I love the heroines and heroes in this series. The women are fun and sexy and a whole lot geeky. It’s so refreshing to see them actually be so into their particular thing and own it :) And Nicholas does a fabulous job of giving them heroes who can actually appreciate them.

Maya is totally kick ass – she’s great with kids, strong & athletic, creative & fun … her only problem is that she doesn’t acknowledge limitations. And unfortunately Alex is a hemophiliac, which means that he’s learned to be cautious. It’s not stopped him from living his life, which is so admirable, but he can’t quite throw himself into things with the same enthusiasm that Maya does.

Life has also taught Alex to keep his condition to himself, which you can bet will cause some trouble between the two of them. He spends a lot of time keeping his secrets and trying to separate the different parts of his life. Unfortunately Maya’s go-for-it attitude doesn’t play by those rules :) They will need some good communication and understanding to be able to figure out a place in the middle that will work for both of them. But no one should underestimate Maya – that girls a fighter when things are important.

Entertaining and full of heart, Forever Mine helps cement Nicholas as a must-read author of charming contemporary romances.

(Characters will continue to reappear in each story, since they are such close friends, but it looks like each will stand on its own.)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

I love characters who are a little different and feel very real. Wyatt’s shyness definitely attracted me to this book but Longley’s writing had me falling in love with him. (I get the idea though if I’d read the first book, I’d probably already been in love ;) )

He’s always been an introvert but his scars has only kept him from breaking out of it over the years. When he’s with someone he’s comfortable with he’s a totally different person. And time spent with Kayla has her seeing the playful, funny, caring man he is under his hoodies. And the way he is with her son has everyone’s heart turning over.

Kayla’s hesitation on getting involved with anyone, even the obviously awesome Wyatt, is very understandable. Married early because of a pregnancy, she doesn’t have a lot of experience with happy relationships and finishing school while being a single mom takes up a lot of her energy.

But of course Wyatt is going to be hard to resist and when he finally finds something he wants this bad, he’s not going to give up easily. Even if it means coming out of his shell :)

(Can stand on its own)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

This is a very British book - think Bridget Jones' Diary - and that is going to be the perfect cup of tea for some readers.  But others not so much.  Let me explain  :)

The entire book is from Jenni's perspective as she goes thru a pretty major change in her life.  She's single and has a habit apparently of kissing a few frogs, which she still does while at the same time learning a bit about herself.  There's a lot of self-discovery and growth for Jenni, as well as quite a bit of assuming and misunderstanding.  But she comes out the other side better off ... and with a HEA for herself.  

Unfortunately, while we get a lot of her development and her missteps along the way, we don't actually get a lot of the romance aspect of her eventually finding Mr. Right.  While Mills delivers a great read, it isn't as much of a romance as some readers may like.  

So.  If you are looking for a humorous, heartfelt journey piece with a happy ending then Under the Cherry Tree is definitely for you.  If you are looking for a more traditional love story, maybe come back here once you are in the mood for something a little different.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

I thought that once we'd moved on from Only You it wouldn't matter that I hadn't read any of the other wedding books by Swank ... and I can't figure out if I'm right or not.  I can't find anything about Randy and Brittany but it plays out like these are people that should have been the couple in their own story.  It's kinda strange because I feel like I should know them already but I can't find them anywhere ... unless they are maybe secondary characters?  If they are, then once again the fact that I jumped into a series (kinda) did me a disservice.  If they aren't, then it is a little weird.  (Or maybe I need to work on my memory.)

Overall though the coupling of Tyler and Lanie is a wonderfully entertaining read.  Both Tyler and Lanie have their reasons for avoiding relationships but lucky for them it looks like they've both reached a point in their lives where they are ready for a change.  Their friends are pairing up and it's causing them to evaluate themselves & what they truly want out of life.

