GRR Reviews In the Heir by Ruth Cardello

Brett is a Westerly... and he hides at work to avoid his broken but filthy rich family. Then came the shocker. His grandma, the Westerly matriarch, announced that any grandchildren who marries and invites the whole family to attend, will get their inheritance early. Brett has no interest in marriage, but his brother Spencer quickly announced his engagement to Alisha. Brett was certain Alisha and Spencer do NOT love each other, but he was surprised to realize that he himself is attracted to Alisha... a woman he should not want... // Alisha always considered Spencer and his sister Rachelle a family she never had. While it's true that Spencer and Alisha don't love that way, Alisha will fake marry Spencer to help him get the money to start his business and achieve his dreams. Alisha was shocked to find herself attracted to Brett, Spencer's older brother... The brother she's not supposed to covet...

Wow, now that's a novel combination of tropes... fake engagement / disguise, weird will, AND sibling triangle. Ruth Cardello was definitely at top of her game. 5/5

GRR Reviews Too Proud to Beg by Jasmine Garner

Charli had a girl's night out to celebrate her business taking off, and her friends encouraged her to have a one night stand with a hunk, and they even share names. It was epic, and memorable. Until a few days later when she realized the guy, Nate, was the head of an investment group that was going to fund her business expansion. Now she can't take his money, because photos from that night at the club had leaked. While no one had made the connection yet, it was only a matter of time before someone accused her to sleeping her way to funding. // Nate was almost killed by a jilted lover (who threw him in front of a bus, really). He survived, and he's not looking to get involved with a woman, even one as enchanting as Charli. And now that he had accidentally ruined her life, he wanted to make amends... But Charli is not accepting his help. Now... How to convince her...

The plot feels somewhat clumsy, and the guy comes across as almost stalker-ish. Instead of giving up, he basically sends his assistant, or use the business association (which he heads) to invite her for a chat (because she won't talk to him directly). I also find it a bit... implausible why the guy turned off by love would go to a club alone and accept a one-night-stand. I also failed to notice the race. This was meant to be BWWM (black woman, white man) romance, but I guess I just didn't notice at all except for Charli living in a bad part of town. 3/5

GRR Reviews Plumb Crazy About You by Pamela Gibson

Cassie is determined to strike out on her own, and her plan was to buy the civil engineering firm "Plumb Crazy" where she works, because her boss wants to retire soon. She had always been the neglected one, with her supermodel sister taking the spotlight, and she refused to be a failure. When a new engineer, Nick, came to town Cassie was suspicious. Her fears were confirmed when this engineer had already been around the world and his father ran one of the biggest engineering firm on the West Coast. The ONLY reason he'd be here was... He wants the company. So why was he so nice to her? And... even kissed her?

Nice, very nice. for a novella (under 70 pages), this packed a LOT of plot, reluctant push-pull, hidden agenda, angst, it's got EVERYTHING. It's even got an ending that makes sense, by channeling O'Henry's "Gift of the Magi". 5/5

GRR Reviews All Or Nothing by Natalie Ann

Ben Harper returned from war broken, having lost his best friend, brother of another mother, Trent. He settled into "director of security" for a hospital, hiding his inner demons from everyone, including himself. Ben came to know Presley, one of the nurses working there. She's vivacious, sexy, doesn't take gruff from anyone (not even him) and she saw through his disguise... because she has a few inner demons of her own. Their attraction is undeniable, but can they work through their own problems so they can love each other?

The beginning was way too much of a teaser, and felt almost unnecessary, just there for the shock value and the tease. The slow burn of the two meeting, slowly seducing each other, yet refuse to disclose their own secrets, is good. It's always the delusion that they can "get it out of their system" by going to bed, only to need more. Yet there's always the secret that festers in the background. The darkest hour feels a bit... forced.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews Hot Mess by Emily Goodwin

Lexi is a single mom raising two daughters. She has a bit of a crush on her boss as the dream man, and she edits novels for a living. When a girls-night-out with friends lead her to meet a hot as sin bad boy bartender, it's a perfect night for a one-night-stand. That is until she learned that he's her boss' ex-firefighter brother, and this hot guy wants her for more than one night. This can get VERY complicated indeed. Now she's caught between her fantasy and her reality, and it's definitely a hot mess.

Good setup, good conflict, seems to be all there. There are some self-inadequacy issues at the beginning, but that's something to be grown out of. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Tempted by the Lawman by Joann Baker and Patricia Mason

Ethan is a special agent of the FBI, with a tragedy in his past that he never wants to talk about. He's too hurt to let anyone else in ever again. Being shot in the line of duty was simply part of the job. Being helped by his best friend's PA, Chloe, was unexpected, and their chemistry is undeniable. And he was surprised to learn that Chloe had a bit of a crush on him for a while. And Ethan found himself attracted to this BBW. But the guy who shot him is still out there... And someone near Chloe is about to betray her...

Eh... okay? No, the whole book is NOT about hurt/comfort. I found "flirty neighbor" to be a bit "out of nowhere". I think more hints could have been dropped about him having shady deals. And surely there are ways OUT of the country that doesn't involve "making a deal" with law enforcement? 3/5

GRR Reviews Lainie (Palmer Sisters) by Kayt Miller

Lainie has been divorced from a gay but possessive guy pretending to be straight. Their marriage lasted... Ten years. And in the end, he divorced her, not the other way around. Lainie wanted to jump-start her writing career by interviewing some MC members. Unfortunately, where she staked out was actually a custom motorcycle shop... Ran by Keeton, who's got tattooed sleeves, wears leathers, and rides (and builds) badass bikes. Lainie was inspired, but Keeton was smitten at first sight. Keeton must keep Lainie around. First he hired her to be his office manager (the original is on maternity leave, really) then he loaned her his personal (and backup) BMW when her car won't start. THEN he learned how much of a possessive douchebag her ex really is... and he planned to woo her completely, and show her exactly what she deserves... To be treated like a queen.

Awwww, the whole series is about "love at first sight", and the chemistry is certainly there. I just don't quite feel the escalation though. 4/5

GRR Reviews Ask Me Why by Harloe Rae

Braelyn is still coping with loss of her husband three years later. Only her best friend and her little store kept her alive. But Ollie, a vivacious boy who loved her taffy candy, warmed her heart. His father Brance, however... Is a total jerk who looks upon EVERY woman (except the grandma/nanny) with disgust and hostility. But he's also extremely handsome. Brance did notice the tension between himself and Braelyn, and they eventually bared their respective scars. But when Brance's behavior triggered Braelyn's meltdown, he rejected her. Will he admit his mistake and go back to her?

