Showing posts with label Romantic Comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romantic Comedy. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

ARC Review: Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey

Home for the Homicides

Author:
Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey
Series: The Holly & Mark Mystery Series (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (October 13, 2026)

Description: 'Tis the season . . . for murder.

When Special Agents Holly Frost and Mark Shepherd report to the idyllic town of Christmas to investigate a very less than idyllic murder, they’re in for more than the average whodunnit.


Welcome to Christmas, a town so cozy and charming it could be the backdrop of a Hallmark movie, where crime is never in season and it’s the holidays all year round. So when a tourist is found stabbed to death by an icicle ornament in the middle of the town nativity scene, the local police are out of their depth―after all, how do you find a criminal in a town where crime doesn't exist?

The stakes are high: the whole town is relying on Holly and Mark to solve the crime before the annual Jingle Bell Jubilee festival (which naturally the town's entire economic survival relies on), plus, whichever of them cracks the case will receive a promotion to Major Crimes―and there's only one spot.

Holly and Mark are both on thin ice after screwing up on the job. This assignment is their one shot at redemption, if they can put aside their bitter rivalry. And of course, it's not only their careers on the line, it's their hearts, too―regrets of their holiday party hookup last year haunt them like ghosts of Christmas past, so they both want to wrap up this rom-com gone wrong as quickly as possible. But with just twelve days until the festival, the countdown to catch a killer―without killing each other―is on.

Co-authored by New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano (Finlay Donovan series) and USA Today bestseller Hannah Morrissey (Black Harbor series), Home for the Homicides is a sexy, light-hearted romp, with a dash of merriment and murder.

My Thoughts: HOME FOR THE HOMICIDES manages to throw in every possible romance trope in a Hallmark Christmas movie setting. Mark and Holly both work for the SBI - State Bureau of Investigation - which is often confused by suspects, witnesses and the odd tourist with the FBI. Mark works in Major Crimes while Holly toils away in Mail Fraud.

When each screws up at work, they are teamed up to solve a murder in Christmas - the most holiday town in their state. No one is ever murdered in that town since it would clearly destroy its pristine image. The one who manages to solve the crime stays in Major Crimes with the other's fate to be determined.

Holly and Mark have a history. Last year's holiday party hookup should have led to a romance but Mark getting the job Holly wanted wrecks things. Now, they have to work together to uncover the secrets of Christmas before the Jingle Bell Jubilee is ruined. 

This was an entertaining and engaging story that managed to have a lot of heart mixed in with all the tropes. It was also laugh-out-loud funny as the two uncover the towns secrets. This one has it all. Readers of romance and/or mystery and fans of the authors will greatly enjoy it.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

ARC Review: Fossil Feud by Maggie North

Fossil Feud

Author:
Maggie North
Publication: Dell (July 28, 2026)

Description: The hunt for fossils—and love—is on in this steamy, STEMinist romance about two opposing paleontologists who join forces to prevent a fraudulent dinosaur discovery, but accidentally dig up feelings for each other along the way.

Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She’s spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery—a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds—it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.

But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley’s dig site, she realizes she’s not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley’s help to prove it. She’d tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers . . . and the fraudster is her ex.

The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they’re going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley’s excavation boots won’t be the only things getting a little dirty. . . .

My Thoughts: This contemporary romance is buried in the world of paleontology. Ripley Adams is a citizen scientist on the hunt for the fossil link between dinosaurs and birds. She was forced out of her PhD program when she refused to put her boyfriend's name on her groundbreaking paper. She withdrew the paper, was ditched by the boyfriend, and had her reputation ruined by him. 

Ripley has been working with her friend Cara on Cara's grandmother's land. She has found something and is desperate to keep it secret until the right time. But James Smithson, who is an Oxford professor and leading light in the field of paleontology, comes to her asking for help. He had turned down her plea for help three years earlier when all the scandal was going on, so she's reluctant, very reluctant, to help him.

It seems that someone is ready to introduce his discovery of a fossil very similar to the one Ripley is unearthing, but James believes this man is getting ready to commit fraud. Ripley is willing to believe that since the fraudster is her ex. But she has a limited time to finish her excavations before her lease and her sponsor's patience run out. 

As James and Ripley work together to complete both their missions, they fall in love. But Ripley is based in Montana and James in Oxford. He has an excellent reputation in the field of paleontology while hers was trashed by her treacherous ex. 

This was an engaging story. I liked the characters very much and enjoyed the information about paleontology. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

ARC Review: Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath

Pride Comes Before a Fall

Author:
Virginia Heath
Series: Miss Prentice's Protégées (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (July 28, 2026)

Description: In the third installment of this witty Regency romcom series, a headstrong chaperone is torn between following her rigid principles or her heart

Despite his many responsibilities, there is nothing Leopold Sloane, the 11th Duke of Debden, takes more seriously than the safety of those he loves. When one of his sisters is injured at a protest rally, he drags his family to Bath for the summer to keep his reckless and rebellious siblings out of harm’s way. The only flaw in his plan is his overwhelming but inexplicable attraction to the new chaperone he has hired to watch out for them. An outspoken conundrum of a woman who soon causes him more trouble than both his sisters combined...but who calls to his soul regardless.

