Sweet contemporary romance with a dash of enemies to lovers
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Maybe This Time is a sweet contemporary romance with a dash of enemies to lovers thrown in.

Jackson fell hard for Abby when they were kids but he never saw himself as good enough for her. Then just when he worked up the nerve to ask her out, his best friend Dean swooped in and made a move on her instead. As a matter of self preservation, Jackson acted as if he hated her from that point forward to keep her at arms length much to her hurt and confusion. One marriage, child and subsequent divorce later, Dean has shown how much of an epic dirt bag he truly is and Abigail has moved back to her small hometown to heal and move on.

Her daughter Dani is barely speaking to her, but when she excitedly asks to try out for the co-ed hockey team (coached by Jackson) with her new best friend (Jackson's niece), Abigail can't say no. Of course the hockey genes in Dani's makeup mean she is an excellent player much to the chagrin of some of the parents of boys with NHL hopes in their hearts which adds a little friction to the mix.

Jackson knows all about NHL dreams; his two brothers play in the league but Jackson never made it past the minors which he just adds to his mental tally of failures. When he is coaching the kids, he can't quite bring himself to care though until Abby becomes a permanent fixture at practice and at the school as she takes on each of the town's only available jobs as a substitute teacher. Little by little, that proximity wears both of them down as interest and feelings start to creep past old resentment and longing.

Things are far from smooth sailing with the combination of the specter of Dean, Dani's potential reaction to her mom moving on so soon, and Abby and Jackson's own insecurities looming over them. Jackson's sister Becky tries her hardest to play matchmaker for them though! These two characters definitely frustrated me as much as they frustrated each other but the payoff was worth it in the end with a pretty low drama, sweet read.
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The Trouble with Texas Cowboys, the second installment in Carolyn Browns Burnt Boot, Texas series, is another sweet and fun-filled romance. After their inauspicious first meeting, Sawyer ODonnell and Jill Cleary team up to avoid getting caught in the middle of a longstanding feud between the Gallaghers and the Brennans.

Jill and Sawyer have not had time to settle into their new home or jobs on Fiddle Creek Ranch before disaster strikes. Jills aunt is injured and in addition to their ranching duties, Jill and Sawyer are also busy manning the local bar and town store.  They easily handle their workload but keeping out of the clutches of the rival families? More work than all three of their jobs combined, but Jill and Sawyer quickly devise a plan to steer clear of the determined families. The feud promptly heats up but so does an unanticipated romance between Jill and Sawyer.

Jill and Sawyer are both fairly laidback and their relationship begins with an easygoing friendship. After they each attend one dinner with the rival families, they both know that they do not want to take sides in the feud. The Brennans and Gallaghers are pretty relentless in trying to convince them otherwise but Jill and Sawyer successfully avoid being alone with any of them. Constantly thrown together, Jill and Sawyer are both surprised by their unexpected attraction, but instead of fighting it, they agree to see where it leads them. Their resulting romance is slow growing but very sweet and steamy.

The Gallagher/Brennan feud is instrumental in bringing Jill and Sawyer together and it is a big part of the storyline. The various family members are involved in some pretty crazy and over the top schemes that keep everyone plenty stirred up. There are also plenty of cat fights between the women and fistfights and brawls erupt between the men. The feud is a unique device to keep Jill and Sawyer united in their efforts to stay neutral, but their romance is sometimes eclipsed by all of the fighting and scheming of the Gallaghers and Brennans.

The Trouble with Texas Cowboys is a light-hearted addition to the Burnt Boot, Texas series. Jill and Sawyer are engaging, likable characters and their romance is delightfully angst free. An overall witty and charming love story with just a touch of drama, this latest offering from Carolyn Brown is sure to be a hit with anyone who enjoys contemporary Western romances.

I received a complimentary copy for review.
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I seem to have a real knack for picking up books, mid-to-late in the series. That's quite alright, though, when the stories are companions instead of continuations. It also works when the author does a nice job of writing a story that does contain back story and character history, but doesn't allow the reader to feel lost. Landon did a great job of this because not only did I enjoy Fighting For You, I want to go back to the beginning of the series.

Fighting For You is a fairly simple and very sweet love story between Declan and Ella. Declan is the haunted former soldier who's quiet and protective nature has captured Ella's interest. Ella is a sweet and formerly overprotective woman who's ready to live. Declan doesn't consider himself worthy of Ella, but Declan's the only one she wants. I was prepared for a long and drawn out tug-of-war between the two, but what I got was a low angst story of two people who find a way together.

 As much as I enjoyed the story, I also really liked the writing in Fighting For You. I went into this story without a lot of expectations, only hoping to find a nice and easy story that would steal me away for a few hours. Not only did that happen, but I also found myself invested in the characters and in their happily ever after. I found not only Declan and Ella to both be engaging characters, but also the supporting cast, many of whom had their stories earlier in the series. These characters were funny and intriguing, and like I said, I want to know their stories.

Fighting For You was a story that I'd hoped to like, but found myself truly enjoying. It had me invested, and reading with a smile on my face. I can definitely recommend this to fellow lovers of contemporary romance.
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I was a little hesitant to read this, the cover picture hadn't really made an impression on me at the time I read the description of the book. However, it is not at all lurid.
I generally don't care too much for romance novels, as so many of them quickly fall into the standard cliches of how the two main characters are fighting their overwhelming attraction for each other, but this one was very nicely written and manages to keep the sweet part of falling in love as a main part of the story.

I think most fans of romance novels would enjoy this one, and even just fans of fiction would probably find it to be one of the better examples of a well written novel, with of course a bit of the romance vibe to it.

I really got a kick of the character Pepper, the main female character, she is shy, rather geeky and would rather stay in and study then go out to a club with her college roommates. I was quite shy when I was younger, so it was easy to emphasize with her feelings of being lost and out of place when it comes to meeting people and dating
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Little Gale Gumbo by Erika Marks
Contemporary Romance -Oct. 4th, 2011
4 stars

Camille Bergeron left New Orleans and an abusive husband and fled to Little Gale, Maine to start a new life with her two daughters Dahlia and Josie. Embarking on a new life, she and Ben Haskell opened up a new restaurant, the Little Gale Gumbo Cafe. Winning over her new neighbors with her delicious home-cooking, Camille and her daughters soon become a part of the community and Ben's family. Dahlia, Josie, and Ben's son, Matthew. They grew up together as close as siblings. But Matthew has always harbored a crushed on brash, fiery Dahlia, while quiet and shy Josie has always wished Matthew would look `look' at her. As they grew up, Dahlia had a on-and-off romance with Jack, the sherriff, while Josie married Wayne, a local boy. Yet, the love triangle between Matthew, Dahlia, and Josie was never completely resolved. When Ben falls into a coma, and Matthew comes back, old secrets from the pasts resurfaces and threatens all three of them and their lives...

Little Gale Gumbo's is as complex and meaty read. This book is about the romantic triangles of the two generations. Camille, Ben, and Camille's husband (who occasionally reappears and cause trouble) and Dahlia-Josie-Matthew-and-Jack. Dahlia couldn't forget Jack, her one true love, but because of her dastardly father, couldn't bring herself to open her heart to Jack again. Jack loves Dahlia, but was heartbroken when they broke up. He went on to marry another and have a child. In the end, he was divorced and concluded that he had never forgotten Dahlia. Matthew is Dahlia's bounce-back guy, but she is only using him. Poor Matthew could never face the fact that Dahlia never really loves him along. But, he's not exactly a good guy either as he keeps stringing Josie along. Josie, who never forgot Matthew, nearly destroyed her own marriage with Wayne because she can never let go of the past.

Even though this book is complicated, I still enjoyed every bit of it. Some parts were really heartbreaking. My favorite couple in the book is Camille and Ben. They truly deserve each other, especially since Camille had to put up with her horrible husband. The relationship between Dahlia, Josie, and Matthew were a little too drama and soap opera for me, but I like that Josie finally chose her husband over Matthew. Wayne is such a nice guy and way too understanding. There were also a bunch of twists at the end of the novel, which I didn't see coming.

