Look at this cute cover! Friends With Benedicts is a brand new rom-com from Staci Hart! I cannot WAIT to read this one! Pre-order your copy today.

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Timing is everything.

Presley Hale and Sebastian Vargas are no strangers to goodbye. Their high school summers were spent wrapped up in each other until she would inevitably go home to California. One season after college, Sebastian finally escaped the little Texas town to travel the world, and they said goodbye for what they thought might be the last time.

Sebastian went one way. Presley went the other.

For the first time in five years, they’re both in town, but the timing is no better than ever. So the only thing to do is what they do best. Keep it casual.

Friends with benefits.

They’ve done it before—doing it again will be easy.

But their hearts don’t get the memo.

When the lines of their arrangement blur, Presley and Sebastian are faced with decisions they’ve avoided for years. And that’s not even their biggest problem.

A small town in danger of failing.

A secret that could tear them apart.

And two hearts that can’t hide anymore.

They’ve shared so many summers, but none compare to what they’ll face.

Timing is everything.

And their time is almost up.

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

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Give Love a Chai, an all-new charming second-chance romance from Nanxi Wen, is now available in Kindle Unlimited! 

Ready my 4 ⭐️ review HERE.

Tia Wang’s Wedding Planning To-Do List:

1. Find the perfect dress

2. Win her future mother-in-law’s approval

3. Divorce her not-so-ex husband, Andrew Parker

When she fell in love and married her childhood best friend on a whim in Vegas, Tia innocently thought love conquered all. Turns out, that was a crushing lie. Her world shattered as she and Andrew were torn apart by secrets and mistakes.

Ten years later, Tia has left the pain behind and carved out a new life with Mr. Perfect. The only thing standing between her and happily ever after? A divorce from Andrew.

It should have been easy for Andrew to sign his name on the dotted line. Independent, prickly, and always in control, Andrew has done everything to escape his past. But seeing Tia on his doorstep after all these years? He can’t help wondering what might have been. Andrew has never forgotten Tia and vows to fight for their relationship this time around. If he has to hold those divorce papers hostage to get his second chance, he will.

Feelings resurface, stronger and more complex than ever. But Tia and Andrew have more than Mr. Perfect between them. Can they overcome past mistakes to forge a future together, or will new threats ruin their second chance at forever?

‘Give Love a Chai’ is a full-length contemporary romance, and can be read as a standalone. Book #2 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe. 

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Audiobook: Coming later this year!

Excerpt

I didn’t care what Andrew Parker thought.

Not anymore.

Still, I put on some lip balm before I could think too much about why and opened the door. Andrew sat by the little island in his kitchen, hands gripping a beer.

Huh.

I had never seen him drink alcohol before. Unlike pretty much everyone that I knew, he had been very intentional about not engaging in underage drinking. It made me sad to think about all of the changes that I missed, moments that I had expected to be part of if he hadn’t pushed me away.

Now, I was getting angry. I held on to that anger. Anger was easy. Anger had carried me through the first few months after he had betrayed me, especially when I was railing against the world in those awful days in the hospital.

Oblivious to my anger, he looked up. “You still smell like those fruity Lip Smackers you used to love, Ting.” His gray eyes roamed over me. A single dimple flashed at me, as his lips tugged to one side.

I couldn’t believe he still remembered my fondness for Lip Smackers. I had been using them since I first immigrated to the United States from China and discovered them in the aisle of some supermarket. I was the only person over the age of ten that still used them, but I was loyal to what I liked. Unlike Mr. Cool in front of me. “I don’t go by Ting anymore. It’s Tia now.”

“When did you decide that?” Andrew asked, unfurling himself to standing. His six feet two inches of muscles towered over me. The large kitchen suddenly felt small. Andrew the man had a presence that overwhelmed me in a way that Andrew the boy had never.

“Almost ten years ago when I needed a fresh start. I wanted a name that helped me to fit in,” I said, daring him to say anything.

His only response was the tightening of his shoulders. I couldn’t tell if he was reacting to my dig about a fresh start, or to me changing my name after years of him encouraging me to keep my given name. When we first met twenty years ago, we had bonded over not fitting in. As much as he told me “screw them” when our classmates made fun of my foreign-sounding name, my faint accent, or squinted their eyes while saying “konnichiwa” despite my protests that I was from China, I had cared too much. My name was the part of me that was the easiest to change.

