New Release: Start Us Up by Lexi Blake + Review!

                                

Start Us Up by Lexi Blake is now live! 

From New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, discover The Park Avenue Promise Series...

Three young women make a pact in high school—
to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.

She's a high-tech boss who lost it all...

Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.

He's an up and coming coder...

Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He's worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry's more eccentric talents. But now he's back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city's greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there's some kind of code in his grandmother's methods, and he's going to find them.

When Ivy meets Heath it's instant attraction, but she's got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak.

  Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/43toWF1

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/3UugkKm

Nook: http://bit.ly/3KwmuVF

Kobo: https://bit.ly/408fCDE

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3UDa2YY

Audible: https://bit.ly/3KmleoR

Narrated by: Kitty Bang

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3KRJfVs

 

Review:

3.75-4 stars

****

 This was a good book. Start Us Up is the first book in a brand-new series by Lexi Blake. This is Ivy and Heath's book. Ivy is was a rising star in the tech world when her company went under and her boyfriend, who she worked with, left her in the lurch. Nursing her pride, she is trying to find the next new thing in order to gain her footing in her career. Her friend introduces her to Heath, who has a great idea for a new matchmaking app, in hopes that they will hit it off romantically, which Ivy is not interested in. Heath's grandmother is a legendary, successful matchmaker in her neighborhood of NYC. He wants to start a company where he matches couples up using his grandmother's formula. Ivy is interested in his app, though not just for matchmaking, but for all kinds of other things like restaurants and shopping. She sees in this app the chance to redeem herself to the public and other techies. As Ivy and Heath work together, they get closer and develop feelings for each other. They must race to complete their app before their competition, and Ivy's bitter ex, can.

This is book is a contemporary romance with no romantic suspense, which is a departure for Ms. Blake, who is one of my favorite authors. At first, I felt very disoriented because it seemed like a different writing style than I am used to. The book took some time for me to get into, but it felt more and more like a Lexi Blake book as it went on. The story was good. Ivy and Heath had a reverse grumpy sunshine dynamic. Ivy had some pretty serious baggage to get over, from her past relationship and her parents. She needed some therapy, I think. Heath seemed a little too sunshine at first, almost bland. But as the book went on, I really liked him. He was a doll and adored Ivy, who grew some and who I liked as well. Their romance was a little lower heat and chemistry than I usually find in Lexi Blake books. Also, I would have loved an epilogue and more information about their app. But I still enjoyed this book. There was a fun cast of side characters, including Ivy's two best friends who I think the next two books will feature. I liked them all and I look forward to more to come from this series.

Overall, this was a good book and start to a new series. I was glad Ivy and Heath got together and fell in love. I look forward to more from Ms. Blake and this series in the future.

Meet Lexi

New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she's sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

 

Connect with Lexi

Website: www.lexiblake.net

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5124235.Lexi_Blake

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lexi-Blake/author/B005JVSDJ0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlexiblake/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/526080691345626

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlexiblake/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexiblakeauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lexi-blake

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lexiblakeauthor/

Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORVsrIAcbqMFxp0cHi51nw

New Release: A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting + Review!

 

A Love Catastrophe by Helena Hunting is now available!

The fur is about to fly between a cheerful cat sitter and a grumpy hockey nerd in this hilarious and charming rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting.

Kitty Hart has become internet famous as the Kitty Whisperer for her expertise on all things feline, and as a result, her cat-sitting business is booming. But lately, she has a terrible feeling that maybe her life isn’t quite going where it’s supposed to—especially after falling face-first into her newest client. Not exactly the best first impression.

Fortunately, Miles Thorn is just as bad at first impressions. Strike one: he doesn’t like cats, especially Prince Francis, the haughty and mischievous Sphynx his mom left in his care. Strike two: tackling her to the floor in a misguided attempt to save the pet he continually calls “the gremlin.”

As awkwardness slides into attraction and things start to turn purr-sonal, will these two complete opposites ever be able to find their furry-tail ending?

Apple Books → https://geni.us/AppleALoveCatastrophe

Kobo → https://geni.us/KoboALoveCatastrophe

Nook → https://geni.us/NookALoveCatastrophe

Google Play → https://geni.us/GPALoveCatastrophe

Amazon Universal → https://geni.us/ZonALoveCatastrophe

Goodreads → https://geni.us/ALoveCatastropheGR

Website → https://helenahunting.com/books/a-love-catastrophe/

Review:

3.25-3.5 stars

***

 This was a cute book. A Love Catastrophe is a standalone book set in the world of the Pucked series. This is Kitty and Miles's story. Kitty is a cat sitter and social media influencer obsessed with cats. Miles is a statistician for an NHL team. When his mother is diagnosed with dementia and hospitalized, he is forced to find a caretaker for her cat and turns to Kitty the Cat Whisperer. They fall for each other pretty quickly and there are lots of cat filled moments ahead.

I liked the story here. I felt it had potential but was left a little wanting. It was a little too slow and lacking in chemistry. There was very little angst or conflict. I liked Kitty and Miles as characters, but they were a little bland. Still, I enjoyed the story in general. The cat theme was very cute. I also liked the side characters and could see potential for other stories there.

Overall, this was an entertaining read with some cute moments. It just didn't quite have that extra oomph to push into from like to love for me. Still, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to more from Ms. Hunting in the future.

New Release: Unexpected Bliss by Lexi Blake + Review!

 

Unexpected Bliss by Lexi Blake is now live!

Elisa Leal is looking for some joy in her life. Years of tragedy and struggle took their toll, and now she is searching for new connections to raise her spirits. When she discovers proof that her biological father is alive, she decides to find him and make contact. Her quest leads her to the small town of Bliss, Colorado, and the strangest man she's ever met—Mel Hughes. He believes in aliens and sasquatch conspiracies, but he's also kind of awesome. And there might be even more in Bliss to make her smile.

Sylvan Dean and Hale Galloway have enjoyed wandering their way through life, always in motion. Always searching for the woman who could make their life complete. Living in Bliss made them realize it's time to settle down. Van's finally going to college and has a job lined up with his brother when he finishes. That job is in Dallas, and while Hale is happy for Van, he can't imagine leaving Bliss behind. It feels like everything is coming apart until they meet Elisa. She's the one they have been searching for, and she is worth the wait.

The future looks bright until the guys' past comes back to haunt them. Danger lurks in every corner, but it may not be the biggest threat to their happily ever after. The citizens of Bliss know how to handle a killer, but handling Elisa, Van, and Hale might require some cosmic intervention.

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3mytKbl

Apple Books: http://bit.ly/3ZLOwCt

Nook: http://bit.ly/3IOtNHq

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ZLOJpf

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3L29Uzi

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3kU1HCI

Review:

3.5 stars

***

 This was another cute addition to the Bliss series. Unexpected Bliss is Van, Hale and Elisa's book. Van is Jake Dean (from McKay-Taggart)'s younger brother. He and his best friend Hale had been floating along through life without much direction. But they have started to settle down in Bliss. Van is going to college and has plans to go work for Jake when he graduates. Hale is working as a contractor doing renovations and flipping houses. When Elisa's mother died, she finds out that her father, who she has never met and who never knew of her existence, lives in Bliss. Not just losing her mother, Elisa's life has gone through some big changes from leaving the military to recovering from breast cancer. She is looking for more out of life and is at a crossroads so she decides to come meet her father, Mel, in Bliss. When Elisa meets Van and Hale there too, sparks fly and romance blooms. They finally feel at home with each other and get the love they deserve.

Unexpected Bliss is cute and quirky fun. I liked Elisa, Van and Hale. I did think the guys were a little too over the top quirky (too character-like?) for me to take very seriously as heroes and feel the love or chemistry. Still, the story was fun and entertaining. This is an easy read, low angst and features a cooky town with lots of crazy characters. I enjoyed Elisa's blossoming relationship with her father. Overall, I was happy to see Elisa, Van and Hale happy together. I love this series and look forward to more from it and from Ms. Blake in the future!

 

Meet Lexi

New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she's sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

Connect with Lexi

Website: www.lexiblake.net

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5124235.Lexi_Blake

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lexi-Blake/author/B005JVSDJ0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlexiblake/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/526080691345626

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlexiblake/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlexiblake

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexiblakeauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lexi-blake

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lexiblakeauthor/

Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCORVsrIAcbqMFxp0cHi51nw

Review: Accidental Attachment by Max Monroe

Accidental Attachment by Max Monroe

A successful writer accidentally sends her new (and super-dreamy) editor the wrong manuscript. Instead of the full-length paranormal novel she promised Longstrand Publishing, she sends the fan fiction she’s written about her crush…on him—including every detail of the hot, steamy “physical activity” she’s fantasized about happening between them.

And Chase Dawson may be the hottest man alive and a super-talented editor to boot, but he’s completely oblivious that he’s the star of the manuscript he just convinced his boss to green-light.

Brooke Baker has been through a lot in her thirty-one years of life.

A divorce.
A career change.
A move to New York City from “small-town” Ohio.
Not to mention, she has a bit of a medical condition that involves occasional fainting spells, mild embarrassment, and the companionship of her adorable service dog and canine sidekick, Benji.

But none of it has prepared her for this.

None of it prepared her for Chase Dawson.

Strong jaw, blue eyes, cut muscles, and a perfect swoop of superhero-worthy black hair, Chase’s features are those of a book boyfriend and then some. Obviously, Brooke would know—she literally filled an entire manuscript with it.

A manuscript no one was ever supposed to see.

Will she survive two months of revising and editing the sizzling romance she imagined with Chase in extremely close quarters with him? Or will the constant white lies and overwhelming attraction make her spontaneously combust?

                                                                                                                                            

Links:

ACCIDENTAL ATTACHMENT is LIVE NOW + FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED!

★Amazon Worldwide Ebook: https://mybook.to/AA_Ebook

★Paperback: https://mybook.to/AA_paperback

Review:

3.25-3.5 stars

***

 This book was an okay book for me. Accidental Attachment is a standalone book by Max Monroe. It is Brooke and Chase's story. Brooke is an author who has had a book series successful enough to be made into a Netflix series. She has struggled since then to finish her next novel. She is distracted by her attraction to her new editor through her publisher, Chase. She is so attracted to him that she writes a whole book, while she's procrastinating, that is a romance between a heroine an awful lot like herself and a hero just like Chase. On the day her new novel is due to be turned in to Chase, Brooke accidently turns in her fanfiction novel instead. When Chase ends up loving this novel, she is too embarrassed to let him know that she sent in the wrong book so she just does nothing to stop it from being published. When Netflix wants to send Brooke on a book tour to promote her new tv series, her health problems prevent her from flying, so she decides to go by RV to the tour stops. Chase volunteers to drive the RV so that he can work with her on editing her book so that it can be published by the deadline. As awkward as it is, Chase and Brooke fall for each other over their time touring the country.

This was an okay read, though not my favorite Max Monroe book. It is a little too long and slow. I felt like it needed editing down. It took too long for the story to really get going. Brooke and Chase were very nice, but a little too boring and bland. They had no chemistry. and nothing happens physically between them until 80%. The couple was sweet together, but they reminded me of two golden retrievers who were in love from day one. They were perfect for each other in their niceness but had no spice or interest to their relationship. Still, this was a low angst, sweet read with low conflict. Brook has an unusual disability and a service dog that added some interest to the story as well.

Overall, this was not a bad book, even if it wasn't my favorite. I look forward to more from Max Monroe in the future.

Review: 6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You by Kelly Siskind

 

6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You 

by Kelly Siskind 

Enemies spark in this Bower Boys romance full of banter, sizzling heat, second chances, and small-town charm.

In high school, Maggie Edelstein set the rules of our secret relationship, but I’m calling the shots now. In my dreams.

Maggie’s still infuriating and confusing, and absolutely stunning. She’s also still pretending we barely spent time together as teens, when we met up nightly at her family’s pond.

Over a decade later, I’m back in my hometown and some things haven’t changed. My chemistry with Maggie is once again hotter than a four-alarm fire, and she’s intent on denying it. I don’t blame her. The last night we saw each other I made a horrible mistake and hurt her, then I vanished into witness protection for ten years.

But there’s something else going on with her.

I recognize a secret when I see one, and her friends say she doesn’t do commitment. If I can get her to forgive me and open up, maybe she’ll break her rules and give us a second chance. Or she’ll light my heart on fire and dance around the flames…

Links:

https://geni.us/6CluesAZ

Review:

3.5 stars

***

This was a pretty good book. 6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You is book three in the Bower Boys series. This series is about a group of brothers whose dad committed crimes when they were teens/young adults that caused them to have to immediately go into the witness protection program, leaving their lives behind and everyone they care about, without saying goodbye. This book is Lennon and Maggie's book. They met in high school but weren't really friends or in the same circle. Until one night, while going through his own teenage problems, he comes upon Maggie swimming in a pond in the dark. They slowly became secret friends, where they ignored each other at school but met up at nights to commiserate over their problems. Their relationship was just beginning to take a turn when Lennon and his family disappeared mysteriously (into Wit-sec). Now, it is years later, Lennon's family is free, as the cartel that was after them are dead. He and several of his brothers have moved back to town. He now runs a kids hiking and wilderness business. Maggie still lives in the town and has refused to talk to him, until one day they get locked in an elevator together. Lennon wants to clear the air between them and make sure there are no hard feelings for the way things were left between them, not to mention he still has feelings for her. But Maggie isn't very interested and she has a boyfriend at the time. Still, Lennon pushes for Maggie to give him a chance and finally she breaks up with her boyfriend and works things out with him.

This was a good story. It was more of a second chance romance than an enemies to lovers one. I liked Lennon, while Maggie was just okay to me. I did feel like they didn't have a ton of chemistry. Their relationship was high on the angst scale, which is not my favorite. Also, I'm never a big fan of books where the guy is cruel to the girl and constantly pushes her away. This book was the opposite of that, a role reversal of most books. Lennon was very sweet to Maggie and she hurt him a lot. He was the doormat in this scenario and kept coming back for more. I understood her fears of being with him, but she made him feel terrible. He was the one made to look like he owed her an apology, when she really owed one to him. He treated her so well, even writing her love notes every day, when she just kept hurting him and pushing him away. I definitely felt like he deserved better. The author noted in the author's note that readers are harder on heroines than heroes and she knows that people will be hard on Maggie. This reader personally is hard on any character who is cruel and treats their partner badly, regardless of gender. It is not because of her gender. I can name 10 books off the top of my head where the hero was a complete jerk and I never forgave him for it. That is the case in this book as well. I definitely was frustrated with Maggie and I don't think she quite redeemed herself to me. I needed more from her to forgive her for hurting Lennon, who was a lovable sweetheart. Still, in the end, she and Lennon managed to work things out between them and were happy together. I liked Lennon enough to overcome that I wasn't crazy about Maggie. And the story was good, as well as the side characters. I will keep reading this series and I look forward to the stories of the remaining single Bower brothers.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, even if it is not my favorite from this series. I look forward to the rest of the series and more to come from Ms. Siskind in the future!