Category Archives: Contemp. Romance

Contemp. Romance, Romantic Comedy, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR21 – #Review – Jason (Love In Scrubs #2) by AJ Renee

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Jason

From the author of the St. Fleur series comes a fun tale of finding love in the most unexpected place.

Being stood up for a first date was the last thing on Ava King’s mind. Yet Mr. Wrong opened the door to Mr. Sexy, who’s already sitting next to her at the bar. One drink becomes two, and going against her own code, she goes home with the charming stranger.

Waking in Jason’s foreign bed sends her into a panic, and she escapes before any morning-after awkwardness can ensue.

Can fate bring them together again to see if their chemistry transcends one steamy night of passion?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

This book! Just read it! It’s super adorable, funny as hell, and insanely hot! Being stood up on a first date, having a one night stand, and then finding out that this person is your doctor! OMG! The embarrassment alone, that both of the characters were feeling, had me dying! The universe has a funny way of bringing people together and Ava’s and Jason’s story is witty and cute and perfect. This was a short, quick read that will absolutely hold ALL of your attention until the pages are gone. Once you start the story, just finish it. The characters are perfect for each other and reading along while they are figuring each other out will keep you smiling the entire time. I cannot stress to you enough that you NEED to read Jason. It has a little bit of everything that gives you all the feel goods. Now, just read it!

A.J. Renee

AJ Renee is the author behind the St. Fleur series, Love in Scrubs series, Beauty Unmasked, Winter’s Surprise, Unlucky in Love, Surviving Paris, and Finding Love at the Falls…. She’s a military wife and mother to three young girls. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Masters of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology while working at the library.

She loves to write steamy romance with suspense and a happily ever after. When she isn’t writing or interacting with her readers, you can find her spending time with her family or reading. AJ enjoys traveling, researching family history, and all things New Orleans.

https://www.facebook.com/ajreneeauthor

https://www.instagram.com/ajreneeauthor

Contemp. Romance, Novella, Review, Romantic Comedy, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR21 – #Review – Joshua (Love in Scrubs #1) by AJ Renee

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Joshua (Love in Scrubs #1)

From the author of the St. Fleur series comes a fun tale of finding love in the emergency room.

The single life had been treating Hazel Rivera better than she’d anticipated. With no one to report to, she did as she pleased, which included if and when she’d have a man in her bed. She felt no shame in satisfying her own needs, but when toy-play goes wrong, she earns herself a visit to the emergency room.

Squirming in pain, the last thing she expected was to find a sexy nurse assigned to her room. She could lose herself in a man like him—sinful eyes, full lips, and a kindhearted attitude—but before she can catch Joshua Bradley again, she’s sent home.

When life hands them a second chance, will they risk their hearts?


Goodreads



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You need something sweet and funny…you must read Joshua! The way that Hazel and Joshua meet is incredibly embarrassing, but look out because the entire book is hilarious and sooooo sweet. Orgasms, burning sensations and a hot nurse….bahahahaha! Hazel and Joshua are both very independent people but their paths cross when Hazel ends up in the ER after using a new lube. As if I wasn’t already cringing and laughing by this point, then she meets Joshua, Nurse Hottie, in the ER. From here their chemistry is on fire, no pun intended, lol! These two were so sweet and funny, just absolutely made for each other. The epilogue finished this story perfectly. The story continued to be embarrassing, funny, and sweet the whole way through. This is a short and fast read. I was laughing from the first page clear up to the last page. I definitely was not ready for this story to be over but it ended perfectly. I loved it!



A.J. Renee

AJ Renee is the author behind the St. Fleur series, Love in Scrubs series, Beauty Unmasked, Winter’s Surprise, Unlucky in Love, Surviving Paris, and Finding Love at the Falls…. She’s a military wife and mother to three young girls. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Masters of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology while working at the library.

