Category: Small Town Romance

Island Storms by Laura Abbott

Posted August 21, 2025 by Marsha in Closed Doors/ Fade to Black, Contemporary Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Series, Small Town Romance, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

Home isn’t a place—it’s the people who stay when the tide goes out…

The sprawling beachfront of Amberjack Shores continues to work its magic as autumn arrives on Anastasia Island. With Linda’s health bringing the extended Dalton family closer than ever, unexpected bonds form, and old wounds begin to heal under the golden Florida sun.

As Becca throws herself into transforming the resort, she finds herself drawn to Tyler in ways that both thrill and terrify her. Some lines weren’t meant to be crossed, but some hearts refuse to listen to reason.

Katie stands at a crossroads, torn between obligation and passion, the practical future she’s planned and the creative life that calls to her soul. In Jake’s steadfast eyes, she glimpses a possibility she never dared imagine for herself.

When shadows from the past resurface, threatening the fragile peace they’ve built, the Daltons will discover that true family isn’t always defined by blood but by who stands beside you when the storms roll in.

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.

Island Secrets by Laura Abbott

Posted August 20, 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

Just when the tide seemed to be turning…

Becca thought she’d finally found her place at Amberjack Shores, the idyllic beachfront inn owned by her former mother-in-law. After years of putting her legal career first, she’s ready to embrace the warmth of family connections and the promise of new beginnings on Florida’s sun-drenched coast.

But the past is never truly buried—especially in a small beach town.

When unexpected visitors arrive with shocking claims about her late husband, Becca’s newfound peace shatters. As decades of secrets begin to surface, Becca must question everything she thought she knew about the man who once broke her heart.

With the business finally flourishing and her relationship with the charming but guarded Tyler Dalton cautiously deepening, Becca finds herself caught between uncovering the truth and protecting the family she’s come to love. Meanwhile, Linda’s determination to welcome everyone under one roof could either heal old wounds or tear the family apart forever.

Against the backdrop of crashing waves and swaying palms, the women of Amberjack Shores will discover that family—whether bound by blood, choice, or circumstance—is the anchor that holds fast through life’s fiercest storms.

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.

The Bad Boy’s Homecoming by Stella Holt

Posted August 20, 2025 by Marsha in Booksprout ARC, Contemporary Romance, Multicultural Romance, Series, Sexual Content, Small Town Romance, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

She doesn’t care about his fame. He doesn’t trust her motives. Let the sparks fly.

Baseball bad boy Levi Hart is tired of playing a part. Dubbed The Beast at Bat, he’s built a career on swagger and scandal—but he’s done being a brand. When team management demands more drama for ratings, Levi walks. Adrift and at a crossroads, he heads to his hometown for some quiet…and lands in anything but.

Missy Shaw finally has stability—her art is selling, her past is behind her, and her friendship with her sweet elderly landlord has brought unexpected joy. What she didn’t sign up for? Sharing the house with the woman’s grumpy, gorgeous, and very famous grandson.

Levi thinks Missy’s a gold digger. Missy thinks Levi’s a judgmental jerk. But forced to live under the same roof, the tension between them is more than just irritation—it’s attraction. And it’s getting harder to ignore.

He’s used to being wanted for the wrong reasons. She’s vowed never to fall for a player. But what if this game of opposites is one worth playing?

Titles in the Southern Hart Brothers series include: The SEAL’s Promise ~ The Bad Boy’s Homecoming ~

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

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.

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 trouble-shooting 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 worst. 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)