Lucky’s got a past in Nugget that makes him off-limits as anything more than a donor for her daughter. And yet, Tawny’s never stopped loving the man who now holds her family’s fate in his cowboy-callused hands.

Read on for my thoughts on Getting Lucky. No true spoilers, promise.

Twelve Nights by Sharon Struth

Posted November 18, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Twelve Nights
Series: Blue Moon Lake #1.5
Author: Sharon Struth
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Kensington Books / Lyrical Shrine
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

For Erik Lindholm, it’s been a long climb to the top of his company. Now, as president he has the power to bring his vision to life and speed his company in bold new directions. If that means a complete staff overhaul, so be it. If that means firing the woman who left his heart in tatters fifteen years earlier, it’s a business decision, not personal…

Beryl Foster is highly competent and respected by everyone at the office. But rumors of a big shake-up are rampant and—surprisingly, scarily—Beryl’s job as CFO is on the line. Fifteen years ago she made a decision to put her career before everything else. It was also the last time she and Erik shared a life together. Every Christmas is a reminder. This one could be a second chance.

Read on for my thoughts on Twelve Nights. No true spoilers, promise.

Something Like Love by Sara Richardson

Posted November 17, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Something Like Love
Series: Heart of the Rockies #2
Author: Sara Richardson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Forever
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Ben Noble needs to do some damage control. Fast. His heart has always been in ranching, but there’s no escaping the spotlight on his high-powered political family. Now the only thing that can restore his reputation is a getaway to the fresh air of Aspen, Colorado. Not to mention that the trip gives Ben a second chance to impress a certain gorgeous mountain guide. But Paige Harper is nothing like the shy girl he remembers . . . she’s so much more.

Paige is serious about Ben, too: seriously annoyed that the playboy cowboy is using her mountain for his PR. Once upon a time, she fell for Ben’s aw-shucks charm, but the fairy tale didn’t end happily. Paige doesn’t intend to let down her guard again. But keeping their relationship all business and no pleasure may be harder than she thinks-especially if the moonlight, the Rockies, and a certain irresistible rancher have anything to say about it.

Read on for my thoughts on Something Like Love. No true spoilers, promise.

Hope Springs On Main Street by Olivia Miles

Posted November 17, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Hope Springs On Main Street
Series: Briar Creek #3
Author: Olivia Miles
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Forever
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

What do you do when your cheating husband proposes to the “other woman”? For Jane Madison, it means you keep calm, carry on, and sneak candy bars and wine for dinner. Jane’s grateful for her adorable little girl, yet she yearns for the love that was missing from her marriage. Only one man ever really “got” Jane—and she’s stunned when he returns to Briar Creek. But a single mom can’t date her ex’s best friend… can she?

Jane’s still kind, beautiful—and far too good for the buddy Henry Birch tried to stop her from marrying years ago. Laying eyes on her now is like a much-needed ray of sunshine. Back in town to sell his family’s old house, Henry wants to close a bad chapter in his life and move on. But time with Jane and her sweet daughter has him flirting with the idea of happily ever after—if he can convince her to take a second chance on love.

Read on for my thoughts on Hope Springs On Main Street. No true spoilers, promise.

Christmas at the Vicarage by Rebecca Boxall

Posted November 17, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Christmas at the Vicarage
Series:
Author: Rebecca Boxall
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: November 17, 2015
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
My Rating: 3 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

It’s been fifteen years since Rosamunde last lived at the vicarage in Potter’s Cove, the pretty coastal village where she grew up, experienced her first true love—and a heartbreak that changed her life forever. But now Potter’s Cove is calling her back: it’s time to make peace with the past and go home.

Rosamunde’s return to the vicarage in the days before Christmas is a whirlwind of festive cheer and heartwarming reunions with friends, family and her loving father, the vicar. And while seeing the old place after all this time stirs painful memories of long-ago grief, it also reminds her of all the love she left behind. Fifteen years ago she vowed never to let herself be vulnerable again—but now that she’s back she’s not so sure. Is it possible that real happiness could strike more than once?

Spanning three decades of family life, Christmas at the Vicarage is a warm, feel-good tale that examines what it means to love and to lose—and to be brave enough to try again.

Read on for my thoughts on Christmas at the Vicarage. No true spoilers, promise.

Some Girls Lie by Amy Andrews

Posted November 15, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Some Girls Lie
Series: Outback Heat #4
Author: Amy Andrews
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Local pub owner Jemima Jane Ericson is living a lie. She’s been in love with her best friend Ethan since forever. But he fell in love with another woman, married her, and despite their tempestuous relationship and decade old divorce, JJ knows Ethan’s heart is still down for the count. And friendship is better than nothing, right?

Single dad and Jumbuck Springs chief of police, Ethan Weston, hits the pub the night his ex-wife remarries and announces she wants custody of their daughter. When he wakes the next morning to find himself in JJ’s bed he’s mortified that they’d crossed a line they should never have crossed. Until JJ’s abusive ex, Shane, shows up at her door and Ethan claims he and JJ are engaged to protect her.

Both are stunned by the unravelling of their normally sane lives but suddenly it makes sense – JJ gets a deterrent and Ethan gets the respectability of a wife for any custody claims. But when JJ’s life is threatened, Ethan is forced to confront feelings that may just run much deeper than convenience.

Read on for my thoughts on Some Girls Lie. No true spoilers, promise.

