Blurb: Twelve years ago, our fates were sealed with a kiss.
We are all, for better or worse, doomed to love each other until death do us part. My heart belongs to Proserpina and St. Sebastian—even if he no longer wants it. Even if she has left it behind to follow him.
Delphine’s fled back home, and Becket’s holy calling is in peril.
And now only Rebecca and I remain at Thornchapel to face the unknown.
The door is open. The door that shouldn’t exist; the door that people have died to close. I don’t feel like the lord of the manor…I don’t feel like a king or a wild god. I am a friend and a boyfriend and a brother—and a failure at being all of these things. But the door doesn’t care about my guilt. It only cares about the sacrifice I’ll make to close it.
As the bruising dark of Samhain approaches, so does the fate of our circle, of Thornchapel and the village and the valley beyond it. And I must don the crown, because one thing is still true, even if I must face it alone.
Here at Thornchapel, the kings must go to the door.
Here at Thornchapel, all kings must die.
About the Author: Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.
Blurb: I was raised to be a ruler of two worlds. One with a pen. One with a knife. Be the king of the concrete jungle at all costs. I should’ve simply taken a queen, not courted one. I should’ve forced her submission, not earned it. I should’ve let respect be enough, not fall in love. Someone has made a grave mistake in coming for my company. For my throne. For my Mia Bella. And for that, they will not only meet the man I was raised to become but the one I am now, for the only woman I will ever bow to.
About the Author: Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub genre to sub genre like a game of Hopscotch she can’t resist.
In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy’s t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).
She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband “Lumberjack”.
From New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward comes a love story about taking chances and the surprises that come with them.
My love story all started with a letter.
Only it wasn’t from the man I’d eventually fall in love with. It was from his daughter. A sweet little girl named Birdie Maxwell who’d written to the magazine that I worked for.
You see, once a year my employer fulfilled a few wishes for readers. Only that column didn’t start up again for months.
So I fulfilled some of her wishes myself. It was harmless…so I thought. Until one day I took things too far.
While anonymously granting yet another of Birdie’s wishes, I got a look at her father. Her devastatingly handsome, single dad father.
I should have stopped playing fairy godmother then. I should have left well enough alone. But I just couldn’t help myself. I had a connection to this girl. One that had me acting irrationally.
“I cannot believe we are doing this.” Devin and I took the C train to Columbus Circle and stopped at Starbucks before walking over to the carousel. My partner in crime came dressed for surveillance, wearing head-to-toe black, dark sun- glasses, and a wool cap . . . in July. We were lucky it was New York or she might look like the weirdo she is. I, on the other hand, had on jeans and an Aerosmith T-shirt. Because . . . you know . . . Steven Tyler and those lips. I didn’t even care he was probably pushing seventy. I’d still suck on those babies.
We took a seat on a bench located to the right of the carousel—not directly in front of it but where we could still see everyone who walked in and out. As we got into position, I started to feel really bad about what we were about to do—invade little Birdie’s privacy.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this.”
Devin put her hand on my shoulder and applied pressure—just in case I tried to get up.
“We’re doing this. Don’t even try to make a run for it.”
I slouched back onto the bench. “Fine.”
We sat for the better part of an hour, sipping coffee, gossiping about work, and looking around for a little girl and her dad. When I caught the time on my phone, I said, “It’s after eleven. I don’t think they’re coming.”
“Let’s give it until eleven thirty.”
I rolled my eyes. But screw it, we were in this far—I might as well go along with the rest of the ride. Otherwise, Devin would never let me hear the end of it. At eleven thirty on the dot, I stood. “Let’s go, Lacey.”
“Who?”
“Cagney & Lacey. It was a show my mom used to watch when I was little. It had two women detectives.”
“Well, which one was hotter? Maybe I don’t want to be Lacey.”
I laughed. “You can be whichever one you want to be.”
I turned to throw out my coffee cup in the basket next to the bench and was just about to start to leave when I spotted a little girl and a man who had just turned into the entrance of the park. They were pretty far off, but I thought it could be Birdie. “Oh my God. Sit! Sit! I think that’s them.”
The two of us planted our asses back on the bench at the same exact time. Devin leaned forward and squinted. “Are you sure?”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her to sit back. “Don’t be so obvious.”
