laney hatcher – Professor Romance

new release

✍🏻 Do you LOVE small-town romance? In the tradition of Devney Perry and Elsie Silver, Laney Hatcher’s Leaf It to Me put an absolute smile on my face. One of my fav tropes – he falls first/unrequited love/MMC loves the FMC hard – is found in the pages of this story, and Mark Mercer will absolutely charm you. One-click this one fast…Laney Hatcher is my new fav small-town romance charmer. ✍🏻

December 18, 2024 professorromance

★★Now Live★★
LEAF IT TO ME, an all new swoony slow burn romance from Laney Hatcher, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited! Don’t miss this charming small town and cozy holiday vibes!

★★Grab your copy today!★★
https://geni.us/LITM-BLG

★★BLURB★★
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.

Candace Judd is part of a legacy. One she up and left when she turned eighteen. While she spent the last seven years collecting degrees and achieving her dreams, her family’s apple farm moved on without her. But now she’s back and nothing about Kirby Falls is how she remembers it–including her family’s newest employee, a certifiable blast from the past. A quiet boy turned flannel-covered mountain man and her distractingly handsome coworker.

Mark Mercer leads a quiet life. He works at Judd’s Orchard. He keeps his head down and avoids the gossip that’s been chasing him around since his divorce. But when his high school crush returns to Kirby Falls unexpectedly, he realizes there is nothing more humbling than having the past come back to bite you. Or even worse, forget you altogether.

Desperate to prove herself, Candace works to find her footing with her family while Mark struggles with the desire to hide himself away. When she takes the time to really look, Candace discovers more than an ally in the rugged farmer.

As days at the orchard become nights spent together under the stars, Mark begins to see that his dream girl is more than the prom queen he remembers. While life shines brighter with Candace by his side, Mark must decide if he’d rather live in the shadows or face his fears once and for all.

Cover Reveal

✍🏻 Who’s ready for a winter small-town romance from a delicious author? Laney Hatcher’s Leaf It to Me is coming December 17th. ✍🏻

November 14, 2024 professorromance

★★Cover Reveal★★

LEAF IT TO ME, an all new small-town slow burn romance from Laney hatcher, is coming December 17th to Kindle Unlimited! And we have the gorgeous new cover!

★★Reserve your copy today!★★

https://geni.us/LITM-BLG

★★BLURB★★

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.

new release

✍🏻 Laney Hatcher’s first contemporary romance is HERE! Take It or Leaf It is LIVE, and it is small-town romance perfection. ✍🏻

August 20, 2024 professorromance

★★NOW LIVE★★

Take It or Leaf It, a grumpy sunshine small-town contemporary romance from Laney Hatcher, is LIVE in #KindleUnlimited!!

★★Grab your copy today!★★

https://geni.us/TIOLI-BLG

★★BLURB★★

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲.

William Clark IV never anticipated being back in his hometown. At least, not until he had a long and successful career as a pitcher in the major leagues. He couldn’t have foreseen his career-ending injury right out of the gate or the painful return to his family’s apple farm in rural North Carolina.

What started as an effort to get back on his feet turned into nearly a decade of going with the flow. Now the grumpy farmer is stuck in a resentful rut. He’s bitter and bearded, and baseball is a sore spot that never stops aching–not when his well-meaning neighbors keep reminding him of everything he lost.

𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

Becca Kernsy never expected to fall in love with a town. To be fair, she’d never had much luck with men either. But the tiny hamlet of Kirby Falls completely blindsides this city girl and makes her ache for something she’s never had before: a place to belong. The residents are quirky and lovable. The setting is picturesque perfection. And it doesn’t hurt that she keeps running into Will Clark and his faithful dog.

Getting a reluctant smile out of the handsome farmer becomes her favorite pastime. But pretty soon, her innocent crush gets out of hand. Becca ignores the looming expiration date on her trip down south, and like a helpless cliche, she finds herself falling hard for the man she met on vacation.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴.

Through small-town adventures and increasingly friendly outings, Will starts to remember the hometown he once loved. The only missing piece is the tourist who’s headed back to the city at the end of her stay. The one packing up and taking his heart on a six-hundred-mile journey home.

𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 #1 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘳𝘣𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭-𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵. ‘𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘐𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘧 𝘐𝘵’ 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭-𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘳, 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳.

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Favorite Books of 2023 ✍🏻

December 28, 2023December 28, 2023 professorromance

It’s time for the “best of” types of posts as we near the end of 2023. These stories left behind pieces of themselves. These are the types of stories that I continue to ruminate on as the year ends, and I’m pained to let them go for stories coming in 2024.

