And, thanks to one reckless night, my soon-to-be baby daddy.
Patton Pierce has a knack for showing up when I least expect him—my street, my salon, my martial arts studio. Even my dreams.
Sure, I’ve pined for him over the past seven years, but if he thinks his low-slung gray sweatpants, backward cap, and infuriating grin will make me forget our past, then he’s in for a rude awakening.
But then my sister’s bachelorette party happens, and I have one too many drinks. One ridiculous dare later, and I find myself “kissing the boy I used to love”.
One kiss leads to one incredible night.
And one night leads to two very pink lines.
Patton says he wants me back, that nothing would make him happier than to have this baby with me. But I’ve heard those words before.
He chose Hollywood over me before, and he’ll choose it over me again.
Still, with him taking care of my every craving—both in and out of the bedroom—it’s getting harder not to fall for him.
The question is: will he be there to catch me this time?
Pine For Me is the first book I’ve read by Swati M.H., and I really enjoyed Patton and Nisha’s second-chance romance. I especially love a second-chance romance for a divorced couple, and these two characters went through the wringer.
Patton and Nisha were high school sweethearts who married young. But as his celebrity star power rose, they started to grow apart. And when Nisha was left to deal with a traumatic event all on her own, she had enough and left. Now, it’s been seven years, and Patton is determined to take the small opening he has and prove to Nisha that he is a changed man.
I thought that the author handled the infertility issues very well. Having been through a miscarriage myself, Nisha’s recovery with that resonated with me. Even though she left him, Patton ended up suffering just as much as she did. I really loved how that part of the story was dealt with; he had no one else in his corner, and he lost more than she did, in a way, when their marriage ended.
This book was really beautiful, and I was so happy to see Nisha and Patton get the happily ever after they fought so hard for! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
I prefer to call myself a storyteller rather than an author. I’m a mom to two beautiful little girls and a wife to an incredibly supportive husband. My days start with caffeine and sometimes end with a glass (or three) of wine.
I’m a Texas raised Indian American currently living in the Bay Area. With a degree in Computer Science and an MBA, I’ve had a successful career building software products but writing is both my hobby and my passion.
For me, writing and reading are an escape from real life. I love meeting and creating characters who I’d love to take out for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. My goal as a storyteller is to distract my readers from their daily grind with stories about everyday couples finding and fighting for incredible love with the help of a little luck.
💓 NINE HOLIDAYS FALLING by ERIN GRAVES IS AVAILABLE NOW💓
Sadie Winslow
I never expected to run into my sister’s ex-boyfriend at that New Year’s Eve party. I should’ve known it was a possibility—I mean, it is his hometown—but I never thought he’d be at THAT party.
Then the Valentine’s date from hell—not even close to his hometown? And the Memorial Day barbecue and Fourth of July festival? What was happening?
It was a surprise when my sister told me they broke up, but I understood after the stories she shared. Now, though? I’m struggling to believe he’s really as bad as she said.
Nothing’s adding up anymore.
Reid Alexander
Running into my ex’s younger sister wasn’t on my bingo card for the year, and if I had my way, I never would have seen her again.
It might not be fair to assume Sadie’s like her sister, but my gut’s been proven wrong before, and I can’t trust it anymore—no matter how much it’s telling me to give Sadie a shot.
But with every run-in, it’s getting harder and harder not to listen. Maybe I was wrong about this particular Winslow sister.
If only I could figure out why she hates me so much…
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars
Nine Holidays Falling was such a cute, feel-good story! Reid and Sadie’s story spans all the holidays throughout the year, as they keep bumping into each other. He is her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and Sadie does not have the best opinion of Reid, thanks to things her sister had told her. As it turns out, Sadie is so very wrong about the Ashford Falls cop!
I really enjoyed seeing the small moments between these two. What starts out as one tension-filled encounter slowly grows into undeniable chemistry and a connection that they just can’t ignore.
Since Reid works with Gage, there are appearances from the other Ashford Falls couples, which was a nice little holiday treat!
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan brings you a new standalone series surrounding the Nashville Rampage football team. Follow the Play is a single dad, nanny, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity sports romance.
Baker
Being a single dad was never part of the playbook, but one look at my son and everything changed.
Now football and fatherhood are my whole world—a world that gets turned upside down when my nanny quits two weeks before training camp.
Sloane Peterson runs interference by stepping in to help.
She’s sweet, dependable, and the one woman I shouldn’t want. Not when our lives are so entwined.
But every time she smiles at my son—or me—it gets harder to remember that our little arrangement is only temporary.