She loves to write steamy romance with suspense and a happily ever after. When she isn’t writing or interacting with her readers, you can find her spending time with her family or reading. AJ enjoys traveling, researching family history, and all things New Orleans.

You can also find her:

https://www.facebook.com/ajreneeauthor
https://www.instagram.com/ajreneeauthor
https://www.twitter.com/ajreneeauthor

Contemp. Romance, Romantic Comedy, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR21 – #Review – Four Rounds by Jillian Jacobs

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Four Rounds

Four Rounds—A completely ridiculous way to fall in love.
You Tube influencer and syndicated morning talk show host, Cricket Kelly lives life with purple tips on her red locks and unicorn socks on her feet. Theodore Brooks lives by the numbers with nary a hair out of place.
They meet between boxing bags and even though opposites attract, Cricket’s father is being implicated for money laundering, and Theo is the lead investigator on the case.
Will four rounds be enough to discover true love? Or will disastrous dates end their chance at happiness? Find out with this slightly silly but absolutely fun fight for love


Goodreads


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I loved this so hard! Four Rounds is the right amount! Cricket is crazy hilarious and funny but beneath all the spunk and sarcasm is a woman that wants to be loved, completely. Theo is by the books and mostly business. Their paths cross when Cricket basically kicks Theo’s butt when he attends a kickboxing exercise class that Cricket teaches. The banter, right from the start, is freaking hilarious. I laughed out loud many many times, so great! Theo doesn’t really get a chance to decline but has signed up for four dates with Cricket, at her insistence. He is very conflicted as he is investigating a case that her father is involved in. He knows he should stop but can’t. And OMG, these dates! If anything could go wrong, it does. And they just can’t stop it from happening.   “I’m hysterical. I can’t control what’s happening right now There’s a murder scene of sauce everywhere, your bits are likely charred, and I’ inappropriately turned on by you smelling like fried cheese.”   The sexual innuendos, sarcastic comments and hilarious banter do not stop. Even when stuff hits the fan, these two make it out alive. Not necessarily unscathed but they make it out…together. This is a fun, fast paced read that will have you laughing so hard while keeping your heart happy. A must read!

Jillian Jacobs

Contemp. Romance

#NewRelease #PreQual – Roses with Thorns by Lyssa Layne

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Roses with Thorns

Jordan Crecelius was always a ranch girl at heart but she and her best friend, Mia Tomko, enjoyed watching Mia’s brother play baseball, too. In between horses and high school, the best friends always made time to catch a game or two. Robby Glastetter was a city boy with a baseball addiction. The sport was paying his way through university as he studied to be a day trader once he graduated… that was until Jordan Crecelius walked into his life. It only took one hello for Robby and Jordan to know that they were meant for each other. The two were destined for one another, soulmates meant to never be separated but with a six-year age gap, their love story didn’t begin at hello. Robby patiently waited for Jordan, trading in trains for horses just for the opportunity to get to know her better. Once she turned eighteen, their love story was on the fast track and the two became adults together on the freight train of love as life began to unfold.

Wanna know what happens when this book ends???

Until You Fall in Love is HERE


Goodreads


Roses with Thorns by Lyssa Layne
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
GAH! When Lyssa offered to let me read this book I was excited because I always love her men…they are extra lickable. I admit I wondered how she was going to tell a love story of a 14 year-old and a 20 year-old but she did it well.
Jordan and Robby meet when she is visiting her brother from another mother during his first college baseball game. The dynamic of the two was sweet and innocent. Robby thought she was sweet and going to be an amazing girl when she got older.
Jumping forward a couple of years we see Robby NOTICING the young woman Jor has become but also knowing it is inappropriate to do anything given her age. But everything changes in the blink of an eye when Abram is hurt. Robby and Jor spend the summer together where love starts to blossom.
As the story jumps for ward in time, we see them falling more and more in love but also realizing they have a lot to accomplish to be together. They always work toward building a life together and having the HEA everyone wants. If you know this is a prequal to a story you KNOW what happens to our couple and their happiness. If NOT, then I won’t spill any of the beans so you read it and then run to down load Until You Fall to get the ending of this story.