Thank you to all of these authors who have gifted us a bit of themselves in each of these books.

Ashley Jade’s The Choice
Jewel E. Ann’s Before Us
J.T. Geissinger’s Liars Like Us
K.A. Tucker’s The Simple Wild (and the rest of that series)
Lucy Score’s Things We Hide From the Light et al.
Catherine Cowles’s Whispers of You (the series is FANTASTIC, but this is my fav book of the series)
Kandi Steiner’s Meet Your Match (although I also loved book 2, Watch Your Mouth)
Jewel E. Ann’s Because of Her (she earned two spots…for good reason)
Meghan Quinn’s The Way I Hate Him (she released so many GREAT books this year, but this is my FAV of them all)
Sierra Simone’s Salt Kiss (erotic and engaging…still not over it. Can’t wait for the next book)
Helena Hunting’s Shattered Truths
Devney Perry’s Coach (I also ADORED Sable Peak from her The Edens series, but Coach nudged Mateo and Vera’s story just a bit)
Kristen Ashley’s Fighting the Pull (my fav River Rain story… Hale and Elsa are “chef’s kiss”)
Karla Sorensen’s The Best Laid Plans (a sleeper favorite)
Laney Hatcher’s Love Matched, a SmartyPants Romance story (a total surprise)
Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing (this one held me in its thrall)

new release, Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Laney Hatcher’s Last on the List, the final book in the Bartholomew series ✍🏻

December 21, 2023 professorromance

Overall Grade: A-

Tropes: surprise pregnancy; best friend’s brother; sister’s best friend; banter; enemies to lovers to vibes; found family

Laney Hatcher has definitely saved her best for last. Last on the List, the final story of her Bartholomew series, offers an apt end to this touchingly irreverent historical romance series. The Bartholomew siblings have definitely captured my heart, and Silas and Mary are the cherry on the hot fudge of this delicious romantic sundae.

Whenever you write a couple with the type of fiery banter that Mary and Silas engage in, you know the story will be engaging. Hatcher deftly carries us through their “hate to love,” fiery attraction, friends with benefits, and angsty romance. I loved the pacing of their journey even though Mary’s secrecy and want to protect Silas would frustrate any reader. Yet, this is the crux of the surprise pregnancy trope, and Hatcher allows us to rest in that tension for much of the book. She needs this space, however, to help Silas recognize his love for Mary (no surprise!), but even more, understand her background and its impact on Mary’s sense of self so he can love her the best. Even more, Hatcher grants them the space to learn to “see” the other better than anyone else. This takes a careful hand and decided storytelling to do it well, and Hatcher, in my opinion, has done it in Last on the List.

The ending of this story is poetry as we say goodbye to the Bartholomew siblings while also celebrating who Mary and Silas have become as a couple and parents. Laney Hatcher has done nothing more than make me fall deeper in love with her brand of historical romance. Hoping for more stories from her soon.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release

✍🏻 Have you been waiting for Silas’s story? Silas and Mary are finally here. You don’t want to miss Last on the List, the final story in Laney Hatcher’s fantastic Bartholomew series. ✍🏻

December 12, 2023 professorromance

★★NOW LIVE★★⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣

Last on the List, an all-new surprise pregnancy historical romance from Laney Hatcher, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3OCRgzY

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/LOTL

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/4aaMCRP

Special Edition Floral Paperback: https://amzn.to/4abJa9w

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3WyhYM8

★ ★ BLURB ★ ★

Silas Bartholomew is falling behind.

After watching my three younger sisters fall in love over the years, I’ve realized I might not want to be the lone, unattached Bartholomew sibling any longer. It’s time I grew up and assumed my role as my father’s heir. But in order to do that, I’ll need responsibilities, a household, … and a wife.

I was not anticipating a secret arrangement with my sister’s best friend who barely tolerates me.

Mary Lovelace wants nothing more than a family.

Falling into bed with Silas Bartholomew was not part of my plan. This unexpected and, frankly, unwelcome attraction I feel for the infuriating gentleman leads to shadowed secrets and sudden complications.

Silas and I find ourselves feeling far more than we ever anticipated. When our arrangement abruptly ends, I’m left with a future that is growing increasingly tricky, right alongside my waistline.

Finally, the possibility of a family of my own is back on the table, but the father of my child is the very last man I ever intended to share a future with. But some connections are too powerful to ignore.

Can I find the courage to face the love right in front of me or will the family I’ve always dreamed of be just out of reach?