And it couldn't have happened at a better time because together these two are just down-right ah-dorable!  It's a hoot as they first try to ignore their attraction and then hide it from her meddling cousin.  There's a few truly hilarious slapstick moments that had me smiling and their verbal sparring is all sass & fun.  While things may have played out a little too conveniently (it is a romance), they have to have a HEA (because it is a romance).  Plus, once you see how Tyler wins his girl, you'll be wishing you had been there to see it  :)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

So I'll be honest, this one is 4-ISH stars for me.  It definitely wasn't a 3 star book but I'm not sure it is a solid 4 either and there are a couple of reasons for it.

Cecilia lies ... and keeps lying.  It's totally understandable how she got into the situation and works well for who they are to each other.  (There are cute little tidbits from the letters between Thomas and Cecilia at the start of each chapter that highlight this wonderfully.)  Yes, there are opportunities for her to come clean after Edward wakes up, but Quinn makes her reasoning for keeping her secret believable.  He's having enough trouble dealing with his memory issues so you totally get why she chooses not to but it definitely makes things difficult for them.  And there are some readers who probably won't appreciate the continued lying.

It's also set in American during the Revolutionary War, which is a bit of a change for Quinn readers.  We're used to lords and ladies causing trouble for each other in London or the English countryside.  While we don't get a lot of the actual war, Quinn does do a good job of delivering the less pleasant parts for us and it gives the book a gritty feel.

While the beginning is a little slow - with the lying and not remembering - the book definitely picks up as they delve deeper into what happened to Thomas and deal with their deepening relationship.  Of course the truth comes out, causing a bit of havoc for them, but leads to a really great ending  :)  Quinn writes some of the best historical romances out there and she definitely has some major skills, which are on display here.  The characters are detailed and you totally are there with them as they find themselves in a pretty awkward situation, rooting them on to what surely will be a HEA.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

This is the first of Bennett’s books that I’ve read and I really enjoyed it. It’s been a while since I’ve read a historical romance and this one reminded me why I enjoy them so much.

As is typical, Alex displays Duke-ish behavior and keeps too many things to himself and if he’d only share it would take care of so much of his troubles. Instead Beth makes a lot of assumptions, very few of them good, and gets herself into the occasional bit of trouble.

The whodunit part isn’t a huge part of the story, other than as a catalyst to these two getting together and living HEA. But when the truth comes out it definitely is an interesting revelation and works well with the rest of the story.

Together, they make a great couple – trying so hard to avoid their attraction but with a lot of sass when they inevitably fail. Cute and fun, with some laughs and a few moments of danger, I Dared the Duke is a light-hearted read for those who like their men in cravats and their women hiding backbones under their corsets.

(Can easily stand on its own)

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

**potentially minor spoilers ahead**

I feels so bad for Jules and her siblings. While Ruggle never gives you 100% of what her stepmom did to them, you get enough to know it really wasn’t good. And that she didn’t have a lot of choice but to get them out any way she could. It’s not an easy choice but she tried to go the normal route and get legal custody but was thwarted time and again. When you run out of options and you are desperate …

They end up in a little mountain town in Colorado. And in the sights of a sexy, but super broody, K9 cop. He’s dealing with some issues of his own, which makes him not the best of company right now. Throw in a jumpy waitress who has reason to be afraid of the law and it sends his spidey senses tingling :)

I’m not sure how realistic it is to think that someone who is on the run would have ANYTHING to do with someone who could easily throw them in jail – and there is a lot of back and forth about it – but Theo does give her reason to trust him. The fact that he so easily lets her keep her secret also might not be all that realistic but he’s willing to believe his gut that says she’s a good person and see how it plays out. And since it looks like there is a chance that the rest of this series will be interconnected with Jules, we may get to see how that goes.

So that’s her side, but there is a whole other part of the story about his issues with the death of his partner, trouble with his new K9 partner, plus some baddies that do deadly things around town. It all meshes well into a romantic suspense story that will have you caught up until the final unmasking … and ready to find out what happens when the next cop finds himself falling for a girl with trouble on her tail.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

I read the first book, Calling It, and fell in love with Doyle’s writing.  She delivers down to earth, regular people who are engaging and interesting but not too full of drama.  Their problems seem normal and relatable, and you finish the book feeling like you just made friends.  In Called Out she once again givers her readers characters that they can fall for and a story that captivates. 

