Marriage by Mistake by Alyssa Kress

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Marriage by Mistake by Alyssa Kress

Dean is a workaholic but when he wakes up in Las Vegas and married to a dancer, he wonders what happened.  But he vows that he will not be like his father and convinces Kelly to come home with him and see if they can make the marriage work.  In the meantime, they must deal with Dean’s cousin who lives with him in his mansion as well as Dean’s half brother showing up.

Kelly cannot believe that Dean cannot remember their whirlwind romance together and wonders where the Dean she loves has gone.  She agrees to go to Boston with Dean to try and see what they can salvage of their marriage but does not have much hope.  But when she gets a gleam of the man she married, she wonders if she can get him to come back out.

Like

The determination to make things work

Rent a Husband: A romantic comedy by Sally Mason

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Rent A Husband: a Romantic Comedy by Sally Mason

Darcy was dumped for another model by her ex-husband.   When the yearly Spring Ball, which she and her ex hosted in the past, comes around she is determined to have fun for the evening, but she doesn’t have a date.  Enter her friend who decides to rent a single, hot guy he knows to make Darcy’s evening a success.  But things take a serious turn between Forrest and Darcy when they actually decide to get to know each other better.   Will Darcy end up better off for meeting Forrest or will she want to skin her friend alive for hooking them up?

Likes

Doesn’t stick to the cliché plotline, at least 100%

Some surprises to the story

Dislike

Some parts were predictable

Pirate’s Bride (Liberty’s Ladies) by Lynette Vinet

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Pirate's Bride (Liberty's Ladies) by Lynette Vinet

Bethlyn was young when her mother died.  Her father remarried Jessica who dies several years later.  A condition of her will is that Bethlyn is to marry her son, Ian, to unite the two families and their businesses.   Ian comes to Britain to marry a 14 year old Bethlyn but has no desire to actually be a husband to her.  But Bethlyn cannot stand living with her father and begs Ian to take her with him to America.  He refuses but instead makes arrangements for her to live with his Aunt and to provide for her financially.

Fast forward seven years.  Bethlyn is still living with the Aunt and has not seen her husband since their wedding.  But she wants more in her life – she wants a loving husband and children.  She decides that she will board one of her company’s boats and head to America to confront her husband – either a real marriage or a divorce.

While her husband’s steward strongly encourages her to wait for a later ship, Bethlyn refuses to be put off.   But, the condition is that she must stay in her cabin.  Bethlyn agrees knowing that she will not and she discovers that the boat is being used to transport prostitutes to the colonies.   Before she can figure out what to do about this, their boat is captured by Black Hawk and his men who transfer the women to their own boat and set the crew adrift.

Will Bethlyn end up making it to the colonies to confront her husband?  Will her husband agree to her terms or make her continue her life as it was?

Likes

Complex characters that make you keep wondering what they will do

You think you have gotten to the end and wonder what could happen next and the author comes up with a twist you didn’t expect

Ama's Notes:
I read this one too! Um...it was Ok.  I really can't recall feeling that it was a fantastic read, but it was entertaining!

Wildfire Kiss by Claudy Conn

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.


Wildfire Kiss by Claudy Conn

As a way to help pay off the debts of the household, Lady Babs decides to publish a novel which she figures will only sell enough copies to cover the debts.  But, the novel becomes very popular, possibly due to the fact that it is an inside story of the beau monde.  Even thought it was written under a pseudonym, Lady Babs lives in fear that she will be found out which would create an even larger scandal.

While Lady Babs understands the rules of society, and that women were not allowed the same pleasures as men, she has fallen for a man known as Lord Wildfire who enjoys women but has no desire for marriage.   Meanwhile, Lord Edward has decided that Lady Babs is going to be his and no one else’s and decides to dig into the novel which he feels has some sort of connection to Lady Babs.

Likes:

Watching Lady Babs push the rules to get what she wants

Seeing Lord Wildfire struggle

Dislike:

20% of the kindle book was a preview for another book(s)

a duo of romances

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

The Wager by Metsy Hingle

The Logan’s are a family run hotel business that are still missing one hotel to make the empire complete, “The Princess” which was lost in a wager by Josh’s grandfather.  He wants to buy it back, badly, but Olivia is not willing to sell it back.  When Olivia finds out she has an illegitimate granddaughter, Laura, she focuses on her to join the family and take over the helm of “The Princess” and bring it back to its former glory instead of selling it to Josh.

