Monday Book Review: Vanilla With a Twist, by Peggy Jaeger

Vanilla with a Twist (One Scoop or Two), by Peggy Jaeger
Published May 2020 by The Wild Rose Press

About the Book:

Tandy Blakemore spends her days running her New England ice cream parlor, single-parenting her teenage son, and trying to keep her head above financial water. No easy feat when the shop's machinery is aging and her son is thinking about college. Tandy hasn't had a day off in a decade and wonders if she'll ever be able to live a worry-free life.

Engineer Deacon Withers is on an enforced vacation in the tiny seaside town of Beacher's Cove. Overworked, stressed, and lonely, he walks into Tandy's shop for a midday ice cream cone and gets embroiled in helping her fix a broken piece of equipment.

Can the budding friendship that follows lead to something everlasting?

MY TAKE:

The Wild Rose Press has a fun new series of novellas out this summer called "One Scoop or Two" - Ice Cream Themed romances! Full disclosure that I also write for this publisher and know that the call went out last fall. All are fun, beachy books set in fun, ocean or lake settings and center around ice cream shops. Peggy Jaeger writes a lot of romance for the Wild Rose Press, and answered the call with this sweet New England romance.

The setting is the small seaside town of Beacher's Cove, New Hampshire, and Vanilla with a Twist is the name of the ice cream shop along the boardwalk. Single mom Tandy Blakemore owns the shop and devises the delicious sounding ice cream flavors. She grew up on a farm in the area, and her parent's dairy supplies the fresh dairy products that help make her ice cream special. Summer tourists crowd the shop every day, keeping her way too busy to even think about any kind of social life beyond keeping her shop afloat and being able to afford a better life for her teenage son.

CEO Deacon Withers is on an enforced vacation from the company he built from the ground up. He's also been too busy for a social life, and when he strolls into the little ice cream shop his world view starts to change. An engineer by trade, his work days have become filled with paperwork and presentations - he misses getting his hands dirty with machinery. Tandy's near-antique compressors challenge the puzzle solving side of his brain, and he finds himself drawn into Tandy's world. Helping fix compressors. Bringing lunch to share on the back deck. Having a different flavor combination of her delicious ice cream every day. A lifestyle as intriguing to him as the woman who creates those delectable treats.

This is a slow moving, sweet romance with lots of heart and emotion but not a lick of heat (it might melt all the ice cream, lol.) A fun summer read as you get a great feel for the New Hampshire boardwalk scene along the shore, and characters you can believe in and root for - a staple of Ms. Jaeger's books. She specializes in strong women like Tandy, with opinions and goals and dreams...a woman you'd like to have as a friend. And for the hours you spend reading, you're immersed in her world.

I'll admit I read this back over Memorial Day weekend and am just getting to getting my reviews written after taking most of the summer off - I actually went to the beach twice so far this summer, and to the family lake house four times... which might be a record for me in the last five years since the kids got older and I started working full time again. I kind of related to both character's workaholic lifestyles, and their revelations about taking time to enjoy life hit home for me. Which doesn't excuse the tardiness of this (or posting any) review, or my ignoring this blog for so many weeks. But it goes with the story's theme so I'm sticking with that as my excuse.

As summer winds down and we're all looking for a good book to curl up in the beach chair with for a few last days soaking up rays, I recommend this story, and optimistically this series of ice cream books by various authors. At $3.99 for Kindle, they're priced cheaper than any real ice cream cones you can get in the beachfront shops around here. So why not indulge? Fewer calories and lots of satisfaction.

Grab your copy on AMAZON

NEW RELEASE! Grab it Quick for 99 cents!

My latest Cape Cod romance releases this week on Amazon for Kindle - and you can grab it NOW, and all this week, for only 99 cents! It's part of the Hot Hunks ~ Steamy Romance series, and this is the third set this talented group of authors have put together for your reading pleasure.

My last six stories have been set on Cape Cod, in the small town of Chatham with this group of friends and family I created and have come to love. Ed is one of eight MacDonald cousins - all boys - who grew up calling Chatham their hometown. He's appeared in every one of the stories so far, and a reader asked me if he was ever going to get his own happily ever after.

Yes. Yes he is.

Here's the blurb about my story:


Ed MacDonald lost the only woman he’d ever loved to cancer three years ago. A single dad and small town cop, his options for dating are limited by circumstance and gossip, but he’s okay with that. Ed knows he’s already had his happy ending, even if it didn’t last forever. Except… as his cousins and friends start finding love, it makes him wonder. Could there be someone else out there for him?

The ink on the divorce papers is finally dry, and Claire Masters wants a fresh start. Moving to a new state and a new school district, she goes on a blind date and gets a whole lot more than she bargained for. Sexy and sensitive, Ed seems like everything she’s always wanted in a guy… until she realizes he’s the father of one of her students. A girl who’s been telling Claire troubling things about her home life. Can she reconcile the man she’s falling for with the monster her student describes?

