definitely, possibly, maybe

this latest entry into the heart of texas series is just as good as the ones that came before it. looking for a cowboy  finds quintessential good guy cooper owens finding love with tough-as-nails private investigator marlee. there's a connection there from the moment they meet, but marlee's suspicious of cooper's friends, so until they resolve that bit of misunderstanding, they can't move forward.  marlee's reasons for being suspicious are valid, but if she knew the harpers she'd know how off-base they were, because the family in these stories are just good, upstanding people. and once they realize what is going on and what she's looking to stop, they're all-in on helping her out.  the suspense and mystery here all unfold at a great pace, and the romance that blooms between the two characters is well done.  **looking for a cowboy will publish on october 27, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press in exchange f...

ever since i read the sneak peek chapter in   high heat , i’ve been waiting for   feel the fire . usually, i’m not one for second-chance romances, but there was something about the crackle of chemistry and resentment the characters had in the opening pages that made this one hard to resist.  one thing i loved is that the resentment piece isn’t long and drawn out. what blossoms between the characters isn’t a slow burn, in part because they did all that slow-burning off-page. tucker is a demisexual, but the deep, emotional connection he needs is already there with luis. it was always there, even though his life took him on an unintended path.  seeing the two characters figure out how to compromise and build a life they both want together made every moment worth it. it was nice to check in on earlier characters from the series, but luis and tucker are just perfection together and i loved every second of this read.  **feel the fire will publish on october 26, 2020. ...

i wasn't entirely sold on the concept for bane's choice , since i'm not really one for motorcycle club stories, but it also didn't feel like your usual motorcycle club romance rife with misogyny, so i decided to take a chance.  the vampire stuff i found interesting, the motorcycle club stuff felt extraneous but didn't bother me, but oh man did i dislike this heroine. like i'm all for standing up for yourself and being able to protect yourself from danger. but this dimwit was like oh there's a newly turned vampire who will be crazed with bloodlust and none of that matters because he is my patient. he's dead. he's a paranormal being who's vitals actually don't matter and he's going to kill you because you are food to him.  like there's being a badass and there's being stupid. and i thought ryan was totally stupid. she was so stupid that i just couldn't bring myself to care about anything related to her, which killed the romance ...

amy daws is back in the wait with me world, this time with a two career-driven people who find that maybe there is time in their lives for romance when a fake date evolves into real love.  over the course of the series we've had multiple opportunities to interact with dean. he's a little bit douchey, a little bit a hipster metrosexual type, but still somehow charming. and if the guy's best friends are lyndsey and kate, you know that there's got to be something special there. well take a number  pulls back the metaphorical curtain. and dean is a delight.  he finds his perfect counterpoint in norah. the uptight, obsessive-compulsive croinut baker who is intent on getting her donut shops out across the country.  together they make a perfect team, and their mutual fear of commitment and intimacy is challenged by how in sync they are with one another.  **take a number will publish on october 15, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of amy daws. keep readi...

food trucks, check.  enemies-to-lovers, check.  hawaiian setting, check. all the glorious food descriptions, check.  my best recommendation for reading simmer down  is to either eat a large meal before reading, or make sure you have snacks available. because you will be hungry.  smith's sophomore effort is a delightful read, the perfect bit of escapist fantasy that feels especially necessary when we're still stuck sheltering at home.  **simmer down will publish on october 13, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/penguin random house (berkley) in exchange for my honest review. 

i don't know if we can call blind heroine in the highlands a trope per se, but i've definitely read books with this casting before and i like them. a lot. amy jarecki continues to write these wonderfully nuanced romances with heroes who history has placed on the losing side, the highland laird is no exception.  but there's so much intrigue and political maneuvering in the setting that makes it the perfect backdrop for these swoony, romantic stories. every time she publishes one, i'm convinced it's the last one, we're looking at number 8 here. but if the lords of the highlands series continues, it's no hardship because these stories are just super enjoyable.  **the highland laird will publish on october 13, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review. 

the vicar and the rake  is a steamy m/m historical that finds two former friends reconnecting in the most historical trope-y kind of way, and it's just amazing. the RAKE discovers the VICAR PASSED OUT with A FEVER in HIS GARDEN. it is AMAZING. beyond the tropey meet-cute or "remeet" cute, there is real substance to this story. what the characters have to overcome to really be together and their journey to happiness is well worth the read. and it's a lovely kick off to a series, introducing several intriguing characters.  **the vicar and the rake will publish on october 12, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.   

i'd read the previous two books in this series and felt like i should read the third, unwritten , even though this is more a spin-off than anything. i had liked tobias in that first go around. mel was fine, it was nice to get to know him better i guess.  this is a perfectly suitable sequel, i just thing with this whole series there's a lot of untapped potential. in the hands of a better writer this could be something amazing. but to while away a couple of hours this is determinedly fine.  **unwritten will publish on october 8, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of give me more books promotions in exchange for my honest review. keep reading for more information...