From the moment Portia Kendall read her first revolutionary pamphlet beneath her bedcovers at Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, she realized that her true calling was to make the world a fairer place for the masses downtrodden by the aristocracy. A calling that led her to Equitas, a radical newspaper that champions reform. But as Portia discovers, writing doesn’t pay the bills. To make a living, she must push aside her principles and serve the very people she criticizes weekly in her column. A temporary position as a chaperone in the home of a pompous duke seems like the perfect way to earn enough to follow her heart. Unfortunately, the duke who hires her seems to be more dashing and noble than pompous and soon begins to call to her heart too―as much as she tries to deny it. But dare she risk her principles for love or will her pride always come before a fall?

My Thoughts: The third in the Miss Prentice's Protégée's series stars Portia Kendall. Portia has been determined to reform society since she read Mary Wollstonecraft's treatise on the rights of man when she was a lonely sixteen-year-old learning to be a governess. Her zeal for reform has only grown in the eight years since. Now, she has a chance to be the assistant editor of Equitas after a move to Bath. Unfortunately, the position is unpaid which means she needs to find a job.
I fou
Leo Sloane is the 11th Duke of Debden and he has a problem. He needs someone to ride herd on his two younger sisters. One is a budding reformer and the other has a marked penchant for men in uniform. Despite having a number of highly qualified candidates for the position of social secretary and chaperone, Leo hires Portia.

Determined to never marry and having a marked dislike of dukes, Portia falls in love with Leo despite her need to lie to him about just about everything. Leo has also fallen in love with a woman he's afraid he can't protect from the dangerous things she does in her quest for reform.

This was an engaging story filled with all sorts of information about the social upheaval surrounding the rights of man and judicial reform. I found both of the main characters to be well-written and sympathetic characters. I could understand both of their viewpoints and the problems that ensued when those viewpoints clashed. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

ARC Review: If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle

If Books Could Kill

Author:
Kate Eberle
Publication: Penguin (July 21, 2026)

Description: A NOVEL LOVE STORY meets LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS in this rom-com following Roxie Mitchell, an adventure-loving romance reader who finds herself trapped in a meet-cute turned murderous

When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favorite author’s next novel, she has romance in mind—namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted and she finds herself swept into a first date with a handsome stranger who seems designed to take her breath away.

Except for one little hiccup: That handsome stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist—but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.

Thrown into a perilous genre she’s never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So when her escape takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman, an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels, she decides that kidnapping a grown man is a small price to pay for her own survival. Together, Roxie and Grant navigate a madcap story in which the lines between fiction and reality blur. They’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End—or maybe even Happily Ever After.

My Thoughts: Roxie Mitchell loves romance books for escape but not so much in real life. She's a daredevil who works as a temp to fund her various adventures. When she idly wishes to be the heroine in an Anna Matthews romance, her wish is granted. Roxie doesn't know that Anna has decided to change things up and write a thriller.

Roxie finds herself dropped into the plot of a genre she doesn't read, but all is not lost. To escape her killer, she hijacks an Uber only to discover that quiet, college instructor Grant Hoffman is in the backseat. Luckily, he has read lots of thrillers but has never wanted to take part in one. 

What follows is on over-the-top adventure as the pair tries to find their way out of the story. They travel to London to try to find Anna and convince her to write another story, but they need to battle a variety of odd villains along the way. Also, along the way, they fall in love which is the one experience that really frightens Roxie. 

This was a great story. I enjoyed the romance and loved the adventures. I also enjoyed the humor and the heart of the story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Thursday, May 7, 2026

ARC Review: The Cupid Dilemma by April Asher

The Cupid Dilemma

Author:
April Asher
Publication: St. Matin's Griffin (May 12, 2026)

Description: In the new paranormal romance from bestselling author April Asher, a down-on-her-luck wedding planner demigoddess and a Muse-less rockstar agree to a fauxmance that quickly turns anything but…

A lover of love and a champion for happily ever after. Those are two of many things people expect from Aphrodite’s daughter. To Adalyn Whitlock, ‘love’ pays the bills, and currently, not well. Business is dropping at Happily Ever Forever, with her latest wedding planning catastrophe ending in a negative social media storm and her sister Maxi’s matchmaking ability on the fritz. To top it off, there’s an ex-boyfriend calling her ‘the Anti-Aphrodite’ and paparazzi pics linking Addie to her new client’s older brother.

Phoenix "Nix" Cross―songwriter and drummer for the hot new band, The Stone Talons―is no saint, but he's far from the womanizer the band’s image rep bestowed on him. If anything, Nix is a romantic, hopeful he'll find a love like the one his parents share. With the band’s star quickly rising and the record label pressuring him to deliver their next hit, Nix’s writer’s block couldn’t have come at a worse time. But when he opens his door to his irate new next-door neighbor, Nix feels the brief flash of inspiration for the first time in ages. And it just so happens that his new Muse is none other than his little sister’s new wedding planner.

With Addie needing an end to her public-relations nightmare and the record label breathing down Nix’s neck, the pair agree to a fauxmance. But what happens when the emotions turned on for the cameras don't turn off?

My Thoughts: This paranormal contemporary romance stars Adalyn Whitlock who is the daughter of Aphrodite and the owner with her sister and cousin of a wedding planning business named Happily Ever Forever and Phoenix Cross who is a songwriter and drummer for an up-and-coming rock band named The Stone Talons. 