Nice, good push-pull, but I felt the darkest hour and what lead up to it seems a bit forced. her reaction made perfect sense (her husband died in a car crash, and she was not found for hours), so she has PTSD and worries while babysiting Ollie. Brance however, was late for HOURS without a single call, which triggered her meltdown. Brance, however, failed to do the right thing, for no particular reason. Sure, his phone died, but he could have called from a landline or something. He, for no particular reason that I can see, reverted to his initial "jerk" persona and basically berated her for being hysterical (which obviously, is the wrong thing to do, and Braelyn, not a confrontational woman, basically swallowed her tears and left). The rest of the book was people telling him that he's being stupid and he eventually agreed.  That felt really... clumsy. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Clair (Beach Brides) by Grace Greene

Clair joined her friends on Enchanted Island in throwing her wish of a husband as a message in a bottle into the ocean. But secretly, she was engaged to her boss and business partner, Sean. So she's not really looking for anyone. But upon her return, Sean soon disappeared, leaving her with bills and bill collectors. Clair was forced to return to her hometown to live with her sisters. // Ten months later, Greg arrived in Clair's hometown. He's actually a private investigator, to check up on Clair. But Greg fell for Clair quickly, even as he figured out what his client wanted. Now Greg must confess his initial duplicity for a chance at happily ever after...

Okay, this isn't the first "evil ex sent PI to check on woman, but PI fell for woman" plot I've seen. In fact, I've just finished one (check out "Fool Me Once" by Catherine Bybee). This one is not bad, but lacks certain complications and charms. 3/5

GRR Reviews Agatha (Palmer Sisters) by Kayt Miller

Agatha was a workaholic bookkeeper for a shoe company for eight years. Expecting a promotion after being passed over multiple times, she was suddenly summoned to HR and told that she embezzled a huge amount of money, and unless she resigned right then and there, she'll be charged with embezzlement. Without a chance to defend herself, she was escorted out. Determined to clear her name, she disguised herself as catering staff and snuck back into the company... only to be caught by Ian, the security expert. But Ian believes in her innocence. Someone in the company framed her. Maybe multiple someones. And Ian likes Agatha a lot upon first sight. Not only will he prove her innocence, but he also wanted to win her heart...

Ah, nice. it's a lot of fun solving the mystery, and I may have given a bit too much away in the teaser above. I think the end was a bit too easy, but that may be just me. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Doctor's Date With a Billionaire by Amelia Addler

Jason is about to testify to put his father (and his associates) behind bars for scamming hundreds, perhaps thousands of people over decades. And to do that, he has to enter WITSEC... better known as witness protection, by taking on a new identity far from anyone he knew. When a Doctor Alexandra saved his father's life over lunch via Heimlich maneuver, he was grateful, but didn't think anything of it. Until he learned that the criminals are targeting her because they can find no leverage on him. Jason insisted that the Marshals enroll her in WITSEC as well... and she joined him in hiding in a small town in Wyoming. And as both settled into their new (and hopefully temporary) lives, Jason fell for Alexandra, even though they need to keep a low profile. When a tragedy forced her to leave WITSEC, Jason is forced to choose between his own safety... And the possibility of losing Alexandra...

Not a bad job showing the "scamworld" (ran by crooks to trick the common folks) though the Marshalls feel like such... pushovers. 4/5

GRR Reviews Defending Allye by Susan Stoker

Allye knew she's unusual... Her eyes are different colors, and she has a white streak of hair. For that, she was kidnapped by traffickers for a sadistic "collector" who deals with unusual "things". Fortunately, she was rescued by former SEAL, now "mountain mercenary" Gray. // Gray was surprised to rescue Allye, as he thought he was just there to interrogate the crew about the trafficking ring. But having swum together the whole night toward rescue, their bonding experience made him realize Allye is one in a million... and the only one for him. When Allye found a clue that could unravel the trafficking ring, she was invited to Colorado Springs, and Gray's house. But the collector soon up the ante by kidnapping, torturing, and killing Allye's co-workers, "demanding" her return. Allye is determined to offer herself as bait if it will stop the madness. And Gray may have to let her go if he wanted her forever. But the mountain mercenaries have his back... and hers.

Good intro into the series of semi-vigilantes and a very good way to bond the MMC and MFC together. The bad guy is creepy and sadistic alright, in a Bond villain kind of way. I think the final fight could have been a little more exciting, but it could be just me. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Half Empty by Catherine Bybee

Trina had a marriage of convenience with her husband, to please his dying mother. Then he killed himself, and less than two weeks later, his mother also died, which is when Trina found she had inherited EVERYTHING, making her one of the wealthiest women in the world. Desperate to escape the attention, she hid out in Europe, swearing not to fall for any men, then she fell for the one Texas cowboy who doesn't seem to own much other than charm. // Wade is a country music super-star, and he's surprised and delighted that Trina doesn't recognize him. Now there's someone who may fall for him, not for his money. He was shocked to find that Trina is actually richer than he is. But new evidence suggests that perhaps Trina's husband's death was not a suicide... and Trina is still in danger. And EVERYONE near her, even Wade, may be at risk...

Whew, that's one way to build romantic suspense along with surprise encounter / disguise. 5/5

GRR Reviews The Catch by Avery Scott

Kelsey was a failed actress working as the production assistant on the dating reality show "The Catch" (basically a "The Bachelor/Bachelorette" clone), when she was suddenly thrust into the spotlight (when the original star, Mallory, was unable to continue). She was surprised to find that Tucker, the man she left behind, is on the show as one of the contestants. Tucker was just there to make some money for his struggling farm (and soon-to-be vineyard) and grudgingly went along when the producer wanted to turn the whole thing into a cheesy "come to win back his long lost love". But the longer they stay on the show, the less it feels like pretense... Will Kelsey have to choose between her love and her career?

Good slow burn, lots of pretense and double entendre, lots of cynicism at the "reality" show (where everything is really scripted behind the scenes, or through magic of editing). It's a fun read, even though the ending was a bit of meh, IMHO. 4/5

GRR Review Kian by Melody Anne

Kian is a surgeon that came from an ultra-rich family, even though he always wanted to make his own way. He only loved one woman, Roxie, but she left him without explanation years ago. One night, while in rotation in Emergency Room, he found the pregnant woman on the gurney, suffering from multiple stab wounds, was Pamela, Roxie's sister (and his one-night-stand). Her three-year-old daughter Lily was also there. In her dying moments, Pamela said the daughter, Lily, was Kian's, and she wanted Lily to be brought up by Kian and Roxie. Now Kian has to reunite with Roxie, for Lily's sake, but Roxie is not giving in without a fight...

I'm still a little confused about why Lily left way back when. It seems she just felt... smothered by how good Kian is, aka "I can't be myself when I'm around you." The darkest hour was kinda "out of nowhere". I felt there could have been some foreshadowing planted ahead of time for that. 4/5

GRR Reviews Not Quite Dating by Catherine Bybee

Jessie is a single mom and waitress. She has no time to date, but a charming sorta-broke cowboy is starting to wear her down. She already shot him down several times, but he's persistent. But Jack is not who he seems... // Jack is the heir of a hotel empire, but so far he's finding one golddigger after another. So when Jessie didn't know who he is, he decided to pretend to be "just" a humble cowboy / waiter, and pretend to help her find her a rich husband. But it's that pretense that would come to bite him in the rear later...

