Aspire actress Roxy Cumberland didn't want to dress up like a pink bunny and deliver a saucy singing telegram to a player, but here she is, and hello, player is h-o-t.

Playboy lawyer Louis Cumberland the Second is immediately entranced by the hilarious and sexy Roxy. Convincing a woman who just sang an ode to his penis to go on a date with him is his biggest accomplishment to date.

But, agreeing to a date is only the first step in a long road full of complications, including their very real income difference, his womanizing past, and her desperate need for a job, one that doesn't involve wearing a furry costume, stripping, or Louis securing an audition for Roxy behind her back.

Super cute and steamy, and I especially adored Roxy and her two new roommates. I didn't as much enjoy the rape-y director, and Louis isn't my fav of Bailey's heroes.

Desperate to avoid being seen as her brother's "nuisance" of a little sister, Lucy pretends to be her roommate when her brother's best friend, the sexy as hell NYPD sniper Matt shows up to give her a ride home to NYC.

Just a harmless lie right? But, when Matt and Lucy share a naughty tryst after the car breaks down, Lucy is stuck in a Catch-22. Matt gave her the best orgasm of her life after a bit of domination and spanking, but if she fesses up, she loses him. If she doesn't, she can never be with him again.

Cover blown at her brother's surprise engagement party, Matt is furious that Lucy lied, and that he now has to live with the fact he put his hands on his best friend's sister. And he still desperately wants to.

Their attraction can't be denied, as Matt helps Lucy explore NYC, the dark, brooding sniper may finally be able to step into the light.

Ugh, so good. I especially loved this one. Matt is a broody, silent type who just eat up in romance novels. And the level of 'kink' was just enough for me, and felt realistic.

A lovely novella length story that places Feyre and Rhys on a path to a true HEA but also spells trouble for various other characters which I'm sure will be sorted out in the upcoming books in the series. I'll basically read anything with Feyre and Rhysander, so this was nice, but of course after finishing I really only wanted more.

Beautiful cover, loved the Winter Solstice setting which allowed the story to feel Christmas-y without it actually being Christmas (which wouldn't make sense), and loved the banter and sexy times.

Tilly Adams has returned to her hometown to teach art at the local college. While she didn't quite achieve her dreams of becoming a famous artist, she's happy to be doing something she loves and to be near her sister (who we met in The Lost and Found Sister). What she isn't too happy about is that her ex-boyfriend Dylan is apparently enrolled in her class. Great.

Dylan, also returned to Wildwood after ending his military career and starting a helicopter chartering business. He's loved Tilly since they were teens, but needed to let her follow her dreams to college. He's not determined to win her back, despite leaving her so many years ago.

These two former high-school sweethearts must learn to leave the past behind in order to come back home, to each other.

A sweet novella that is satisfying despite it's short length.

Thank you to Avon for the ARC!

Okay, so I got really mad at this book because I felt duped by the cover, especially since I had the same thing happen to me with the Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Looks like a lovely little romp doesn't it?

Well, this unsuspecting reader wasn't aware and wasn't thinking too hard about what the big *secret* alluded to on the cover might be, and when I found out I was pretty crushed.

Stop now if you don't want spoilers!!






Still with me? The secret is that Ella's love interest Jamie, who was only supposed to be a fling, has incurable blood CANCER. He's been avoiding her because he's getting CHEMO. We find this out about halfway through the story and I was super devastated. My father recently died from incurable brain cancer, so I don't think I would have picked this one up if I had known that going in.

That said, if you are okay with a lot of sadness, this tale was lovingly written and highly engaging. Besides the cancer, Ella's story is a BIT twee and unbelievable, but who gives a shit, I'd do the same for sexy Jamie.

From my Bookstagram:

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan surprised me. The lovely, cheerful cover hides a surprisingly heart-wrenching and wistful tale. A graduate student finally takes her much planned Rhodes year at Oxford but finds her plans tossed in the wind after meeting and falling for a professor who has a big secret.

Kate mostly grew up in a strict school for orphaned girls and now makes ends meet teaching the young ladies of Spindle Cove piano and singing lessons. She has hazy memories of someone telling her to "Be brave for me Katie" but cannot find anyone to help her find out if she ever had a family. She's also quite vexed by the brooding Corporal Thorne who always seems to be glowering at her, even if she is starting to think he is pretty sexy. And then when it appears Kate might actually BE part of a family Thorne steps in and pretends he is her fiancee! Apparently Thorne and Kate share a past and he is still trying to protect her, after all these years.

Really cute, with just a few too many issues thrown in. I loved Kate's spark and how her persistent cheeriness and a cute puppy won over the grumbly Thorne in the end.

