GRR Reviews A Mother For Christmas by Jackie Weger

Single dad Decker and his 8-year-old daughter need to renovate a Victorian in 30 days (by Christmas) or he'll lose the house, but his decorator just ran off on a honeymoon. That left Annalise, the decorator's assistant, shouldering the workload. Annalise is always sad but seems competent in her job, and bonded with his daughter quickly. There may be a spark between the couple... THEN he learned the cause of her sadness... and why they bonded so quickly... 

The twist was practically advertised, but the author did the best to distract us with red herrings. It's a Christmas story, so some incredulity is expected. Not bad, but not one of the author's best efforts. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Favorite by Elle Chance

NOTE: Book has disappeared from Amazon. Here is a Goodreads link

Josh is bartending at his brother's hometown bar because his brother is busy doing something else. He's lamenting on why is he tending bars when he should be chasing down stories as a reporter when Sophie Barlow, daughter of a billionaire, (and classmates, once upon a time) just walked into his bar. // Sophie just needs a little relaxation after a taxing day... but she doesn't want to explain why. The bartender is handsome and flirting never hurts. She's not staying around anyway. Then he revealed he's also a reporter... but she may have already told him too much...

While the meet-cute is cute, and the reason for Sophie to be in town pretty good, I just didn't sense a lot of chemistry between them. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Marry Me at Dawn by Lucinda Whitney

Gabriela came out of the emergency hospital feeling very down... She just found out that she can no longer bear children. Her cousin put her up in a resort in the Azores, so she can hide out and hopefully figure out what to do from there. // Damian vowed to be the opposite of his philandering father by never giving his heart to anyone. He revived the family business, and was doing great, until Social Services handed him baby Claire, legally his as his name is on the birth certificate. He hid out in the Azores... at the same resort... When Gabriella showed up by accident. // Damian found Gabriella beautiful and great with the baby. When his lawyer and best friend told him to marry her for a year, he barely hesitated, and Gabriella, perhaps overwhelmed by a chance to have a family, even if it's a fake one, said yes. But will this family last? And what happens when Damian found out who the father REALLY is?

Good twist at the end (on who's the father), how the fake relationship built up slowly. But I think Gabby was a bit too fast to give up on Damian. 4/5

GRR Reviews Lessons from a One-Night Stand by Piper Rayne

Austin is the teacher and baseball coach at the Alaskan high school for the town of Lake Starlight, for the past nine years, having given up on his dreams and moved back home for his family. Holly is the interim principal taking on a job for just a few months. Unfortunately for Austin, Holly was also his one-night stand, steaming up his jeep windows two nights ago. Austin can't believe he liked his boss, but she's not staying around. Then he finally got the news he dreamed of: being a professional baseball assistant coach for a college. But can he leave his family behind, when Holly may be staying?

Both Austin and Holly are on a quest to find themselves and what they wanted in life. Both are surprised to realize what they really wanted... is there all along! Nice character arcs. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Running After a Heartbreaker by Jami Albright

Hailey promised her mom to keep the bar open, but her father (and co-owner) wants to sell the money-pit (the land's worth a lot more). And her ex-husband is still in town, with his new family, and putting tears in her daughter's eyes daily. When country music artist Beau "The Heartbreaker" Callen landed in town (after half of his band is in jail and the other half in the hospital due to an epic brawl) and needed a place to crash, Hailey offered up her backyard guesthouse... with the caveat that Beau headline a few shows to bring patrons back to the bar. Neither Beau nor Hailey needed complications, but complications they will get... Esp. when Beau discovered that Hailey can sing... and his own backup singer had to bow out...

Good complications left and right, great escalations and rom-com. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Only One by Mary Head

Piper, Manhattan real estate agent, is helping Richard, a British businessman, find housing in New York for his one-year stint in the US. Despite almost twenty years age difference, opposites really do attract, as she showed him one units after another, and they get to know each other. She's vivacious and beautiful, he's handsome and a British accent to swoon over. And when the purchase closed, there's no reason to avoid each other anymore. But what happens when his stint is over and he needed to return to London, and her ex reappears, wanting her back?

