Ever read a book and get the hankering to eat everything the characters are? Well, The Ultimate Pi Day Party by Jackie Lau is definitely making me crave a pie (or three)! Set in her Baldwin Village series, this is a sweet and savory story of a tech geek falling for the town pie shop owner as they plan a mathematically delightful party to impress his estranged father. Out March 5th, I highly recommend!

Besides the delicious food descriptions, there were a myriad of small moments that really shone for me, including a scene with Lucky Charms (you'll know it when you get there), the heroine calling out the hero when he tries to mansplain some math jokes to her, and so much sexy consent! OH, and an amazing depiction of menstruation and how an awesome partner can make it so much better. Love it!

Free copy received in exchange for a fair review! Thank you to the author!

What a wonderful wild ride it has been with the Walshes. This loud, unapologetically abrasive family has been my favorite thing to listen to while communing home from work. Thresholds alas was not available on audio, but I loved what is essentially an extended epilogue for all of the couples. Shannon and Will are still my favs, and it was so lovely to see the birth of their second baby. Canterbary also teases us with some new character POVs, including the grump Stremmel who I hope get's his HEA in a future book.

I already started re-listening to The Cornerstone.

Alas, Meet Cute did not click for me. Another cute cartoon-cover that seems to promise a rom-com, but this was decidedly not fun and frothy for me. The plot was all over the place and I just wanted Kailyn to be able to fan-girl over finally getting to bone her teenage crush.

Parental death, worrying about a tween hearing you have sex, and lies were the major plot-movers and those are not for me.

Also, the fact Kailyn is Daxton's sister's lawyer/advocate made me really squicked out, especially when they started having sex. Talk about a conflict of interest. Kailyn did acknowledge this conflict, which I appreciated, but it didn't stop her and Daxton from continuing to sneak around.

There is also some "not like other girls" syndrome (when Kailyn bashes a woman hitting on Daxton for having dyed-blonde hair and breast implants) and some dubious behavior by Kailyn's boss and Kailyn herself when they agree to try and entice Daxton to join their law firm.

Overall not for me. I think Helena Hunting and I just don't suit. I'm sure other readers will enjoy this one.

I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

Regina Hobbs has a bit of dilemma. She hates asking people for help, but her insomnia has become an issue as the demands of her popular website consume her time and energy. What worked in the past was being lulled to sleep by her internet friend's voice while watching him solve puzzles on his streaming channel. But, her favorite voice is now mysteriously missing from the internet.

Taking a chance and reaching out leads to discovering the man behind the voice is living in her NYC neighborhood. Gustave Nguyen agrees to help Regina with her problem for a little quid pro quo-her assistance in making sure an escape room based on her favorite anime is good enough for even the most hardcore fan.

Both Reggie and Gus have personal struggles and disabilities that have made them shy about being in a real relationship, but as they work together they can't help but realize they are perfect for each other.

Oh my gosh Alyssa Cole! All the heart-eyes! The Reluctant Royals Series is just the best, and I adored everything about this novella.

I don't typically read paranormal romance, but I love Talia Hibbert and I've recently discovered that I'm over Christmas-themed romances (okay, not really OVER them, but they are so obvious) and all I really want are Halloween ones!

A man has been visiting Chastity Adofo's coffee shop every day, but he isn't really a man. Well, he's definitely MALE, but he's also definitely a werewolf, and Chastity is out to prove to her family she's ready and able to live up to their family business, no matter what a witch prophesied.

So what if that witch prophesied Chastity's first kill would rip her heart out? If Chastity has anything to say about it, she'll be the one ripping out this were's heart from his hunky, delicious looking chest.

Luke found his true mate's scent after being chased by a pack of huntresses, a scent which led him to Chastity. Determined to woo her and not scare her, Luke is delighted when he's finally able to get up the nerve to ask her on a date.

What follows is a delightful, saucy, and funny dance between a woman out to murder a werewolf, a werewolf determined to seduce her even if he has to put up with a bit of stabbing.

LOVE LOVE LOVE. Thank you for lifting my heart and spirits Talia!

I have been meaning to read this book forever, and was aghast to realize it came out in 2010. Whoops! Well, I finally took the time after it was selected for my library's Women's History Month book discussion, and I'm so glad I finally tackled it.

What I liked the best was how the author put herself into the narrative, because as the book shows Henrietta's legacy is best served by showing her family, her relatives, and those that survive her.

I hope the author will put out an updated edition soon because upon some further research I did find there has been a little head way since 2018, including a board being formed to decide which proposals will be allowed to use Henrietta's immortal cell line, a board that includes two members of her family. Henrietta now further immortalized in the National Portrait Gallery, painted by the amazing Kadir Nelson.

A novella length audio book is sometimes the perfect thing for the work commute, and this one was super fun. I've been bingeing the heck out of Kate Canterbary, and I think I've finally come to the end of the Walshes.

Here we meet Jordan Kaisall, Will Halsted's business partner, former SEAL, and all around bad-ass. He's on vacation with Will and Shannon (so adorable to see them) in Montauk after finding his casual girl friend blowing his business competitor in his apartment, something that means his competitor was able to bug his entire house.

When Jordan wipes out on his surfboard, he is assisted by a beautiful woman named April. I'm imagining a Little Mermaid style meet cute here. Swoon.

Kaisall has a really bad leg, full of pins, steel, and pain, which acupuncturist and woman of many other skills April offers to help with. The lust is real here friends, and this once stoic man falls head over heels.

But April maybe isn't all she seems to be...

I wasn't quite expecting the turn this story took, and I loved it! I'm hoping to see more of these characters someday. This solo male narrator wasn't as good for me as the one who did the Walsh books and I missed having the dual POV, but still a great listen!

I think Abby Jimenez is a witty and engaging writer. I enjoyed her prose and loved Kristen, the heroine. I'll definitely read more of this author's work in the future, and I think this book will enchant many readers. Her writing made me stick with a book I might have otherwise DNF'ed because of some tropes/happenings that are not to my personal taste.

Romances that have "ONE BIG SECRET" as the entire basis for the tension in the romance are not my personal favorite and kept me from completely falling in love with this story. I just wanted to press Kristen and Josh's faces together and say TALK.

I'm also glad the blurb mentions laughs and tears, because there is big sadness in this novel, but don't worry, there is a sweet HEA.

As the blurb states, Kristen is having a procedure that will mean she cannot have children from her own uterus. Josh wants kids eventually so she hides this from him. In various ways. Major points for this story in the way Josh handles Kristen's menstruation. I'm glad this book talks about how crippling periods can be for many women.

So there are some things worth noting that are very spoilery, so please avoid unless you'd like some content warnings and some additional discussion of THE BIG SECRET.

Spoiler

Kristen has a boyfriend for a part of the story. There is no technical cheating, but she has a moral dilemma on her hands. Some readers may want to know this.
Josh was not my favorite hero. He knows Kristen has a boyfriend but finds ways to make himself useful, to make himself be around, to make himself doubt her relationship. Josh uses his relationship with Kristen's best friend who is marrying his best friend to gather information, to figure out they don't like Kristen's boyfriend, etc.
Josh is also from a small town, and talks about wishing he had his gun on him when he and Kristen visit a taco truck in a rough part of town.
Josh and Kristen both talk about hunting and eating animals (does not personally bother me as I come from a family of hunters but thought it may be worth mentioning to others).
The entire plot revolves around Kristen planning on having a hysterectomy and not telling anyone. She's had awful endometriosis her entire life, and bleeds heavily most of the month. Josh is awesome with her period issues, including buying tampons, having sex when she's "spotting" and other stuff. She just can't seem to tell him she's evicting her uterus because he wants kids and left his previous partner because she never did. Kristen also wants kids, but is convinced he'll resent her. So, I get her hesitation but it also became the only big secret and the fact she was willing to explore all sorts of alternative methods to having children made me just want to scream when she continued to insist on keeping it a secret.
Kristen tries push Josh away with various methods, but then gives him mixed messages.
Kristen's best friend's husband dies in a after a horrible car crash that leaves him in a coma until he has an unexpected stroke right before he recovers. This was really really awful and sad. Apparently the best friend will be getting her own romance novel next, which will be interesting to see how it is handled.
If you want to know whether or not Kristen and Josh ultimately have a baby, you can DM me.

I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

A career focused woman on a grand tour of Europe with her gaggle of girlfriends finally has the fling she packed her king-size box of condoms for with a Hot Scot.

While this story had moments I loved, especially the "meet cute" where Logan Reid pretends to be a time-traveling Highlander, popping out of a secret passageway in the castle Cassie is touring with her friends, I overall found the story to be rambling and uneven.

I detested that Cassie's girlfriend gave out Cassie's phone number to Logan without her consent or knowledge and got REALLY mad when the hotel desk clerk gave out Cassie's hotel floor and almost room number to Logan and his best friend just because they flirted with her. Can we not do this in 2019? I appreciate the author having Logan acknowledge this behavior as stalker-ish at best, dangerous at worst, but the fact he did it anyways made him suspect as a hero to me. I also didn't like the continued concern Cassie had that Logan would ask her to sign a waiver to release the video footage of their makeout for his show.

He continues this behavior by coming to Chicago after finding out additional information about Cassie, and doesn't tell her he's in town until he's already there.

There were one too many "break" moments where Logan would screw up, Cassie would tell him to go away, and then she'd easily forgive him. Both Cassie and Logan have such interesting careers and both felt underdeveloped and not as central to the story as I would have hoped. I felt there was too much buildup of the obvious next book romance between Cassie's engaged friend and Logan's British BFF. Less of them and more of the central couple please.

Also, one of Cassie's MANY girlfriend's (I think there is five? It was hard to tell them apart) swished her "strawberry-blonde ponytail" at least five to six times in the first part of the book. I know her hair color better than I know Cassie.

I think the author shows promise, but I was not swept away by this story despite the great premise.

I have never read a medieval romance so eloquently and exquisitely paced before. Never. I felt fully immersed in 13th Century Wales while also being swept away by the slow-burning romance between Nan and Gryff. I usually get a bit antsy with slow-burners, but much like Kate Clayborn's contemporaries, Kingston makes you love ever aching moment of the build-up before that first touch, the first kiss.

Also, I cannot even believe I'm writing this sentence, but Gryff is the ultimate medieval soft hero. Yes, I'm calling a Welsh Prince, trained in the art of falconry and swords-play, a soft hero. He'll love your dog (yes there is a wonderful dog and the dog is safe the entire story). And by soft I mean he'll cut off the head of your enemies and gift it to you as tribute but will patiently and forever wait for your permission to touch, to love, and to cherish. His adoration of Nan is utterly swoon-worthy.

She felt in him, always, this allowance for her desires, for what she wanted and did not want. He accommodated her and she, who had grown accustomed to living in service of other people and other purposes, found it more pleasing than she could ever have imagined.

And let's not forget Nan. I did not realize she has her own novella, book 2.5, but I didn't feel lost without it. Nan is an inspiration, a heroine who is quiet, who knows what she wants and what she'll accept, but also a heroine with struggles, flaws, and desires. I appreciated her desire to find her sister, I appreciated her struggle to not judge her sister's decision to partake in the sex trade, to shame her sister, but also her unwillingness to allow her sister to put children into the trade against their will. I loved her knives, and the women around her who helped Nan become the woman Gryff would fall in love with.

PLUS the secondary characters are also amazing and add so much to the story and the historical setting. Kingston paints a diverse, accurate Medieval world, not ignoring the ugly parts of history.

There are so many details to absorb and love, and I'm so delighted I was given a chance to read this story in advance.

Content warning: There are some stabbings and violence and death, but not to major characters. Both characters have extremely traumatic pasts that are talked about. Nan was threatened with rape many times and physical abused.

**Free copy received in exchange for a fair review.