“Okay, Tia,” he started, letting my name roll over his tongue, as if testing how it felt. “Why are you here?”

I looked into his face, so achingly familiar that I could have drawn his features from memory. I let myself feel the full weight of sadness, bitterness, and regret wash over me. Andrew Parker was my past, an anchor that I hadn’t even realized was holding me back. I needed to move forward now.

In a voice that sounded stronger than I felt, I said, “I want a divorce.”

About Nanxi Wen

Nanxi Wen thought she was going to write the greatest historical novel. Turns out, her characters decided that they want to be in the 21st century with modern plumbing, online shopping, and reality TV shows. Her first book comes out in February 2021 – Give Love a Chai.

She lives in New England with her husband and two clingy monkeys (aka toddlers). When she is not despairing over word count, she enjoys reading, snacking, drinking coffee, sitting by the fireplace, hanging out with friends (far apart and with masks) and daydreaming.

Find Nanxi Wen online

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Mad About Ewe, an all-new heartwarming second-chance romance from Susannah Nix, is now available in Kindle Unlimited! 

Read my 4 1/2 ⭐️ review HERE.

Dawn Botstein is doing just fine after her divorce, thank you very much.

She’s got her yarn store to run, her house to herself for the first time in her life, and no use for men anymore. That is until the hottie silver fox who walks into her store turns out to be her old high school crush—the guy who rejected her 30 years ago.

No way is she going to lose her head over him this time, no matter how well he wears that salt-and-pepper lumberjack beard. Okay, so he’s the opposite of her ex in every way, and his attention gives her a thrill she thought she’d never feel again. She’s not risking her heart again.

Mike Pilota is having a mid-life crisis.

Only instead of buying a red sports car he can’t afford and dressing like a 25-year-old who’s time-traveled from the 1990s, he quit his job after his second divorce to move closer to his recently widowed mother.

He didn’t expect to run into Dawn again, but as soon as he lays eyes on her he’s utterly smitten. So he sets out to make up for past mistakes and prove he can be the kind of man she deserves.

But is it too late for second chances? Or will these two lonely hearts find a way back to each other?

‘Mad About Ewe’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #1 in the Common Threads series, Seduction in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.  

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Audiobook: Coming later this year! 

Excerpt

Mike Pilota sent you a friend request.

I’d received the notification a week ago but still hadn’t responded. I’d just left it hanging there, unanswered. Ignored.

Out of spite? Perhaps a little. After he’d rejected me yet again, I had to admit I enjoyed the thought of Mike getting a taste of that same rejection for once. I liked to picture him sitting at home, futilely checking his notifications day after day, waiting for a reply that would never come.

I wanted him to know that I wasn’t desperate for his attention and would not be begging for treats like a pet Labrador. I couldn’t care less whether I ever spoke to Mike again.

Of course, it was just as likely he’d forgotten he even sent the request by now. There was no reason to assume he was in any way invested in my response.

I couldn’t imagine why he’d sent it in the first place. Why now? Why would you send a friend request to someone you’d brushed off?

I hadn’t even realized Mike was active on Facebook, which was probably just as well. It had saved me from years of pathetic cyberstalking. And it would be pathetic to be hung up on a man you’d had a childish crush on thirty years ago.

Good thing I wasn’t.

I’d meant what I’d said about being done with Mike Pilota. Finito. Over and out. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

So it was annoying in the extreme when I walked into The Old House Pub and saw him sitting next to Angie. My steps, which had been confident and quick as I entered the bar, faltered as I recognized him.

How? Why? What the blazing hell was Mike doing here?

My eyes narrowed as they homed in on my best friend, the obvious answer to all my questions. She must have recruited Mike for her reunion committee. And I could guess why.

It was clearly some misguided attempt to force another reunion between me and Mike in the hopes that, against all odds, this time sparks would finally fly, and he’d realize his secret attraction to me which he’d been repressing all these years.

Did I mention Angie was a bit of a fantasist?

Obviously, there was no way any of that would happen. The far more likely scenario was that Mike and I would try our level best to ignore each other’s existence while pretending there was no lingering awkwardness between us.

That was my game plan anyway. Mike could do what he liked.

Gathering a deep breath, I forced my feet to carry me to the table where Mike and Angie were seated. There were six chairs, and I set my sights on the one farthest from Mike.