Lyssa Layne is first, and foremost, the proud momma to her precious daughter, AR. In addition to working full-time and being a mommy to AR, she is also an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a runner, blogger, and an infertility survivor.

Having watched one too many medical dramas and being inspired by author Rachelle Ayala, who introduced her to the world of indie writing, Lyssa decided to try her hand at writing a romance story. Her attempt turned into the Burning Lovesick series. You can find Lyssa’s own interests throughout her stories although all stories are fictional.

Contemp. Romance

#WOTR020 #BookSpotlight #SeriesStarter #KU – The Double D Ranch (Fortuna, Texas #1) by Rochelle Bradley

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Longhorns and lingerie…

Much to the chagrin of foreman Josiah, Jessie Davidson wants a romance reduction. But the Double D Ranch hides a secret. Since inheriting the property, Jessie kept her grandmother’s hoard concealed, but now she’s found the courage to purge the unwanted items: steamy novels, thousands of them. Romance has to go! Donating the books is a good thing, right? Not when coupled with a dare.

The dare spirals out of control. The ante is upped when caches of the spicy books, left in barber shops, pool halls, and pubs, challenge others to join the fad. A perverted prankster runs amok playing on the town’s fantasies. Book clubs are formed. Plots acted out. In a town saturated with romance, Jessie finds her love life underdeveloped.

Keep Jessie safe. It’s the promise Josiah Barnes made to Jessie’s dying grandmother. He aims to honor it, even if it means protecting Jessie from himself. Failing her in the past has him on high alert when the Double D becomes ground zero for the arousal avalanche sweeping the town. As a full-support, silent partner, Josiah will do anything to augment the Double D. But when Jessie starts selling handmade lingerie, keeping his hands to himself is easier said than done…

Will she shelve happily ever after like a rejected novel, or open her heart and start a new chapter?


Goodreads

Rochelle puts an artistic spin on everything she does but there are two things she fails at miserably:
1. Cooking (seriously, she can burn water)
2. Sewing (buttons immediately fall back off)

She loves baking and makes a mean BTS (Better than Sex) cake. When in observation mode she is quiet, however, her mouth is usually open with an encouraging glass-is-half-full pun or, quite possibly, her foot.

She is a Bearcat, a Buckeye, an interior decorator, and fluent in sarcasm.

In 2008, when her youngest entered Kindergarten, she decided to get the stories out of her head. Midway through her first novel, hurricane Ike (yes, a hurricane in Ohio) rendered the laptop useless with a nine-day power outage. She didn’t give up, but continued to pursue her dream.

Every November Rochelle takes on the challenge of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) where she endeavors to write 50,000 words in thirty days. You can often hear her cheering the Dayton area Wrimos (those who join her in this crazy pursuit).

Rochelle shares her home with a big black cat, an itty-bitty orange tiger kitty, her daughter, her son, and her Prince.

She loves to connect with readers. You can find her on Facebook (search for Author Rochelle Bradley), Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Visit Rochelle’s website to sign up for her newsletter to keep up to date about future novels and book signings (RochelleBradley.com).

Contemp. Romance, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, M/M, Paranormal, Review, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR20 – #Review – Smoky Mist (The Legend of the Ghost Train) C.J. Baty

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Smoky Mist (The Legend of the Ghost Train)

Jesse Lawson was never afraid of the strange and unusual dreams he had. But lately, they were becoming darker leaving him with a need to discover why he was having them. He believed he would find answers at the site of logging camps in The Great Smoky Mountains. His great grandfather had lived and died there, and Jesse was sure it was Jackson Douglas haunting him.
Carter Thompson never knew his great great uncle George Thompson, but he inherited his land, home, and money. George had come here to America to find work in the lumber camps. Meeting Jesse Lawson was about to turn his world upside down. Jesse’s dreams somehow involved Carter, and the more they searched the closer they became.
George left journals that could clear up many mysteries, including Jackson Douglas’s death. Now it seemed that something was trying to destroy Carter and Jesse’s growing attraction to each other. Whoever it is will stop at nothing to keep them apart, even if they have to repeat the past to do it.

