Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes:  second chance romance; ambitious heroine; hero who falls first; past familial trauma; historical romance

To take on Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City and reimagine it into historical romance is quite the undertaking. Fresh off a successful Neanderthal Seeks Duchess release in the last Smartypants Romance season, Laney Hatcher takes on Eliza and Nicholas’s (Nico) story inspired by Reid’s popular Friends Without Benefits. I had forgotten how stubborn our heroine is in Reid’s story. Then, I remembered it in Hatcher’s book. Between her two stories, I think I prefer the first book over the second simply because Eliza is a difficult character to appreciate in Well Acquainted. She must overcome her thinking patterns and her suppositions about choices she made in her past, and she spends much of this book self-flagellating, which is difficult to read. Thankfully, Hatcher has crafted a main male character in Nicholas who is patient and tenacious in his want to love her. Most heroes in other books would have given up on her, allowing her to continue to live her carefully-constructed, routine life. Nicholas must remind her that her past choices do not need to define her present and her future. Through his love for her, he waits for her until she realizes this truth. 

Thankfully, the community of women in the Embroidery Group acts as guides for her as well. Their compassion and love for Eliza help deliver her out of her negative self-talk, and Nicholas and Eliza find their happy ending…eventually. 

Laney Hatcher has absolutely crafted a story that beautifully retells Penny Reid’s popular book in her newest book, Well Acquainted. Even when the characters can’t seem to find their way through, Hatcher gives them the space of the story to become better versions of themselves. In doing this, she challenges her readers to consider how they may be using the choices of their past to influence their now. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: broken hero and heroine made whole together; past trauma; small town romance; romantic suspense

I’m not certain what Catherine Cowles’s heroines in her Tattered & Torn series did to deserve the violence meted out on them but these women are survivors. Each of the heroines in this series faces the violence of a society dominated by toxic males. Juxtaposing those males with the heroes of this series, through her storytelling, Cowles interrogates the negative impact of toxic masculinity while celebrating the power of love to overcome it. Anyone who has been reading this series has been awaiting, with bated breath, Fractured Sky, the story for her titular heroine, Shiloh. Even more, Ramsey, as Cowles’s hero, has been teased in prior stories, ramping up the anticipation for this story even more. And Catherine Cowles does not disappoint in offering it to her readers. Utilizing her signature moves, breathtaking prose, an edge-of-your-seat “who done it” using the vehicle of romance to entice, and characters who steal your breath because their personal stories tear at your heart, Fractured Sky is the perfect final bow for this rollercoaster of a series. Everything you expect of Cowles, she delivers in this book, and you leave it satiated and complete. 

Fractured Sky is an emotional, titillating romance between Shiloh and Ramsey who heal the wounds of their past by acknowledging and experiencing unconditional love for each other. The action, the infusion of ancillary characters to add more daring to the story, and the ending and bonus epilogue will absolutely bring tears of happiness to your eyes. I guarantee you will end Fractured Sky with a full heart, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done by its author. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

“I’m not interested in continuing to leave it up to fate.”

UNTYING THE KNOT, a brand new steamy, heartfelt, and hilarious standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn, will be releasing on November 15^th in all formats! Don’t miss the fantastic cover below and get ready to fall in love with this sexy romance filled with heart, heat, and humor.

Pre-order your copy today!

https://mybook.to/UntyingTheKnot

About UNTYING THE KNOT (Coming 11/15/2022):

A spin-off from the #1 Amazon bestsellers, A Not So Meet Cute and So Not Meant To Be, USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn brings you a heart-warming, yet hilarious full-length novel on what life is like after the happily ever after.

Ryot Bisley is my husband.

Yes, the former third baseman for the Chicago Bobbies and absolute heart throb of the Windy City. That Ryot Bisley.

The first time I ran into him, he was grumpy, a horrific host, and left me on his sofa with nothing but a nylon baseball flag to use as a blanket.

The second time, he reluctantly bought me dinner, stared at my chest the entire night, and still sported that permanent frown.

The third time . . . well, that was a game changer. His smile captured me, his teasing charmed me, and his touches excited me.

So when he was called up to the majors that didn’t stop us from knocking it out of the park and all the way down the aisle.

Eleven years later…I’d love to say we’re happy as ever but the man who sent me dirty text messages every day is long gone and Mr. Frowny Face is back.

He’s so focused on trying to build a life after baseball that he doesn’t see the life we’ve already created together. . .so I make the hard decision and serve him divorce papers.

Problem is…my husband refuses to accept those papers. Instead, he has a new game plan that makes untying the knot of our marriage a little tricky. And just when I thought I wanted to be traded . . . he’s slowly, tantalizingly roping me back in.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

https://mybook.to/UntyingTheKnot

Read UNTYING THE KNOT Four Different Ways!

UNTYING THE KNOT Releases November 15th!

Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter are narrating in duet this sexy romance, and they are a dream team as Ryot and Myla! Grab your earbuds and get ready for your next audiobook!

UNTYING THE KNOT will be released on November 15th in a live release on Audible!

ABOUT MEGHAN QUINN:

USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.

Connect w/ Meghan:

Website: https://authormeghanquinn.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meghanquinnbooks/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: brother’s best friend; forced proximity; Christmas story; sports romance

Who’s ready for some fun, sweet, spicy holiday reading? Rebecca Jenshak’s Snowed in with the Player, the first book of a duo of standalones centered on twin sisters, Holly and Stella, is everything you expect from her. She gives us all the holiday feels. With a name like Holly, you must know that she will love all things Christmas…and she does. Add in the forced proximity of her with a gaggle of her brother’s football friends from Jenshak’s wildly popular Valley U, and the fun ramps up. That Teddy, Jenshak’s hero and Holly’s secret crush, is one of those football players creates the chemistry you expect from Jenshak. As they fight against their attraction and fall into it, you are reminded of why you love Jenshak’s brand of romance: an interesting story, new adult antics, and a love story with heaps of spice. If you’re looking for your first holiday/Christmas romance, jump into Snowed in with the Player.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: adversaries-to-lovers; single mom; grump/sunshine; small town romance

“You don’t have to give people things in order for them to like you. You just have to be yourself and hope their kind of weird matches your kind of weird. Like us.”

Truth: I will wait forever for a Penny Reid romance, novel, story, literary work. Period. Folk Around and Find Out, her newest offering, reminds me AGAIN how much I love her storytelling. She weaves magic. She’s thoughtful and intentional with her choices, and it pays off with books that are more than their genre or trope. Folk Around and Find Out is an ode to parenthood, namely single parents, an interrogation of the idea of first impressions, and a treatise on the capacity of a person to change when they find love in all its forms. I have 41 highlights from this story because Penny Reid writes the heck out of her books, drawing you in with her prose (although is “stupid as raisins” really a phrase?) and engaging you with the story of Hank Weller and Charlotte Mitchell, as they grow as individuals and as a couple. I’m captivated by Penny Reid, and I highly recommend ANYTHING she writes. 

Impression #1: There is nothing better than a grump who shows his softer side. Insert Hank Weller. As the owner of the Pink Pony and Beau Winston’s bestie, he’s been on the radar of many a Penny Reid fan. And she didn’t disappoint in writing his story for her readers. How do you take a grump of a strip club owner and turn him into a softie? Unassuming, messy children and a heroine who cares about his bookkeeping even when he’s been a jerk to her. I’m certain that Hank’s character journey is my favorite part of Folk Around and Find Out. 

Impression #2: I love how Reid plays with the idea of initial judgments and suppositions that people make about others based on the appearance of something or someone. There are misunderstandings all over this romance because, mostly, Hank makes assertions about Charlotte without having a full understanding of her situation. It causes him to make decisions that quickly shift when he faces reality. Some of my favorite parts, like laugh-out-loud moments, come when he’s confronted with his preconceived notions of things, i.e. Charlotte at a car wash, Charlotte’s kids, etc. I found myself laughing at him or sighing at his ignorance. Either way, it wrought emotions in me which is high praise for any kind of book.

Impression #3: Small towns and gossip. Reid’s interrogation of gossip in small towns as she looks at it through the lens of Hank and Charlotte’s reputations is insightful. I think, as readers, we can connect this idea to our own use of social media as unfounded or demeaning gossip is common in that medium too. Reid takes up much of her book with Hank’s want to protect Charlotte from his reputation, and honestly, it becomes the thing that ultimately humanizes him and wins the reader over. The night he takes care of Charlotte and her kids also helps, but his empathic way of protecting Charlotte from town gossip shows us his soft underbelly and connects us to him emotionally. 

Impression #4: Green Valley and its inhabitants allow me to escape. As I was reading Folk Around and Find Out, I found myself at ease, even when Hank and Charlotte’s challenges were anxiety-inducing. Penny Reid’s capacity to create a fictional space/place in her stories that allows her readers to escape is profound. She’s one of a few authors who do this brilliantly, and you want to return to this place and these people time and time again. That she’s invited other authors to craft stories and characters to connect us even more to this place is just plain brilliant. 

If you love grump/sunshine, single parent, adversaries to lovers romance, Folk Around and Find Out should be your read right now. Honestly, as much as I’ve espoused my love for Penny Reid’s Green Valley world, you don’t have to have read any of her former books to understand this one. You simply need to love the type of story where a solitary, opinionated, grump of a man finds love and redemption in the messy, sunshiney, complicated life of a woman. This book is a pure delight.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: sunshine hero/grumpy heroine; sports romance; down-on-her-luck heroine; somewhat single parent

On entering Jiffy Kate’s Knock Out, I realized one thing: I had missed the Erickson clan. Since the advent of Stud Muffin, book 1 of the Fighting for Love series, I’ve been hooked on this MMA power family. It’s been a few Smartypants Romance seasons since we received a story from them, so to be gifted with Ozzi Erickson with their final book of the series was divine. 

This story is my favorite type of romance. A character has a difficult past; in this case, the heroine grows up in foster care. Her journey becomes one about learning to be vulnerable with people who can care about her. The other character is compassionate and has the sixth sense to “see” into the character with the traumatic background. Ozzi, this book’s main male character, is empathic and compassionate from almost their first meeting. The dance of Ozzi and Willow waltzes over the pages of Jiffy Kate’s story, and it steals your heart. I write that phrase quite a bit in my reviews, but it’s the reality of this book. As Willow struggles with the idea that she can be loved either by Ozzi or the Ericksons, you want to cry at the idea that she’s never felt loved unconditionally. When she takes on the task of the custodial care of her half-sister, you recognize the depth of her pain from past hurts. Ozzi, a wanderer and someone who eshews relationships, should be the worst person in her life. Instead, he helps her tap into her love stores. Willow’s journey is heartfelt, and her courage and strength, both emotional and physical, is the key draw of this book. 

It doesn’t hurt that the Erickson clan is in full force in this book. The Fighting for Love world has been one of my favorites in the Smartypants Romance universe. As the last book of this series, it’s difficult to say goodbye to these characters. I’m hoping we might revisit them again in Jiffy Kate’s next series, Fischer Falls. However, Ozzi and Willow’s story in Knock Out is the perfect roundhouse kick ending to their series of a loveable MMA family.

In love and romance,

Professor A

BREAK ME (Manhattan Mafia Trilogy #3) by CD Reiss

Release Date: October 31st

THE MANHATTAN MAFIA TRILOGY IS COMPLETE!

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/38eSqP5

Apple Books: https://apple.co/38YXJSM

Kobo: https://bit.ly/39MZwej

Nook: https://bit.ly/3kRHoCo

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3w9FVwm

START THE TRILOGY WITH TAKE ME #1!

https://new.paigepressbooks.com/ybcvsh05xf

MAKE ME #2

https://new.paigepressbooks.com/mbixh0rfrf

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55616820-break-me

Blurb:

It was always Sarah. And she was always mine.

I woke up in a nightmare. I woke up alone.

There was a reason I never let myself have feelings before. Emotions make you stupid. They make you miscalculate.

If someone gave me the choice, I’d do it all over again.

Only this time, I’d stop everyone who ever looked at the woman I love before they had the chance to hurt her.

But since that’s not an option, I’ll just have to stay alive long enough to find her.

And together, we’ll break the whole world for what they’ve done.

About CD Reiss:

CD Reiss is a Brooklyn native and has the accent to prove it. She earned a master’s degree in cinematic writing from USC, and though she ultimately failed to have one line of dialog put on film, she stayed in Los Angeles out of spite.

She resides in Hollywood in a house that’s just big enough for her two children, two cats, her long-suffering husband and her massive ego.

Connect w/CD Reiss:

Website: http://www.cdreiss.com

NL Signup: https://geni.us/CDRml2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDReiss.writer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cdreiss

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CDReisswriter

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/CD-Reiss/e/B00AYLW7T2

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

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2bvsk79

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: single dad; single mom; workplace romance; small town romance; a bit adversaries-to-lovers

Nora Everly’s Architecture and Artistry was one of my most anticipated SmartyPants Romance ‘cuz: Barrett and Sadie. In her previous Monroe Brothers stories, these two have danced around each other. It was clear that they had chemistry and a keen interest in each other. To realize a relationship between these two seemed like kismet. 

Jumping into Architecture and Artistry reminds you about the sweetness of Everly’s romances. This is a small-town romance done well. At the outset of their story, Barrett and Sadie epitomize the Instagram vs. Reality truth: the outside doesn’t always match the reality. Seemingly “perfect” to everyone, Barrett has a way of putting his foot in his mouth. Similarly, while Sadie always looks put together (people think of her as a “Barbie), internally, Sadie is hanging on as she maneuvers through life as a single mom to twins. There is instant chemistry between Barrett and Sadie. It’s all over the Monroe Brothers’ stories. Yet, they are reticent to acknowledge their attraction…until they simply can’t. 

As you read through Sadie and Barrett’s journey, it’s Sadie who becomes a favorite character. She is empathic and selfless, making difficult choices that impinge upon her burgeoning relationship with Barrett. And there is steam and spice and everything nice between these two. 

I will say, though, that there were inconsistencies in their development. One minute everything is fine, but the next it’s not by a creation of the author simply to derail her couple. Additionally, the prose felt stunted, especially through the falling action of her romance when you need the emotional pull of their resolution, connecting you more deeply to the book. 

Architecture and Artistry, however, offers a lovely wrap-up to Nora Everly’s Green Valley Library contributions. Will you adore Barrett and Sadie? Absolutely! Will the Monroe family and the Lavender Farms ladies remind you why you should read this series? Yes. These characters ingratiate themselves into your life with their humor, wisdom, and love. Is this book an important reminder that nothing is ever really perfect? Indeed. If you haven’t met the Monroe Brothers yet, now would be the perfect time with Nora Everly’s newest release.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: Coach’s daughter; sports romance; hero falls first; forbidden romance; close or forced proximity; reverse grumpy/sunshine

“He lived for the loved ones he’d lost. I self-destructed for mine.”

I fell hard for Kandi Steiner’s Red Zone Rivals series from its first book, Fair Catch. I loved that story because any time you have a heroine successfully living in a predominately men’s world, I’m in. I adored Clay and Giana in the second book, Blind Side. The virgin who captivates the player-esque football player, and he “teaches” her what she needs to know to “get her man” is pure romance decadence. But something about their story kept me from giving it a perfect score. But Quarterback Sneak is, to me, the piece de resistance of this series. 

Kandi Steiner’s Quarterback Sneak leaves me without words. Well, that isn’t entirely true. There are words to describe its beauty: emotional, impactful, erotic, and compassionate. Underlying Quarterback Sneak is a treatise of sorts on grief. Having personally experienced and observed grief, I know there is a reality behind it: everyone processes death differently. Steiner deftly and intentionally captures that truth in this story. Through the journeys of her hero, Holden, and her heroine, Julep, she shows her readers how death either focuses or fractures us. Juxtaposing her main characters, Holden and Julep fill in the holes left behind by the people they loved and lost, and Steiner crafts the beauty of their relationship as they struggle through their truths. Could I tell you that I loved the steam of their relationship? Yes. Is it lovely to reconnect with the main characters from Fair Catch and Blind Side? Absolutely! But it’s Julep and Holden’s relationship, the ups and downs of it, the complication of it, that kept me reading chapter after chapter when my life was spinning out of control. I simply couldn’t leave them alone because I pined for their individual growth and their happy ending. 

For a bit in Quarterback Sneak, I was annoyed with Steiner. She allowed Julep’s father to create distance between Holden and Julep. I kept speaking to my Kindle as I read her story: “how can he make this call? What about Julep’s autonomy?” Honestly, I did this for much of the story, but it was simply a plot device that leads to one of the most powerful moments of the story (which I refuse to divulge here). It’s a necessary moment for Holden, and it brings his character development to full maturation. It’s moments like this that remind you of Kandi Steiner’s immense capacity to develop character and story as a means to engage her readers while also challenging them beyond their preconceived expectations of her stories. 

I lost myself in Quarterback Sneak. I gave up grading time amidst a very busy season because Holden and Julep put a “hold on” me, and I hated for their story to end. I believe there is another story in this series, maybe, so hopefully, we’ll get glimpses of these two. Simply put, they are two special characters who illustrate the power of love to overcome grief and its effects. And that feels like an important message for today.

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: age-gap romance; married couple issues; 4-star spice

If you have yet to drop into Fiona Cole’s Voyeur world, you are missing out, especially if you ADORE 4 or 5-star spice. Each romance in her Voyeur world offers a mix of angst and steam with a perfect happy ending for each couple. One of my favorite couples in this world is Olivia Kent from her Liar, an uncle’s best friend, age-gap love story, that steams your glasses and leaves your panties in a bit of a…mess. It highlights the challenges of falling in love with the complications of familial relationships and the influence of past traumas on present-day love affairs. So you get some depth of story with your spice. 

At the end of Liar, the future seems rosy for Olivia and Kent. They’ve acknowledged their feelings and found their happily ever after…or so it seems. Cole treats us to more of their story in her newest offering, Falter. In this novella, Olivia has been trying to get pregnant amidst their busy lives and failed. Kent recognizes that she has lost her spark, but for much of the novella, fails to determine the cause of it. Thankfully, some of our favorite Voyeur characters, namely Carina, help him see the issue. That’s when the magic of Fiona Cole happens for her characters. She infuses her delicious sensuality and eroticism into the story to bring her couple back to themselves. Falter is a nugget of loveliness that reconnects us to one of my favorite places, the Voyeur world. From cameos of past Voyeur characters to Fiona Cole’s requisite spice, it’s impossible not to gobble this newest addition to this world. 

In love and romance,

Professor A