Awwww, that's cute. While we've seen the plot before, rich guy pretend to be normal to woo normal woman, this one has excellent polish and enough twists to keep you reading. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Her Billionaire Army Doc by Dobi Daniels

Ob/Gyn resident Dr. Jasmine Banks is hiding two secrets. One, she didn't have to work because her family is rich with an established lingerie line. Two, she just found she has the lump in her breast and she has the high-risk cancer gene. She knew she made the right choice years ago to let Toni Landi, her then-boyfriend go due to betrayal. She just regrets now that she'll never have a family she wanted. She was shocked when her mother wanted her to consider an arranged marriage to Dr. David Landi as a part of a business deal. She's even more shocked that this is none other than Toni, the boy she left years ago.  // Dr. David Landi is a "plastic surgeon" that worked for the army for years, helping veterans with injuries. He's finally out and back stateside, and both he and his rich family are ready to get his career fast-tracked. He lost his wife to aggressive cancer and he's in no mood to consider an arranged marriage to Jasmine Banks... the woman who dumped him years ago. But his family wanted them to meet anyway. //

While I enjoy the secrets and shames, the book felt a bit bloated by secondary plots that sorta went nowhere, and thus, feels a bit unfocused. The evil stalker bit barely made a blip and was over in a few pages. And Jasmine seems to be both jealous and lacks self-worth that she's even jealous of Karen Lee, the surgeon David asked to perform a double procedure from another city as a favor, not to mention she refused to listen to David (even when all David did was to say goodbye to his late wife). It's good, but it could have been better.  3.5/5

GRR Reviews Sweet Enough to Eat by Alexa Riley

Nikki has been crashing weddings with best friend Sugar for a while, trying to find "The One". And Dean seems to fit every criteria she had... He's gorgeous, and he's great with sex, and he even wants the white picket fence and all that. Until his genital piercing hooked on her IUD. And that necessitated a VERY VERY embarrassing visit to the ER. When they separated, she ran, not even leaving a last name. But Dean knew who he wanted... for life. And he's ready for the chase...

Awwwww, sweet if a bit raunchy rom-com material. But it's really short (50 pages). 4/5

GRR Reviews The Perfect Distraction by Susan Coventry

Beth can't live in the city anymore when her fiancee called off their wedding. She moved to Harbor Springs to live in her aunt's cottage. It was just for the summer, and be reunited with her sisters is a bonus. She didn't count on meeting Colton... // Colton is a single dad taking care of his son Joey and working in his family's woodworking biz. The divorce was contentious and he is in no mood for any relationship, not even with the beautiful neighbor Beth. But when he learned that Beth is a teacher, he hired her to tutor Joey over the summer. And what was meant as the perfect distraction to help Beth heal over the summer soon became a lot more...

Now that's the proper way to do a slow-burn romance, when love came from an unexpected direction. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Mommy Love the Banker by Sharon Hughson

Meredith was forced to reinvent herself when her twenty-year marriage ended. She went to help her daughter to raise her granddaughter and tries to get her custom lotion business off the ground, and she will need a loan to get through some tough times. Unfortunately, the bank manager, Donavan, found his hands tied when it comes to lending. Donavon doesn't want to say no to the grandmother, and when their respective granddaughters were bullied at local little league baseball, they unite. And the granddaughters also unite... To put them together! Are Meri and Don overdue for a HEA?

Sweet and heartwarming, yes. The problems in this book basically solved themselves. Meri turned out to have never needed a loan, and her cash crunch resolved itself. Don took some steps to resolve the bully situation. But overall, the tension just wasn't there. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Fool Me Once by Catherine Bybee

Divorce attorney Lori is a divorcee herself, and she's a part of a secret company called Alliance, that arranges "marriages of convenience" for rich and famous clients. She doesn't believe in happily ever after. When several of her clients are now single, and one of them was embroiled by controversy due to unexpected circumstances, she arranged a Caribbean cruise for the group and found herself tempted by one man: Reed. // Reed quit the police force when his superiors were more interested in a cover-up than justice. Becoming a PI seems natural, meeting Lori was definitely a bonus. And when Reed found out Lori's secrets, he found himself conflicted, as Lori was not the target (yet she unwittingly supplied the clue that allowed him to figure out the rest), but if he reported back, Lori will take the fall. And if he confessed, Lori would surely never wanted to see him again... Then the decision was taken out of his hands, for there are other players at play as well... And they all wanted Lori's secrets...

Ah, nice twists and turns. Reed is definitely a conflicted character who wanted to do the right thing, and tries to ride that line between ethics. Lori's cynicism was tested again and again. Like this a lot. 5/5

GRR Reviews The Lumberjack's Secret Guest by Elana Johnson

Phoenix just wanted to be left alone. He didn't want the townfolks of Forbidden Lake to look at him when he was jilted at the altar way back when. He works as a lumberjack part-time, and care for his family cherry orchard. It's a hard but honest living, except for the pesky state agent Allegra, who keeps wanting to take his family land to be added to the adjacent state park. // Allegra secretly admired Phoenix... except for this animosity between them. But when his ex turned stalker and chased her into the forest, she had nowhere to go but to Phoenix's cabin in the woods for help. And he took her in, enemy and all. And he would even go to town for her, something he hadn't done for years. But is she just a secret guest to him? And her evil ex is still out there...

While the mix of lumberjack vs stalker is somewhat novel, and the chemistry is above average, the plot just feels choppy. The explanation on why Allegra was trying to take the land was never explained (at least to my satisfaction), and I saw the darkest hour coming a mile away. You can probably guess the plot, which I won't spoil, but your guess is probably not far off. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Roped Cowboy by Ella Primrose

Buddy, caretaker of Country Coop ranch, found himself in love with his boss, Hailey, the daughter of the new owners of the ranch. He thought himself unable to love another after death of his wife years ago, but he can't get involved with his boss... // Hailey knew what direction she wanted Country Coop to take, and she'll need Buddy to do it, but Buddy is so hunkalicious... Until Hailey learned that her parents may have a different plan for Country Coop than her own. Can Hailey save the ranch? Can Buddy trust Hailey not to betray him? Can they love each other?

A bit short, and the setup a bit simple, but that's what a short novella does. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Email-Order Wife by Vivi Holt

Cassidy lost her husband after three years of struggling with cancer. With a load of medical debt, she had to move back in with her parents, while taking care of three kids and working two jobs. She's getting burned out, and she sees no way out... Her friends signing her up for online dating did not help. Until there was a match in the same small Georgia town... // David Weston had enough of his rockstar life, after a full decade of debauchery. He just bought a mansion in his hometown in Georgia, with his own recording studio, hoping to figure out where to go from there. Being matched with an email order bride in the same small town is a surprise. Finding it was his old high school sweetheart Cassidy was... priceless. But can he ever convince her that he wants her for who she is now? That they should get married first, and the love will come later?

