A Thousand Letters Staci Hart

A Thousand Letters  is one of my re-read novels. I realized a week or so ago that I haven't left reviews for the novels that I actually bought! I felt that is a HUGE disservice to the authors. In between my ARC reviews I'm going back to re-read the novels that I've bought. I'm starting my my re-read list. Perhaps in another post I'll give my entire re-read listing. It is a bit long. But my all time favs!! I continue to go back to them over and over. 

Staci Hart is slowly becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors--I own two of her novels with two more in my wish list on Amazon. This novel sealed the deal for me. I will automatically add a Staci Hart novel after reading this novel. Ok, onto the actual review of this fabulous novel. Like I said this is one of my all time favs. 

Elliot has been in love with her best friend Sofie's older brother Wade since high school. They were high school sweethearts. Sofie and Wade's family was Elliot's salvation from her own self serving father and sisters. Elliot has always been a people pleaser and peacemaker--some might say a bit of a wallflower. She blends into the background and sacrifices for those that she loves. She had to make the hardest sacrifice her senior year of high school. Wade had enlisted in the Army. Their plan was that he would go to BASIC training and get situated in his first duty station and come back for her after her high school graduation. They would get married and run off into the military sunset together. 

Wade was scared. He thought that Elliot would forget him or worse that Wade would be killed while deployed in Iraq. He wanted to ensure that Elliot would always be taken care of. He asked Elliot to come with him--now instead of waiting until her graduation. Elliot's father and Wade made Elliot decide between her family and her heart. 

Seven years later, Wade has returned. His father had a stroke and was has cancer. He only has weeks to live. Wade comes home to take care of his younger siblings, Sofia and Sadie. Sadie is a senior in high school. Rick, Wade's father is Elliot's mentor. He encouraged Elliot to get her literature degree and to write. Only Elliot is a nanny for her older sister and doesn't publish any of her poetry. When Wade sees Elliot all of his buried feelings surface--anger, love, empathy--all he can think about is holding her again. His pride gets in the way. He's still hurt. Sofie and Sadie need him so he will need to find a way to be around Elliot. Even when Elliot reads his father poetry and soothes his younger sister. The more he's around her the more the ice is melting around his heart. The more he understands why she made the decision she did. 

But can Elliot finally get completely through to Wade or will he continue to hurt her? Will Elliot finally be able to stand up for herself or allow her family to railroad her?  

Author Website: https://www.stacihartnovels.com/a-thousand-letters/

Sweatpants at Tiffanie's by Pernille Hughes

Sweatpants at Tiffanie's

Pernille Hughes

This novel is hilarious! I laughed so hard that I cried. It reminded me of a Sofia Kinella or Marian Keyes novel. Anything that can go wrong did. Tiffanie Trent is having a rough week--her boyfriend of ten years dumps on their anniversary at the same restaurant that they had their first date and since they lived together at his place--she's now homeless. Tiff has more bad news--her longtime friend and father figure, Frank Blackie dies. Frank was her first bookkeeping client and was a prominent figure throughout her life. To add the icing to her crap-tastic cake--her childhood boyfriend and first love Mike "The Assassin" Fellner returned for Blackie's funeral looking more gorgeous than ever while Tiff has gained a few pounds and feels worse about herself than ever. 

At the will reading, Tiff finds out that Blackie has left his most precious gift to her--his boxing gym. Blackie's assistant coach, Ron makes numerous sexist remarks that Tiff isn't cut out to run the gym since she's a woman--and making a remark about her weight. Her ex-boyfriend Gavin tries to talk her into selling it because he think she doesn't have the motivation or business sense to run a business with employees. Tiff is determined to prove them both wrong. With the help of her best friend, Shelby and Natalie, a Blackie customer's wife--the three are determined to upgrade the gym into a full service experience for all genders. Tiff runs into some trouble beginning with the fact that she is secretly living in one of the gym's storage rooms. She is also receiving haunting crack calls, mail with dog poo, and the gym is vandalized. Oh and Blackie's ex-wife and step-son feel that they should have been given the gym. The more Tiff works on the gym the more she comes in contact with Mikey. Mikey keeps coming back to the gym for nostalga or so he says. All of her old feelings for Mikey are starting to resurface especially after the spend the night together. But Mikey is offered a job in LA--a once in a lifetime opportunity. Tiff doesn't want to get in his way. Gavin has returned when he sees that Tiff is turning things around with the gym. What will Tiff do? Will Mike take the offer or move back home?