Dare me Once Shelly Alexander

Scarlett Devereaux needs to escape from her life. Her father has just been convicted of embezzelment and her mother is in complete denial by drinking and shopping. Scarlett is tired of the media hounding her. Oh, and she was just fired and dumped by the same man--her boss was her fiance. When the scandal broke about her father he dumped and fired her faster than you can say creole. What's a girl to do? She applies for a job at a small resort that doesn't require a background check--her lovely ex made sure that she was blacklisted. Oh, and she changed her name to Lily Barnes--her grandmother's name and her middle name. 
Lily (Scarlett) is determined to start over at the Remington Resort on a small island off the coast of Washington State. Nothing has went right. While waiting at the airport for her last plane ride to the island, Lily gets a chair massage. This is where she meets "the Voice." He sounds sexy, and muscular ...she should not be thinking about men. She almost wrote them off since the two most important men in her life disappointed her. 

Trace Remington is a family man. He returned home to help his father with the Remington Resort six years ago after an issue with a nanny and his ex-wife. Trace quit his high powered pilot job and returned home to help his father and raise his autistic son, Ben. Trace flies the resorts' clients to and from the resort on his floatplane. Trace's brother's Spence and Elliot dares Trace to get a phone number of a woman. Trace has to call her in front of his brothers to prove that the number is legit. The two brothers are just looking out for their up tight older brother who takes life too seriously. 

The problem is the number is from the sexy moaning woman at the chair masseuse, she is the perfect target with her Jimmy Choo shoes and high fashion clothes--she's definitely a tourist. No worry about being turned down cause there's no way that anything will happen. Too bad the moaning tourist is the new hospitality manager their father hired for the resort. She's kind to Ben and befriends his cousin the resident baker. Oh and Lily saves a flock of ducks that Ben loves. Very few people understand Ben, including his ex-wife Ben's mother Megan.  

Summer Scandal Kat French

A Summer Scandal 

Kat French 

Violet has a safe stable life, living with her parents, beside her Grandpa Henry, and dating reliable Simon. Violet feels stiffled. She doesn't realize how stiffling her life was until after her grandfather passed away and willed Violet a pier and a condo. Yes, an entire pier at a small town ocean town two hours away in Swallow Beach. On the day of her grandfather's will reading, Simon proposes. He states that he will wait for her after she tells him that she's going to live at Swallow Beach for the summer. 

Violet feels a pull to her dead grandmother, Monica who died when Violet's mother Della was a small child. The more Violet spends in her grandparent's Lido condo the more Violent feels connected to the women she's never met. To top it all off, Violet looks almost exactly like Monica. 

Her grandfather's condo is located in a building called the Lido. She immediately befriends Barty and his granddaughter Keris both of who live in the groundfloor. Cal, the blue-eyed leathermaker who takes her breath away. Violet tries to stay away from Cal and the pull of attraction he has on her. The friendly exchanges of number and neighborly dinner only instensifies her attraction to him. 

Cal's mother, Lady Mayoress is doing everything in her power to gain control over the pier from Violet. Lady Mayoress, Gladys is looking out for the town and her only son. She wants to ensure that the pier re-opening is in the best interest of the town. At the moment, Gladys isn't so sure since Violet has decided to re-open the pier that sells various forms of sex toys. She believes that this will attract unsavory people. 

Cal knows what's best for him. For years, he thought that was his first love Ursula. She left him to become an American model. The more time he spends with Violet, the more he's falling for her. He doesn't realize how much he loves her until it's almost too late when a fire breaks out on the pier with over a hundred people on it. 

Hollywood Heir by Ruth Cardello

Hollywood Heir

Westerly Billionaire, Book 4

by Ruth Cardello

I do wish that I had read the first three novels in the series especially since moments were mentioned that previously happened in other novels. I was a bit lost on what happened to Rachelle. I wish that the author would have stated at the beginning of this novel --and advisement of reading the previous novels. Even though I had moments of confusion, I loved the characters. 

Sage Revere is a bit of an oddball--she's a plant psychologist. She has a Master's degree in human interaction with plants. She finds clients who are sad and matches them with the right plants to enrich their lives. Sage finds her clients when they are at a low point in their lives. 

Eric Westerly is a Hollywood star and part of the Westerly family dynasty. The Westerly family are America's wealthy royal family with ties to the Vandorra royal family in England. Ericis fresh from rehab and burned out on the Hollywood lifestyle which is one of the many reasons why he moved his homebase to London. One of his escapes is disguising himself as a regular person with a scar--Wayne Easton. Sage entrances him. At first, he just wanted her to scratch an itch, although what he gets instead is much better. Will Sage cure Eric of the saddness she sees in his eyes? Can she forgive his lies? Can Eric accept the changes in his life with or without Sage?

A Change of Pace Freya Barker

A Change of Pace

Freya Barker

Newt Tobias would do anything for his little girl--even retire early from the force and move to a small lake community to give Millie a new beginning after her mother's  tragic cancer loss. Millie is also a cutter due to her lack of control over elements in her life--mother's death, moving in with her dad, dad being shot, and being a teen. After meeting Freddy and her dog, Boulder at school--Millie begins to develop a relationship with Freddy. 

