BECAUSE OF YOU (Coming Home Book #1) by Jessica Scott is an emotional contemporary romance and the first in the Coming Home series featuring a badly wounded military Sergeant coming home from Iraq and the nurse who cares for him but has scars of her own. I cannot believe I have not read any of these books previously because they are so well written with everything I want in a romance and the lives of the military personnel are so realistically portrayed.
Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison takes the care, training, and safety of his men very seriously. Four months into the surge in Iraq, he is seriously injured by an IED and shipped back home to the hospital at Ft. Hood. With one arm in a cast and both legs in pin traction, he is afraid he will never get back to his men.
Jen St. James is a nurse at Ft. Hood’s hospital and has taken care of many soldiers returning home. When she sees Shane in the hospital there is still an attraction that was there when they met at a deployment party before he shipped out. Jen pushes Shane to fight not only to heal physically, but to find how to move forward. But Jen is hiding scars from a battle of her own and needs to learn to move on, also.
I could not put this book down! Shane and Jen were both compelling main characters that kept me on their emotional roller coaster from their first meeting until the end of the book. The secondary characters are just as vividly drawn and believable. I was pulled into the lives of them all. The author shines a realistic light on many of the daily problems facing military personnel and their family members. The dialogue was stark and graphic on some difficult topics, but also had moments of humor. The romance progressed at a believable pace with the emotional trust that had to be achieved with eventual sex scenes that were explicit, but not gratuitous.
I highly recommend this contemporary military romance! One good thing about finding this series now is that I have several more books already available to read in the series.
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About the Author
Jessica Scott is the USA Today bestselling author of novels set in the heart of America’s Army. She is an active duty army officer, a veteran of the Iraq war, is the mother of two daughters, a small zoo consisting of too many cats, dogs and the occasional domesticated rodent, and wife to a retired NCO.
Her stories are centered on soldiers returning from the nation’s wars and their struggles and triumphs and come from her personal experiences as a soldier, a mother and a military wife. She and her family are currently wherever the army has sent her.
She’s also written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/New Dawn and has had the honor of serving as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas twice.
She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012.
Tasting wine is not enough: sommelier Giovanni D’Angelo wants to create it. To put his family first, he’s always deferred his dreams—a vineyard to run, a woman to marry. But a three-week vineyard tour in Italy could set him back on track.
For Emma Rutledge, wine is in her blood. Intent to run the family wine business one day, she finds that the men in her family are only intent to push her out of it. But that’s fine—she’s got a plan.
When Gio and Emma meet on a wine tour in Tuscany, their shared aspirations fuel an undeniable chemistry. Returning home to California, they work toward setting up Emma’s vineyard and a label of their own. But when Emma receives a life-altering diagnosis, she worries it’s all been for nothing.
As Emma works to cement her family legacy while dealing with this unexpected challenge, Gio tries to convince her that their future isn’t just wine.
BEGINNING OF FOREVER (The D’Angelos Book #3) by Catherine Bybee is another perfectly wonderful contemporary romance addition to The D’Angelo family series. This story features Giovanni D’Angelo and his discovery of that one true love traveling from the vineyards of Italy and back to California. This romance can be read as a standalone, but there are family member connections throughout tying to the first two books in the series.
Giovanni “Gio” D’Angelo has always loved everything connected to wine since his first visit with his grandfather in Italy. He has become a sommelier and works in his family’s restaurant, but his dream has always been to own a small vineyard of his own. For his thirtieth birthday, his family sends him on a three-week tour of Italian vineyards.
Emma Rutledge was born into a prominent Napa wine family and has worked hard for her place in the family business, but her father never sees her as an asset. For her thirtieth birthday her mother sends Emma and her best friend, Natalie, on a wine tour to take a break, but Emma is already making new plans for her future.
Gio has a house full of strong women in his family and the feisty, redheaded Emma catches his attention. Their shared love of wine and dreams of having their own vines connects them and only adds to the growing chemistry, but Emma is not looking for forever. When they return to California, Gio continues to show Emma he is a partner with suggestions, but never wants to make her decisions for her. When Emma receives a medical diagnosis that changes her life, Gio proves he is at her side for everything and anything, forever.
I love Emma and Gio’s journey to love and HEA! Every one of the stories in this series has been an absolute delight! Ms. Bybee knows how to bring a romance together even with all the messy things in life that can interfere. With the D’Angelos, like in many big Italian families, difficulties can be overcome with the help and love of family, friends and food and the comparisons between the D’Angelo and Rutledge families leave me with an easy decision of which I would rather belong to. I enjoyed catching up with all the other family member’s relationships and wish I could go to Little Italy and meet them all.
