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new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland’s The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A-/B+

Tropes: one night stand (ONS) to more; close proximity/neighbors; insta-attraction; surprise baby; grump/sunshine; cinnamon roll MMC

Who knew? Who knew that the big, busy grump of the friend group in Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland’s series, The Law of Opposites Attract, would have the biggest heart of his friend group? In the series’ first two books, we learn that Owen, the MMC of their newest story, The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand, works A LOT. To be a successful real estate mogul would require it. We also see him as the voice of reason, sometimes the “stick in the mud”. However, in their newest story, Owen is a good guy who falls instantly for Devyn, a woman he meets in a bar. When she ghosts him after their one-night stand, he believes he won’t ever see her again until he finds her in an apartment in his apartment building. He is drawn to her, and she is drawn to him too. However, her life is complicated. 

What sets Owen apart from his friends is his instantaneous commitment to wooing and winning Devyn’s heart. To date, he is the swooniest of Keeland and Ward’s MMCs in this series. The traits of tenacity and perseverance emphasized through his work ethic become the main reason why Devyn falls for him despite a list of complications. Keeland and Ward draw this couple so well in The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand that you cheer them on through the entirety of this book.

What’s compelling about Ward and Keeland’s stories is their second, sometimes third-act plot disruption. It happens in all of their books. Given the predominance of it in their stories, one would think this might cause their readers to grow bored of their storytelling. However, the plot disruption is usually something you don’t expect. In this newest book, you might think it’s the surprise baby plot device. But it isn’t. It’s something I didn’t expect, and it added emotional gravity to Ward and Keeland’s romance. I find their ability to create these moments in their stories compelling and one reason I adore their romances. The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand is another example of Ward and Keeland’s genius at crafting spicy, ingenious, and compelling romances.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Louise Bay’s Dr. Fake Fiance ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: B

Tropes: he falls first; fake engagement; pop star FMC; golden retriever MMC

Louise Bay’s Dr. Fake Fiance is definitely my favorite story of her The Doctors series. All of the stories in these books offer FMCs and MMCs that burrow their way into your heart. However, Beau and Vivan have something a bit more magical between them. For one, at a time when Swifties have fallen hard for Taylor and Travis Kelce’s romance, Beau and Vivian’s story has a similar feel. It’s easy to love Beau in Dr. Fake Fiance. He doesn’t take life too seriously and doesn’t know that Vivian is a superstar in hiding. He is a loveable “golden retriever” of a hero. In contrast, Vivian is guarded. She’s been hurt by the machinations of her former long-time fiance and burned by the media. London provides her with the perfect cover, but Vivian and Beau’s instant chemistry makes it difficult for her to keep hiding. Louise Bay has crafted Vivan and Beau so that friendship quickly morphs into something deeper and scary for both of them. While Beau is seemingly easy-going, we recognize that his past trauma has actually impacted him more than he ever suspects, and Vivian is granted the opportunity to take control of her life. Their story arcs are interesting and engaging, and you will find yourself cheering for their happy ending. 

Add to this the cornerstone of Bay’s The Doctors series: the familial bond of Beau’s family. This is the tether between the stories, and it acts as the grounding force for the internal struggles of this series’s heroes and heroines. It does the same for Vivian and Beau, allowing them some normalcy in their chaotic world. The guidance of Beau’s parents and his brothers’ wisdom becomes the impetus for Beau to move forward. 

If your Roman Empire is currently the Taylor + Travis romance, you absolutely want to read Louise Bay’s Dr. Fake Fiance. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release

✍🏻 Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland’s The Rules of Dating: My One-Night Stand is LIVE! I love Devyn and Owen’s ONS into more?… You don’t want to miss this story. ✍🏻

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Title: The Rules of Dating My One-Night Stand
Authors: Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 12, 2023
BLURB
Rule number one for having a one-night stand: Don’t fall for the girl.
After a lengthy dating slump, I finally met someone who sparked my interest.
Well, first the sparks flew when we argued. Later in the evening those sparks ignited into something more.
I was drawn to Devyn, in a way I hadn’t felt in a really long time.
Needless to say, I was disappointed when she abruptly left after our amazing night together.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her. But she hadn’t even given me her number.
In a city with eight-million people, I figured I’d never see Devyn again.
So imagine my surprise when I knocked on the door of an apartment in the building I lived in, and none other than my one-night stand stood on the other side.
If I thought Devyn didn’t want anything to do with me before, that was nothing compared to how she felt after finding out I was the landlord and she was about to be evicted…
And that was just the first surprise that would rock my world when it came to the mystery woman in apartment 410.
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PENELOPE WARD
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance. 
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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VI KEELAND
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
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new release

