Category: Contemporary Romance

Summer of Hopes and Dreams by Sue McDonagh

Posted August 13, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Series / 1 Comment

Can “Dozy Rosie” spice up her life and prove she’s not boring?

Rosie Bunting has spent her life caring for others, often at the expense of her own hopes and dreams. But when she overhears somebody describing her as “boring”, she decides it’s time for a change.

Little does she realize that the outdoor pursuits weekend brochure handed to her at the local Art Café will kick start a summer that will see her abseiling down a Welsh cliff face in “eye-watering” leggings, rediscovering her artistic side, and unexpectedly inheriting an old fire engine. It also involves meeting hunky outdoor instructor, Gareth Merwyn-Jones – although of course, he’d never be interested in Dozy Rosie Bunting … would he?

One thing’s for certain: Rosie’s path to achieving her hopes and dreams might not be smooth, but it’s definitely not boring.

Titles in the Art Café connecting series include — Summer at the Art Café – Meet Me at the Art Café – Escape to the Art Café – Summer of Hopes and Dreams –

Aggie the Horrible vs. Max the Pompous Ass by Lisa Wells

Posted August 12, 2021 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Entangled Publishing, NetGalley / 0 Comments

One’s playing a game. The other’s keeping score.

When wild-child Aggie Johansson shows up for an interview with the last person she’d ever want to work for, golden-boy entrepreneur Max Treadwell, she has one goal—to not be offered the position. While she hates to disappoint the two matchmaking grandmothers who’d pressed Max to hire her, she wants nothing to do with a pity job. Besides, the guy could easily win Mr. Pompous Ass of the year.

The last thing Max wants is to offer Aggie a job. The woman, a mixture of bizarre and annoying, has gone through at least a half-dozen employers this year already. He might’ve promised Grandmother he’d hire her, but if Aggie doesn’t take it because he’s more than a little un-charming, that won’t be his fault. After all, his company is on the brink of making a major land acquisition, and the last thing he needs is a screw-up as a personal assistant.

With neither of them willing to disappoint their grandmothers, the interview becomes the stuff of legends, and somehow, before either can blink, they’re suddenly stuck working together.

Aggie’s determined the only way out is to be the worst assistant ever and get fired…

Max knows his grandmother would kill him if he fired Aggie, so he’ll just have to be so awful she quits…

But what happens next, no one could have seen coming.

Sunny Summer Treats by Various ChocLit & Ruby Fiction Authors

Posted August 11, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Connection to another series, Contemporary Romance, Time Slip Romance / 1 Comment

All net proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to Mind Charity

Treat yourself this summer …

You’ve had Cosy Christmas Treats, now try our summer selection! This collection of sunny short stories is perfect reading whether you’re living it up at the beach, sunning yourself in the garden, or sheltering indoors from the Great British summertime.

From breath-taking boat rides on beautiful Greek islands to going on the run through the streets of Paris, from ‘best ever ice cream’ to pasteis de nata in pretty Portuguese cafes, these stories celebrate everything there is to love about summer, home, and abroad – including, of course, a bit of holiday romance!

Stories from the following authors: Jan Baynham, Angela Britnell, Helen Buckley, Ella Cook, Kirsty Ferry, Morton S. Gray, Gina Hollands, Sharon Ibbotson, Margaret James, Marie Laval, Sue McDonagh, Chris Penhall, Anni Rose, Berni Stevens, Carol Thomas, and Evonne Wareham

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

Posted August 6, 2021 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, NetGalley, Series, St. Martin's Press / 2 Comments

No serious relationships.

This is the one rule Tara Park made for herself and it has been working swimmingly, thank you very much. The occasional fling is fine, especially since she’s busy with Weldon Brewery. But when Seth Kim, temptation personified and her best friend’s new brother-in-law walks into her life, Tara might be willing to bend her golden rule…but only for four dates—the four dates she agreed to after a few good rounds of beer and a game of truth or dare. It’ll be fun. No biggie.