Eh, didn't feel much. A competent tale for but much else. Felt it could use a bit of tightening in a lot of pages. 3/5

GRR Reviews Dream Chaser by Brooke St. James

June has a dream: she saved up a bit of money, and she will spend a year in each of the five cities she chose, working all the way, to experience life outside her small town. And just before she's about to leave to chase this dream, a local old lady asked her to consider visiting a small town called Astoria, where she'll meet a man named Jasper, who has a twin brother... and it just happens that Jasper's company's receptionist had to go on bedrest for her pregnancy, and they need a receptionist ASAP... But June was just visiting, and Jasper wasn't ready to fall in love... right?

Ah, nice. The intro was a bit long until the two MC's actually meet. THEN you see how they are made for each other. While this is standalone, you will probably get more out of the book by reading the entire series in order. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews The Patient Patriot by Sarah Gay

Mason Moore, one of the Moore triplets, is glad to have retired from professional football, and can't believe how fast his brothers had succumbed to marriage. He's determined to remain single, as the new principal of the Georgia Patriot Academy (linked to the football team). Meeting Anya at his brother's wedding, however, changed his mind... a little. But when he found out she's a teacher at the academy, he's determined to take it slow. Now, 3 weeks before end of the school year, it's time for the seduction to start. Then he learned that she is going back to Ireland, and he needed to pick up the pace. But when someone threatens their lives, he's ready to send her away to Ireland, but she refused to leave his side...

Somehow, the suspense part felt as if it came too late to matter. Also, this is a novella (not even 100 pages) and there are hardly any sports in it. Some plot consistency problems, and not enough family support among the brothers, left it as merely mediocre.  2.5/5

GRR Reviews All Roads Lead to You by Jennifer Probst

Harper is single and likes it that way; her life's busy enough running her rescue farm of various animals, including a rescued thoroughbred racehorse Phoenix. When a handsome stranger living at the B&B adjoining the farm found Phoenix, he revealed himself to be renowned horse trainer Aidan, who left Ireland under a scandalous cloud (probably involving a racehorse). Harper understands that Phoenix has the potential to be a race winner, maybe not the Triple Crown, but even one or two of them would provide a ton of money and recognition for her rescue farm. And Aidan saw a way to redeem himself... And as they get closer to the big race days, they also developed feelings for each other. But they have to keep their eyes on the ultimate goal... and if necessary... say goodbye...

The horse-racing scenes are good, as is the slow simmer romance, the "scandalous cloud", and so on. However, there are a couple things that made no sense. I know the way I explain it won't make sense unless you read the book, so it could sort of serve as a spoiler, so be warned.

SPOILERS

AHEAD

Anyway, Aidan threatened to blow the whistle on the horse owner for doping the racehorse. So they turned it around and not only threaten to frame Aidan for the doping, but also threaten to never let the horse race again, to force him to stay silent and leave the operation. This really made no sense, except maybe to a horse lover. Owner wants to make money on the horse, so the threat to never race it was an obviously empty one. And the frame job would not likely stand up to deep scrutiny, as an unethical operation that resorted to cheating would likely have a lot of OTHER shady details in the dark (see "cockroach theory"), so that should be an empty threat as well. Yet Aidan just packed up and left for America "to find himself". Phooey.

And the darkest hour was basically Aidan getting offers left and right to go back to Ireland, and he needs to decide whether to stay or go. Meh. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Baby Maker by Lili Valente

Emma wanted to expand her family winemaking business, and she wants a piece of land that someone else wanted... that someone else being Dylan, who needed the place to start his beer brewing business, as he already grows hops. But Emma wanted something else... With no family left, she desperately wanted a baby. In fact, her ex-husband cheated on her because she can't conceive, and married that other woman when that woman became pregnant. When Emma heard that Dylan's clan is known to have "strong swimmers" (super-sperm), Emma decided to make Dylan a deal... Help her get pregnant the natural way (yes, sex), and once she's pregnant (or by end of three months), she'll let Dylan buy the land by bowing out of contention. // Dylan wanted to say no. In fact, hell no. But when Emma put on her sexy moves, Dylan didn't have the heart to refuse. And bareback sex was phenomenal. But when it comes time to part, can they really let each other go?