Addie's wedding planning business hits a roadblock when the wedding of a society influencer goes wrong. Pillar candles, drunk guests, and a flammable wedding cake means fire. Addie is trying to put out the cake when Nix comes along with a fire extinguisher which coats both the cake and Addie in foam. The influencer vows to ruin Addie's business in retaliation.

Nix has a problem too. He wants to be a songwriter writing more than the panty party songs his label demands for the Stone Talons. But he's lost his writing mojo. 

Meanwhile, Addie is being annoyed by her next-door neighbor. First, he got the apartment she wanted. Second, he's prone to playing very loud music very late at night. She discovers that it is the helpful hottie from the wedding when she goes to his door demanding silence.

The two think of a way to solve both of their problems. Nix and Addie decide to start a fauxmance to overcome Addie's reputation as an Anti-Aphrodite while providing Nix with a muse to help his songwriting. It looks like things are working out for both of them, but their fauxmance is in danger of turning into a real romance which scares Addie to death since she doesn't believe in love. 

This was amusing. I liked the way the ancient Greek gods had a place in the story. This was also a spicy romance for those who enjoy that sort of thing. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, February 27, 2026

Audiobook Review: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Fangirl Down

Author:
Tessa Bailey
Narrator: Callie Dalton
Series: Big Shots (Book 1)
Publication: Avon (February 13, 2024)
Length: 11 hours and 29 minutes

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance series with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan...

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

My Thoughts: This sports romance stars Wells Whitaker who is a golfer. Once a rising star, he has fallen on hard times. He's drinking too much, fighting too much, and losing too often. It also stars Josephine Doyle who was Wells' biggest fan. She showed up at his tournaments and cheered him on even when is was playing and behaving badly. But when Wells has on final tantrum and walks off the course in the middle of a tournament, Josephine has had enough.

Josephine has enough problems of her own. The latest hurricane has destroyed her family's pro shop after she has let the insurance lapse. It was a choice of paying for the insurance or paying for the insulin she needs for her Type 1 diabetes. She's also let her health insurance lapse and is forced to medicate her diabetes out of pocket. 

At her lowest, Wells comes to her with a crazy idea. He'll hire her to be his caddy. He hopes to turn his game around, but mostly he wants to help out his biggest fan. 

The two fall in love and there are lots of spicy (maybe very spicy) love scenes. But they still have real problems to solve. Josephine needs to be two places at once. She needs to caddy and she needs to be at home working on repairing her pro shop. As a caddy, she is helping Wells with his game, his temper, and his attitude, but she's feeling guilty for what she has left behind since it is her family's legacy. 

Wells needs Josephine with him but recognizes that she has other responsibilities. This creates a lot of tension between them.

This was an entertaining sports romance with quite a bit of depth. Fans of the genre will enjoy the story. 

I bought this one February 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

ARC Review: Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan

Maybe This Once

Author:
Sophie Sullivan
Series: Rock Bottom Love (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (February 10, 2026)

Description: From the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan, comes a small-town, opposites-attract romance about two people who end up with more feelings than they bargained for after pursuing a summer fling.

Tired of living in the shadow of her famous parents, Charlotte Ashford gladly left behind a life of glitz and glamour to pursue her true passion: becoming a counselor. However, when a viral video upends Charlie’s plans, she wonders if the real key to discovering herself is through her late father.

Grayson Keller has finally settled in one place, surrounded by family, and secure in his business. By his third summer as owner, Get Lost Lodge is thriving. Whatever happens, Grayson is perfectly content with his quiet life and careful heart. That is, until he meets Charlie, whom he can’t seem to get out of his head.

On the surface, Charlie and Grayson have nothing in common, but they can’t fight their attraction to each other. They’ve both been hurt before, and they’re not looking for anything serious. The solution is easy: they’ll date, have some fun, and walk away unscathed. Right? Or, maybe this once, they can see past the hurt to what, or who, is on the other side waiting for them.

My Thoughts: Charlotte Ashford is on the run from scandal and winds up with her great uncle in Northern Michigan. She's lost her dream job as a play therapist before it has even begun. Grayson Keller has built a new life for himself as the owner of Get Lost Lodge after a bitter divorce. Neither is looking for a new relationship. 

Charlie and Gray's romance is a slow building one. Neither is eager for more heartbreak in their lives. And Charlie is only in the area for a while. She's taken a job as a college professor while she finds out what she wants for the rest of her life. 

This is the third book in a series and the characters from the first two books have major roles in this one. Their romances are sort of settled with marriages coming soon. There is a strong bond between Gray and his brother and sister. They are a welcoming blended family who have taken Charlie's great-uncle in as a family member and are welcoming to Charlie too. 

But Charlie's troubles seem to be following her to the Get Lost Lodge when an ex-boyfriend who wants to use her celebrity to advance his own career and a producer who wants to center a reality TV show around either Charlie and her ex or Get Lost Lodge arrive to plead their cases. 

This was an engaging story about two people who have been battered by events in their lives but who are willing to take another chance at love and the lives they want to have. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

ARC Review: The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura

The Lust Crusade

Author:
Jo Segura
Publication: Berkley (January 13, 2026)

Description: A plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run fake an engagement to save their lives, leading them into the labyrinth of their own desires.

Daniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother’s best friend for as long as she can remember—until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well.

An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone—the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries’ old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.

Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real.

