#series – Page 109 – Avonna Loves Genres

Feature Post and Book Review: Half Empty by Catherine Bybee

Today I am pleased to share this Feature Post for HALF EMPTY (First Wives #2) by Catherine Bybee. This post includes an excerpt from the book, my book review, the book summary and info and a Rafflecopter giveaway. I hope you enjoy the excerpt, my review and as always, good luck on the giveaway!

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Excerpt: Half Empty by Catherine Bybee

They closed the bar and took their last round to the hotel lobby.

Wade had to admit he was a bit more than tipsy, and Trina wasn’t exactly sober. She’d tucked her feet under her on the lobby sofa as she described Venice in a way that made him want to visit.

“There isn’t one car?” he asked.

“No place for them. You only get around on foot or boat. Which is probably best to help counter the pasta you consume while you’re there.”

“So why did you pick Venice?”

Her eyes drifted away, something Wade had noticed happened a lot when she was lost in thought. A hint of sorrow quickly came and went, almost as if she caught herself. The smile she flashed felt forced. “I wanted isolation so I could study.”

“Study?” She rattled off something that went completely over his head.

Her dark brown eyes glistened with her smile. “I’m learning Italian.”

Wade blew out a breath. “Oh, thank God. I thought maybe that last beer was one too many.”

“I like languages.”

“As in many?”

“A few.”

He was happy to speak English. “I’m impressed.”

“Don’t be. Most Europeans are fluent in a minimum of two languages.”

“Are you from Europe?”

“No. Born and raised in Southern California. My grandparents on my mother’s side are from Mexico. Spanish was always spoken in our home.”

“So you speak Spanish as well?” He squirmed in his chair.

“Yup.”

“Now I’m feelin’ a bit inferior.”

“Language is my hidden talent,” she said.

“So how did you end up in Texas?”

Her gaze met his before she wrinkled her nose and gave a quick shake of the head. “It’s a long story.”

“Which is your way of saying don’t pry.”

She stretched out her arms. “It’s my way of saying that we’ve had a pleasant conversation, and bringing up my recent move will change all that. I’d just as soon keep this light.”

Wade wasn’t expecting her reply. “Now you’ve piqued my interest.”

“Another time,” she said.

He offered a smile that usually had women crawling all over him. “Am I going to have that chance?”

“Chance for what?”

“Another conversation.”

Her eyes bored into him as if he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. “I told you, I’m not interested.”

He lifted one eyebrow, flashed a dimple. “What if I told you I was rich?”

She burst out in laughter.

His smile fell.

“Sorry…” She appeared to pull in her mirth. “You’re gonna have to do better than money.”

“Good lord, woman.”

“Sorry.”

He scratched his head. “I’m famous.”

She bit her lip. “That explains the arrogance.”

Wade placed a hand on his wounded chest. “I am not.”

Trina tossed her head back, and her deep laugh filled the empty lobby. “My name is Wade Thomas, you don’t know who I am?” Her mimicry of him was off by several octaves.

Her laughter tickled his gut.

“I can teach you the two-step.”

She pinched her lips together, trying to contain herself.

His pride was starting to dim.

“I’m not bad looking.”

She looked him up and down … twice. “I’ll give you that.”

He lifted both hands in the air. “Finally.”

For the span of a full minute, she stared. Her smile slowly started to fall, and he knew she was talking herself out of dating him.

“Tell you what. I’m flying home tomorrow. Private charter, because I’m rich, famous, and arrogant.” He moaned on that last word.

“And good-looking.”

Now they were getting somewhere.

“I can give you a lift home.”

Trina blew out a breath. “I’m avoiding going home,” she reminded him.

“And I was thinking I needed a quick stop in Nassau … where the plane might not be able to leave right away. That tropical depressed storm and all.”

She pointed a finger in his direction. “I like the way you think.”

***

My Book Review

Rating 5 out of 5 Stars

HALF EMPTY (First Wives #2) by Catherine Bybee is the latest in her First Wives contemporary romance series with a suspense subplot carried over from the first book. This is Katrina “Trina” Petrov’s story and it can be read as a standalone, but for a full understanding of the relationship between all of the First Wives, you may want to read “Fool Me Once” the first book in this series.

Katrina “Trina” Petrov became one of the wealthiest woman in America when her temporary first husband committed suicide. As the one year anniversary of his death approaches, Trina is vacationing in Venice and does not know what to do with rest of her new life. Called back to Texas by the other First Wives, Trina tries her best to slow her return.

Stuck in a hotel due to a storm, she has the last order of food coming out of the kitchen. A charming man two seats down at the bar has missed dinner too and strikes up a conversation with Trina. She is willing to share her food, but has no interest in the man. This is an intriguing and somewhat novel occurrence for Wade Thomas, the famous country music star.

Wade Thomas finds Trina to be a novelty. She does not know who he is, she does not need his money and she does not need his connections. What he does want to do for her is to chase away the sadness in her eyes and make her smile. Sure, he wants more, but he surprises himself by wanting to take it slow.

When Trina’s best friend, Avery is brutally attacked all of the friends from book one work to take care of the threat against Trina for good. Wade may not understand everything that is happening, but he knows he wants to protect Trina and is willing to help her any way he can. A secret is about to be revealed that brings the enemy into the open and could be the death of Trina and/or her friends.

I loved Trina and Wade together. The romance was entertaining and fun with the couple’s dialogue and communications so honest and realistic. Even with the short time frame, the author does a great job of writing in a friendship before the sexual relationship. The sex does not occur until later in the book and fit there perfectly. I was also intrigued throughout the story with the suspense subplot. I am looking forward to finding out who the other First Wives will find their HEA with. I will also be looking forward to the return of the mysterious Sasha.

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About the Book

Title: Half Empty

Author: Catherine Bybee

Release Date: July 31, 2018

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Trina Petrov’s marriage-by-contract was only meant to be temporary. But when tragedy strikes, Trina is left one of the wealthiest women in the world. To recover from the shock, she takes some time off in Italy, swearing not to fall for any men while there. But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall for anyone on the trip home . . .

Country-music superstar Wade Thomas is lying low in a hotel bar when he gets the cold shoulder from the woman next to him. He’s used to fans fawning at his boots, and Trina is a refreshing change—so is the fact that she has no idea who he is.

As things begin to heat up, Trina discovers that the circumstances of her late husband’s death are not what they seemed. Now she’s in trouble, and Wade isn’t about to let her out of his sight. Getting close to love and danger could get them killed . . . or it could sweep them both off their feet.

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About the Author

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written twenty-eight books that have collectively sold more than 4.5 million copies and have been translated into more than a dozen 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.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.catherinebybee.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCatherineBybee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinebybee

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2905789.Catherine_Bybee

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Feature Post and Book Review: Second Time Around by Nancy Herkness

Hi, everyone!

I am very excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for SECOND TIME AROUND (Second Glances #1) by Nancy Herkness. This includes an “Opposites Attract” guest post from the author, my review of the book, an excerpt from the title, and a Rafflecopter giveaway.

I loved this second chance romance and am looking forward to reading many more romances from Ms. Herkness. Good luck on the giveaway!

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Guest Post

Opposites Attract: Character Questionnaire from Second Time Around by Nancy Herkness

Today it is a pleasure to introduce Will Chase and Kyra Dixon to readers! The hero and heroine are from Nancy Herkness’ newest release Second Time Around and the title of the story certainly is inspired by the characters’ story. The ‘first time around’ for this couple was in college when Will was dating Kyra’s roommate. This evil ex cheated on Will and while Kyra longed to comfort her secret crush, but she was firmly friendzoned.

Years later in an accidental meeting in NYC, Kyra and Will are reunited–only this time sparks fly with nothing to get in the way of igniting….except the fact that Will is a little (okay, a lot) out of Kyra’s social circle. This makes interacting with his family and friends a teeny bit awkward. But while Will may have money, he is also kind, funny, hardworking, and stubborn. Too stubborn in fact to let a little bit of status stand in the way of him and the woman he wants.

However, we have to ask: Just how different are these two characters really? Read on for a questionnaire where we find out if Will and Kyra are true opposites or if they are more alike than they realize.

Question #1: What can you tell us about your favorite childhood memory?

Kyra: My father worked at the Mack Truck factory so he was very wiry and muscular, even though he was short in stature. When I was a child, he would toss me up in the air and catch me. I’ll never forget feeling the strength of his hands wrapped around my waist as he boosted me up, the sense of exhilaration as I flew through the air, and the security of knowing with absolute certainty that his steely, powerful arms would be waiting for me when I came down.

Will: My parents’ house had a two story library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and ladders on rails to reach them. It seemed like a magic cave filled with treasure to me. Once I convinced them that I would treat the books and the room with respect, they allowed me free run of it. I spent many a happy hour deciding which book to read and then stretching out on the Oriental rug to read it. Sometimes I even walked in merely to smell the scent of books waiting to be read.