Hmmm... the plot was pretty trope by this point (i.e. make me a baby / fall in love) but there are some rather novel polishes on the trope, such as land deal (even though it wasn't talked about much after the arrangement was in place). And the land deal seems to be on hold for MONTHS and MONTHS? OTOH, the supporting characters are nice. 3.5/5

GRR Reviws Wish Upon a Shell by Kay Corell

Reed was told to take a long vacation to deal with his grief, and in the first spur-of-the-moment decision, he booked a month stay at Belle Island, off the coast of Florida. And once there, it took him a few days to stop reaching for his phone or laptop. And that's also when he met Julie, owner of the Sweet Shoppe, who is cheery on the outside, but suffering from her own losses. They are attracted to each other, but Julie can't fall for someone who will walk away from her in a few weeks. or can she? When an outing turned into a medical emergency and caused Reed a painful flashback, will both of their hearts be broken?

While I like the town and the friends, and even Reed and Julie as characters, the plot was a bit clunky near the darkest hour and grand gesture. Without spoiling anything, let's just say the MMC decided it's ALL HIS FAULT and he had to leave her before he destroyed her. MEH. That's such a trope. And the grand gesture was a bit too easy and forgiveness a bit too fast. 4/5

GRR Reviews Cowboys Don't Marry Their Best Friend by Jessie Gussman

Ames and Palmer are best platonic friends. She was an ex-winter Olympian. He's just a rancher in North Dakota. Yet they grew up together in Sweet Water ND, and had always played together, and knew each other extremely well, just not... that way. But Palmer's family farm is barely hanging on, not enough to pay the mounting medical bills. And Ames is just vacationing, as she has interviewed for sportscaster positions in Los Angeles. When Palmer got a chance to receive 1 billion dollars from an eccentric billionaire with a couple conditions, including "getting married" and "stay in North Dakota forever", Ames wants to set him up with her female friends. Palmer already has one candidate in mind... But can he justify asking her to give up her own dreams?

Very nice... VERY nice. Channels a bit of "indecent proposal", a bit of "gift of the Magi", and a great twist at the end (let's just say, the story doesn't quite go where you expect it to). 5/5

GRR Reviews Heartstruck and Heavensent by Kari Trumbo

Madison is a very private librarian. Nobody knows her well, and that's her choice. She based her life on her parents, who are Christians with zero public affections, that love is something to be shamed. So much so, she left Kansas behind and went to New York City. She's even more ashamed because she has a secret side job: romance writer. And she's actually quite decent at it... Until she hit a writer's block. When three of her best online friends roped her into a week at the Broken J Ranch in Wyoming as sort of a writing retreat, she accepted, as anything would be better than writing nothing. Which is where she also met a quiet wrangler by the name of Randall... // Randall has land in Kansas, and he's just working in Wyoming to save up some money to outfit his own ranch. Randall was drawn to Madison, but Randall's leaving soon, and Madison, even sooner. Madison knew that Randall is a Christian, and is strong and good-hearted. But she can't do long-distance, and she didn't like being Christian... or did she misunderstood what being a Christian meant all along? And is there really a chance with Randall, if they can both go back to Kansas?

Okay, this is Christian / Spiritual, but not too obviously so. It doesn't beat you over the head with Bible quotes and such. You can even say it kinda broke the 4th Wall, albeit circumspect, by having characters that are romance novel writers discussing what constitutes a spiritual romance, and even made threw some shade at traditional publishing vs. indie publishing. 4/5

GRR Riviews Riptide of Romance by Jennifer Jones

Justice has finally returned after years of wandering the beaches, catching the best waves, and fixing motorcycles. But his uncle's death brought him back. However, his return also triggered a visit from a bill collector: his uncle's surf shop owes 50K to the bank, and he has 30 days to make up the amount... or the shop will be foreclosed on, and his old rival let him knew that it will be razed and condos be built in its place. The only chance for Justice to save the shop was to enlist the help of the woman he left behind: Lola Cortez, daughter of a surfing legend, and enter a wade pool tandem surfing contest with the grand prize of 100K. However, Lola was also the girl he left behind... and Lola's boss is the banker, and has an axe to grind against his entire family... And he's got the money and skills to back up his threats... Can Justice and Lola triumph after all? Will they rekindle their love?