Whether it's an unexpected discovery, a curveball thrown your way, an explosive situation to defuse, a seduction on the horizon, a developing experiment, a dilemma to work out, a mystery to solve, or a debacle in the making. These eight blind dates by eight authors have one thing in common. Hot hunks finding their ladies! 

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Friday Feature: Excerpt from Runaway Love Story, by Sadira Stone

About the Book:

She hates average...he's as average as they come.

High school history teacher Doug Garvey is trying to enjoy his last few weeks of summer vacation, but receiving his final divorce decree hits him harder than expected. After a brief fling fizzles, he fears love just isn't in the cards for him. If only he could find someone who's real, someone interested in something beyond herself…maybe a new running partner who can keep up with his more carnal appetite. When sexy, straight-talking Laurel runs across his path, he dares to hope again.

He's done with social-climbing posers...she's ambitious and has big dreams

Fired from an art gallery, Laurel Jepsen shelves her pursuit of an art career in San Francisco to help her beloved great aunt Maxie move into assisted living. While out on a morning run, she's harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered hottie steps in, pretending to be her boyfriend with a kiss that makes her wish it were true. But she's only passing through, not looking for a relationship.

Their fierce chemistry burns up the sheets—and the couch, the shower, the forest—but falling in love would ruin everything. Laurel can't stay in Eugene, and he can't leave. Doug's only hope is to convince her the glittery life she's after could blind her to the opportunities already in her path.

Excerpt from Runaway Love Story:

                “I’m sorry she called you the S word.” 

                “Huh?” 

                “Sensible.” 

                She laughed. “Yeah. That’s a curse word, as far as I’m concerned.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.  

                “I’ll strike it from my vocabulary. Your S word is sparkle.” He traced her jawline with a feather-light touch. “Look at you, Laurel. You’re blinding.” His twilight-blue gaze made her heart dance—a steamy tango with swirls and dangerous dips. He kissed her, and, for a moment, she forgot all about caution, about cutting things off before they became too serious, about San Francisco. Her focus narrowed to his lips on hers, his nearness heating her whole body, opening her like a blossom, soft and willing. Ripe for the plucking. 

                “God, I’ve missed you.” He scooped her legs across his lap. One hand cradling her nape, the other gripping her thigh, he kissed her senseless. His velvet tongue teased her lips apart. He tasted of sugary coffee. The world around them faded—just two bodies, calling and answering, breathing in sync, their pulses beating the same rhythm.

PREORDER YOUR COPY ON AMAZON 

Monday Book Review: Next to You, by Daisy Prescott

Next to You, by Daisy Prescott
Published 2016

About the Book:

I added my friend Sage to my rugby club's annual list of women who are off limits thinking I could protect her from the gorillas I play with.

Never did I think I'd be the one to break the code and date her.

Even if it's all for show. A wager between friends. An excuse to hang out with her.

Nothing more than that.

***

The man-bun-sporting South African rugby god next door is my fake boyfriend

Who agrees to date their best friend over a green smoothie? Apparently this girl right here.

I need to rebuild my confidence after some poor dating decisions. Who could be better to fluff my ego than Aspen's hottest bachelor? 

This situation is a win-win.
Right?

Next to You is a friends-to-lovers standalone Romantic Comedy/Sports Romance set at high altitude.

My Take:
Fast paced and well written, this is a definite welcome addition to anyone's summer reading list. The Colorado vacationland setting is beautiful, the sex scenes are scorching and the he said/she said back and forth is totally fun to read.

Last summer, my reading list included Ready to Fall, also by Daisy Prescott, which I also loved. Her writing style is so natural and her dialogue witty and spot on. She's definitely an author to watch for.

The main character Lee is a rugby player, a bartender, the male model face of Aspen's tourist campaign... And oh yeah, he comes with a mouth watering accent.  His father is a wealthy Chicago businessman without much of a heart, and every time Lee mentions some bit of fatherly advice or guidance, it makes you cringe and want to give the poor kid he once was a huge hug.

I love how the author depicts the "other side" of Aspen's vacation world, showing us the transient 20somethings who work behind the scenes in a tourist destination like this. I grew up in Killington, Vermont and now live year round on Cape Cod --two more top vacation land spots --  and appreciate how she writes the interactions of the characters, and reminds us that you never know the full story of that bartender or shop girl you meet on vacation, and you shouldn't make assumptions.

The chemistry between Sage and Lee hit you from the start, making the reader wonder how this pair have been next door neighbors for two years without anything like this happening. And yet, the fact that they've been neighbors and friends, and know so much about each other already, really enhances the romance. They aren't random people pretending to suddenly date, like so many books with similar premises. They're already best friends, and the "green smoothie bet" is Lee's subconscious way of trying to see if any of his feelings are reciprocated before truly putting his heart on the line.

This is a standalone romance, told in he said/she said first person POVs, with totally likeable characters and a satisfying ending that will leave you smiling but doesn't tie everything up in a bow. Life doesn't put a bow on everything in that kind of time frame either, so deal with it, lol. No seriously, I loved this story and recommend for your summer reading pleasure!

Grab a copy on AMAZON

Monday Book Review: Playing With Her Heart, by Lauren Blakely

Playing with Her Heart, by Lauren Blakely
Published 2013 by Lauren Blakely Books


About the Book:

He's sexy, sophisticated, possessive...and my boss. 

I'm trying to resist him, I swear. I'm good at resisting, and at playing pretend too. It's what I do for a living. But as Davis Milo directs me in my first Broadway play, I'm having a harder time pretending that I don't want him to take me. On the piano. In the limo. In the dressing room. Anywhere and everywhere. And the more he guides me through staged kisses, the more I want them to be real. 

***

I damn well know the first rule of directing: Never fall for your leading lady. But I'm captivated by her raw talent, and fighting this desire grows harder every day I spend with her. Keeping things professional isn't an option. I want all of her. Soon we're staying late in the empty theatre, our private rehearsals spiraling into new, forbidden territory. I swear I'm not playing with her heart, but how can I be sure that what she feels is real, and not a part of the play?

My Take:

Hot, sexy romance set in New York City's theatre district, between a young Broadway hopeful and the Tony award winning director who sees something irresistible in the younger woman. Lauren Blakely is a New York Times #1 bestselling author, having hit the bestseller listings more than 100 times. She knows her way around contemporary romance.

He said/she said points of view help give the story depth and perspective, especially in this #MeToo era of casting couch accusations.

This is not that. This is a romance and the reader can see both sides of the equation, and how perfect these main characters are for each other, even before they realize it themselves.

Well paced and well written, this is another great story to add to your summer reading list!

Grab a copy on AMAZON

Friday Feature: #Excerpt from DON'T LET HIM GO by Kay Harris

Don't Let Him Go, by Kay Harris
Published February 2018 by The Wild Rose Press

About the Book:

The only thing worse than getting stuck with a bad client is falling in love with him. 

Candace Gleason passed the bar, landed a great job, and is making a killer salary--basically, all of her dreams are coming true. Until she’s assigned to keep the boss’s petulant son out of trouble.

Jack Morrison is the rebellious black sheep of a mighty real estate family. He runs a nonprofit whose mission is to save poor people from evil corporations, like the one his own family owns. He is obnoxious, ridiculously charming, and insanely hot. He is the bane of Candace’s very existence.  

Sparks fly from the moment they meet.  Candace suddenly has more to worry about than keeping Jack out of jail. She has to keep him out of her heart.

Excerpt:

In this excerpt Candace has just flown across the country to retrieve Jack from a jail in New York. They get into a cab to head away from the police station and back to Jack’s hotel when they have this conversation.

“Jack Morrison, you are at the very top of my shit list!”

“I’m sure I am, but keep in mind this is really all your fault,” he said casually.

I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. “Excuse me?”

“Candie,” he said, turning toward me. “You set the expectation for me. I was just hanging out at a boring conference about fundraising. But you told me what you expected of me. ‘Don’t get arrested, Jack,’ you said. And I got to thinking. I’ve been living down to the low expectations of my family for years now. Why shouldn’t I let you down, too?”

“There is something seriously wrong with you.”

He had the nerve to grin. “Look,” he said, a serious tone suddenly taking over him. He pulled his hands out from behind his head and sat up straighter, angling toward me. “I met some people at the conference, and we became friends.”

I just bet it was that easy for him. I had exactly two friends in the whole world, and this guy, he could make a dozen in the course of two days.

“They were holding a demonstration downtown,” he continued, “to bring attention to the plight of women being trafficked and to shed light on the lack of anything real being done about it by the authorities. Surely you care about human trafficking, Candie.”

I did care. I cared a lot. In fact, I donated money to groups like that every year, and I volunteered my time. I wondered if Jack had somehow figured that out. But I didn’t answer him. I kept my expression neutral as I returned his stare.

“It was a peaceful demonstration. We weren’t doing anything wrong,” he told me, a sincere look on his face.

That was one of many problems with Jack—he excelled at looking sincere. I pierced him with my skeptical glare.

“I swear.” He held up his hands. “The cops got rough, and things got out of hand. And, Candie, I got out of jail while my friends are still sitting there. Can you see how that would piss me off? Can you imagine how that would feel?”

I struggled to respond. What could I say? Should I express my anger that my date had been interrupted or that I’d had to fly out here on a Saturday night? It fell flat against his argument.

“What are you going to do?” I asked, my voice soft.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot I can do. All my lawyer connections are in California. And I don’t suppose you have a license to practice in New York.” He sounded defeated.

“I could call my dad. He knows people in New York.” What the hell was I doing? It had just popped out of my mouth. I didn’t usually speak before thinking. But for some reason, Jack freaking Morrison made me completely lose my mind.

Jack’s eyes lit up at my outburst. “Oh God, Candie, really? Thank you!” I was still reeling from what I’d done when the taxi pulled up to a curb and Jack took my hand, pulling me out of the car. “Come on, we can call him from my room."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

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