We watched, while completely failing at looking casual, as the man and the little girl moved closer. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and had on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He was holding the hand of the little girl. And she had on . . . a bodysuit and tutu. It was definitely Birdie!
“Oh my God. It’s them!”
Neither of us said a word as the father and daughter approached the carousel. When they got close enough so I could finally see their faces, I gasped. “Oh my God. He’s . . .”
Devin grabbed my hand. “I call dibs. I want to have his babies.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. While I was expecting a modern version of my dad twenty years ago, the man standing before me was anything but. For the record, my dad is awesome, and he’s not too shabby-looking. But this man . . . was . . . drop. Dead. Gorgeous.
Wow. Just . . . yeah. Wow.
Sebastian Maxwell had dark hair, bone structure to die for, and full, beautiful lips. I’d joked how Devin thought the guy was a super- model, but this man could actually be a supermodel. He had that longish, messy hair—the kind that he could drag a hand through, and it would look like he’d been both thoroughly fucked and just finished a photo shoot.
Yeah, that was him. I was absolutely, positively speechless.
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 have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. 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.
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 twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Dillon McQueen: Babe. I promise. You want me. Serena Jensen: Um, who are you?
There’s a legend at Waylon University: the first girl you kiss freshman year at the bonfire party is the one you’ll never forget. She’ll crawl under your skin and never leave. She’ll spark a passion so fierce you’ll burn the world down to possess her.
You might even put a ring on it.
As in all things with fate, timing is everything. That kiss can go horribly wrong. She might run in the opposite direction. And boy, did Serena run.
Dillon is Waylon’s hotshot quarterback with something to prove. All he wants is to graduate and make it to the NFL. What he doesn’t need is to finally meet the mystery girl he kissed at the bonfire freshman year. Isn’t it enough that she’s haunted his dreams for more than a thousand nights?
Fate laughs in his face when he runs into the quirky girl at the Piggly Wiggly. Surrounded by his entourage, he’s got all the Oreos in his cart; she gets revenge by buying every six-pack of his favorite beer.
Obviously, that legend is a curse. She’s not his type and hates him. Worst of all, how can she not remember him when she left a Serena-shaped hole in his heart for the past three years?
So why can’t he stop trying to win her?
Will this quarterback score the girl or make the biggest fumble of his life?
The kiss burns a hole right through me and blood rushes to my groin. I’m in over my head—Who cares?—and I groan, deepening our connection. My hands slide down her cheeks, her throat, then to her arms at her sides. Our joined breaths mingling, I trace my thumbs over the rapid pulse in her wrists. My head swims with images of her body draped on top of me— A cry comes from her as she breaks away from our kiss. “Jerk! Don’t do that. I don’t know you!” “You liked it, babe.” “What? No.” “I’m Dillon.” “Um, I don’t care. Step away.” “What’s your name? You got a number?” Dillon McQueen does not give up easily. When he sees what he wants, he goes after it. He also sometimes talks about himself in the third person. “Are you a freshman? I play football. Quarterback.” Usually that’s enough to catch a girl’s interest. She shakes her head, looking almost surprised as she touches her lips briefly. I think she mutters pigskin-toting Casanova. Then, she flips around. “No, wait! Don’t go!” I say, reaching out for her, but she’s gone, daring one look over her shoulder as she disappears into the crowd of people. I take off after her, navigating through the throng, jostling into dancers. One of them, a big barrel-chested guy, shoves at me when I bump into him. I fall on my ass. Heart pounding, I scramble back up, dirt and grass on me as I dart through the crowd and look around. My height gives me a decent vantage point, but she’s vanished. Off in the distance, the football guys hoot my name, then chant Venus over and over. Well, hell. The bonfire got me good. She’s gone. Legend 1, Dillon 0.
About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.
Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.
A former high school English teacher, 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.
Today we have the release day blitz for Timarie’s new romantic thriller, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE! Check it out and be sure to order your copy today!