Eh, the "evil" guy has ZERO good about him, which made him cartoonishly bad. The rest was actually quite good. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Doctor's Love by Jennifer Gracen

Toni's life is difficult enough already. With a boss from hell in an art gallery at work, and a demanding harping mother at home, she really has no time for love. Until she ran into Gavin, brother of her roommate // Gavin is in the US visiting his sister, and met Toni, his sister's best friend and roommate. Gavin is a doctor in Ireland, and he went to the US to get away from his cling-y ex and his own family for a few months. He's attracted to Toni, but knew he shouldn't touch his sister's bestie. When Toni offered him a short-duration NSA relationship, he can't refuse. But as the summer comes to a close, Toni realized that her heart already belongs to Gavin. Can she say goodbye without regrets?

Good slow-simmer romance with time limit and a lot of amily complications.  4/5

GRR Reviews Between Friends by Charlotte Blake

Sarah knew Ethan mainly as her roommate's boyfriend... Until her roommate dumped Ethan for someone else. But her roommate is fickle. When she "broke up" with her current BF, she wants to get back with Ethan, only to get back with her current BF again. Sarah didn't like that, but it's not her relationship. She maintained friendship with Ethan and the other guys, but she's wondering what's she doing with life, as she barely survived pre-med in UC Berkeley and didn't bother applying to medical school. Now stuck in dead-end waitressing job, she's pondering when she started to notice that Ethan seems to have feelings for her... more than just a friend. When the four friends scraped together funds for a quick trip to Paris, city of love, Sarah and Ethan's relationship went to a different level... but should what happened in Paris stay in Paris? Or should Sarah and Ethan go public... and risk Sarah's roommate finding out that her roomie is dating her ex? And does that even matter?

Hmmm... I honestly don't recall seeing anything in the girl code that says you can't date your roommate's ex. I guess the only thing Sarah can be blamed for is not come right out and say "I'm going to date your ex". There's some serious angst, but mostly self-inflicted. 4/5

GRR Reviews Sound Advice by L B Dunbar

Emily had to head back to her hometown of Elk Rapids to check up on Nana (grandma), as she seems to have moments of dementia. Emily encountered neighbor Jess, and his daughter Katie, who turned mute when Jess' wife just left the two. Emily helped Jess and Katie learn ASL so they can communicate instead of just guessing. Emily bonded with Katie, but Emily may not be staying as her career is still out East, and Jess can't fall for someone who's not staying...

Good emotional ebb and flow, but there are moments that are extremely slow, and the escalation didn't quite flow right. 3.5/5

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 Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

Marley went home because she had to... She had nowhere else to go after being downsized, dumped, and cheated on. It's been twenty years since she left, and it seems her name was still whispered (in disgrace). With nothing to do, Marley accepted a temporary position as girl's soccer team coach... of the losing-est team in school history. But with a little help from fellow coach (cross-country running) Jake, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. But when a celebration after a hard-fought win fed the rumor mill, and the two were called to principal's office to sign an ethics contract to be in a committed relationship (for the kids' sake, set example and all that), Jake was happy to be Marley's "fake" boyfriend with a quid-pro-quo arrangement: he'll teach her how to coach, and she'll teach him how to love. But it's all fake... right? She's leaving after the summer's over... right?

The fake relationship pivot was handled quite well, even though Jake was introduced kinda late.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Suave Billionaire's Secret Life by Kristen Iten

Kelsey is a do-gooder... delivering a new uniform to a student in need. Unfortunately, the student lived in a bad part of town, and on her way out, she was robbed, then a handsome stranger came to her rescue. The stranger's name is Mitch, and she could swoon for him... but it wouldn't be fair... she's leaving in a month or two, just until the school ends. Then she's heading off to teach in Africa...  And she's allergic to wealthy men, after what her evil EX put her through... // Mitch is a prizefighter, but he's doing it as his alter ego, Mitch "The Machine". During daytime, he's Mitchell Prescott, billionaire. Finding his ideal woman was great, but after finding out she's allergic to wealth, how can he show her that wealth did not define him?

Not bad, but nothing that extraordinary either. The end was all billionaire style wooing (let's just say, he put his wealth to good use).

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 3/5

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