Wild Hearts (Lines in the Sand #2) by Lindsay Detwiler

Blurb:

Jodie Ellison loves wild parties, chaotic fun, and spontaneity in her hometown of Ocean City, Maryland.  With her writing career and waitressing job not quite paying the bills, Jodie desperately needs a new roommate and finds herself in a nightmarish situation when her roomie turns out to be a disastrous choice. The wild and unruly Levi Creed is a little bit revel and a whole lot of sexy.  When he moves in next door to Jodie, things get a bit tumultuous thanks to a squawking parrot and a dangerous fire pit.  It seems like Levi’s adorable Texan drawl and perfect body can’t possibly win over Jodie… or can they?  An undeniable chemistry simmers between the unlikely pair.  The beach babe and the sexy cowboy soon find themselves asking:  Can they tame their wild hearts and commit to the blossoming romance between them?

Review:

I previously reviewed Inked Hearts, the first book in Lindsay Detwiler’s Lines in the Sand series, and loved it.  It was sweet and funny, but my absolutely favorite part of it was the secondary characters.  And so, imagine my delight at being granted a book focusing on one of those secondary characters, Jodie Ellison.  Wild Hearts is one of those minimal-drama novels that seems more realistic than most.  It doesn’t take much effort to imagine the beautiful Ocean City, Maryland or the boardwalk or the really annoying parrot living next door.  If you’re looking for chaos, fights, and misunderstandings you’ll probably want to look elsewhere for a read, but if you just want some genuine romance that will make you laugh and aww the entire time then you’ve picked up the right book.

Cowboy novels aren’t usually my go-to reads, but I was willing to give Levi Creed a chance to win my heart. And he did. He captured my attention from the first time he opened his mouth and introduced us to all that southern charm.  I adored his light-hearted attitude towards Jodie’s furious confrontation, his penchant for using the word ‘reckon’, and the lovely descriptions of his ripped abs (please, keep those coming).  He was the perfect fit for the over-thinking, slightly chaotic, horror-writing Jodie.

In Inked Hearts I got to know Jodie as the wild roommate of the more subdued Avery who loved to hit up clubs and date all sorts of interesting men and I’ll admit that I was expecting her to be like that in Wild Hearts, but instead we got a new version of Jodie: a stressed woman with a semi-short fuse and a deadline on the horizon.  She’s a sarcastic spitfire with a hatred of birds (I can relate to that) and trying very, very hard to ignore her attraction for the hottie next door who never seems to wear a shirt.  Jodie and Levi balanced each other out wonderfully.

Wild Hearts was beautifully written.  I loved the individual growth of the characters, the sarcasm and wit, and the sexually charged kite-flying scene.  I would have loved to watch this book as a movie, especially the scene where two gay men pretend to be someone’s dad to break up a party… and the seashell collecting.  I can’t think of anything else I would want in a romance novel.  And if you hurry the first book in the series is currently free (as of 3/17/18).  Click here!

If Ever I Should Love You by Cathy Maxwell

Blurb:

He’s inherited a title, but not a penny to speak of, so the Earl of Rochdale knows he must find a wife—preferably one tolerably pretty and good-tempered, but definitely wealthy, and who will exchange her fortune for his family name.  His choice: Leonie Charnock, one of the season’s “Spinster Heiresses.”  Years before, the earl had saved the dark-eyed beauty’s reputation, and she is still breathtakingly lovely, leading Rochdale to hope that their marriage will be more than in name only.

However, Leonie doesn’t want to be anyone’s wife.  Nearly destroyed by the secrets in her past, Leonie agrees to their union with one condition:  there will be a wedding but no bedding.  But it’s a condition the new Countess Rochdale isn’t sure even she can keep.

Review:

At the end of If Ever I Should Love You Cathy Maxwell writes in an author note, “I am not a fan of perfect characters. In Romance, the heroine is often the voice of reason.  We can have tortured heroes and villains but the heroine is usually level-headed.  Frankly, I believe we are each the heroine of our life and I know I’m not perfect. I suspect you aren’t either.” 

This isn’t the first time that I’ve read about a ‘troubled’ heroine but more often than not her trouble stems from something inherently positive, but negative in the light of 1800s England.  She’s too caring about the poor, she’s too outspoken, she’s too smart, she’s too opinionated, etc.  Leonie’s flaw—I pride myself on non-spoiler reviews so I won’t get too in depth—is a character flaw not well understood in this time period, but widely rampant.  She’s also suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, yet another misunderstood mental health issue in the 1800s.  I imagine it is quite difficult to convey mental health disorders without actually giving them names they had not yet been given, but Cathy doesn’t a fabulous job of it.

