Category: Review

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 ⭐️ Review: Lexi Blake’s Start Us Up, book 1 of the Park Avenue Promise series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: band of sisters; standalone in an interconnected series; intelligent STEM heroine; golden retriever hero; rom-com; workplace romance; close proximity; grump/sunshine; starting over; office romance; found family; returning to hometown; insta-attraction

Lexi Blake’s Start Us Up reminds readers of her versatility as a romance writer. She pivots so easily from rom-com to romantic suspense to MFM to paranormal/fantasy romance to women’s fiction that she makes it look easy for her readers. Start Us Up shows the spark she has for writing as she details the journey of Ivy Jensen, her two best friends, Anika and Harper, and her hero, Heath Marino. There is much to like about this new story: a band of sisters/close friends which drives this new series, the Park Avenue Promise series; Heath’s general easiness with Ivy, who is strong and independent, but struggling with the imposition of failure; a found family that is diverse and progressively feminist; and a sweet story sprinkled with the angst of failure and parental strife. I love that Lexi Blake’s Start Us Up highlights women who are decided and tenacious in their career-chase, but messy in their lives. She has written main female characters who are likable and provoking, and she partners them with characters who hold the wisdom of age and the insight of having lived entangled lives. These make the romance intriguing and loveable. 

My biggest issue, however, lies with the believability of Heath and Ivy’s romance. Two issues complicate their chemistry: the one-person POV (Ivy’s) and the instant attraction. Coupling these together makes it difficult to “buy” how quickly Heath reads Ivy and endures her temperament so they can become romantic. If we had his POV, it would be more easier to accept them. If we had a dual POV with the instant attraction, again, it would be more acceptable for their pairing. My difficulty in believing their easy coupling is my reason for a 4-star review. 

Beyond that, I will absolutely be ready for Anika’s story, coming next in the series. If the synopsis at the end is any indication, I predict some exciting things for Anika and her besties in future stories. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Melanie Harlow’s Hideaway Heart, book 2 of the Cherry Tree Harbor series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: a little bit of hate to love; small town romance; forced proximity/one bed; bodyguard/music star romance; found family; opposites attract; cinnamon roll alpha hero; best friend’s little sister

“I didn’t have to let fear stand in the way.”

Melanie Harlow’s Hideway Heart handily reminds us of the power of fear. Both her MMC and FMC struggle with different types of fear (fear of relationships and the consequences of standing up for oneself), and Harlow does many things well in this book to illustrate these struggles. Making this the focus of her characters’ journeys creates a tension that expands and recedes, creating an explosive chemistry between Xander and Kelly Jo, the main characters of her book. From one minute to the next, Harlow deftly keeps her readers guessing as to when they will finally consummate their relationship. The eventuality of that becomes explosive, offering up some serious 4-star steam.  Crafting this tension is one of Harlow’s standards, the reason for her dedicated fan base. 

Additionally, the initial hate-to-love between Xander and Kelly Jo turns up the fire of their chemistry making their physical moments much spicier. Xander’s domination of Kelly Jo and her willingness to feign fighting him create shades of fanciful dub-con in this book. It’s not spicy enough or problematic enough to warrant a content warning, but it feels fresh in a Melanie Harlow romance.

Harlow also adds nuggets of suspense in Hideaway Heart, which is a great vehicle for highlighting Xander’s protectiveness. In book 1 and even in much of this book, Xander is carefree, a bit of a jokester, and seemingly easygoing. It becomes apparent through Xander’s care of Kelly Jo that there is a gravity to his character. Xander and Kelly Jo’s chemistry and connection are a result of Xander’s possessiveness towards Kelly Jo as he unravels the suspense of her story. The intentionality of Harlow’s choices for this part of the story highlights her giftedness as an author.