Question #2: When you were growing up what types of activities did you enjoy?

Kyra: I was a voracious reader, and loved going to the public library where the librarians would set aside books they thought I would like. However, my favorite time spent there was wandering among the shelves until a book called out to me. Ice skating and riding my bike got me outdoors when Mom decided I’d spent too much time inside reading. Mom liked to shop, so we went “malling”, as she called it. I enjoyed that because I always got a treat.

Will: Reading was my activity of choice. However, my sister would sometimes bother me until I came to help her with her beloved horses at the stables, and I got to like that, especially because it was away from our parents. Tennis wasn’t bad. I hated sailing, which my mother forced me into. Couldn’t wait to give that up. I did the usual sports in school: soccer, lacrosse, basketball, etc. Working up a good sweat was satisfying.

Question #3: When it was time for college, how did you decide to attend Brunell college?

Kyra: I couldn’t afford to go far from home, so I stuck to schools in Pennsylvania. Brunell was the best school that offered me a good financial aid package. It also had a terrific English lit department, which was my passion. I only wish I had been able to finish my degree there.

Will: Brunell was my first flash of rebellion. Pops went to Harvard; Mum went to Princeton. I refused to apply to either of those. I wanted to study the classics and a noted authority on Homer taught at Brunell.

Question #4: What was your favorite part about college?

Kyra: Playing quote wars with Will Chase! Well, pretty much anything that had to do with Will. This smart, rich, golden boy from Connecticut was so alien that he fascinated me. Okay, so I loved the classes, too. I was pretty drunk on the whole “learning for the sake of learning” concept. The campus is gorgeous as well. All those brick buildings with white trim and vast, rolling, green lawns.

Will: The classics professor who made me choose Brunell, Dr. Weiss, was a spectacular teacher and mentor. His classes made me think and stretch and grow. Sometimes he’d hold class in his home where he always served the most delicious, sugary doughnuts from the local convenience mart. Every now and then, I still buy a box of those for nostalgia’s sake.

Question #5: What’s your career? How did you choose it?

Kyra: I didn’t exactly choose my career, if you could call it that. I needed to pay off the debt from college and my parents’ health issues and heard that bartenders at high end clubs in New York City could make a lot of money. I knew a little bit about bartending—and cooking— from working at a local restaurant in my hometown, so I packed up and moved. I also cook for the kids at the Carver After-School Care Center, which I love. But I started there only because the job offered a free apartment.

Will: I’m the CEO of Ceres, a multinational chain of cafés that I founded. I started the company because I didn’t want to join my father’s law firm, as he expected me to. Do you see a theme here? It was satisfying to battle the challenges of building a company, never knowing from day to day if it would survive or fail. Now that it’s grown so huge, I find myself restless.

Question #6: Do you have an active social life? What is a favorite date you have been on recently?

Kyra: Social life? I tend bar at night and cook for kids during the day. Who has time for a social life? I can’t remember the last time I went on a date.

Will: I’m the face of Ceres so I attend quite a few charity events, if you consider that a social life. I’m not sure I do. Between that and the hours I work, dating isn’t a priority. Not to mention, a broken engagement left a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to romance. My favorite recent charity event was held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I could wander through the classic Greek and Roman art exhibits without a crowd. That was an unexpected pleasure.

Question #7: What are your goals for the future? Where do you see yourself in a few years?

Kyra: My most urgent and immediate goal is to pay off my debt. Sometimes it feels like a boulder crushing me into the sidewalk. If I ever manage to do that, my aspiration is to finish my college degree in English lit and get a job as an editor at a publishing house. Hey, a girl has a right to her pipe dreams, doesn’t she?

Will: My goal is to figure out where the hell I see myself in a few years. Right now, my future looks like more of the same: long hours at work, too much business travel, attending events for PR purposes, and resisting my mother’s efforts to marry me off to one of her friends’ daughters. Not an exciting prospect.

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

I love when I start a book from a new to me author and everything just fades into the background and I fall into their story. This is what happened when I started reading SECOND TIME AROUND (Second Glances #1) by Nancy Herkness. This is a second chance contemporary romance with a plot that is not unique, but the characters are so realistic and relatable, they make you feel invested in their HEA and you just have to keep turning the pages.

Kyra Dixon is from a blue collar Pennsylvania family. Will Chase is from a blue blood Connecticut family. They meet in college while Will is dating Kyra’s suite mate. College life is a great equalizer for them and they become good friends, enjoying tossing famous quotes back and forth as a personal game. Kyra would love their relationship to be more, but he is not free and she always stays aware of their social differences. When Kyra’s father becomes ill, she returns to her small hometown and does not return to school.

Ten years later, Kyra is grabbing a bite at her favorite NYC café chain and runs into Will. Will has become the billionaire CEO of the chain and is as successful as Kyra knew he would be. Kyra is working days in the kitchen of a childhood community center and nights at a high class club to pay off debts left from her mother before her death. The sparks are still there and when Will asks Kyra to accompany him as his date to a family annual event she jumps at the chance.

Kyra falls hard for Will all over again, but always feels that their social and money differences make it a relationship with a time limit. Will starts to discover all over again the things that excite him and make him feel happy with Kyra always being honest and looking at his world in a different way. Kyra loves Will, but is it enough to bridge their differences? Does Will know what he truly wants?

I loved Kyra and Will. I related personally with everything about Kyra. She especially shines in all her scenes at the center with the kids. That the center also had a canine program made it even better. Kyra is such a strong character and I was very happy with the way this author moved Will towards her, rather than having Kyra drop everything for a HEA with just his money. This author definitely has a way with realistic, in-depth characters. Besides the romance growing at a believable rate, there are well written sex scenes that are explicit, intense and smoking hot.

I highly recommend you clear some time, curl up in your favorite chair and fall in love with Kyra and Will just like I did. I am looking forward to reading many more romances from Ms. Herkness.

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Second Time Around Excerpt

“Speaking of my family, I came here with an ulterior motive.”

“Oh?” What on earth could Will want from her?

“My mother throws an annual spring garden party—she calls it her Spring Fling—in Connecticut, on the family farm. She invites the whole extended family, all her friends, and my father’s business associates. I wondered if you might be willing to come with me. Next Sunday. Short notice, I know.”

His gaze didn’t waver from her face, which made it hard to respond, since she had to concentrate on not letting her mouth fall open in astonishment.

“I, um, well, that sounds like fun.” Total lie. It sounded terrifying. But she had Sunday off from work, so she had no commitments to stop her.

“Fun?” He shook his head. “It’s stuffy and tense and boring. My family all snap at each other when no one else is listening. That’s why I’m asking you to come as a buffer.”

“When you put it that way, how can I refuse?” She would be like a fish that didn’t even know which way the ocean was. But the chance to see Will in his childhood environment was irresistible. In college, he’d dropped casual comments about racing his sailboat on Long Island Sound, or his sister getting thrown from her horse in a cross-country event, or his mother winning the club’s tennis championship. It sounded like The Great Gatsby come to life. She had to experience it just once. “I’d be happy to go with you.”

The expression that crossed his face was hard to read, except for relief. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day,” he said.

“What’s the dress code?”

“Casual. It’s outdoors. There are tents in case it rains. Although even the weather rarely dares to displease my mother.”

“‘Casual’ covers a lot of territory for women,” she said. “Not jeans, I assume.”

He thought for a minute. “Dresses, sort of colorful. Flat shoes because of the grass. Straw hats, if it’s sunny.”

“What are you wearing?” That might help.

“My uniform. Khakis and a button-down shirt. Loafers.”

“No tie?”

“Hell, no!” he said. “Shirtsleeves rolled up, too.”

She got the picture, and she had nothing appropriate to wear. She sighed inwardly. This was going to cost her more money than she could afford. However, she couldn’t resist the opportunity to journey into the exotic country of upper-crust Connecticut. Not to mention, spending time with her college crush, who was even more crushworthy now.

“Okay, a rolled-up shirtsleeves kind of dress.” She took a gulp of her club soda as she debated where to find a dress that looked expensive but was bargain priced.

“I’ll pick you up at noon. We’ll make a fashionably late entrance. Which means we won’t have to endure the party as long.”

“This sounds more and more delightful all the time.”

Will finally smiled, albeit with an edge. “It won’t be as bad for you. They’re not your family.”

“I hear you.” But at least he still had his mother and father. As complicated as her parents had made her life, she sometimes felt terribly alone without them.

He sat back against the banquette. “Now I’m looking forward to the party.”

“You don’t have to flatter me. I’ve agreed to go.” But she couldn’t stop a smile of gratification from curling the corners of her mouth.

“You might begin to have second thoughts.” He pulled out his cell phone. “May I get your number so I don’t have to track you down?”

He tapped at the phone’s screen as she rattled off her phone number.

“Do you still have my cell number or did you chuck my card?” he asked with that self-deprecating smile that always charmed her.

“Just text me and I’ll have it on my phone.”

“So you chucked it.”

The disappointment in his tone surprised her.

“No, it’s at my apartment.”

His fingers flew over the keys of his phone.

A ping sounded from her back pocket, indicating she’d gotten his text, and she started to reach for her phone.

“Read it later,” he said with a roguish glint in his eyes. He placed his empty glass on the tray. “My apologies, but I have to go. Overseas business makes for odd working hours.”

***

About the Book

Title: Second Time Around

Author: Nancy Herkness

Release Date: July 24, 2018

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Kyra Dixon, a blue-collar girl from the boondocks, is dedicated to her job at a community center that matches underprivileged kids with rescue dogs. When she runs into Will Chase—Connecticut blue blood, billionaire CEO, and her old college crush—she’s surprised that he asks a favor from her: to be his date for his uptight family’s dreaded annual garden party. If his parents don’t approve, all the better.

Kyra’s not about to say no. It’ll give her a chance to be oh-so-close to her unrequited love. What begins as a little fling turns so mad hot, so fast, that Kyra finds herself falling all over again for a fantasy that won’t come true. How can it? She doesn’t belong in Will’s world. She doesn’t want to. But Will does want to belong in hers.

All he has to do now is prove it. Will is prepared to give up whatever is necessary to get what his heart most desires.

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Author Biography

Nancy Herkness is the award-winning author of the Wager of Hearts, Whisper Horse, and Second Glances series, as well as several other contemporary romance novels. With degrees in English literature and creative writing from Princeton University, she has earned the New England Readers’ Choice award, the Book Buyers Best Top Pick honor, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, and she is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award.   Nancy is a native of West Virginia but now lives in suburban New Jersey with a goofy golden retriever.

Social Media Links

Website: http://www.nancyherkness.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NancyHerkness

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/594870.Nancy_Herkness

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Book Review: Murder Girl by Lisa Renee Jones

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER GIRL (Lilah Love #2) by Lisa Renee Jones is the second book in this thriller/suspense FBI profiler series and picks up right where the first book’s overall plotline left us hanging for more. You can pick up this book which has a great synopsis of book #1 in the beginning, but the first book was just as well written, so I really do recommend you take the time to read it, too.

Lilah Love is one of the best profilers in the FBI. She can get into the mind of the killers’ she profiles without emotional involvement hampering her job and so the nickname “Murder Girl”. Her present case has her returning home to the Hamptons and her ex, Kane Mendez is waiting for her. Lilah believes in law and order, but is drawn to the dark, while Kane is the bad boy, millionaire business man who could be all bad, but he continually tries to fight the dark for Lilah.

Lilah is piecing together the clues of a series of murders others believe are not connected, but she believes are done by an assassin and are all tied together. Each time she gets another piece of the puzzle, she is taken down another path that may go back years and could connect to a secret in her past and her family.

Lilah has to find the assassin, deal with her continually conflicted relationship with Kane and hopefully keep everyone she cares about alive.

Lilah is a great main character. Foul mouthed, beautiful and seriously devoted to catching killers. Her romantic interest in Kane can go so many ways and I am looking forward to seeing if the author can work out their differences enough to bring them together or if he remains more of a character who helps Lilah and just has benefits. Lilah’s FBI supervisor and the assassin, Ghost, are both going to make future books very interesting, also.

I definitely recommend this book and series. It is well written and a page turner that just keeps throwing new twists and revelations at the reader. Bring on book #3, please!

Thank you very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for and honest review.

Book Review: Blaze by Lisa Carlisle

RATING 5 out of 5 Stars

BLAZE: A GARGOYLE SHIFTER ROCKSTAR ROMANCE (Underground Encounters #6) by Lisa Carlisle is another great addition to the paranormal romance series based around VAMPS nightclub. These books are all romances, all have paranormal creatures and can be read as standalones, but they are also intertwined and building a unique world with crossover characters.

Mike is the lead guitarist of the Velvet Cocks. Outrageous rock star by night and computer geek by day, Mike has taken full advantage of the girls who want to sleep with him for one night stands, never more. One night in VAMPS, he runs across a scene that has the head gargoyle/bouncer telling him to take a pretty blonde out of there and protect her. When he takes the girl out of there, she seems familiar, but he cannot remember her name.