Leonie is a very complex character and just being granted access to her mind for the length of this book nearly made my own head spin.  I very much enjoyed getting to know her and watching her struggling to return to some sense of normalcy—or as close to it as possible for someone who has been through what she has.

Roman is not without his flaws as well, but it was interesting to see him be the hero in a way that didn’t involve riding in on a white horse to save a damsel in distress.  His saving was much more subtle.  His understanding, his patience, his desire to protect Leonie—even from herself—was incredibly admirable.  I found myself drawn to him, perhaps because I have experience loving someone with Leonie’s flaw.  Reading his thoughts was, on occasion, like delving into my own mind and there were times I was not at all comfortable with what I found here.

I loved that these characters weren’t cookie cutter.  They were unique, they were different.  There was passion between them but there was also large amount of tension, strife, and desperation to pretend things weren’t as they were.  They weren’t the perfect couple right off the bat, but that made the good moments even sweeter.

All in all, this book was a delightful read.  I am so pleased that Cathy Maxwell has taken the ‘spinster’ route that so many romance novels take, but has put her own spin on it.  The second book in the series is A Match Made in Bed and my review of it can be found here.  To purchase the book travel here please.

A Match Made in Bed by Cathy Maxwell

Blurb:  Miss Cassandra Howell is too tall, too bookish, and too smart—but she does have money and a father who wants a grand title for her. Cassandra hasn’t felt a desire to marry until she meets the sinfully handsome Duke of Camberly, who captures her imagination . . . until Soren York, Earl of Dewsberry and her family’s sworn enemy, steps in the way.

The Holwells ruined Soren’s family, and he’s lived on the knife’s edge trying to resurrect their fortunes . . . until he considers marrying the Holwell Heiress. Not only would her dowry give him the funds he needs, he has secretly had an eye on the independent-minded bluestocking since they both first realized the differences between men and women. She likes to read; he has no patience for books. She knows little of sex; he is a man of the world and willing to school her. Her family destroyed his; his offer of marriage may be her only salvation.

Now Cassandra and Soren must learn to love each other for who they are, not what they are—and the lessons are becoming an exercise in absolute pleasure.

Review:  Prior to reading A Match Made in Bed I had never read a book by Cathy Maxwell, nor heard of her.  I love regency romances though and I was more than excited to open myself up to a new author. The first thing I liked about Cathy Maxwell’s A Match Made in Bed is that the font was large (not overly large, but not the super small font I've been seeing lately).  Is that weird?  Oh god, this is the oldest thing I've ever said. It’s not like I have particularly bad eye sight—I mean, I do but it doesn’t affect my reading—I just really liked how easy it was to keep my place.  Now, on to the rest of the things I enjoyed (there were many!)

I adore spinster tales.  Maybe it’s the ‘finding love when you’ve given up’ thing, I don’t know, but they’re some of my favorite stories. Pair a spinster plotline with a heroine who loves to read and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind and I reach peak enjoyment.  Not that Cassandra is as outspoken as some of the other women I’ve read about in my book travels—she’s actually quite down the middle, constantly struggling to toe the line between what she believes and what society expects—but she’s refreshingly bold and doesn’t pretend to be someone she isn’t. 

Soren won my heart through the simple act of being amazing with children.  I’m a nanny though and have spent my life around children, so that’s what is most attractive to me in a man.  Soren isn’t the type of hero who is going to swoop in and kidnap his bride in the middle of a night but he was fabulous all the same.  He was kind, understanding, strong, and sneaky with the way he pursues Cassandra. 

I loved the speed with which the book progressed.  It was quick without feeling unrealistic and without sacrificing the character development.  The Romeo and Juliet plot is fantastic but there’s enough original content to keep you wondering what will happen next.  The only thing that frustrated me was that I could have read another four books solely focused on this adorable couple.  Any regency fan will enjoy this novel filled with colorful characters, witty banter, and ludicrous family members.  I cannot wait for the next book focusing on the handsome, but moral-stunted Duke of Camberly.

A Match Made in Bed comes out April 17th.  You can preorder it here.

A Slippery Slope by Tanya Gallagher

Have you ever thought to yourself: “Wow, this romance novel could use a whole lot more lube?” No? Well, neither had I. I never knew that was something I needed until A Slippery Slope by Tanya Gallagher (and oh dear, I never thought about the title until just this moment). This book is a breath of fresh air among the contemporary romance genre.