Add to all of this the feeling of “found family” for Kelly Jo with Xander’s family plus a sweet epilogue and bonus epilogue to round out the textures of Hideaway Heart. The balance of humor, saccharine, and fieriness creates the perfect confection of romance. I will say that I felt something missing from the story which I can’t put my finger on. I’m still a bigger fan of the first book of Harlow’s Cherry Tree Harbor series, Runaway Love. But it’s inconsequential enough for me in the grand scheme of this series. I’m absolutely looking forward to the rest of the Buckley siblings’ stories. The teases for them in Hideway Heart have already ramped up my anticipation.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Jewel E. Ann’s Right Guy, Wrong Word ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: rom-com; insta-attraction; second chance romance

I’m fairly certain this review will be a word salad of incomprehensibility as I try to bring my thoughts to the page. Jewel E. Ann’s Right Guy, Wrong Word has acted as a conduit to so many thoughts that trying to find the words to express them in any meaningful way feels overwhelming. So let me start where it feels necessary to begin.

I read a few early reviews of Right Guy, Wrong Word, and there was a common thread between a few of them regarding, Anna, Jewel’s heroine. Several of them spoke of their annoyance with her, especially at the beginning. And I see their point, but…BUT they missed it. Anna is seemingly annoying because she becomes frustrated with Eric’s perception of her favorite book. She feels strongly about this book, and Eric’s response feels flippant. And it’s not really about the book anyways (I mean, it kind of is, but it isn’t). The first quarter of Jewel’s book is about being “seen”. If Eric can’t like the one thing that Anna loves, how can he fully accept the depths of her spirit? It’s one of the things that makes me cry in the world: the need to feel seen and understood. Where Anna might be read as frivolous in her responses to Eric’s words, the depth of that frivolity is the want to be truly understood and accepted. So it’s important that readers don’t get caught up in Anna…it’s not about the book; it’s about acceptance. 

As the book progresses, the love affair has twists and turns to whet your romance thirst. Jewel is always deft in her balance of spice and seriousness, and it’s all here. She calls this a rom-com. And it is, but it also has a depth to it that had my brain pinging with thoughts. Eric and Anna have an easy banter that develops their chemistry. My one struggle with Anna and Eric’s story was their “why” at the beginning. Eric was immediately enamored with her at a level that didn’t feel commensurate with the progression of their story. I believe this might have also coincided with his later POV entry into the story. However, Jewel eventually remedies my curiosity about this insta-attraction when she develops a depth of feeling between the two over the latter portion of the story. 

But here’s the thing I really want to get to with regards to Right Guy, Wrong Word…I believe this story is really about storytelling. I’m probably, absolutely going out on a ledge with this review to say that I feel Jewel exposes herself as a storyteller in this book. There is a metastory in this book: this is a book about the book. There is something in this about romance, about how the reality of the real world never really owns up to the fantasy of the romantic world and the disappointment in that lack of perfect love. There is a HUGE message about the perfect love of romance versus the imperfect love which makes us the most human and the most loveable. And the romance feels like a response to the way that readers respond to books. Is it possible that Eric’s response to Anna’s favorite book is Jewel’s examination of how people view her books or her peers’ books? She also highlights the futility of words to truly capture one’s feelings. I told you “word salad of incomprehensibility” with a side of a Master’s degree in English which leads me to overthink just about everything I read. 

Jewel E Ann’s Right Guy, Wrong Word is funny and witty and sad and compelling. It woke up my brain from a summer slumber, and it allowed me to escape from reality for a day. It sparked my thinking about AI and writing and the soul that will surely be missing from it because this book is an apt reminder of a person’s capacity to make us feel feelings and think thoughts. Her story highlights the reality that we are all perfect in our imperfections, and stories offer us that reminder.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 5 ⭐️ Review: Meghan Quinn’s The Way I Hate Him ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: small town romance; enemies to lovers; forced proximity; insta-attraction; rockstar romance; grump/sunshine; workplace romance; cinnamon roll hero 

“She’s peace, but she’s anarchy. She’s a challenge, but she’s effortless. She’s simple…yet complicated. And I like all of it. I’ve become accustomed to her presence.”

