For Butter or Worse is a contemporary romance following workplace rivals who fake a relationship for public relations reasons, only to find themselves actually enjoying the charade. Nina is a female chef in a fairly male-dominated industry, and the last thing she needs is her coworker throwing her under the bus on live TV. Nina…
The Bodyguard is goofy, cartoony and filled with slapstick humor, but that’s part of its charm. The bad guys are so outrageously bad that they spend their time on-page twisting their mustaches, and the good guys are walking saints. The writing has charm enough to drag the book up to a C grade, but the…
Maggie Moves On is part Hallmark movie, part sassy comedy. It’s fun, breezy, easy on the heart and a pleasant diversion, but the pushy and sometimes aggressive hero knocked it down a couple of grade points. House flipper Maggie Nichols has invested in a falling-down pile in Idaho, much to the consternation of her friend…
Fake it ‘Til You Bake it is a fun romantic romp featuring two characters who have to do a lot of growing to land themselves a sweet ending. Jada Townsend-Matthews is one of those people who is famous for being famous. A rich heiress living off of her trust fund, she’s become a reality television…
West Side Love Story transplants that old Capulet/Montague tale to Texas and gives us a fun, spirited and fresh take on that tale of forbidden love. In the hands of Priscilla Oliveras, the old becomes new, and fun and sexual combustibility prevail. San Antonio native and E.R. nurse Mariana Capuleta is, for once, out and…
Something Wilder is another solid entry in Christina Lauren’s string of stand-alone romances, and the perfect adventure story to kick off your summer. All the treasure hunting antics can occasionally get in the way of focusing on the central couple, but this works well in the context of the story. Lily Wilder is the daughter…
Sassy, warmhearted and sensual, Set on You is a really lovely book about physical fitness and true love coming in all shapes and sizes. Scott Ritchie is instantly the most annoying man that Crystal Chen has ever met; the cocky firefighter keeps stealing her favorite squat rack. Crystal, a personal trainer and Instagram influencer, is…
Début novels can be a bit of a gamble, but I’m glad to report that Lily Chu’s The Stand-In is a risk worth taking. Gracie Reed is the biracial daughter of a white Canadian man and a Chinese mother now struggling with dementia. First, her boss sexually harasses and then fires her. Next, a paparazzo…
Going Public is a story about a personal assistant who worships his kind but distant boss and the boss who slowly falls for him. It’s not a dynamic that’ll work for everyone, and sometimes it didn’t work for me here. Overall, the book is just a little dry, especially due to its strong focus on…
Are you a fan of The Hating Game-style enemies to lovers shenanigans? Fool Me Once combines politics with lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, creating quite a zesty if flawed story. Communications director Lee Stone – known as ‘Stoner’ to her friends for her party-hearty ways – just ran face-first into some amazing news. Texas’ new governor is considering…