Category: Small Town Romance

A Promise of Forever by Sheryl Lister

Posted August 20, 2025 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, Series, Small Town Romance, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

Terri Rhodes loves her husband—when he’s actually present. Their whirlwind marriage was a steamy fairy tale for about a year. They moved to Firefly Lake, made amazing friends . . . but over time, Jon’s legal practice and Terri’s work as an ER nurse have turned them into ships passing in the night. What she wouldn’t give to connect with Jon the way they used to before the long hours and unexpected tragedy broke both their hearts.

Jon can’t stand to see his beautiful wife in pain—or talk about his own. He couldn’t admit there was a problem until Terri got his attention in the worst way: by walking out. Jon will do anything to get her back, like leaning on their new friends in the Supper Club and taking her on dates that prove their chemistry is as hot as ever. He has to believe it’s not too late to prove to the woman he loves that his heart and ears are open. And that no matter what, he’s not giving up.

Titles in the Firefly Lake series include: A Table for Two ~ A Perfect Pairing ~ A Promise of Forever ~

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

A Family with the Cowboy by Elsa Winckler

Posted August 18, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Modern Western Romance, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

Widowed rancher Hayden Weston knows what it means to be responsible for his siblings, his eight-year-old son, and the running of the huge family cattle ranch. Some even call him a stern and grumpy taskmaster, and they’re not exactly wrong. So when Hayden discovers his son reading a storybook instead of doing chores, he calls on Luke’s teacher to talk about priorities.

School teacher Laura Anderson is new to Marietta, Montana, and has never—until now—been reprimanded for encouraging a child to read. It doesn’t help that sweet Luke’s father is the handsome cowboy with the amber eyes that she met in Grey’s Saloon, or that she’s wildly attracted to him.

Sparks keep flying as their paths keep crossing, but Hayden is determined not to give in to his incomprehensible need to have, hold, and protect Laura from any type of harm. He’s the one who’ll hurt her if he lets her stray too close. He’s not ready to admit his feelings or commit to sharing his life with her.

Even if love comes tumbling in.

Titles in The Westons of Montana series include: A Family with the Cowboy ~ Reckless with the Cowboy ~ What the Cowboy Wants ~ The Rancher’s Christmas Bride ~

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

The Island Inn by Laura Abbott

Posted August 17, 2025 by Marsha in Cliffhanger Ending (for now), Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Mystery, Series, Small Town Romance, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

Three generations of women. Two weeks at the beach. One decision that changes everything.

When Becca Dalton inherits part of a coastal Florida resort from the husband who abandoned her twenty-four years ago, she intends to sell her share quickly and return to her carefully constructed life as a corporate attorney. The last thing she needs is to get tangled up with the family her ex left behind.

But Amberjack Shores—with its charming beachfront cottages, historic inn, and struggling fishing business—awakens something in Becca she thought long buried. As she reluctantly works to revitalize the business, she finds herself drawn to both the stunning coastal property and the complicated family that calls it home.

Meanwhile, Becca’s artistic daughter Katie finds herself swept into an unexpected romance with local photographer Jake, whose laid-back approach to life challenges everything she thought she wanted. Between crashing weddings, surfing lessons, and moonlit beach walks, Katie begins questioning the rigid path she’s always followed.

As mother and daughter imagine new possibilities at Amberjack Shores, the long-buried secrets surrounding Chris Dalton’s disappearance begin to surface. With her heart newly open to love and belonging, Becca must confront the mysteries of her ex-husband’s past—a past that threatens to unravel the fragile new connections she’s only just begun to trust.

Titles in The Amberjack Shores series include: The Island Inn ~ Island Secrets ~Island Storms ~ The Island Guest ~ Island Dreams ~ The Island Wedding ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black, or only kissing.

Sea, Salt and Him by Harper Reynolds

Posted August 16, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Standalone / 0 Comments

He left for ambition. She stayed for legacy. Now they’re stuck together with one café, one storm, and a heat that never cooled.

Talulah
I came back to Starlight Cay to save my grandmother’s café—not to fall back into bed with the man who shattered my heart. But Raleigh Draycott isn’t just scouting restaurant space. He’s in my kitchen. In my business. And when the storm hits, he’s in my house too. Now the man who left is everywhere, stirring up old memories, new sparks, and the kind of touch-it-and-it-burns chemistry I swore I’d buried.