Meghan Quinn is a puzzle. Her pieces come together into a complex work of art, yet her surface seems as simple as a 100-piece puzzle. As you delve into her stories, you find quickly that there is always more than what meets the eye. The Way I Hate Him is an emotional juggernaut that I didn’t expect. It begins light but evolves its depth into a story that will make you cry with joy and a side of pain. I couldn’t put it down.

Quinn’s main characters, Hayes and Hattie, are a paradox. At the outset, you’ll find yourself entranced with their fun banter and overwhelming chemistry. These two run hot for each other, and the fun of this book is the way they fight their attraction. Their oppositional forces make you smile and laugh. This is everything you enjoy about Quinn’s romance.

For me, though, it’s the latter portion of the story where Hattie’s sunshine becomes the foil to Hayes’s grump, exposing his soft underbelly. It’s there where the romance morphs from hot lust and fireworks to something more significant. Quinn walks us through themes of grief and familial trauma. She humanizes Hayes, creating vulnerability in him that matches the feelings of grief in Hattie. In that moment, I shed a few tears for their hurts, but Quinn deftly weaves her story into a space of healing, culling her main characters’ happy ending into something with depth. The ending does not go the way of its beginning, and Quinn leaves her readers sated by Hattie and Hayes’s happy ending. 

Finally, the ancillary characters of The Way I Hate Him add layers to this roller coaster of a romance. I fell in love with Hattie’s siblings, Ryland and Aubree, her best friend, Maggie, and Ryland and Hayes’s friend, Abel. Hayes’s grandmother adds humor to the story, but she acts as Hayes’s wizened guide. And the piece de resistance is Hattie’s relationship with her sister, Cassidy. It’s one of the most special portions of Quinn’s book. 


Meghan Quinn’s The Way I Hate Him stole my heart. It was one of my favorite reads to end the month of July and begin August. If you love enemies to lovers with witty banter and spicy fun, grab this one FAST! It’s a great beginning to, what I hope, is a new series. There are too many exciting characters whom I want their stories.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Catherine Cowles’s Glimmers of You ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: brother’s best friend/best friend’s little sister; small-town romance; hate to love; second chance at love; romantic suspense; forced proximity

“Kissing Grae was like downing a shot of whiskey set on fire. She burned through my system in a way that would leave scars in its wake.”

This is what Catherine Cowles does: she marries gorgeous prose with the type of romance that burns. Glimmers of You, the third book of her Lost & Found series, envelopes you like a warm blanket while you bear the brunt of the cold. Grae and Caden’s romantic journey is one fraught with unrequited love, familial trauma, and an outside threat. This is what Catherine Cowles does so well: she ingratiates her characters into your soul that you hate to leave her stories. Even more, other than the details of Caden’s wealthy family, her characters are relatable. 

The crux of Grae’s story lies in her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Cowles deftly shows the impact of this diagnosis throughout the book. It not only affects her physically; diabetes has changed her familial relationships, causing her to strive toward greater independence. Cowles highlights the overprotectiveness of her family and early in the story, Caden’s; yet, she uses Caden’s early awareness of Grae’s frustration to help develop the awareness of the larger group. This is thoughtful in that it cultivates a stronger bond between Grae and Caden.

Additionally, Cowles’s pacing of Caden and Grae’s attraction feels “just right” for this romance. While the reader waits on tenterhooks for Caden to allow his love for Grae, it never feels overly wrought. It blooms under Grae’s empathy and understanding of Caden’s pain derived from the relationships with his father and brother and the death of his sister. Cowles shows us the power of love to heal these hurts as Grae shows she knows Caden better than anyone.

