GRR Reviews Falling for You by Julie Ortolon

Aurora aka "Rory" always wondered about the mansion on one of the islands around Galveston, TX, that belonged to one of her ancestors. When she found that the mansion will be sold in a foreclosure sale, she enlisted her siblings to turn the mansion into a B&B... But they need a business loan... which means she needs to talk to a banker like Chance. // Chance knew his family wanted him to take a position in the family bank... and marry a matching socialite. But he always had a crush on Rory... He helped her write a business plan for the B&B, but he can't get more involved than that. Or can he?

The guy's WAY too wishy-washy to be an alpha, or even a beta. He practically tried to play both ways until the end of the book. Meh. 3/5

GRR Reviews Until Tomorrow by Nancy Naigle

Flynn took over her grandparents' B&B with reluctance. She was jobless and figured "why the heck not". Now that her grandparents actually left for their vacation, she found herself struggling to keep the B&B in the black, as the old building has problems left and right, and she can't rent out rooms that have problems. She can turn the B&B back over (there's an "escape clause" for her) but that also means she had to find a new place to move to, as she can't face her grandparents if she had to give up. That's when Ford blew into town... // Ford is a master glass artist, and he met Flynn before at a wedding, and there definitely were sparks between them. Now that Ford will be nearby at an artist retreat for months, he'll drop by as often as he can, and see where things with Flynn can go. But Ford's real home is in Alaska, where his glass studio he rented was in danger of being foreclosed and auctioned off.  But Ford can buy it. Now Flynn is torn... fulfill her duties to her grandparents and run the B&B, or follow Flynn to Alaska for love?

Pretty good, but not like extra-ordinary good. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Cowboy's Fake Marriage by Bree Livingston

Grace Maddox, interior designer, has been living in a funk ever since her fiancee died a few days before their wedding. When her car broke down in Willow Valley, TX, hours away from her VIP client meeting, she was told to not come back until she has her head together. Now jobless and carless, Grace was actually thrilled to find that the rundown B&B, ran by Jackson, ex-rodeo cowboy, is actually a dream for an interior designer (and restorer) like her. It will take a lot of work... // Jackson had enough of his ex-wife Hannah. She cheated on him, so he divorced her. Now she demands to be back in his life... Which is when Grace came to Jackson's rescue... by pretending to be his new fiancee. Then Hannah played her trump card: Jackson can either take her back... Or her rich daddy will foreclose on the Jackson ranch. Jackson has 3 months to come up with 100K... Or sell it before then. And Jackson is determined to keep the ranch... AND keep Hannah away. Grace will work for room and board... and turn the B&B into a dude ranch. But when Hannah pushed the couple to "prove" they really intend to marry... will they?

Okay, everything fits so far, nobody has any particular TSTL moments. Heck, even Hannah had a bit of redemption by the end. Though Grace accepting Hannah's "help" (and basically forcing Jackson to go along with it) was almost TSTL. But it also sort of make sense as they need every bit of help they can get. It is however, a bit long and "feels" slow-paced. 4/5

GRR Reviews Twice Shy by Mona Ingram

NOTE: Previously published under the title "The Shell Game"

Becky arrived at Waterlilly Bay Lodge too late. She had planned to spend her summer here with beloved Gran, only to learn that she had passed away before she can get here. Then she found that her old boyfriend, Mitch, had been helping Gran for the past four years, while she's in Hollywood busy honing her screenwriting career. They were both shocked when Gran had left the Lodge (B&B) to both of them, with a request that they (Mitch and Becky) should try to run it together for a year. Will they finally learn what took Mitch away that night, and will they finally be over it all? Can they work through the problems that affected the Lodge?

While the tropes are nothing new (weird will, reunion, return), Mona Ingram managed to put minor spin on each that made it fresh, without taking away the conventions. Gran's will is not the kind that would have a lawyer take it away, but rather, a kind request that you don't dare ignore for disappointing her, even after death. And both characters are reasonably well off... So they are doing it for the duty, not the money. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Perfect Kiss by Melanie Shawn

Shelby barely escaped from her abuser and never talked about him to anyone, not even her closest relatives. She came back to Hope Falls for a fresh start, and even though she doesn't quite recognize herself in the mirror, she's determined to see where her one kiss with Levi, 18 months ago, can go. At that time, she thought Levi was a mere bartender, but Levi is actually the bar owner... Moreover, he's working on creating a bed-and-breakfast in the adjacent lot. When Levi saw Shelby again, he knew someone had hurt her, but he's not the prying kind. He offered her one of the rooms in bed and breakfast, and a job at the bar. When her abusive ex found her again... Levi will call in all his favors to ensure Shelby will never face that nightmare alone, ever again...