Natalie Bloom is an expert in quitting things: college, her unfinished novel, her relationship with a cheating ex-boyfriend. When she decides to start a business selling lube to get her life back on track, she’s determined not to give up, even if making it work means partnering with the one person she’s avoided for years. 

Jackson Wirth may be sexy, magnetic, and good in business, but he’s also the man who broke Natalie’s heart years ago. She knows better than to fall for his charms, but when Jackson’s marketing plans involve testing lube and visiting sex shops, things between them get unprofessional fast. 

Soon Natalie has to admit her feelings for Jackson are more than casual. But Jackson is tied to their town and Natalie has only ever wanted to leave. The harder she falls for Jackson the more she risks losing everything she’s worked for. Will she have to choose between the life she’s dreamed of and the man she’s falling in love with…again?

A Slippery Slope didn’t do away with all the tropes that you often find in contemporary romance novels but it brought a lot of new elements into the mix that will certainly held my interest multiple times over. I loved the ex-best friend romance mixed with a little love-hate romance (two of my all-time favorite relationship plots). Their relationship was a lot of push and pull between the characters but there was lots of fun and flirt to balance out the drama.

Natalie drove me a little crazy with her low self-esteem and her woe-is-me attitude, but then again I’d probably feel the same way after catching my boyfriend cheating on me so I can’t really hold it against the girl. I love Jackson with all my heart though. I’ve never had a book boyfriend before but… I think it would be him. Sexy and business smart? Be still my beating heart.

Both characters were funny and personable with a chemistry that leapt off the page. There was plenty of drama. There was more than enough passion to satisfy without being tacky. And there were plenty of hilarious mishaps involving lube. I mean, what more could you ask for in a romance novel really?

A Slippery Slope comes out March 13th.  Pick up your copy here if you're down for some laughs.

Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London

When I was in college there was an app that was popular for a short amount of time that allowed women to rate and review men that they dated.  My friends and I used to frequent the app and look up our male friends or ex-boyfriends to see what the scoop was.  I don’t know anyone that genuinely used the app to vet dates, however, and most of the reviews ended up being complete jokes.  Apparently the app eventually turned into a regular dating app, but I haven’t heard of it since (until I googled it just now), so I imagine it’s not all that successful.

I swear this story is leading somewhere…

Bad Bachelor is the name of an app that allows women to review New York’s most eligible bachelors, but as Reed McMahon discovers not all the reviews are accurate. Some are downright lies.  He tries to ignore the buzz he’s getting from the app—after all, he’s in PR and isn’t all press good press?—but soon his job and reputation are at risk and the app isn’t so funny.  He needs to find a way to turn things around before he loses everything he’s worked for.

Darcy Greer knows all about asshole men and she wants nothing to do with them—no matter how handsome they are—so when Reed McMahon walks into her library offering his assistance with fundraising she only has one question: What’s in it for him?  However, the more time they’re forced to spend together for the good of the library the more she finds herself questioning the app’s validity.  Maybe Reed can’t be boiled down to his negative reviews.  Maybe there’s more to him than his womanizing ways.

While reading Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London I found myself somewhat disgusted.  In college the LuLu app didn’t seem so freaking awful, but as an adult reading about a similar program I felt my stomach twisting.  How easy it is to ruin someone’s reputation from behind the safety of a keyboard.  As the book progressed and the trouble from the app increased I felt my pulse racing and my heart demanding justice for Reed.

My disgust did not extend to the plot or characters of this novel, thankfully, and I actually quite enjoyed reading about Darcy’s love for her library and Reed’s love for his father (and their developing love for each other, of course).  The insults and sparks flew between these two characters and the app causes more than its fair share of conflicts for their budding romance.  They were so utterly frustrating together, but that made their coming together all the more enjoyable.  It felt like winning a first place prize after a really grueling race.

Anyone who loves their men to be ungodly handsome, cocky, and unable to commit will love Reed McMahon (not everything said in the app was untrue, after all).  Those who love their women fiercely independent, tatted up, and spunky as can be will enjoy Darcy.  Those who love drama will enjoy the explosive relationship between the two.  Fun for everyone, right?

The writing was engaging and the plot was full of little surprises here and there, with some big ones at the end (like who exactly is running this Bad Bachelors app and what are they trying to accomplish by tearing down some of the sexiest men in town?)  A captivating read for many reasons.  Scoop yourself a paperback or Kindle edition here (it's out March 6th!).