If I have any criticisms of Cowles’s storytelling, it’s the sometimes repetitiveness of her story elements, Her heroines, in general, tend to bear the trauma of her stories which can be predictable. That each of her small towns is rife with a variety of nefarious individuals could be perceived as problematic (I mean, who wants to live in a small town with so many violent individuals?). Lastly, while she does an apt job of disguising her villains, if you’re familiar with her romances, you know where to look to find them. 

Even with those thoughts, Catherine Cowles is always a must-read for me. She suspends me in the time of her books, and she makes me fall in love with her characters. I pine for her stories, impatiently waiting for the next book to come.

“Loving people means exposing ourselves to the worst kind of pain […] But it also gives us the greatest beauty we’ll ever experience.”

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: J. Saman’s Irresistibly Wild ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: forbidden relationship; fake relationship; single dad/uncle; he falls first; one bed; standalone in an interconnected series

J. Saman’s Irresistibly Wild continues the delectable storytelling of her Irresistibly Yours series. The first two stories of this series, Irresistibly Broken and Irresistibly Perfect, dutifully set the stage for this series. Irresistibly Wild adds another layer of emotion to the lives of this band of brothers. J. Saman intertwines a hero who absolutely adores his heroine from the moment they meet with a heroine who has a prickly exterior. I didn’t read this as a grump/sunshine trope; rather, Callan is a typical romantic hero, and Layla is nursing a broken heart as well as trying to find her place in the world. Saman throws everything at Callan and Layla: an age gap that sets them at different phases in life; Callan taking over raising his niece; and a forbidden relationship with Callan as Layla’s interim professor and her supervisor at the hospital. Callan and Layla must transcend several obstacles to be together which means that Saman has deftly drawn a main male character who will only ever love Layla. The angst of this romance lies in Layla admitting and accepting her feelings for Callan. Saman carefully builds this tension until, as a reader, you almost grow tired of Layla’s emotional walls. Saman is careful to balance that tension so she doesn’t lose her reader.

Additionally, the attraction between Callan and Layla is complete fire, and she uses much of the romance to build their physicality. If I recall correctly, this might be some of the dirtiest of this series. The spice of Irresistibly Wild simply accentuates the development of Callan and Layla’s feelings, and it seems organic to these two. 

Finally, the marriage of the Boston Billionaire Bachelors with the Irresistibly Yours guys builds both nostalgia and excitement for this book. There are cameos galore as Layla is the sister/daughter of Oliver and Autumn of the BBB series. If you’ve been reading J. Saman for any length of time, Irresistibly Wild allows you to reconnect with characters from her former stories.

Callan and Layla’s romance in J. Saman’s newest Irresistibly Yours series book continues to make this series irresistible. I’m absolutely ready for the next book, Asher’s story. Saman teases a bit of it at the end of this endearing, spicy new read.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Elle Kennedy’s The Summer Girl ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: virgin heroine; player hero; good girl/bad boy; summer fling; new adult; band of brothers/found family; small-town; insta-attraction; standalone in an interconnected series

Elle Kennedy’s The Summer Girl, book 3 of her Avalon Bay series, is the perfect summer read. Set in Avalon Bay, a small town with a townies/tourist vibe, it’s the type of book you find yourself reading on the beach. I haven’t read the first two books of this series, but this is Elle Kennedy, and I dived into this book without a look back. Thankfully, Kennedy makes it easy on her first-time reader to this series, introducing us to the broader group of characters and offering nods to the storylines of the first two books. In fact, The Summer Girl has prompted me to read those first two books because the story between Cassie and Tate is just too good. 

The chemistry between these next-door neighbors is a four-alarm fire. Kennedy deftly takes her virgin heroine, Cassie, and pairs her with Tate, despite all of their attempts to keep their friendship platonic. However, any reader can see and feel their attraction. Kennedy carefully draws out their inclination for each other until just the right point. Then, she crafts a complication that comes from right field which makes your head spin. The entire time, she has you rooting for Tate and Cassie, but an Elle Kennedy coupling is never easy. She draws you in so deeply, and she forces you to wait until the very end for their happily ever after. 

Add to this the reality of families. Tate’s character represents a loving family. In contrast, Cassie’s family dynamic has created a skewed sense of self and family history. Tate helps Cassie find her voice and draw appropriate boundaries, allowing Kennedy to underscore the psychology of families and their impact on our construction of self. One minute, she has you swooning for her characters’ romantic journey; the next, she’s emphasizing the power of forgiveness and letting go of people who bring us harm. Kennedy has curated a balance of fun and thoughtfulness through her story.

If The Summer Girl is any indication of the texture of the Avalon Bay series, I’m excited to read more of the stories in this steamy enclave.

In love and romance,


Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 ⭐️ Review: Jolie Vines’s Touch Her and Die, book 1 of her new McRae Bodyguards series ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: bodyguard romance; grump/sunshine; forced proximity; forbidden-esque; found family; band of brothers; romantic suspense

Jolie Vines’s newest story, Touch Her and Die, harkens back to her earlier Wild Scots and Wild Mountain Scots series. Having spent the last year gobbling her darker romance series, Dark Island Scots, it was refreshing to jump into Touch Her and Die, the first book of her newest series, McRae Bodyguards, because it reminds us what Vines does well: craft heroes who fall hard and deep for their heroines and heroines whose emotional intelligence brings out the best in their heroes. This story takes us into the world crafted by Gourdain, the second eldest brother of Vines’s popular Marry the Scots series (see Hero – one of my favorite of her stories in that series). Vines’s hero is Ben, a character who has shown up in prior stories as a background character, and she makes him shine in this one. Throughout Touch Her and Die, Ben must work through the trauma of his past and the unresolved feelings he has for his birth mom. These issues hinder his ability to have a meaningful relationship with the story’s heroine, Daisy.  Vines deftly creates grump/sunshine personas for her main characters which allow for a balanced story.

While Ben works to avoid his attraction and instant chemistry with Daisy, Daisy’s journey involves finding her own space in the world. Escaping a mafia-esque family to pursue cleaning houses, Daisy must continue to make choices that are best for her. Even more, Vines’s adding in her love for helping people clean their homes to create order ingratiates her to readers. Daisy reminded me of the character in the movie, Maid, in that she recognized the power of bringing order into people’s lives that felt disordered. It’s impossible not to love Daisy’s character in this story. 

Another broader stroke I enjoyed in Touch Her and Die is the inclusion of the McRaes into this series. While they played small parts in the Dark Island Scots series, it was tertiary at best. In this book, we are reminded of how much we love Gourdain McRae and the greater McRae family. Connecting us back to the original characters whom Vines made us love breathes a touch of nostalgia into her story.

As a total addendum, I loved the small graphics at the start of each chapter. I know it’s a minor detail, but it shows the care that Vines takes with all aspects of her story.

If I had ONE criticism, it would be the inclusion of Ariel’s point of view in this book. It detracts from Ben and Daisy’s journey, especially at its beginning. I understand it to be set up for Ariel’s story, but it does nothing more than distract the reader.

I’m excited about the future McRae Bodyguard romances. If Touch Her and Die is any indication, I predict another successful series.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4 ⭐️ Review: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Snow Place Like LA, a Christmas Notch in July novella ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Tropes: second chance romance; forced proximity; working with an ex; Christmas in July feels; mm romance; miscommunication and misunderstandings

Snow Place Like LA begins where Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s A Merry Little Meet Cute leaves us. Angel and Luca have enjoyed themselves thoroughly in Christmas Notch, but it’s time to return to the “real world,” and Luca is curious and anticipatory about his future with Angel. However, at the airport, at the last minute, Angel seems vague. The two separate with Angel going to Paris and Luca returning to Los Angeles. When Luca tries to connect with Angel via messaging and hears nothing, he doubts their connection. When he finds an incriminating photo on social media, he makes the heavy decision to block Angel, and he feels heartbroken.

