Simmer

Simmer by Deborah Grace Stanley was a complex, well written story. Emma Vance and Liam Anderson are both strong willed characters who only know how to rely on themselves. Emma was hurt by an ex and lost her parents at a young age, and as a result believes that everyone will eventually leave her. Liam cut off all contact with his dad at a young age and never knew his mom, which is why he had to become so self sufficient. Liam ended up a guest at Emma's family resort because he needed a break to try and refocus. What he didn't expect was to find Emma and fall for her quickly. He does have a secret that complicates things. One thing that made this book so good was the subplots. There were multiple subplots going on, and while they had the potential to stall the story or take away from it, I don't believe it did. I think they successfully enhanced the main plot. I give this story a strong 4 stars and hope that Emma's sister and best friend get their own story.

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Unwrapping her Perfect Match

Unwrapping her Perfect Match by Kat Latham is this first I've read by this author, but it definitely won't be the last. I was hooked in from the first page & was rooting for Gwen & John from page 1. Gwen's insecurities made her feel real and she reacted in a way that I have reacted in the past when people touch on things that hurt from the past. John was misunderstood at times because of his size, but he was a genuinely a good guy who wanted to do right by his daughter and Gwen. John is a rugby player and Gwen is a nurse and part of what helps bond them is Gwen ends up taking care of John after he gets a concussion at one of his rugby games. This story gets 5 stars and I can't wait to read more from both this author and this series.

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A London Legends Christmas Novella
Book 3.5 of the London Legends
’Twas a week before Christmas, and at the auction house…
At six foot one, Gwen Chambers has felt like a giant her whole life. She’s a calm, capable nurse saving lives in a busy London hospital, but healthy men give her heart palpitations. When larger-than-life rugby player “Little” John Sheldon convinces her to bid on him in his team’s fundraising auction, she discovers how pleasurable heart palpitations can be.
A rugby player was stirring, with desire no one could douse…
John has wanted Gwen since he first saw her, but when he’s injured in a match just before Christmas he suddenly needs her too. Not only can the sexy nurse help him recover, but she might be able to help him look after his daughter—a shy ten-year-old who speaks only French.
But will it be a Happy Christmas for all, and for all a good night?
From decorating the Christmas tree to ice skating at the Tower of London, Gwen helps father and daughter open up and bond with each other—and she bonds right along with them. But when John’s agent calls with a life-changing offer, Gwen has to decide how far she’s willing to go for her perfect match. Will their first Noël also be their last?

A Christmas to Remember

A Christmas to Remember is a compilation of holiday stories by five different authors: Jill Shalvis, Kristen Ashley, Hope Ramsay, Molly Cannon, & Marilyn Pappano. What drew me to this book was the fact that it has another Lucky Harbor novella in it, and I absolutely love that series. That particular story sucked me in and I read it quickly. The biggest problem I have with stories like this is the stories are so short that I don't get emotionally invested in them to the point that I do with other stories. The book is about 224 pages, and in addition to 5 short stories, there are also excerpts from full length novels by each author. That many authors crammed into too few pages make for sweet but slightly unbelievable stories. I did enjoy reading them, but this book definitely could have been done better. Overall it gets 3 stars from me because they were sweet Christmas stories.

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Skip to the Good Part

I've been anticipating this book since I first heard about it and in some ways it was what I was expecting and others it wasn't. My hope in reading this was to find new books that I wanted to read by authors I've never tried before. Some scenes were definitely hotter than others, and the ones at the beginning didn't hook me as much as some of the ones a little later on. I think part of the reason why is I'm not a big fan of first person writing and the majority of the stories are in first person. Some of these stories would be good to get you in the mood before spending time with a significant other, which to me is the point of this book. I'll admit, that some of the stories did nothing for me but the ones that did were great. Overall I'd give this book 3 stars. It's not spectacular, but it's also not bad.

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In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night by Katherine Garbera is the story of Rory and Meg. Rory is the new firefighter in town & Meg has come home to try and regroup while she gets ready for her next career move. Both have been burned by past lovers because of their careers and each is wary of the other person's career as well as falling in love. Both Meg and Rory were strong characters who knew how to stick their ground, but neither were good at compromising. This story didn't draw me in to the point where I couldn't put the book down, but that's okay. It's nice to have a light read sometimes and by the end I was rooting for Rory and Meg pretty hard. This is the third book I have read by this author, and I will continue to do so because I enjoy her writing style and think she tells a good story. I'd give this one a solid 3.5 stars and may try giving the book before this one a read.

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A Cowboy's Christmas Promise

A Cowboy's Christmas Promise by Maggie McGinnis wasn't quite what I was expecting. Based on the title and blurb I was expecting a story that took place mostly during the holiday season, but that wasn't the case. I was 54% done with the story and it still was during the summer months. The story was sweet and I enjoyed seeing Hayley and Daniel fall in love, but fight the attraction the entire way. Hayley is strong, but had her sisters taken away never to be seen again, so she is wary of getting attached to anyone. Daniel lost his wife and doesn't even want to consider love again. With some not so subtle pushes from their friends, Daniel and Hayley end up spending time together and falling for each other. I loved how Hayley bonded with Daniel's daughters immediately and that it helped Daniel open up to her. Overall the story was good, but the title and blurb are a bit deceptive. This story gets 3 stars from me and I will probably read this author again.

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His Island Bride

I wasn't sure what to expect with His Island Bride by Maxine Sullivan, but I wasn't expecting to get hooked in and have trouble finding my way back up for air. Starting about chapter 2 I got hooked into Jace & Brooke's story. Jace has to marry to help save his family's resort, and who better for him to marry than the resort's wedding planner & his ex flame than Brooke. At first Brooke agrees to marry Jace, although reluctantly, because she doesn't want to lose her job or let the people of their small island down. She is kinda bitchy to Jace at first, but she was hurt by him when they were together as teens. Brooke also had a secret she was keeping from Jace. When Jace found out Brooke's secret, he was upset but didn't overreact like sometimes happens in books. He understood her reasoning and talked things over with her instead of writing her off. I'd give this story a strong 4.5 stars and I can't wait to read more from Maxine Sullivan.

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Pick Me

Pick Me by Erika Marks was a sweet story. Thea was dumped and went back home while her house was being rid of the termite infestation it had. Her neighbor ended up being her high school crush Calder. Calder rescued Thea on prom night and they both had a wonderful time. Fourteen years later, both of them still were wondering what if and they got their chance to find out. I liked this story because both characters were "real." Thea acted like most women I know do after a break up by wanting her ex to call and let her know that he realized his mistake and wants her back. I enjoyed seeing the slightly crazy side of Thea while she was imagining what she'd do if her ex came back to her. Calder was the sexy bad boy in high school and he went on to be a doctor. This was a well written, quick read. It didn't hook me in to the point where I couldn't put it down, but it was a nice relaxing read. I'd give this story a 3.5 star rating and consider reading the other books in the series.

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