Sloane
Taking a short-term nanny gig for Nashville Rampage’s most eligible DILF has disaster written all over it.
But when Daddy Sin is in a bind, I do just that. It keeps me from waiting tables, and his son is the cutest little boy on the planet.
Baker Sinclair is famous, has a body like a Greek god, and when he’s in daddy mode… he’s irresistible. He’s also currently my new boss, and completely forbidden.
The longer I’m in his home, the less this feels like a job.
Because between reading bedtime stories and baking cookies, I can’t imagine my life without them… either of them. Too bad love doesn’t follow lesson plans… or playbooks.
From the moment that Baker found out he was going to be a father, I have been waiting for him to find his mate. Throughout these books, we have seen him be an absolute gem of a dad to baby Camden. I never expected that Corie’s bestie, Sloan, would be the one who turned out to be Baker’s forever, but here we are. And the story was perfect.
Baker is rocking the single dad thing, with the help of his nanny and band of brothers. Camden’s mom is a supermodel that Baker had a one-night stand with, and Natasha has been an absent mother, at best. If you’ve read the other books in this series, you know that Baker wishes things were different for his son as far as having a relationship with his mother goes. So when Cam’s nanny quits because of a family issue, Sloane — a currently out-of-work early childhood teacher — moves in to help out Baker as the new nanny. Suddenly, after being friends for years, Baker and Sloan are seeing each other in a different light, Camden has completely bonded with the new woman in his life, and Baker is realizing just how lonely he’d been.
I loved the slow burn of their romance and how easily it all came together. Months of tender little moments built up before either of them acknowledged that they weren’t just friends anymore before they even had their first kiss. Everything clicked into place, and I loved how drama-free this story was.
I am really hoping that the next book in the series brings us Foster and Amanda, because there is something sketchy about her husband!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan has been crowned the Queen of Swoon by her readers. With nearly fifty romance books under her belt, she’s known for penning happily ever afters with heart. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand or hanging out with her family where she resides in her home state of Ohio.
Snowbody Has to Know by Michele Elizabeth is AVAILABLE NOW
BLURB
He wants her heart. She wants his body. But what if the man who believes in forever is the only one who can make her believe too?
Lexi Love? Yeah, no thanks. I’ve seen how that story ends, and it’s never pretty. Keeping things casual means no lies, no heartbreak, no mess. Then Brandon shows up—charming, persistent, and way too good at making me forget why I swore off feelings in the first place. He’s the kind of man who makes forever sound tempting… and that’s exactly why I should stay away.
Brandon I’ve always been a believer—in love, in fate, in finding the one. I just never expected her to be the one woman who doesn’t believe in any of it. Lexi’s a challenge I can’t walk away from. What starts as something physical quickly becomes the thing I can’t stop wanting more of. And the more she fights it, the deeper I fall.
But when the line between fun and forever starts to blur, there’s only one thing we can agree on—snowbody has to know.
Brandon and Lexi’s story was so good! Brandon is Nathan’s brother from Falling Too Soon, and Lexi is Daphne’s best friend. The prologue overlaps with the end of the first book, but it is a standalone story. And to be honest, I think I liked Snowbody Has To Know more!
Brandon and Lexi have insane chemistry. And what starts as a one-night stand becomes a secret situationship for them both. Except that Brandon really likes Lexi, and she has sworn off relationships, having seen the way her mom struggled after her father left when she was very young. So when their friends-with-benefits hookups begin to border on something more, she spirals.
As it turns out, both Brandon and Lexi have abandonment issues, and I thought that Michele Elizabeth handled their mental wellness wonderfully. I was very impressed with how aware Brandon was throughout the whole book about his previous depression and overall mental health. And then, after Lexi hit rock bottom when her feelings for Brandon became too much for her, she really did own up to the self-work she needed to do.
For a relatively new author (this is only her second book), Michele Elizabeth once again delivers a charming, engaging, well-written, and entertaining story. The characters are likable, there’s a clear throughline, and so much growth from both of these characters. Snowbody Has To Know is a bit spicier than Falling Too Soon. And if you like a Hot Santa…. well… don’t miss this one!
I can’t wait to see what Spring brings for Dylan…. and I would love to see Summer bring together the brothers’ dad, Dane, and Lexi’s mom!
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review.
CHASING HOME by Piper Rayne is now live in Kindle Unlimited and in Audio
It was straight out of a rom-com—until two pink lines changed everything.