There will be three books in this series. Each is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Each has a HEA.


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A ghostly romantic story! This is a new to me author and I am completely happy with this story. The author does a fantastic job of weaving an incredible history into this beautiful story. Jesse has been having some weird “dreams” or “visions” of the past and goes to investigate the source. He meets Carter who runs the museum. These two have a wonderful connection that is so sweet and sincere. As they both start looking into the past they find that Jesse’s great grandfather and Carter’s great great uncle knew each other and were lovers, which was completely unheard of back in that time. As Jesse and Carter spend more time together their attraction grows as well but is jeopardized by Carter’s ex and some forest animals that all seem to have been possessed. They find that the only way to help each other and their grandfather and uncle is to find out the truth about their deaths and to be sure their story was told correctly. Things get super creepy throughout their encounters with the paranormal but these two do prevail. It’s a powerful story with a beautiful HEA. I look forward to reading more by this author.

C.J. Baty

Contemp. Romance, Part of a Series, Part of a Spin off series, Review, Suspense, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR20 – #Review – Control Us (The Next Generation Series #1) by J.M. Walker

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Control Us (Next Generation, #1)

Zach

She was innocent.
Passionate.
Fierce.
After Luna Stone and I went from friends to lovers, my only purpose was showing her how worthy I was. But how could I convince her when I didn’t believe it myself?
I craved her touch and her smiles but most of all, her heart.
I vowed to protect her and show her father that I could be the man for his daughter.
I pushed.
She pulled.
And when all was said and done, I’d have to go through an even higher power to prove that I deserved her…
Myself.
~
Luna

He was quiet.
Withdrawn.
Intense.
Zach Porter and I had been friends since we were kids, but it had never amounted to anything more than that. Until now.
But as close as we were getting, he was still closed off.
He protected his heart and put up walls, even though he had no reason to.
He shoved.
I grabbed hold and never let go.
If I didn’t fight for what was ours, he’d succumb to his demons and believe their vicious words telling him that he’s not good enough. To give up.
On us.


Goodreads


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Reader beware, once you start this incredible story, you will not put it down until the end. This is the next generation after King’s Harlots. You won’t need to read King’s Harlots before The Next Generation but I highly recommend it. King’s Harlots is an intensely amazing series and I believe The Next Generation will be just as powerful. 

First things first… Zach F’n Porter! *ahhhhh* Even though Coby and Brogan adopted Zach, he reminds me so much of Coby. Zach had a dark childhood and has some really significant demons that he fights daily. It really warms my heart to see how his parents continue to help him through these issues to overcome them. But like most of us, Zach is his own worst enemy. Now to get to Luna. She may just be the most innocent of the bunch. She is sweet but can bring on the sass with the best of them. She has such a kind heart and wants to help anyone she can. Zach and Luna have always been great friends growing up, but now that they are adults, things start to change. They have a passionate connection where the heat continues to build and many times is close to combustion. There is a delicate push and pull between the two as they try to figure out their feelings for each other. There are many things that can go wrong and a lot of outside forces trying to keep them from each other. However, the one thing that can make or break this is Zach. He has to get past himself or this can go all wrong. 

This is a powerful story full of love and compassion with a few personal demons thrown in the mix. Bravo, JM! Can’t wait for more!

