Love Unexpected by Marina Hanna – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Love UnexpectedLove Unexpected by Marina Hanna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an enjoyable steamy contemporary romance with a fast paced storyline and great characters. Whilst out celebrating her new job at ‘Foster’s Advertising and Marketing’ Jules shares a drunken, heated kiss with a stranger only to discover on Monday morning that the guy is in fact her new boss, Adam Foster. Adam is shocked to find that the women he shared a passionate kiss with is his new intern but despite the no relationship clause in place at Foster’s he can’t get that kiss out of his head. Adam makes it clear to Jules that he is not interested in a relationship and that all he is offering is sex. Jules agrees and is happy with the uncomplicated sex, which happens to be great sex, with Adam but she soon realises her heart is at risk. However, will Adam admit that what he and Jules share is more than just physical. I loved both Jules and Adam as they are both likeable and relatable characters, who obviously have amazing chemistry which sizzled off the page and led to some very steamy scenes between the couple. The storyline kept me hooked from start to finish and I felt both immersed in the story and engaged with the characters.

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Blue Summer Part One by Everly Taylor – Review by Piper Foster

Blue Summer Part OneBlue Summer Part One by Everly Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked Lillie from this series. This is a cute story. With a few different character I like that you hear it from these guys heads. I was Suprised at the turn of events in this part of the series and am glad this is only part one as am looking forward to seeing where this journey goes.

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Fake Fiancé (A Second Chance Office Romance) AUDIO BOOK by Amy McKinley – Review by Samantha Jayne Grubey

Fake Fiancé: A Second Chance Office RomanceFake Fiancé: A Second Chance Office Romance by Amy McKinley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this book was really quick and easy to listen to which was good because busy work week. I really enjoyed this, I love me an office romance trope and this hit all the right spots. Really enjoyed Adeline and Stone together. Story flowed. Loved the pace it went at.

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Bake Believe by Cori Cooper – Review by Lydia Pelton

Bake BelieveBake Believe by Cori Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bake Believe
Written by: Cori Cooper

Adorable!

This book had just the right amount of cuteness with a dash of magic to make it such a wonderful story. Cat had me giggling from the beginning with her silly antics. I read this to my daughter and she would not let me put it down till we finished. It makes me want to get in the kitchen and start baking again. We are MADLY in love with this story. We are definitely saving the recipes to bring a little happiness to our families later.

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Love by Design (The Meraki Series Book 2) by Effie Kammenou – Review by Opal Nelson

Love by Design (The Meraki Series Book 2)Love by Design by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this novel. I appreciated the pace of the characters coming together. Effie highlighted that while love is not always easy it is worth it and for Mia and Nicholas’ relationship, it was perfect. Effie’s utilization of the flashback technique provided a better understanding of certain elements and insight about the characters and strengthened one of the themes (destiny) in the novel. I admired the complexity of the main characters. It was easy to follow, engaging and romantic in every sense of the word. Love by Designed is packed with layers (pages) and the more you read the more you want to know, the more you are intrigued.

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Flowers in December Audio Book by Jane Suen – Review by Caralee Loonat

Flowers in December (Audio Book) by Jane Suen
4 Stars!!!!

If you are looking to add to your reading experience I really recommend audio books. I have read this book and this is my second read/listen. I find that it really adds to the whole experience and enjoyment of the book. Having read then listened to it for the first time I really like how the narrator adds the emotions and voices. I found more things grabbed my attention when listening than when just reading it.

I really found that this second read well first listen really added to my enjoyment of the book and added to the whole process. The author really made a good choice of narrator. Definitely will read more from this author and hope to have more audio books from her.

@caraleeloonat

Maggie by Mya O’Malley-Review by Amanda Kimble

5/5 Stars

 

Due 5/8 Maggie AUDIO BOOK by Mya O’Malley

 

This is the second book by the author I’ve had the pleasure of having. Although this is the first Audio Book I’ve had by her. Emily Ember is a great narrator and I loved it.

