New Release Review: Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell

 

Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anytime a new Rainbow Rowell book comes out, that book will automatically be at the top of my TBR list. Rowell just has a special way of telling a story that always feels like a masterclass at storytelling. Cherry Baby was a bit different from her other works, but still amazing. It's more than a romance, more than a soul-searching journey for her main character Cherry.... just MORE overall. I do think it's beneficial to go in blind to this one - that's what I did myself (because I really don't need to know anything more than the fact that Rowell wrote it to know I'll enjoy it) and as the story shifted from what I thought was going to happen for Cherry to something different from what I expected, I was pleasantly surprised. The narration from Rebecca Lowman, as always, was spectacular.

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New Release Review: Taylor's Father by Penelope Ward

 

Title: Taylor's Father

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Age Gap (17 Years), Best Guy Friend's Father

Single Dad, Forbidden, Second Chance

Protective Hero, Sassy Heroine

Release Date: February 22, 2026

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

When my best friend Taylor gifted me a vacation at a resort owned by his grandparents, the last thing I expected was to bond with a man seventeen years older.

Tate was also vacationing alone.

He’d come to Midnight Key to clear his head and reevaluate his life.

I’d come to get over my high school sweetheart who’d dumped me.

I’d spotted the brawny, tattooed Adonis in the lobby on the first day and thought he had to be someone’s hot dad.

But then we matched on an app that paired single men and women by proximity.

The problem was? At nineteen—almost twenty—I’d lied and said I was twenty-nine.

Tate outed me on our first date, and I fessed up to my real age.

But we continued to run into each other.

And eventually we found our connection was too magnetic to deny.

While we agreed to only use first names and to part ways at the end of the trip, I’d really fallen for Tate.

I never forgot him and knew he was the one who got away.

Remember that guy friend who gifted me the trip?

Well, four years later, Taylor got married.

He’d been estranged from his dad for years, though recently they’d reconnected.

What I didn’t know was that the man I’d had that torrid affair with at the resort would be standing next to Taylor in the receiving line.

My dream man Tate? Was Taylor’s father.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

$3.99 for a limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 

AUDIO

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

 

A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

17-YEAR AGE GAP

BEST GUY FRIEND'S FATHER

SINGLE DAD

FORBIDDEN

SECOND CHANCE

PROTECTIVE HERO

SASSY HEROINE

My review: 5 stars!

Author Penelope Ward is one of my favorites, and I absolutely loved Taylor's Father. Age gap is not a trope I seek out, but this was so well done and such a great story that I am glad I didn't miss this one. It was messy, complicated, and such a fantastic tale. I listened to the audiobook, done in duet by Andi Arndt and Jason Clarke and I enjoyed their performances so much.

AUTHOR BIO

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK
FACEBOOK GROUP
INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK
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OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

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New Release Review: Alone With You by Aly Martinez

Alone With You

By Aly Martinez

Release Date: August 22, 2024

https://amzn.to/46Zm4lx

Blurb:

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of From the Embers comes a new jaw-dropping standalone romance.

Pain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?

Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.

People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.

For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine. Once a week, I forced myself to walk to the diner at the end of the block—a ritual I despised but relied on as my last anchor to the real world.

Until the day a “Closed” sign on the door shattered my fragile existence. Worse, the new owner was the most haunting ghost from my past.

It had been years since I’d laid eyes on Gwendolyn Pierce. She hated me—and rightly so. But when a film crew arrived in town to dig into my past, she became my only ally.

With my secrets threatened, I leaned on Gwen, forging a connection neither of us could deny.

But with a past as dark as ours, I feared it would eclipse any hope for a future.

I always said that when Death finally came for me, I would be ready, eager, and alone.

Always alone.

But for Gwen, maybe I could face the world again as long as it meant I could be alone—with her.


My review: 5 stars!

I always say author Aly Martinez is the master of catastrophic romance, and Alone With You might just be my new favorite of hers! She does twists like nobody else and they always slay me. Gwen and Truett's story was so real, and so raw, and so well done. Although the subject matter is dark and heavy the journey brings them to such a happy ending.