Raleigh
Talulah Everhart was never supposed to be part of the pitch. I came here to build the next flagship for my culinary brand: clean lines, investor-friendly, legacy-free. But one glimpse of her café—and her—and I knew we’d been wrong. Now I’m risking everything I’ve built for the one thing I never got right. Her.

Standalone

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

The Cowboy’s Downfall by Paula Altenburg

Posted August 14, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Modern Western Romance, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

His first mistake…saying yes.

Retired bull rider Nix McCray savors his freedom riding the range. Let a woman run his life? Never again. Those days are behind him. When the Endeavour Ranch asks him to run a bull riding clinic for teens, he agrees. How much trouble can a group of kids be? No idea, but the uptight, hyper-responsible older sister of a reckless seventeen-year-old girl sure becomes a burr in his side, disturbing his calm.

Self-assured lawyer Shauna Walsh has always followed the rules. When her flighty mother begs her to take her sister following the latest school expulsion, Shauna’s confident she can prevail. Wrong. She’s out of her depth. Worse, the amused, sexy cowboy running the rodeo clinic is everything she shouldn’t want, yet he has a superpower over her once sleepy libido.

Soon, the unruly teenager determined to shock everyone is the least of Shauna and Nix’s problems. How can they explore the fire burning between them, yet keep the casual affair a secret in a rural community when they’re supposed to be setting a good example?

Titles in The Endeavour Ranch of Grand, Montana series include: The Montana Sheriff ~ The Montana Doctor ~ The Montana Rancher ~ The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby ~ The Cowboy’s Redemption ~ The Cowboy’s Downfall ~

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

Deal with the Texas Soldier by Julie Benson

Posted August 11, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Modern Western Romance, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

Former soldier Tanner Jordan embraces the opportunities in his new town of Service, Texas. He’s invested in a business that requires his troubleshooting skills, and when he finds out his new partner is a hometown girl with a huge heart, sassy mouth, and a brilliant brain, he’s struck gold. He relishes challenges in work and pleasure.

Reese Cartwright isn’t thrilled when her granddad sells his share in the family business to an outsider, even though he is a friend. But she’s not expecting her new partner to be sexy as sin, and eager to make changes. Reese issues a challenge—winner takes all—convinced she’ll win.

Tanner—a true Texan—is game, and their sizzling attraction soon ignites. Tanner wants it all—Reese and their business partnership, but can this stubborn beauty compromise so that they can both win?

Titles in The Men of Service series include: A Texas Soldier’s Love ~ Deal with the Texas Soldier ~

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

Dark Mountain Ambush by Nicole Helm

Posted August 11, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Modern Western Romance, Mystery, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

More secrets lurk in the Montana mountains…and the past.

Private investigator Samantha Price savors a slow summer at her firm, Honor’s Edge Investigations, along with Nate Bennet, who recently received his license to join her as an investigator. They make a strong, though still uneasy team. When a new, but familiar client requests help, the case seems like a slam dunk, but of course, there are complications. Aly Cartwright works on the Bennet ranch and is engaged to Nate’s brother. One clue leads to another, and what starts as a vandalism investigation widens to connect to a recent murder and another nearly two decades old.

Nate, who left home at fifteen, isn’t sure he’s back for good or ready to make peace with his brothers. Samantha, too, has made enemies with the Bennets. But when Aly’s estranged mother reappears on the heels of increased vandalism, threats, and danger, can Samatha and Nate negotiate a truce with the Bennetts long enough to untangle the mysteries and save Aly and each other from a grisly end?

Titles in the Western Edge Mystery series include: Double-Edged Reckoning ~ Dark Mountain Ambush ~ Long Lost Winter ~

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

Yuletide & Yearnings by Harper Pugh

Posted August 11, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Christmas Romance, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

She was a summer mistake. Now she’s standing under his mistletoe.

Ellie Springer never planned to fall for her ethics professor. Especially not before she knew who he really was. Now, with her grad school future uncertain and grief weighing heavy on her heart, she’s returned home for the holidays to help save her family’s struggling bakery—and avoid thinking about Gabriel Kane.

Gabriel doesn’t do Christmas. He doesn’t do emotions. And he definitely doesn’t do second chances. But when he walks into The Sugarplum Bakery and finds Ellie behind the counter—in flour-dusted aprons and flower crowns—he realizes some ghosts don’t stay buried.

As peppermint mochas brew and regrets resurface, old feelings begin to thaw. But with town gossip swirling and boundaries blurring, Ellie and Gabriel must decide: can love survive the rules they’ve broken—or will holiday magic melt away with the snow?