Sweet, good use of kids, but the threat to love was basically a ton of self-inadequacy (no way I am good enough for him/her).  Also, it's sort of between marriage of convenience and marriage of love. Cassidy needed a man, and David has plenty of money. But Cassidy basically believe that he did it out of pity, and that's almost a TSTL moment. 4/5

GRR Reviews When We Touch by Tia Louise

Emberly and Jackson were secret lovers, because Emberly's religious family despises Jackson's poor family. Jackson promised to come back for her, but due to other people's interference, he didn't come back until 10 years later, needing some time off after a grueling case as a trial lawyer. But his return to his hometown was met with shock... Emberly was still there in Oceanside, raising her daughter, believing Jackson left her behind, but Jackson only did so after receiving letters claiming Emberly did not want him back. Jackson wanted back into Emberly's life, but their respective families intervened again. And he has to go back to the city for his job... Right?

Ah, the typical "evil family intervention that destroyed young love gets second chance" plot. While the touches are good, there really is very little new ground covered in this novel. Everything is pretty much, as expected. 4/5

GRR Reviews Late Bloomer by Barbara Lohr

Carolyn is back in Santa Fe to visit her grandmother, and to care for her as she broke her hip three months ago. And she ran into Brody, one of her students years ago. He was a jock, and he set the record for detentions due to way too much female attention and other disruptions. But he's now a proper man. And grandma, aka "Mama V" has a new beau and recovered completely, and encouraged her to have a fling with Brody... and Brody is certainly not a kid anymore. But can Carolyn ever see Brody is a man, not as a former student?

Awwww, a nice job doing a May-September romance that has just a HINT of that taboo feel. 4/5

GRR Reviews Rich Groom by Penny Wylder

Frankie and his friends were foolish in college. They came up with the "Dirty Thirty" pledge. It's as stupid as it sounds: if he made it rich before 30, he promised to screw 30 women... Or get married...  And for that, he lost Anna, the love of his life. It all about trust. Now that he's 2 weeks from his 30th birthday, and back in town (having avoided it for EIGHT YEARS), the guys are busy compiling a list for him... and one even threatened to sue him for all he's worth... should he refuse to honor the pledge. The only way out seems to be marriage... and the only woman he wanted... Was the one that got away... And he has only two weeks to win her back.

Uh... what sort of douche "friends" do that?  But a time-limited second-chance romance? Very interesting indeed. 4/5

GRR Reviews Nudes by Sarah Robinson

Aria is an up and coming star, who had an affair with the director, then cut it off when she realized he's going after every female of legal age. But the director was still creepy as heck. // Ben is the new CEO of a movie production company, and his evil ex dragged him through the mud during the divorce hoping to force more money out of him. // Ben and Aria knew there is chemistry between them, and they reluctantly agreed to get involved. It was wrong. He is technically her boss, and she shouldn't have wanted someone that can ruin her. But they do want each other. Until an act of betrayal that can destroy them both...

Nice, very nice. There's also a theme after the whole thing... How Hollywood double-standard says a victim can be scorned. As the title suggested... Aria's nudes got leaked basically as revenge porn.  Some parts feel forced (Ben's responsibility in all of this, and his inability to explain the situation), and the culprit's mindset. Another thing about the leak didn't make sense.

4.5/5


SPOILER

ALERT

The director got Ben to 'sign off' on the "press photos" by putting the innocuous photos on top and the nudes below. But wouldn't whoever got the stack of photos question "wait, who released these nudes as press photos"?

GRR Reviews Vested Interest by Bethany Jadin

WARNING: Teaser volume, cliffhanger ending

Emma was a research graduate with some breakthrough software with part-time jobs to get by. She was previously betrayed by her boyfriend who took her code and sold it for a life in luxury, leaving her behind. But now, she's being pursued by the five partners of Pentabyte, a software giant, and each of the 5 execs is sinfully hot, in very different ways. And they share very well...

Other than a lot of push-pull, nothing really happened in this volume, except a VERY steamy make-out session. And as I did warn, it ended with almost no action. If you enjoy the tease, this would be great. If you dislike the tease, this book is ONLY teases, and that'd be quite frustrating.

2/5 (due to -1 cliffhanger penalty)

GRR Reviews A St. Vincent Valentine by Olivia Noble

Madison is a top-notch real estate agent, but suffering from a broken heart. Her boyfriend is going back to his first love. So when she got a call to meet with the woman with a business proposition, she's of mixed emotions. Turns out, she's being 'tested' for the biggest real estate deal of her life... a chance to sell a VERY FAMOUS St. Vincent mansion, owned by a VERY mysterious client who demanded a signing of NDA before she can even set foot on the island. She passed with flying colors, and the client is definitely mysterious and swoon-worthy. But she's just his realtor, even as she finally realized who he really is...

Angst-y, mysterious, but is that conducive to love? There's only so much one can do with 'enigmatic'. I just didn't feel much longing and wanting here. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Her Counterfeit Wedding to the Billionaire by Erica Penrod

Sky is a biochemist and arrived at Billionaire Cove to seek employment with her cousin, billionaire Jamon. She was angry at billionaire neighbor Koven's hostile reception. // Koven, a fellow billionaire, was almost destroyed by a golddigger ex that he's hostile to anyone who can potentially be one, and when he saw Sky's dented and bruised car, he can only see some leech up to smooch off her billionaire cousin. // With business in Vegas along with Sky and Jamon, Koven fell sick on the way and feeling a bit high on cough syrup, when Sky ran into her evil ex. Koven (while high?) agreed to go through a drive-thru wedding chapel and got married to Sky to stick it to the evil ex. it's a limited time business deal, at least that's what Koven said. But the longer they live together, the less it feels fake...

Eh, who prescribes antibiotics for a cold, which is a VIRAL infection? And the evil ex's show up just to stage a scene to ruin their day is just stupid nemesis. And her evil ex is willing to sit in a limo as witness to her getting married? WTF?!  This is the weakest of all Billionaire Cove novels. 2/5

GRR Reviews Mommy Loves the IT Guy by Joanne Dannon

Abby was helping out a friend in need when she adopted Skylah, a 10-year-old girl who was severely neglected. It was definitely the best thing that ever happened to her. But when her best friend asked for her help, she had to fly from Australia back to the US to help, with her daughter, of course. Meeting Noah was a surprise, as he's her best friend's brother. He's now a cybersecurity consultant (or "computer guy" as Skylah puts it) and very orderly, and wanted to rekindle his friendship with Abby. But Skylah, fearful of abandonment, is surly and rude toward anyone who threatens her relationship with Abby, esp. Noah. And Abby's life is back in Australia... Will Noah get a chance to prove to them both that family is where you want it to be?

Warm, sweet, though using the kid as a straightman is typical. And other than "computer guy", there wasn't much use for the guy's expertise. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Saving Grace by Katie Graykowski

Grace Kelley is neither blonde nor a princess. The only thing graceful is her name, and her singing voice. But when she spotted a girl in trouble, her innate sense of justice and doing the right thing kicked in. Suddenly, she's a nanny for one precocious teen and two boys, and she may be able to make a down payment for her uncle's nursing home (he raised her). But the father... Well... workaholic may be too mild a term. //  Chord is an NFL champion team's head coach, and that's because he dedicated his life to football, and as a result, ended up with a dysfunctional family. His kids have zero discipline. His wife left him for a yoga instructor after stealing his notebook. Grace crashed into his life. and he tossed her out. But when he realized Grace was able to control his kids, he hired her. He's weary of any woman near him, but Grace broke through those walls. It's obvious that Grace was the best thing that happened to him... Until his notebook vanished... and it's clear Grace is keeping a secret...