Last Chance Christmas by Joanne Rock

Posted November 15, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Last Chance Christmas
Series:
Author: Joanne Rock
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 11, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Fashion buyer Shea Walker had a fast track lifestyle until a car accident sidelines her to a painful recovery. Seeking quiet for the holidays, Shea returns to the snowy mountains where she grew up to make peace with her past and spend time with her estranged family. She never expected J.C. Royce–now a hockey star–would return to their hometown, too. Determined to avoid that particular sexy mistake, she’s caught off guard when her first night in town brings them face to face.

Seeing Shea practically fall at his feet is gratifying, until J.C. realizes his proud former friend, who he once thought would become a whole lot more, is truly hurt–and in more ways than she lets on. Lucky for Shea, he’s got a big house just sitting empty and a tree ready to decorate, as she is in no shape to stay by herself. With his bad boy arrogance down to an art form after eight years in the NHL, J.C. is more than a match for feisty Shea. Especially when it comes to her outrageous claim that there was never any chemistry between them…

But when it comes to convincing her to stick around town until the New Year, he just might need a Christmas miracle.

Read on for my thoughts on Last Chance Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.

A Bad Boy For Christmas by Kelly Hunter

Posted November 14, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: A Bad Boy For Christmas
Series: International Bad Boys
Author: Kelly Hunter
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 13, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

How can he protect his family when he no longer knows what family is?

Cutter Jackson’s perfect world is crumbling. A new-found half-brother, a father short on answers, and a woman who challenges his every word will do that to a man. He’s losing his authority, his morality and his restraint with every breath. And there’s still Christmas and New Year to navigate.

Street-savvy Mia Blake isn’t looking for a place in the family Cutter loves so much. As for the lust that sparks between them, Mia’s more than happy to fan those flames and drive them both a little nuts. She can handle it. She can handle him right up until the moment Cutter decides he wants more than a holiday fling.

Read on for my thoughts on A Bad Boy For Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.

The Art of Christmas by Jane Lovering

Posted November 14, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: The Art of Christmas
Series:
Author: Jane Lovering
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 13, 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

What if the memories of Christmas past were getting in the way of Christmas future?

It’s been nearly two years since Harriet lost Jonno, but she’s finally decided that it’s time to celebrate Christmas again.

Then she finds a stash of graphic novels belonging to her comic book-loving husband in the attic, and suddenly her world is turned upside down once more.

With the help of eccentric comic book dealer Kell Foxton, she discovers that the comics collected by Jonno are not only extremely valuable, but also hold the key to his secret life – a life that throws Harriet’s entire marriage and every memory she has of her husband into question.

As Harriet grows closer to Kell, she begins to feel like she could learn to love Christmas again – but first, she needs to know the truth.

Read on for my thoughts on The Art of Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.

Falling For Christmas by Kate Hewitt

Posted November 12, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Falling For Christmas
Series: prequel Falling For The Freemans
Author: Kate Hewitt
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 9, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Welcome to Creighton Falls, New York… a town time forgot where miracles happen…

Glamorous city girl Hannah Ford wasn’t thinking when she walked out of a Christmas party and drove three hundred miles into a snowstorm; she just needed to escape. Thankfully local carpenter Sam Taylor comes to her rescue, and the unlikely pair are forced to spend a snowed-in Christmas together.

All Sam planned for Christmas was to get drunk alone. The holiday has always been something to be endured, until Hannah tumbles into his life, making it magical. Now Hannah and Sam have a chance to have a Christmas together… and make it the best one either of them have ever had.

But can one night out of reality turn into something that’s lasting and real?

Read on for my thoughts on Falling For Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.

The Christmas Secret by Jeannie Watt

Posted November 11, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Title: The Christmas Secret
Series: Secrets of Cherry Lake, Cherry Lake Christmas
Author: Jeannie Watt
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 5, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Trapped in a cabin in a raging blizzard with the one man on earth who could turn her world upside down…this Christmas holiday was not playing out at all the way Lil Reynolds had planned. Not even close.

When Lil’s former fiancé chose to marry on Christmas Eve—the day he and Lil had planned to marry one year ago—she knew she had to get out of town for the holidays. Heading to the isolated family cabin seemed like the perfect solution, until the blizzard came…and a man showed up at her door in the heart of the storm. Casey Lanigan. Her ex-fiancé’s brother. A man with whom she shared a secret summer romance many years ago. A man who’d betrayed her trust. A man who, despite everything, still made her heart beat a little harder…

So much for a Lanigan-free holiday.

Read on for my thoughts on The Christmas Secret. No true spoiler, promise.

Finding Christmas by Jeannie Moon

Posted November 11, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Title: Finding Christmas
Series:
Author: Jeannie Moon
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: November 5, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Small town Holly Point wasn’t big enough to hold the dreams of golden girl Maggie Benson. So when she left at eighteen, she flew right through college and into the adrenaline-pumping life of a navy fighter pilot. But without warning, a devastating crash destroys the career she loves and sends her back to her overly protective family to heal. Maggie can’t imagine how she can reconnect with the woman she was until the hot local high school basketball coach steps up to show her the way.

Former NBA star Will Fitzgerald knows how an injury can derail more than a career. Still, he’s happy with his life as a teacher and coach at Holly Point High School, until his quiet life is upended by the beautiful, brilliant, and hurting Maggie. Blindsided by the intense attraction, Will wonders if pursuing the woman of his dreams will answer the question of what’s been missing in his life.

Can Maggie trust enough again to let Will past her wounds, inside and out, so that they can both find the Christmas magic they’ve been searching for?

Read on for my thoughts on Finding Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.