Angie spotted my approach immediately and called out a greeting. Mike looked up, and our eyes caught and held for a charged second before I forcibly tore my gaze away to pin my best friend with an accusatory glare. Angie grinned back at me and shrugged, as if she knew exactly what she’d done wrong and didn’t care one bit.

Before I could claim the chair diagonally across from Mike, he leapt to his feet. “Here, you probably want to sit next to Angie,” he said, and held his own chair out for me.

I had no choice but to accept his offer at that point without looking like an ill-mannered ingrate. Mumbling my thanks, I draped my purse over the back of the chair and sat down.

To my consternation, Mike took the seat right next to me at the head of the table. He was so close our knees brushed as he scooted his chair forward, and I jerked my legs away from him as if I’d been zapped with electricity.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said in that warm, gravelly voice that used to make my limbs quiver like a gelatin mold on a mechanical bull. Fortunately, I was completely over my childish infatuation with him, and therefore impervious to his sexy man voice.

I looked up to find him smiling at me, his lips curved invitingly and framed by his neatly trimmed beard, and my heart gave a little involuntary jump in my chest.

Well, crud.

Perhaps I wasn’t quite as over Mike as I’d hoped. 

About Susannah Nix

Susannah Nix is an award-winning author of contemporary romances featuring smart women and swoony men, including the Chemistry Lessons series of romcoms about women who work in STEM fields and the Starstruck series of movie star romances. 

Susannah resides in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.

Find Susannah Nix online

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Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Max Monroe’s newest book, Oops I’ve Fallen, is an uproarious, laugh-out-loud festival of romance. Honestly. And readers will delight in the fact that this book is a “2fer.” It’s a 2 for 1 story where you get two romances for the price of one. Now, not to oversell it, one of those romances doesn’t get as much page time as the other, but it’s there, and it makes for some of the funniest moments in this book. 

This story follows Carly and Ryan. Carly is a ski instructor/ski business owner in Vail, who is called to Tampa when her mother breaks her tailbone “in a fall.” Ryan is a VP for an insurance firm in New York. He is summoned to Tampa and his father’s independent living community when his father sprains his groin from a “fall while helping his next door neighbor Stella take down decorations” in September. By the way, Stella is Carly’s mom. You might think that Ryan and Carly meet at the hospital for the first time as they fly to their respective parent’s sides, but nope. Ryan and Carly meet at the airport when Carly filches Ryan’s taxi from him. It is in this moment, right from the start, that you realize one of these characters (Ryan) is a rule-follower, while the other believes that rules are suggestions for behavior, not purveyors of order. When Ryan and Carly meet again, it’s at their parents’ community, Sunny Creek Village, where Ryan decides to teach Carly a lesson in rule-following, but finds out quickly that he likes spunky, rule-breaker Carly. Their journey continues as they fall deeper in love, despite their differences, and eventual complications. Additionally, Stella and Sal, their parents, find their own happy ending too (again, two for one deal). 

There is so much to love about Oops I’ve Fallen. For one, it’s a foray into the world of senior living, and Max Monroe grab the opportunity to illuminate the hilarity of seniors while also challenging ideas about what it means to find love as a senior citizen. While Ryan and Carly are quite funny on their own, many of the funniest moments of this book are found with Stella and Sal. They provide a foundation of hilarity for the book that allows Carly and Ryan to ground their love in breaking the rules. 

And Carly and Ryan are incredibly adorable. From the beginning through to their extended epilogue, there isn’t anything to dislike about them. Even though Ryan is a straight shooter in the rule business, he is mature enough to recognize that he is a better person with Carly in his life even though they are opposites in many ways. What you find in their coupling is a complete person, soulmates. They complete each other, and Max Monroe draw them as this effusively romantic pairing with a steam level of 100. I honestly think this is one of the more $exy Max Monroe since Thatch and Cassie. Ryan and Carly can’t keep their hands off each other. 

Over and over again, Oops I’ve Fallen tickles your funny bone and jettisons you through Carly and Ryan’s story. Honestly, it was the light I needed this week to carry me into Spring Break. If you have read Max Monroe, then you’ll adore this newest book. You will also ADORE the extended epilogue where you’ll find a well-placed cameo from the Billionaire Boyfriend stories. If you have yet to read Max Monroe, well there is no time like NOW. Grab Oops I’ve Fallen and lose yourself. 

In love and romance,

Professor A

Oops, I’ve Fallen, an all-new funny and swoon-worthy standalone romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe is available now!

If my time with Ryan Miller were a hit track on the radio, I imagine the lyrics would go something like this…

“We’re so different, but they say opposites attract. Oops, I’ve fallen, and my heart doesn’t want to come back.”

But, holy bingo night, is my attraction to the sexy, broody businessman so much more complicated than the chorus of a song.

His dad lives right next to my mom, and after the two of them suffered an unexplained accident while taking down holiday decorations, both Ryan and I were forced to become the only thirtysomething residents of Sunny Creek Village Independent Senior Living Community.

Temporarily moving in might seem like overkill for a fractured tailbone and a severely pulled groin muscle, but believe me, when your mom is as wild as mine and your dad is as cantankerous as Ryan’s, they need supervision to ensure they stick to doctor’s orders.

Constantly thrown together by the antics of our crazy parents and the tough-as-nails community enforcer, Betty Matthews, Ryan and I formed an alliance for the sole purpose of survival.

But I never expected to be so interested in finding out what he was hiding beneath his grumpy, serious demeanor. More than that, I never dreamed what I found would be the kind of man women sell their souls to the devil for.

Unfortunately, our little one-hit wonder on the airwaves has more to say before it comes to an end.

Although, finishing the outro to this song is a real doozy…

Tell me…what lyric rhymes with Oops, I’ve fallen for my future stepbrother?

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About Max Monroe
A duo of romance authors team up under the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling pseudonym Max Monroe to bring you sexy, laugh-out-loud reads.

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of more than ten contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.

Connect with Max Monroe
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Add to your Goodreads TBR List Here!

Meet K.K. Allen

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MAFIA KING (The DiLustro Arrangement #2) by CD Reiss

Release Date: May 25th

Genre/Trope: Arranged Marriage/Mafia Romance

 

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MAFIA KING from New York Times Bestselling author CD Reiss is coming soon! Get ready for book 2 of THE DILUSTRO ARRANGEMENT!

 

Preorder Mafia King

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Start the Series Today!!

Mafia Bride

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Blurb:

Santino is my king. My lover. My husband.

He’s the head of the Cavallo crime family and the moment he choked my vows from me, my life was bound to his.

I’m done fighting my fate, until I hear two rumors, and I’m shaken to the core.

One rumor about the past—that I wasn’t the first bride Santino took.

Another about the future—a new bride is about to be taken.

Changing the old ways is like dousing the flames of hell with tears.

But I married the devil himself, and when I vowed to obey, I lied.

 

About the Author:

CD Reiss has a long history of aimlessly moving from place to place. She finally settled in Los Angeles where she earned a master’s degree in cinematic writing from USC. After graduation, she ultimately failed to have one line of dialog put on film, but stayed in Hollywood out of spite.

Since screenwriting was going nowhere, she switched to novels. Soon after, luck arrived with a complete set of baggage. She now has over two dozen titles under her belt. Two of those are NY Times Bestsellers and a handful more are USA Today bestsellers. Her audiobooks have won APA Audie Awards and Earphones Awards, swelling her ego to an inhuman size.

She lives with her family, two cats and her long-suffering husband in a small Hollywood house that’s been outfitted with huge, ego-sized doorways.

 

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Crash, an all new sexy and suspenseful must read from USA Today bestselling author Grahame Claire is available now!

Teague Hollingsworth crashed into my perfectly predictable life like a rocket, turning everything upside down and setting it ablaze.
It was the world’s worst first impression and one I’m not likely to forget . . .
Until he shows up just when I need him.
It turns out he’s not at all the man I thought he was.
He’s kind to my dogs.
He’s protective of me.
And he doesn’t seem to mind the chaos.
Slowly, he’s winning my trust . . . and maybe my heart.
But there’s more to this man than I could’ve imagined.
Shadows and secrets that threaten what I love the most.
I’ve lost everything once.
I won’t do it again.
Not even for him.

Download your copy today!
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Excerpt

Chapter 1

Pepper

“Did your dog just piss on my truck?”

Muffy lowered his—yes, his—leg and wagged his tail as he blinked up at me. I glanced at the mud sliding down the tire where Muffy had pissed like a racehorse instead of a greyhound.