I have a slight problem with the "I have to know he wants to marry me because he loves me, not just because we made a baby" reasoning. It's both sweet... yet horribly naive. But I'm a guy. :)  4.5/5

GRR Reviews No Time for Surprises by Karen McCullough

Julie was drummed out of her job when she was accused of leaking proprietary code for the project and not even her fiancee Dan believed her innocence. So she left him. Years later, Julie suddenly found herself working with her ex again when his company just acquired the project she was working on (on behalf of someone else), and she's too far along to be ejected from the project. And Dan, having realized his mistake back then (he let his ambition rule over his logic) wanted another chance with Julie. But Julie, still angry from the betrayal, is not quite ready to give Dan the chance... And corporate spies are still out there...

Ah, "working with the ex", but nicely done. The angst is real, second chance precious. There's only one minor technical problem... Objective-C is basically a Mac and iOS only-language, not usually something that would be used by web programmers working on transactional databases. 4/5

GRR Reviews Mitch: Cooper's Crossing Book 3 by Ann B Harrison

Mitch is a bullrider who made a cardinal mistake: not keeping his eyes on the bull. Bruised and battered, he then received even worse news: his mother is in the hospital in a coma after being trampled by steers on the family ranch, and his brother and sister wanted him home ASAP. But going home may mean giving up his bullriding career, and seeing the one person that broke his heart years ago... // Bridgette had always known that Mitch is the one she wanted, even as a teenager. But she will never hold him back from his dreams. She was the one who "broke up" with him to set him free to pursue his dreams years ago. She knew Mitch will leave after his mom got better, and she refused to believe he may want to stay.

I'm not feeling much for this one. Bridgette just comes across as a doormat through self-immolation (yes, I'm mixing metaphors). And the plot meandered a bit, as Mitch had to finish his rodeo tour, then there was something about learning a bull breeding program on a different ranch (and being setup to romance the rancher's daughter, even though she wants a fake romance so she can pick her own husband). They feel like fillers as they didn't integrate into the main plot that well.  3/5

GRR Reviews Her Lost Chance Boss by Jennifer Youngblood

Reese loves her boss, Adam, but her boss had married her best friend, and she can't get between them. So she simply wished them the best and went on working for him as his assistant. Death of his wife didn't really change things, until one day, he admitted his love for him. And he kissed her, but she can't... and Adam promised never to bring it up again. Four years later, Adam's daughter wanted to put him up on a blind date and wanted Reese to show Adam how to date again. Reese is extremely conflicted. She both wanted Adam to be happy, and jealous that it wasn't with her. Can she admit to herself that she should go for what she wants... Or will she stay safe and not risk her heart again?

Sweet, but the threat a bit... Meh.

Spoiler: It's a ploy by the daughter to push them both together.  Though the combination everyone-but-you and Cyrano plot was a great rom-com plot. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews My Christmas Billionaire by Katie Evergreen

Christian Carroll is back in his family's Department Store... after five years, just before Christmas. His father is dying fast, and his ex is in charge of the store. Someone is letting go employees to below sustainable levels, and customers are leaving in droves. Asked to go undercover to find the problem, Christian meets Merry, one of the employees. He plans to leave as soon as he found the problem... // Merry can't enjoy Christmas when her evil ex dumped her last Christmas, and now just keep showing up demanding service with his new girlfriend. Merry can't lose her job, not with her family barely hanging on, but she may not have a choice soon. Christian is nice, but she has no time to romance...

I enjoy the twist, and it makes sense within the context of the story (final chance to make amends and all that). But the romance seems a bit... forced.  3.5/5

GRR Reviews No Cowboys No Angels by Petie McCarty

Kellen and her entire family left Riverside, West Virginia for a better life, and they eventually succeeded. After her mother died, Kellen found that the old farm was never sold. Determined to sell the place quickly, as it reminded her too much of her past, she encountered the town folks, including one handsome cowboy Luke, who's also her neighbor... and does NOT want her to sell. However, his high-handedness just brushed her wrong. Unfortunately, the town also attracted a mafia operation trying to illegally dump toxic waste next to Kellen's property, and she's already been shot at twice, hoping to scare her off. But her mother did send her a guardian angel... But it can't be Luke...

Eh... there are some bits that are quite good. The conspiracy rolled up nicely. But the guardian angel(s) didn't feel integral to the plot. And Jack just doesn't work for me, as he's just horrible on people, which is kinda hard if he's that good in his... other job. (Hint: he wasn't always a cowboy.) 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Christmas Miracle in July by G M Gauthier

Jack had always hated Christmas. So when his latest assignment as a private investigator took him to Christmas Town, where Christmas is 24/7/365, it's almost like hell on Earth. And the client Mr. Edwards, demands nightly reports... on time, even when there wasn't much to report on. Meeting the storekeeper Charlotte was nice, but he's on the case, and Charlotte is in the center of it. Things got complicated when Jack developed feelings for Charlotte, and Charlotte is determined to help Jack see the Christmas spirit...

Cute, with a good twist (you finally learn WHY Mr. Edwards launched the investigation). Not exactly a miracle, but it's a warm and fuzzy read. 4/5

GRR Reviews Accidental Knight by Nicole Snow

Bella was shocked to find that her grandpa, upon his death, had left the entire family fortune, including the ranch and the oil company, to her, not to her parents. She was even more shocked when grandpa's companion / bodyguard Drake had tricked her into signing a marriage certificate, thus binding them for life. She can't trust anyone, esp. not her parents, and not even Drake, her shadow everywhere. For the vultures are already circling. A rival, Jupiter Oil wants to buy, and her parents are eager to sell. But she's not contemplating any offers until she figures out what's going on... // Drake knew he's there for a reason... to bring down the evil Jupiter Oil, for the owner covered for his suspected serial killer son for too long. This predator preys upon native American women on reservations, usually near one of the Jupiter job sites, and Drake lost someone VERY close to him. He agreed to be a part of the final gambit to bring down Jupiter, and to protect Bella with his life, if necessary. Tricking her into marriage is a part of her grandpa's plan, really, but he can't tell her that. But the evil men have a plan too...

Wow, that's a lot of twists and turns, and the parents turn out to be NOT total douchebags, which is quite an accomplishment. One thing I don't like was the TSTL moment, which was a romance trope. As it's always that TSTL moment that causes the darkest hour. Still, this book overwhelmed that flaw with brilliant plotting and characterization. 5/5

GRR Reviews Tie Me Down by Katie Douglas

Alana fainted at a gas station in Arizona, after fleeing her evil boyfriend Jimbo, who got her pregnant, then beat her for daring to "interfere" in his criminal ways. When he told her she can't keep the baby, it's time to flee the city. Alana was rescued at the station by Lawson, a local cowboy with his own ranch. But can Lawson protect Alana, and convince her he's the one?

Not bad for a novella (right about 100 pages) proper beats and evil ex and all that. Nothing like super-good, but it's quite good. 4/5

GRR Reviews Savage Protector by Kai Lesy

Layla refused to go into law and follow in her father's footsteps. She went into music and was happy teaching kids to appreciate music. She came to know Hugh when his son Charlie was in her music program, but Charlie was an introvert and Layla was suspicious of Hugh, who's quite intense. When Layla's father, the DA, was prosecuting a local criminal kingpin, the kingpin in turn threatened the DA, and DA daddy hired Hugh to protect Layla... And Charlie treats Layla like a second mom...

Good bodyguard romance, with tender moments. No sex until near the very end, though the kingpin threatening someone personally? VERY naughty of him, and very stupid. And the darkest hour... I don't quite like it. It seems like a vast overreaction for a guy. 4/5

GRR Reviews A Debt Owed by Clarissa Wild

WARNING: Cliffhanger

Easton viewed the Davis family with utter hostility, and he planned to ruin them all, while claiming Charlotte Davis for his own. The older Davis worked Easton's chef father into an early grave (heart attack), and blackballed Easton himself just for talking to Charlotte ONCE. Now the revenge is complete: The older Easton, Charlotte's father, offered Charlotte up as Easton's wife if Easton will stop collecting on the 20 million that was owed. // Charlotte was horrified when she was offered up like property by her father, but when Easton threatened her father's life, she had no choice but to comply. Kept like a bird in a gilded cage, and moved to the Netherlands, she has to play the reluctant wife, even as Easton seduces her with taboo sex and ultra luxuries. But she will always look for a way out...

Eh.... While Easton justifies his actions, he just comes across as a jerk, stealing her diary like a burglar and use it to gaslight her. Charlotte shows some backbone and sass. I guess I just didn't like dark romances overall. At least this one doesn't deal with non-consensual stuff.  Oh, and the book ends on a huge cliffhanger.  3/5  (includes -1 for cliffhanger)

GRR Reviews Nina (Beach Brides) by Stacey Joy Netzel

Nina was a diehard romantic and had been let down by love. She went with eleven other book club friends to Enchanted Island, and in their final night, she was supposed to toss a wish of her ideal boyfriend into the ocean as a "message in a bottle". But she brought it back with her. Eight months later, Nina was visiting a Wisconsin town. As the personal assistant (and best friend) to a Hollywood star, she promised to attend the Valentine's Day charity auction in place of her boss. It's almost fate that she ended up sharing a house with Finn (who was promised by her boss's brother to renovate house). // Finn was medically discharged from the military after almost losing his leg. Returning to his hometown, he's smitten with Nina after that fateful meeting. But Nina wasn't quite ready to try again. Finn wasn't giving up though, esp. after finding her message in a bottle of her "dream hero"...

Sweet, and good use of dog (very appropriate name and eyes), plus a darkest hour and grand gesture that makes sense. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Repercussions by B L Olson

Annie knew all along she's a klutz and a hot mess (and no men would want her). She tolerates her best "roommates" meddling in her life, trying to "encourage" her and to set her up.  Meeting next door neighbor Wyatt, however, not in the best of circumstances, esp. when she was straddling a fence, when her thong got stuck on it, and she can't free herself without looking like, uh, you know... (ahem). Both are scarred in various ways... Wyatt fled his previous job and life to escape the torment, and Annie had to deal with her own issues. But together, they are stronger...

For a debut novel, this is excellent. The relationship is believable and builds up slowly. Two minor nitpicks: Grandma Hazel falls into the 'wild oldster" trope, and the darkest hour was a mix between hurt/comfort and "bitter reminder / run away to sort my feelings". But really, Annie, you're such a klutz that you tripped and fell over a cliff? Tsk, tsk. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Marriage for One by Ella Maise

Rose lost her family and was taken in by her uncle's family. All she wanted was her own coffee shop and a family. Her uncle promised to lease her the perfect place, and she already put in her life savings into the place... When her uncle died unexpectedly, she has no lease, no money, and no family.  Oh, and her fiancee dumped her too.  Until she met Jack, the attorney. He made her an offer she couldn't refuse... A marriage of convenience for two years. But why did he make the offer? What was his deal with her ex-fiancee? Will they find true love?

The whole novel feels wordy, and the initial pages didn't really hook me. Once the plot got moving, it gets better. But it never really recovered the lost momentum early on. 3/5

GRR Reviews Finding Spring by Bridget E Baker

Trudy knew life's a struggle. She's a single mother with a sick son, a load of medical debt, with no job and no college degree. And her ex, Chris may have been lying for YEARS. The only way out was to find a job and pay off the debt. There is no time for any frivolities... such as dating. Unfortunately, her family and friends keep trying to set her up, and the only job she can find is "interim assistant"... Then she met her boss Paul... handsome, flirty, and swoon-worthy. But she's not in a good place to date... and not her boss...

If you are not feeling much from the summary here, let's just say the plot gets a lot twistier once you get into it, due to a name mix-up. Paul here is actually known as "Jack" to his friends, and the friends who keep trying to set Trudy up wanted her to meet "Jack" (and she never did). Paul doesn't known that "Gertie" that his friends wanted him to meet is actually Trudy, his own assistant. (The full name is "Gertrude", a very old fashioned female name). This (unintentional) disguise works great to build up the tension, as sort of comedic love triangle. I think the darkest hour reaction was a bit overblown though.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Karma Book Club by Kayley Wood

Mia has a big problem. She let her best friend Kat stay in the apartment she had rented with her boyfriend Doug, only to have Kat steal Doug, and convinced him to kick Mia out of the apartment she mostly decorated with her own money! Fortunately, her three sisters came to her rescue, but scoring her another perfect apartment... But a colossal screwup means Logan was also renting the same apartment... and Logan was freshly out of a scandal not too long ago. Forced to cohabitate, at least temporarily, Mia and Logan eyed each other wearily. But Kat and Mia are competing for the same junior even planner promotion. Mia's sisters have a plan... They shall conduct a karmic retribution scheme on Kat and Doug, and they want to use Logan's questionable morals to good use. After all, what can go wrong? Uh... how about everything?

Part rom com, part karmic revenge, let's just say things don't always go as planned. Good plotting. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd

Lexi has a degree in French, but no job to apply it to... Until she finally got one as front facing clerk at a French bakery, after a convo with the manager. Pay is barely tolerable, but she has her eyes on the assistant manager position. She's also interested in the manager/baker, who's French... and quite flirty... Or the young lawyer that comes over quite frequently... After she screwed up his order, and managed to save the day. But as Lexi goes through life, she has to make decisions... Even as life presents her multiple paths... and she will have to choose between safety... and adventure, and God will help her decide.