I highly recommend this delightful and heart-warming contemporary romance! The entire D’Angelos series is worth the read.
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About the Author
Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com
Robbed of the family ranch that should have been his legacy, Raleigh Beaumont is a man with no roots and no purpose. When a friend drags him to Vegas, he figures he’s got nothing to lose. But after a hell of a lot of whiskey and a high stakes poker game with a beautiful stranger, he finds himself the alleged owner of a barony in Scotland.
An heiress with a crumbling heritage
When her brother’s bride disappears just days before the wedding that’s meant to save their ancestral home from the mad marriage pact that’s held their family captive for generations, Kyla MacKean believes they’ve been granted a reprieve. Until she finds out about the new, single—male—owner of Lochmara and knows she’s next on the chopping block or ownership of both their estates reverts to the crown.
A modern answer to a three-hundred-year-old problem.
Raleigh’s lost his land once. He’s not about to lose it again. Not even because of some lunatic pact made centuries before he was born. Kyla’s desperate to save Ardinmuir. She agrees to marry him on one condition: They wed for one year to satisfy the pact, then get a quick and quiet divorce. There’s no stipulation against it, and they’ll both get what they want.
But this displaced Texan and his fiery bride are about to find so much more than they bargained for.
COWBOY IN A KILT (Kilted Hearts Book #1) by Kait Nolan is a contemporary romance that has everything I want in a romance read! This is the first book I have read by this author, and I have been missing out. A centuries old marriage pact, a Texan cowboy who gambles and wins a Scottish Highland estate and a Scottish heiress hanging on to her heritage by a thread come together in a heartfelt romance that satisfies on every level.
Raleigh Beaumont has studied and trained his entire life to be able to one day take over his mother’s birthright Texas ranch, but it doesn’t happen. His best friend drags him to Vegas to drown his sorrows and he ends up in a high stakes poker game with a mysterious beautiful woman. He comes away the new owner of a barony in Scotland.
Kyla MacKean has been waiting for the end of the marriage pact which has hung over Ardinmuir for over three hundred years with her brother’s marriage, but the bride has disappeared. Now with the new owner of Lochmara being a single male, Kyla must satisfy the pact.
Raleigh is not going to lose everything again because of a stupid ancient pact, so he proposes a marriage of convenience for one year to satisfy the pact. They can then divorce and still end up with what they want, but they end up discovering their lands are not all they need.
I love the H/h in this story so much! Ms. Nolan was able to bring together two people from completely different countries and upbringings by making what is important to them at their core be the same. Raleigh is a swoon worthy hero who cares for all those he feels responsible for, cares for the prosperity and future of his land, and is willing to adapt to his new circumstances. Kyla is a heroine who has had the weight of her family’s legacy always foremost in her life. Raleigh is able to show her other solutions to their problems and get her to enjoy her life more. As Raleigh and Kyla’s relationship grows there are so many heartfelt moments throughout this romance. The sex scenes are explicit, but only come about with their emotional growth into a real relationship. I was also happy with the way the author handled Kyla’s relationship with her previous boyfriend with honesty and integrity. All the secondary characters were fully drawn and added to the feeling of living in a small Highland village.
This is a contemporary romance that I highly recommend! I am waiting anxiously to read the next book in the series not only to see where this series goes, but also because of the little teaser peak the author left the reader with at the end of this HEA.
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About the Author
Kait Nolan is a RITA® Award-winning Mississippi author who calls everyone sugar, honey, or darlin’, and can wield a ‘Bless your heart’ like a Snuggie or a saber, depending on requirements. She believes in love, laughter, and that tacos are the world’s most perfect food. When she’s not writing, reading, working the evil day job, or wrangling family (both the two-legged and the four-), you can find her obsessively watching The Great British Bake Off.
Since the death of his twin brother, Oliver’s caught between pleasing his fans and finding himself. Emery finds him first.
Emery has never felt more alone. Raising her daughter is both her pleasure and her pain as she struggles to hold on to her job as a bartender and keep a roof over their heads. With no one to help them—no support system—any unexpected expense or late bill could turn their whole world upside down.
Reeling from the death of his twin brother and bandmate, rock star Oliver Smith is trying to drink his problems away. Apparently he isn’t very good at it; they follow him wherever he goes. Also in hot pursuit are the paparazzi, who catch Oliver at his lowest low.
He could have walked into any bar in California, but he walked into hers. Emery helps Oliver lose the crowd, and they find themselves alone: two people whose paths are marked with loss and pain. However, they hold an unshakable hope for healing. They find solace together, but can their love withstand the world?
THE MIXTAPE (Mixtape-Reihe Book #2) by Brittainy Cherry is an emotionally intense rock star contemporary romance that is heartbreaking in so many ways. You will need the tissues for this read. While this rock star romance is the second in the series, the characters are completely different from book one TheWreckage of Us in the series and stands on its own.
Emery is a single mother working as a bartender barely making ends meet, but she is a strong, kind-hearted and loves her little girl more than anything. Five-year-old Reese is Emery’s light and with the help of a neighbor in her apartment building, who is also a therapist, she is dealing with her fear of not being enough for her daughter and other personal issues.
Oliver is half of the twin duo of super pop stars. When his brother, Alex is killed in a car accident that he survives, he falls into an intense depression for months. Skipping a return concert, Oliver is drunk and while Emery helps him escape paparazzi, she loses her job as a result. When Oliver finds out what he has done, he hires Emery as his cook and she begins to show Oliver that he can trust her and with help, he can learn to deal with his anxiety and depression.
The main characters in this romance both start off in different places with difficult lives but are able to come together and help each other to move forward in their journeys. Music also plays an integral role in their entire lives and aids in their coming together and healing. You learn through flashbacks that Emery is dealing with so much more than just being a single mother and it is amazing that she is the loving and giving person she is in the present. Reese is a spot of sunshine and laughter when things get too heavy. All the secondary characters where fully fleshed and realistic, good and bad. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. I feel all the exceptionally difficult mental health issues interwoven throughout this story were handled in a believable manner by this author.
I highly recommend this emotional roller-coaster rock star contemporary romance!
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About the Author
Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing–poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she’s not running a million errands and crafting stories, she’s probably playing with her adorable pets.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Mini Book Reviews for the first four stories in Naima Simone’s Rose Bend series. I have been binge reading all of these fantastic romances and I am happy to still have four more to go.
These romances are multicultural, have characters that break your heart before healing them with their HEAs, and do have some very smokin’ hot sex scenes but they are not gratuitous. This series is set in the small town of Rose Bend which is located in the Berkshires and I really hope there is a place just like it in the real world.
Each book numbered with a 0.5 is novella length and features new side characters from the town and all of the whole number books feature a brother or sister from the Dennison family who you follow throughout the series.
I highly recommend this romance series and I am so glad I found this author because when I am done with this series, she has written more.
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Book Description
Goodbye is never easy…but neither is love.
Cherrie Moore is just passing through, the same way she does every year. Rose Bend’s annual motorcycle rally has been her sanctuary—two solid weeks just for herself, just for a little while; one long, peaceful ride through the Berkshires, then back home to bustling Chicago. In and out, and gone again. No strings, no commitments. Until she meets Maddox Holt.
The man is pure temptation, and he sure has a mouth on him—a redheaded bullet Cherrie knows she’d be smart to dodge. When the mysterious dive bar owner pulls her onto the dance floor that first night in town, her plans for a clean getaway turn muddy. Something’s there between them, sure…but Maddox has roots in quiet Rose Bend, and he’s looking for more than a fling.
Cherrie came here for a break from it all. After the year she’s had, her heart can’t take another hit. But before long, she’ll have to decide—should she risk her freedom for a second chance at love…or just enjoy the ride while it lasts?
My Mini Book Review
SLOW DANCE AT ROSE BEND (A Rose Bend Book #0.5) by Naima Simone is an intense novella length contemporary romance featuring independent jewelry maker Cherrie Moore and Rose Bend bar owner Maddox Holt. This love at first sight novella is packed with more emotion than some full-length books.
Cherrie is once again in Rose Bend for two weeks to attend the annual motorcycle rally, to sell some of her jewelry, and catch up with old friends. When the hot bartender hits on Cherrie, she is at first not interested after just getting out of a difficult relationship, but the sparks are flying around her and Maddox. She agrees to two weeks of fun, but Maddox has other plans.
Explosive chemistry, hot sex, and finding the person who loves you for who you are. Yes, please!
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Book Description
If it was only about her, she might never have come back to Rose Bend.
But it’s not only about her anymore.
Sydney Collins left the small Berkshires town of Rose Bend eight years ago, grieving her sister’s death—and heartbroken over her parents’ rejection. But now the rebel is back—newly divorced and pregnant—ready to face her fears and make a home for her child in the caring community she once knew. The last thing she needs is trouble. But trouble just set her body on fire with one hot, hot smile.