My Thoughts: Dani Guiterrez decides to take a trip to Greece to memorialize her lost friend Theo Galanis who was an archaeologist who disappeared more than a year earlier. Dani has been in love with her brother's best friend Theo for years. Now, she has to find a way to get over him and move on with her life. 

But Theo isn't dead. He's been kidnapped by a man who wants him to discover the missing Eye of the Minotaur. The main problem with this is that the Eye is mythological. Theo did write a story about it which was published in a children's magazine. But the story was based on stories his grandfather told him when he was a child.

When Dani spots Theo and his captors at Knossos, she is determined to rescue him. She ends up captured herself and now the two of them have only six days to recover the eye before something fatal happens. 

Eluding the villains, finding the jewel, and falling in love have a six day deadline.

This is a "best friends to lovers" story that would be solved a couple of hundred pages sooner if the main characters would just talk to each other. Simple misunderstandings have been magnified by time into major misunderstandings. 

Both characters are interesting people with both strengths and flaws. The story complete with over-the-top villains was fast-paced and engaging. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

ARC Review: And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters

And Then There Was The One

Author:
Martha Waters
Publication: Atria Books (October 14, 2025)

Description: From Martha Waters, the author of the “enchanting” (Entertainment Weekly) Regency Vows series, a new historical romance set in 1930s England with a murder mystery twist.

In a quaint village in the Cotswolds, Georgiana Radcliffe has accidentally become an amateur detective after helping solve four murders in a single year. When the chairman of the village council turns up dead, everyone agrees with the official ruling of a heart attack, but Georgie can’t help but suspect that the council chairman is a fifth victim. Now, murder tourists are flocking from around the country, in hopes of becoming sleuths themselves.

Along with her reporter friend, she reaches out to a famous London detective for assistance in ascertaining why they have become a magnet for murder. But the fancy detective is simply too busy—or can’t be bothered—to help, and instead dispatches his secretary, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford—a posh womanizer who, truthfully, is just trying to get out of his hair, much to practical, no-nonsense Georgie’s dismay. But as they investigate in the charming Buncombe-upon-Woolly—with plentiful scones, sheep on the village green, and murder tourists at every turn—Georgie finds that her previous assessment of Sebastian may have been wrong, and rather than solving a murder, she may be solving for love instead.

My Thoughts: Buncombe-Upon-Wooly has become a mecca for murder and Georgie Radcliffe is tired of it. Georgie has solved the first four mysteries but would prefer working in her garden and running the lives of her father and sister. 

When the chairman of the village council dies of an apparent heart attack, Georgie doesn't believe it and writes to a famous London detective for help. 

Instead of coming himself, he sends his secretary Sebastian Fletcher-Ford as his replacement. In Georgie's opinion, Sebastian is a handsome, womanizing fribble. To say Georgie was disappointed is a vast understatement. But she soon learns that Sebastian has hidden depths and finds herself falling in love with him as they unravel the mysteries.

A quaint village complete with murder tourists is the setting for this mystery/romance. It starts off silly but gradually gains depth as the story moves on. I liked the setting and the banter between Georgie and Sebastian. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Thursday, September 18, 2025

ARC Review: You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan

You Make It Feel Like Christmas

Author:
Sophie Sullivan
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (September 23, 2025)

Description: All bets are off when a single-minded photographer and a professional hockey player are forced to spend a week together on his sister’s Christmas tree farm, perfect for fans of Jenny Holiday and Maggie Knox.

Maisie Smart doesn’t look back. Not on the choice she made to be a photographer, and not on the one-night stand she had six months ago. But sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after is a whole new level of embarrassing. Now she’s about to spend the week at Tickle Tree Farms with her family this Christmas―and then the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans.

Nick King is a mess. After a significant injury benches him, he has more time to dwell on his anxieties and the one-night stand he can’t get out of his head. With the holidays around the corner, he figures visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm will be a good way to sort himself out. That’s impossible when he learns Maisie is there, still beautiful and justifiably angry about the way he left. But Christmas is the time for second chances, and the forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.

My Thoughts: A dyslexic photographer and a professional hockey player with anxiety meet unexpectedly six months after their one-night stand when they get together for a family Christmas celebration. 

Maisie Smart joins her parents, older sister and older brother with the brother's husband's family to celebrate the holidays. She loves Christmas but she doesn't love that her mother keeps trying to encourage her to go back to school to get degrees and give up her "hobby" of photography. She also trying to deal with her broken heart after the one-night stand she fell for ghosted her.

Nick King is recovering from a knee injury and has some tough decisions to make about his future in professional hockey when he joins his sister and nephew for the holiday season. He's suffering from anxiety and rightly so as the injury joins the death of his mother and his sister's divorce in the worry column. He also can't stop thinking about the woman he met at a wedding six months earlier. 

They have a lot to deal with when they meet again at his sister's new tree farm. Maisie wonders of she can give him a second chance, and she wonders how their lives can possibly mesh with her in Seattle and him traveling with his hockey team. This was a great contemporary romance. I loved the characters.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

ARC Review: If It Makes You Happy by Julia Olivia

If It Makes You Happy

Author:
Julia Olivia
Publication: Berkley (September 2, 2025)

Description: Grab your favorite fall candle, cuddle into a comfy blanket, and travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance set in the autumn glow of small-town Vermont.

Now with exclusive bonus content!


My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.

I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.

Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.

Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe. Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards. So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.