Titles in the Evergreen Hollow Christmas Romance series include: Mistletoe & Motor Oil ~ Yuletide & Yearnings ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with age-gap, Grumpy/Shunshine tropes, with either closed doors or fade to black.

Once Upon a Summer Night by Kyra Jacobs

Posted August 9, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Sourcebooks Casablanca, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

Home is a refuge—but is it always the right choice?

Hannah Brooks left home eight summers ago to help her friend Beth hide a surprise pregnancy. Their unplanned adventure also helped her escape from beneath her fire chief father’s thumb. Now Beth has died and Hannah faces a brewing custody battle for Noah, the boy she helped raise from birth. It’s time to return to Bourbon Falls and make amends with the family she loves and needs.

Chase Redding finally gave up hope of ever seeing Hannah again and is focused on being part-owner of Oak Barrel Farms and climbing the ranks in his firefighting career. But now that she’s back, he’ll do anything to convince her to stay in their hometown, even if it means sharing his beloved fire station.

But amid their budding romance at Brooks Farm, family tensions resurface, and the custody suit takes a turn for the worse. It’s going to take a little summertime magic to keep Hannah and Chase’s happily ever after from slipping away a second time.

Titles in the Bourbon Falls series include: Once Upon a Beast ~ Once Upon a Christmas Beauty ~ Once Upon a Summer Night ~

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

Title: Once Upon a Summer Night
Series: Bourbon Falls #3
Author: Kyra Jacobs
Published: April 4, 2024
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 4.5 stars

Once Upon a Summer Night is the third title in the Bourbon Falls series, and brings us Hannah and Chase’s story as she returns home after several years with custody of her deceased best friend’s little boy, Noah. She’s facing a custody battle, needing to reconnect with family and friends who, she hopes, will stand with her and hopefully forgive the years she spent away from home, as she faces a difficult battle for a little boy’s happiness and their future.

If you’ve read the earlier stories in the series, then Hannah will be familiar since she’s been mentioned often. If not, then you’ll certainly enjoy a reconnection romance, a chance for happiness with found family, and the man who she loves as much as little Noah.

I enjoyed Once Upon a Summer Night by Kyra Jacobs very much. It’s a well-written romance, full of all the feels you could possibly ask for, and a couple that does work, does fit perfectly, even after years apart. Little Noah steals scenes constantly; he’s adorable. If you love a romance that touches your heart and leaves you feeling better than before you started it, then you’d love this story. I believe this is the final story in the series (trilogy), and if so, then I’ll miss the characters, but what an amazing journey their stories have been.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available from Amazon (affiliate link)

Five Alarm Love by Jillian David

Posted August 8, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

Yukon Valley Fire Chief Tuli Sampson has spent years protecting his hometown, but the only thing he’s ever wanted to save is Louise Wright’s heart. His childhood best friend has always been his anchor, steady and unyielding like the Yukon River. Now, with his career thriving and his charm earning him fame as a tourist influencer, Tuli is ready to risk it all for the woman who’s been his forever girl.

Louise Wright, a shy and dedicated medic, has spent her life dreaming of more—more courage, more love, and maybe even Tuli. He’s always been her secret wish, the one man who could make her heart race faster than a snowstorm. But just as their undeniable chemistry sparks into something real, Lou receives devastating news that threatens to shatter their future.

Caught between her own happiness and Tuli’s, Louise chooses his. But in a town where matchmakers never quit and love runs deeper than the salmon-filled rivers, can these childhood friends turn years of longing into a lifetime together?

Titles in the Yukon Valley, Alaska Hospital series include: Dr. Alaska ~ Paging Dr. Breakup ~ Five Alarm Love ~

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

McKenna by Kathleen Ball

Posted August 7, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Modern Western Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

He thought he was done with the darkness. But the past isn’t done with him.

Just released from prison, McKenna McKeegan wants nothing more than a quiet life and a second chance. But ghosts don’t go quietly—and someone from his past is determined to drag him back into the shadows.

Emma Sinclair has secrets of her own. Fierce and guarded, she’s sworn off trust—but when danger starts circling, it’s McKenna she turns to. Together, they uncover a web of lies tied to a criminal empire that never really let go.

As bullets fly and betrayals cut deep, McKenna and Emma must decide—will they risk everything for love, or let fear steal the future they’ve only just begun to hope for?

A riveting tale of redemption, danger, and the unstoppable power of love.

Titles in The McKeegans: A New Generation series include: Stewart ~ Reilly ~ Katie ~ McKenna ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black, or only kissing… and some hints of violence.