Zander Shaw is country music’s hottest star. So, when he singled me out of a packed arena and had me pulled backstage, I should’ve known I wasn’t his forever. One signed NDA later, I was sneaking onto his tour bus, wrapped up in his world, and him. But it ended before it really started when he ghosted me.
Then he shows up on my family’s ranch to film his new music video, a surprise to us both. Now I’m his appointed tour guide around the ranch, stuck sharing all my favorite places with the man who carelessly discarded me.
The more time we spend together, the harder it is to guard my heart because his flirty half-smile makes me forget my anger. But Zander’s made it clear, he’s not looking to ride out into the sunset with anyone.
Which would be fine… if I wasn’t carrying his baby.
I love a tortured hero who doesn’t think he’s deserving of love, and that is exactly what we got with Zander Shaw in Chasing Home! Piper Rayne dropped hints in the last Plain Daisy Ranch book that Romy was knocked up by her mystery man, and in Chasing Home, we get all the details about her fling with country star Zander Shaw…. who happens to have rented out Plain Daisy Ranch to film his next music video.
I adored these two characters and their road to HEA. Poor Zander. A former foster child, he had no idea what to do with all the big feelings he started having for Romy during their secret fling. When he then began spending every day with her at the ranch, he really started spiraling further. And then… And then… Romy shared that they were expecting a baby. I really have to give Zander credit, because he really made an effort to be Romy’s boyfriend, despite not knowing how to really be one. But when the pressures of Zander’s career became too much for him to protect the bubble of happiness he was building with Romy, he freaked out, and it threatened to destroy the life they were building together.
If you love a heartfelt grovel and a hard-won HEA, don’t miss this book. Zander Shaw spent his entire life “chasing a home” and he gets that and then some with Romy and her extended family. Sean Masters and Holly Warden did a wonderful job with this duet narration, perfectly capturing the fun, playful moments between these characters as well as their vulnerable and messy ones.
Bring on Nash and Poppy!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
He was dating me to save his reputation… but it was all a lie.
From Holt, With Promise, an all-new Fake Dating, Best Friend’s Brother Billionaire romance, and book 3 in the NYC Billionaire Series from bestselling author Brittany Taylor is now available!
He was dating me to save his reputation… but it was all a lie.
I’ve seen the pain love can cause, leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. It’s made me swear off love forever, and now I’m more than content living my quiet life in the big city, with my small group of friends.
Until the night my best friend begs me to help with her fundraising auction.
The winning bidder’s prize?
A date with me.
But when the highest bidder joins me up on stage to claim what he’s now owed, it’s more than just his surprising, electric kiss that catches me off guard.
Turns out my date isn’t just another big city billionaire.
He’s Holt Capuleti.
Owner of Scribe Magazine.
Self-described bachelor.
And my best friend’s older brother.
At first, I refuse to follow through with going on a date… until Holt reveals his true intentions. Reluctantly, I agree to play at being his girlfriend, all to turn the focus of the media attention away from his looming lawsuit.
But once the scandal dies down, and the cameras stop pointing in our direction, we still can’t seem to keep our mouths and hands to ourselves.
Before I realize what’s happened, Holt has managed to break through the walls of my heart, and the longer we keep up the pretense, the more I begin to understand that Holt has secrets of his own—secrets that make him offer me a perfect forever.
But how can I promise him forever in return when I’m not even certain forever exists?
From Holt, With Promise delivers a perfect fake-dating/secret crush romance between Holt and Selene. I love that Holt has been pining for Selene from afar for years, and finally got his chance with her after a charity date auction and a proposal of a fake relationship to help him through a PR scandal.
Both of these characters have some family baggage, and it ends up bonding them in a way. Selene had sworn off relationships (ugh, her background was devastating), and Holt really showed her that she can trust someone else, and that love can be healing. I loved how he became such a safe space for her and how she blossomed as their fake relationship became so much more.
These two characters were magnetic. I’ve always had a soft spot for Asher (since I read Asher and Charleigh’s OG story before the NYC Billionaires series), but Holt is running a close second!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
First Class Fling took me just over an hour to read. It was a perfect feel-good, no drama, bingeable story.
Rosa is Marcella’s sister from Wistful Whispers, who runs the family restaurant. She’s a workaholic who never makes time for herself, so her family forces her to take a month-long vacation to Barcelona, a city she loved while she was training to be a chef. She meets sommelier Santiago (who knew who she was, having been at her restaurant before) on the plane, and ends up having a whirlwind romance during her four weeks in Spain.
Having spent years building his business, Santiago is looking to settle down a bit more in his life and not live out of a suitcase. So he jumps at the opportunity to show Rosa the Barcelona he was raised in, and they spend four weeks eating and drinking their way through the region. And falling madly in love after just a few days.
Even though this book is a novella, I didn’t feel like the story was rushed. Much like Boarding Pass, the relationship developed naturally between these characters and I very much enjoyed seeing where they went after their meet-cute on the plane.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Meet Kaylene Winter:
Kaylene Winter is an Amazon best-selling author of steamy, contemporary romance.
Each character-driven novel is filled with snappy dialogue, pop-culture references and enough steam to make you fan yourself. Kaylene weaves authenticity, emotion and angst into a turbulent rollercoaster ride of love, passion and soul-searing romance always ending with a delicious HEA.
Kaylene lives in Seattle with her amazing Irish husband and gorgeous Siberian Husky. She loves creating art of all kinds.
I jumped into the Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake series on book 3, but I have really enjoyed getting to know these guys. And Luke and Magnolia’s story hit all the right notes of an enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance.
There is a lot of hurt and regret between these two characters, who once meant the world to each other. Magnolia was the rich girl growing up, and she’s worked hard to shed that reputation. Now she’s launching an event planning business, and her big job is working with her ex, Luke, on a wedding to take place at his barn. The tension between them is intense, and their reconciliation is a delicious slow burn that has you rooting for this couple to get it together and finally get back together.
They just have to sort through the regret, hurt, heartbreak, and betrayal that goes along with their complicated past.
Erin Mallon and Ryan West did a fantastic job with the duet narration of this book. They perfectly captured the complex emotions that both of these characters are dealing with, and I so enjoyed listening to them as I went on Luke and Magnolia’s journey.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
I certainly do not need a twentysomething man with a devastating smile, tattooed forearms, and an easy charm that could unravel a woman twice as composed as me.
But when my daughter gets kicked out of after-school care (again) and my flaky nanny ghosts us (again), Austin Calloway moves into the duplex next door—and right into our lives.
Now he’s helping with homework, cooking dinner shirtless, and showing up with coffee like he’s always belonged here.
He’s too young.
Too familiar.
Too good with my daughter.
Too close.
And the worst part? He sees through me—the cracks, the stress, the walls I’ve built to protect what’s mine.
The more I try to keep him out, the more I ache to let him in.
But letting someone in means risking everything.
He’s the wrong choice . . . unless we’re finally ready to see what happens when we fall.
A hot fling with a sexy stranger at a bar turns into so much more when Austin ends up being Selene’s new next-door neighbor and part-time manny. The connection between these two was amazing, and I loved how they lifted each other up. Austin *saw* Selene, and gave her back the self-confidence she lost after her divorce. Being a single mother and running her museum restoration business has left her completely overwhelmed. Austin was an unexpected gift in her life. He was so amazing with both Selene and her precocious daughter, Winnie. And for Austin, Selene grounded him. He is Brody’s half-brother, but always felt less-than because he didn’t grow up with their father. For the first time, with Selene and Winnie, Austin felt like he fit in and found his place, and I loved that for him.
This is the second book in the Star Harbor series, so we get to know the friend group a bit better. (Selene is Ellie’s sister from Book 1.) Lena Hendrix also continues the Lady of the Dunes story, and I am really enjoying that mystery subplot.
If you love a golden retriever, he-falls-first hero, Austin is a winner!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
The Nest Before Christmas by Piper Rayne is now live! A grounded plane. A questionable Greyhound bus. A brotherhood on a mission.
When the team’s plane gets grounded right before Christmas, the Falcons will stop at nothing to make it home for the holidays, including launching their own Planes, Trains, and Automobiles-style mission across the country to get back to their wives and kids.
Meanwhile, their wives are back in Chicago, juggling babies, pregnancy tests, and a missing gender-reveal envelope. From FaceTime flirting gone wrong to a Greyhound bus disaster, the guys’ determination never wavers—because nothing says love like a man sprinting through a snowstorm to make it home before Christmas.
Thank you, Piper & Rayne, for giving us all the Nest goodness that was packed into this holiday novella!
If you have read The Nest series, you won’t want to miss this holiday-themed novella. The gang is headed to a mountain cabin for a few days of R&R before Christmas, but a snowstorm derails their arrival home. Meanwhile, the girls are on their own, juggling kids, various pregnancy discoveries, and a missing gender-reveal envelope. All the hilarity ensues that you would expect from this rowdy bunch, along with the tender moments and family support that we know and love.
Thank you for this holiday treat!
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Sunny Shelly Reads 