All in all, this is a thoughtful, complex read  that should be savored slowly.

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Club
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*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for posting a fair review*

I like reading Miss Taiden's paranormal romances when I'm in the mood for some lighthearted, sexy stories with a side of sass. When she announced that she was releasing a contemporary book, I was intrigued. She promised her typical snark and heat and definitely delivered that. I like the characters of Lucky Chase and the story was cute and sexy. However, for some reason, instalove in a contemporary always gives me pause. In a novella or erotica, a fast-moving relationship is expected to a degree, but it did take away from my enjoyment a little. All in all, it was a fun read and a nice break in between books heavy on the emotions.
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My review of A Needful Heart has to be taken within the context ofIm not entirely sure how I came to read it. A Needful Heart is a sweet, slightly angsty, conventional, contemporary romance  which is not a genre I generally care for. As best as I can remember, somewhere along the line I got confused and thought I saw ANH on one of the Ex. Con hero lists (I was wrong) - and then I got it on sale and it made its way to my to be read list and here we are. So Im sure Id give it more stars if it was a genre I was even remotely interested in.

Our hero, Matt Calvin, 32 year old carpenter and child abuse survivor is scarred from his past. Hes not a virgin but hes never had an actual relationship  with talking and feelings involved  with a woman, either. He believes hes flawed and unlovable and hes terrified that all the abuse hes suffered and seen combined with the intense anger that he feels makes him a liability. Hes afraid hes capable of losing his temper and becoming violent himself; despite that hes never had a violent or abusive tendency to date. But hes a big guy, and he glowers a lot and looks intimidating and people generally tend to give him wide berth (he also has one seemingly tasteful tattoo  so I don't know why it even gets mentioned, like its some sort of thug stamp  Its not even on his neck!).

Even though he knows hes not relationship material, that doesnt stop Matt from developing a massive crush on RN Gina Carruthers, or from deciding that hes finally going to try to talk to her after 4 years of surreptitiously ogling her from the waiting room when he takes his friend in for his monthly appointment at the clinic where Gina works. Matt finally places himself directly in Ginas line of sight; but unfortunately Gina is a little klutzy and her nose is buried in a chart and she plows right into him, swan dives back and breaks her wrist.

Once Gina actually sees Matt, she SEES Matt  a really nice, really hot, sweet, gentle and troubled guy. Gina ia a great heroine; shes strong, independent, stable and reasonably self assured. Shes attracted to Matt and she likes him and she makes the moves because she realizes hell would freeze over if she waited for him. Then theres plenty of sexy timesand I mean plenty. I mean these 2 have the energy of bunniesI wish I felt the chemistry  although even not feeling it, I will say the sex scenes seemed to be (FYI moderately explicit) well done.

But just when Matt is realizing he may finally have his hearts desire and is figuring out how to wrap his head around that  the angst starts. Its not all the long or drawn out; but circumstances arise which cause Matt to confront his past and really think about the kind of man he is. Theres a very nice, sweet HEA.
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I like a sweet romance with a fierce heroine. Bailey was definitely fiery. She has definitely come into her own. The Outlaws sending their friend to investigate the Westmoreland family was a good way to show how a new spin off series would begin. I am fascinated by Alaska so I was happy to see the setting of Bailey's adventure. Funny how Bailey learns that home is where the heart is.
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I really liked both the hero and the heroine in this story, as well as the secondary characters. They all seem very well-drawn and the overall story is sweet and cute. The story moves along at a good pace, and I found myself really empathizing with the characters as they struggled with insecurities, as well as the mystery theme.

The villain was a bit of a weak character- very simplified- and I could have perhaps done without the sections of the story from his/her perspective.  The strength of the romance made up for the weakness of the mystery plot, in my opinion.
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I enjoyed this book ! Tough Love is book #3 in Lori Foster's Ultimate Series.
It was easy to get swept into this entertaining MMA romance because of the vivid and likeable characters. Vanity was a vivacious heroine who demands the reader's attention. She wanted Stack and came up with a plan to snag him. The sexy fighter isn't ready to commit to a relationship so she convinces him that she's satisfied with a just sex, friends with benefits deal, all along hoping to win him over with her many charms. Her plan works and Stack realizes what a great gal she is, but then the situation gets complicated as more drama and conflict were thrown into the story.

