Kiss Me First: a sweet, mature young adult romance with lots of laughs and drama

Kiss Me First is the Blairwood University and Bluebonnet Creek series prequel story by Anna B. Doe. Katherine Adams never thought she'd end up in the small town of Bluebonnet Creek, Texas. However, it is the perfect place when she needs to get away. She and her younger sister, Penny, have moved in with her aunt as Penny needs specialized care. Her plan doesn’t include the attention of a certain boy, no matter how charming he is. Emmett Santiago is the town’s golden boy, star football player and the one who could have any girl he wanted. But one look at Kate and he is hooked. While Katherine tries to keep Emmett at arm’s length, he is determined to win her heart. When the sparks start to fly, will she be able to resist? Can Emmett convince Katherine that when he is in, he is all in? 

Kiss Me First is a sweet, mature young adult romance with lots of laughs and drama. At first, I found Katherine to be very aloof and cold; however, once I learned why, I understood. I loved to see Katherine open up and be the teenager she was supposed to be instead of the adult she had to be. I enjoyed Emmett’s pursuit of her as sweet and charming. He was the strength she needed. I also enjoyed the supporting characters who added the laughs of the story. The drama was very realistic and heartbreaking. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to the rest of the series. The story was an engaging read which made it easier to stay glued to the page and continue reading. If you enjoy sweet, mature young adult romance, I recommend Kiss Me First. 

Kiss Me First is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Cowboy Taking a Chance: a sweet, clean romance short story

Cowboy Taking a Chance is a Coming Home to North Dakota series prequel by Jessie Gussman. After a quilt gets ruined, Marigold Baldwin finds herself owing a favor and agrees to a blind date. Dodge Powers has always had a bit of attraction for Marigold, his best friend, for a while. When he hears she has been set up with a blind date, he realizes he wants to take a chance and suggests they forget that they are best friends and go on a real date. Dodge is taking a chance for something more; but could he lose everything? Or will the best friends actually fall in love?

Cowboy Taking a Chance is a sweet, clean romance. It is a short story, only ten chapters long. In my opinion, too short. There was not enough time to develop the relationship between Marigold and Dodge. There wasn’t really enough time for readers to get to know Marigold and Dodge as individuals as well. There is no time for any real conflict or resolution. The story does set up the town and its community well. Overall, I did enjoy the story. I just wish it was a bit longer and I may continue with the rest of the series. If you are looking for a quick sweet, clean romantic read, I do recommend Cowboy Taking a Chance. 

Cowboy Taking a Chance is available in eBook and audiobook

A Thousand Words: a grumpy sunshine, brother's best friend Christian romance

A Thousand Words is a prequel novel to the Unfailing Love series by Mandi Blake. Tyler is in the final year of his residency and while he is a good doctor, he needs to improve in one area: his bedside manner. He is urged to go on a blind date to have some fun in his all work mentality. He agrees only to practice his communication skills. When he arrives at the restaurant, he is shocked to see who is waiting for him. Sissy is always ready for an adventure, especially for a blind date with a handsome doctor. When her date turns out to be her brother’s best friend, Tyler, she is excited. However, Tyler is not keen on the idea. He reluctantly begins to spend time with Sissy and he feels his loyalty being torn between his friend and the woman he is falling for. Can she convince him to take a chance for once?

I love Mandi Blake’s stories and I looked forward to this quick prequel. While I was a bit confused at first about who was who, I quickly fell into Sissy and Tyler’s story. I loved Sissy’s character as someone who likes to seize the day. She’s young in college and loves life. Tyler is a bit older and takes his medical studies seriously. I understand Tyler’s hesitation about dating his best friend’s sister. The two together were great as a grumpy sunshine romance. They compliment each other as Tyler needs to lighten up a bit and Sissy needs a little grounding and they do that for each other. My heart broke with Sissy’s brother’s story as someone who has hit rock bottom. I look forward to reading his story as well as the rest of the series. Overall, I enjoyed the story. If you love brother’s best friend romance, I recommend A Thousand Words. 

A Thousand Words is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Making of a Matchmaker: a great introduction to a new historical romance series

The Making of a Matchmaker is a prequel novella to The Mystery Matchmaker of Ella Pointe series by Tess Thompson. It is the fall of 1910, Roland Tutheridge is found murdered. His death freed his wife, his four children and residents of the small island in the Puget Sound. Ruling his family in a savage dictatorship, Roland left his children, each with their own unique personalities, with little hope for happiness and love. Their mother comes up with a matchmaking scheme. However, the cloud of their father’s murder hangs heavily. As his secrets are revealed, everyone on the island becomes a suspect. Will the plan find love for the eccentric Tutheridge family? Can love grow after such darkness? 