Overtly Christian without littering the book with Bible quotes, it's spiritual without going overboard with the Christian references. The actual recipes are a delight as well (Boyfriend Bait Beef Stroganoff, any one?)  But this isn't really a romance per se, but more of a coming of age story, about how Lexi finally found her calling, or at least, on her way to it. 5/5

GRR Reviews Defending Danielle by Shauna Allen

Drew is an elite force recon marine. He has done it all. When one of the missions had gone bad, his team was pulled from the hot zone to recuperate... and as a backup to Senator Lytle's security. Senator's daughter was recently captured by traffickers, then rescued by a SEAL team. Senator wanted to honor the team at an event, and the traffickers vowed revenge. Drew didn't want a babysiting mission, then he discovered that Senator's intern is none other than Danielle, his own high school tutor, who had a crush on him (but he didn't notice then). But he's perfectly willing to love her now, as she's beautiful and smokin' hot. But is she a distraction for the mission ahead?

Sorry to say, but the entire premise is implausible. A SEAL would NEVER accept being honored at a black-tie event (unless they are retired), much less a whole team of them.  And pulling a force recon team to run security detail? Any one ever heard of posse commitatus act? That active military forces cannot be deployed within the continental US?  Security is also atrociously bad for such a high profile event. Trying to make regular military guys play bodyguard just doesn't work for me.  The actual plotting is tolerable, but Dani basically fell into Drew's bed pretty darn quickly. And the bad guys aren't that much of a challenge (not that the force recon guys would let a SWAT team do their job)

2/5

GRR Reviews The 12 Dares of Christmas by Leigh W Stuart

Lauren has just one wish for Christmas... raise money to build a new no-kill animal shelter for her hometown of Sycamore Cove (even though she's deathly afraid of dogs). To do that, she'll do anything, including daring a stranger to strip-tease for the local knitting society. // Gabe has just one wish for Christmas... land his dream job with the governor's analytics office. And that means stay away from any sort of scandals, viral memes, and so on, which would definitely include stripping. Unfortunately, he could never turn down a dare, esp. from such a pretty girl. The girl also happened to be his best friend's little sister... a best friend who's FIERCELY protective of his little sister. As the dares got more daring, and embarrassing stuff got leaked, Lauren and Gabe have to decide if they dare to put their hearts on the line... for the biggest dare of them all: dare to love.

Ah, the dares are quite good, as they alternately trade dares, and yes, there's an HEA. And the beginning, let's just say, is a classic rom-com. Suggestive, yet not porn. 5/5

GRR Reviews In His Eyes by Barbara Lorh

Diana came to Gull Harbor for love, but stayed for the friendships. She had too many sob stories to know men are seldom what they seem, but Will may be the exception to the rule. Will is the admin for a local nursing home, and Diana found herself volunteering to keep a lot of seniors happy. And Will too. But one accident in the kitchen sent her reeling when she was wounded, and may have lost some of her beauty, the only thing she had going for her. Then her sister dumped a surly niece on her (then jetted off with BF on a vacation). But Diana recognized a wounded soul, for she was like that once. And perhaps, Will will not abandon her in her time of need...

The plot points don't quite flow right, and feels like pivots rather than escalations. The seniors are a nice touch, but the "niece" was introduced way too late and felt "tacked on" plot point. And Will came off as a bit of a milquetoast.  Else the score may have been a little higher. 4/5

GRR Reviews Captured by Ella Goode

Luna hopes that this latest job, being a private investigator, will break her string of bad luck jobs (all of which featured spectacular failures). This time, all she has to do is sit in her car, occasionally use her camera, and follow the subject, Maddox, around, from a distance. What can go wrong? // Maddox knew he's being followed. But when his tail refused to engage, he's intrigued. Now he'll turn the tables... and engage her.  And in the end, he will capture her...

Ah, disguises, one of the perennial tropes of romance, and makes for good rom-com as well. It's all about the hidden agenda, where each person knows more than they are letting on. And yes, you'll learn who hired Luna. It's a bit of "insta-love", but it's handled quite nicely in this short (just over 100 pages) novel.  4/5

GRR Reviews Kiss at Midsummer by Meg Easton

Elise lost her mother six years ago. She wanted to complete her mother's bucket list, and one of the items was to buy her childhood home back. She found a job at the Royal Palm Resort and worked her way up to activities director. She needs to cater to this special client, Merit, to get the bonus pay which would give her enough for the down payment. But there's a condition: Merit's business partner wanted him to date and have fun. But Elise also knew that Royal Palm has a "no fraternizing with guest" policy. Merit turns out to be a total workaholic who had to be forced into his vacation, and it took Elise some creative finagling to get him to forget work with activities such as parasailing and sand castle building (with kids). But an unplanned spa day (accidental couple) and a dance at the Midsummer Ball, and other activities as a couple, and Merit found himself falling for Elise, and vice versa, even though Merit was supposed to date other guests, not Elise... And Elise found her job in danger when she was caught with Merit...

The darkest hour was pretty much trope "sensitive ears, fragile ego", when Merit found out about the "side bet" bonus deal his business partner made with Elise, and concluded she's a golddigger and cut off all ties, and thus Elise may lose her job and her chance to buy back her old home. Resolution? A bit of meh. Still, the slow burn was pretty good. 4/5

GRR Reviews No Time for Temptations by Monique McDonell

Georgie was once America's sweetheart, and her best platonic friend, Liam, had always been by her side, lending her strength, even at her first audition ever. A decade later, Georgie is the host of a popular cooking show, and Liam is a top analyst at an investment firm... in different cities.  When a sink mishap (by a neighbor) forced Georgie out of her just-remodeled apartment where she also films her cooking show, Liam decided he needs to make a change. He accepted the offer to move cities (to head up a new branch) and moved to Georgie's city, then bought a Brownstone perfect for filming, and invited Georgie to move in. What he didn't tell Georgie was he always felt inadequate and now that he's successful, and with Georgie moving in, he's ready to show Georgie that he is now someone she deserves... But can she ever see him as more than just the best friend ever?

Awww, sweet unrequited love, a very nice way to do friends to lovers. The way additional tension was added by Liam dumping his existing girlfriend, and Georgie's handsome airline pilot neighbor (whose apartment flooded) tried to parlay an apology into a date. Darkest hour wasn't that dark, but then, this isn't that kind of novel. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Marriage Well Done by Boo Walker

Margot was an up-and-coming Broadway actress when she found her one true love. So she married the guy and settled into domestic bliss. Years later, her son's a teenager, the love has died, her husband is campaigning for a senate seat (after winning mayor). It's clear her husband had forgotten about his family to concentrate on serving "the people". Margot turned into a passive-aggressive political wife. While perfect in public, she would intentionally mess with her husband, like trigger his OCD with mismatched socks, hang a few of his shirts backwards, delete his DVR recordings... But all these are temporary solutions. With her sanity at stake, Margot may have to try something really big... really risky...

