Category Archives: Sweet Romance

Part of a Series, Sweet Romance, Teen & Young Adult Contemporary, Writers on the River Attending Author, YA

#wotr #attendingauthor #ya #partofaseries Dear Emilia (Love Notes 8) by Danielle Keil

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Everyone at Ryder High knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month.

Skye Turner came close to having one, but considering she and her boyfriend, Andrew Del Marco, had been dating for a week already, she couldn’t take it.

So she decides cheat the Secret Admirer system and divert the teal envelope to someone else.

Emilia Rosemary is just like every other girl when she gets her envelope— shocked.

But the envelope isn’t from a real Secret Admirer. It’s from Skye, posing as Emilia’s crush, Chase McNeill.

Skye and her friends develop a plan to have both Emilia and Chase surprised with the big reveal at the Homecoming dance.

But when Chase learns the truth, will the plans be ruined?

Will Emilia be upset when she finds out her friends deceived her?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62837531-dear-emilia

Amazon https://amzn.to/3wMHX9Q

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book her is my honest review

Dear Emilia,
our sweet girl with her nose in a book and pencil in her hand, for someone so smart yet so not willing to open up and let your feelings be known don’t worry we got you
Love Us…….
Emilia was the brains of Ryder High too smart for her own good but wanted to have someone who made her just as happy as the others around her. Well, our girl is in luck when she finds the famous teal envelope on her locker will she be able to find her admirer before the month is up or will she be embarrassed when it comes out who is behind the envelope. This proves just how far a friend is willing to go to make their friend a happily ever after. But the journey will surprise you, how it ends will have you swooning, and always remember the follow the second star to the left and straight till morning, will Wendy and Peter get their happy ever after? after all you just need faith trust and can’t forget the pixie dust.

Danielle Keil grew up and spent the majority of her life in the Chicagoland area. A recent transplant, she is enjoying the Mississippi life, especially the pool in her backyard.
Danielle is happily married for over 10 years, and has two young children, a daughter and a son, who are exact replicas of her and her husband.
She also is a fur mom to their Corgi, Cozmo, who loves barking, mud, and peanut butter.
Danielle’s love language is gifts, her Ennegram is a 9w1, and she loves everything purple.
The way to her heart is through coffee, chocolate and tacos (extra guac).

Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Review, Romantic Suspense, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – The Glassmaker’s Helper: The Getaway Chronicles by Darie McCoy

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In a world of the blessed the unblessed, the Glassmaker proclaims the gifts of those in the realm with their reading of the sparks. They are the only ones with the ability to work the glass and declare the goddess’s blessing.
Generations before Ophelia was born, her birth was prophesied. The Enchantress proclaimed that a blessed girl child would restore honor to the Leander line. However, when she was presented to the Glassmaker to learn of her blessing, she was turned away. Many Winters passed and Ophelia remained unblessed. Until she and her brothers journeyed to Thistledown.
Rylan, the Glassmaker of Thistledown is able to do what none other before him had achieved. He read Ophelia’s blessing in the sparks. The gift from the goddess so rare, Rylan fears for her safety. Knowing the potential danger, he agrees to travel with Ophelia and her brothers on a quest to help her learn to use her blessing to its fullest potential.
The two are drawn together by an inexplicable bond that neither can ignore. As they trek across the realm from his home to hers, they are unable to deny their attraction. While danger lurks, they must reach the Keeper of the Blessings before it’s too late.
Can Ophelia navigate her new blessing and help restore her family’s honor? Can the bond between her and Rylan survive the obstacles before them? Together, can they bring about a change to the realm which hasn’t been seen in centuries?

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

“With every great blessing, evil is always present.” What an amazing story! All the while reading this story, and even more so after I finished it, I have been trying to figure out how to categorize The Glassmaker’s Helper. It is definitely fantasy with a historical feel to it, fated mates, romance with some sexy time, and beings that are blessed and unblessed.

“I don’t question gifts from the goddess. I simply appreciate them.” The world building and character development is fantastic. Being unblessed or without a gift from the goddess isn’t uncommon but when your birth has been prophesied that you will save your family’s line and restore honor, there is no pressure…right? Wrong! Ophelia gets turned away from glassmaker after glassmaker. They cannot read her sparks. Until Rylan (wags eyebrows). Immediately their connection is strong and the need to protect Ophelia is completely instinctual. An unsavory character is now after Ophelia and her very rare blessing. The villain is a collector of sorts. From here, we follow Rylan and Ophelia on a quest that not only brings answers for the prophecy but is enchanting as well.

Highly recommend!

Darie McCoy profile image

Darie McCoy is an independent author of contemporary, interracial, romantic suspense and paranormal/shifter romance books. A reader first, she enjoys reading books across many genres although romance holds a special place in her heart. Her experience working in a STEM field offers her a unique perspective which she uses in each story she pens.

Her first novel, For Real, began as a short story written for a reader competition during an Authors and Readers conference. It was published in November of 2021. In July of 2022, she expanded her writing portfolio to include Kindle Vella serial stories.

When she doesn’t have her nose in a book or her fingers on the keyboard, Darie enjoys working in her vegetable garden. A serial hobbyist, she also enjoys knitting, sewing, baking and canning. One of her favorite treats to make is salted caramel popcorn. Amongst her friends, she’s known to transport the sweet treat in large quantities to share whenever they get together.

Born and raised in the south, Darie stands by the staunchly held southern sentiments that the best tea is sweet tea and college football is life.

Contemp. Romance, nerdy romance, Review, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Comma Kaze: A Neurodivergent Professor Romance (Nerd Love Book 1) by Mellanie Szereto

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Loss brings them together. Will their pact help them find love and happily-ever-after?

English professor Elijah M. Clayton, Jr., (34) has promised his dying cousin he’ll raise her unborn daughter, but his search for a wife has failed miserably. Social awkwardness related to being on the autism spectrum leads to his only decent speed-dating prospect—Beatrix-35—calling him a pervert before the start of their first official date.
Plumber Beatrix Glouster (35) likes Elijah-34 and has high hopes she’s found a good guy until he asks questions that trigger painful memories of losing her premature son, her subsequent inability to have children, and her husband leaving her. An early morning plumbing emergency brings her face-to-cute-backside with last night’s disappointment.
Their lives are forever changed when a call from Elijah’s cousin summoning him to the hospital for the birth of her child interrupts an unexpectedly hot kiss. Only deep commitment will help Elijah and Beatrix avoid the prospective emotional risk of an impromptu marriage, his communication issues, and raising their orphaned newborn charge together.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

OMG!! ALL THE FEELS!!!! If there is ever a book or story that makes you believe in fate or love at first sight, then this is it for me! Elijah and Beatrix meet at a speed dating mixer and decide to meet afterward. Not realizing that Elijah is on the spectrum, when he starts to ask some weird questions, she decides to cut her losses and just walk away. They are then thrown back into each other’s space when she, a plumber, ends up at Elijah’s house to fix his bathroom faucet. She is with Elijah when he gets the call that his cousin is about ready to pass and Beatrix accompanies him to the hospital. Chloe, his cousin, just knows that she is the one and these two are going to be the best parents for her child. The only problem is, these two literally just met! However, the chemistry, not just sexual, is there and it gets intense. They just calm each other…they just fit.

“Chloe was right. Fate had played a part in her introduction and subsequent meeting with Eli, but this child was the catalyst – not romance, love, or even sexual attraction. The interaction with him been a means to an end. Only Eve mattered – and Chloe passing from the world knowing someone would cherish her baby.”

“A plumber and an English professor walk into a marriage for the wrong reason. And baby makes three. There’s a bad joke if I ever heard one. A deep breath didn’t calm the butterflies in her stomach. And I’m gonna do it anyway.”

One takeaway I have from this story is that average is boring! Parenting means making sacrifices and falling in love has no guarantee of a happily-ever-after, but these two are truly meant to be. Life isn’t always fair but it doesn’t have to be. However, when your instinct takes over and you know you found your person, you will truly be happy.

Please pick up this book. It is an incredible story with ALL THE FEELS!

I received a copy of this book from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.

Mellanie Szereto profile image

Mellanie Szereto is the USA Today Bestselling Author of over fifty romcoms and contemporary romances, most with characters who have plenty of life experience like herself. Whether you call them older, seasoned, mature, experienced, or later-in-life protagonists, they deserve love too! Her stories are often set in small towns with quirky main characters, fun secondary casts, and lots of humor. She enjoys gardening, cooking, and baking—as well as hiking to work off the fruits of her labor—and incorporates food into all of her stories. She lives in an old farmhouse in rural Indiana with her husband of thirty-seven years.

Novella, Standalone, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #standalone Until You (Happily Ever Alpha World) by Samantha Lind

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Cameron Burgress was ready for a new start.

New city, new job, and maybe one day, a new love. She just didn’t realize how quickly that could all happen until she walked into a tattoo shop, finally ready to get the ink she’d wanted since her fiancé died, nearly four years ago.

Ethan O’Neill had everything. Until one day, he didn’t.

After an off-ice injury stripped him of his hockey career, he started over in life, pursuing his other passion—tattoos. He’d never been the kind of guy to want to settle down, but that all changed one day, when a knock-out beauty strolled into his shop and into his life.

An instant attraction and a little bit of ink is the perfect mix for two people ready for change.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55017408-until-you

Amazon https://amzn.to/40l5Krp

Review by Twinsie Dee

Cam has gone through the one thing that most people would never think to go through, finding the love of her life only to lose him 3 weeks before their wedding. 3 years later and a new job offer she finally decided to move on and to a new city, a fresh start being back with one of her friends. New City new Cam and she wants to dedicate her past love with a tattoo in memory of him, and with her bestie at her side she goes to the tattoo shop and is stopped dead in her tracks with the most gorgeous man shes seen since her first love pasted away, it was sparks from the beginning and both Cam and Ethan have never felt this way before with someone else. will these two let their natural chemisty bring them together or will they just stay friends. this book was so good very cute, sexy, and everything you would want for a quick read

Samantha Lind is a contemporary romance author. Having spent the first 27 years of her life in Alaska, she now calls Iowa home where she lives with her husband and two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, watching hockey (Go Knights Go!), and listening to country music.

Fantasy Romance, Instant Love, Novella, Review, Standalone, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR2020 – #Review – Better Where It’s Wetter by Ava Cuvay

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Better Where it's Wetter

Alana LaRue assumes the sexy merman pictured on the lake house wall is “just art.” Then a violent storm topples her into his arms and she discovers the ocean isn’t the only thing that gets her wet.

Originally published in the Crossroads Romance Authors “Lake House” Anthology, this 13K short story has been expanded, with more details and a love scene added.


Goodreads


Amazon

“Be nice to the sharks, pretty mermaid. They’re not mean. They’re misunderstood.”

Alana is on  Aquata-Prime housesitting. Well, the house is surrounded by a lake and the only way to get to it is by boat. She is from the city but has done everything she can to land this job in order to be closer to the water. The house has a mural of a beautiful merman on the wall and she cannot help but be drawn to it. A storm comes in and she finds herself in the arms of the beautiful merman. What she thinks is a dream and turns out to be her new reality. She and this mysterious merman go on an excursion but cannot deny the feelings of love blossoming between the two of them. 

This is a fast paced and very wet story of being better where it’s wetter. If you want a quick, hot read, this is the one for you!

Ava Cuvay

Ava Cuvay writes out of this world romance featuring sassy heroines, often-alien-but-always-sexy heroes, and an alcoholic beverage or two… Set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder, kiddos who are growing up without her permission, and two kitties that make her laugh. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

Part of a Series, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR19 #SeriesStarter #AttendingAuthor Rattled- Jane Charles

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She enters the tattoo shop with an envelope full of memories and a heart filled with longing. What she leaves with is more than she dreamed of, and it just might be the first step to healing the wounds of the past.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31363677-rattled

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Rattled-Baxter-Boys-ebook/dp/B01JV69G6M/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3FGFBDIPI8UHJ&keywords=jane+charles&qid=1558973251&s=gateway&sprefix=Jane+cha%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-7

When Kelsey walks in to get her first tattoo she finds out the artist is a guy from her past that made her high school life hell when they are force to listen to each other they both have an open mind and a changed hearts.

Review by Twinsie Dee

Jane Charles has lived in the Midwest her entire life. In fact, she lived in the same house until the day she married. As a child she would more likely be found outside with a baseball than a book in her hand. In fact, Jane hated reading until she was sixteen. Out of boredom on a long road trip she borrowed her older sister’s historical romance and fell in love with reading. She long ago lost count of how many fiction novels she has read over the years but her love for them never died. Along with romance she has a passion for history and the two soon combined when she penned her first historical romance. What turned into a hobby became a passion, which has been fully supported by her husband, three children and three cats.

Contemp. Romance, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Review, Sci Fi, Standalone, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR19 – #Review – Insure This by Shyla Colt

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Insure This

 

Overworked, unappreciated, and disenchanted, insurance agent Pepper Miller is stuck in a rut. When her manager offers her a challenging claim, an alien abduction case she needs to disprove in order to gain her dream job—complete with an office and a management title—she’s eager to rise to the occasion. Booking her trip to the tiny, southern town, she expects an easy win. What she finds is anything but that.
Lost time, handsome book shop owners, and the car rental from hell push her to reexamine her life. Alien abduction victim Orson Bussey is everything she could have wanted in a man. Too bad he’s off limits. As the universe itself pushes them together in a number of hilarious and cringe-worthy events, she’s forced to decide what’s truly important in life.

 

Goodreads

 

Fun, sassy, and quick read! Pepper is an insurance adjuster and she has just been told she needs to go to investigate an alien abduction claim. What the hell?! She thinks this is a hoax and believes she will be able to sweep this under the rug and get back home to a promotion. What she doesn’t expect is to find that her mark is the handsome bookstore owner, Orson. She is befriended by his grandfather, who has been abducted before too. She is invited to a meeting to discuss other “strange” happenings that could be alien related. As she spends more time in this small town and continues to run into Orson she can’t deny the pull between the two. This is such a funky, quick and quirky read that kept me smiling throughout the entire story. This is one that will keep you shaking your head with a wonderful HEA! Cute and Fun!!!

 

Amazon

 

Shyla Colt

Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author, YA

#WOTR19 – #Review – Portal Through the Veil by Miranda Lynn

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Portal Through the Veil

 

An heir, set to rule over all of Faery, on one condition- that she marry and take a King to rule at her side. Her father is determined to see her wed to a prince of his choosing, however, Tatianna has other plans. Plans that don’t involve tying the knot. What this princess didn’t anticipate, was the unexpected guest to what was, essentially, her engagement festival.

Kallan, prince of the dark court- was not only unexpected, but uninvited. He knew it would be a risk to show up. Not only was he a dark fae, but a human as well. It would all be worth it though to see her again. When light meets dark- and two worlds collide- secrets, lies and betrayals are exposed.

Luckily, fate, magic and a bit of divine intervention will help to bring balance back to the land of Faery. No matter the cost.

 

Goodreads

 

 

“A desire to live in the light instead of simply surviving in the shadow of darkness.”

 

Beautifully written but a fast read! You are immediately drawn into the the world of Faery. Quickly learning about the Fae and their customs and then you are thrown right into the mix of Tatianna having to find a prince to rule beside her as her King. Nope, she is not having none of that! She believes in change and believes she is strong enough to rule her people without a man. But we quickly find out that this is not going to be the case. Her father has a plan to make her choose….or rather he will choose for her through a series of tests for chosen suitors. What the king is not expecting is Kallan to make an appearance as he is a dark fae but is also half human. Tatiana cannot help but be drawn to Kallan and his mysterious vibe but she finds that she only has eyes for him…… and he for her. When this starts to heat up and secrets are unraveled these two have to band together to save Faery. The trials these two face and the secrets that come out will put true love to the test.

 

This is a YA story but has none of the feels of teenage hormones and drama. This is an evolved type of YA story that is beautiful and warm. A must read! I hope to read more of these two!

 

Amazon

BookBub

 

Miranda Lynn

Escaping reality one book at a time has been Miranda’s motto since she learned to read. As an only child raised on a dairy farm her creative imagination brought words to life. She devoured more books growing up than her little town bookmobile could handle. It was inevitable that she would turn from reading them to writing them. This is her way to help not only herself but others escape the day to day drudge. Her books may take you on a journey through time, give you a look inside a fantasy realm, or delve into the magic of almost anything paranormal. Threading in heart stopping romance and dropping an occasional super sexy scene just to keep you on your toes.
Miranda’s stories are focused around strong female leads and sexy males who appreciate them. She strives to encourage her readers that they can have it all in real life too.
You can find her most days either subbing at the local high school or tucked away in her office working on the next story with a cup of java in her hand. She loves connecting with her readers online as well as in real life so make sure to find her on Facebook and check out where she will be signing throughout the year on her website.

Website:https://www.mirandalynn.com
Twitter:@MirandaLynnBks
Email:mirandalynnbooks@gmail.com

 

 

 

Contemp. Romance, Instant Love, New Release, Sweet Romance, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR19 #Review #SweetRomance – A Girlfriend for Christmas by Aly Grady

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A Girlfriend For Christmas

When a blizzard prevents teacher Caroline Crawley from getting home for the first Christmas after her mother’s death, a stranger makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

Dr. Colin Pepper is traveling home, but without the non-existent girlfriend his family is expecting.

Can a pretend girlfriend be Colin’s true Christmas miracle?

Goodreads

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

When Aly asked if I would like to review her new “sweet holiday book”, I jumped.  Her books have that feel good vibe you get when reading.

The story is about Caroline who is stuck in the airport trying to get home to her dad in Iowa for Christmas.  She meets and chats with a kind and attractive man who hands her the phone and says “hey talk to my mom would ya.”…yup and that is how this whole story starts.

Colin told a small white lie to his family about bringing a non-existent girlfriend home for the holiday.  When he finds out Caroline’s story, he offers to help her if she helps him.  Upon entering his childhood home, he throws the final grenade at her…she is his liv- in girlfriend!!

Caroline is a trooper, but she enjoys the family time since she is an only child and being around Colin’s mom since she has lost her own mom helps to heal her heart.  There is insta-love but honestly this whole book is just a feel-good story.

We do have some conflict in the form of LAURA….Growl…not a fan of her at all but the end of the story was adorable and I can say I enjoyed reading it the night before Thanksgiving when the Holiday seasons officially kicks off.

Indiana. He said we had to move to Indiana. Was I in for a shock. Actually, no, but it would have been a great story. I love living and raising my family in the Midwest. Living with a racer spurred my imagination and I created The Racer’s Widow series. Since then, I’ve gone on to start the Homecoming series with A Home to Love. You can find me on Twitter @AlyGrady and FB AlyGrady2012 where you can also sign up for my newsletter. My personal website at www.alygrady.com has links to my blog too. Look me up and give me a shout. I’d love to hear from you.