A historical series with a murder mystery and swoony romance? Yes, please! I love Tess Thompson’s Emerson Pass historical romance series. I am slowly reading my way through it but I am loving it. So I was excited to hear that Ms Thompson announced a new historical series.  The Making of a Matchmaker introduces readers to the residents of Whale Island and a murder mystery. In six chapters, readers will be ready to jump into the romances of the Tutheridge children and a murder mystery that will affect everyone. It is a very quick read as an introduction to the Tutheridge family and the series. I am looking forward to the series. I recommend The Making of a Matchmaker. 

The Making of a Matchmaker is available in eBook

Countdown to a Kiss: a prequel novella introducing a new series

Countdown to a Kiss by Piper Rayne is a prequel novella introducing the Hockey Hotties series. Three professional hockey players from the Florida Fury attend a New Year’s Eve party given by the team’s owner. Each man comes across a woman who sparks their interest. As the countdown to midnight begins, each man is hoping to start the new year right with a kiss. What’s the harm? They aren’t going to see these women again, right? 

Countdown to a Kiss is twelve short chapters and yet, it is such an engaging read that I immediately put the first book of the series higher on my TBR list. I can’t wait to read what happens with the first couple of the series. They are talented men with chips on their shoulders and the women they meet aren’t swayed by their status as professional hockey players. The banter between each man and woman is fun, flirty and so electric. If you love quick, engaging stories, I highly recommend Countdown to a Kiss. 

Countdown to a Kiss is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Tempting Heat: two former friends, one blizzard and forced proximity

Tempting Heat by Sara Whitney is the prequel novella to the Cinnamon Roll Alphas series. Tom Castle and Fiona “Finn” Casey were friends in high school. Until one incident tore their friendship apart. Finn now thinks Tom is her enemy. Little does she know that he has loved her for years. A series of events has led to them being trapped together in her apartment. Now he has the opportunity to tell her the truth, but will she listen? Finn is horrified and furious. The memories are still very painful and she does her best to ignore him. But there is very little room for that and when the power goes out, she realizes they need each other to survive the frigid night. 

Tempting Heat is so much fun! It is a sweet, sexy story with great banter. All the great features readers want in a romance. I loved Finn and Tom together. Their chemistry is so good and it was a hard story to put down. There is a little spice but nothing too outrageous. There are more tender, sigh-inducing moments that will melt any heart and bring a smile to readers’ faces. Add a sassy roommate and an overprotective brother and there are great humorous moments. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. If you love second chance romances with a little spice, I highly recommend Tempting Heat. 

Tempting Heat is available in paperback and eBook

False Start: when tutoring sessions turn romantic and leads to heartbreak

False Start by Piper Rayne is a prequel story to the Kingsmen Football series. Lee Burrows is the most popular guy on campus. The starting quarterback who needs tutoring. He is in trouble of failing his biology class and losing his scholarship. Enter Shayna, the quiet, studious introvert in his class. The study sessions start off fine until Lee starts flirting and acting jealous when he sees her with other guys and asking personal questions. When their tutoring sessions turn romantic, it is every girl’s fantasy and her heart is on cloud nine. Until she overhears a conversation that reveals the truth. Shayna vows that Lee Burrows will never hurt her again. Lee is determined to win her back. 

False Start is a quick romance story which ends in heartbreak; however, it immediately leads into the first book of the series, You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows. Lee is a big man on campus; however, he does care about his education. He reluctantly agrees to tutoring until he is face to face with Shayna, then he’s all in. Shayna is the typical introvert who doesn’t believe a guy like Lee would ever look twice at her. As they spend time together, the sparks are evident. Just as their romantic relationship gets off the ground, Shayna learns a shocking secret that tears them apart. I look forward to reading their second chance. I highly recommend False Start. 

False Start is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Love on the Ice: a sports romance

Love on the Ice by Kerry Evelyn is a novella prequel for the Palmer City Voltage series. Ginny Perdita has put her Olympic figure skating dreams behind her when a tragic accident leaves her niece and nephew orphaned. Alexei Kriz is new to the Palmer City Voltage and is ready to throw himself into his new teams and the sport he loves. One day, he runs into Ginny, the one who got away. Ginny does not enjoy seeing Alexei again, especially since he never called her again. When they are forced to work together on a fundraiser, Ginny finds the ice around her heart melting and Alexei is determined to not let her get away a second time. However, will she open herself to a second chance at love? 

I was looking forward to this story. I’m new to the sports romance genre. However, I was not impressed. I enjoyed the Czech phrases that the characters spoke from time to time but the constant translations in parentheses instead of translating in the responses or in another subtle way was tiresome. I also didn’t care for Ginny. The constant reminders that she left her dreams behind to take care of her niece and nephew was annoying. Alexei was a better character. As a novella, the story was way too fast. There was no real character development or growth. There was just way too much going on for a novella. I wish it was a longer story. I do not recommend Love on the Ice. 

