Melinda's Mini Reviews for September

Melinda has a few mini reviews for you today, from 4 to 4 1/2 Stars!

Just a Heartbeat Away by Cara Bastone

Publisher: June 30th, 2020

Series: Forever Yours, 1

Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

Some people change your life

Others change your heart

Newly widowed dad Sebastian Dorner was unraveling at the edges—until his son’s teacher, Via DeRosa, threw him a lifeline. Now, two years later, they reconnect at Matty’s new school, and an inconvenient but unmistakable jolt of attraction crackles between them. But why does the first person to spark with Sebastian in years have to be a millennial? Is twentysomething Via really too young for him or does fortysomething Sebastian just feel too damn old?

A former foster kid, Via’s finally forged the stable life she’s always dreamed of—new job, steady income, no drama. The last thing she needs are rumors about her and a single dad at school. But why does she keep being drawn into his capable, worn-flannel orbit? And why does being around Sebastian, Matty and even their dog, Crabby, seem to spark so much want?

They’re trying to ignore the tension threatening their friendship. But sometimes what’ll heal you is just a touch—and a heartbeat—away.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Author's Site 

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Melinda's Review: Daring and the Duke

Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Avon (June 30, 2020)
Series: Bareknuckle Bastards, 3
Genre: Historical Romance (M/F)

New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean returns with the much-anticipated final book in her Bareknuckle Bastards series, featuring a scoundrel duke and the powerful woman who brings him to his knees.

Grace Condry has spent a lifetime running from her past. Betrayed as a child by her only love and raised on the streets, she now hides in plain sight as queen of London’s darkest corners. Grace has a sharp mind and a powerful right hook and has never met an enemy she could not best...until the man she once loved returns.

Single-minded and ruthless, Ewan, Duke of Marwick, has spent a decade searching for the woman he never stopped loving. A long-ago gamble may have lost her forever, but Ewan will go to any lengths to win Grace back…and make her his duchess.

Reconciliation is the last thing Grace desires. Unable to forgive the past, she vows to take her revenge. But revenge requires keeping Ewan close, and soon her enemy seems to be something else altogether—something she can’t resist, even as he threatens the world she's built, the life she's claimed…and the heart she swore he'd never steal again.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
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Reviews for MacLean's books:

• How the Dukes Stole Christmas
• Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
• One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
• The Day of the Duchess

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Every New Year

Every New Year by Katrina Jackson
Publisher: Katrina Jackson (December 31st, 2019)
Series: Love at Last, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

Dual 1st POV

When Ezra Posner was eighteen, he met Candace Garret and fell in love.

When Candace met Ezra, she instantly knew he was the boy for her.

In the middle of their first year at college, Candace and Ezra share a clumsy kiss that should have been the beginning of an epic love affair, but it's not. Instead, it begins a nearly two-decade journey of never quite getting the timing right for love. For almost every New Year's Eve after, Candace and Ezra stumble into one another's arms, but can’t manage to hold onto each other for more than a single night. They live with the expectant giddiness of being able to spend New Year's Eve with the person they love, always hoping that next year will be their year. Until eventually, their annual trysts ruin even the friendship that held them together.

As 2019 ends, Candace and Ezra are both running away from their broken hearts. They board a plane hoping to finally move on from their relationship, only to run right into each other's arms.

Every New Year is a friends-to-lovers romance that takes nearly twenty years to bloom. It's also the first in the Love At Last series, where happily ever afters might take some time to mature, but they're always worth the wait.


Content Warnings:
parental sickness (cancer, diabetes, hypertension)

Where to Buy*:

Kindle (KU)

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Author's Site
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Reviews for Jackson's books:

• Grand Theft N.Y.E.

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: House Rules

House Rules by Ruby Lang
Publisher: Carina Press (February 10, 2020)
Series: Uptown, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

ROOMMATE WANTED to share a gorgeous sun-filled apartment in Central Harlem. Must love cats. No ex-husbands or wives need apply.

Seventeen years ago, different dreams pulled Simon Mizrahi and Lana Kuo apart. But when Lana takes a position as a chef back in Manhattan, her apartment search puts her right in her ex-husband’s path. Music teacher Simon is also hunting for a new place to live, and when Lana proposes they be platonic roomies, well…it’s not the worst idea he’s ever heard.

A sunny uptown two-bedroom sounds far more appealing than the cramped, noisy space where he’s currently struggling to work. Still, Simon has seen firsthand that Lana’s a flight risk, so he agrees on a trial basis.

Three months. With strict boundaries.