 

Naomi lives on the edge of the town cemetery. She loves living there and it gives her great help when it comes to writing. As an author she thrives on it. When she meets Maggie things go bad. She is determined to finish Maggie’s story. The quote I chose for Naomi is: “Give me a second and we’ll get going.”

 

Maggie is the ghost that is haunting Naomi. She wants…no she needs Naomi to figure out what happened. She needs Naomi to write her story; to finish her story. The quote I chose for Maggie is: “My story. Not much to tell. Sorry to disappoint you.”

 

Highly recommended for Crime lovers.

Sexy Drug (Losing My Heart Book 1) by Melody Calder – Review by Kerry Baker

Sexy Drug (Losing My Heart #1)Sexy Drug by Melody Calder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sexy Drug by Melody Calder is the first book in the Losing My Heart series. This is a gripping story that jumps right into the action from page one. As the first book that I have read by this author I didn’t know what to expect at all and what I got was an exciting story that really captures your attention. I loved Katie and Ramone. You would think that they would have nothing in common at all and yet once you get to know them you see that they are more suited than you could guess. Their connection was obvious and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.
The book was fast paced and thrilling to read. The author has a really strong writing style and it pulled me into the story immediately. This is a fantastic book and I am really looking forward to the next in the series.

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Love by Design (The Meraki Series Book 2) by Effie Kammenou – Review by Karen Pearman

Love by Design (The Meraki series, #2)Love by Design by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in this series by the author and after reading the first one I knew I had to read this one too. And I’m so glad that I did. This book has just as much drama and romance as the first one along with even more delicious delicacies. I cannot tell you how much I love her character building and description. She truly does an amazing job of making me want these characters to be my BFF’s. I do highly recommend reading the first book before jumping into this one just because there is a family back story that you don’t want to be out of the loop on. However, if you just stumble across this one and read it first I think you will be fine and still find it very enjoyable. In my opinion, this book is even better than the first one. I highly recommend you pick up this series and read it. It’s well worth your time and I think you will find it to be as great as I did.

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My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss Book 1) by Carmen Richter – Review by Angela Shirley

My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss #1)My Lips Are Sealed by Carmen Richter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zoe has has so much heartbreak for such a young person, but will one chance meeting be the key to unlock the heartbreak and rekindle the life she had before. Can this happen or will it cause her more heartbreak?

Zoe is a teenager with a shocking past, with her boyfriend dying she is plunged into a depression her parents try and help her through the heartache by taking her away for the summer but nothing seems to shake the darkness from her world.

Upon returning back to her home town she decides before she goes back to school the next day to sing in an open mic night and sing a song she wrote about her experiences of the past months, once she has sung she meets Elijah and boy who seems to evoke feelings she thought she could never feel again and starts to think she can live on. The next day she arrives to school and realises the new teacher is her Elijah and what will happen to their relationship and will it be able to continue with is position.

I did like elements of the story, I found that the character of Zoe although she had been through so much made me a little mad at times, maybe it was the age of the character but found it difficult to relate to some of her emotions within the story. That being said the story was well written and developed and had a lot to think about with the contents. I can not believe the initial meeting of the two of them that Elijah and Zoe did not feel the age difference within the language that they spoke to each other or actions.

This is a great story and I would like to read more stories within this series and more books by Carmen.

Reviewed by Angela Shirley

Southland Academy for Supernatural Youth by Sandra Tentler and Brooke Tentler – Review by Cindy Rushin

Southland Academy for Supernatural YouthSouthland Academy for Supernatural Youth by Sandra Tentler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The mother daughter team of Sandra Tentler and Brooke Tentler has created a fun read. The story centers on a group of misfits in the paranormal world and how they find strength within themselves to grow into the individuals they are meant to be. It was a joy to go on their journey and I really loved seeing them become the strong individuals that we all knew they could be. This novel was good, and I look forward to reading more from Sandra Tentler and Brooke Tentler.