Love on the Ice is available in paperback and eBook

A Man of Honor: if you are a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford, you may enjoy this book

A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the prequel to her bestselling A Woman of Substance saga. Opening five years before the start of A Woman of Substance (1979), A Man of Honor opens as 13-year old Shane “Blackie” O’Neill faces an uncertain future in rural County Kerry. Orphaned and alone, he must leave his home and set sail for his uncle’s home in Leeds, England. There, he will learn a trade as a navvy, a laborer who works on civil engineering projects and dreams of greater things. Fueled by his tumultuous life and the obstacles in front of him, Blackie is ambitious, driven and determined to leave a life of poverty behind and move up in the world. 

I am familiar with Barbara Taylor Bradford’s name but I have never read any of her works, especially A Woman of Substance. But since A Man of Honor is a prequel, I figured I didn’t need to read the other books to understand the story. Unfortunately, I could not get into Blackie’s story. While the language is lyrical and the descriptions beautiful, I was bored. There is very little going on, even with a bit of mystery, I found myself losing interest and it was hard to finish. I did enjoy Blackie’s characters, although at times he seemed too perfect, too optimistic. In the future, I may pick up A Woman of Substance and read A Man of Honor again. If you are a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford, you may enjoy A Man of Honor. 

A Man of Honor is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook. 

The Palest Ink: a powerful story of resistance

The Palest Ink by Kay Bratt is a prequel story to the Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters series. Based on the Chinese proverb, “The palest ink is better than the best memory,” the book opens in January 1966 in Shanghai as 16-year-old Benfu meets his intended bride for the first time. As the son of intellectuals, he had certain obligations he must follow. He dreams of attending the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and mastering the violin. All those dreams soon become pushed aside as Chairman Mao beings his Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution as purge all imperialist and capitalist notions from China. Soon everything about his life, his existence is deemed wrong and he must change, follow the Mao rules, or else. But Benfu is going down without a fight. Along with his best friend, Pony Boy and Pony Boy’s girlfriend, Zu Wren, they start a newsletter to reveal the truth behind Mao’s tactics. They are putting their very lives in danger; will it be worth it? What will be the costs for them all?

This review has been one of the hardest to write, not because the book was bad, it was an amazing. It was hard to write because there is so much going on, it took a couple days to disgust this story. I even took longer to read it than I normally would read. I devoured every word, my heart broke as good, simple people were destroyed because they would not conform. Some of the events were also scarily eerie and relevant to today’s world upheavals. There is so much I wish I could discuss about this book; but it would give a lot of the emotional impact of the events away. I will say it is an immensely powerful, emotional book. I suggest you take it in slowly as imagine Benfu, Pony Boy and the other characters living through these very real events. I highly recommend The Palest Ink. I am looking forward now to read the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters.

The Palest Ink

is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Rules of Magic: family, history and a curse

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman is the prequel to her 1995 bestseller Practical Magic. It is the story of three siblings: Frances “Franny.” Bridget “Jet,” and Vincent, the only son born after centuries of daughters. Their mother, Susanna, is a part of the Boston Owens family who have been accused of being witches for centuries. She ran away from home and married a psychiatrist and settled in New York City. She gave her children very specific rules to follow and as the children got older, one by one the rules were broken. One summer, when Franny turned 17, the siblings went to stay with their Aunt Isabelle in Boston. There they learned their family’s history and discovered their own unique powers. When they return home, they know that life as they knew it was over and the three, in their own way, deal with their new knowledge. Until one day, tragedy strikes and the siblings have a choice before them. Do they fully embrace their heritage or do they hide and deny their history?

I was invited to read The Rules of Magic because I have reviewed two of Ms. Hoffman’s books before. While I have never read Practical Magic, I accepted the invitation because I had enjoyed Ms. Hoffman’s books. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy The Rules of Magic. I felt it was drawn out with pages and pages of nothing. At first, I was intrigued and eagerly read as I was introduced to the family and their abilities. However, the constant hints at why the family has been ostracized in Boston and why a certain family draws fear in some of the Owens family. I had enough. I could not finish it. I no longer cared about Franny, Jet or Vincent. The book did not intrigue me enough to seek out Practical Magic. I read other reviews and many gave this book a glowing review and I’m not sure what I missed. If you are a fan of Practical Magic, you may enjoy the Rules of Magic. However, if you are not a fan, I do not recommend The Rules of Magic.

The Rules of Magic

will be available October 10, 2017

at all major booksellers