Allana “Ally” is humiliated and mad. Mike was her fantasy one night stand several months ago and here she is with him again and he does not even remember her name. Mike’s personal quirk though is he does not remember any names, but he remembers everything else about Allana. They both feel an attraction and agree to see each other again, but to keep it casual.

Allana has a past that no one knows about and she is not willing to risk her heart on a man who does not know how to be in a relationship. Mike cannot seem to stop thinking about only Allana and wants to spend every minute with her. He has an overwhelming urge to protect her, which leads to a discovery of his heritage that he knows nothing about.

This series is one of my guilty pleasures. I always know I am going to get an entertaining paranormal story with great characters and plenty of steaming hot sex scenes. Allana and Mike, even with the paranormal twists are portrayed with emotions that anyone can relate to. The romance, plot and paranormal and/or human characters all pull you right into the story. Ms. Carlisle’s worldbuilding has witches, vampires, gargoyles and shifters that make me want to meet them all at VAMPS.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Oceanside by Michelle Mankin

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

WOW! I am once again blown away by the emotions and realism of this series. Ms. Mankin consistently makes me feel all the highs and lows of a second chance romance. I am completely invested in all of the H/h’s HEA journeys. I recommend you read this series in order for the maximum investment in all of the characters.

OCEANSIDE (Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances #3) by Michelle Mankin is a contemporary romance that deals with an emotional second chance love story and true-to-life sexual and health issues that are written with empathy and truth.

Ashland “Ash” Keys, the drummer for the Dirt Dogs is done. He is done with the rock star lifestyle, the touring, the drugs and the groupie sex. He and his cousin start their own recording label in OB. His life is solitary and full of regrets. He has to be in control and he holds his secrets close. Only his closest friends are let in and then not all the way.

Fanny Bay has always been a fan of the Dirt Dogs, but especially the beautiful, blonde haired drummer. They meet briefly, are captivated by each other, but are on two different life paths.

They come together two years later, by chance after Fanny is viciously attacked. Both have so many secrets and trust issues. Fanny’s light and hope to Ash’s darkness and regrets. Can these two learn to trust each other enough to become whole as one, or are some things too hard to overcome and not meant to be?

Rockers, surfers, sex, drugs, abuse, regrets, healing and love are all covered in these books, but this one has an additional health issue that is handled with empathy and facts by this author. Sexual orientation is also covered with an openness I have not found often in other romances. I was emotionally involved throughout this story and it is worth every angst ridden moment right up to the surprise in the epilogue.

This is a great series that I highly recommend. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

Book Review: A Cowboy’s Sweetheart by Crista McHugh

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

A COWBOY’S SWEETHEART (Rodeo Academy Book 1) by Crista McHugh is a YA contemporary romance. To be honest, I requested this book by mistake because I am not interested in YA books, but this author pulled me in with her writing, setting and characters. I had to finish the whole story and I enjoyed it.

Kensington “Kensi” Pope is a spoiled, NYC society rich girl. Her jet-setting parents provide her with all the money and things she wants until a party gets out of hand. She is exiled to her aunt and uncle’s Rodeo Academy in Wyoming. The one activity Kensi does truly love is being a champion dressage rider, but can she be ready for her next international competition on a ranch set up for training rodeo competitors?

Javier Cruz is working hard on the ranch to prove himself, but it is an up-hill battle. When he turns eighteen, he wants to gain guardianship over his younger brothers who are in foster care after a horrific crime occurred with his parents. He takes one look at the spoiled rich girl and knows she is trouble, but as he gets to know her, he realizes there is more to Kensi than meets the eye.

Kensi and Javier begin to open up to each other, but trust is not easy. Kensi has a plan to return to NY after her competition and not the ranch, but she is finding she actually feels loved and a part of a family on the ranch. When tragedy strikes her cousin, will Kensi just go back to her old life, or will she make a place for herself with her Wyoming family?

This is an entertaining romance for any young adult who loves a sweet, clean, love story, horses and ranch life. It is also good for those who like a clean read. This book, though not an actual cliffhanger, does leave some questions unanswered for readers to follow the series both in Kensi and Javier’s relationship and all the other family members. I also enjoyed the ranch setting and that it may bring in other styles of horse competitions in the future. This is a well written start to a new series.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.