Seth Kim can’t believe Tara agreed to his dating dare. He’s leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings-attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But their secret dates, while sweet and sexy, always hit roadblocks straight out of a romantic comedy. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings are smoother, frequent, and heated. However, the more Seth sees of Tara, the less willing he is to let her go—and what was supposed to be a fun little game turns into something that neither of them is ready for.

But sometimes, the best things in life are the ones we never see coming.

Titles in the A Sweet Mess series include — A Sweet Mess – The Dating Dare –

Definitely Not Dating by Christi Barth

Posted August 2, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Contemporary Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

It’s a chance to start over for both of them…

Everleigh Girard always dates the wrong men at the worst times. The last debacle cost her a job and an apartment. But thanks to a crazy lottery win, she and her friends have a fresh start restoring a historic inn. Determined to make it a success, Everleigh swears off the dangers of dating entirely. Except…the town’s police chief is distractingly hot. So how much trouble could friends with benefits really cause?

Police chief Matt Halliday always puts protecting his town first. He’s blindsided when his house mysteriously burns down, and grateful his friends rent him a room at their inn while they finish renovations. It’s a great deal. Mostly. It’s hard to resist the very beautiful Everleigh. Love is permanently off the table for him—but lust is definitely on.

After their first red-hot kiss, keeping it casual is impossible. Can Everleigh teach Matt to trust again—especially when he’s keeping a secret that may put him and his new friends at risk?

Titles in the Love Lottery series include – The Accidental Fiancé – Definitely Not Dating – Wrong for Him –

Only for You by Barb Curtis

Posted July 30, 2021 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments

Will a fake relationship between two friends lead to true love?

After having his heart broken on national television, Tim Fraser knows only one way to stop the gossip about his love life- a new girlfriend. The problem is, he’s done with romance forever. A fake relationship with his friend and Sapphire Spring’s sweetest baker, Emily Holland, seems the perfect solution to getting rid of his newfound fame, but their fleeting fauxmance is stirring up the kinds of feelings Tim has sworn off for good.

Emily has secretly lusted after Tim for years but pretending her feelings are all for show never factored into her fantasy. Still, her decades-long crush makes it impossible to say no to Tim’s proposal. But with each date, the lines between pretend and reality blur, giving Tim and Emily a tantalizing taste of life outside the friend zone . . . if they can find the courage to give real love a chance.

Titles in the Sapphire Springs series include — Forever With You – Only For You –

Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch by Carolyn Brown

Posted July 29, 2021 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Modern Western Romance, NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Retired combat medic Jesse Ryan hasn’t been home much since he enlisted twenty years ago. Now he’s headed back to Texas to help take care of his aging foster parents and run Sunflower ranch. But when he gets there, he finds his parents’ live-in nurse is Addison Hall, his high school best friend and the woman he always regretted leaving behind after their one steamy night together before he shipped out. He’s not at all surprised that their chemistry is still sparking, but Jesse is shocked to learn Addy gave birth to a little girl about nine months after he left—his little girl.

Addy has her hands full as a single mom of a nineteen-year-old daughter who suddenly wants to rebel at everything. The last thing she needs is Jesse Ryan complicating her life even further, especially since she’s always had a crush on the handsome cowboy. But the more time she spends with Jesse, the more she wonders what might happen if they finally let their friendship blossom into something more and became the family she’d always hoped for.

Includes the bonus novella Small Town Charm for the first time in print!

Titles in The Ryan Family series include — Second Chance at Sunflower Ranch – Texas Homecoming –

The Way Home by Eliana West

Posted July 18, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Contemporary Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

A letter from the past will transform their future…

Taylor Colton always loved the crumbling plantation house passed down through his family for generations. Now he’s bringing his popular renovation reality show to the small town of Colton, Mississippi, so he can bring the plantation house known as Halcyon back to life for the cameras.