My Thoughts: IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY was a nice romance. Goal-driven Michelle travels from her fast-paced life in Seattle after her mother's sudden death to take over the bed & breakfast that was her mother's life dream. 

The timing isn't perfect. Even if the time running the inn is only a couple of months, it will mess up her fast track in her advertising career. But the trip will give her a chance to come to terms with her divorce from Allen. 

She isn't really prepared for what she is going to find in a small town in Vermont. Least of all is she prepared to meet Cliff, the divorced guy who lives next door with his two daughters. But Cliff is a friendly sort who had promised Shell's mother that he'd be around to help. His friendly manner and delicious baked goods and wacky sense of humor all appeal to Shell.

But can two very different people find a way to make things work? With her in town only until her younger sister finishes college and takes over the inn and him content to live and work in the small town forever, they have lots of things to work out. 

The story had a great cast of characters including Rocket the dog Michelle gained custody of in the divorce. Cliff's daughters were great characters too. And the assorted friends who want to help add to the interest. Even Cliff's ex-wife had her role to play.

Fans of romances with grown-up characters with busy lives will enjoy this story.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Thursday, July 17, 2025

ARC Review: Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher

Heart Marks the Spot

Author:
Libby Hubscher
Publication: Berkley (July 22, 2025)

Description: A treasure hunter and the bestselling adventure novelist who broke her heart after one successful expedition reunite for a summer to search for lost riches.

Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all—wealth, love, and a flourishing career—but knows she’ll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.

After his last book bombed, Huck hasn’t written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he’s found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella’s undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.

After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her—but that’s easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it’s time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance.

Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along.

My Thoughts: This dual viewpoint romance introduces two interesting characters. Stella Moore is a treasure hunter. Huck Sullivan is a best-selling author. 

Stella was abandoned by her treasure hunting parents when she was a teenager. It left her with the sure knowledge that everyone she loves will abandon her sooner or later. She is hoping that if she manages to find the treasure that her parents will come back because she has proven her worth. 

Huck doesn't have abandonment issues, but he does have a deeply rooted sense of insecurity since he had spent most of his life being berated by his father for what his father perceived as "failures". While Huck did write a very successful series of adventure novels, the last tanked while he was dealing with the death of his father and abandonment by his fiancée who was only in it when he was at the top of the food chain.

The two meet in Iceland. Stella is on the hunt for a particular treasure along with her friends Ted, Zoe and Gus. Huck was sent there by his friend/agent in hopes that a new place will inspire his creativity and clear up the writer's block that has plagued him for more than a year. 

Introduced by Ted who went to boarding school with Huck and who has been partners in adventure with Stella for a number of years, the two fall in love. But Huck leaves Stella in the night for reasons that aren't explained until a year and a half later. She's managed to patch over a broken heart, and he's written a new instant best seller starring a treasure hunter who greatly resembles Stella.

They meet again in the Caribbean when the four friends are on their annual treasure hunt looking for a lost Spanish treasure ship and all the secrets come out. 

This was an engaging romance but not a light and fluffy one. Both main characters have serious therapy worthy issues which is not helped by the presence of Ted who has been keeping secrets of his own. I recommend this one because the struggle to reach a "happily ever after" was real in this story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

ARC Review: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

Roll for Romance

Author:
Lenora Woods
Publication: Dell (July 15, 2025)

Description: Two fledgling tabletop gamers find themselves falling for each other—both in and out of their weekly D&D sessions—in this charming, fantasy-tinged romance.

When Sadie Brooks unexpectedly loses her marketing job, she flees New York City to spend the summer with her best friend in small-town Texas, where joining his Dungeons & Dragons campaign is the perfect distraction while she plans her next steps.

In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful human cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck. But in real life, Sadie believes her luck has run out—until she meets Noah Walker, the outgoing bartender roped into joining their party as Loren, an adventurous and charismatic lute-strumming elf. Just as Jaylie finds herself succumbing to the bard’s charms over the course of their party’s travels, Sadie also begins to fall under Noah’s spell.

As their relationship progresses in both worlds, Sadie wonders if what they have might last beyond the game. But like his traveling bard character, Noah never stays in one place for long. When a new opportunity arises in New York, Sadie must face the truth about why she lost her job in the first place—and whether she and Noah have found something in Texas worth staying for. Torn between her career dreams in the city and the exciting uncertainty of a new adventure, she will have no choice but to roll the dice.

My Thoughts: ROLL FOR ROMANCE was a nice contemporary romance. Sadie Brooks has left her high-paced marketing job in New York City and is spending the summer with her best friend Liam in rural Texas. They have been best friends since childhood and had shared the same New York City dreams. But when he had a chance to move to Texas to settle his grandfather's estate, he decided that he preferred the small-town lifestyle. He's a gay math teacher and dedicated gamer.

Liam convinces Sadie to join him in a Dungeons & Dragons session with a group of those new to the game while she summers in Texas. There she meets some of his friends and develops a new character as Jaylie who is a cleric with some magic and a sense of adventure. She is joined in the game by a barbarian with a big axe, a knife-wielding rogue, and a bard. 

The bard is Noah Walker who is also new in town. He's helping his college best friend set up a brewery which is also a restaurant and bar. Both in real life and in the game, Sadie and Noah begin a romance. But it looks like it can only be a short-term romance because Sadie thinks she's going to tackle New York City again in the fall and Noah never stays anywhere for long. 

The story is told in parts. Both real life and the D & D world that is being created get equal play in this story. In the real world, Sadie finds herself dusting off her background as an artist and creating and painting a mural at Noah's new business...and having second thoughts about her career plans.

Fans of romance and gaming will enjoy this story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

ARC Review: Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath

Look Before You Leap

Author:
Virginia Heath
Series: Miss Prentice's Protegees
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (June 24, 2025)

Description: In this hilarious second installment of a Regency romance series, a single lord is forced to settle down...and when a houseparty brings a happy-go-lucky lady's companion his way, his grumpy heart is unexpectedly warmed.

Nine years ago, Lord Guy Harrowby, Viscount Wennington, was publicly humiliated by a failed and reckless romantic gesture. Despite this, his mother clings to the promise he made her then: that she would have a house full of grandchildren by his thirtieth birthday. Still single, embittered, and swiftly approaching thirty, Guy's work is his life. In desperation, his mother blindsides Guy with a weeklong house party at his estate filled with annoying debutantes, all competing to be his wife.

After failing as a governess, Lottie Travers is struggling as a lady’s companion. Raised in an all-male household, she’s developed habits that get her dismissed. Even after years of Miss Prentice’s teachings of how to be a lady, she climbs trees better than she embroiders and can’t resist riding horses astride, in breeches. But with the family farm in trouble, and her father now in dire need of her wages, she’s determined to conquer her wildness once and for all.

Even with his home full of eligible women, there is only one who catches Guy’s eye―though he tries to deny it. For Lottie, succeeding in her new role proves difficult when the Wennington estate is filled with horses, and a spark ignites between her and the grumpy lord. Will they remain stuck in their ways, or learn that they may just be the perfect match?

My Thoughts: This laugh-out-loud historical romance pairs a viscount whose romantic disappointment turned him into a curmudgeon with a governess who can't stop borrowing fast horses for a quick ride in the park. 

Lottie Travers is a farmer's daughter who has been trained as one of Miss Prentice's Protegees. When her current post as a governess is derailed by a clandestine horseback ride and a handsy younger son, she finds herself working for a society dragon.

Guy Harrowby is soon to turn thirty and, after his humiliating romance blunder when he was 21, has buried himself in his estate business in Kent. His mother is determined to see him married off, and with the assistance of her older sister, Lottie's boss, plans a surprise house party to celebrate his birthday. The guest lists with be composed of eligible ladies and their parents. 

Lottie finds herself falling for the grumpy man and his Arabian horses while helping the older ladies plan the party even though she knows that a party is the last thing Guy wants. Guy is falling for her too but is afraid of another heartbreak and suffers from a distinct lack of trust.

This was an entertaining and engaging historical romance. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

ARC Review: Code Word Romance by Callie Walker

Code Word Romance

Author:
Callie Walker
Publication: Berkley (March 18, 2025)

Description: One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

Max is just your average girl. She works odd jobs, has a soul-crushing amount of debt, and happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen. Sofia is powerful, beautiful—and unfortunately, someone is trying quite hard to assassinate her.

When the CIA approaches Max with a deal, a life-changing amount of money if she pretends to be Sofia on the prime minister’s annual Italian vacation, Max packs her bags for the Amalfi Coast. The delicious food, the breathtaking views—this trip would be a dream if it weren’t for those pesky assassins and Flynn, the handler assigned to Max’s case. Flynn, who has an unexpected history with Max, from another sun-drenched summer years and years ago. Now he’s instructed to stay in Max’s suite to protect her, as old passions and assassins collide.

Losing herself in the role of a prime minister is one thing. But losing her heart to Flynn again? Now that’s a risk she isn’t willing to take . . .

My Thoughts: This romance is the story of a young chef who lost everything in the pandemic, is vastly in debt, and guilty for losing the money of people she loves, who gets a chance to be the body double of the youngest Prime Minister in Europe who is facing assassination. 

Max finds herself in Italy with a CIA handler with whom she has a past. Flynn was the summer boyfriend she lost track of when she was a teen. They had a wonderful summer romance in Kennebunkport, Maine, and never saw each other again -- until now. 

It seems that neither the CIA nor Max are told the whole story since Max finds herself with a seeming horde of assassins on her trail. But while running from assassins and pretending to be a Prime Minister, Max finds what she has lost - love and a sense of optimism about the future. 

This was a fun story. Her roommate Kevin adds a lot of comic relief to the story and might be my favorite character of all. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Friday Memes: Code Word Romance by Callie Walker

 Happy Friday!


Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 
Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:
Night air slaps my face. We're speeding faster on the motorcycle, swerving around a restaurant with patio tables, and I accidentally clip one, rattling several plates full of antipasti.
Friday 56:
"I've been thinking," I tell Flynn from the back seat, eyes almost watering at the corners. "If someone did get to the PM, what're they going to think when my face is splashed all over the papers? That I'm the decoy, or she's the decoy?"
This week I'm spotlighting Code Word Romance by Callie Walker. This book is on my stack of review copies. Here's the description from Amazon:
One fake prime minister, one ridiculously hot handler, and one Italian summer collide in this thrilling adventure rom-com.

Max is just your average girl. She works odd jobs, has a soul-crushing amount of debt, and happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to Europe’s youngest female prime minister, Sofia Christensen. Sofia is powerful, beautiful—and unfortunately, someone is trying quite hard to assassinate her.