Freddy uses animals to connect with her patients. Freddy's therapy style is a bit unorthodox, but filled with results. Freddy knows she shouldn't invite patients to her home--she knows that Millie will come out of her shell around the numerous animals on her land. An afternoon with Freddy's animals and Millie slowly starts coming out of her shell and talking about the first time she cut--after Newt was shot. Millie isn't the only person that Freddy is getting too close to. The more she's around Newt, more she's drawn to the man as more than a patient's father. Soon life changes pace for everyone from Freddy's cancer scare to Millie's kidnapping. Neither Newt or Freddy leave each other's side during the changes in their lives instead it pulls them closer to each other. But what happens when Millie wants to make them one family in one house instead of two? 

The Distance Between Us Georgie Capron

The Distance Between Us

Georgie Capron

This is a refreshing story about a married couple rediscovering who they are as individuals and a couple. I loved that this novel didn't follow the norm--ok to me seems to be the norm. In the last few novels, I've read about married couples--the novel ended with divorce packaged as a feminist move showing that the wife doesn't need the husband. I've been left with anger and frustration. This novel was completely different. 
Tasha has been married for fourteen years to Charlie with three children. But between maintaining the household and taking care of kids--Tasha feels empty. She adores her children but there are moments where her patience is wearing thin. She should be able to turn to Charlie for support but he has been distant and focused on his career.  Charlie has been working late in order to financially support the family. Tasha feels that the two of them are moving apart especially after Tasha attends the birthday party for Charlie's grandmother where everything went wrong on the way home and even beforehand--yet Charlie didn't ask Tasha about any aspect of the trip. He carries on about how terrific his business trip was and the numerous ammienties he was offered while away. 

Tasha does something that forever changes their relationship. Due to Tasha's split decision, she is forced to make numerous other decisions that she is not entirely happy about. She is fearful about the future and her future with Charlie. Charlie has a few of his own fears too. 
 She is happy about returning to the workforce--this decision is made to make her feel better about herself. The job she takes is completely different than her previous career in health care. Tasha decided to become a temporary personal assistant at a brokerage firm.  In the process, Tasha remembers or rediscovers who she is and what she wants. In the process, Charlie is reminded why he fell in love and why he continues to love Tasha. But will they find a way back to each other or will they be another divorce statistic? 

Better Together Crista McHugh

Better Together:

One Fond Embrace--Book 1

Crista McHugh

Alex Kahale lost his father and brother within the last year. Now he runs the family cattle ranch on Kauai. If Alex wants to continue to expand the ranch, he will need some help from his estranged wife, country singer Shelby Morris or as he knows her Britney Moore. Who knew that their wild week in Vegas could be benefical for both of them or that the chemistry between them is still alive. Alex needs to convince the Idaho rancher to sell some of the Wagyu heifers and a bull or semen to stimulate his cattle production. The old Idaho rancher wants a family man which means Alex needs to bring Britney to the island. Hopefully he can convince the rancher and Britney that he and the ranch are just what is needed. 

Britney has been sending divorce papers to Alex for the last seven months. She needs to maintain this sweet girl next door persona for her fans especially after her win on Nashville Idol. Britney or Shelby is recording her new album and she only has one more song to record before it's finished. She can't let the media find out about her marriage to Alex. The girl next door would never have a week long fling and marry a guy--even if she still dreams about that week. God, if they find out her real name --that would be even worse since her mother is in prison. Britney has too much at stake. When Alex offers her two weeks in Hawaii on his ranch in return for signing the divorce papers--she jumps at the chance. But things don't go according to plan. Seeing Alex again reminds her of why she fell in love with him in Vegas especially when he arranges a recording session for her and takes her horseback riding. If she falls for him again will he leave like all the other men in her life? How could they make a marriage work if he can't leave the island?

Due for release on August 20, 2018

Christa McHugh website:

http://www.cristamchugh.com/wordpress/

Scoring the Player's Baby by Naima Simone

Scoring the Player's Baby: A WAGS novel

Naima Simone

Kim Matlock is not having the best year--she is recently divorced from her NFL star Matt Cooper. Her estranged father doesn't want anything to do with her especially in his company and now she is working the Seattle Wedding Expo trying to revamp the dying hotels her father just aquired. The only saving grace is her older brother Alex. Alex found her when she was 16. They have been extremely close ever since much to the dismay of their father. Alex is now the CEO of Bishop Enterprises after he ousted their father. Malcolm isn't pleased with either of his children, although he only acknowledges Alex and throws the nepotism in Kim's face at every opportunity. Kim has something to prove--that she is the brillant PR whiz and has earned her position as Vice President that her brother gave her. Her latest project is to rebrand the Grand hotel chains that Malcom bought. But while she's at the wedding expo a few unexpected things occur 1) she is kissed senseless by a gorgeous man trying to escape another woman and 2) she realizes that her no man diet is about to be broken. Kim hasn't thought about men or sex since her ex was caught cheating on her numerous times while on the road. One of the many reasons why she loathes professional athletes especially football players--and the partying lifestyle that goes with it. But she can't forget those deep soul searching eyes and his sexy as hell lumberjack look. His Soaman tats make her melt. Who can blame her for caving not once but twice (grant it those times were months apart but come on...she's only human). Men or man is the last thing she needs since Malcolm is constantly hoovering over her waiting for failure. The one thing that Kim defintely doesn't need is a baby. 

This is novel is more erotic than romance, but has a decent storyline.