I got quite a few books read this month. I read quite a few new favorites and a lot from authors I love. Did you read any good books this month?
Waiting For Your Heart by Bethany Monaco Smith
Synopsis for Love and Other Kerfluffles: Is Cupid a lover or a fighter? This Valentine’s Day affairs of the heart wind their way around workplace flings, turning enemies into romance, friends into lovers and shooting his darts at a certain best friend’s brother. Kerfluffy is on the rampage, making cute ‘n’ fluffy appearances throughout this collection of romance stories bringing love and laughter to every Happily Ever After.
This was a short story in the Love and Other Kerfluffles anthology. This was so cute and romantic! Very steamy.
Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgins
Millie Barnes is this close to finally achieving her perfect life… Rewarding job as a local doctor on Cape Cod? Check. Cute cottage of her very own? Check. Adorable puppy suitable for walks past attractive locals? Check! All she needs is for golden boy and former crush Joe Carpenter to notice her, and Millie will be set. But perfection isn’t as easy as it looks—especially when Sam Nickerson, a local policeman, is so distracting. Sure, he needs a friend after being dumped by Millie’s fortune-hunting sister, but does she really need to enjoy his company that much? He is definitely not part of her master plan. But maybe it’s time for Millie to start a new list…
I really enjoyed this. It was very cute and I loved the characters. The ending was great. I have read later books by this author that I liked more, but for being a debut it was good.
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. About the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, with each chapter dealing with a different pain. Healing a different heartache. Milk and Honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them — because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.
I liked this poetry collection. I could definitely relate to quite a few of these poems. Very emotional.
Spells and Scones by Bailey Cates
When the bookshop next to the Honeybee Bakery hosts a signing for a Savannah radio celebrity’s new self-help book, magical baker Katie Lightfoot is happy to provide some delectable desserts. A big crowd has turned out for the event, curious about the book (and maybe to sample some goodies), but the final chapter comes too soon for the author when she is found dead at the event. The prime suspect is Angie Kissel, a former witch whose familiar was once Katie’s own terrier, Mungo. Katie is at first hesitant to help, afraid of losing the little dog who has become so important to her. But after a little nudge from Mungo himself, Katie decides to try to conjure up the real killer—before Angie gets served…
I really liked this! So far my favorite in the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
My Nerdy Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Aspiring psychologist Amanda Rykowsky’s schedule is certifiable. Between study, bartending, and an internship with a sex therapist whose techniques would make a Playboy bunny blush, there’s zero time for romance. Still, Amanda is flattered to receive an anonymous Valentine…until the messages take a sinister turn. Stockbroker William Sloan swears he’s not the one sending Amanda cards, but he suspects the culprit’s intentions are more dubious than sharing a box of Godiva. Something about gorgeous, determined Amanda brings out the usually reserved William’s inner he-man, and he insists on acting as a decoy boyfriend. With a fake relationship masking some very real lust, it’s only a matter of time before William and Amanda give in to the sweetest of temptations. And once he’s dealt with her secret stalker, William’s next mission is to strike Amanda with Cupid’s arrow….
This was okay. There were a lot of characters in here that I really didn’t like. I did like the ending though.
Merritt and Her Childhood Crush by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor
I said I’d never set foot on Oakley Island again. Not so long as HE lived there. But after my life implodes, I’m reconsidering EVERYTHING. Including my reasons for avoiding the first—and only—man I’ve ever loved. I’m a high achiever. Driven. Maybe a little TOO driven. So when my boyfriend confesses to cheating AND steals the promotion I’ve been working toward for years, I do the unthinkable for someone like me. I break. But the timing couldn’t be better for me to fall apart—I can escape to the idyllic Oakley Island and oversee the renovations on my late grandmother’s estate. There’s just one tiny, massive, little problem: no one told me the contractor is the grown up version of the boy I fell in love with years ago. He was my first love. My first kiss. My first heartbreak. Now, I’m faced with seeing Hunter daily. Being his boss. Forging a new dynamic that fits our adult selves. Hunter is bigger. Bearded. Talks in grunts rather than words. And has just as much hold on me as he ever did. Trouble is, Hunter’s life is on Oakley. His daughter is on Oakley. And it was never my plan to stay here permanently. Do I really want to risk having my heart broken a second time? More importantly, do I want to risk breaking his?
This was so cute! Loved the romance and the humor. I’m excited for the third book now!
Spiked Hot Chocolate by Rilzy Adams
Cosima Stratton is spending Christmas alone. A surprise breakup hands her the perfect opportunity to spend Christmas on her own terms and she is excited to pass the day reading, watching Christmas movies and eating good food. Everything changes when she and a stranger agree to share a table at a restaurant two days before Christmas. Tristan Jackson’s Christmas plans went up in smoke with a request he couldn’t find it in his heart to deny. He intends to spend his Christmas sulking over all the things that could have been but becomes intrigued with the woman he inadvertently shares dinner with. Tristan asks Cosima to spend Christmas with him over glasses of spiked hot chocolate. He doesn’t expect her to agree but she does. They soon learn that while it’s good to make plans, sometimes the Universe’s plan is much better!
This was really sweet and steamy. I loved the romance in here so much!