When the CIA approaches Max with a deal, a life-changing amount of money if she pretends to be Sofia on the prime minister’s annual Italian vacation, Max packs her bags for the Amalfi Coast. The delicious food, the breathtaking views—this trip would be a dream if it weren’t for those pesky assassins and Flynn, the handler assigned to Max’s case. Flynn, who has an unexpected history with Max, from another sun-drenched summer years and years ago. Now he’s instructed to stay in Max’s suite to protect her, as old passions and assassins collide.

Losing herself in the role of a prime minister is one thing. But losing her heart to Flynn again? Now that’s a risk she isn’t willing to take . . .

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Audiobook Review: One in Vermillion by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

One in Vermillion

Author:
Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
Narrator: Cris Dukehart & Eric G. Dove
Series: Liz Danger (Book 3)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (February 6, 2024)
Length: 9 hours and 49 minutes

Description: One in Vermillion: That red in the ledger isn’t just the ink.

Liz Danger is stuck in her hometown of Burney, Ohio, because her insane employer has rented a house there for the summer, which means she has three more months of trying to get a copy edit done, babysitting a seven-year-old, and figuring out what to do with three hundred and ninety-two teddy bears. And then there’s her mother. Even the good news that she’s living with a hot cop is tempered by the knowledge that sooner or later, she’s going to have to figure out her future, and she's still not sure what she wants that to be.

Vince Cooper is stuck in a town that keeps asking him when he’s going to make an honest woman of Liz Danger and in a job that’s just sunk into anarchy because of local and state politics that are kneecapping the police department, not to mention a biker gang and Liz’s ex-boyfriend who still hasn’t figured out that the ex part is permanent. Good thing he has Liz to come home to . . . until he doesn’t.

As Liz and Vince try to navigate their increasingly complicated relationship, they’re finding out startling new things about themselves and the town they’re trying to protect, and that means dealing with greedy politicians, arson, broken hearts (not theirs), vandalism, questionable real estate, murder, and a lot of soggy bears.

My Thoughts: This is the finale of the Liz Danger trilogy. It has romance, politics, family secrets and family interference. It also has a really cute seven-year-old and lots and lots of stuffed bears. 

The arsonist trying to burn down Burney is in prison, but the criminals aren't all caught. The motorcycle gang is still causing problems and Liz's ex is right in the middle of it all. Cash can't accept that Liz has moved on. He's sure that his charm will win her back no matter what he does to alienate her. 

With the senator's interference, George is no longer chief of police and the incompetent toady put in the department by the spouse-abusing mayor is the new chief. Vince is almost to the point of resigning and would if he didn't care so much for Burney. 

His relationship with Liz is also a point of contention between them. They are in love but are both used to being independent. When Liz buys an old house in the country, she is making a decision. She loves Vince but doesn't want to marry him or live with him. 

There are still secrets to be revealed about Liz's family that will make changes in her life. And Anemone looks like she's in Burney to stay which should make making the final copy edits on her biography possible. She also wants Liz to ghostwrite more books which will be handy now that they are both planning to stay in Burney.

This was an excellent story which comes to a very satisfying conclusion after a lot of perilous bumps in the road. I enjoyed what each narrator brought to the story. 

I bought this one October, 26, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Audiobook Review: Rest in Pink by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

Rest in Pink

Author:
Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
Narrator: Cris Dukeheart & Eric G. Dove
Series: Liz Danger (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (February 6, 2024)
Length: 9 hours and 40 minutes

Description: From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the second book in the Liz Danger series.

Liz Danger is a ghostwriter, trapped in her old hometown for the summer. Good thing she has Vince Cooper, her recurring one-night stand living down by the river in his old diner car, making her feel happy and safe and normal until September when she’ll be leaving again, although she’s starting to wonder if she really wants to.

Vince Cooper is a cop in a town with a shady new housing development that’s bringing a lot of armed strangers, a corrupt mayor, a police chief boss under fire, and an idiot blogger stirring up trouble. Good thing his recurring one-night stand is sticking around for the summer. The only drawback? He’s not looking forward to the empty space Liz Danger will leave behind her when she goes in September.

Treacherous small-town politics, a rust belt biker gang, a widowed ex who doesn’t understand the word “no,” a seven-year-old in need of a temporary mom, a flamboyant blonde boss who needs watched at all times, exploding family secrets, arson, murder, and three hundred and ninety-two soaking wet teddy bears later, Liz and Vince will come face to face with the madman burning down their town, and even worse, with their imploding relationship.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Liz Danger series is filled with small town politics and romance. Liz is a ghostwriter who fled her hometown at eighteen but who has reluctantly come back home. Luckily, Vince Cooper is there to keep her occupied while she deals with family drama.

Vince is a New York City transplant to Burnie, Ohio, who has found a home there. He lives in a restored diner on the banks of the Ohio. His one-night-stands with Liz which are happening almost every night has him rethinking his plan of staying a loner. 

Meanwhile, there is a shady housing development going in, Liz's ex not knowing when to let go, arson, and a needy seven-year-old woven into the plot. Then there's Liz's flamboyant client who has decided to follow Liz so that they can finish her book. 

This was an engaging story told in alternate chapters by Liz and by Vince. The dual narrators did a good job with a complicated story and with the very complicated feelings between Liz and Vince. 

