Mia Thrush, she of the designer clothes, perfect hair, and New Yorker to the core, is aghast she's being sent to a horse farm B&B to essentially baby-sit her best PR client's 19-year-old daughter and ensure the teen doesn't shirk her community service hours.

This city girl also isn't thrilled with the boorish, bearded, ex-special forces man who's going to be in charge of her ward, especially after she embarrasses herself in front of him right off the bat.

But, as they say, opposites attract, and both Mia and Ethan grow to appreciate their differences while bonding over their sexual attraction and love for doing what is right.

I enjoyed the story, but there is a lot going on in it. Ethan is brilliant, with a diagnosed by the heroine "god-complex," and he's just a bit too perfect. I also really enjoyed when they were in their enemies stage, but when they finally kissed it felt like they fell in love a bit too quickly.

Definitely ticks off the "Hero smells like Man" box on my Ripped Bodice Summer 2018 Bingo Card. Mentioned at least five times.

A beautifully arranged craft book for the pro-DIY'er. Lovely, full color photographs of each project with clear steps on how to accomplish them. This book is not for the faint of heart, the newbie, or those on a budget, as most of the projects require a long list of materials to achieve the results. I did appreciate the included templates at the back and enjoyed reading about the various techniques used to achieve the details on each paper plant. Will definitely add to my library's collection.

Woman propositions old friend who is know for his bedroom skills but only does one night stands because he's uber-damaged after the unfortunate death of his fiancee ten years ago, but of course she is the one woman who can make him love again.

The overall storyline was pretty blah for me, but the sex scenes were great. Alas, I totally hated the heroine's nickname and all of the times the hero used it or made up a new play on it. "Honey" was probably said at least 100 times.

My only problem with this darn book was it was just a bit too short for me! I want more Nikolas and Aria!

When recently retired due to an injury and rich as all get out international football star Nikolas sees Aria for the first time, he instantly falls into love. Aria, skeptical of the suddenly smitten footballer, shrugs him off until he convinces her to be his fake girlfriend during a hedonistic trip to Spain. He needs her "protection" from all of the people who want to sleep with him.

Aria agrees, for a price, and packs up her "sox" (I'll let you figure out what that is haha) and heads off to Spain. She is swept up in Nik's glamorous life, but finds he's utterly charming. Which is scary. She can't fall in love with this guy!

What commences is a sexy, erotic, and fun love story sure to please even the most jaded of hearts.

Scientist Hope Jahren intersperses her fascinating career with equally fascinating botany facts. A highly readable and illuminating memoir.

I especially enjoyed reading Jahren's experiences with her fraternal life-partner, her non-biological brother Bill. What a treat.

Also enjoyed discussing the book with my Book to Art Club. We created faux-cacti planters!

Vaughan De Matteo, recently returned from an yet another overseas deployment, finds out he fathered a child four years ago with his one true love, the woman he left behind at home in order to give her a better life, in order for her to get out of their crumbling small town.

River Purcell never left Hook, New Jersey. She had her heart crushed by the love of her life and became pregnant all in the same day. She's raised her daughter by working hard, juggling two jobs, and she isn't ready to have Vaughn swoop in to "save the day." She doesn't need a man.

What River doesn't know is the real reason Vaughan left her crying in that cheap hotel room, and he has some hard work cut out convincing her he's back for good and has always loved her.

This is a very angsty romance with a wonderfully strong heroine. I disliked some of Vaughan's reasons for leaving her and his resistance in spilling the beans, especially since the external factor keeping them apart is easily solved by a conversation.

That said, this is super sexy. Vaughan refused to have sex with River until she turned 18, and there is some quite steamy scenes revolving around those flashbacks.

One of my most anticipated reads of 2018 and I just. Wow. I was only mad I had silly life/work to interrupt one of the best slow burn and STEAMY romances I've read in recent times. I actually finished days ago and I've not been able to really formulate a coherent review, except you will definitely want The Kiss Quotient as soon as you can get your hands on a copy.

Helen Hoang is amazing, fresh new voice that I cannot wait to get more from. Her characters pop off the page and are trope defying. Stella's autism, while an important part of the story and the reason why she hires a sex worker, is presented honestly and lovingly.