Title: Pledge of Allegiance
Author: Timarie
Genre: Romantic Suspense
About Pledge of Allegiance:
April 15, 2013, Patriots Day. The city of Boston, and all of the nation, was rocked by a terrorist attack at the historical Boston Marathon finish line. Countless people are affected by this tragedy, including Michael Farino and Ireland “Ilee” Murphy. Neither one of them could have predicted that the act of saving Ilee’s life would lead Michael on a journey of personal discovery, while a decades old war between their rival Boston crime families threatens their happiness and their lives. Michael and Ilee will have to pledge their allegiances to either their families or each other, but it is not that simple. Passion, secrets, betrayal and a very complicated past are working against Michael and Ilee. Nothing is ever as it seems… Nothing!
After what feels like an eternity, the mystery man looks up at me. His extremely blue eyes pin me to the bed. He freezes when he sees me staring back. This is really awkward, partly because I have no clue who this person is and also because I find him unbelievably attractive.
I guess I’ll make the first move here. “Hi” is all I can manage in a shy voice.
He leans over and starts talking quietly. “Hi, how are you feeling? Do you remember me?” I swallow and with an ounce of embarrassment I say, “I’m sorry, I don’t.” He smiles and runs his thumb gently down my cheek gently and smiles at me. His touch, wow! It feels like he is leaving a trail of tingles that follow his thumb. Who the hell is this person? That is a rather intimate gesture. Should I be worried? “I’m Michael. I’m the one who helped you get to the hospital. I waited for you to get out of surgery yesterday and came up to see you when you left recovery, but you were still out of it.”
That’s right: I vaguely remember a man helping me. “I can never thank you enough for what you did for me. Without you I probably would have died on the sidewalk. Thank you isn’t enough, but it’s all I can say right now.”
He gives me a shy smile and is quiet for a moment. Then he speaks.
“You really don’t need to thank me. I’m just so relieved that you’re going to be OK. The doctors said you are going to need a lot of follow-up, but you’ll be able to walk and make a full recovery.”
I suddenly feel a little annoyed that this guy knows more about my condition than I do. “You spoke to the doctor?” I try to keep the edge out of my tone.
“Yeah, I was waiting here after the EMTs brought you in and they mistook me for your boyfriend. After you came out of surgery, Dr. Wong came out and told me you had to have a blood transfusion and they repaired muscle damage in your leg. He said you were lucky the damage was in one spot so he didn’t need to amputate.”
Amputate? What the fuck! No one mentioned amputation! Tears start streaming down my face. God, what is with me? I haven’t cried this much since I was 17. Now those memories make me cry more.
“Hey, it’s OK. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Everything is going to be fine.” He stands and leans down to cradle my head against his hard chest and kisses the top of my head. In a moment of weakness, I grab hold of his strong arms and bury my head in his chest. I take in his incredible scent and just cry as he comforts me. For the first time since I woke up last night, I feel safe. Too safe. I feel him kiss the top of my head again and hold me tighter and I am scared to realize I really like being in this stranger’s arms. I pull away and he releases me. “I’m sorry. Thank you. I’m usually not an overly emotional person. I just can’t make sense of any of this.” I don’t tell him the “this” I am referring to isn’t the accident, but rather my feelings toward this virtual stranger who saved my life.
About Timarie:
Timarie was born and raised in East Boston, Massachusetts. To this very day, Timarie still only live a few miles outside of downtown Boston. Since her early teens, Timarie has been a singer/song writer. After university, she continued to work in music, while simultaneously developing her business acumen in the private sector. It wasn’t until shortly after the terrorist attacks at the Boston Marathon finish line, that Timarie’s creative vision for this literary series came into focus.
Timarie continues to work in music, as well as being an active writer. In addition to the books in The Finish Line Series, Timarie has also authored three other books awaiting publication at the time of this printing. It is her hope to show the world that Boston is not just the birthplace of America, but also one of the most diverse, intriguing and culturally rich places in the country. As she always says, “Boston is always a supporting character in all of my books.”
Nothing is more important to Timarie than her family and friends, which includes her beloved Maine Coon, Princess. Timarie is also a fierce advocate for racial, gender and LGBTQ+ equality. She promotes independent thinking and social positivity.
I love a good romance with a hero and heroine from warring families. There is a reason that Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays: other people like it too. When you read Piper Rayne’s Our Star-Crossed Kiss, along with the other Rooftop Crew stories, you can’t help but fall in love with wise-cracking Seth. He’s the guy who brings the comic relief to his friend group, and that friend group is one of the best parts of this book and its predecessors. They provide the wisdom and the humor to situations that don’t always feel that way. And I love the group because it’s inclusive. Others can enter it without too much hazing.