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Love Unexpected by Marina Hanna – Review by Angela Packard

Love UnexpectedLove Unexpected by Marina Hanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book from the beginning is hot and steamy….two strangers with a melting kiss in a bar after eyes meeting across the room. Two strangers whose paths will never cross again, right? Oh my goodness, the heat between these two is what fantasies are made of.
A 40 year old man, Adam, who has never been in love before, uses women for sex, and never anticipates having a relationship. Will he let his past dictate who his present self is?
Jules is a single woman looking to move her career along at a new agency. Can they overcome the obstacles that seem to be in the way? The characters are well rounded. I loved living in their world, if even for just a short time.

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READY FOR FLYNN, PART 1 (READY FOR FLYNN SERIES) AUDIO BOOK by K.L. SHANDWICK – Review by Piper Foster

This is my first audio and book by this author. Valeried I wasn’t quite prepared for what happen in this story , yet this story WILL affect you.

Chemistry between Valerie and Fylnn is really well written. This couple goes through so many hardships. Age differences and life pulls them both in different directions. Tears flowed, heartbeats hammered and laughs came easily. The reader was treated to hot sexy scenes to extremely sweet scenes. I really can’t wait to read /listen to the next part of this story.

Bovine Tricks (Royals Gone Rogue Book 1) by Seelie Kay – Review by Kimberly Griffiths

Bovine TricksBovine Tricks by Seelie Kay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bovine Tricks
Royals Gone Rogue book 1
By
Seelie Kay

This book is a fantasy story, takes things to a whole new level. Well written, keeps your mind intrigued as you keep reading. Kudos to this author as this story shows a strong imagination and strong storytelling skills. This is not my first choice as a story to read, however I was pulled in from the first chapter and it kept me until the end.

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CHAMELEON by Zoe Kalo – Review by Lydia Pelton

ChameleonChameleon by Zoe Kalo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chameleon

Written by: Zoe Kalo

Woah!

This book had me hooked. Kalo had us guessing who the real villain was from the start. I felt like at times I loved the character of Paloma then others I wasn’t sure. The twists and turns has you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. You don’t know exactly who you trust and who you don’t. It’ll even has you questioning yourself through out. This YA thriller is such a good story from beginning to the end. The title definitely describes the story well.

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Jake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy Daycare: A Children’s Book about New Experiences, Friendship, Stress Relief, and Kindness (Jake the Growling Dog Book 2) by Samantha Shannon – Review by Amber Flory

Jake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy DaycareJake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy Daycare by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With my own 2 year old in mind, I wanted to read this book even though my daughter doesn’t suffer from fear (much to my dismay sometimes). Its about a dog who is worried about the new experience of going to doggy daycare. I liked the ideas section at the end for parents particularly, and I think it will be helpful to many people. Having anxiety myself I recognized several of the trick suggested. I think this book will be a hit for young children and the few toddlers who have a longer attention span, but I don’t think I could get my daughter to sit through it yet. I like the story. I think it will help many children relate to the adorable doggy, and feel normal about their own worries.

@ammaflory

 

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Bake Believe by Cori Cooper – Review by Lisa Helmick

Bake BelieveBake Believe by Cori Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute story. Its is entertaining and easy to read and follow along. This is perfect for the young adult. Each chapter is titled with a yummy food then the delicious recipe follows the end of the chapter. This book did make me hungry and want to start baking again/eating this food again.

The story is slow moving at first but once some magic happens the pace picks up and makes this hard to out down. The characters are lovely. The explaining stage slowed the book way back down again because I really just wanted to know why/how/what. The mothers are very hesitant even after the fact and I felt it put a few bumps in the story.

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My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss Book 1) by Carmen Richter – Review by Kerry Carr

My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss #1)My Lips Are Sealed by Carmen Richter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story. Its full of romance and packed full of secrets and lies. The characters are really well written that you can’t help but feel for and relate to.

