Desta Joy Walker has finally come back to Ethiopia, a country his mom and dad hold beloved in their hearts, but also the place his father died. Determined to work hard but also find time to enjoy his time in Addis Abba and maybe a little closure, Desta isn't expecting to also find maybe the love of his life.

And while Desta and Elias are clearly pining for each other, both are wary to express their feelings because it is dangerous not just for their hearts but for Elias's life. While fighting and exploring their feelings for each other, Desta needs to decide whether it is time to tell his mother that her and his father's dreams are not his and Elias needs to decide if he's ready to move to America to begin his doctoral program and perhaps explore what it means to be a gay man in a country where he would have more rights.

Told entirely from Desta's POV, this is an utterly emotional and ultimately full of joy romance that will leave you feeling you are sitting next to Desta and Elias in Ethiopia. A celebration of finding oneself while also losing your heart, a triumph for Herrera.

I received a free copy from the author for review. Thank you!

CW: death of a parent (in the past), lingering grief issues, homophobia (societal), fear of being outed

Owen Kincaid is ready to embrace his bachelor life best self, dreaming of turning his 18 year-old daughter's room into a home gym and maybe, just maybe starting to date. But life has a funny way of playing with your plans as Owen finds out he's actually about to take on a new title, that of grandpa.

Owen is determined to be there for his daughter, even if some of his own experiences as a teen father cause him to worry, even if his daughter's midwife is making him have some very un-grandfatherly thoughts.

Deftly navigating issues of pregnancy, professionalism, and the hurdles life throw's in our way, this is a heartfelt and deliciously steamy romance. I adored Owen and Kerry's heated banter, figuring out they really do like each other, and fighting to stay away until it is okay for them to try. Oh the pining and the very real fear of falling in love with someone who you know is wrong for your long term plan. I always worry a bit about characters changing their mind about babies, but York did an amazing job navigating this plot point.

While York has many other romances set in Pine Harbor and other characters/couples do show up in Reckless Heart, this is an amazing place to start even for a newbie.

Thank you to Netgallely for the ARC!

Princesa Sofia Maria Isabel de Esperanza y Santos, the "party princess," agrees to a fake relationship with the washed up rock star who broke her heart so many years ago. Aish Salinger has pined for Sofia for all the years they've been apart and hopes he can atone for the sins of his past.

I love Sofia, she's prickly and stubborn and determined to reach for success. I wasn't as enthralled with Aish or the rest of the romance ARC. The use of long flashback chapters also isn't always may favorite narrative style, and I was really worried about some things that are discovered about why/how Aish broke Sofia's heart.

The sex scenes were quite delicious, and thank you to the author for the SUPERB fainting couch scene. YAY.

I also think I was not in the mood for this book, so YMMV.

CW: alcohol use, gas lighting, sexual assault (discussed, in the past), suicide (discussed, in the past), may be more. I was skimming towards the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

A former groupie finds her new financial advising client is her last big score, the drummer she spent an erotic week with years ago, a man she thought she's never see again. Now a buttoned up professional, Mena is relieved Grip doesn't recognize her. She's probably just one of many other women he's been with, right?

But as it turns out Mena holds a special place in Grip's heart, which she soon learns as he waxes poetic about the one who got away.

Loved the angst and the simmering heat between Mena and Grip and how Mena is ashamed of her past (just done with that chapter), but how Mena lied by camouflaging a tattoo she has on her hip to make sure Grip continues to not know they HAVE actually met before bothered me. I get why she hid her identity at first, but if you are willing to jeopardize your career and sleep with someone, maybe it is time to fess up.

Loved the epilogue with the rest of the characters!

What I love best about a Kate Canterbary romance is how tightly focused the story is on the love interests. There are only rare moments where they are not together on page (be it in person or via electronic communication) and oh the banter sparkles.

Boss in the Bedsheets is an exceptionally tightly focused tale loosely based on the Hades/Persephone myth. Ash and Zelda meet on a plane after a seat switch up and BANG goes their relationship from the start. Having Ash reading Zelda's resume as she sits next to him is highly amusing and seeing how quickly their relationship goes from oh sure I'll hire you to actually how about we give this dating thing the ol' college try is a whirlwind of fun.

Ash is buttoned up and tightly wound but completely turns into a dirty mouthed growly guy who just wants to take a bit out of Zelda's a** and give her all the orgasms. His family, we met his triplet sister Magnolia in The Magnolia Chronicles, is also super fun.