Enter Evan, Piper Rayne’s heroine in their newest book. She and Seth have a past as their families co-owned a business until they didn’t. After a twenty year absence from each other’s lives (one where they still resided in the periphery), they decide to couple up under the guise of a fake engagement to help their family businesses by entering a Food Channel show. There is so much to like about Our Star-Crossed Kiss:
There is an undeniable chemistry between Evan and Seth. These two have liked each other for more than they would like to admit. We saw glimpses of it in the last book that Piper Rayne released, The Rival Roomies, when every time that Evan Erickson is brought up, Seth’s interest is piqued. You want these two to find their way to each other because they complete each other.
The Rooftop Crew is back. Once again, they razz Seth, support Seth, and accept Evan into their fold. Their encouragement guides Seth and Evan closer to each other, and I love that Evan finds a space beyond her family.
The story itself engages you. I don’t want to give away the story points (read the book for that), but there are themes regarding familial problems, addiction, and the future. All of these feels ancillary to the romance, which should be the point. Piper Rayne carefully create their stories to highlight their heroes and heroines, and that is decidedly true in Our Star-Crossed Kiss.
If you have read any of the other Rooftop Crew books, I know you’ll love Seth and Evan’s story. Fake engagement, family feuds, and a couple who are reticent to enter life together will grab your heart and make you root hard for Evan and Seth’s happy ending. Our Star-Crossed Kiss is a perfect sweet and sassy read for any day of the week.
What a ride! Ava Harrison’s Tarnished Empire is everything you love about a hero who can’t help but fall for the stubborn, strong heroine. Harrison’s hero, Alaric Prince, is the jaded, criminal hero that you love to hate. His life is grounded in avenging his brother’s death. Her heroine, Phoenix, Alaric’s Dove, is Alaric’s perfect match because she doesn’t fear him as other women do, and she sees him in a way that no one else has.
Harrison writes a perilous journey for these two that is inscribed with banter that builds their chemistry to its zenith. Together, they are straight fiery chemistry. Harrison deftly adds to that a story with more twists and turns than you’re ready for. Tarnished Empire is a wild ride of romance that culminates in a happy ending that satiates your appetite for Alaric and Phoenix, yet holds a bittersweetness.
Harrison is carefully in her storytelling, weaving their journey with highs and lows. It leaves you spell-bound at times, and you hate to put the story down.
There are parts of the story where I would have liked the action to move forward a bit more. It’s easy to get wrapped up in building the animosity along with the chemistry that it slows the forward progression. Yet, Harrison pulls you through it as the surprises of her plot draw you forward.
If you’re a fan of gun-running, antiheroes who fall for their worst enemy’s daughter, then you definitely want to grab Ava Harrison’s Tarnished Empire.
“But it was where our lips were joined that I found salvation.”
“It is a truth universally acknowledged,” that a writer in possession of a skill commensurate with a master, would avoid writing a book inspired by the author Jane Austen. So many readers are familiar with her work that deciding to write books that reclaim them seems like writing suicide. Yet, Staci Hart in her current series about the Bennet family has shown herself time and time again to be ready for the task. And, as she has done with her past books, has eloquently crafted a story in Pride & Papercuts that would, I think, make Jane Austen proud. This newest book, the final book of her Bennet family, is INDEED saving the best for last.
I am not a Jane Austen scholar; however, I am a devoted fan. I have read every piece of work she’s written (even the unfinished works). I have read several reimaginings of her famous books, and I am familiar with her stories. I have also watched all of the movies, mini-series, etc., so I know a little bit about her. Here’s the thing. To fully recognize the true genius of Staci Hart’s Pride & Papercuts, you should know Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but it isn’t necessary to love this book. Hart has this capacity, this talent, to create stories that are stylized, prose-driven, story-articulated, character-based romances. She can adapt a voice for a particular story, and it impresses this blogger immensely because there is difficulty in that task. Yet, even as she adopts a particular writing voice for a book, she is still decidedly Staci Hart in its creation. There is a style to her writing. Her graphic designer background finds purchase in all of her stories through her description building. You can see her places and people because she takes care in creating it. And it’s always so bracing. It feels foundational to her writing. Whether you’re reading her Austen-inspired books or her Gatsby/Gossip Girl, Fool Me Once, the design within the descriptions is Staci Hart’s signature. As a reader, I see her so clearly that it excites me because she’s unique and makes her romance distinctly her.
