His Banana by Penelope Bloom ARC review

His Banana by Penelope Bloom

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Natasha Flores was a grade A walking disaster. If a day went buy where she wasn’t late, covered in spilled food or walking into walls it was a dream. She lives in a crappy apartment she can’t afford, working at a small business paper trying to make her break in the journalism word. When her boss approaches her with the assignment of a lifetime, unlike the crap jobs he normally does, she feels this is her time to shine. Can she fake it til she makes it?

Bruce Chamberson, along with this twin brother, owns a quickly growing Advertising agency. Bruce, unlike his twin, is very structured, regimented and routine with his daily schedule and interactions. Every day before lunch he has a banana, a single banana he writes his name on and leaves in the employee lounge as a way of staying on the same page as his employees. One day he walks into the break room to find his banana in the mouth of an intern.

Natasha and Bruce embark on a teasing, quick wit, fast moving relationship that starts as Bruce being attracted to Natasha but not wanting to be so he tries to get her to quit her internship. Natasha being undercover on assignment can’t quit so she puts up with everything Bruce dishes out.

There joking quickly turns to flirting which turns to love in rapid fashion. Throw in a wild twin brother, a lazy homeless brother and a dog with a nervous tummy and you’ve got His Banana.

I’ve read a few books by this author and this is a break from her usual style, though not in a bad way. With all the heavy stuff in the world these days, it was nice to have a quick, lighthearted read with silliness and sarcasm vs draining plot lines. I received an advance copy without any expectation for review; any and all opinions expressed are my own. 4 stars for this happily ever after read by Ms. Bloom.



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Every Time We Fall In Love by Bella Andre ARC review

Every Time We Fall In Love by Bella Andre

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Harry Sullivan has always held it together, been the rock, the glue, the light in the darkness. None of those things were applicable when he answered his door one day.
Growing up the son of a famous father who mourned the death of his wife some 30 years later came with some struggles. Namely having a life outside taking care of his family. He would do anything for his family, including giving up his happiness for theirs.

Molly Connal didn’t have the close-knit family relationships that Harry did. She could barely see her grandparents let alone parents a few times a year from the time she went to boarding school in first grade. Starting a relationship with Harry and all that his life entailed was her best decision but also the hardest in the end.

Little did they know that almost 16 years after their break-up someone would draw them back together again. Can they make it work this time around?

Every Time We Fall in Love is not only a great second chance romance for Harry and Molly but also a second chance “love” story for William Sullivan as well. He had given up on painting when his wife died, changed careers and basically became a recluse. 3 decades later he finally sees clearly, realizes what he has lost, what has been sacrificed for him in the process and feels the stirring in his soul again to paint. He knows just what his first painting should be.

Harry and Molly approach their rekindled love with trepidation not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past but also not wanting to live in the past. They both made mistakes, they both have regrets but they wouldn’t be the people they became without them. Becoming a new family is just the healing they all need to have a great future.

Once again Bella Andre weaves a love story full of hope and joy, but also pain and suffering. Humans make bad choices but our ability to rise above, live and learn is what helps us move forward in our life paths. I received an advance copy without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own for this 5 star read. Years after my first Sullivan novel, I still would give anything to be a part of this close-knit family. I know I am certainly not alone in that sentiment.




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Author signing event in Pittsburgh Area ~ September 7-9 2018

Join facebook group below for more information about upcoming event. Lots of great authors listed as attending. Get your tickets today


https://www.facebook.com/groups/626611554213375/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/authors-in-the-steel-city-tickets-30665597628

Going for Four by Erin Nicholas

Going for Four by Erin Nicholas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars





Olivia Dixon is the youngest of 4 sisters and 1 brother. Her family regards her as the “baby”, the “danty one”, the one to handle with kid gloves, or she might crack. Olivia would do anything for her sisters and especially her brother, including turning her back on the one man that is her perfect match.

Cody Madsen can’t believe his happily ever after is the little sister of his best friend. The same best friend who thinks he wouldn’t be able to offer anything but heartbreak to any woman he dates. Can he change everyone’s mind about who he really is?

Olivia and Cody have some mad chemistry, chemistry they both admit to but they have to keep under control so Connor doesn’t find out. They’ve made rule after rule to keep their thoughts totally clean toward one another. But those rules don’t mean a thing when Cody sees Olivia naked emerging from the bathroom. All cohesive thoughts go out the window at that point. They decide the only way to truly get over each other is to date other people. Olivia sets up a profile for each of them on a dating website and they both find matches. When Cody realizes he’s been stood up for his date he goes to leave the restaurant and sees Olivia. She realizes she’s been stood up too, they surmise that maybe they were matched with each other by the computer. Even the computer thinks they belong together. Will they keep their relationship hands off or go with the force that seems to be constantly pushing them together?

Cody and Olivia both want to keep Connor happy and risk his wrath if he finds out they are together. Together they realize that it isn’t just about making Connor happy or risking his disappointment. They have to come together and find a way to develop their relationship outside of their friendship. After some trickery, of course, using the dating app, some misunderstandings, awkward dating while loving someone else, a sex club (cue visit from Mac AND Dooley squeal), deep down soul confessions and a TON of chocolate chip cookies, they figure out they can definitely have the best of both worlds.

Going for Four continued a wonderful series involving the Dixon family (spun from the Bradford series) in which you get totally sucked into the family dynamics. These are people I would love to hang out with in real life. Ms Nicholas once again has you along for the ride of your life. I can’t recommend these 2 series’ enough. Just Everyday Heroes are just what I need in my every day life!!




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A Nice Day for a Cowboy Wedding by Nicole Helm ARC

A Nice Day for a Cowboy Wedding by Nicole Helm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It is always a nice day for a cowboy wedding…..Cora Preston is trying to make the best wedding happen for her clients even though every fiber in her body is telling her she will fail. She has worked hard to let go of the negative feelings she has for herself and her abilities but after so many years, it is easy to fall back into her old trappings. She has to do better, for her sister and the company, for her son and for herself. But can she trust herself to let success come without automatically expecting the worst?

Shane Tyler is a fixer, he fixes his ranch, his siblings, his mother. The one thing he couldn’t fix has haunted him is a secret from when he was 12 years old. When the pretty new wedding planner shows up at their ranch to help his Mom with her marriage he figures out a way to get this wedding stopped once and for all.

Cora and Shane are both coming into this with the same sort of back issues in their lives but from completely different places. Cora has nothing but fixers in her life while Shane has nothing but people needing saved in his. Or so they both think. On the wedding front, Shane wants to get his mother to see the man she wants to marry is wrong for her and Cora does everything in her power to make Shane see he is wrong. Can they work together to prove their respective points, while navigating this slippery slope, despite being wildly attracted to each other?

I have been a fan of Nicole Helm’s writing for a while now and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint earning 4 1/2 stars. I’m usually pretty good at figuring out a storyline and I was greatly relieved to see that one point I was sure would happen, did not. Cora and Shane though both appearing confident in themselves were very much the opposite and I liked the way they both realized they needed to make that change in themselves. Moms definitely do know best always, even flawed ones like Cora and Deb Tyler doesn’t miss a trick. Throw in the awesome Grandma Maisey, her sword collection and a possible love connection with Skeet in the future (please please) and this book is wonderfully all family.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley without any expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own. Another great read from Ms Helm and I can’t wait to read the next chapter(s) to come in Gracely, Colorado.




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Now I'm a writer?!

Some of you know that I've been reading for most of my life.  I officially starting reading books to other people at age 4.  I even used to hold a reading corner at my PreK to read to the other kids in my class.  I always, always have a book in hand or nearby me at all times. 

I think I've always written short stories too, you know those stories you write when you are young, about someone or something at school or even about your best friend.  Those stories that help you work out what ails ya.  I've even written some song lyrics too over the years. 

But I've never latched on to anything specific, one of my many downfalls, until recently.

I was approached about possibly writing a story for a new romance publisher.  Now this is all in planning stage, may not happen etc but it really got me thinking.  Why not?  Why couldn't I put these stories in my head down on paper and see what happens.  So that is what I'm currently doing.

I have 4 books in my head for a little mini series and we'll see how it goes.  I'm only about 15,000 words in on the first one but I feel like it is going ok.  I have much to learn and tons of room to grow but I'm excited to be on this new journey.

Now if anyone has any extra time to spare...........