If you read Calling It you remember Jack because he was Nate’s best friend … until Jack slept with Nate’s fiancé … and got her pregnant.  If you haven’t read it, don’t worry – Doyle makes sure you know all about it  :)  But what we didn’t get before were a lot of details and no we get Jack’s side of the story! 

And I feel so bad for the guy.  His childhood, while privileged, was awful.  His parents were (and still are) emotionally abusive, so Jack has a hard time truly valuing his worth off the baseball field.  He’s never really let himself get involved, with anyone.  Until Nate.  And he screwed it up, publicly and big time.  Now he’s going to do what he can to at least salvage his career because he doesn’t feel like he can really expect anything more. 

Lola is struggling to raise four boys on her own but she has a great support system of friends and family.  And that includes Nate.  So being attracted to the man who treated him so terribly is definitely not something she wants.  But as she spends time with Jack it gets harder and harder to resist him.  Especially when she finds out there is more to the man that the cold demeanor he’s shown the world. 

Mouthy, flirty, sexy Jack is so much fun.  And he just loves getting under Lola’s skin, which is such a hoot.  She’s not afraid to give back, though, which is fun as well.  But it's when Jack’s secrets and fears start coming out that we truly start to understand the man.  That’s when he steals our hearts.

Emotionally-driven but humorous and fun, Doyle delivers a powerhouse romance that's the perfect summer read.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

Drew is at a crossroads in his life – his hockey career is over and he has no idea where he’s going to go next.  He’s wallowing in self-pity and just treading water.  And then he finds out he has a 12 years old daughter he never knew about and he’s got to decide whether he is ready to part of her life.  It’s not easy for him, especially since her mother is facing a serious health crisis so whatever decision he makes has to be made soon. 

Peyton is kinda at a crossroads of her own.  Her job is in NYC but her sister and niece need her in Chicago.  She’s doing the best she can to juggle caring for her sister, helping her niece, and keeping up with her work.  Bringing in a former hockey player with lots of baggage just adds to her load.  Especially when there are sparks between them that are hard to ignore. 

This is an emotion packed book – between the health issue, the newly found dad, work problems, life problems, tween problems … there’s a lot going on here but Jamieson keeps it real.  While I doubt a lot of people ever have to worry about a long-lost child appearing, there are all sorts of forks in the road that we have to face.  These are very relatable events and they are delivered in a way that draws you in, keeping your heart engaged & your tear ducts on notice  :)  These people aren’t perfect and they make mistakes along the way, but they face things head on, do the best they can and work it out.  We should all hope that we have their strength, courage, and heart when we need them.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

This is the absolutely perfect beach/summer read (even more so since it is set in the Cape ... on the Cape?  Whatever - there is sand involved.)  Cole brings the right amount of fun in the sun, humor with heart, and characters that capture your attention.  

Kurt is fantastic from the beginning.  He's a little OCD and likes to be alone while he writes.  And pretty much all he does is write, but when happy-go-lucky Leanna comes crashing into his life she quickly stirs things up.  Like the awesome guy he is, though, he takes it in stride - there is no angst or drama over her bubbliness to his stoicism.  Instead she helps to bring him out of his shell, reminding him that there is more to life than his books, and that he needs to get out to enjoy it.  

And he complements her as well.  She's been drifting for years but she seems to have found a calling in her jam business.  Unfortunately she doesn't have a clue what it means to really go after this as a career, but with some help from her friends and the support that Kurt gives her she starts to figure things out.  

This is a super sweet romance, with just enough heat to keep your attention but without ever getting too explicit.  (I haven't read this series by Foster, but I'm definitely curious if Kurt was a little less refined in the original  :) )  The story is very smooth and moves along at a good pace - very realistic with Kurt and Leanna getting to know each other, figuring out whether they fit together, and (of course) falling in love.  There's a ton of friends introduced here so it looks like we'll have plenty of stories to keep us entertained ... and I'm looking forward to every one!

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***