Zoe I having a hard time in life. After her boyfriend trys to pressure her to sleep with him they argue and then her boyfriend disappears.

After 5 months he is found dead. What happened to him? Who is responsible? After finding out about his death she also finds out he was cheating on her with her best friend which left Zoe completely heartbroken ans destroyed.
Trying to get her life on track Zoe surprised when she is swept off her feet by Elijah. The connection between them is instant and full of passion. Elijah  makes her feel alive again but there’s a problem. Elijah is Zoe’s teacher.

Torn between what to do and their feelings, they decide being apart isn’t an option so work at their relationship in secret. But can they keep up the game they are playing and keep their secret hidden or will someone blow their cover?

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My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss Book 1) by Carmen Richter – Review by Sara Oxton

My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss #1)My Lips Are Sealed by Carmen Richter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Lips are Sealed by Carmen Richter a fraught four-star read. This is number one in the Sealed with a Kiss series, and I am eager for number two to find out what happens next. I know some people will have issues with the ages of the characters and the fact that Zoe is as young as she is, but she is also mature for her age and reminded me a lot of myself at that age, I moved away to a different part of the country alone when I was only a few months older, so I think I had a perspective many wouldn’t about maturity at that age. The thing that blew me away with this story was how the author managed to keep you on your toes the whole story, it’s a long story and the pace and drama just kept going from strength to strength and leaving you needing to know more. This is a compelling story, and I would have loved to give it five-stars, but it was let down in a couple of places. I have to admit though I have very high hopes for the next part of the story.

Review by @saraoxo

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Bake Believe by Cori Cooper – Review by Sherry Sharpnack

Bake BelieveBake Believe by Cori Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cat awakens on her last day of summer vacation, itching to get to the pool w/ her best pal and cousin Robyn, so they can flirt w/ boys and live their best lives. She meets super-cute Tobey and they share an amazing soft pretzel from a new bakery next door. Cat didn’t realize baked goods could taste so amazing b/c her mom never cooks. I mean, NEVER cooks, like she has a phobia or something.
School starts the next day, and horrors! There is a mix-up in Cat’s schedule and she ends up in Culinary class – w/ super-cute Tobey. Cat is SO embarrassed b/c she has NO IDEA how to read a recipe b/c remember, her mom has a phobia about cooking. But Cat’s Aunt Marissa is a GREAT cook, which Cat finds out by eating at Marissa’s house for once. Which is another thing her mom doesn’t usually allow.
Cat helps bake a batch of cookies, feeling very happy to be working w/ Tobey. Robyn helps herself to one of the cookies – and is just over the moon w/ joy. Hmmm? Why is Robyn in such a good mood all of a sudden? Cat’s mom and aunt freak out when they hear she’s been baking in school, and her mom insists she drop Culinary class. So Cat’s all upset when she bakes the next day, and everyone who eats the no-bake cookies from class is in a terrible mood afterwards.
OK, so what is going on? Why are Cat’s moods, while baking, affecting others?
This is an interesting premise to go on for a cute little story that should be entertaining for any middle-schooler. As an adult, we think “Eh, this too shall pass.” But the kids? Maybe if they read this, they’ll understand that our moods DO affect other people, even if we don’t have a “gift” for baking that Cat – or is it her whole family? – apparently does.
Big ideas about emotions are presented in an entertaining way – and each chapter is named for the baked good that Cat makes in that chapter, w/ a mouth-watering recipe for that item closing the chapter. The recipes are given w/ funny instructions, not the typical recipes in culinary cozy mysteries. And I love the unusual font for the chapter names; it looks like icing dripping off a cupcake. 3.7ish stars rounded up to 4 stars.