This book was extremely well written. It had a solid plot and characters that were so easy to like. It definitely had a lot of heat. Tough Love was a sweet romance. It's a top shelf read that I can recommend.
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This book is an enjoyable contemporary romance. Ava definitely had her issues and hangups. Then again, Logan did as well. There were times that I thought Logan needed smacked because he was so controlling. I also had moments that Ava annoyed me because she didn't stand up for herself and let people control her. I did enjoy how both characters grew personally throughout the book. I was glad that both of them changed for the better. This book was definitely worth the read despite my initial thoughts on the characters.

**Please note that I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book**
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Another lovely novella in the Gentlemen Next Door series, A Dangerous Expectation was a sweet read. I really liked this light, quick novella, and I really enjoyed it.

Cassandra was a great heroine. She was extremely smart and didn't always say the most appropriate thing, which made her self-conscious in society. But, as the book went on, she became more confident and proved herself as a capable character. Gray was very sweet, but I didn't get a lot from his character, But, I still liked him as well.

The romance was lovely. I liked how Cassandra and Gray helped each other break free of the restrictions they put on themselves. They might have to act in front of society, but they didn't have to act in front of each other.

The plot moved quickly and I was kept interested the entire way through. I enjoyed the story and the ending was great.

A Dangerous Expectation was a sweet, light novella and I enjoyed reading it. Romance lovers, this is a book you'll want to check out if you're in the mood for a quick, enjoyable read.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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Mike & Zola were high school sweethearts and shared a night of sweet, blissful romance prior to setting off in different directions in spite of how amazing they were together. Years later, they unexpectedly finding themselves back together as adults when Zolas life is being threatened by terrorists and Mike is chosen as her protector. In spite of their past history, or perhaps because of it, Mike and Zola struggle to reconcile with their lives thrusting them back together. The two must navigate their complicated history, as Zola is from an elite, wealthy family and whose father is a Senator while Mike who is a SEAL, grew up in foster care and felt as if he never fit in or was good enough. The danger they face both in overcoming the very real terrorist threats along with attempting to navigate their own personal pitfalls kept me reading without wanting to stop. The chemistry between these two characters is off the charts. Becca Jameson once again provides an intriguing tale!
 -- I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review of which I am delighted to provide.
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*I gave this audiobook an A for the story, A- for Elizabeth Louise's narration and B- for Deacon Lee's at Audiogals*

I highly enjoyed Five Ways to Fall, a New Adult contemporary romance which features an unlikely romantic duo comprised of a rebel heroine who sports purple hair and multiple strategically placed piercings, and a former football star turned lawyer who is a perpetually confident, playboy hero. One of the most memorable features of this special story is the underlying message that we are all shaped by our parents relationships, and that recognizing this fact is essential to opening the doors to the changes that are sometimes required to finding true love.

Although this is the fourth book in the Ten Tiny Breaths series, it is not necessary to read the prior books to enjoy this one, as the leads romance is fully contained in this book. All that said, the hero was introduced in a prior book, so if you plan to read the entire series, there is some benefit to reading the books in order from a character development perspective.

One of Reese MacKays first memories is of her biker father leaving her at a diner and never returning. Her social-climbing mother has remarried multiple times since then, but is more concerned about her public image than her mothering skills. Left to her own devices, Reese has spent most of her life in and out of trouble. Most recently, she got arrested for trashing her ex-husbands apartment after she found him cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend.

Having nowhere to turn, she calls her mothers second ex-husband who is a lawyer. He bails her out and talks her into coming to live with him and his son, Mason, provided she for once agrees to truly cleanup her life, including finishing school.

To celebrate her graduation from paralegal school, Reese and her friends visit Cancun. Thats where she first meets Ben, who is celebrating his own graduation from law school.