Not your typical romance, this is a very interesting take of "on the rocks" genre (where couple already in trouble tries to get back to normal). and it's quite good. You get to know Margot's deepest thoughts. The ending may not be what you expect though. This is also a prequel to her "Red Mountain" novel, where you'll see what happened to Margot and a couple other characters.  4/5

GRR Reviews One Percent of You by Michelle Gross

Hadley thought she had a perfect family, with Lucy and another on the way. Until she was betrayed. Determined to make her own way, she was surprised at someone moved into the house next to her apartment. But he's big, gruff, tattooed, and judgemental. She can see his disdain for an "obvious" single mom (probably on dole and food stamps). It didn't help when Lucy kept calling him "demon guy" (well, his tattoos are of demons and skulls...)  His name is Elijah, and after a while, he wanted to be friends. And even Lucy warmed to him. But can he be more?

Nice, good job mixing "opposites attract" and "first impressions are wrong" tropes. Using kid as the straight man (or woman, in this case) is expected, but still a nice touch. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Finding Faith by Bridget E Baker

Mary had a horrible mother that she's afraid she'll turn out to be the same. So she refused to have any kids, and that destroyed her last relationship. She prefers to run her Christmas program, as a part of a large charity, and do tax returns. She encountered Luke, an electrician, at one of her projects, and he's persistent. Mary enjoys the attention. When Luke's name popped up as both a proposed charity recipient and as a charity host (to help poor families have a Christmas feast and party and gifts) Mary was intrigued. So she went to find a trailer... and found Luke... with his two kids. Turns out Luke's a widower, and Mary immediately took herself out of the relationship... But Luke won't let her walk away. He will be leaving soon, and his kids want Mary for every minute they can. And Mary couldn't say no... And Luke is hiding a secret that can change everything...

Ah, nice. Lots of layers to both characters. Both are wounded, albeit in very different ways, and they fit together quite nicely, even though their respective coping mechanisms for their wound made them say "no way".  Mary doesn't believe she's mother material, and Luke threw himself into work after his loss (even though he didn't need to and dragged his children around the country that he didn't even realize his children are getting tired of his nomadic lifestyle.  It took Mary to wake him up to that fact. The darkest hour was reasonable, compounded by the time pressure and the kids. 5/5

GRR Reviews Class is in Session by Laura Westbrook

Kara is 19 and attending university, and she's falling for the professor... Jack.  She already failed this class before under a different professor, and she can't fail this class again. She thought she felt a bit more attention than normal from Jack, but he's so professional. Then he called her to his office after class, after a test... and that's when he found who her mother is...

Basically, taboo love, with the complication that her mom is the college president. But it's barely mentioned, and there really wasn't much of a struggle. It's hot and steamy, but more in an erotica way than romance. As erotica, it's 4/5, but as a romance... it's 2/5, no complications other than "taboo". So overall, 3/5

GRR Reviews No Time for Apologies by Jean C Gordon

Kate wanted to work her way to the top of Wall Street, but she was turned down again and again for a deserved promotion to fund manager, instead of just researcher. When she got a summer assistant, Jon, she was sure this assistant will be offered a full-time position and soon be promoted over her. But Jon insists he's just there for the summer, for he fully intends to take on a teaching job in the fall as he also has to work on his grandfather's cattle farm. And Jon also revealed he had admired Kate back in high school. When a twist of fate forced the two to compete for the position of fund manager, even as both fell for each other outside of work, will their relationship survive?

Now that's a good way to force the two lovers to compete instead. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews No Time for Promises by Lindsay Detwiler

Rachel is about to turn thirty, and she's yet to make a splash on Broadway. Hoping to score extra brownie points with her current director, she agreed to do a weekend workshop with young aspiring actors. She did not count on meeting Zander... // Zander was deeply hurt by a lover, that he abandoned his entertainment career and became a special education teacher. Chaperoning the kids to this workshop is what he wanted. Meeting Rachel, however, made him want to resurrect his old passions he thought he'd long left behind. But is Rachel just wasting time? Will Zander lose his heart again?

Nice, but not like super-nice. 4/5

GRR Reviews Cowboy's Surprise Nanny by Leslie North

Ian promised his six-year-old son Andy a spot in the local strawberry festival, so he had to kowtow to the mayor. The mayor asked for a favor in return: can Ian help mayor's niece by hiring her as his son's nanny? She's great with kids. Ian agreed, expecting a college-aged girl. What he got was Katie... // Katie loved to cook and went to culinary school. She became an Instagram famous chef. Then a scandal involving her cookbook sent her into hiding out in the countryside. When Andy's dietary restrictions (allergies) forced Katie to be creative, she's drawn back into the cooking world, even as she fell in love with both Ian and Andy. Will Katie have to choose between love and career?

Good, sweet, no forced darkest hour. All motivations are reasonable. No trope evil ex's showing up. There is a little bit of "I won't hold you back" self-sacrificing bit. 5/5

GRR Reviews Hometown Heartbreaker by Joleen James

Ruby regretted getting pregnant at 16 and giving up her baby girl for adoption. She left to make her life. Ten years later, she's back to her small Alaskan hometown, only to find her daughter is being raised by the one man she never thought she'd see again... her one-night stand, hometown golden boy, and the father of her child, Dane. //  Dane had to give up his own dreams when a twist of fate had him raise his own daughter that he gave away at birth. He was not ready to share his daughter with anyone, even her mother, but he didn't have a choice. And it's clear whatever burned between Dane and Ruby is still there... smoldering... But can they ever trust each other again?

Angst-y, but that's the way this sort of reunion goes... At least this is an interesting twist on secret baby. 4/5

GRR Reviews Strictly Professional by Kathryn Nolan

Roxy is a beautiful tattooed goddess badass...except when it comes to business. Her tattoo parlor is failing, as the area is gentrifying. So when a proper Brit wandered through her doors, drunk and broken-hearted, she was surprised, but not shocked. And he's VERY charming. His name is Edward, and he's a hotelier who was expected to marry someone his family approves to inherit the hotel he had been managing most of his adult life. Except the last "approved" woman betrayed him already (which caused him to be drunk and ended up at Roxy's). And Edward has some dark desires he can never share with a "proper" woman... but with Roxy... Oh, yes.  Roxy was going for MBA hoping to fix her business, and one of the projects was being mentored by a businessman. Who'd knew that her mentor would end up being Edward?

Ooo-la-la. This opposites attract story does indeed have explosive chemistry. The end solution was slight bit of deus ex machina. Who'd knew family can be so... ****tards?   4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride by Elle E Kay

Addison and Zachary had made a marriage pact in their teens. They were best friends and always together, but they did not know what life was ahead. Decades later, Zach is billionaire, and Addison is surprised to hear from Zach, shocked when he invoked the marriage pact. She was both thrilled that he remembered, and disbelief that he intended to marry her. But she agreed, and soon, her entire family and his friends are heading to his private island for a beach wedding. Then he sent off his entire staff for a paid cruise on a cruise ship he chartered, so he can spend some time alone with his new bride. Unfortunately, a tropical storm hit soon, and they have to cooperate to survive...

A billionaire and assistant who planned EVERYTHING except for a tropical storm... Hmmm... There's a bit of "everyone but you" feel. But the idea of being swept off one's feet has that bit of Cinderella feel to it, but not much else. 3.5/5