After an ugly breakup, Josephine Martin needs a new start to heal her broken heart in peace. A hidden letter reveals a family secret that leads her to Colton to protect her family’s history and honor a promise made before the Civil War…and to a house, she didn’t know was hers.

Suddenly, Josephine must decide if she’s ready for the challenge of restoring a run-down mansion and its history, and Taylor’s facing a challenge he can’t charm away. Together, they must untangle a tragic history, a rocky relationship, and risk everything they love. Can they overcome the past to find their way home?

Titles in the Heart of Colton series include – The Way Forward – The Way Home – The Way Beyond

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Just Friends in Vegas by Lucy Keeling

Posted July 9, 2021 by Marsha in Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction, Contemporary Romance, NetGalley, Series / 0 Comments

Is love always a losing game?

When Mya is with Smithy, it feels like her eyes are constantly rolling. His wheeling and dealing charisma charms everyone but her.

Well, that’s not strictly true – Mya is only human after all, and there’s no doubt the man is hot with his suits and swagger. It’s just that Smithy knows Mya’s secret, and she’s not sure she can trust him to keep it from their group of friends.

As they immerse themselves in the glamorous and mysterious world of ‘The Suits’, growing closer, as a result, Smithy has to question whether his time with Mya is destined to become a case of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” …

Titles in the Friends series include – Just A Boyfriend – Just Friends – Just Friends in Vegas

A Case for the Cookie Baker by Candace Havens

Posted June 16, 2021 by Marsha in Author ARC, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Series, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

It’s all fun and games until the last cookie crumbles…

Ainsley McGregor and the entire town of Sweet River, Texas, are preparing for the annual summer celebration. And thanks to the extra tourist traffic, Ainsley’s shop, Bless Your Art, has never been busier. Good thing her new friend, Lizzie, has opened a bakery nearby and provides Ainsley and her staff with tasty treats and daily sugar rushes. It’s all cookies and fun until someone ends up dead in the bakery and her new pal is the prime suspect.

Ainsley is convinced Lizzie is innocent. Unfortunately, her brother, the town sheriff, and her boyfriend, Jake, have some not-so-secret suspicions. With a town full of strangers who just might be suspects, Ainsley finds herself targeted by a killer.

Even as her world crumbles faster than a cookie, she’s determined to prove her friend’s innocence—if she can stay alive long enough.

Titles in The Ainsley McGregor series include – A Case for the Winemaker – A Case for the Yarn Maker – A Case for the Toy Maker – A Case for the Candle Maker – A Case for the Cookie Baker –

A Wedding on Lilac Lane by Hope Ramsay

Posted May 9, 2021 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

After leaving her old life behind and starting over for good, a former country star finds herself at odds with a handsome new man. But is he the enemy . . . or her only ally?

Musician Ella McMillan can’t believe she just walked away from her life. So long, boyfriend. Goodbye, country music career. Coming home to Magnolia Harbor could be a fresh start with her mom—until Ella discovers that her mother is getting married again. Now Ella’s been roped into planning an engagement party with the groom’s utterly gorgeous and infuriatingly buttoned-up son. Fortunately, they have one thing in common, even if they don’t agree on what to do about it . . .

Dr. Dylan Killough strongly objects to his father’s upcoming marriage. He’ll do almost anything to sabotage the engagement, and he needs Ella’s help. But despite her own feelings, Ella is determined to throw the perfect party and give her mother the wedding of her dreams. Between sampling party hors d’oeuvres and visiting romantic wedding venues, sparks are suddenly flying between Ella and Dylan-and Dylan is questioning everything he thought he knew about relationships. Now can he convince Ella that he believes in happily-ever-afters after all?

Titles in the Moonlight Bay series include — The Cottage on Rose Lane – Summer on Moonlight Bay – Return to Magnolia Harbor – A Wedding on Lilac Lane –