The Tough Love Groom by Taylor Hart

Synopsis:

Texas Titan quarterback, Kade Kincaid, affectionately known by his fans as Zeus, doesn't want to go to some stupid bachelor auction, and he really doesn't want some newbie PR rep babysitting him, but a crazed, supermodel stalker won't leave him alone and he needs someone to block for him. Felicity Song has plans for her PR career, and babysitting a spoiled quarterback billionaire wasn't one of them. When he demands she 'fake' buy him at the auction or risk losing her job, she takes the assignment with one demand, she will NOT go on a date with him. Too bad Zeus is as cocky as his namesake and won't let her off the hook. When she plans a perfectly horrible date full of activities Kade hates, she's blindsided when he agrees to actually jump out of a plane with her and even more surprised when he kisses her. Good thing she slaps him and discovers... the Greek God's flesh is just as fragile as any other mortal man. When a tragedy strikes Felicity and Kade steps up to help her, she has to make a choice: lose her one shot at love... or do the one thing she's told herself she would never do again.

Review:

There are quite a few of these Texas Titan Romances about hunky billionaire football players... this is the second one I have read and I have to say I am hooked! Taylor Hart did not disappoint in this book. Felicity works as Kade's PR rep and she is less than thrilled. She has a heart condition and doesn't like to get close to anyone but Mr. Kade sneaks his way into her heart. He was one determined guy and she put up a fight. I enjoyed the characters and their funny, determined and caring personalities. This had a little bit of everything in it with some family drama on both sides, fun adventures, heartache, tragedy, "tough love" and of course some clean swoony romance. You are drawn in from the beginning and then it has quite the end!

Stars: 5

Romancing the Singer by Cami Checketts

Synopsis: 

Daisy Castleton hasn't been home since she won Singing with the Stars and a huge recording contract, but where else do you escape from the tabloid sharks when you discover you have throat cancer? Daisy wants nothing more than to disappear as she faces the fact that she may never sing again. Between family issues and an impossible to ignore attraction to her childhood hero, Daisy can't catch a break. After all, how do you stop yourself from falling in love with the perfect guy?

Jamison Hall came home to Snow Valley after a successful career in the European Basketball Association. When he literally runs Daisy off a hiking trail with his horse, he discovers a connection and love he'd never imagined. But Daisy is like a beautiful fairy: always out of reach and afraid even the best of men will burn her wings. 

Can they survive a snow storm and the media storm, together?

Review:

Oh man this one really pulled at my heart strings! Daisy is a famous singer who has recently found out she has throat cancer and may not be able to sing again. No one knows about her cancer and she wants to keep it that way as long as possible. So she heads home to one of my favorite small towns... Snow Valley. Of course she sees Jamison one of her brother's best friends and they are drawn to each other but she pushes him away multiple times knowing she shouldn't get close to him because of her unsure future. The way he treats her and the sparks that fly makes you just wanting her to tell him so he can be there for her but you understand her point of view too with not wanting to get close to anyone. I loved their characters and his cockiness was funny. I couldn't put it down and read it very quickly. Cami just has a way to draw you right in from the beginning!

Stars: 5

Jessica & James: A Love Story by Kimberley Montpetit

Synopsis:

Suffering with a broken heart, Jessica has struggled to forgive herself for that fateful night when her childhood love was killed in a car accident. After staying away from home for years, she finally returns for Christmas and meets James Douglas who is unlike any minister-in-training she's ever known. James can not only dish back Jessica's finely tuned sarcasm but understand grief all too well, turning Jessica's world and her faith upside down. Is she ready to take another risk on love?
Living 2,000 miles apart proves difficult and Jessica and James' love is tested in a myriad of ways, but James can't get the spitfire Jessica out of his mind. When she comes home to Snow Valley to accept an inheritance with her male ballet partner in tow, James and Jessica's passion for each other takes on a new edge.

Review:

I loved this clean holiday romance! Jessica is a talented ballerina who has moved away from her home town after a tragedy. She has left her home, family, and her faith. She finally comes home after many years and her life gets turned upside down. Jessica meets James, the soon to be pastor, and with a little holiday magic sparks begin to fly between the unlikely pair. I love their chemistry and how James handles her sarcasm and is able to help her. It made me sad when they started growing distant but I am glad they were able to find their way to their happily ever after. I love when I get to go back to the fun small town of Snow Valley, Montana. It is one of my favorite towns to read about. I loved this book because it combined two Snow Valley books by Kimberley into one and added a bonus chapter. I loved weddings and everything about them so the bonus chapter was a great addition!

Stars: 4.5

One Small Chance by Lucinda Whitney

Synopsis:

Isabel Antunes is content with her life as director of the British Academy in Lisbon. Then she's hit by a man on a bike--a man her boss just hired to be her assistant. Despite Simon Ackerley's repeated assurances to the contrary, Isabel believes he's after her  position, but she won't hand it over without a fight. As if dealing with him all week is not enough, he shows up at church as well. Her only solace is in writing to the pen pal she knows as "Elliott."
Simon Ackerley told his father he was moving to Lisbon for the job. But that isn't the only reason. Simon is looking for Amelie, the pen pal he's written for fifteen years. A woman he knows everything about- except her real name and address. When the accident reveals that Simon's prickly co-worker Isabel is the elusive Amelie, he knows he has to win her trust before he can confess his true identity. If only he could tell her the actual reason why he's come, he's sure Isabel would treat him differently. But she's not ready for the truth.

Review:

I LOVE Lisbon, Portugal and reading this cute book took me right back there. The world is small and there is always that possible chance encounter. Isabel has a long time pen pal that she has written for years but knows little about his personal life like his real name. Little does she know that the new guy at work is her longtime pen pal. I love how Simon was so nice and patient. He worked on getting Isabel to trust him before saying much. I loved this cute novella. The characters had great chemistry and the descriptive details and setting were very well written. It is a clean, LDS romance novella. It is short, sweet, and an easy read!

Stars: 4.5

Delilah's Desserts by Melanie Jacobson, Heather B. Moore & Julie Wright

Synopsis:

Tangerine Street is a must-see tourist stop with a colorful mix of one-of-a-kind boutiques, unique restaurants, eclectic museums, quaint bookstores, and exclusive bed-and-breakfasts. Delilah's Desserts, situated in the middle of this charming collection of shops and cafes on Tangerine Street, is a bakery that offers a different variety of desserts each day. The emotions that Delilah bakes into these desserts have a strange effect on customers, sometimes altering the course of their lives...

Review:

I loved this book it took me back to when I worked in a dessert café. It brought back many memories... I just wish it was close to the beach and on the touristy destination of Tangerine Street. Such a cute fun place I would love to visit. My mouth watered wanting to try each one of the desserts from the bakery! These books were all unique from an old love reconnecting in part one, an unlikely pair finding each other in part two and a business interview turning into something more. The characters in each story had great chemistry. I loved the way the novella's were written with wonderful details and descriptions. I always love these authors books. This is a cute, fun, and most importantly a clean contemporary romance.

Stars: 5