The Valentine Visitor by Emily Thomas
It’s early February in Blue Hill, and Anne Gibson is surprised to receive a Valentine’s Day postcard from an exotic locale addressed to her late aunt Edie. What puzzles Anne even more is the year-old postmark. The sender, whose scrawled first name is illegible, references a reunion at an undisclosed location in two weeks. Anne doesn’t want the mystery correspondent to travel halfway around the world for a meeting that can’t happen, but how can she figure out who this person is in time? Meanwhile, Anne must deal with Liddie’s extreme enthusiasm for Valentine’s Day as well as Ben’s dread of it. And everyone in her life seems to be pushing her to attend the annual sweetheart dinner with Alex. But does she want to risk their friendship when she’s not yet ready for romance?
I really enjoyed this. I liked the characters and the Christian element. Loved the mystery. I really want to read more in this series now.
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan
When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees. Archer’s Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.
I figured I’d love this book, I just didn’t think I would love it this much. I love Archer and the romance in here was incredible. The end broke my heart before putting it back together. So good and super sweet.
Married Like This by Bethany Monaco Smith
“I’m gonna marry you someday.” It’s been eleven years since he carved our initials under the slide and said those words. Since then we’ve walked through all the ups and downs of our lives together—even when we weren’t a couple. Through the hardest moments, we made it. Sometimes we were battered and bruised, but we did it. All that was just the beginning. We’re about to start our life together as husband and wife, and I can’t wait to see what twists and turns come next on the roller coaster of our lives. As long as I’ve got his hand in mine, I know we can make it through together. Rae Cooper sounds like a good name. I could picture myself being Rae Cooper one day. One day is now. And I can’t wait to marry the love of my life.
This was so cute, steamy, and emotional! I loved Rae and Aaron’s wedding and was so happy to see this special moment from their point of view.
A Valentine for the Cowboy by Rebecca Winters
After a painful divorce that left him the sole parent of his sweet baby girl, Eli Clayton shut the door on relationships. Hard. Then he walks into his ranching family’s small-town gem shop and sees his daughter in the arms of a stunning woman whose eyes are the color of Montana blue sapphires. And he melts. Brianna Frost can’t deny the serious attraction between her and the hunky cowboy dad, or the bond she has with his little girl. Still, Brianna can’t quite shake the feeling that Eli’s ex is still in his life–and in his heart. Would falling for this Clayton cowboy mean loving a family who could never be hers?
This was a quick, easy read. I really didn’t connect with the characters or like the romance that much though. This seems like a book I would have loved, so it could have just been me.
Changing the Game by Laura M. Baird
In high school, I was the nerdy guy. The nice guy. The chubby guy. I didn’t know crap about athletics or girls. But I had my eye on Lidia Hightower. She was kind and smart and beautiful. And with the wrong guy. Nothing I could do about it since she’d never look at a guy like me. Even after I saved her from a grave mistake. Years later with my transfer to Thackeray College comes a second chance I never thought I’d have when Lidia’s here, too. Well this time I’m not going to blow it. In high school, I was the popular girl. The society girl. The one who had it all. I even dated the wrong guy because it presented a better image. But I was done with that. I was over doing what was expected and ready to do what I wanted. Who would have thought what I wanted was Cooper Stevens, the sweet boy who championed me when my friends abandoned me? The cute high school boy who grew into a fine college man but probably wouldn’t look twice at me now. Only one way to find out…
This was a cute, quick read. Definitely will read more from this author!
Doubletalk by Teralyn Mitchell
Zeke Armstrong never imagined he’d be back in Vermont, but here he is, living in Colebury and trying to rehab an injury that could mean an early retirement from pro basketball. Running into his former classmate, Mallory Barrett, shouldn’t be a distraction. It shouldn’t mean anything, so why is he accidentally on purpose showing up at the coffee shop where the beautiful writer spends her time? Mallory Barrett has met a guy. Well, she hasn’t met him yet, except for on the dating app she almost refused to download. “Coby” sparks her interest and gets her jokes–and gives the romance-novel heroes she loves so much a full-court run for their money. When their first date doesn’t work out, she decides to give him another shot . . . just as a man she despises reenters her life. While her interest in the mystery man on the app grows, she clashes constantly with Zeke in real life. She can’t forgive him for humiliating her in high school, yet she can’t deny she’s drawn to him now. She’s somehow gone from confirmed bachelorette to the tie-breaker between two men. Meanwhile Zeke has a secret–one that will cost him the game if Mallory finds out . . .
This was really good! I loved the basketball aspect and the romance was cute.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.
I loved this book so much! Super cute and funny. I loved the characters and the romance. I really want to read more from this author now.
Rebelling With The Bad Boy by Sarah Sutton
Trusting the bad boy… What could go wrong? It’s on my sixteenth birthday that I realize I’ve never had control over my own life. From my outfits to my hairstyles and even to my love life, my parents made every decision for me. And instead of fighting, I lived by my mantra: keep my head down and keep my mouth shut. That is until I’m paired with Brentwood High’s resident bad boy, Hudson Bishop. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe him. Intimidating. Scary. Panic-inducing. There’s a reason the school calls him the Grim Reaper. And when our principal pairs us together for a “buddy program,” he makes it perfectly clear he doesn’t want to be stuck with a stiff like me. But when I’m voted Most Likely To: Stay A Prude by the elite crowd of the school, suddenly Hudson Bishop is more than just a bad boy—he’s a way out from underneath my mother’s thumb. He’s a path to rebellion, and despite all of the warning bells going off in my head, I take it. I just have to make sure I don’t get lost along the way… And it may already be too late.
This was so cute! I loved the romance between the two characters so much. I can’t wait to read the next book! Absolutely loved this book.
Those are all the books I read this month! Have you read any of these? Until next time.