So, Pride & Papercuts. I have so much to say about this book, and I have to be fair because my thoughts are a jumble, and they are grounded in my pure love for Jane Austen and Staci Hart. I’ve decided to write out my notes from my reading of P&P here to illustrate my adoration for this book and its writer.
One thing that I find genius about this newest Bennet book is Hart’s ability to add layers, in a way, to the original Pride and Prejudice through this story. See, Jane Austen is amazing as a writer in her century. Many people don’t know that Austen died a single woman, having allegedly very little experience with romance in her own life. Yet, she wrote books that people still love to this day with love stories that feel ephemeral. However, there is, by her experience, a limitation to her love stories. This is where Staci Hart adds the complexity of feelings from Austen’s original to her own story. She allows us into the thoughts of the characters in a way that is missing from Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, making that story feel one-dimensional in contrast to Hart’s book. Hart stays true to the general sense of the characters, but she allows us to imagine more for Liam Darcy and Elaine Bennet (who are replicas of Mark Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett from the original). In doing so, they hold more dimension and their story feels deeper than the original could ever be. To me, this is the part of Pride & Papercuts that floored me, to be blunt. I could see and feel and know more because Hart crafted it as such. And I was falling into love, once again, with Staci Hart as a writer.
So let me get back to this book, Pride & Papercuts, and tell you why you should read it (and its predecessors):
✓ Liam and Laney are two sides of the same coin. They adore their families and will protect them at any cost by creating tough facades that protect their sensitive underbellies. They are distinctly mean to each other, especially Liam. But Hart makes it clear that it isn’t a positive for them to act as such. It is simply a protection, so you empathize with Liam and Laney as they struggle to express their feelings AND protect their loved ones.
✓Hart takes on the most favorite aspects of Pride and Prejudice, and she reflects them back into her story. If you’ve read the books or watched the movies, you see those moments played out in Liam and Laney’s story, and it feels fresh, not copied. Although if it feels copied, they say that “imitation is the highest form of flattery,” and Hart’s insistence on staying true to Austen just feels right in Pride & Papercuts.
✓Hart could have easily chosen Jett as the Elizabeth Bennet character. She has created characters in the early Bennet books where the male Bennets represent the different Bennett sisters of Pride and Prejudice. Instead, she ascribes that right to the only female in the Bennet family, thus giving her only female, by my estimation, the best story. This feels woman-positive. It’s possible that I’m reading into the astuteness of Hart’s series planning, but this feels intentional, making this book that much better.
✓Hart’s Liam Darcy is still dashing, but he reads darker than the original Darcy with less finesse. While he lives within his society’s rules, his arrogance breeds more problematic tendencies. I love that Hart crafted him to be so off-putting for much of the book because she ascribes him internal thinking in a way that Austen doesn’t do for her Darcy. Therefore, you can sympathize with Liam Darcy especially as he engages negatively with Laney. That psychology is one of the ways that Hart adds layers to the Austen story.
✓Pride & Papercuts is the second series I’ve read in two weeks that shows the careful plotting of its author. It isn’t just about his book. Instead, Pride & Papercuts is a culmination of many thoughts and plans. That excites me and shows Hart’s care as an author.
✓Throughout this story, Hart relies on beautifully-constructed metaphors to belie the tempest of emotions in her characters. They are carefully wrought and used in such a way that it places you squarely within her characters’ emotions. It creates a palpability so that you empathize with their plights.
✓I love that Longbourne is grounded in a matrilineal tradition. This book once again shows its woman-positivity through that notion since it is contrary to the world of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
✓With that, this book astutely illustrates Austen’s famous line in Pride and Prejudice, “you obstinate, headstrong girl” decidedly. It’s seen as a positive in Pride & Papercuts, just as it is in the original. Laney earns the rewards for her life because she isn’t “well-behaved” which stands as an admonishment to Hart’s readers. Well-behaved women make history and change lives through their obstinancy and independence.