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Betrayal at the Beach (Dangerous Curves Book 1) by K.L. Montgomery – Review by Sara Oxton

Betrayal at the Beach: A Cozy Christian Mystery (Dangerous Curves Book 1)Betrayal at the Beach: A Cozy Christian Mystery by K.L. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Betrayal at the Beach by K.L. Montgomery a thrill of a five-star read. This has it all, a great story, librarians, and a mystery thrown in for good measure. I adore this author and all of the hats they wear; I enjoy how each story has its own details, there isn’t a scene that doesn’t fit, just because it may be what they are known for, it adds more power to each story. I started this one after being on a massive reading binge and was expecting that my great reading would start to slow, but this just added more excitement to my reading, it kept me guessing and just added to my love of reading overall. I am always excited to see a librarian as a character in a story and this gave me joy in spades.

Review by @saraoxo

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Maggie (Maggie Trilogy Book 1) AUDIO BOOK by Mya O’Malley – Review by Joyce Ricci

Maggie is a well written book that you can fully immerse yourself into.  As you listen to the story you find yourself connecting with the different character’s as their lives are described to you and as they develop throughout the story.

Love Unexpected by Marina Hanna – Review by Heather Lovelace

Love UnexpectedLove Unexpected by Marina Hanna
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. I’m not sure what I expected when I picked up this book but this book completely transfixed me from the beginning. Moving and emotional and romantic. Plenty of tension and struggle. The author does a beautiful job conveying the emotion between these characters. Really enjoyed it and looking forward to more from this author.

Reviewed by @heatherlovelace
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My Sweet GI AUDIO BOOK by T.L Wainwright – Review by Heather Lovelace

Four stars

I find myself very emotional after listening to this book. In a beautiful way. I connected to the characters instantly and felt emotionally invested. The narrator did a fantastic job conveying the emotional story. Loved everything about this.

My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss Book 1) by Carmen Richter – Review by Tracy Wilkin

My Lips Are Sealed (Sealed With a Kiss #1)My Lips Are Sealed by Carmen Richter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My Lips Are Sealed is book one in the Sealed With a Kiss series by Carmen Richter. This is part of a trilogy and needs to be read in order. My Lips Are Sealed is a new adult romance but can be enjoyed by all ages. I really got into this story and was quite surprised by the style in which the author wrote the story. The characters were intelligent, yet a little naive. Zoe had a lot going on for her young age. Elijah came into her life at a very pivotal time in her life. There was a little of a lot to this story. A little intrigue, a little tension, a little betrayal, a little teen angst, and a lot of discovery and maturing. The author captures the inner feelings of each character. Some I loved, some I detested. But all provoked thoughts and impressions. The story was well thought out and the delivery was well executed. I felt completely enthralled by this story and felt the impact of all that is this amazing tale. 4 stars.

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Our Wicked Lies by Gledé Browne Kabongo – Review by Angela Shirley

Our Wicked LiesOur Wicked Lies by Glede Browne Kabongo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When you think you have the world and one day it all comes crashing down, can you survive?

Alicia is living the dream, beautiful house in the right neighbour, great daughters and a loving husband who dotes on her and whisks her away for exotic holidays. One day her world exploded when she found unsent emails on her husbands computer but who is this mystery woman and what is the relationship between the two of them.

But before she can find the answers the whole situation blows up and Alicia is trying to piece together the mystery and will she be able to get to the bottom and save herself.

I loved this story the twists and turns within the story makes it a compelling read, the characters are well developed and enhance the story and drives the main story through until the very end. The story follows multiple point of views and this just adds to the mystery. It was great how Alicia and her friend unravels the mysteries and this grows until the last word.

This is the first book I have read by this author and would love to read more in the future.

Reviewed by Angela Shirley

Jake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy Daycare: A Children’s Book about New Experiences, Friendship, Stress Relief, and Kindness by Samantha Shannon – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

Jake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy DaycareJake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy Daycare by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a lovely children’s book about Jake the dog who goes to doggy daycare for the first time when his owners go on holiday. He is a bit scared and worried about it so he goes to talk to his best friend. They agree on a plan and then Jaske sets off with his family to doggy daycare, he enjoys the journey there, but gets nervous at the actual place, but he is hoping that everyone will be friendly and that he enjoys himself. Will Jake be able to settle into this new experience or will he want to go home?

The book also goes on to talk about stress and how to relieve it in a way that a child would understand with colourful illustrations and a great flow. This book is one both adults and children alike can enjoy and find useful at the same time.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Bovine Tricks (Royals Gone Rogue Book 1) by Seelie Kay – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

Bovine TricksBovine Tricks by Seelie Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mathilda Honoria Spencer, or Tillie is an Agent with MISix who works for the Queen, she carries out assignments when needed and is on currently on an assignment investigating a farm but so far all she can see are male farmhands and cows, but no sign of the supposed Hucows she is there to look for. As she discusses the situation further via her earpiece, she learns more about what exactly these Hucows are, how they are trained by fetish schools to become more like the animals, how they can be physically enhanced to resemble the animals and be used for pet play, as well as milking, she becomes more and more disgusted with the whole idea, but carries on tryin to investigate further before finally reporting on what she has found. This is when she finds out that she has an invitation to an auction where these Hucows and other Huanimals are going to be sold to the highest bidder in order to raise funds for a charity, thankfully though, she will be accompanied by her partner in more ways than one, Agent Abdul Ali so that she can search for the main focus of ehr assignment, Lady Annabelle, a minor royal before she ends up in the wrong hands.

The day of the auction arrives and Agents Tillie and Abdul are ready, he has done his research and is prepared to ask the difficult questions when they go to inspect the goods, where Tillie is struggling just to hide her true feelings on the situation. As they are invited to sit and prepare for the main event, they are still looking for Lady Annabelle, but as they are also looking for those there under duress, they join in the bidding on some of the others to keep there cover intact until she appears, however, it appears that she has an almost full transformation and it is shocking to both Tillie and Abdul. They manage to win the bid when they stare down another bidder whom they recognise from past assignments, however when the auction is raided and the Huanimals disappear from under their noses, even as their money has been taken, a race against time begins to find Lady Annabelle and rescue her.

As the search continues and the lines begin to blur Tillie and Abdul are struggling to keep duty and feelings separate and the hunt for Lady Annabelle becomes more complicated and there are more dead ends than leads, will they get to her in time before those who want to do her harm carry through? This is a race against time to rescue a royal but things are not all as they seem and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality keep you on your toes and make you think at the same time.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Fake Fiancé (A Second Chance Office Romance) AUDIO BOOK by Amy McKinley – Review by Mrs R

Fake Fiancé: A Second Chance Office RomanceFake Fiancé: A Second Chance Office Romance by Amy McKinley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story was interesting, a little fast paced but definitely romantic.
Adenine has her career path all planned out, and the first step after college is to work for Stone Enterprises. Thanks to her soriety sister, she’s on her way to work as Stone’s personal assistant and away from her clingy ex.
As soon as Adeline arrives in Italy, she feels a connection with the hotel and also a connection to Stone, which she can’t explain.
When Stone needs her to be his fake fiancé for a business deal, she’s more than happy to help out, but on her own terms.
Adeline was a likeable character that seemed to be older than she actually was, she was extremely confident and took charge, not letting anyone walk over her, including Stone.
Stone was a cool headed business guy, but something about the hotel was making him uncomfortable, but he can’t figure out what it is.
The mix of dreams and a past life made this story interesting to read, and also helped explain the instant attraction between these two. The epilogue was also a nice touch.
I listened to this story as an audio book, the narration was easy to listen to and I would happily listen to a book read by Regan Brown again.

Reviewed by @MrsR

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Love Unexpected by Marina Hanna – Review by Carla Clemmons

Love UnexpectedLove Unexpected by Marina Hanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a nice steamy romance read! You can really feel the want and desire between the characters. Jules is strong willed and a great counter part to Adam. I really like reading from both perspectives. This was a great quick romance read and I really enjoyed the characters! I will definitely look into more from Marina Hanna!

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