I winced before I turned around to face the music. Holy . . .  My arm went limp, and I almost dropped the leash. Dark boots. Worn jeans. FDNY T-shirt. Stubbled jaw. Lips in a flat line. Keep going. Skip the lips, Pepper. 

Reluctantly, I forced my eyes to continue their perusal upward. 

Granite jaw. Blazing brown pools. Whoa, he was mad. Mussed dark hair. Had he just rolled out of bed? No, it was almost dark. He couldn’t have. Unless . . . someone else he’d rolled out of bed with had done it . . . 

Muffy nudged my hand.

I stared at the fireman, the George Strait song spinning in my head.

Lick.

I looked down.

Muffy nosed my pocket. 

Jolted, I dug out a treat and offered it to him. “Good boy.”

“You praised your dog for pissing on my truck?” A dark eyebrow rose.

I wanted to sink into the snow-covered sidewalk. Instead, I motioned toward the jacked-up pickup. “He cleaned half your tire. You’re welcome.”

Inwardly, I cringed. That was so not what I meant to say. I’m sorry would’ve been the correct response, yet I still couldn’t find those words.

Lightning flashed in his dark eyes. I inched my neck toward him. Are those gold flecks in his irises? Damn, too far away to tell.

“Excuse me?”

I circled my finger in the air toward the tire. “It’s filthy. A wash in any capacity is a step in the right direction.”

He glared.

I glared back, despite that he could snap me in half with those arms. Why had I turned down the last fireman who’d come by Grey Paws to sell a fundraising calendar? I’d bought a couple, I just hadn’t taken the calendars.

You thought it was degrading to men.

Well, I was wrong. Because if he was Mr. January—or any month—I’d sorely missed out.

“Are you justifying what your dog did?” The biceps I’d been admiring bulged when he folded his arms.

“Muffy doesn’t see a difference between your tire and that tree.” I gestured toward the Callery pear tree on the edge of the sidewalk.

“She should—wait a second.” He tilted his head. Muffy mimicked him as they stared at one another. “That’s not a she.”

“No, he’s not.”

Muffy wagged his tail, and I patted him on the head.

“You named him Muffy?” Mr. January asked incredulously.

“What’s wrong with his name?” Why didn’t I just explain how Muffy came to be Muffy?

“He’s a greyhound. He’s a male. He shouldn’t be named Muffy.”

“I’ll let you tell that to Benjamin.”

“Who’s Benjamin?”

“The six-year-old who was volunteering with his mother the day we rescued this dog.”

At least if I’d had this man in a calendar to ogle he couldn’t have talked back. Benjamin had been thrilled to name the dog, like it had been Christmas and his birthday at the same time. Who was I to tell him he couldn’t call him Muffy?

Mr. January held up both hands. “Look—”

“No, you look.” His lips parted and even Muffy blinked up at me in surprise. “It’s freezing, and I don’t like cold weather. I give him a treat when he comes outside and does his business fast. All he did was what I asked.”

“You told him to piss on my truck?” The tension ramped up another notch instead of diffusing.

“I told him to be quick. It’s not like he meant it as a personal insult. He just picked a spot and went.” I shrugged. Muffy wagged his tail even faster.

Mr. January scowled. “Don’t let it happen again.”

He shouldered past me and opened the driver’s side door.

“The chances of that happening are about zero, considering you’ll never get this parking spot again.”

It was right in front of the rescue. I’d worked there twelve years. Never seen the truck before today. Wouldn’t ever see it or Mr. January again.

He smirked and pointed at Muffy. “Find another spot to go.”

Muffy swiped his big tongue over his finger. Mr. January kept his hard gaze on the dog, but I swore one corner of his mouth lifted.

When those piercing eyes met mine, they were all fire. Nope. The man was a grouch.

“Want us to wash it?” I asked sweetly as he climbed in the cab.

“That would be a start.”

Seriously? That truck looked like he’d been driving in a muddy cotton field all day. And by the way, there were no cotton fields in this city last I checked.

“I’ll let you know when I want it done.”

“The tire. That’s—” Slam. Did he just shut the door while I was talking? “All I’m washing,” I yelled as he cranked up the diesel engine.

Muffy jumped at the noise, and I crouched to comfort him.

Mr. January gunned away from the curb. Just as he swerved into traffic, I caught a glimpse of his license plate.

I 🖤Cher.

