Magda thinks she's finally found the perfect job, but is struggling to keep her head above water and her student debt while also trying to sell her grumpy Uncle's Harlem townhouse and the vacant lot next door which isn't quite so vacant. She's also beginning to have feelings for the handsome Tyson Yang even though he's actively working to prevent her from selling the property to anyone but his community garden friends.

Two people who are chafing at their respective circumstances find out they may just be perfect for each other, but need to figure out if they are willing to risk giving up what they both think they need in order to be together.

Sweet and oh so steamy, I loved this! Absolutely delicious consent featuring a blackout, a rooftop, and a sleeping bag that doesn't survive the sexy times. Also some great phone sex.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

My god, this book. What a ride. I listened to this on audio (FANTASTIC narrators), and I was on the edge of my seat for the entire experience. I cannot even begin to say how compelling Kennedy Ryan is as a writer, as she turned every one of my preconceptions over what I typically don't like in romance on its head.

One thing you must know before going in, Banner, the heroine, is constantly talking about her weight, her diet, and her appearance. The first break between her and Jared was because of being called fat, being seen naked, being shamed. I felt overall the rep was well done, but it is A LOT. I was feeling in an okay place, but just be aware. I don't want anyone to be hurt.

There are many CW, see my spoiler at the bottom.

The TENSION. My god. The sheer heat between Banner and Jared about lit my hair on fire. I also wanted to rip my hair out of my head. My hair was in a lot of danger reading this story.

Beautifully flawed characters, compelling and realistic drama, settings, and wow. Just wow. BUT I don't think I can read or listen to another Kennedy Ryan book for a little while because I'm very overwhelmed. So good, but definitely an author I will enjoy slowly, for my own hair's health!

CW

Cheating, fatphobia, public shaming, heroine calls another woman a whore, then cheats, thinks she is a whore, heroine's mother calls her a whore. Banner's boyfriend Zo is diagnosed with an incurable illness (HE DOES NOT DIE). There are probably more, but this is what stuck out to me

The audio book narrators are A+. The male narrator perfectly captures Cal's growly, tall tree-ness, and is super hot. Phew. Highly recommend the audio. Five stars!

I re-read Before Girl after bingeing all of the Walshes books, and sigh, I loved it even more the second time around because I could really appreciate all of the secondary characters (who are from the Walshes). Seeing Nick and Erin, happily ever after, I die.

After being startled by some sort of mutant creature, or probably just a rabid racoon, Stella Allesandro is then plowed over by an entirely different sort of creature, a much sexier one.

Dr. Cal Hartshorn is a super tall, ex-Army Ranger now cardio-thoracic surgeon. He's been eyeing Stella for eight months during his morning run and it took him running her over to get her attention. Stella had no idea he existed, but she's now super interested.

Sparks fly, but Sports Agent and super-fixer Stella isn't interested in forever, just for right now. But Cal is out to show her he's here for the long-run, no matter how long it takes.

Super adorable AND super steamy, my favorite type of romance. It was also nice to see a 40-something and mid-30s something have a romance, as I often doubt the veracity of super young characters (mid-20s) having super hot shot careers. I loved that Stella was a sexually confident woman, I loved her color-coded digital calendar of hookup appointments, I loved everything about her. I was also in total five-star mode for this book until the final conflict which I felt was a bit out of character for Cal, and then he wasn't the one to grovel? What?

All in all, my first Canterbary and I will be back for more!

If you haven't read the Surrey SFS books yet, what are you waiting for, and maybe do that first before picking up this holiday novella. All the romantic partnerships get their due and sexy times in basically an extended epilogue as they gather for a holiday celebration. Super delightful and as always Davidson shows happily ever after for all in a variety of ways. Super sexy and a jolly good time.

I adored watching this gruff, grumpy, and haughty-nosed theater critic turn into a squishy mess for the bubbly and engaging stage actress! Watching an icy hero melt for a heroine is one of my favorite things!

The many allusions to Austen’s work and the sheer elan takes with using theater as another character in her story is a joy to read!

Also, I'm going to use this book as a "bridge to romance" for some of my friends and library patrons who are mystery fans. There is just enough suspense to make them happy, while also introducing them to the romance genre! While the sex scenes are definitely on page, I feel they are super joyful and I wouldn't think too hard about "who" I recommend this too.

There is a fabulous moment where the heroine tells the hero she cannot enjoy penetrative sex during a certain time of the month, and the way he reacts is A+ consent at its very best!

While this is book 4 in a series, I’ve *gasp* not read the others, and this one completely stands alone. I’m definitely going to be picking up the others though!

I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review! Thank you!

I recently finished reading an ARC of Cat Sebastian’s A Delicate Deception which features two disarmingly lovely and grumpy people falling head over heels for each other, slowly but surely, after they keep running into each other on their morning jaunts.

Extremely tall Sydney with his stern eyebrows but kissable mouth and reclusive Lady Amelia Allenby living her best life free of the ballrooms and anxieties that plagued her in London society are an absolute treat.

I always adore how Cat Sebastian handles and subverts romance tropes. Lady Amelia's nonchalance about her "deflowering" yet her supreme happiness with being with Sydney was just *chef's kiss* lovely. This story also is absolutely queer, and I loved how the happily ever after worked out for both characters.

If you can’t wait for A Delicate Deception, Cat Sebastian has a wonderful back list of amazing titles you can jump in to right away!

I reviewed from a free copy downloaded from Edelweiss+

I liked a lot about this Christmas novella from Kindle Unlimited. The heat level is high and the hero spends a lot of time between the heroine's legs. Heck yes. Logan is a tall, grumpy tree and knows how to take the time to make his love interest feel really good.

I also really appreciated the discussion of money, budgeting, and having to do without. Emma is barely making ends meet as she recently started her new job at the carpentry company and is waiting for that first check. Emma's also spent most of her life in the foster care system and has no family, unlike Logan who is working at the same place, but it is his father's business.

What I didn't much care for was the insta-love. I wish we had a bit more context between Logan's desire to wife up Emma besides her being hot and vulnerable. The constant talk about "balancing" debts between them was also kind of squicky for me, as well as Logan's position of power. Logan is the business owner's son, and their star designer. There's no way he wouldn't have a sway in hiring decisions and Emma's fate if things went South. But, they didn't and otherwise this was a fun, sexy romp.

Before filming a PBS episode of Who Do You Think You Are, Alan Cumming's father revealed that he was not, in fact, his biological father. Alternating between the past and details of his father's emotional and physical abuse and his present day search for his roots, Cumming's memoir is poignant, searing, surprising, and absolutely riveting.

I listened to this on audiobook, which I highly recommend as Cumming is a natural story teller and narrator.

My first Loretta Chase and wow, what a treasure! I read this as part of the FatedMates "Books that Blooded Me" podcast and I'm so glad I did! The insults and banter Lady Jessica and Dain fling back and forth at each are GOLD. Such animosity, such lust, so smoldering. I was a bit dubious at first, because the prologue is very hard to get through. I wanted to go and murder Sebastian's terrible father and then go beat up all the boys at Eton, every single one of them. So, careful reading through, but it is all supremely important in building Dain's character.

Lady Jessica is a damn queen, and I'm ride or die for her for all time. I loved her attitude about marriage, her frankness about being in lust with Dain, her complete and utter unwillingness to let him get away with being a shit or for saying shitty things, especially about women. I really appreciated Lady Jessica's approach to Dain's previous lovers, no slut shaming here!

And wow, when they had that argument about who would tame who, boom went my ovaries. Lady Jess telling Dain he would be eating out of her hand, on his knees, so hot.

I need to find an old copy of this for my shelf!