Widower and Rose Bend mayor Coltrane Dennison hasn’t smiled in ages. Until a chance run-in with Sydney Collins, who’s all grown-up and making him want what he knows he can’t have. Grief is his only connection to the wife and son he lost, and he won’t give it up. Not for Sydney, not for her child, not for his heart. But when Sydney’s ex threatens to upend everything she’s rebuilt in Rose Bend, Cole and Sydney may find that a little trouble will take them where they never expected to go.
My Mini Book Review
THE ROAD TO ROSE BEND (A Rose Bend Book #1) by Naima Simone is an emotional contemporary romance that features the return of rebel Sydney Collins to her small hometown in the Berkshires and the widowed mayor of Rose Bend Coltrane “Cole” Dennison. This story brought me to tears in so many scenes and yet it is balanced with happiness and love throughout with an extremely satisfying HEA.
Besides the main romance plot, Sydney is dealing with being pregnant by her ex-husband after their divorce and unresolved issues which lead to her rebellion all through her teen years with her parents after her sister died from cancer when she was younger. Cole is a widower of only two years and besides losing his young wife, he also lost his son. Even with all this angst, Ms. Simone is still able to find moments of joy and love between these two because they really have empathy for each other’s pasts and present problems. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous.
The entire Denison family is introduced in this book, and they are fully drawn and realistic. I am looking forward to following them in future books in this series.
I love Sydney and Cole, the entire Dennison family, and the small town of Rose Bend. I highly recommend this contemporary romance!
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Book Description
It starts with an unexpected kiss…
Remi Donovan doesn’t know what possessed Declan Howard to sidle up to her desk and ask for a kiss—but she’s not about to turn him down. After all, she’s had a secret crush on the sexy-as-sin wealth manager ever since he set foot in Rose Bend two years ago. Still, why steal a kiss from a small-town librarian when a man like Declan could have any woman he wants?
For Declan, the plan is simple: fake a relationship with Remi to keep his ex off his back and his matchmaking mother happy. As the charade brings them closer, it ignites something real—something neither can ignore. But before they can build a happy future together, they’ll both have to reconcile with the past…
My Mini Book Review
A KISS TO REMEMBER (A Rose Bend Book #1.5) by Naima Simone is a fake relationship contemporary romance novella in the Rose Bend series featuring small town librarian Remi Donovan and wealth manager Declan Howard. What starts with an unexpected offer of a kiss in the library then turns into a declaration of a relationship to family and friends which leads to an emotional journey for both Remi and Declan. Ms. Simone is able to pack so much emotion in such a short novella.
I especially loved and had empathy for Remi in this story. She has learned to love herself and her plus size even with the negativity from some people in town including her own mother. Declan may have started out just trying to make life easier for himself, but he truly appreciates the full bodied and intelligent Remi. I enjoyed their fake to real relationship and their journey to get there.
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Book Description
The holidays have never been her thing. But Christmas in Rose Bend has more than one surprise in store…
Grieving ER nurse Nessa Hunt is on a road trip with her sullen teen half sister, Ivy, and still reeling from her mother’s deathbed confession: Nessa’s dad wasn’t really her dad. Seeking answers, they arrive in Rose Bend to find a small town teeming with the kind of Christmas cheer Nessa usually avoids. But then she meets the innkeeper’s ruggedly sexy son, Wolfgang Dennison.
Wolf’s big, boisterous family is like a picture-perfect holiday card. Nessa has too much weighing on her to feel like she fits—even though the heat between her and Wolf is undeniable. And the merriment bringing an overdue smile to Ivy’s face is almost enough to make Nessa believe in the Christmas spirit. But with all her parental baggage, including lingering questions about her birth father, is there room in Nessa’s life for happy holidays and happily-ever-after?
My Mini Book Review
CHRISTMAS IN ROSE BEND (A Rose Bend Book #2) by Naima Simone is a an emotional holiday contemporary romance featuring ER nurse Nessa Hunt who is visiting Rose Bend with her stepsister and staying at the Dennison’s Family Inn. She is literally knocked off her feet by carpenter Wolfgang ‘Wolf’ Dennison as they wait to check in. The attraction is immediate, but Nessa has been hurt so often by men in her past, she no longer lets anyone completely into her heart.
Nessa no longer celebrates Christmas, but here she is in small town Christmas hell. Both Nessa and Wolf’s histories are heartbreaking and yet Wolf is determined to help Nessa bridge the rift with her stepsister and get her to enjoy the Christmas season again. The realistic dialogue between these two was either making me laugh or cry. Even with their fears, they could not stop their intense physical attraction to each other which led to sex scenes that are explicit, but not gratuitous. The road to the HEA in this romance is rough, but very satisfying.