Berkeley Romance is hitting it out of the park with their recent offerings (if you haven't read The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory yet, what are you waiting for).

Listened to the audio book and holy wow, the narrator did an amazing job of lighting fire to my face while driving to work! She was great switching between Stella and Michael's voices, along with the rest of the cast of characters.

Michael can be my boyfriend forever. Please and thank you. This sex scenes are especially sexy because of Michael's verbal requests for consent. Delicious.

I was lucky to secure an ARC from Bookish First. Thank you!

Brit Robbins is frustrated. She's gainfully employed at a successful men's magazine, she's not bad looking, she's extremely fun. But, she's apparently not long-term girlfriend material. So, when her latest boyfriend amicably breaks up with her, Brit decides she needs some advice.

And who better to ask than her best friend and boss Hunter Cross? Hunter is firmly in her friend zone, but also a serial dater and pretty sexy, now that she looks at him.

Hunter can't believe his bestie wants to pretend date him, but goes with it because he wants nothing more than for Brit to be happy. But, as these things do, Brit and Hunter begin to realize maybe it was their friendship all along that was meant to be something more.

Pretty cute contemporary romance. Friends to lovers isn't my favorite trope, as I see it as reinforcing the stereo-type men and women can't just be friends. Plus, the way some of the office politics worked out was just a bit too convenient and super unrealistic. No dating policy for direct reports? I doubt it.

That said, a fun read and I'll definitely go back to read the others in the series which I hadn't read before this one. Don't worry, I Think I Love You completely stands on its own.

Renner Bastion, uptight CEO and recent-owner of the factory that keeps most of Hook, New Jersey employed, also seems to have acquired an unofficial body-guard. Frustrating, wise-ass, tattooed, and beautiful Milo Bautista seems out to make Renner's life a living hell, especially since Renner cannot and will not lust after one of his employees. No way.

Milo Bautista is entranced by the strict, cold, and sexy as all get out Renner. He's confused and irritated by his overprotective and lusty feelings for the man, not because he's confused about his recently discovered bisexuality, but because Milo thought he wanted to pursue a relationship with a different man.

What follows is sexy as hell M/M romance featuring two people who are absolutely perfect for each other, and just need to KISS ALREADY. I loved watching starchy Renner reluctantly teach Milo how to please a man, "reluctantly" yep. I loved the real dilemma preventing their HEA, and I most especially liked that this wasn't a tortured "I can't believe I have feelings for a man but I must have him anyway" angsty story. Milo is adorably cute, hot as hell, and alpha in the streets, beta in the sheets.

A bit of a May-December romance as well for those who are into that. Love Tessa Bailey!

"He was wearing reading glasses, half glasses that made him look completely paradoxical—the intellectual warrior, or the thug librarian."

Okay, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Tom Paoletti is a delight. He's 36, used to have a ponytail but is now balding, is ripped, and can save you from pretty much any disaster, but he'll let you help along the way. Total beta-cinnamon roll wrapped in a SEALs exterior. I thoroughly enjoyed his struggles with his head injury that caused him to doubt his mind, his sanity, and his life choices as he tries to decide if he's actually seeing an infamous international terrorist in his hometown or if he's imagining the whole thing.

This was my first Brockmann and I had a great time reading this story. Her style is a little different than I'm used to. There are THREE love stories to follow, and a huge cast of supporting characters, so I felt a little cheated as I wanted more from all of the stories. Tom's niece Mallory's character ARC was especially great, and I really would have just liked a whole book about her finding her place and her HEA with the comic book drawing "nerd" she falls in love with. Maybe they'll show up again in future novels?

I could have done with less of the flashback scenes about Charles, Joe, and their torrid, emotionally unstable love for the French resistance fighter. At first I was kind of hoping Charles and Joe, WWII vets and heroes, would actually be in love with each other.

Also, spoiler alert,

Spoiler

I felt Kate got over the "heroic" death of her cancer-riddled father by making sure he was the only one blown up by the terrorist bomb a little too quickly

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