Well, confirming again I care not for romances with mystery subplots, another DNF for 2021. I am also in a terrible reading mood/slump, so I'm DNF'ing frequently and liberally. The hero and heroine's banter was good, but not enough to hold my interest, especially with the frequent time jumps ahead, skipping a lot of the backstory behind their emotional connection. I think I got to about 30%?

I DID IT. I finished a darn book. It took me forever, but it isn't the book's fault, it is life.

I was excited to read a Robin Covington, and this was a fun category romance featuring some digital sleuthing, tech, and revenge. The sparks and heat between curvy bombshell Tess and CEO/billionaire Adam were immediate and sexy. I just wasn't focusing on the subplot about Tess wanted to bring down Adam's adoptive father (lying/deceiving Adam in the process), and was more interested in her work to find Adam's siblings who I'm sure will get their own stories.

And then spoiler alert

after deciding to forgo a condom because Tess is on BC and they are both tested with no STDs, Tess still ends up pregnant, because she was taking antibiotics close to when this happened. I should have seen the baby plot coming but didn't, and meh, I just didn'dt dlove that part. Not my favorite

.

Sometimes, when you are in a big reading slump, you just need a romp between a Lady sword master, a Laird, and his second hand man, plus a tourney. The fact swords cross not only on the tournament field but also in the bed just makes this all the better.

Davidson knows how to bring heart and care to her characters, and this was just so much fun to read. Hits me right in the nostalgia for cartoon fox Robin Hood.

Thank you to the author for the ARC.

<3 Morality Chain
<3 Hate to love
<3 sick bed scene with cranky spoon feeding
<3 sexy bath tub time with voyeurism and self-pleasure
<3 He messes up and gifts her flowers (which she hates) and then figures it out and buys her AN ENTIRE LIBRARY

When a Rogue Meets His Match is the Elizabeth Hoyt I adore, a hero you *might* want to yeet into the sun at first but ultimately fall head over heels for, probably after you discover you too would rub a washcloth all over his chest.

I will say Gideon taking advantage of his position to wed the woman he's pined for was a bit oh boy, that's a lot, but ultimately I forgave him, and we also get over him wanting to murder her brother too.

Super fun, super hot. Highly recommend.

Slump buster again thanks to Melissa Blue (last time it was [b:Charming Scottish Bastard|54456527|Charming Scottish Bastard (Under the Kilt, #7)|Melissa Blue|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594332621l/54456527._SX50_.jpg|84982258], highly recommend)!

A kindergarten teacher finds out the sexy dad who's been breaking hearts of staff at the school she teaches at now has his son in her classroom. Jake is grumpy, quiet, and sort of mysterious, but seems to really be one people find hard to forget. After some flirting, texts, and a vomit-clean up situation in her classroom, Bailey finds she is seeing the appeal.

I loved Bailey, she is an amazing educator and friend, and this was just a super fun novella. I don't always like romance novels with kids, but this is a perfect example of one that is in my wheelhouse. The kid is cute, acts his age, and isn't just put on the sidelines mysteriously when convenient. Finding out more of Jake and his son's story along the way was also a lovely part of the romance.

**Bailey is Black, Jake is white, his son is biracial.

CW: puke cleanup (no puking on page), death (secondary, off page).

Super fun listen, I enjoyed the narrators very much (there are three), and I had really no idea what to expect from these characters. The chapters in B's POV were my favorite and Rachel Hawkins is just a great author I'll keep reading as long as she keeps putting out books.

Thank you to LibroFM for the advanced listening copy.

I was not confident that John Modesto-Whitford would be able to redeem himself after starting his blind date with Mary Trace by saying "I was expecting someone younger" but wow does Bastone make me a believer in this meet-disaster friends-to-lovers romance.

Mary Trace loves to flirt, loves love, but is also super tired of her mother sending her articles about aging and infertility, tired of being worried she's seen as old. She doesn't feel old. But then her six-years younger blind date, a "good boy" per his mother, calls her old. She walks out, and is ready to move on.

But John's mother is Mary's good friend and an artist who's work Mary carries at her home goods shop. And his mother will not allow John's rudeness to stand. John apologizes, and it is a good apology.

They form a friendship, and soon find themselves both pining for the other, but not believing the other could possible want them.

Seriously, you will be begging for these two to kiss, but when they do you will have loved every minute they made you wait.

I especially loved the exploration of John feeling inadequate because he's a paycheck to paycheck court appointed lawyer with student loans. He lives in a studio apartment, and often cannot afford to take a date out, or get an extra drink at the bar. He thinks Mary, a well-to-do small business woman who comes from a well-to-do family, judges him for his life (she doesn't), much like she thinks he judges her for her age (he doesn't). A lot to chew on, including Mary's grief over losing her best friend some time ago.

Bastone is a voice I'm now eager to keep reading. The audiobook narrator was also exceptional, and did a great job making the various characters sound distinct.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, and LibroFM and HarperCollins for the ALC.

I devoured this absolutely tender and sexy contemporary marriage of convenience romance from Zoe York, just like I would main character Isla's bake sale treats. I adore a marriage of convenience romance but they are so hard to pull off in a contemporary. I accepted the premise that the person selling the bakery for $1 wanted a married resident of Pine Harbour easily and it was the best ride.

I especially loved how Adam Kincaid respected Isla from the beginning. She was his commanding officer in the military and they had no romantic relationship at all during that time. She's older, he was under her command. It was strictly professional, and then after time and distance, they hooked up for a night but both agreeing it was just as friends. Isla's story of betrayal and hurt, and Adam's respect of her heart and feelings was so absolutely love to see, and then how they both slowly fell for each other as their marriage went on.

I don't want to say much more about the plot, but I did want to mention this is a great romance with no sudden third act breakup, there are rocky moments, but this fit the narrative of the story to perfection.

I'm adoring this spin-off series and cannot wait for more! Plus, there's a huge backlist of titles in the original Pine Harbor series if you need more while waiting!

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

I kind of love when a favorite author just surprise drops a brand new book for me to glom and enjoy. The Sweetest Fix indeed, as this helped pull me out of my bad slump. Totally Tessa Bailey brain candy, I thoroughly enjoyed this chubby baker, his bake shop, and the plucky dancer from Wisconsin who immediately stole his heart. This read very much like a modern fairy tale, with slightly magical elements like a friendly Pokemon cosplayer with all the right advice, a chance meeting, a fateful audition.

If you love Tessa Bailey, this will hit you in all the right spots in your heart and loins. Brain candy and delicious, serve me up a cake pop please!

CW cisgendered language, secrets, all white NYC.

When a single-mom struggling to make ends meet after losing her main job sees an ad promising satisfaction, she obviously thinks it is just a scam. Until she installs the app, and Drystan appears. Drystan is part of a demon service, guaranteed to bring the person satisfaction in 28 days. And mom Heidi is aghast, but also intrigued, and also thinking if maybe Drystan could just watch her kids while she takes a night job until she can find something better, she can finally make ends meet.

I'm just so fucking delighted by this story. Verity does an amazing job of showing how much of a cinnamon roll Drystan is and how much joy and family he ends up bringing to Heidi and her kids. Trust me, you'll love the frilly aprons, the cat statutes, and all. What a true joy.

The author provides a list of CWs at the beginning of the book.