This romance is full of angst, love, laughter, family, small town life and Christmas cheer. This series can be read as standalone romances, but they are so well written that they pull you in and you will fall in love with the Dennison family and Rose Bend and want to read them all, just like me.
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About the Author
Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”
She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
When car failure stalls Englischer Ruth Wengerd’s impulsive cross-country trip, she doesn’t expect to be rescued by a horse and buggy—or to suddenly become a nanny for widower Adam Chupp’s son. Helping the sweet family reminds Ruth of her Amish upbringing and the shameful secret she’s hiding. But when the temporary job begins to feel permanent, can she face up to her past…for a future she left once before?
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Elise’s Thoughts
The Mysterious Amish Nanny by Patrice Lewis is a very uplifting book. It has readers understanding how someone needs to change their lifestyle for their emotional well-being, preferring to have family come first.
The heroine, Ruth Wengerd, quits her lucrative job on Wall Street and impulsively leaves behind everything to go on a cross-country trip. Unfortunately, her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and she needs to be rescued by an Amish man and his son. Because she needs money, she agrees to be the nanny for Lucas, the son of Adam Chupp who is a widower. She begins to fall for this family, bringing back memories of the time she was part of an Amish community as a young child.
Adam is also a contrast for Ruth. He shows her the importance of family, and that money should be for support not for ambition. While Ruth makes Adam understand the importance of having a partner, he shows her the importance of family.
As with all of Patrice Lewis books readers get a heartfelt story with some mysterious plotlines that will keep people turning the pages.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?
Patrice Lewis: I had this story in my head years ago. I wanted to write someone snaping emotionally, where they leave their job, and then have their car break down in the middle of nowhere after going on a cross country trip. I had read about the pressure cooker environment of Wall Street, contrary to the lifestyle I have. I based some scenes in the story from the book Young Money by Kevin Roose. Where my routine is deliberately slow and unpressured this is contrasted by the intense Wall Street environment that sucks employees every hour of someone’s life. This was the theme I wanted to explore.
EC: What is the mystery of the story?
PL: There are several little mysteries woven through it. First, why did the heroine’s parents leave the Amish when she was a ten-year-old? There is also how Adam tries to figure her background out after seeing a missing flyer of Ruth. Besides those there was why Ruth left a successful job on Wall Street, what had she done to become so ashamed?
EC: You explore some traditions of the Amish?
PL: I wrote in the story how they sing hymns. On YouTube I came across a couple of Amish girls, one playing the guitar and the other singing a particular hymn.
EC: How would you describe the heroine, Ruth?
PL: She is impulsive and ambitious. She is also impetuous, affectionate, kind, and tender, which comes out in her love of children. She is searching for a “home.”
EC: How would you describe Adam?
PL: There is a lot of my husband in him. We have a woodcraft business for several years. It can leave someone very frazzled which is how Adam reacts. He is lonely, caring, kind, and worried about his hyperactive son. He left behind his support structure after his wife passed away. He was a single dad.
EC: How similar is the relationship between the four-year-old child Lucas and Ruth?
PL: Both are impulsive, enthusiastic, energetic, and firecrackers. Ruth understood Lucas. I based the story where Ruth became Lucas’ nanny on my daughter. She was a professional nanny and learned how to deal with these overly active children by keeping them occupied. Lucas adored Ruth and always wanted to impress her.
EC: What about the relationship between Adam and Ruth?
PL: She still has the Wall Street mentality that money is everything, while he just wants to earn enough to support, himself and his son. Ruth is vulnerable. The relationship started with the young boy’s feelings for Ruth. She remembers the fond memories of the Amish view of community and family since in her early life she was raised Amish. They both realize what they are missing: her a family, and he a solid home life.
EC: How did the financial end affect the relationship?
PL: Adam and Ruth became a team first, as she helped him with his finances. Ruth was able to keep track of his finances, write proposals, write estimates, and do the billing and payroll. This freed him up to build, construct, and supervise. This is also based on how my husband, and I handled our business. He can create and build, while I do the numbers and taxes. Just as with us, with Ruth and Adam, one person’s weakness is the other person’s strength. They balance each other off.
EC: Next book?
PL: The title is The Quilter’s Scandalous Past. It is based on a huge Amish store in Ohio called Lehman’s. The heroine, Esther, manages the store for her aunt and uncle. She works with this prospective buyer who knew her as a teenager. It is probably coming out in June. The third story in this series has a “Beauty and the Beast” theme.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