But Laura knows nothing of this extended family, believing that her father died when she was little.  But when her mother is killed in a car accident, the truth comes out and Laura is stunned and does not know what to believe anymore.   When she finds out about her father, can she overcome her pain and hurt to embrace her new family and how her life could change or will she continue with what she knows?

Likes:

Characters are complex and have their own personalities

The Marriage List: full-length sweet historical romance by Dorothy McFalls 

May has grown up with her Aunt Winnie after her scientist parents left to explore the world.  As her health fails, May has become her caregiver and companion.  But, when May’s Uncle Sires declares May’s parents dead after they have not heard for them for over seven years,  May ends up in financial straits and her and Winnie are almost evicted from their home.

May petitions Radford’s business man who refuses to assist them so May pleads her case to Radford instead to allow her to stay at the cottage and she will find a way to pay the rest.  But what May does not count on is an attraction between her and Radford.  

Meanwhile, Radford has determined it is time for him to marry but does not feel very worthy of those around him due to a war injury.  He creates a list of the characteristics he feels will serve him well in finding a wife and selects Lady Lillian to court and marry.   Due to May’s assistance with Winnie, she offers Radford advice as to how to allow himself to heal, which he is not allowing himself to do as he is being stubborn and taxing his injury.

As Winnie’s health declines and May finds herself facing an arranged marriage to solve all her problems, will she find happiness and peace?  Or will she be forever tortured with thoughts of one she cannot have.

Dislikes:

I felt like some explanations were not complete or were only referenced briefly and you did not get the full impact

Note:  It took me a while to get through this book due to timing so I may not have quite done it justice with the review.

Ama's Note:  I've read this one as well.  I can't really recall much of it, even though it was just a couple of months ago.  

Sharon's Summer Reads - volume 5

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

The Pink Rose: Secrets, Love and Betrayal by Alicia Roberts

Max is the owner of his company; Amy is one of the accounting staff.   Both of them like each other but they do not know that.  When Max needs an escort to a function he asks Amy if she would go with him and gives her the day off to prepare.   But when they leave the event, they do not want the evening to end and they make an agreement about their future together.

Will this agreement work for them or will it not be enough?

Likes

A cute story and concept

Characters are believable

Note:  Book is rated 18+ 

Hotter than Hot by Tina Leonard

Elijah comes roaring into town on his motorcycle to rent a room in Monet’s house.  There is an attraction between the two of them right from the start but Elijah does his best to ignore it because he is there on an assignment, to protect Monet and her sister.

Likes

Short story

Dislikes

Didn’t seem very realistic
Ending didn’t seem possible 

Kiss Me by Kristine Mason

Jenna has had a crush on Luke since she first met him and decides that she would like him to be her boytoy which she confesses to her friend.  But what she doesn’t know is that Luke is listening from the other side of the door.    Later that night, when Jenna is supposed to meet her friend for dinner Luke is the one who shows up and admits that he set this up, knowing that Jenna wouldn’t have agreed to meet him.

But Jenna is surprised when Luke tells her that he wants to date her and take things slowly.  He suggests that their relationship does not go beyond kissing which ends up frustrating them both.

Will this arrangement end up working or will it crash and burn?

Likes

The opposite of the typical story, where the guy is the one trying to get the girl to do what he wants. 

Accidentally Yours by Bettye Griffin 

Vivian is on a search to find Mr Right.  As a result, she joins a group of singles and meets someone to go on a date with. But things don’t go so well and they end up at the emergency room.  There she runs into a handsome doctor.  She figures she will never see him again but then she goes on a date with a second man and ends up at the hospital again.  Zack is the doctor working again and he accuses her of being a jinx and a danger to men.

But then, when Vivian goes on a ski trip and discovers Zack is a member of the club, things seem to go their way and they spend the day together.  Cue the jinx, as Zack ends up hurting himself and he ends up living with Vivian for a week as he needs someone to look after him and he has no one else.

Will this week end up sparking something or will they decide that they are no longer attracted to each other?

Likes

A story that many women can identify with, maybe not the injuries, but looking for Mr Right

Dislikes

Many mentions of the characters being African-American which I found detracted from the story

Sharon's Summer Reads - volume 4

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.  

Iced Romance by Whitney Boyd

Todd and Kennedy met before Todd became a huge hockey star.  But now, it has hit the press that he has had several affairs in the last year even though Kennedy and him are engaged.  Kennedy decides she cannot live with this any longer and she sells her ring, clears the joint bank accounts, and packs up and leaves.  She heads to Florida where she starts a new life as a no one but Todd has decided that he needs to find her.  Meanwhile, she meets David and starts a relationship with him but he can tell that there is something that Kennedy is not sharing with him.

Likes

That Kennedy is willing to leave her life, even though she has everything she could want.

Dislikes

Todd (but you’re supposed to dislike him) 

No Exchanges, No Returns (Book Four of The Return to Redemption Series) by Laurie Kellogg

Brianna and David had a whirlwind courtship and marriage but Brianna did not tell David about her inability to have children until after he had proposed.  The two of them contemplate adoption and in having a surrogate.  They decide that they would like to ask Casey, Brianna’s twin sister, but Brianna wants to use Casey’s eggs as well.  After some thought, Casey agrees to it and they move forward with the plans.

A few months later, Casey is a few months pregnant and Brianna packs up and leaves David and files for divorce.   Casey has to look for a new place to live as she is living illegal in someone’s porch so David invites her to come live with him until the baby is born.  But as Casey goes further into her pregnancy, David cannot help being attracted to her using the excuse that he wants to be close to their baby.

Likes

While the plot is rather predictable, it is still a fun read

Dislikes

Casey is shown in a somewhat negative light, due to the fact that she always wants to please people

Note:  This is book 4 in a series but is easily independent.

What Stays in Vegasby Beth Labonte 

Tessa is an administrative assistant who is bored with her job but isn’t sure how to move on to something else.  When she rescues Kendra, the owners daughter, in the bathroom at the company Christmas party, that all changes.  Kendra’s assistant goes on maternity leave and requests Tessa as her replacement.  For Tessa, this means moving to Las Vegas for three months.

Tessa and Kendra become great friends and Tessa starts to dread having to return home after the three months.  But she dreads staying as an administrative assistant and talks to Kendra about her dreams.  Not to mention, her and Chris, one of the other employees, start a relationship.

What is Tessa to do when her time is up?

Likes

Fun concept

Enjoyable read, lots of stuff going on

Dislikes

Some parts definitely do not seem believable

Sharon's Summer Reads - volume 3

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Marital Bitch (Men with Badges) by JC Emery

Colleen and Brad have been friends forever but due to the “Heather” incident, they haven’t spent much time together in the last seeral years.  But when their group of six heads off to Vegas to celebrate Colleen’s 35th birthday, the two are thrown together on the plane and just hanging out as everyone else is in couples.

Colleen tells Brad about how she is happy with her life except that she thought that she would be married by now.  Brad suggests that the two of them get married and they can get it annulled the next day.  But, when they go to get this done, they are told that marriage is serious and that they should not have entered into it so lightly and they will have to find a way for to make it work.

Likes

The story is told by both of the characters in alternating chapters.  Some elements repeat so that you can see both of their sides

Dislikes

Needed a bit of editing

Game, Set, Match (A Humorous Contemporary Romance) (Love Match) by Nana Malone

Izzy is doing fine with her career as a freelance photographer.  But then, Sports Illustrated approaches her to take photos of Jason which shatters her confidence and she tries to decline.  Her manager will not let her due to the funds that she will earn but he does know of her history with Jason.

At the same time, the birth mother of her son Nick decides to show up again.  She wanders in an out of Nick and Izzy’s life whenever she feels like it.  Neither of them wants to see her but Izzy feels that she has to let the Sabrina into Nick’s life so the two can have a relationship.  But she constantly worries that Sabrina will want her son back as Izzy is not able to legally adopt him.

When Jason shows up for the photo shoot and Izzy starts to feel for him like she used to, and the stress of Sabrina being there, Izzy’s life starts going into a tailspin.   Will she be able to make it through the photo shoot and the aftermath with Jason without losing everything that she holds so dear?

Likes

Complicated but real characters

His Island Bride (The Bride Series) by Shadonna Richards

Jessica is still single much to her mother’s disappointment.  But in searching her roots, her mother discovers that they have a tie to the elite classes in Britain.  With this information, her mother has found her a potential mate and is trying to convince Jessica to meet this gentleman.  As much as Jessica does not want to, she agrees to meet him but after she comes back from her two week holiday in Jamaica.

When she arrives in Jamaica, Jessica can hardly wait to relax and enjoy her last two weeks of singledom.  But, it turns out there is an error at the resort and she is stuck sharing her room with a stranger, James.   They offer to move her to another property but she is not comfortable with that so decides that she can put up with James.

Will her two weeks be as relaxing as she hopes or will she be anxious to get home and see where her life will take her?

Likes

Easy read, took around an hour to get through.

Dislikes

Story needed a fair bit of editing.  Words missed in sentences which made it difficult to read

Sharon's Summer Reads - volume 2

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon. 

Mine 'Til Monday by Ruby Laska

Dorothy is trying for a promotion.  But she needs a fiancé in order to get the job as the owner is a family person and wants a happy couple at the helm.  So she called up childhood friend Mud and asks him to help her out.  He agrees, after all, it’s only for a week.  

But when he shows up, Dorothy has her doubts that this is going to work.  He is rougher around the edges than she remembers but he will do.  But can Dorothy keep her old emotions in regards to him under wraps and get through the weekend with her potential boss?

Likes:

Good character insights 

Truth or Date (Better Date than Never) by Susan Hatler

Gina is a bridesmaid for her friend Ellen.  The wedding is coming up in a few weeks and there is still a lot to do to get ready including finding a date for the happy day.  While out trying on dresses with the other bridesmaids, the topic comes up and one of the other girls offers to set her up.  It also comes out that Gina is still living with George, who she broke up with four months ago after being together 10 years without a ring.  One of the girls offers her the spare room at her place, and Gina starts moving out that day.  

At the same time, she is left to organize the going away party for a co-worker, Chris, who is leaving to move to another company.  Between juggling her wedding duties, a blind date and having to help Chris out of a jam, can life get any more complicated for Gina?

Likes

Getting into Gina’s head and why she makes the decisions she does 

Temporary Fiancée by Judy Rogers

Haley is hired as an assistant by Andrew.  He broke his leg and was not able to go into the office to work.  As his normal assistant has gone on maternity leave, he called the temp agency to send someone and that someone is Haley. But her first impression is not great as she trips on her heel getting out of her taxi and he tries to send her home.   But Haley stands her ground and lets Andrew know that he needs her help and that he doesn’t have time to get another temp, especially as it turns out he needs someone to act as his fiancée, starting that evening.

Will Haley be convincing enough to fool Andrew’s prior fiancée who knows his type and what he likes?  Or will this all fall apart and the business deal go with it?

Likes

Ashley is spunky and is not afraid to stand up to this man

Andrew is a family man which comes through when you find out how he broke his leg

Dislikes

I wanted the book to keep going!

Sharon's Summer Reads - volume 1

While I've spent most of my summer reading lots of picture books, with a bunch of novels for various age ranges mixed in,  Sharon has also been busy reading.  Granted, most people don't read as much as I do.  She does a decent job, though.  She recently sent me several reviews of adult fiction. Since there are quite a few, I'm splitting the posts over several days.  Enjoy!

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Catering to the Italian Playboy by Tamelia Tumlin

Sophie is trying to get her catering business off the ground.  Unfortunately, that also means jumping out of a cake in a g-string after the person she had booked cancelled.  But instead of the cake being placed at a birthday party, she ends up interrupting a business meeting behind held by none other than Max.  She hopes that she does not remember their one night of passion six years ago but he does.   And he wants more.  But, will the secret that Sophie has end up being too much for him?

Like

Cute characters

Story seemed fairly realistic

Dislike

I would have liked a quick epilogue to know how the story ended  (the future)

Fringe Benefits by Christine Pope

Katherine moved to LA and has not been able to find a job.  When she sees an ad promising to pay $2,000 a month she wonders what is truly is all about but figures it won’t hurt to apply.  She is quickly contacted for an interview and is hired.

Within a day or two, she learns that many of the prior assistants left within a few weeks due to inappropriate advances by the boss.  But Katherine finds that she is attracted to him.  Of course, he does not seem to be attracted to her.   But working for Pieter definitely has its perks as he gives her a company car (a Mercedes) and pays her on a weekly basis.  

Like

This book is not what you would expect – the boss seducing the employee.  It is much more developed than that.

Dislikes

Pieters character is written as very wooden.  It makes sense as you learn about his character but I wonder if a real person wouldn’t be a bit warmer.

Thirty-Two Going On Spinster: A Novel by Becky Monson

Julia has been working in the accounting department of a software company for ten years.  The only thing that makes it bearable is that she can gossip with her friend, Brown, whenever she wants during the day.  But then, new hire Jared starts.  Nevermind that he took the job she wanted, the eye candy makes up for it.  And when Jared makes friends with her and Brown, Julia is even happier.

Julia starts to change as she wants to impress Jared.  She starts to wear a bit of makeup (mainly due to an unfortunately waxing injury) and decides that it is time to move out of her parents basement (due to her sister mostly).  

Will Julia stay a spinster the rest of her life working in a job that she doesn’t like?  

Likes:

Even thought I found parts predicable, I liked how they happened and how the characters acted

Dislikes:

Predicable – I figured out what was going to happen probably halfway through.  Maybe the author didn’t care though.

The storyline seemed to happen a bit too fast

A trio of book reviews from Sharon

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon. 

Jackpot! by Jackie Pilossoph 

Jamie and Danny are happy with their lives, they are both single, no commitments, they can do as they please. But that changes when their mom, Frankie, wins the lottery. When asked at a news conference how she plans to spend the money, she mentions the usual of travelling and re-decorating but also mentions she plans to spend it on her grandkids. The problem being, there are none.

 Frankie calls Jamie and Danny to come over shortly after her win with a legal document. She has decided that each of her children has one year to produce a child and they will then receive a large chunk of the winnings. But neither has anyone in their life that they would be willing to ask to do such a thing for them and their focus in life starts to change to focus on having a baby.

 Likes: 
  A different concept Interesting twists to the plot  

Dislikes: 
 No one that Danny or Jamie encounter seem to know about what Frankie planned to do with the money, despite the fact that Jamie works at one of the news stations that covered the press conference. 

 Waking up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly 

 Megan was off to Vegas for her cousin’s wedding. Unfortunately, she has to spend the evening before with the other bridesmaids who encouraged her to party and have fun. To get them off her back, she agrees to go up to the good looking guy she sees and ask him out. When she approaches him, she tells him she is just doing it to get the other girls to leave her alone but he takes her seriously and they end up spending the evening together. 

But when morning comes, Megan wakes up in bed with Conner and something heavy on her left hand, a wedding band! She has no recollection of the night before and when she asks Conner for a divorce, he refuses.  


Likes: 
Cute concept
 I like how Megan and Conner deal with this marriage and the details involved 


Chasing Paris by Jen Carter 

 Lizzie is dying and has written letters to her family members. But, she requests for them not to be mailed to her granddaughters at the last minute and her wish is denied. Amy is the recipient of one of these letters which starts her off on a chase to find out more about this mysterious grandmother that she never knew.

 Likes: 
A fun mystery to follow 
Love story that doesn’t go where you expect

For Mercy's Sake and In From the Cold

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon. 

For Mercy’s Sake by Carol A Spradling
 
Seth, Daniel and Anna have been friends all their lives.  But when Daniel goes to sea, Seth decides to pursue Anna and marry her.  When Daniel comes back he is sad that he has lost her as he had made his intent known to Seth before leaving.  Even then, Seth and Daniel are partners in business so the three of them still spend a lot of time together.
 
But then, there is a fire at the warehouse that kills Seth.  As Anna thinks she is pregnant, Daniel quickly offers to marry her to give the child a name.  But unlike a typical marriage of this type, both parties love each other but need to learn how to deal as man and wife. 
 
Stories start to come out about Seth being murdered but there are conflicting stories that he is still alive in an asylum.  Is Anna married to someone other than Daniel?  Will they be able to sort out the truth?
 
Dislikes
Slow moving
I found the storyline confusing when it came to the truth of what happened


In From the Cold by Nora Roberts
 
Alanna is in her home when she hears someone sneaking into their horse barn.  She is afraid it may be a rustler there to steal their horses so she heads out with a gun to check it out.  It turns out to be a badly injured man.  She takes him in the home to care for him while he heals.  But in the meantime her and Ian start to have feelings for each other.  Ian knows that Alanna will never leave her dad and brothers and Alanna knows that Ian will never stop fighting for the cause he believes in.  Are they destined to not be together or will they find a way to make it work? 

Likes
Characters face real struggles