THE WHOLE TIME, by Catherine Bybee

The D’Angelos #4

Salena & Ryan

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Salena and Ryan meet at Emma’s and Gio’s wedding.  Ryan is Emma’s brother, Salena is Chloe’s best friend and a close friend of the D’Angelo family.  She’s currently the D’Angelo’s restaurant manager.  It’s important to remember when Chloe and Salena were in Vegas, where Chloe and Dante had their surprise wedding, how fun-loving and sexy Salena is.  In this book, that is front and center in the middle of the story.

When Ryan and Salena meet, it’s not surprising they had a lot in common, they were both the rowdy child in their family.  It’s as if a hidden thread sewed them together.  Both were against commitment, and yet, it found its way with them.  I loved Ryan, felt for Salena.

Salena had a secret, not illegal, but something her family would disapprove of.  So she kept at it in secret, and it made it hard for Salena to commit. She’s independent, needs to be self-reliant, and that is what sold Ryan on her, since his prior experience were clingers who wanted his wealth.  Their love story proceeds slow and steamy, with long lingering stares, very few moments to be together, a man who is slowly and strongly falling for his woman who resists to the very end.  I loved their story, even as I struggled with her family history.

I hated Salena’s parents! They were so judgy and opinionated, never a positive thought came out of them, as related to their younger daughter.  And that is why Salena is so secretive and defensive. I felt for her, a woman so comfortable in her own skin, owning her sexuality, and yet craving an approval that never arrives.  The D’Angelos are more understanding and supportive, so I wasn’t surprised she moved out of her parents’ home and into the apartment vacated by Gio.

The first part of this book dragged for me, because there was a lot of the judgy parents.  Then enter the D’Angelo family, with their intrusiveness but also love and support.  Ryan’s mother is a darling, his father not so much but he’s learned his lesson and behaves.  This book is as much about love and steam as about family, which is what makes it so lovable to me.  Franny stars in many of the funny moments, innocently springing important information to a startled crowd!   I love the complicity between the brothers, sisters, friends and in-laws, they make the story so heartwarming.  It was truly a lovely read!

Purchase links

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/40GHhxh

B&N:  https://bit.ly/3QIBYsP

Books A Million:  https://bit.ly/3sC0nrT

About the author 

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-nine beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com

When It Falls Apart, Book 1
Be Your Everything, Book 2
Beginning of Forever, Book 3
  

RAINFALL, by Alison Rhymes

Seattle Blades #1

Cillian & Isla

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There’s no better author writing stories dealing with cheating like Alison Rhymes!  She manages the subject with humanity, compassion, and dignity.  What for many readers would be a trigger or negative content, in this author’s hands, the story shows the mistakes people do, not out of a desire to hurt, but immaturity, human error, miscommunication, and even in an earlier book, a mistaken sense of protection.  She doesn’t show cheaters who are evil, just human persons who lost their way, but want to make it right.

This story has a lot of heartbreak, but also a lot of redemption, guilt, regrets, memories, a lot of love and a lot of snarkiness, but above all, a sense of a love lost and a deep regret that love was lost.  And of course, a surprise baby in the form of a four year old precious girl Sadie, who forces the togetherness they needed to fix their relationship.

When I finished the book, I had to re-read it, to savor it, to enjoy this magnificent love story that surpassed years of separation, Isla’s mistrust and Cillian’s stupidity born of insecurity and immaturity.  They were young and lost their way, and probably it all needed to happen to make them the perfect version of themselves for each other.  

You need to read this book with an open mind, sensitive heart, and tissues because it’s beautifully heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting, because humans can commit mistakes but they have the capacity to reconsider, repent, and make it right for the happiness of all involved.

Incredibly moving, beautifully human, deliciously steamy, and absolutely riveting!

Purchase links

https://mybook.to/RainfallAR

Add to Goodreads: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199333513-rainfall

Vote for Rainfall: https://tinyurl.com/4ajw6wwh

Find more books by Alison Rhymes here: https://alisonrhymes.com

About the author 

Alison lives somewhere in the shadow of a Pacific Northwest Mountain, bordered by the Puget Sound, and not too far from the country roads she grew up on. 

When not writing, she can be found avidly reading, traveling with youthful wanderlust, or slowly turning the inside of her house into her own personal houseplant jungle. 

Content Warnings for Alison's books can be found on her website alisonrhymes.com

You can join Alison's newsletter to receive early news and bonus scenes: https://tinyurl.com/ymrrdtfc

Alison can be contacted at alison@alisonrhymes.com

JUST ONE TEASE, by Carly Phillips

The Kingston Family #9

Zack Dare & Hadley

Just like all this author’s books, the story is engaging, the characters are charming, and you don’t want to stop reading their story.  This is about the Dare brothers’ last remaining single one, Zack, and as is appropriate, the story starts at a birthday party where all the brothers are in assistance.  The party girl is Nick and Aurora’s Leah, and when Hadley appears out of a sudden, everyone is privy to her business.

Hadley is on the run, for the second time in her life, all thanks to her father’s criminal activities.  When Hadley was sixteen, her name was Mia and she was dating Zack.  They were planning their future, and he was taking her to his Senior Prom.  The night before, the Feds took her family away in the Witness Protection program and she was not allowed to even say goodbye.  Now that she appears, ten years later, with a different name, she needs Zack’s help. He’s angry but he can’t refuse help to a woman in need, so he waits to find out what’s happened before he acts.  And the second chance story begins!