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Burn (Book 2) in the Crash and Burn Duet
releases April 27th

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About Grahame Claire
Grahame Claire is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.
A writer. A blogger. United by our love of stories and all things romance. There was definitely some insta-love. Hello? Books involved. A little courting. A lot of writing. The result…Grahame Claire.
Soulmates. Unashamed of our multiple book boyfriends. Especially the ones that rooted in our heads and wouldn’t leave us alone. Don’t worry. We’ll share.
Pleased to meet you.
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Website: https://www.grahameclaire.com

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Psssttt…I have a secret. Thus far, there have been three books released into the romancelandia wild for Vino & Veritas in the World of True North. And of the three newest books, my favorite to date is Eden Finley’s Headstrong. There are a couple of reasons for my love of this book. For one, I am a sucker for a grumpy hero, one who lives with a little cloud above his head. And I’m also a sucker for a sunshiny hero who brightens the life of the grumpy hero. What happens is…as the seriousness of the story progresses, the sunshine of one hero creates moments of hilarity and ease in contrast to the tension of their love affair. This happens over and over again in Finley’s Headstrong. 

Secondly, I’m intrigued with the choices of Finley to take a “straight” hero and challenge his “straightness” as we find with Rainn, the $exy bartender of Vino & Veritas. What this does is open a discussion about attraction and $exuality. While one might roll their eyes at Finley’s suggestion that a man who identifies as gay could end up with a formerly heterosexually-identified male, it allows the reader to consider the spectrum of attraction, the idea that a person can be connected to another person regardless of one’s $exual identification. I love the slipperiness of this idea in Headstrong. 

Even more, beyond discussions about $exuality, Finley highlights the challenges behind future dreams. With Whit, we see a man whose dream is being fulfilled, even though there is the potential for a different dream. With Rainn, we find a man who has lost his dream to injury, and he’s allowed himself to wallow in the loss of the dream instead of reimagining a new one. There is a message here about the need for flexibility and acceptance that feels necessary for our world. As we learn to live in a post-pandemic world, it feels right to remember that we can find new dreams even if our old dreams were derailed. Headstrong asks you to consider this.

Eden Finley’s Headstrong will steam your glasses and challenge your mind. It will make you laugh, and it might bring you to tears. But in the end, the journey of its pages will lead you to consider where you are at in your own life. Are you living your dreams or are you stuck waiting for your dreams to come to you?

In love and romance,

Professor A

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

I have been there for Noah and Miranda in Sara Ney’s Hard Pass. I was there for Trace “Buzz” Wallace and Hollis in Hard Fall, and I was front and center for Tripp and Chandler in Hard Love. In a word, Ney’s Trophy Boyfriends series has been zany… with heroes who act out and heroines who keep them grounded. At the end of Hard Love, <spoiler alert> Ney reveals a surprise pregnancy for Trace and Tripp’s younger sister, True, and I was excited. For one, I like surprise baby romances, and secondly, I was intrigued to find out True’s hero in Ney’s newest book, Hard Luck. 

At the beginning of Hard Luck, I found myself invested in the way that Tripp’s next-door neighbor, Molly, managed True. The compassion and maturity of Molly make you fall in love with her, so much so, that this reader would love to see a future Molly story. However, as the story progresses, honestly….and I hate to say it, the story lose steam. I adore Sara Ney. She has this capacity for capturing what I think we know as a male POV in her books. Whether it’s d-bag boyfriends or jocks or billionaires, Sara Ney’s brand of romance feels masculine in a way. 

However, Hard Luck falls flat. There are so many inconsistencies in the development of both her hero and heroine that it undermines the progression of the story. Even then, I’m not sure that Hard Luck has a traditional happy ending. It’s really a happy ending for now with ‘maybe’ the promise of a happy ending later. Even more, I thought after Hard Fall that Trace would lose his immaturity. In Hard Luck, Trace’s immaturity is on full display, and it grates on you. Tripp, their oldest brother and the hero of Hard Love, is a stronger character, and True grows stronger as her and Mateo’s story progresses, but I was fairly underwhelmed with this newest book. And, quite frankly, that makes me sad because I wanted more for True and the surprise baby trope. 

If you’ve read the first three books of this series, then I do recommend Hard Luck simply so you can stay “in the loop” of the series. However, if you’ve never read this series, I wouldn’t recommend starting here. I’m not sure you’d want to read any of the other books.

In love and romance,

Professor A