Not quite up to the author's standards. There were repeated mentions of drooling, which is a bit off-putting. Moreover, the resolution was all talk, no action. It's pretty obvious her stalker has connections, but other than some stalker photos taken by a PI there wasn't anything threatening. It's like the boogeyman, all roaring, no bite.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: Woman moved back home for a fresh start, but her stalker returned... can her new beau save her?

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews This Time Around by Tawna Fenske

This time around is quirky, fun, and mostly light-hearted, though the darkest hour somehow just sounded... ridiculous.

Allie Ross's life had gone off the rails. Her parents are in jail for conning people in a Ponzi scheme. Her schooling is done and she can't afford law school anymore. Her grandma just died, leaving her the B&B, except it's no longer a B&B but a cat shelter full of 6-toed cats. And Allie obviously has no life, no love life anyway. When Jack Carpenter found Allie, Jack wanted to apologize. He was a real jerk back then and definitely broke her heart back then. Now he's a widower raising a 10-year old daughter and a business that made him well to do... And he's a changed man. But can he convince Allie to give him a chance? Or to give HERSELF a chance?

The extra tension of finding something in the ttic of the B&B added some interesting tension. As I said, the darkest hour feels a bit... dumb. As for why, I won't spoil the plot. But it's a fun tale.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Can an overwhelmed young woman find love amidst a bunch of 6-toed cats with a guy that broke her heart a long time ago?

Tropes: pets, family secrets, B&B, reunion, single parent, widower

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Silver Bells: Rivers End Romance by CJ Hunt

Silvert Bells is supposed to be a holiday romance, but the FMC just came across as the grinch and the feelings are a bit forced.

Isaac just wants to run Big River Lodge after his wife ran out, leaving little Sara in his care. Christmas Blogger Jenna is absolutely burned out about Christmas, and almost 6 posts a day about "Big C" for way too long... she doesn't want to hear ANYTHING about Christmas, and that's why she booked an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, far away from her family. Unfortunately, Isaac and Sara are big believers of the Holiday spirit... and upended her life...

Cute, and sometimes warm and fuzzy, but it's more like some cloyingly sweet cup of hot chocolate with too many marshmallows... that's gotten a little cold. Nothing too special here.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Burned out Christmas blogger rented an isolated cabin to stay quiet, until lodge owner and his daughter decided to share holiday

Tropes: holiday, B&B, single parent, fling to thing

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Snowdrops and Stardust by Sue Lilley

Snowdrops and Stardust is a short (under 50 pages) quick contemporary romance about "celebrity vs. commoner" trope. Slightly melodramatic, but tolerable in a short.

Aiden Delaney has it all: a headline gig, legions of adoring fans, tons of $$$, bandmates who adore him, a manager ready for his beck and call... but three days before his gig, feeling burned out, he treks out alone with his guitar for his muse. Left outside of town, he wandered into a cottage and met country-girl Marianne, who doesn't seem to recognize him. Snowstorm stranded him for three days... and both of their lives will be changed forever...

A short fast read that's charming, it make you wonder about serendipity in life, and will you appreciate it when you find it.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Burned-out rock star decided to seek his muse in the country-side; ran into harried inn-keeper country girl

Tropes: performer, B&B, disguise, forced proximity

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Warm Winter Kisses (Bliss Harbor) by Juliet Spenser

Warm Winter Kisses is a cozy romance short (only about 50 pages) about friends into lovers.

Hannah runs the B&B in town and life is good, until she fell for the hunky detective Liam... who's also her best friend. She doesn't want to ruin a good thing, but he had been waiting for three years, and he's tired of waiting any longer, esp. when a storm stranded them together...

The two characters are nicely drawn, and as a short, they are just detailed enough to make the point stick: life is what you make of it.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: B&B owner have to decide whether to take her friendship with detective beyond that, but he's tired of waiting for her...