I bought this one October 24, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

ARC Review: Get Lost with You by Sophie Sullivan

Get Lost with You

Author:
Sophie Sullivan
Series: Rock Bottom Love (Book 2)
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (February 11, 2025)

Description: A second chance at love, small-town romance that’s all sweet with just a hint of heat from the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan.

Jillian Keller took the long route to her best life, but is now happily settled in her hometown of Smile, raising her little girl alone while helping her brother run Get Lost Lodge. A lover of structure and routine, she doesn’t need anyone disrupting her carefully curated life.

After chasing and achieving his culinary dreams, Levi Bright realizes he’s still missing something he can’t find in a big city. Returning home to Smile, he intends to build a different future for himself, including reconnecting with family and friends, and creating elevated comfort food for a town he loves.

When Levi and Jilly run into each other, past feelings that never had a chance to bloom flare between them… but she’s been hurt before, and falling for her older brother’s best friend seems like a recipe for drama. But sometimes, a second chance at love leads you right where you’re meant to be.

My Thoughts: This second chance at love romance reunites Jillian Keller and Levi Bright. He was best friends with her brothers and the object of her teenage crush. He went off to culinary school and has had a career as a successful chef. She married, divorced, and is back at home raising her nine-year-old daughter Ollie having lost all faith in men and all faith in promises. 

Jillian and her brothers run a fishing camp/resort. Levi has come home to visit his estranged father after his father's surgery. He also is ready for a change in his life and is planning to buy and run a food truck.

These are two very different people. Levi's impulsive and Jillian likes plan and schedules and order. But the attraction they both felt as teenagers hasn't abated. Levi wants to explore the possibility of a relationship and Jilly wonders how she'll be able to fit one more thing on her already-full plate. 

This was a nice romance. I thought it was a bit heavy on the relationship advice everyone in the small island town of Smile, Michigan, was ready to dispense at the drop of a hat. However, seeing how Levi and Jillian built their new relationship was satisfying.  

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
 

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Audiobook Review: Lavender's Blue by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

Lavender's Blue

Author:
Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
Narrator: Cris Dukehart & Eric G. Dove
Series: The Liz Danger Series (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (February 6, 2024)
Length: 11 hours and 54 minutes

Description: From the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the first book in the Liz Danger series.

LAVENDER’S BLUE: Would it kill you to go home and see your mother?

Liz Danger has returned home after fifteen years to deliver a giant teddy bear for her mother’s birthday (color: Guilt Red) when a cop with a great ass picks her up for speeding, fixes the missing lug nuts on her back wheel, pulls her out of a ditch, doesn’t give her a ticket, and helps her avoid her family. This is a man with real potential. The rest of the day goes downhill, starting with her finding out that the only man she’s ever loved is getting married to Lavender Blue, the most beautiful woman in southern Ohio. Really, the best thing in her day is that cop with the lug nuts.

Vince Cooper still isn't sure about being a cop in Burney, Ohio, a place he just moved to six months ago, since Burney is full of some fairly odd people spaced between long stretches of boredom. Still, considering the dangerous, difficult life he had before Burney as an Army Ranger and New York City cop, boredom is good. Then he picks up Liz Danger for speeding and life gets a lot more interesting. And when he picks her up again in the local bar the next night, he starts to realize that “interesting” doesn’t begin to describe what’s going to happen to him if he pulls Liz into his arms and his life

As Liz navigates her dysfunctional family, her flamboyant boss phoning in from Chicago, her still-interested ex, her bridesmaid dress from hell, a dachshund with issues, a disaster of a wedding, assault, murder, and three hundred and ninety-three teddy bears, Vince shows up to get her through, even though he knows that the real peril for him in Burney is the one who came with her own warning label, Liz Danger.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this first book in the Liz Danger series. I liked the combination of humor and mystery. I also liked that alternate chapters were from each of the main characters' points of view.

Liz Danger left Burney, Ohio, fifteen years earlier and has a job as a ghost writer which means lots of traveling. She mostly lives and writes in her car. She's home now because she got a call from her aunt ML telling her that her mother needs her. She arrives along with a six-foot-tall stuffed bear in Guilt Red for her mother's birthday gift. She finds that her bear will be joining 393 other stuffed bears at her mother's. 

Liz also learns that the boy she loved in high school is getting married to the lovely Lavender Blue. Through a variety of weird circumstances, she finds herself drafted as maid of honor complete with an unfortunate dress choice. Then Lavender dies a very short time after her wedding and Liz finds herself a suspect. 

All Liz wants is to leave town, connect with the eccentric woman she's ghostwriting for, finish the book, and collect her bonus. 

The first person Liz meets when she comes to town is Vince Cooper who pulls her over when she hits the town limits. His excuse is that she has a tire ready to fall off. Luckily, he just happens to have the necessary lug nuts. Neither is looking for a relationship, but one quickly forms between the two of them. 

Vince chose Burney, after being an Army Ranger and New York City cop, because there hadn't been a murder on record there. He wanted a less stressful life. But he's suspicious about a recent car accident and then the accidents start happening to Liz and his quiet job becomes a lot less quiet.

I loved the quirky characters in this story including the neurotic blond dachshund. There were also a lot of real issues too. Liz's relationship with her mother needs readjustment. As the daughter of an alcoholic, Liz has a strong need to fix things for the people around her that gets her into trouble. 

I bought this one January 19, 2024. You can buy your copy here.