Foundation: a grumpy-grumpy romance

Foundation is the first book in the Brady family series by Lainey Davis. Zack Brady doesn’t do relationships. He does cold, hard calculations. When his family engineering firm sends him to investigate a sinkhole at a client’s house, Zack meets the one who threatens to shake his entire world. Nicole Kennedy is loud, crass and has no time for nonsense. She has no time for the marathon relay she is being forced to run by her boss and she definitely does not have time for the sinkhole in her yard. From the moment they meet, Zack and Nicole clash; however, as they pour over the engineering plans something shifts. Can they put aside their differences and rebuild a foundation of love and happily ever after? 

Foundation is described as a grumpy geek romance; however, a more accurate description would be a grumpy-grumpy romance. The story lacked a sense of flow. It felt choppy and more time was spent on the technicalities of the engineering plans than the characters’ romance. I couldn’t stand Nicole from the very beginning. Even though she is described as crass, Nicole was way too crass for my taste and I can tolerate a lot. Her attitude to her friend, who is happily married with children, was irritating. All she did was complain. She complained about having to run the marathon and her vibrator not working like jeez really? Zack wasn’t much better either. Overall, I did not enjoy this story and I will not be continuing the series. 

Foundation is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The One Who Got Away: is there a chance for love or will she forever be the one who got away?

The One Who Got Away is the first book in the Second Chance Fire Station by Tara Grace Ericson. Bryce Storm and Krystal Daughtry were best friends in high school but Bryce had deeper feelings and he thought she felt the same. However, she left their small town of Minden to pursue her dreams in Hollywood. He stayed in town, joined the local fire department and rose to the rank of Captain. After years away, Krystal comes back to town for a few weeks and is recruited to help him with the department’s auction fundraiser. In order to curb the town’s matchmaking schemes, Bryce proposes a fake relationship, which Krystal agrees to. However, the sparks become all too real but she’s leaving again...right?. Can they take this chance for a first love? Or will Krystal forever be the one who got away? 

I have been looking forward to this story for a long time. I love firefighter stories. I love second chance romances. So I eagerly opened this story. It is a clean romance. I liked the character of Bryce right away and his faith. However, once Krystal comes back to town, there’s no real conflict or drama. However, I kept going and I am so glad I did. I could not put it down. I truly love the faith aspect and the internal struggles of Bryce and Krystal as they struggle with their torn desires between fulfilling their dreams and the new dream of being together. Overall, I enjoyed the story . I also enjoyed that the story leads into the next book in the series, so I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend The One Who Got Away. 

The One Who Got Away is available in paperback and eBook

Reckless Memories: a friends to lovers romance with angst, forgiveness and suspense

Reckless Memories is the first book in The Wrecked series by Catherine Cowles. Bell Kipton has loved Ford Hardy from afar for a long time. He was her older sister, Violet’s boyfriend but he was her friend and confidante. But a tragic accident tears everything apart. Her sister is gone and Ford leaves Bell behind to pick up the pieces alone. Now, eleven years later, she has created a new life without him. However, now he has come home and every wall and defense she has built comes crumbling down. As they both deal with the past, their guilt and their mutual passion, they fight feelings that they are betraying Violet. However, little do they know, a shadow moves in the dark. Someone who holds them responsible. Someone who wants them both gone. Can they discover who is determined to hurt them both before it’s too late? 

Catherine Cowles is my go-to author for steamy romance with angst, deep emotions and suspense. Reckless Memories is a page-turning slow burn friends to lovers romance that fits that bill. There is plenty of drama and sweet moments between the characters. It is a story of forgiveness, trust and love. I loved Bell and Ford from the very beginning. Their pain and feelings of guilt breaks your heart. They fought the growing feelings between them until there was no denying them any longer. When they finally confessed their feelings, it was heartwarming. Their doubts and worries about appearances felt very authentic. The suspense kept me on my toes and I was shocked when it was revealed who was out to hurt them. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I could not put this book down! And I look forward to the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Reckless Memories. 

Reckless Memories is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Already Gone: a young adult drama about two sisters and the fight for their future

Already Gone by Bridget E Baker is the story of two sisters and the events that tear their lives apart forever. Lacy Shelton and her sister Hope are only eleven months apart, aka Irish Twins. However, they couldn’t be more different. Lacy is captain of the debate team, a possible Valedictorian, and eagerly awaiting the admission letter from Yale. Hope is the captain of the swim team and happy to go to community college in the fall. According to Lacy, Hope has taken everything she has ever wanted and now she has had enough. She is determined that Hope will not take the handsome new guy in school and she won’t let her ruin her chances with Yale. When a shocking death changes everything and Lacy is now stuck in court-mandated therapy, she is forced to relive the events leading up to the tragedy for a chance at a future.