✍🏻 If you’ve been obsessed with the Taylor + Travis romance, there are shades of that in this book: a swoony adventure-seeking MMC and a worldwide popular pop star FMC! Grab it NOW! ✍🏻

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Release Date: November 9, 2023
FREE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

She’s famous. He hasn’t a clue who she is.

I’m in London, in disguise, trying to hide from the tabloids, when I slam into a wall.

Except it’s not a wall. It’s a hot hunk of British man.

And I just poured scorching hot coffee all over him.

He goes from burn victim to my fiancé in three days flat. It’s all fake to divert tabloid attention away from my recent breakup with my longtime boyfriend-turned-traitor.

Except it doesn’t feel fake. The way he looks at me makes me shiver. When he touches me, I’m molten lava.
Neither of us is looking for anything serious.

Except…did I tell you how hot he looks playing naked Twister? He might just be husband material.

For real.



A standalone fake relationship romance in the Doctors Series.
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new release

✍🏻 Lauren Asher’s Love Redesigned is FINALLY here. ✍🏻

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The first book in a spin-off of the Dreamland Billionaires series.

Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher is now live! 

Julian

If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile. 

So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer. 

At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.

The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town. 

But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue. 

What happens if I want her to stay?

Dahlia

People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.

Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy. 

I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.  

Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits. 

Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years’ worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions. 

Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?

That isn’t part of the plan. 

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US: https://bit.ly/48SgOR0

UK Commonwealth: https://bit.ly/3tDZ5wD

Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://bit.ly/3KKMXip

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

Meet Lauren

Plagued with an overactive imagination, Lauren spends her free time reading and writing. Her dream is to travel to all the places she writes about. She enjoys writing about flawed yet relatable characters you can’t help loving. She likes sharing fast-paced stories with angst, steam, and the emotional spectrum.

Her extra-curricular activities include watching YouTube, binging old episodes of Parks and Rec, and searching Yelp for new restaurants before choosing her trusted favorite. She works best after her morning coffee and will never deny a nap.

Connect with Lauren 

Website: https://laurenasher.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19561164.Lauren_Asher

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Asher/e/B08191LLQJ

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2190526831240383

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAsherAuthor

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lauren-asher

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

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Jewel E. Ann’s Because of Her ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A

Jewel E. Ann’s Because of Her is a true gem. I was honored to edit this book, so I read it early on. It’s been a month or so, and this book has stayed with me. Jackson/Jax/Jude Day is one of a handful of characters whose story was penetrating. I will never forget him at the end of Out of Love, offering the ultimate parental sacrifice. I felt that deep. When Jewel announced this resolution, this final story, in a series of standalone books, I wanted to celebrate. As I read her manuscript, a process that causes a distance of feeling from the story, I found myself drawn to Frankie and Jackson. Even more, it made me pine for more of this family: Jessica and Luke and Livy and Slade. Even though this book can be read as a standalone, what I loved the most is the return to this beloved world. Jewel doesn’t hold us away from Jackson’s family. She gives us access and resolution in a way that fans like me needed after Out of Love. 

If you haven’t read this series, here’s why you should read this story: 

  1. A wildly protective, assassin of a man MMC. Yes, he’s older, but he’s wildly attractive
  2. An FMC who reminds me of Jackson’s sister. You don’t have to read her Jack and Jill trilogy (although you should) to get a sense of the one person Jackson believes to be his soulmate: his sister, Jessica. Frankie embodies the same qualities: headstrong, fierce, independent, and protective.
  3. Jewel writes romances that follow the beat of their own drum. It’s hard to pin tropes on them. She intentionally rips up her characters’ lives and their storyline to interrogate different aspects of human nature. For example, one of the challenges for readers is the idea of ethics: what are you willing to do for revenge? Should you sell your soul to mete out revenge on a person who has wronged you? Jackson and Frankie turn this inside out and upside down throughout the story. This is but one of many themes she tests throughout this book as well as the rest of the books on her booklist.
  4. I’ve said this before in many reviews, but it’s important to say it again: Jewel E. Ann is a queen of quotable nuggets. As I was reading her manuscript, I would highlight sentences and type “this is a great teaser.” She wordsmiths at a level that astounds me.
  5. And finally, her intentionality in crafting romances that aren’t formulaic should get people to read Because of Her. This point is the main reason you should download your booklist today and get reading. Her voice and sense of authorial identity are unique in romancelandia. 