✓I also love that Hart allows us to love the Mrs. Bennet of this series. She is her best in Pride & Papercuts, in my opinion.
✓Like the original, I love that this isn’t steamy like the other books of the series. There is a touch of it, but it takes on the essence of the original in its care of their first kiss and eventual coupling. Their first kiss is pure romance magic. From the build-up to the moment of impact, you, as the reader, feel breathless and overwhelmed by it. The same is true of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Hart captures that quality beautifully.
✓Staci Hart’s creation of the enemies-to-lovers trope is a master class in chemistry born in its opposing forces.
✓The prose of Pride & Papercuts overwhelms you in its beauty. There are so many passages throughout this book that cull together intense emotions. Of the books of this series, this one evokes Austen’s style, but it is done in a way that modern readers can grasp. Hart already has a stylized sense of her writing; this book indicates the zenith of that capacity.
After this very long review, it must be clear to you that Staci Hart has done Jane Austen and herself justice in its evocation. I loved each page of this book because it reminded me of the reasons for my adoration of Jane Austen. Liam Darcy and Laney Bennet along with Georgie Darcy and Jett Bennet have brought the best story for the end of this series. If you have yet to read Staci Hart’s Bennet series, set in a flower shop named Longbourne in New York’s Greenwich Village, then you must run right now and grab these books. It will be the best experience you’ve had in romancelandia in a while.
“Goodness gracious, single dads — good ones — really do have a hotness about them that’s unmatched. I think it’s because they show their ability to love. With every conversation, every kiss, every consideration they give their kids, women see the opportunity to be given the same. It’s concrete, black-and-white evidence of a man’s ability to think outside of himself. Which isn’t exactly on the top of the list of the male’s biological strengths.”
Married 40ish Year Old Woman Seeking More Max Monroe Romances
You should know that I adore Max Monroe. My book bestie and I talk about how they are the perfect antidote to everything that ills you.
Bad day? ✓ Read a Max Monroe book.
Husband driving you crazy because he walks too loudly around the house while you’re working? ✓ Pull up your favorite Max Monroe book and it wards away all the evil-intent you have for him.
Read a particularly angsty book that makes you feel as though it’s rung the soul out of your body? ✓ Download Single Dad Seeks Juliet, and everything will be made better.
No seriously. This book made me smile from ear-to-ear even when I reached the points of this story when my heart was beating up in my throat, and the happy feelings were endangered. This book is a perfect reminder of why Max Monroe romances are medicine for your soul.
What is it about Single Dad Seeks Juliet that should make your finger click your Amazon Shopping app and quickly one-click this book? Well, here goes:
✓ Ummm, Jake Brent is a freaking thirst trap. No really. There isn’t anything MM’s hero cannot do. Former Navy Seal who works out on the beach every day in his tight wetsuit that shows all of his wonderful lumps? Yup. Single dad who absolutely adores his daughter Chloe? Oh yeah. I mean he is a Dreamy Dad. He’s so good at it that Chloe has a maturity and insightful nature as a seventeen-year-old girl that you don’t usually see in books (or the real-world) unless they’ve been raised by impressive parents. He owns his own business which allows him to roll in the cash with ease AND his employees respect him even when he has a foul mood. Uh-huh. Oh, and, he’s a great best friend who speaks honesty but with kindness and always has a beer for his friend. AND he rides moto-cross. He rides moto-cross well. Max Monroe reached into their MAN toolbox and basically created the best hero. You can’t help but adore him because, on top of all of that, this man falls HARD for MM’s heroine, Holley. He sees her in a way that only her dad sees, so you can’t help but root for him even as he finds himself on dates with other women (not his idea, by the way). I ADORED Jake Brent because Max Monroe crafted it to be.
✓ I ADORE a Max Monroe heroine. They are always so incredibly quirky and awkward and lovely. Holley is all of these things. I love that she’s awkward and never apologizes for it. She’s simply herself, and you definitely NEED her to end up with Brent. She is forced to sit through his dates, and Max Monroe give her feelings that are commensurate with the experience. She’s just so darn amazing that I want to be Holley.