He Falls First by Jill Shalvis

Posted August 5, 2025 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, NetGalley, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

No one is going to convince her to fall in love again…

Ryder Colburn has his hands full running the family business and caring for the ailing father who’s a virtual stranger from the cold, heavy-handed man he used to be. He’s got zero free time for hobbies or women. Or so he thinks until one walks into his life… and the path of an oncoming car.

Ryder doesn’t mind playing the hero for the skittish, scarred chef Penny. Maybe it’s the secrets in her eyes or the scar on her chin. Whatever the reason, he’s compelled to get closer.

Penny’s learned her lesson and now she’s paying the price. That’s why she’s sharing a dilapidated house in a tiny California town with her feisty grandmother and tween brother, living off the leftovers from her catering job. It’s a far cry from her dream life. But who needs dreams… or love… or sex when there’s amateur plumbing projects to tackle and breakfast casseroles to bake?

One thing’s for sure, she’s never falling in love again. Not even with the sexy, snarky contractor who keeps testing the walls she’s built.

Titles in the Colburn Brothers series include: He Falls First ~ Free Falling ~

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

Death at Rock Bottom by Kris Bock

Posted August 4, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Series, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

She can touch an object and sense the emotions of the people who’ve held it before…

After solving the mystery of her predecessor’s death, geologist Petra Cloch wants to focus on her new job as the rocks and minerals curator at a quirky, small-town New Mexico museum. But her friend and colleague, Liberty, is suspicious of the “accidental” death of Frank Underwood, a retired petroleum engineer and rockhound who unexpectedly died while hiking. Frank acted odd and secretive in his last weeks—mumbling about an incredible find in the desert and aliens. Was he showing the first signs of dementia, or were more sinister forces at work?

Petra agrees to help excavate the truth, and soon, instead of meeting for book club, she and her friends become amateur investigators. Petra uses her gift and her brains to sort through the contradictory stories and confusing clues as she and her friends dig for answers.

Did Frank’s heirs decide to hasten their inheritance? Or did his rock shop business partner decide to go solo? Petra joins the local geological club to discover whether someone there acquired a taste for murder, because they’ll need rock-solid evidence to catch a killer.

Titles in the Reluctantly Psychic Murder Mystery series include: A Stone Cold Murder ~ Death at Rock Bottom ~

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

False Notes by Elizabeth Doherty

Posted August 4, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Retelling Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Ali’s only wish is to figure out what to do with his life. After years of going from job to job, he stumbles into the small town of Grimford, seeking the help of an old friend to find his place in the world.

Jasmine wishes her father would realize she is no longer a little girl. She has helped him run his restaurant for most of her life, and she knows it’s time for her to step into a more active role.

Thanks to a fake resume, Ali finds himself in the job Jasmine wants. His wish has come true, while she wishes he’d just go away.

When they start to work together on the restaurant’s music festival, they discover a connection that runs deeper than music. But Ali feels like a fraud, hiding his secret identity from the people in his workplace.

If Jasmine finds out he’s lied his way into their dream job, will she be able to forgive him? Or will the happiness he’s finally found all go up in smoke?

Titles in the Grimford series include: Until the Storm Passes ~ False Notes ~ Drawn Home ~ Grant Me This ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors or fade to black, or only kissing.

A Montana Perfect Family by April Murdock

Posted August 3, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Connection to another series, Contemporary Romance, Modern Western Romance, Series, Small Town Romance / 0 Comments

Lacey has fought hard to get custody of her son back. Now that she’s won that emotional battle, she’s determined to never let anything jeopardize her role as his mom. As a target of gossip in their small town, her waitress job makes her more visible than she’d like. But being friendly brings bigger tips.

Flirtatious and outgoing, Mack is drawn to Lacey and tries to get her attention. He’s sure she’ll be smitten when she finally notices him. Eventually, she flirts back but refuses when he asks her out. Normally, he’d take her rejection as a sign and not put his heart on the line. This time, something makes him ask again.

Just after she says yes to a date, he finds out she has a kid. Since he’s not plugged in to the gossip mill, this news is a surprise. When she puts him on the spot and asks if her son is a problem, he says no.

Little did either of them know that one date could change everything. And one little boy could be the center of a family that was meant to be.

Titles in the Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts series include: A Montana Fake Marriage ~ A Montana Perfect Family ~ A Montana Childhood Promise ~

This is a clean, sweet romance with either closed doors, fade to black, or only kissing.