Jewel E. Ann’s Because of Her is the true final chapter of her Jack and Jill series. Yes, it can be read without the others, but to read it before the rest is to miss out on Jewel E. Ann’s genius. If I had any recommendation, I would download the entire series and binge-read it in one weekend. You’ll fall madly, deeply in love with Jackson, Frankie, Jessica, Luke, Livy, and Slade…

In love and romance,


Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Ilsa Madden-Mills’s Christmas Cupid ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: B

Tropes: hate to love; enemies to lovers; forced proximity; pro hockey MMC; feisty FMC; brother’s best friend/teammate

Ilsa Madden-Mills’s Christmas Cupid is Hallmark charming with an extra helping of steam. It’s sweet and spicy and everything in between. 

Let me begin with the reasons it’s a “B” read for me:

I wanted more. I would have liked some parts of the story to be filled in more. There were some places that were outlined and required more development.

There were a few inconsistencies with details in the story. I’ve read everything from Madden-Mills, and this one isn’t as “neat” as her other stories.

Here are the reasons to read it:

The banter between Madden-Mills’s characters, Iris and Kyler, is everything to love about enemies to lovers. It’s clearly their foreplay, and it sets up their chemistry while also keeping the story a funny little nibble of romance.

Ilsa Madden-Mills doesn’t fall prey to writing the oft-used trope “I can’t get hot with my teammate’s younger sister.” Instead, Iris’s brother is the one responsible for their little tete-a-tete.

Forced proximity/one bed is the go-to set-up for a Christmas novella. 

Christmas Cupid is a quick little read that feels perfect for days that seem heavy. The journey she takes Kyler, specifically, on is an important one as Iris reminds him what’s important in life: community and relationships with people. In a world such as ours right now, Ilsa Madden-Mills’s Christmas Cupid is EXACTLY the read we need.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Jewel E. Ann’s Because of Her is the ending you needed to her Jack and Jill series. This book will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. Run and grab it for your weekend reading NOW. ✍🏻

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Because of Her by Jewel E. Ann is now live! 

“If sin weren’t pretty, it wouldn’t be so tempting.”

I was an accomplished music professor.

Happily single. 

Perfectly content.

Now, I’m unemployed.

Pining for a dark, brooding guy named Jack who lives in a garage with a piano.

And I’m plotting to seduce a married man because his daughter is responsible for my nephew committing suicide.

I don’t know why teenage girls are so mean. 

I don’t know why rich men cheat on their wives. 

And I don’t know why Jack has serial killer vibes, even though he leaves me speechless every time he speaks.

All I know for sure is that I feel safe in a stranger’s arms and understood by someone I don’t understand.

“You should be a little scared of everyone because humans are unpredictable.” 

How far will I go for revenge? More than that …

How far will he go to save me? 


*This book contains material involving sexual assault and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

https://books2read.com/u/m2EEER

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3OKqeoK

Meet Jewel E. Ann

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance. 

Connect with Jewel

Website: https://www.jeweleann.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7505427.Jewel_E_Ann

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jewel-E-Ann/e/B00IJYHDIG/

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/485996228236493

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jewel-e-ann

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

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeweleannauthor

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new release

✍🏻 Ilsa Madden-Mills’s Christmas Cupid is a perfect first offering for the Christmas novella season. Forced proximity ☑ Hate to love ☑️ Heat and Spice and everything nice (or naughty) ☑️ ✍🏻

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Christmas Cupid by Ilsa Madden-Mills is now live!

From #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Ilsa Madden-Mills comes a brand new enemies to lovers holiday novella (40,000 words) about finding love in unexpected places.

Dear Sneaky Santa, 

I’d like to have a word about your sense of humor. Was it really necessary to stick me, a professional hockey player nursing an injury and avoiding the media, in an isolated cabin with a bratty, boot-designing princess who seems to have made it her mission to despise me? I mean, come on, what did I ever do to you?