Book #4 in the Bartholomew series follows the surprising and steamy romance between two people who are supposed to hate each other. Last on the List is a full-length historical romance filled with charm and wit, an accidental pregnancy, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Review

✍🏻 Professor Romance’s Review: Laney Hatcher’s Love Matched, a Smartypants Romance ✍🏻

October 19, 2023 professorromance

Overall Grade: A

Tropes: opposites attract; fish out of water; standalone in an interconnected series; regency romance; slow burn

The brilliance of Laney Hatcher’s storytelling in the Smartypants World shouldn’t be missed. Here’s the situation: imagine taking a beloved series (Knitting in the City series) from the illustrious Penny Reid and reimagining it into the world of Regency romance. This isn’t an easy task as the women of Penny Reid’s original series read against type for that world. Yet, after Hatcher’s first two books for Smartypants, Neanderthal Seeks Duchess and Well-Acquainted, she does it with such aplomb that it’s quite astounding to the dedicated Penny Reid reader. Now, the newest story, Love Matched, poses another challenge. In the story that Love Matched re-tells, Love Hacked, the MMC is a genius hacker. How does one take a decidedly 21st-century occupation and infuse some element of it into a Regency romance? If you’re Laney Hatcher, seemingly easy. You should know that Penny Reid’s Sandra and Alex are my second favorite couple in her Knitting in the City series, so I was reading Love Matched with a critical, yet intrigued eye. How do you craft an MMC and FMC such as Sandra and Alex into 19th-century characters? Even more, when I read Penny Reid’s Love Hacked, there was a desolation to Alex’s story, a struggle to unwind himself from an outer claim on him. This bind is the tension of their story, as over and over again, Sandra must fight for their coupleship with the odds stacked against them.

And Laney Hatcher rises to the challenge of these issues in her story, Love Matched. Even in Regency England, Sandra is headstrong, independent, and brave. Her pursuit of Alexander is the catalyst for significant change in his life, and she believes in him and their capacity for a future, just as the character in Penny Reid’s book does. Additionally, Hatcher composes Alexander with the same solitariness as Reid’s character. This is important because the Alex of Penny Reid’s book cloaks himself in that solitariness as protection. Hatcher’s ability to draw Alexander in the same, but different manner than Reid’s character doesn’t read like a copy, but rather an iteration, a complex, fully rendered reimagining. And I find this fascinating and exciting.

Laney Hatcher’s Love Matched is my favorite of her Smartypants Romance stories thus far. Partly, I love an FMC who knows her mind and challenges social mores to ensure her eternal happiness, and I adore an MMC who challenges her but also accepts her on her own terms. The community we love and adore in Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City series is still a cornerstone of Laney Hatcher’s reconceptualization of this beloved group of women. It continues to buoy the stories. Now, I’m ready for Hatcher’s next book in the series, as it should feature my favoritest of favorites in the Penny Reid world, Fiona and Greg. What will a ninja look like in Regency England? One can only imagine it.

In love and romance,

Professor A

new release

✍🏻 The final Smartypants Romance story from the current season is LIVE. And it’s THE best. Grab Laney Hatcher’s Love Matched, and fall back in love with Cassandra and Alex, the nineteenth-century version. ✍🏻

October 19, 2023 professorromance

Love Matched, an all-new charming opposites attract historical romance from Laney Hatcher, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

There are three things you need to know about Lady Cassandra Fields:

1. Despite being beloved, this diamond of the first water has yet to land a husband.

2. Her bold personality and giving heart help fuel her charitable endeavors.

3. She’s looking for adventure–something beyond ballgowns, drawing rooms, and her ladylike skill with needle and thread.

Thus far, Cassandra’s abysmal luck has kept her from reaching her goals. With no husband and no household, she’s beginning to wonder if she has a future at all. A surprising encounter with a cunning thief brings more to light than Cassandra is prepared to handle. But the lady has never backed down from a challenge, and it seems this mystery man might have finally met his match.

When circumstances, once again, threaten Lady Cassandra’s dreams, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her careful plans for the thief who has stolen her heart.

‘Love Matched’, a Penny Reid Universe Reimagining, is a full-length historical romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the London Ladies Embroidery series, Smartypants Romance Out of this World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Grab your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/47q1yu8

Amazon UK: https://bit.ly/3QxFTtW

Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3ON8uKt

Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3QBPXCo

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3OZkRmG

Audible: https://bit.ly/3LgseUu

About Laney Hatcher

Laney Hatcher is a firm believer that there is a spreadsheet for every occasion and pie is always the answer. She is an author of stories that have a past, in a language of love that’s universal. Often too practical for her own good, Laney enjoys her life in the southern United States with her husband, children, and incredibly entitled cat.