Already Gone alternates between Lacy’s and Hope’s points of view in a puzzle of sisterhood, betrayal, and teenage mistakes in order to find forgiveness and purpose for the future. I was ready for a great story of teenage sisters, angst, and a story to keep me on the edge of my seat. However, that is not what happened. Yes, Lacy and Hope are stereotypical teens filled with attitude and spite. So much so that I had the urge to shake some sense into both of them. I had a hard time relating to them as I was not this kind of teen growing up. The recommended ages are between 12 and 18. I don’t see a 12 year old understanding this story, definitely high school age readers. The ending was anti-climatic and a bit disappointing. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. However, if you enjoy young adult drama, I recommend Already Gone. 

Already Gone is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Noble Intent: a steamy friends to lovers romance with lots of fun banter and heavy emotions

Noble Intent is the first book in the Rapturous Intent series by Cadence Keys. Trent Bridger is the lead singer of Rapturous Intent, a chart topping rock band, and lives the rock and roll dream. However, something is missing. Then he runs into Becka Edmonson, a woman he knew as a child and she knows him and they easily fall back into their childhood friendship. Soon, Trent realizes that Becka is everything he has been looking for but he is not willing to sacrifice their friendship. After one night of passion, he finds himself choosing between the friend who has grounded him and the woman who lights a fire in him. Even when Becka acknowledges she has always hoped for something more, can they take that chance? Could he have both a friend and a lover? Can his noble intent to keep his distance mean he is also making a biggest mistake? 

Noble Intent is a steamy friends to lovers romance with sweet memories. The story also deals with heavy topics of addiction, parental abandonment and feelings of inadequacy with lots and lots of emotions. Connected to the author’s other series, the LA Wolves, Noble Intent grabs readers from the opening chapter and leads them on a wild ride of emotions, personal growth and romance. I loved Trent and Becka. Their playful banter was fun and the chemistry between them was undeniable. I wasn’t expecting the emotional topics but it added depth to the characters’ past and their present choices. My heart broke for both characters as they discuss their past and deal with how those events inform their present. It was definitely something I could relate to. I enjoyed the connectedness with the other series. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly recommend Noble Intent. 

Noble Intent is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Find Me in California: the many sides of love and family, secrets and destiny

Find Me in California by Kerry Lonsdale is a novel about chance meetings, buried secrets and the many sides of love and family. Julie Hope has never been without love as she was raised by her passionate and free-spirited grandmother, Ruby Rose. Now her grandmother suffers from dementia and lives in an assisted living center as she is in her final days. Julia struggles with the idea of being alone. A thousand miles away in New Mexico, Matt Gatlin has successfully avoided his coldhearted grandmother, Liza Holloway. However, she needs him now. Still filled with resentments, Matt heads to California. Over six days, Julia and Matt’s fates intertwine as they discover an old diary exposes a long-lost love tragedy and long buried secrets come to light. Julia and Matt soon realize that sometimes life can be both heartbreaking and heartwarming, mysterious and beautiful as destiny brings people together. 

Kerry Lonsdale is an author who delves into the darker stories of life, love and family. When I got the opportunity to read Find Me in California, I jumped at the chance. While the story started off interesting; however, it quickly fell into confusion. I had a hard time connecting with the characters especially Ruby Rose and Liza and their stories. The pacing was choppy with weird moments that had me confused and took me out of the story. Ms. Lonsdale is known for stories with elements of magical realism and usually it is a great addition to the story. However, in Find Me in California, the magical realism didn’t work for me. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. However, if you are a fan of Kerry Lonsdale, I recommend reading Find Me in California. It may speak to you in ways it did not speak to me.  

Find Me in California is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Lakehouse Promises: a woman starts over and discovers true friendship and love

Lakehouse Promises is the first book in the Laurel Cove series by Jodi Allen Brice. At forty years old, Carolina Johnson had a life that everyone wanted. A solid marriage of twenty years, a gorgeous house in a beautiful neighborhood, country club friends and yet she feels something is off. It wasn’t until a party with friends when she got the surprise of her life. She discovers that her husband has been having an affair with a girl half his age and she is pregnant. Now divorced with literally her clothes, a paltry alimony and a house on a lake. When she arrives at the house, she realizes that the house is in desperate need of repairs, adding a neighbor who doesn’t like her, no friends and her ex-mother-in-law who suddenly appears on her doorstep. Carolina learns what true friendship and love looks like while finding the strength to stand up for herself and confront her past. 

Lakehouse Promises is a clean women’s fiction story with mild romance. From the very beginning, I was rooting for Carolina. I knew something was up with the husband from the minute he appeared on the page; however, my jaw dropped when his affair was revealed. Carolina takes her life after her life and is determined to find a way to rebuild her life. She meets each challenge and setbacks with a few tears but determination to find a solution. I loved the residents she met including the nasty neighbor and the grumpy repairman. The story was so fast paced that I could not put it down. I also loved how Carolina turns to the Bible for inspiration as well as guidance. Bible verses were used in a way that it wasn’t browbeating the readers. It felt natural and not overwhelming. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Lakehouse Promises. 

Lakehouse Promises is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook