ARC Review : It's In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis

I want to be Jill Shalvis and live and Lucky Harbour when I grow up. Jill is the grande dame of small-town contemporary romance, able to perfectly meld serious topics with her trademark lighthearted writing style to create stories that tug at your heartstrings and make you laugh out loud in equal measure… even when it’s the tenth time around this particular block. IT’S IN HIS KISS is the first in the final set of mini-trilogies that make up the twelve-book Lucky Harbour series and is quintessential Shalvis (albeit perhaps not her best work): down-on-her-luck heroine with more strength of character than she realises at a crossroads in her life; brooding-but-loveable alpha-lite hero with a big heart but reluctant to fall in love; sizzling chemistry and delightfully fun sexytimes; hilariously accurate bromance between the hero and his BFFs that will star in the next (and last) two novels; and plenty of witty banter that will have you smiling the whole way. Longtime fans of the series will enjoy this latest entry—though the enjoyment is bittersweet, since it marks the beginning of the end—and new readers will be able to easily dive into the awesomeness of Lucky Harbour (and Jill’s work), and have 9 other books to satiate their appetite.

In true contemporary romance fashion, there isn’t much of a plot and the focus is strictly on the hero and heroine and their budding relationship—perhaps even more so than in previous Lucky Harbour books—so it’s a good thing Jill does characters and relationships so well. Heroine Becca Thorpe has finally had enough of living her life for others (chiefly her spineless musical prodigy of a younger brother) and has fled New Orleans and a difficult situation there to find herself and learn to stand on her own. Peaceful, quirky Lucky Harbour is initially nothing but a pit stop in her new life journey but quickly turns into much more as she finds herself belonging, the town ingraining itself in the fibre of her being, and falling for Sexy Grumpy Surfer and boat builder with family issues Sam Brody. Both Becca and Sam have a host of issues that are relatable and make them flawed, realistic characters. Becca’s dysfunctional family has made her life revolve around supporting her drug-addicted concert pianist brother on stage despite suffering from crippling stage fright. No one takes her seriously when she tells them she can’t do it anymore, instead continuing to pressure her and guilt her into coming back because her brother “needs her”. But Becca can’t fathom ever playing in front of an audience again; the mere thought of it puts her in a panic, and her struggle with something she’s clearly so passionate about—with music being such a big part of her life, even now with her job writing jingles for commercials and teaching the kids in Lucky Harbour music—is something anyone can relate to. Watching her stand up for herself with her family and having them recognise how unfair they’ve been with her is heartwarming and vintage tug-at-your-heartstrings Shalvis, as is the sweet way Sam goes about helping her deal with her performance anxiety. There’s also a big issue from Becca’s past that makes her skittish and that she strictly refuses to discuss [potential trigger warning] that Jill deftly deals with, keeping the overall lighthearted, feel-good tone of the novel without downplaying its importance.

Sam has his own set of issues that keep him from being too perfect but aren’t over-angsted to tortured-hero proportions. Having grown up bouncing between home and foster care due to his father’s inability to get his act together, Sam has had to be the responsible, dependable one all his life and has difficulty trusting anyone. Thanks to his father’s constant, careless “love ya, son”’s whilst spectacularly failing to do anything a father should, those three little words have always been devoid of meaning and ones he’ll never say… until Becca. To him, actions speak louder than words and—in typical man fashion—he thinks he’s speaking plenty, but Becca needs more and he’s not sure he can lower his walls enough to go there. I have a weakness for quiet and slightly-brooding-with-a-heart-of-gold heroes and Sam fits that to a tee, with Jill’s trademark knicker-melting hotness and Lucky Harbour-wide fan club layered on top. I really enjoyed watching him learn to trust and let Becca in, and his sweet side and willingness to recognise and apologise for his mistakes make him even more swoon-worthy. The ending and epilogue are incredibly adorable and make me want to keep Sam for myself.

I probably sound like a broken record every time I review one of Jill’s books, but I never get tired of reading her work, and even an average story from her is better than a lot of romance out there. With IT’S IN HIS KISS, Jill delivers more of what makes her tops in the genre and makes the town of Lucky Harbour feel so vibrant and real. Reading this series feels like coming home, and I’m already looking forward to Cole and Olivia’s story this autumn!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Risking It All by J.M. Stewart

Risking It All is the first book in J.M. Stewart's Morgan family series. This contemporary romance is the first story that I have ever read by J.M. Stewart, and there were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about this story. I did have a few things that I didn't personally care for, but for the most part this story was a really good one.

Kyle Morgan and Cecelia Anton have been best friends for most of their lives. They have always turned to one another no matter what. But over the past 6 months, things have been changing between them and there has been a growing distance between the two of them. Kyle realized years ago that he was in love with Cecelia, but he has never said anything to her. Not only does he feel that she sees them as just friends, but Kyle harbors a secret about Ceci that could ruin everything if she ever found out. But when Ceci shows up in the middle of the night needing Kyle to comfort her, things quickly begin to change for them. Now Kyle and Ceci must figure out how to navigate their new circumstances, and see if the growing attraction and feelings between them is something worth pursuing. But with a secret still between them and Ceci's unknown past, will the ever have a shot at anything more than friendship? Or will everything between them be destroyed when the truth comes out?

I loved Kyle. He was sweet and kind, and was always looking out for Ceci. He was so protective of her and I loved how dedicated to her he was. He made some really hard decisions regarding her and their relationship, and I loved that he was always trying to do what he thought was best for her regardless of what that meant for him. He was so supportive and was an absolute rock for Ceci even when it practically killed him. Ceci on the other hand was hard for me to really ever like. She was a runner for one, always afraid to tell him how she felt and accept that things between them were changing. She was paranoid and insecure, constantly assuming the worst. They hadn't even tried to have a relationship, and she was already so sure that it would end in the future. I just wanted to shake her and tell her to see the great guy right under her nose. I thought that these two had a ton of chemistry, and they had a great foundation as friends. But the process of Ceci fighting herself and her feelings before finally realizing what she could have had all along was a long a frustrating one as a reader.

Overall, this book was good and if not for Ceci I really think that this one would have been great. Ceci really drug this story down though, and I couldn't stop getting irritated with her. Kyle was the one that really saved this story, and if not for him I don't think that I would have been able to finish. He was great as were his family members. I really can't wait to get more of them, and I am so interested in seeing what is happening between Becca and Jackson. I need more of that story. I thought that J.M. Stewart did a great job with the tension between Kyle and Ceci in this one and I liked her writing style a lot. I think that is what made Ceci's actions so frustrating to me, because I could see how clear it was that they belonged together and how great they were with one another. I would say that this one is worth the read for Kyle alone, and I am curious to see more from J.M. Stewart and this series.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

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Interview with Author Rosanne Bittner and Giveaway

Meet Rosane Bittner, author of Desperate Hearts.

Rosanne Bittner is an award-winning novelist who is highly acclaimed for her thrilling love stories and historical authenticity. Her epic romances span the West—from Canada to Mexico, Missouri to California—and are often based on personal visits to each setting. She lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons.

Find Rosanne at:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | 

ARC Review: Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Susan Elizabeth Phillips never fails to entertain. I’ve read a couple of her books before so I have an idea of what to expect. She usually delivers a funny, quirky, heart-warming romance. This was no exception. Her new book “Heroes Are My Weakness” is all the above with a little more.

Antoinette (Annie) is a ventriloquist. Her five puppets give her the strength and alter egos she needs. And Annie really needs them at the beginning of the story! She is back in Maine at a small island where she grew up. Annie has just lost her mother, Mariah. Mariah and Annie didn’t have a very warm and loving relationship. From the flashback we can see that Annie spent all of her life trying to gain her mother’s approval. The small cottage where Annie is traveling to was left to Mariah as part of the divorce from the hero, Theo Harp’s father. Annie is miserable and broken. She is recovering from pneumonia and has financial trouble and other problems as well. One of the problems she has is that she also runs into her ex-stepbrother. She and Theo have a very long history.

Theo is back on the island living in his father’s house. He is on the island trying to escape his own problems. He recently lost his wife and is also working on his new book. Theo is less than thrilled to see that Annie is back on the island. Where Annie is fun and light, Theo is dark and brooding.

I really liked Annie. I thought she was a funny and hilarious character. She is a talented ventriloquist but doesn’t always use her talents for good deeds. Annie and Theo were romantically involved when they were growing up but a series of events cause her to become terrified of him.

There were so many layers to this story that it’s difficult to give it one description. It was a romance, tragedy, dark, funny, complex and all these would be accurate. The point is I really loved it and could not put it down. Annie says so many hilarious things to Theo that I literally laughed-out-loud. Her constant reference to his dead bodies were so well delivered that they kept me laughing. Aside from the development of these two characters there is also the mystery surrounding who is trying to get Annie out of the cottage. Her life is sometimes in danger and there is the “who is trying to get Annie off the island” theme.

Theo was a great hero. At first it was hard to understand him because, as the reader, we experience him as Annie does. But I really liked Theo and thought that he had great chemistry with Annie. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I had such a great time reading it and highly recommend it.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: A Winter Wedding by Amanda Forester

This was my first time reading Amanda Forester so I was not sure what to expect. I can gladly say that A Winter Wedding (Marriage Mart #3) was a book that I enjoyed! I thought that her writing was easy to follow, her plot was very well developed and well-driven throughout. Finally, I really enjoyed the main characters and the secondary characters.

Since this is the third book in the series there might have been details that I missed but it did not stop me from enjoying it. Penelope has sisters and they were the focus in the prior books. Although the sisters appear in this book they play a small part.

Miss Penelope Rose was a fantastic character. I thought that she really carried the story. Pen is a jack-of -all -trades. She is the companion to Antonia Lockton, Dowager Duchess of Marchford. Although Pen is a part of the ton because of her age and her single status she is left with no respectable option than to become a companion. Antonia’s grandson is James, The Duke of Marchford. The Duke of Marchford is society’s biggest catch. The problem is that Marchford works for the Crown catching spies and on different missions. Since women are always throwing themselves at him it stops him from being able to carry out his duties as effectively as he can. Pen is also his “assistance”. She is very clever and often helps him spy on people that he suspects are up to no good. Aside from these two duties, she and Antonia match up couples under the name Madame X. Different members in society pay Madame X to match them up.

Pen and James are a great couple. They are friends because Pen is his grandma’s companion and because of this they spend a lot of time together. James asks Pen to marry him very early in the story because he thinks it will be the answer to both their problems. James won’t have to avoid the single ladies of the ton and Pen will no longer have to leave- Antonia is getting married to her first love.

Pen and James have great adventures since they are always trying to figure out who the sinister characters are- and there are some very sinister characters. This spy aspect of the story really made the story fun and their dynamic more adventurous.

Some issues I had with this book are: 1) it has very little to do with matchmaking. The description of the story makes it sound like Pen tries to find a wife for Marchford, this is a very tiny almost non-existent part of the story. 2) James has commitment issues. Since his mother abandoned him years ago, that is why he lives with his grandma. I thought that the author really played his mother’s role very well and I was completely surprised with how she appeared in the story. 3) The first 70 % of the books was fantastic. There is a mix of romance and espionage. The problem was the last 30 % of the book. Besides the many different storylines going on, I thought that the author added too much. It was became more about spying. Also, James and Pen kept wanting to marry and not marry. This became very redundant. Two characters that remained true to character were Pen and Antonia. They had a fun dynamic all throughout. Overall, I do recommend this story and enjoyed it.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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