J.M. Walker

Contemp. Romance, MMA, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR20 – #Review – The Heartbreaker by Tricia Andersen

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The Heartbreaker

Can town librarian Lily Dixon and MMA bad boy Reese Cooper keep their love affair a secret in small town Iowa? Braden, Iowa is the last place on earth Reese Cooper wanted to be but a devastating injury in the octagon forces the MMA fighter back to the small town he once called home. He barely steps foot on Main Street before he is reunited with Lily Dixon, the town librarian and the girl who possessed his heart since they were in kindergarten. Every day in Braden is the same for Lily Dixon. That is until Reese Cooper walks back into her life. With his chiseled, perfect body and dreamy blue eyes, he steals her heart just like he did when they were kids. His kisses, his touch are far better than any fantasy she’s ever had about him. Is she willing to risk everything when her preacher father finds out about her love affair with the town bad boy? And what will happen when Reese goes back to Vegas, leaving her alone in Braden without him?


Goodreads


Amazon

Extremely sweet with a helluva happy ending! I listened to this in audiobook. The narrator was good and kept the story moving with a great flow. So this sounds sort of cliche’. Sweet and meek librarian and the bad boy MMA fighter falls in love. Reese returns home from Vegas for therapy and runs into Lily, the town librarian. Right from jump the tension between these two is high. The problem is, her father is the pastor and has forbidden her to see Reese. Naturally they can’t stay away from each other and this makes the angst go through the roof. Reese has so much potential to stay in Braden and has all but promised Lily he will stay when one day, BOOM! He has to go back to Vegas for an unexpected fight. He isn’t able to talk, let alone explain why he has to leave to Lily before he has to go. Well, Lily has something she needs to tell him too but can’t bring herself to talk to him because she is heartbroken. So now we have some really big secrets being held back. So, I know I already said there is a HEA, and it is a beautiful HEA, but I had a little bit of a hard time with the way Lily acted when Reese took off. She seemed to be a stronger girl, or I was hoping for that, but I was a little turned off by her near the end of the book. However, if you are looking for a sweet, small town romance with a gorgeous HEA, this is a great book for that and I highly recommend it!

Tricia Andersen

Contemp. Romance, Family Orientated, Part of a Series, Part of a Spin off series

#WOTR20 #5YearFamily #AudioReview #Family #SpinOff – Love and Pancakes (Rockland Falls #1) by Lacey Black

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Love and Pancakes

Marissa Grayson’s dream went up in smoke. A devastating fire has ripped apart her family’s bed and breakfast, leaving her off-kilter and scrambling to repair the damage. What she doesn’t need, or have time for, is Rhenn Burleski. Sexy, confident, and dangerous to her heart. A man who clearly knows his way around the female body and will leave the moment the sheets start to cool. Yet that doesn’t stop her from making a deal with the devil himself.

Work hard, play harder. That’s Rhenn’s life motto. An electrician by day, Rhenn turns it up at night, always with a different lady friend in tow. He makes sure they know the score: he’s not looking for anything more than one night of fun. However, he knows the second he meets the shy daughter of the bed and breakfast’s owner that his life is never going to be the same. As hard as he tries, he just can’t resist one taste.

What happens when their time is up and Rhenn must leave, returning to his old life? Will they be able to walk away, hearts unscathed, or will their time together prove to be nothing more than a fading memory?

Goodreads 


I received this book from the author but purchased the audio book.

Ok since I am reviewing the audio book I gotta say….HEEEY Rhenn’s narrator.  Holy Sweet Baby Jesus that voice.  Imma tell ya, you will be thanking me for that right off the bat.  I don’t want to know what the narrator really looks like because my mind has his picture juuuuuust right.  LOL  Now I see he does the voice for the other 2 books…….YES is all I can say.

So this is my first Lacey book….yeah yeah I know late to the party like always but ya know what can I say. I have only known her 5 years *Face Palm*

I gotta say I loved the dynamic of quiet and shy but sassy Marissa with Rhenn.  Rhenn is all playa playa who falls for the women who embodies his exact opposite type…ya know, she isn’t an easy whore.  LOL

Marissa is devastated by her family’s business/home fire and is lost because what will they do.  When her long lost family enters the picture, she gets connected to Rhenn who will be doing the family a favor and wiring the house for them.