✓Holley and Jake’s chemistry is born in words. Yes, you read that right. These two banter like no other, and it’s that banter that acts like foreplay for their eventual physical encounter. Even more, Max Monroe make them wait. This is a slow-burn, folks, in terms of the actual physicality of their relationship. However, the story is still steamy because their attraction and chemistry are undeniable.
✓I’ve already mentioned Chloe. She’s a wonderful daughter with too much insight for her own good. However, my favorite character beyond Holley and Jake is Phil Fields, Holley’s father. In fact…well, no, I won’t tell you. I’ll let you read the story and figure this out. Phil Fields has a texting issue, and his insights will make you belly laugh. The wisdom he imparts on his daughter will bring a tear to your eye. He is perfection, and every time he’s on the page, he steals your focus away from Holley and Jake, and quite frankly, that’s okay.
Single Dad Seeks Juliet made my day. It encompasses everything you love about a Max Monroe book. They’re undeniable as reigning rom-com queens, and this newest book is a continued testament to their ability to create stories that make you laugh and sigh and wish away the hardships of your day. If you are a married mom in her 40s seeking a respite from the doldrums of life, then you WANT this book. STAT.
Are you ready for the next series from Kendall Ryan? Let’s be honest: that’s a resounding “yes.” Kendall Ryan has the capacity to consistently craft romance that engages you in new people and new stories. Like her recent Hot Jocks series, Ryan’s newest series, Frisky Business (the adult toy business of her next line-up heroes), promises more stories grounded in your favorite romance tropes while exploring the adult toy business. In her first book, The Boyfriend Effect, we are introduced to the crew: Hayes, Wolfie, Caleb, Connor, and Ever. With this story, we meet Hayes and Maren, her respective hero and heroine. Hayes’s best friend is Wolfie, a life-long friend, and Wolfie’s younger sister is Maren, the girl who followed Hayes and Wolfie around when they were younger. Unfortunately for Hayes, he struggles with hiding his interest in her. Unbeknownst to Hayes, Maren also contends with her own feelings for him, believing he would never be interested in her. Instead, these two date others in the hopes of ignoring their feelings, which, usually, ends in disaster. Hayes, believing he will never be someone’s long-term boyfriend, decides to forgo women. This leads to a lake trip and a night with Maren where they begin to explore their chemistry. After that night, all bets are off for these two, but, as Ryan loves to do, there is Wolfie to contend with. Will Maren and Hayes find a future together?
So…what did I love about this story?
For one, while it seems like Hayes is a playboy at the beginning of the story, that isn’t the case. This guy is a bit of a softie. He really does want a long-term relationship, but he can’t ever seem to find one because he self-sabotages his relationships without realizing it. There is a reason for it that Ryan eventually reveals, but you find out quickly that Hayes is a devoted, adorable, caregiving hero. I liked Ryan’s depiction of him.
Maren is a textbook heroine. She is the one who acts upon her interest in Hayes, showing that women don’t have to wait for the man to make the move, and I loved that Ryan crafted her as such. She isn’t overly strong as a female character; she’s pretty innocuous, to be honest, except when she’s dragging Hayes to acknowledge his attraction. Like Hayes, she’s pretty sweet which makes their coupling lovely.
I love that the guys own an adult toy company named Frisky Business. It’s a nice backdrop for this new series.
The larger crew of characters feels a lot like the Hot Jocks series. You’ll notice the easy pairings coming your way for future books, and it won’t be too surprising. Instead, you’ll receive the stories you love from Kendall Ryan. Also, Hayes’s grandmother in this story is the cutest of ancillary stories. It will make you sigh in happiness.
If I had any criticism for Ryan, it is the predictability of her stories. This does feel a bit like the Hot Jocks’ series in that the first book is a best friend’s sister story much like the first book of this current series. However, like your favorite pajamas, you know you want to read her stories because she writes cute couples with sweet stories. There are a trust and comfort built into her brand of romance.
The Boyfriend Effect is everything you love about Kendall Ryan’s romances: a hero and heroine working through their issues to find a happy ending together. There is a little bit of strife, but it’s all pretty easy and steamy. Maren and Hayes will make you continue to believe in love and Kendall Ryan’s ability to create it in her books by the time you finish this book.
Professor Romance 