I felt really sad that Zelda had no other friends or family in her life she could count on, and I'm glad Ash turned out to be a great guy with a great family, because well, that could have been a whole other story.

All in all a delightfully dirty romp and a fun read.

*CW: emotional abuse (in the past), fat phobia (secondary character is lamenting have to crash diet to fit in her too small wedding dress, comments and jokes are made about her eating/diet, alcohol use, medical scene (Ash has a dislocated arm).

thank you to the author for the review copy!

Reese Ryan writes delicious and amazing category romances (Oh these Bourbon Brothers), and Reunion of Rivals was a perfect slump buster for me.

A perfect trope-tastic blend of all the things I adore, Max Abbott having to contend with the very real feelings he still feels for Quinn Bazemore while also realizing he has some things to grovel for was so much fun to read.

Also fulfills the "Apple Orchard" square on my Ripped Bodice 2020 Summer Reading Bingo Card, yay!

Thank you to the publisher for the free review copy!

The promise of this amazing title is more than upheld in this quick, dirty, and romantic novella from Nicole Falls. Best read snuggled up in the covers and all in one go, Jane and Nigel's one night stand turning into the best happily ever after was so good.

Highly recommend.

Widowed dad Sebastian Dorner has spent two years using the simple checklist his son's kindergarten teacher gave him, a list necessitated by the painful realization he was begin to neglect his child in his grief. Settling in to their new reality including a school change and a new career, Sebastian is ready to start dating again.

Sebastian, in his early 40s, is aghast to discover he has the biggest crush on his son's former teacher, who is now a new guidance counselor at his son's school. Via DeRosa is in her mid-20s and cannot possibly be interested in dating an old dad like him, right?

Just a Heartbeat Away is one of those slow-burning romances that make you want to yell JUST KISS ALREADY but totally pays off in the end. I admit this one was really starting to drag by the middle. Via really needed to dump her boyfriend and I wish more of her interaction with him had been left off the page. He was blah, bye boy. But that said, Via and Sebastian's slow dance to finally smashing their faces together was paid off in glorious heat.

Bastone has a way with words and emotions that will have me coming back for more! The secondary characters are also well drawn, the kid is not just a plot moppet, and difficulties of grief and Via's complicated emotions surrounding her childhood after being placed in the foster system are handled with care and add to the story. There is a dog, but it kind of came in and out of the story. Set in NYC, this felt like a small-town contemporary at times. I am glad I gave this one a chance!

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy!

While on her way up to her sister's hotel room, Alexa gets stuck in the elevator with a hunky white guy who steals her purse snacks along with her heart.

Pediatric surgeon Drew is in San Francisco as a reluctant groomsman in his ex's wedding sans-date. When he gets stuck in the elevator with the adorable Alexa he can't help but ask her to be his fake girlfriend.

Alexa agrees even though she'll need to put some of her important work for the Mayor on the back burner, she hardly knows the guy, and he can't even tell her if she'll be the only black person at the wedding.

Both think they'll enjoy the weekend, but all the fake lovey-dovey stuff is just a mask for very real sparks. Thus, despite their busy careers they begin alternating weekends in each other's lives. Neither is sure if the other is in for more than a fling and both fret about the very real issues that threaten their burgeoning romance.

Told in alternating POVs, this is a delightful romance by a wonderful new voice! Wrap this one up for your best gal-entine!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

When a video of thick-thighed campus security guard Zafir Ansari carrying PhD student and teacher Dani Brown out of a campus building like a super hero goes viral, launching #DrRugbae as the best ship of the season, the two friends who already had decided to have some fun and absolutely CASUAL sex decide why not take advantage of their new notoriety for the sake of Zaf's kids' charity? IT IS FOR THE CHILDREN.

Of course when two idiots who are already in love decide on a sex pact, it doesn't take long for the feelings to start becoming clear. But Dani is definitely not interested in any sort of relationship. Nope not at all. Even if Zaf seems to be absolutely in love with her as a whole, quirks and all.

Hibbert just nails it every time and god I loved this one. Dani's academic drive and the stress that comes along with it is perfectly captured. And Zaf? What a babe.

The author includes CWs at the beginning of the story.

Thank you to Avon for the advanced reading copy!