And let’s talk about our first encounter. Was it your intention for her to barge in on me while I was enjoying a soak in the tub? It wasn’t exactly my finest moment, and I’m sure she didn’t appreciate the view of my massive body floundering around as I tried to grab a towel.

Now, I’m stuck with her, thanks to a mutual acquaintance, in the middle of a snow blizzard, navigating through bear attacks, sketchy neighbors, and whole lot of tension. I had plans, Santa, plans to escape to Cabo and forget about the world, not to be trapped with a woman who thinks I’m unworthy of her time just because she can’t stand hockey players.
Oh, and speaking of our delightful Iris, she’s stingier with her food than Scrooge was with his pennies! I’m not asking for a feast, but a guy’s got to eat! And could you possibly turn her yippy dog into a reindeer or something? It would certainly add to the Christmas spirit and save my eardrums.

I’m trying to rediscover the meaning of Christmas, and you throw me into this chaos? Is this some kind of test, or are you just having a jolly laugh up there in the North Pole?

So here’s my Christmas wish, Santa: sprinkle a bit of your magic and either get me out of here or be a Cupid and ignite a fiery, undeniable passion between us, because right now, this scenario is frostier than a snowman.

Slapshotting Through the Snow, Kyler Blanchette

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

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Meet Ilsa Madden-Mills


#1 Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills pens angsty new adult and contemporary romances.

A former high school English teacher and librarian, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Connect with Ilsa

Website | www.ilsamaddenmills.com

Goodreads | http://bit.ly/2EESfM9

Amazon | http://amzn.to/2nY2pxT

Facebook | www.facebook.com/authorilsamaddenmills

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/44pq5Nc

Instagram | www.instagram.com/ilsamaddenmills

TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@ilsamaddenmills

Bookbub | http://bit.ly/2GaR6cn

Newsletter | www.ilsamaddenmills.com/contact

Text Updates | Text ROMANCE to (877) 207-0713

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Kristen Ashley’s Too Good To Be True ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: A

Tropes: murder mystery; romantic suspense; forced proximity

Kristen Ashley’s To Good To Be True is the book form of her Kindle Vella story from earlier in the year. And, as it won’t come as a shock, it was everything you’d expect from Kristen Ashley.  While she calls it her “murder mystery,” the vibe of this book is decidedly Ghosts & Reincarnation Series-esque. 

It’s situated in an old English country home/mansion.

There are “ghost” vibes.

The FMC has dreams that make it seem she’s been reincarnated.

KA has filled it with spookish vibes.

I couldn’t put it down because it read like the books of that popular series. It is also filled with all of our favorite Kristen Ashley elements: an FMC such as a Daphne who feels like she could be a bestie; she knows herself, she loves herself, and she doesn’t suffer fools; an MMC in Ian who is all playboyish, but only has eyes for his heroine; he falls deeply in love with her before he even knows it’s happening; ancillary characters who act as wizened guides, but also others who add the drama to the story (I mean, her main characters need foils, right?); and a twisty, turney story that keeps you glued to the pages. Oh, and don’t forget, there is a four-star heat level between her main characters. Kristen Ashley’s romance characteristics are threaded through the pages of To Good To Be True, and she doesn’t have an obvious suspect in her story. If you think hard enough, you can figure it out, but it isn’t obvious, so she keeps you engaged. This is all that is wonderful with this book, but that isn’t all of it. The true gems of any KA romance/murder mystery/whatnot lie in its depths. 

To Good To Be True, like many of her recent stories, highlights important societal ails. In this book, she allows Ian, a 1%er to make better choices with his family’s estate so they can be better civic leaders. She focuses on the archaic notions of the genteel, showcasing their modern-day futility. But what I loved the most, what I found the most compelling about this story, is the truth about the past. That our past has been spoken/written through the patriarchy. Yet, women have their stories too, and they are as important, if not more important at times. She highlights/underscores/double-underlines this truth in such a beautiful maternal way. This is where Kristen Ashley is her most genius: when she shows you who she really is as a human being among other human beings.

I don’t know how she does it, honestly. How she consistently grabs my attention and holds me in the thrall of her pages, but she does it over and over again. While she has granted the label of “murder mystery” to To Good To Be True, it’s definitely much more than that, and you won’t want to put it down.

In love and romance,

Professor A