Snow Place Like LA is a deliciously dirty rom-com highlighting the disastrous effects of misunderstandings and spur-of-the-moment actions. Set in the backdrop of Teddy Ray Flectcher’s “corn” business, Murphy and Simone use the epic Pretty Woman to craft moments of hilarity for their story. They incorporate many of the characters from the first book of the Christmas Notch series as a way to connect readers who loved that book to this expanding world. When Angel and Luca are forced to work on the “corn” version of Pretty Woman, Luca’s anger and heartbreak create tension in the story, but it never overwhelms its rom-com designation. Unfortunately, Angel and Luca cannot keep their hands off each other.

When Angel and Luca finally talk about their falling out, it becomes clear that there were misunderstandings. As these two reconcile, Murphy and Simone use Luca’s emotional journey to highlight the impact of past traumas on present-day choices. Luca shows us that feeling misunderstood and not being accepted by his family has left him to create walls with the people around him. He uses humor to mask his feelings. When he doesn’t feel “seen” by Angel as they leave Vermont, he recognizes it replicates his feelings to his family’s disinterest in him. Just when it feels as though they will find their happy ending, Angel has more news, and he invites Luca into a future with him. However, Luca’s love for the people who have loved and accepted him makes it difficult to choose Angel’s proposition. Murphy and Simone deftly walk us through Luca’s journey of self-awareness, and Angel and Luca find their happy ending.

Snow Place Like LA is irreverently funny. It’s impossible not to love Luca and Angel, and there are truths in this book that feel necessary for us to read and apply to our own lives. I cannot wait for more stories from Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Christmas Notch series.

In love and romance,

Professor A

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✍🏻 Professor Romance’s 4.5 ⭐️ Review: Devney Perry’s The Dandelion Diary, a 1001 Dark Nights romance ✍🏻

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Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️

Tropes: single dad; insta-attraction; teacher/parent; interconnected story

I am certain that Devney Perry’s Maysen Jar series is my sentimental favorite of her book list. The delicate gravity of her stories in The Birthday List and Letters to Molly socks you solidly in the stomach, and you can’t help but fall in love with her characters and their stories. That she, a couple of years later, gifts us with the delicious nibble of The Dandelion Diary, a 1001 Dark Nights novella, is a treasure to behold. Its perfection lies in its simplicity and its poignancy. The Dandelion Diary is an apt reminder of why I love this series so much. 

What is there to love about this nugget of a romance?

  • A protective single dad who adores his daughter. Perry hasn’t drawn her hero, Jeff, with too much complexity. He is a simple man living his life to love and care for his daughter. As you read, you can’t help but fall in love with him as he calls her “dandelion” and he treats her respectfully and fairly in all things. In the shadow of his complicated and tumultuous relationship with his ex-wife, he ensures his daughter is able to love her mother while being a respectful co-parent. Quite frankly, Jeff is a dream hero in all his rugged handsomeness.
  • Like Jeff’s characterization, Perry doesn’t craft Della to be anything more than Jeff’s soulmate. Through her journey, Perry wants her readers to think about the idea of being loved and treasured. Those truths have been missing in her life, at least until she meets Jeff. When she meets him, they complete each other, filling Della’s need to be adored and adding layers to Jeff’s complicated life. 
  • I love the easiness of Jeff and Della’s relationship in the shadow of its forbidden element. Perry creates the perfect tension between its forbidden nature and their responsibility to “do the right thing.” Perry doesn’t overwhelm her readers with the angst of this balance, rather she moves the story along by having her characters take responsibility for their actions.
  • As she does so well in all of her stories, Devney Perry ends The Dandelion Diary with a future brighter than first believed possible. There is beauty in the future lives of her characters, and she adds a touch of surprise as the finality to her romance.

The Dandelion Diary is quintessential Devney Perry. It’s a perfect addendum to her beautiful Maysen Jar series, gifting a little peek back into this world that we adore.

In love and romance,

Professor A