When Rhenn shows up, he is stunned stupid at the beautiful women he sees but knows she isn’t “his type” and a quick roll won’t be something she is interested in.  When, after getting to know him, she proposes Friends with Benefits while he is in town….he flips out.

I loved seeing them fall but fear telling the other.  They both want more but she fears she isn’t good enough and he is ashamed of his past.  When the two weeks is up and they part, I was a little bit weepy and wanted to kick Rhenn in the balls.

The end of the story is perfect and totally swoon worthy.

I gotta say Emma and Orville KILLED ME in this story.  Marissa’s long-lost aunt and uncle were to inappropriately funny in this book.  I can’t wait for more of them in the rest of the books.  I am kinda giving brother Samuel a look over because I just know the right women or even man could make that anal-retentive ass crumble.  But first up is sexy diva Harper.  I can’t wait to see who tames this wild child!!

Avid reader, writer, mother, and wife! I love to read contemporary romance. Add in a little “spice” or hot guys in uniform pants, and I’m a happy woman. There’s just something about diving into a book and engrossing in the magic of your hero and heroine getting their happily ever after.

BDSM, Contemp. Romance, Review, Romantic Comedy

#Review – The Golden Pecker by Penelope Bloom

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The Golden Pecker

I never planned to tell Andi who I was.
Hell, I never planned to meet her.
But her grandfather’s will changes everything.
That, and the shockingly intimate to-do list he left for us.

Landon

I’ve known about Andi Wainwright my whole life. Until now, I’d done a damn good job of keeping my distance. No photos. No social media.

But that changed when I learned about the old man’s death. I had the misfortune of being his business partner, and now the keys to my future are tangled up in his ridiculous will.

First, I had to personally bring Andi down to his club, The Golden Pecker to show her some mysterious video. I may be in the dark about what’s going on, but I know one thing:

I don’t care what’s on that tape. Nothing is going to change the fact that Andi Wainwright is the enemy.


Goodreads


Amazon

Fun Rom Com with light BDSM, sure. Why not? So, I personally, am not into BDSM but I sure am of the sarcastic sort. When I saw the title of the book and the cover, I one-clicked not really knowing what I was getting myself into. I was pleasantly surprised and actually laughed quite a bit throughout the story. 

“As the saying went, when in The Golden Pecker, do as the peckers do. In this case, Landon was the Pecker King. The peckeriest pecker of all, you could say.”

Andi and her sisters are mourning their grandfather’s death and his will still needs to be read. What they didn’t know was their grandfather has secrets and has stipulations to have the will read. This where Landon comes in. Landon has it in his mind already that Andi is the enemy and that he completely hates her but now he has to escort her to have her portion of the will read. This is where Andi finds out about her grandfather’s secret of owning several BDSM clubs. And now the fun begins. These rules involve Andi and Landon in the club. Landon is very professional and brooding while Andi has a defense mechanism of being snarky and sarcastic at all the right, and wrong, moments. Pairing these together brings a ton of fun into this light BDSM world. The chemistry between the two are great while they are unraveling all the secrets. The story is intriguing but with the right amount of funny. I recommend this book to just about anyone and look forward to reading others by this author. 

Penelope Bloom

I’m a USA Today Bestselling Author and have written nearly a dozen top 50 amazon bestsellers, including four books that have hit the top 10! Despite all that, I’m still a nervous wreck before I release every new book and I still feel like I have so much more to learn about writing and publishing than I can even wrap my head around.

I’m just beyond honored and humbled that so many readers have embraced me and found enjoyment in my words, because I can’t think of any better opportunity than this.

When I’m not writing and stressing about what I’m going to write, I’m trying to wrangle my two little girls who are 2 and a half and 1 and a half. When I’m not wrangling them, I’m trying to keep my husband in line.

Writing and helping run the family aren’t easy, but I’d never trade it for anything!