Too much alcohol, however, leads to a botched, embarrassing attempt at a one-night stand which comes back to haunt Reese when she discovers that Ben is Masons best friend, who her stepfather has just hired as his new associate at his law firm. Once the shock wears off, the sparks begin to fly, even as the odds are stacked against them: Reese is still fixated on her ex, Ben is anti-commitment, and Reeses stepfather has a strict no-dating in the workplace policy.

Please see AudioGals for the full review at: www dot audiogals dot net/2014/07/five-ways-to-fall-by-k-a-tucker/#more-24665
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I'm reviewing a book today for a lady who has to be one of the world's sweetest authors, and her writing reflects her personality so very well. This sweet romance has all the elements in it: One woman, one man, and...oops, another woman...and yep, a huge barrier to their romance.

Joella Crawford is an interior decorator with a secret in her past. JD Neilson is a CPA with a deception in his present life. When Joella finds out this deception, she's devastated. His religion, a really weird cult, forbids their romance. Her beliefs agree with that notion. They back away from each other at top speed, but they forget to bring their hearts into that decision. Bot.h of them remain joined at the heart, despite JD's engagement to another woman from his own church.

It's a quandary you really should buy the book to help them resolve, okay?
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I enjoyed this contemporary western that is part sweet romance and intertwined with a mystery suspense.  Lilly Jamison was a childhood friend of Daphne Henderson.  She has been living in South Carolina and worked as an artist, but after a shocking breakup with her boyfriend, she has lost her muse and asked if she can come back to where she grew up and hopefully find the inspiration she needs to start painting again.  Daphne agrees if Dalton, her brother will agree since Lilly will be living at his ranch. The story is full of angst and issues with the dominant Dalton and the flamboyant and carefree Lilly. She isn't used to rules and expectations, and he lays down the law, gives her rules and consequences. Her painting muse is back; her work is some of her best, and she even is offered a local show.  Then the break-ins start and damage to vehicles.  The plot kept me captivated and the pages turning with the mystery of the crimes and who is doing it and why.  Dalton and Lilly develop a relationship, but it remains platonic, there is no sex in this story, but lots of OTK spankings.
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SERIES: Colorado Ice #0.5
ROMANCE: Ex-Lovers, Return Home

QUICK REVIEW
I read this one right after reading another ex-lovers romance that was a lot heavier, so I appreciated that this was a bit lighter emotionally. I enjoyed going back and getting Neil and Becky's story since I read Maybe This Time first and Becky is a pretty big part of that book. However, I found Becky's emotions and her signals to be all over the place.
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CHARACTERS
Neil Healy: The Air Force has been Neil's entire life since he enlisted. The only problem with being consumed by the military is that he's left others behind, in particular the woman he loved and lost. But now he's back in his home town and when he sees Becky again, he knows the attraction is still there.

Becky Westmore: Breaking up with Neil was the hardest thing Becky ever had to do, but she couldn't live the military life, always wondering if Neil would make it home safe from a deployment. Now years later, Becky is a widower and a single mom and she's doing everything she can to avoid Neil, because she still can't resist him.

WHAT WORKED FOR ME
-- I liked Neil's character which I was surprised by because I wasn't crazy about him in Maybe This Time. He seemed to really understand why Becky made her choices when they broke up and he's mature enough to have moved on after 12 years (I'd sure hope so!).

-- Becky's daughter was so great; she had the right amount of kid spunk that is cute and not annoying. I also loved the scenes where Neil and Taylor interact. It was so sweet seeing Neil fall in love not just with Becky, but also her daughter.

WHAT DIDNT WORK FOR ME
-- The biggest issue for me was Becky's changing emotions, thoughts, and wants. I'm surprised she didn't give Neil whiplash considering how often she switched from pushing him away to making a move. I also didn't really understand Becky's process of choices. She breaks up with Neil because she can't handle the stress of him being gone and risking his life. Then she marries Rob who is a cop and a volunteer with Search & Rescue, also a very dangerous job, though granted not one that involved long absences. The story implies that she only married Rob because she got pregnant (though they did have a very loving and happy marriage) so maybe it never would have happened without that. Now she's pushing Neil away because his job is still dangerous. She didn't seem to realize how hypocritical she was being of Neil's job when she ended up marrying someone just like him.