I listened to A Lady by Midnight for my second "read" and while still not my favorite Tessa Dare, I was still taken away to Spindle Cove and enchanted by its denizens. Thorne and Katie's romance is still a bit too full of issues that annoy me but I do overall love prickly bear Thorne.

2021 - what was I thinking?! This is definitely one of my fav Tessa Dares! Captain Thorne's stern, gruff, no one could possibly find me worthy archetype is my favorite. Yum.

When Ginger finds a bag of cash left behind by her drug addict, terrible mother, she doesn't hesitate. Grabbing the money, her teenage sister Willa, and their statue of Dolly Parton, Ginger leaves Tennessee behind hoping Chicago will lead to a better life for her and her sister.

But, while moving in Ginger is flummoxed by the immediate attraction she has to Lt. Derek Tyler, Chicago PD and her neighbor. Their immediate chemistry is apparent, but Ginger has no desire to be involved with the law, even in bed.

When their apartment ceiling collapses one night, Ginger and Willa take up Derek's offer to move in to his apartment. His payment? Ginger must accompany him as his date to a police charity ball.

For Derek, he's afraid his dark desires and control issues will scare Ginger away. He wants her everything and is set to convince Ginger she's the one for him.

When Ginger's past theft comes back to haunt her, can Derek really protect her?

Super hot. Wow. Light spanking, dirty talk, and a virgin heroine. Loving Tessa Bailey's work right now.

Wallflower and virgin Lady Sarah is secretly an erotic romance novelist. If exposed, she risks being banished from society and her family, but she cannot stop the flow of her quill. Thinking she'll never meet a man who will thrill her quite like the heroes in her tales, she is stunned by her immediate attraction to country vicar, who seems to share her passion for the arts and literature.

Jeremy, third son, was forced into the Church by his father. He loves the charity work, but isn't completely fulfilled by his duties. He's also secretly really into the naughty novels written by "A Lady of Dubious Quality." Trouble is, his moralistic father wants to expose the "Lady," both to stop her from ruining English society AND to aid his rising star in Parliament.

Jeremy reluctantly takes on the task, bringing him to London. He meets and is immediately attracted to Lady Sarah. Despite both their family's disapproval, they quickly marry, but both still feel like something is missing, despite their torrid bed-sport.

Secrets secrets are no fun, especially when your husband is trying to ruin your career.

Wicked, especially with the vicar parts, I enjoyed this tale. There were some parts that bothered me and kept me from LOVING the book. I was annoyed that Jeremy had a previous lover (one time). Why not keep him a virgin? He got all his pointers from Sarah's books anyway, so I felt like he didn't need to have the past assignation and it made him less interesting.

Eva Leigh also seems to really like this underground sex club, as it appears in all of her novels I've read so far. I didn't really like the almost "cheating" aspect of both characters running into each other there but not recognizing each other.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair review! Thank you!

Forever the girlfriend, never the wife, Marlee Harper finally dumps her NFL boyfriend of ten years after finding incontrovertible evidence of his cheating.

Determined to reclaim her identity and life and NEVER ever date a professional athlete again, Marlee packs her bags and runs smack into Gavin Pope, famous quarterback. And the man Marlee had an unforgettable one-night stand with during her last "break" with her boyfriend. Shit.

Gavin's had a torch for Marlee since that night but Marlee really wants to figure out who she is, minus the world of NFL wives and girlfriends, but Gavin is irresistable.

Against her better instincts, Marlee's back and better than ever, until an unexpected wrench means Marlee will again have to choose between herself and her love.

A lovely first novel from new author Alexa Martin. I immensely enjoyed Marlee, but found Gavin to be a bit one note. The book is entirely in Marlee's perspective which made Gavin even less interesting to me. I also didn't like the constant threat of bodily harm to Marlee from various other characters. While Marlee did have some good female friends, I was also disheartened by the portrayal of many of the others as stereotypes. The bitchy rich wife. The sneaky "friend that is a girl" who carries a torch for the hero and will do anything to have him. Slut shaming.

But, all in all an enjoyable read. Solid, and looking forward to watching this author mature.

The title spoke to me, as there is no where I'd rather be than a small island in Maine staring at stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Lightman's musings on life, the cosmos, certainty, permanence, and the search for meaning. A bit meandering, but I loved how he kept bringing his wanderings back to his island home.

"...I might as well live in such a way as to maximize my pleasure and minimize my pain. Accordingly I will try to eat delicious food, try to support my family, try to create beautiful things, and try to help those less fortunate than myself, because these activities bring me pleasure. Likewise, I will try to avoid...leading a dull life, avoid personal anarchy, avoid hurting others, because these activities bring me pain."