I love second chances and this one is further spiced up with suspense and steamy scenes.  I loved how their love never wained, never disappeared.  When they were together again, once Zack got over his grudge, they felt complete again.  The Dare family is present and helping with support, so we get to see where the other Dare brothers are at with their marriages.  And we get a preview with Zack’s business partner, Remington Sterling, who will get his book too.  It was such an entertaining read, with sad scenes, heartwarming scenes, and a teenager who is always hungry.  I love second chance stories and love the way this author writes them, so good!

Purchase links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FjNgyl

Apple: https://apple.co/496R2ca

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3LZTXJC

B&N: https://bit.ly/46xOXUL

Google Play: https://bit.ly/48SlOoX

About the author

Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and three crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. Way back in 2002, Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa and was the first romance on a nationally televised book club. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!

 

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To learn more about Carly Phillips & her books, visit here!

 

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SCORCH, by Abbi Glines

Smoke series #9

Garrett & Fawn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So good! Abbi Glines has outdone herself in this series, it has been so good and so addictive!  And the title for this book is so apt because it has been such a scorching hot story!

After reading the stories of the young men in this Mafia family, of course we’re intrigued by Garret Hughes. He’s the boss, the most powerful man in the organization, he has an air of danger and menace, of absolute power and control of everything around him, so the woman who tames him has to be uber special. And she is!

Fawn has been around, has had her share of adventures, and yet, she still possesses an air of kindness and trust. She’s as beautiful inside as she is outside. Moreover, she has been an excellent mom to Gypsi, raising a girl who is mature and responsible.  When Fawn starts working at the club owned by Garrett, I’m pretty sure he was thinking of having a fling. But once you know Fawn, you realize she’s not a woman you have a fling with, she’s the woman you take to your home and introduce to your family. 

I loved seeing Garrett get fascinated by Fawn’s beauty, then captivated by her kindness, her interest in everything new, her happiness. For the first time in his life, he’s enjoying life, feels happy, is laughing a lot, all thanks to this woman. And in exchange, Fawn is feeling cherished and protected. It’s a very romantic story with very spicy scenes, and super tender moments. I could see how Fawn surprised Garrett, at the same time she also angered him because she would just not say yes to all his gifts and his plans.

The story happens more or less parallel to Firecracker, Trev’s and Gypsi’s story. I found it funny how much Garrett liked Gypsi and found that his son Trev didn’t measure up to his girlfriend’s daughter. I liked seeing them from this different perspective, and also seeing Gage in action in all his psycho glory.

Abbi Glines did it again, another spicy and wonderful story to add to our addiction. I didn’t miss the teaser at the end, so happy to see more to come!

Purchase links

https://books2read.com/scorchAG

About the author

Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party, and Existence series. She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She finally moved to New England into a home that is 200 + years old with it's own ghosts. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but alas she being born in Alabama, her life in New England is as close as she will get. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, and/or watching Netflix like the introvert that she is. 

You can connect with Abbi online in several different ways. 

www.abbiglinesbooks.com

TikTok @abbiglines

Twitter: @abbiglines

Instagram: @abbiglines

Snapchat: abbiglines

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

DR. FAKE FIANCÉ, by Louise Bay

Doctor series #4

Beau & Vivian

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I normally like all Louise Bay’s books, but this one is just perfect, it flowed.  I was reading and enjoying and all of a sudden, I’m finishing!  It was such a joy to read, such lovely characters that gave me such pleasure as I read them.

One of the reasons why this book flows is that Beau lives life with joy. He has a belief that life is to be enjoyed at the fullest, which is why he works as a GP half the year and the other half is for adventures and to fully live life. It shows in his happy and easygoing personality, which is what captivated Vivian when she met him. That is, after she spilled hot coffee over him.

Vivian comes from a horrendous and public break up, which left her suspicious and doubtful of anyone who approaches. But who can resist Beau? When she needed a fake boyfriend to deviate the public’s attention from her past breakup and towards the future, Beau was perfect and irresistible.  And once she met his parents? Gone!

I loved the way the romance developed because Beau was just what Vivian needed, someone happy and genuine, so she can start trusting again. Beau was enamored but holding tight to his plans for adventure. I loved how his family could read him so right and one by one, shared their opinions. You know you have a caring family when they all butt into your business, sisters-in-law included. It would not be a romance by Louise Bay if there were no wonderful family members, a few hot men, their strong women, and a lovely couple with very yummy steamy scenes. And as previously stated, I devoured it in one day!

Purchase links

 https://geni.us/LdABv4

About the author

International, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Louise Bay writes contemporary romance novels that make you laugh - the kind she likes to read.

 

Ruined by the bonk-busters of the eighties, Louise was inspired by Judith Krantz and Jackie Collins, but wants to be Emily Henry when she grows up.

 

Louise loves the rain, RHOBH, London, days when she doesn't have to wear make-up, hanging out with her kid, elephants and champagne (not necessarily in that order).

 

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

 

Keep up with Louise Bay and subscribe to her newsletter: https://louisebay.com/newsletter/

 

To learn more about Louise Bay& her books, visit here!

 

Connect with Louise Bay:

https://louisebay.com/contact/