Meet Aly Martinez:

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in

South Carolina with her four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, charcuterie boards, and her

mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice

cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her

hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly Martinez:

https://linktr.ee/AuthorAlyMartinez

Audiobook Review: This Much is True by Adriana Locke

 

This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh this was perfection! Sweet and sexy small town second chance romance checks all my boxes and was just what I needed for a plane ride- I devoured it in one sitting. I also listened to the audiobook and it was fantastic! Narrators Shiloh James and Lance Greenfield gave great performances as Laina and Luke- I enjoyed it so much! I listened at 1.3X which is perfectly conversational for me.

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New Release Review: I Wish I Knew Then by Jessica Peterson

I Wish I Knew Then by Jessica Peterson is now live!

My grandmother has a saying: what’s done in the dark always comes to light, especially in small towns with big secrets. And I was hiding the biggest secret of them all.

Every summer I spent growing up at my grandparents’ coastal estate was the same. Same cousins. Same chaos. Same long golf cart rides along the beach.

But everything changed the summer I turned eighteen, when my grandparents’ new housekeeper moved in with her son, Riley. With his big personality and head-turning looks, he was the local heartthrob.

We fell in love instantly. Riley was my first everything. First love. First time.

And my first heartbreak when he dumped me at the end of the summer.

Ten years later, I’m back on the island for my best friend’s wedding as her maid of honor. Who’s the first person I literally stumble into?

Riley Dixon. Even worse? He’s the groom’s best man, and a self-made billionaire to boot.

Being forced to spend an entire week together for wedding festivities quickly leads to more: hot hate sex, late nights of sneaking out, and unexpected revelations. The boy I knew a decade ago is gone, and the hate becomes…something else entirely. And I begin to wonder if Riley is hiding some secrets of his own.

I WISH I KNEW THEN is a small town, standalone romance. It is the first book in the Harbour Village Series. 

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/44wBY4r

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/IWishIKnewThen

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3JMOqoP

Meet Jessica

Jessica Peterson writes romance with heat, humor, and heart. Heroes with hot accents are her specialty. When she’s not writing, she can be found bellying up to a bar in the south’s best restaurants with her husband Ben, reading books with her adorable daughter Gracie, or snuggling up with her 70-pound lap dog, Martha.

A Carolina girl at heart, she fantasizes about splitting her time between Charleston and Asheville, but currently lives in Charlotte, NC.

Connect with Jessica

Website: https://www.jessicapeterson.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/JessicaPetersonGR

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KoS0sb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicapetersonauthor/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetersonsPupils/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicapauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaPAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-peterson

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/JessicaPeterson

I Wish I Knew Then 

by Jessica Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yay for a new series from Jessica Peterson! From the get-go I loved Riley and Lu together and their small-town second chance romance was FANTASTIC! Riley is pretty darn dreamy and I adored Lu's spunkiness and they were just so darn good together. The steam, the swoon, it was just perfection. All of the secondary characters were great, especially Lu's Aunt Lady who was a hoot and I so hope that Riley's friends will get their stories told in future books in the series.

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New Release Review: Hopelessly Bromantic by Lauren Blakely

 

Hopelessly Bromantic by Lauren Blakely
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nobody does quirky witty banter quite like Lauren Blakely, and I loved the connection between TJ and Jude. Their meet-cute was perfect and I enjoyed them getting to know each other and seeing their attraction and relationship grow. Looking forward to the second book of the duet to read the ending to their story.

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New Release Review: The Mrs. Degree by Sara Ney

 

The Mrs. Degree by Sara Ney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars
Secret baby books are not usually my jam because drama stresses me out.... but The Mrs. Degree was refreshingly low-drama! Our hero Jack was patient and kind with heroine Penelope even after the big secret reveal. I LOVED Jack and Harper getting to know each other- she was such a hoot! I enjoyed the story so much and was so excited once I realized the happy flow was going to continue and there wasn't going to be any dramatic misunderstanding or anything else threatening their chance at a happy family. This was just such an enjoyable read.

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New Release Review: A Wild Card Kiss by Lauren Blakley

 

A Wild Card Kiss

By Lauren Blakely

Release Date: February 25, 2022

Audiobook Release Date: February 22, 2022

A sexy standalone romance between a single dad athlete and the woman who got away!

Things that suck on my wedding day -- walking in on my groom kissing another woman twenty minutes before the ceremony.

Things that suck worse? The woman he’s kissing is my mom.

I head straight for the bowling alley bar down the street and ask for a double. And in walks a deliciously charming local football hero -- Harlan Taylor.

Yes, I’ll take another drink in the form of a one-night stand with this hunk of a man. In the morning, he asks if I want to get together again. More rebound nookie? Yes please!

But then I learn his football team just hired my yoga studio to teach downward facing dog to their star player, making my O-delivering hottie officially off limits.

Trouble is, the more time I spend working with the sexy single dad who dotes on his daughter, the more I’m feeling all the things far too soon.

There’s no way this can end well, but tell that to my runaway heart…

A Wild Card Kiss is a sexy, flirty sports romance featuring a charming, pie-baking, single dad who's never forgotten the red-hot kiss he planted on the feisty, sassy blonde one night years ago and a jilted bride heroine determined to move on from heartbreak. This story contains sexy times that can cure getting-left-at-the-altar blues, and heart-tugging swoony romance that’ll melt the most jaded hearts.

My review: 5 stars!

Katie and Harlan were so great together. Harlan was quite swoon-worthy- he's a single dad professional athlete who's just an all-around fantastic guy. Sassy and driven yoga instructor Katie was such a great match for him. I love that author Blakely has created a world with such charming characters and her books always have scorching chemistry and fantastic dialog. I purchased the audiobook and enjoyed performances by Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber- they are two of my favorite narrators and always do such a great job. As with most Blakely audiobooks, some fun extras are included at the end.

New Release Review: The Reunion by Meghan Quinn

 

THE REUNION by Meghan Quinn

Release Date: February 22, 2022

Genre/Tropes: Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance

Montlake Publishing

GRAB THIS ALL- NEW HILARIOUS, SEXY ROMANTIC COMEDY TODAY!!

AVAILABLE NOW!!

FREE in Kindle Unlimited!!

Universal: mybook.to/THEREUNION

Add to Goodreads:

https://bit.ly/3GZ88tX

Blurb:

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Game comes a new romantic comedy about the antics that ensue when three siblings come together for their parents’ fiftieth-anniversary party.

Martin and Peggy Chance believe love should last a lifetime. With their fiftieth wedding anniversary on the horizon, they’ve modeled a beautiful relationship for their three grown children. But to their dismay, that lesson hasn’t quite caught on—the three siblings just can’t seem to take a chance and find love in their own lives.

There’s Ford, the eldest, devoted to his work and resistant to romance…or so he claims. Cooper, the middle child, can’t get past his divorce—until he reconnects with a feisty baker from his past. And Palmer, the baby of the family, is the free-spirited world traveler who always pictured herself with someone other than a handsome small-town family doctor.

When the Chance siblings come together to plan the ultimate anniversary party for their parents, they’ll have to navigate romantic entanglements, sibling rivalries, and the definitive end of their childhood. Whatever happens, The Reunion promises to be a fun, flirty, wild ride.

Excerpt:

TO: Family and Friends

FROM: Cooper Chance

SUBJECT: 50th Wedding Anniversary

You’re invited to celebrate the 50th wedding Anniversary of Peggy and Martin.

· Food and drinks.

· Music.

· Fun.

Party is at the original Watchful Wanderers store.

Sunday, June 2nd.

RSVP to Cooper Chance—just reply to this email

No presents.

***

TO: Cooper Chance, Ford Chance

FROM: Palmer Chance

SUBJECT: Re: 50th Wedding Anniversary

Bro,

Please do not tell me you just sent a wedding anniversary invite through an email? Did that just happen?

Palmer—your not-so-happy sister

***

TO: Palmer Chance, Ford Chance

FROM: Cooper Chance

SUBJECT: I Did

***

TO: Cooper Chance, Ford Chance

FROM: Palmer Chance

SUBJECT: Re: I Did

You know I hate it when you respond in the subject line. It’s more work to delete the subject line and type in your response, than to just reply in the body of the email.

But ignoring that, what happened to the beautiful linen invites I picked out? You can’t just send an email for Mom and Dad’s 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. We look so . . . uncultured.

***

TO: Palmer Chance, Ford Chance

FROM: Cooper Chance

SUBJECT: Re: I Did

The invites you wanted to purchase were going to be twelve dollars a pop. TWELVE dollars, Palmer. That’s a waste of money, a waste of resources, and just a useless way to kill more trees. Also, while you’re out galivanting around the world, who do you think was going to have to address all of those?

Me.

So, I did what was easiest. Sent an email. If you don’t like it, too bad.

***

TO: Cooper Chance, Ford Chance

FROM: Palmer Chance

SUBJECT: Re: I Did

You realize the family owns a multi-billion dollar, franchised, outdoors store, right? Twelve dollars an invite is a blip in the pool of gold Mom and Dad are sitting in. Now we look like cheap asses who send out a wedding anniversary invitation through email. You’re an editor, but you didn’t even beef up the text. You made bullet points.
Food.

Drinks.

Music.

Fun.

^^^ Yup, screams fun, Coop.

***

TO: Palmer Chance, Ford Chance

FROM: Cooper Chance

SUBJECT: Re: I Did

Once again, if you’re not here, you can’t have an opinion.

***

TO: Cooper Chance, Palmer Chance

FROM: Ford Chance

SUBJECT: Re: I did

Just catching up.

The invitation is less than ideal, especially for such a large and monumental event in our parents’ lives, parents who have given us every opportunity to succeed in life. I think we need to treat this anniversary with a little more appreciation and a little less complaining about the time and effort we have to put forth in order to make it happen.

I just spoke with Larkin and she is ordering the linen invites, having them shipped overnight, and we will have them sent out ASAP. We will treat the email as a funny save the date. I will reply all and tell everyone to expect a formal invitation in the mail.

Larkin and I will be flying out to Washington on Tuesday. We will be working up until the anniversary party on some very time-consuming tasks. Please be conscious of our time and energy.

I’ll be sure to have Larkin schedule in some meetings to go over all party arrangements as well as time with the family, but we won’t be staying with Mom and Dad. We booked two rooms at the Marina Island Bed and Breakfast, one being the attic suite so we can conduct business in private.

Please send your itineraries to Larkin and any requests so she can schedule them in.

Thank you.

Ford

My review: 4.5 stars!

Six POVs! It's like three romance novels rolled into one and so fun. Each Chance sibling has their own story- there's boss/employee, childhood crush, and second chance. Add in some family drama as the siblings try to plan an anniversary party for their parents, and hilarity ensues. Author Quinn is masterful at mixing serious moments in with her trademark humor, so The Reunion was a treat. I knew when I read the prequel (That One Night) that The Reunion would be fantastic, and it certainly was.

About the Author:

USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Connect with Meghan:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormeghanquinn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMegQuinn

Website: http://authormeghanquinn.com

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/meghan-quinn

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LitE4x

New Release Review: Southern Playboy

 

Southern Playboy by Jessica Peterson is now live!

Hiring the woman who wrecked me to nanny the kid I just found out I have is a dumb idea. Getting naked with her in the back of my truck is even dumber.

But old habits die hard.

Amelia Fox was my high school sweetheart, the girl who broke my heart and nearly ended my football career a decade ago. It was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other, much less make a comeback.

But I did come back. And I'm not about to let go of everything I fought for just because my world is imploding again.

When I find out I'm the father of a two-year-old boy, I'm ready to start my final season in the pros. It's my last chance to nab the championship I promised my dad I'd win before he died.

Enter Amelia: teacher, toddler whisperer, and--oh yeah--my ex-girlfriend. We haven't spoken in ten years, but I'm desperate, and she's looking for a job.

I need to focus, which means I need help with this kid. Which means I need her.

The arrangement works until one night of bad decisions and great sex threatens to ruin everything.

Can we make it work this time around?

Or is she just another bad habit I need to break before she breaks me?

SOUTHERN PLAYBOY is a full-length, standalone novel.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ypjCSe

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/SouthernPlayboyNC

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Blf9mx

My review: 5 stars!

Jessica Peterson's North Carolina Highlands series has been such a delight thus far, and I'm happy to say Southern Playboy fell in that camp as well. There are so many great tropes represented- single dad, nanny/boss, second chance and slow burn are all favorites of mine and so enjoyable here. The secret baby trope is not typically a favorite of mine, but the way the author handled the situation was new and refreshing and pretty darn fantastic. Toddler Liam absolutely stole the show for me, although I loved reading about Amelia and Rhett's second chance at love. Life is messy and never perfect, and compromise is necessary in relationships- seeing the main characters both come to this realization was so satisfying. Their journey felt authentic and real.

Meet Jessica

Jessica Peterson writes smokin' hot romance set in her favorite cities around the world. She grew up on a steady diet of Mr. Darcy, Edward Cullen, and Jamie Frasier, and it wasn't long before she started writing swoon-worthy heroes of her own. She loves strong coffee, stronger heroines, and heroes with hot accents.

She lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband Ben and her smelly Goldendoodle, Martha Bean. She's hard at work on writing her next favorite sex scene. Stay tuned for exciting news on her next release!

Connect with Jessica

Website: https://www.jessicapeterson.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/JessicaPetersonGR

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KoS0sb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicapetersonauthor/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PetersonsPupils/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicapauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaPAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-peterson

Book+Main: https://bit.ly/3g0UtVJ

New Release Review: The Do-Over by Melissa MacKinnon

 

THE DO-OVER by Melissa MacKinnon is out now! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!

Title: The Do-Over

Author: Melissa MacKinnon

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About The Do-Over:

After years in the grueling California dating scene, Maggie Kelley has finally agreed to marry her Mr. Right Now. But there’s just one teensy problem…the county clerk lets her know that she’s technically still married to her Vegas fling: the best three days she ever had...and can’t actually remember. The moment she sees her very hot husband after eight years, with his works-well-with-his-hands attitude, she’s sure their wedding night must have been explosive.   The absolute last person Finnegan Garrity expected at his door is Maggie—his ultimate “one who got away.” Yet here she is in his small-town boat shop, looking just as adorable as ever…and wanting a divorce. Yeah, he has no intention of letting that happen. Now he’s got one week to convince Maggie that they’re still perfect for each other.   But he’s going to need more than just a do-over: he’s going to need a miracle.  

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | AppleBooks

My review: 4 stars

What a great summer book- just in time for your beach vacay! The chemistry between Finn and Maggie was so adorable! This was a run and quick read that made me smile. The banter was hilarious and Finn was so darn likable and charming. I was excited to see this was book 1 in a series- I am looking forward to reading about more characters in this darling town.

About Melissa MacKinnon:

Melissa spent her childhood exploring the coast of down east Maine without parental supervision and immersing herself in any book she could get her scrappy little hands on. Although she pursued a career in theater, the written word is her true calling. She leads a full life with her husband and six children traveling the country to wherever the Army sends them in her very large twelve passenger van, in what she lovingly deems “organized chaos”. She finds time to write in her “spare time”, somewhere in between soccer practices and nap time with coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. She loves creating unforgettable romance, and enjoys writing and reading everything from sexy, sword-toting heroes to spit-out-your-coffee funny romantic comedies… as long as she doesn’t get the book wet. She leaves that up to the characters.  

Connect with Melissa:

Email | Melissa MacKinnon | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | Goodreads