Tropes:small town, friends to lovers, law enforcement, B&B, forced proximity

Overall Rating:  4/5 (rounded up)

GRR Reviews Somewhere Along the Way (The Andrade by Ruth Cardello

Somewhere Along the Way was a contemporary romance about a man tired of his family drama vs. a woman who doubt she can be a good lover but wanted a family nonetheless. Somehow the characters are complex, yet incredibly shallow at times when it comes to motivations.

Luke Andrade is the peacemaker in his large and rich family, but all that stress wasn't good for the soul. After he went to Ohio to attend a funeral, he never expected to meet the most charming B&B owner, Cassie Daiver. Cassie grew up with a druggie mother and was molested by one of her mother's "boyfriends". She left her mother behind after turning 18 and never looked back, and a chance encounter landed her in Defiance Ohio, where she landed a deal that got her running the charming little B&B. She knew Luke Andrade was way out of her league, but he doesn't think so. But he had too many family problems to deal with, and she wasn't about to entrust him with her secret... She wanted a family, a baby by herself (donor sperm) but so far she hadn't succeeded. When he had to go back to New York for a family crisis, and tried to leave her out of it, how will she take the situation? Or is that the big breakup?

The insta-lust on both was abrupt but the family drama was good. My problem was the grudge that caused the family drama was extremely petty, the amount of problem caused by the grudge was so devastating and long-lasting (as the grudge lasted decades), no wonder the guy's broken up by the family drama... it's so petty and stupid! On the other hand, Cassie seems to have such a low view of herself, she sees any action by Luke as a slap in the face that she's not good enough. That's almost doormat behavior, despite everything Luke tried to show otherwise. Luke is fine, it's just some external matters that didn't really prevent him from loving. Cassie, on the other hand, was basically self-sabotaging her way to happiness. Eventually, they came around, but family drama does s round out a character.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Charming B&B owner found herself wooed by one of the rich and famous, but she felt  unworthy

Tropes: different worlds, B&B, familys secrets

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Rocky Mountain Mornings by Kirsten Osbourne

Rocky Mountain Mornings is the start of a new series, but the trope alpha male teaser and the trope FMC who can't help but fall for such a teaser despite the behavior would otherwise drive her up the wall were just way too cliche. At least the teasing was clean.

Bri Roberts and her sister had always wanted to turn their grandma's house in Silver Springs, CO into a bed and breakfast, and they needed a contractor to help realize their dreams. What they got is Anthony Black, the new guy in town, that drives Bri up the wall with his teases / flirting about how he will marry her and all that. Can such a romance work?

The teasing and flirting are relentless. I honestly got bored listening to the teases. Do women really respond to being teased mercilessly?

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman trying to start a bed and breakfast can't decide to love or strangle her contractor who's teasing her mercilessly

Tropes: small town, B&B, fling to a thing

Overall Rating: 3/5 (rounded up)

GRR Reviews or Now and Forever (The Inn at Sunset Harbor) by Sophie Love

For Now and Forever is supposed to be a story about a woman's self-rediscovery alongside a somewhat mysterious companion. However, the story doesn't really make that much sense to start with.

Emily Mitchell is in New York, staying at a soul-sucking job with a horrible boss, with a boyfriend of seven years who has STILL not yet proposed... and she's 35. She remembered living in Maine, in a great old house, until her sister died, her father disappeared, and things were never again the same. When her boyfriend took her out on an anniversary dinner... and only gave her a bottle of perfume instead of a ring, she finally snapped. She broke it off with him, and when her boss gave her the usual dressing down, she quit the job as well... and decided to go to Maine... to see what happened to her old house... one that she hadn't seen in 20 years. She doesn't know what she'll do, but she'll figure it out. She ran into Daniel, the groundskeeper. who has secrets of his own. She decided that since the house used to be a bed and breakfast, she will turn it back into one, with Daniel's help... or not.

The first few chapters were all showing how sucky Emily's life was, that we didn't see Daniel until several chapters into the book, after Emily had basically abandoned everything, cut all ties, burned all the bridges, and went back to her old home just because she got nowhere else to go! That's just... crazy act of desperation. The chemistry wasn't even really there either between Emily and Daniel. It's not even forced cohabitation as he lives in the guesthouse, not the main house! It just didn't make that much sense. I honestly don't see what's so romantic about this. Who paid the property tax in the last 20 years, and so on and so forth?

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman tired of status quo snapped and ran off to her old house she hadn't seen in twenty years; found mysterious stranger living there

Tropes: Betrayal, jilted, B&B

Overall Rating: 2/5