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Faking the Fall (Buckeye Falls Book 4) by Libby Kay – Review by Sharon Funkhouser

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Faking the Fall (Buckeye Falls #4)Faking the Fall by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading Falling Again, I was pretty confident the wayward sister, Alice Snyder, would be the focus of the next Buckeye Falls novel, and I was not disappointed. In Falling Again, I was more than annoyed by Alice, her presumptuous attitude and how she treated her sister in law, Natalie. She became more bearable by the end of the book, and I found myself intrigued by what her story would be.
In each of Ms. Kay’s books, she writes from the perspective of each protagonist (the man and the woman) so we didn’t really get a fair shake of what Alice was like, only the perspectives of her older brother and his wife. Reading about what Alice had accomplished in her 30 or so years, the education she had gained and the skills she developed, I found myself rather impressed. Then, I found myself disappointed she was attached to the Snyder family who doesn’t find much value in who Alice is as a person (Natalie aside).
James Gibson enters the picture and through hilarious non-dating faux paus, James agrees to fake date Natalie, all the while wishing he was really dating Natalie.
Ms. Kay continues with a style that promotes a love of cozy romance, and I highly recommend this next installment of the Buckeye Falls series!

Faking the Fall, Buckeye Falls Series, Libby Kay, Review, Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, Contemporary Romance, Romance
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Falling Again (Buckeye Falls Book 3) by Libby Kay – Review by Sharon Funkhouser

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Falling Again (Buckeye Falls #3)Falling Again by Libby Kay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve read the books back to back, and this is my favorite so far! This surprised me a little bit; we are introduced to the main characters (Mayor Anthony Snyder and his beautiful wife, Natalie), and they didn’t wow me. In fact, Mayor Snyder is a bit of a punk in the first book, and one is left wondering what the heck Natalie is doing married to him. But, with this book from their joint perspectives, the jerkiness that Mayor Snyder initially presents himself with wears away and as a parent myself, I found myself relating more and more to the balance Anthony and Natalie are trying to find. Having busy professional lives and two young children is NOT easy, and when you’re the mayor of a town, I imagine that pressure is even higher. Add in an overbearing father and somewhat obnoxious, assuming younger sister, it’s a recipe for disaster.
I loved how Natalie and Anthony navigated their relationship, and especially loved the ancillary character support throughout the story (bringing back in Ginny/Max and Cece/Evan). Great friendships and the cozy romance trope is perfect!

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Falling For You (Buckeye Falls Book 2) by Libby Kay – Review by Sharon Funkhouser

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Falling for You (Buckeye Falls, #2)Falling for You by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finished the Buckeye Falls Book #1 (Falling Home) and immediately had to pick up Falling For You. After just minimally getting to know Cece and Evan in Book 1, I was thrilled that Libby Kay decided to pursue their storyline next. This book felt like a cross between another Hallmark Movie and a movie about a Cooking Show Competition.
I think so many people will be able to relate to both Cece and Evan’s backgrounds- Evan is a younger man (barely) and the stigma around that bothers Cece. Cece also has a dating background she’s desperate to avoid talking about, but is one that many women unfortunately experience as well. Evan has a degree and potential job opportunities, but doesn’t want to pursue the corporate lifestyle his domineering father demands of him, and treats him poorly because of.
Ms. Kay does a fantastic job of making the characters feel like family, and has you rooting for their love story and to stand up to horrible people in their lives!

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Faking the Fall (Buckeye Falls Book 1) by Libby Kay – Review by Sharon Funkhouser

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Falling Home (Buckeye Falls #1)Falling Home by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading Falling Home, I desperately want a trip to a cozy Midwest town where everyone feels like family. I found myself falling in love with Buckeye Falls, Ginny (one of the protagonist)’s father and his companion, Mona, and of course, Ginny’s ex-husband but still love of her life, Max.
Ms. Kay jumped back and forth from Ginny and Max’s perspectives, and sometimes you found yourself wanting to shake either one of them (like you do with friends in real life when you know they can’t get out of their own way!) but ultimately it felt like reading a Hallmark movie, and I’m sold. Super cute cozy romance, and perfect for the upcoming holiday season!

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Wild Lavender (Heart & Hand Series Book 1) by Nicole E. Kelleher – Review by Sharon Funkhouser

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Wild Lavender (Heart & Hand, #1)Wild Lavender by Nicole E. Kelleher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am sometimes wary of a book that promises Medieval Historical Fiction with “strong female characters” because that narrative does not always come through as a believable story line. Wild Lavender absolutely delivers on strong female characters in a male driven time period, with Anna at the heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic twists and turns of Anna’s marriage to a sadistic traitor, her background both as a horse master as well as a member of a long-line of female warriors and as the Lady of the land that loves her people, despite her evil husband.
Ms. Kelleher did an amazing job of setting groundwork for future novels not only with this character but many others and I cant’ wait to read the next one.

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