Living together again feels wonderfully nostalgic, but when the ex-couple’s lingering feelings rise to the surface, the rules go out the window.

Of course, chemistry was never their problem. But while Simon’s career feels back on solid footing, Lana is still sorting out what she wants. With their trial period soon coming to an end, they’ll have to decide if their living arrangement was merely a sexy trip down memory lane or a reunion meant to last.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Author's Site
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Reviews for Lang's books:

• Acute Reaction
• Open House
• Playing House

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Mini Reviews for January (Part 2)

Melinda has a few mini reviews for you today, from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 Stars.

American Love Story by Adriana Herrera
Publisher: Carina Press (October 7, 2019)
Series: Dreams, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Queer, M/M)

No one should have to choose between love and justice.

Haitian-born professor and activist Patrice Denis is not here for anything that will veer him off the path he’s worked so hard for. One particularly dangerous distraction: Easton Archer, the assistant district attorney who last summer gave Patrice some of the most intense nights of his life, and still makes him all but forget they’re from two completely different worlds.

All-around golden boy Easton forged his own path to success, choosing public service over the comforts of his family’s wealth. With local law enforcement unfairly targeting young men of color, and his career—and conscience—on the line, now is hardly the time to be thirsting after Patrice again. Even if their nights together have turned into so much more.

For the first time, Patrice is tempted to open up and embrace the happiness he’s always denied himself. But as tensions between the community and the sheriff’s office grow by the day, Easton’s personal and professional lives collide. And when the issue at hand hits closer to home than either could imagine, they’ll have to work to forge a path forward…together.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Mini Reviews for January (Part 1)

Melinda has a few mini reviews for you today, from 3 to 5 Stars.

Open House by Ruby Lang
Publisher: Carina Press (November 11, 2019)
Series: Uptown Series, 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

Love can take root where you least expect it.


Tyson Yang never imagined that one day he’d be the de facto spokesperson for an illegal community garden. But when the once-rat-infested-but-now-thriving Harlem lot goes up for sale, Ty can’t just let all their hard work get plowed under.

Even if he is irresistibly drawn to the lovely but infuriatingly stubborn real estate associate.

Magda Ferrer’s family is already convinced this new job will be yet another flop in her small but growing list of career path failures. But her student debt isn’t going anywhere, and selling her uncle’s historic town house and the lot nearby means a chance to get some breathing room.

Ty is her charming rival, her incorrigible nemesis, the handsome roadblock to her success.

Until one hot Harlem night blurs the hard line drawn between them, and the seeds of possibility in this rocky garden blossom into love…

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Melinda's Review: Mangos and Mistletoe

Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera
Publisher: Adriana Herrera (December 16, 2019)
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Queer, F/F)
Dual 1st POV

Kiskeya Burgos left the tropical beaches of the Dominican Republic with a lot to prove. As a pastry chef on the come up, when she arrives in Scotland, she has one goal in mind: win the Holiday Baking Challenge. Winning is her opportunity to prove to her family, her former boss, and most importantly herself, she can make it in the culinary world. Kiskeya will stop at nothing to win , that is, if she can keep her eyes on the prize and off her infuriating teammate's perfect lips.

Sully Morales, home cooking hustler, and self-proclaimed baking brujita lands in Scotland on a quest to find her purpose after spending years as her family’s caregiver. But now, with her home life back on track, it's time for Sully to get reacquainted with her greatest love, baking. Winning the Holiday Baking Challenge is a no brainer if she can convince her grumpy AF baking partner that they make a great team both in and out of the kitchen before an unexpected betrayal ends their chance to attain culinary competition glory.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle

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Reviews for AUTHOR'S LAST NAME's books:

• American Dreamer
• American Fairytale

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Well Met

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Publisher: Berkley (September 3, 2019)
Genre: Contemporary Romance (M/F)

All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Content Warnings: grief, past death of a sibling due to non-Hodgkins, car accident

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Mini Reviews for July

Melinda has a few mini reviews for you today, from 4 to 4 1/2 Stars.

Kitten by Jack Harbon
Publisher: Jack Harbon (May 20th, 2019)
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- Queer, M/M

Fresh out of college and back on his older sister's couch, Kit expected his days to return to the way they'd always been. He anticipated spending his days perusing Netflix with one hand on the remote and the other in a box of pizza, but when he's given the opportunity for a job at one of New York City's newest advertising agencies, there's no way he can turn the offer down. Unfortunately for Kit, this job might be more than he bargained for.

Not only does Roman - his handsome yet ruthless new boss - let his wandering eye linger just a little too long, Kit can't seem to shake the feeling that the glitzy personal assistant gig he just landed might be a bit shadier than he imagined. Before he's even able to make a reservation for Roman's dinner at Le Bernardin, Kit's professional and personal life become one, and he finds himself forced to somehow separate business from pleasure.

Easier said than done, especially when it’s his job to take care of Roman’s every need.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle

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Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Trashed

Trashed by Mia Hopkins
Publisher: Little Stone Press (July 16, 2019)
Series: Eastside Brewery, 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
1st POV

He burns for her. Lucky for him, she likes to play with fire. . .

My name is Eddie Rosas, but everyone calls me Trouble. Since I got out of prison six months ago, I’ve had one goal: find my father, whatever the cost. My older brother says I need to move on. He also wants me to leave our gang, East Side Hollenbeck, and go straight, but I can’t—not until I uncover the truth about our family and its missing piece.

One problem? I’m distracted. My distraction’s name is Carmen Centeno. Smart, passionate, and tough as hell, Carmen is a woman from the neighborhood who’s built her career as one of the city’s top chefs. She’s a master of creating pleasure both in and out of bed. But when our connection deepens, how can I show her I’m not the trash everyone says I am?

The pressure’s rising. Carmen deserves a man she can depend on. And when the ghosts of my past rise up, I’ll have to outsmart them—or lose my shot at a future with the only woman who believes in me.

The Rosas brothers will return in Tanked!

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Reviews for Hopkins' books:

• Thirsty

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Teach Me

Teach Me by Olivia Dade
Publisher:  Hussies and Harpies Press (May 30, 2019)
Series: There's Something About Marysburg, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Their lesson plans didn't include love. But that's about to change...

When Martin Krause arrives at Rose Owens's high school, she's determined to remain chilly with her new colleague. Unfriendly? Maybe. Understandable? Yes, since a loathsome administrator gave Rose's beloved world history classes to Martin, knowing it would hurt her.

But keeping her distance from a man as warm and kind as Martin will prove challenging, even for a stubborn, guarded ice queen. Especially when she begins to see him for what he truly is: a man who's never been taught his own value. Martin could use a good teacher--and luckily, Rose is the best.

Rose has her own lessons--about trust, about vulnerability, about her past--to learn. And over the course of a single school year, the two of them will find out just how hot it can get when an ice queen melts

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Death of a Bachelor

Remember, this is a Royal Pick for the month! Check back on April 25th when the monthly giveaway opens!

Death of a Bachelor by M.A. Hinkle
Publisher:
Series: Cherrywood Grove, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- Queer, M/M

Cathal Kinnery is an arrogant, overeducated jerk, and Damon Eglamore is not afraid to tell him so. But Damon married Cathal’s best friend, so they have an uneasy truce. Then she passes away. Now they’re stuck together in close quarters, trying to honor her memory without shouting at each other all the time.

At first, they have no idea how to move forward. Damon is a chef, but all his favorite recipes remind him of his late wife. Cathal would love to start tomcatting around town again, except for that annoying promise he made to his best friend about looking after Damon.

Then Damon’s son comes to them for help, convinced the only way to win over his first crush is a gender-bending Shakespeare production. After that, Cathal talks Damon into taking up baking as a new way to use his talents. Next thing they know, they’ve begun a new life working as a team instead of jumping at each other’s throats. But can they trust each other long enough to make it last, or will they fall into old bad habits again?

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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CW: Death of a secondary character

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: An Unconditional Freedom

Remember, this is a Royal Pick for the month! Check back on February 28th when the monthly giveaway opens!

An Unconditional Freedom by Alyssa Cole
Publisher: Kensington (February 26, 2019)
Series: The Loyal League, 3
Genre: Historical Romance

Daniel Cumberland’s uneventful life as a freed man in Massachusetts ended the night he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. To then have his freedom restored by the very man who stole his beloved’s heart is almost too much to bear. When he’s offered entry into the Loyal League, the covert organization of spies who helped free him, Daniel seizes the opportunity to help take down the Confederacy and vent the rage that consumes him.
When the Union Army occupies Janeta Sanchez’s small Florida town, her family’s goodwill and ties to Cuba fail to protect her father from being unjustly imprisoned for treason. To ensure her father’s release, Janeta is made an offer she can’t refuse: spy for the Confederacy. Driven by a desire for vengeance and the hope of saving her family, she agrees to infiltrate the Loyal League as a double agent.

Daniel is both aggravated and intrigued by the headstrong recruit. For the first time in months, he feels something other than anger, but a partner means being accountable, and Daniel’s secret plan to settle a vendetta and strike a blow for the Union can be entrusted to no one. As Janeta and Daniel track Jefferson Davis on his tour of the South, their dual hidden missions are threatened by the ghosts of their pasts and a growing mutual attraction—that might be their only hope for the future.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Author's Site
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Reviews for Cole's books:

• A Princess in Theory
• Hamilton's Battalion (anthology)

Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Appetites and Vices

Remember, this is a Royal Pick for the month! Check back on February 28th when the monthly giveaway opens!

Appetites and Vices by Felicia Grossman
Publisher: Carina Press (February 18, 2019)
Series: The Truitts, 1
Genre: Historical Romance

He’s her ticket into high society…

Banking heiress Ursula Nunes has lived her life on the fringes of Philadelphia’s upper class. Her Jewish heritage means she’s never quite been welcomed by society’s elite…and her quick temper has never helped, either.

A faux engagement to the scion of the mid-Atlantic’s most storied family might work to repair her rumpled reputation and gain her entrée to the life she thinks she wants…if she can ignore the way her “betrothed” makes her feel warm all over and stay focused on her goal.

She’s his ticket out…

Former libertine John Thaddeus “Jay” Truitt is hardly the man to teach innocent women about propriety. Luckily, high society has little to do with being proper and everything to do with identifying your foe’s temptation—an art form Jay mastered long ago. A broken engagement will give him the perfect excuse to run off to Europe and a life of indulgence.

But when the game turns too personal, all bets are off…

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

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Melinda's Review:

Melinda's Review: Tikka Chance on Me

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on November 29th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder
Publisher: Suleikha Snyder (November 13, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Novella

He's the bad-boy biker. She's the good girl working in her family's Indian restaurant. On the surface, nothing about Trucker Carrigan and Pinky Grover's instant, incendiary, attraction makes sense. But when they peel away the layers and the assumptions--and their clothes--everything falls into place. The need. The want. The light. The laughter. They have more in common than they ever could've guessed. Is it enough? They won't know until they take a chance on each other--and on love.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
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Reviews for Snyder's books:

• Seared

Melinda's Review:

Kat and Melinda's Review: Kiss Me

Today Kat and Melinda review 3 stories from the Kiss Me anthology. Note: they do not review the entire anthology, but they do rate and review the stories they managed (barely...) to finish. And honestly, it's probably not a stretch to say the rest of the anthology has similar issues, too.

Kiss Me: An Asian Hero Boxed Set by Joanne Dannon + 7 others
Publisher: IndieWrites (August 12, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Two Worlds, One Kiss, a Lifetime of Love

This set features EIGHT sweet contemporary romance novellas featuring handsome Asian heroes.

From Australia's vineyards to the bright lights of Hong Kong, these stories have something for anyone looking for a little international flair in their romance.

This set will only be available for a limited time, so don't miss out!

Joanne Dannon - An Unexpected Forever

Khardine Gray – Kisses and Blossoms

Imogene Nix – Hero of Heartbreak Hill

Aislinn Kearns - Until You

Dakota Harrison – Once Upon a K-Pop Prince

Fiona Marsden – Beautiful Stranger

Terri A. Wilson – A New Ending

Zena Oliver - Seven-Day Cruise

Where to Buy*:

Kindle (KU Title)

More Info:

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Melinda's Review: Untouchable

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on August 30th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Untouchable by Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Nixon House (August 11, 2018)
Series: Ravenwood, 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance

What happens when a bad boy becomes a man? 

Nate Davis didn’t plan on returning to his hateful hometown. But then, he didn’t plan on being widowed in his twenties, or on his mother getting sick, either. Turns out, life doesn’t give a f$*k about plans.

Hannah Kabbah thought her career in childcare was over. After all, no-one wants a woman with a criminal damage conviction watching their kids. But when her high school crush returns to Ravenswood with two kids in tow, she gets the second chance she never dreamed of.

She also gets to know Nate – the real Nate. The one whose stony exterior hides aching vulnerability. Who makes her smile when she wants to fall apart. Who is way, way more than the bad boy persona he earned so long ago, and way too noble to ever sleep with the nanny.

So it’s a good thing she’s completely over that teenage crush, right?

Please note: this book contains discussion and depiction of depression and anxiety that may trigger certain audiences.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle -- KU Title

More Info:

Author's Site
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Reviews for Hibbert's books:

• A Girl Like Her
• Bad for the Boss
• Merry Inkmas

Melinda's Review: