Feature: A Pinch of Salt by Bethany Lopez

For the past year, talented chef Millie has been consumed with running her new catering business with her sisters, Dru and Tasha. It isn't until Jackson walks through their door that she realizes something may be missing in the recipe of her life.

For the past year, Jackson has been dealing with the fallout of his wife's abandonment. He's had to learn how to be a single father to their eight-year-old daughter, and will do anything to fill the void her mother left. It isn't until he commissions Millie for his daughter's birthday party that he realizes he's forgotten that he's not only a father, but a man.

They both think they're content in their lives, but sometimes the right amount of spice can turn an okay dish into a magnificent one. A Pinch of Salt may be all that's needed to bring Millie and Jackson the flavor they've been missing.

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Feature: Cupcake Overload by Bethany Lopez

One night I was out with my girls enjoying a much needed ladies night while wondering if one more dirty martini would push me over the edge. The next thing I knew, I was in the club’s bathroom listening to a woman screaming, “No,” and a man’s voice growling, “I know you want it.”



That asshole picked the wrong restroom, in the wrong club, at the wrong time.



Little did I know the asshole was Cade’s VP, and although we saved that woman from his clutches that night, she’d be found floating in a motel pool a month later.



Running a PI firm is a lot harder than taking pictures for one, especially when your professional life spills over into your personal one. I’m going through cupcakes like our new puppy goes through piddle pads, and if I’m not careful there’s bound to be a Cupcake Overload.

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ARC Review: 21 Days by Bethany Lopez

21 Days is the second book in Bethany Lopez's Time For Love Series. After reading Cal and Shelly's story, I couldn't wait to get to know TJ and Sasha better! I really enjoyed their story, and I love this group of characters. These are easily read as standalones, but I really recommend starting at the beginning because they are short and are worth the read.

When TJ loses his job and apartment, he has no idea what he is going to do. When his best friend Sasha overhears, she offers to let him stay with her. He agrees that he will stay, but only for 21 days. Even though TJ and Sasha have always been attracted to each other and flirt, they have never had anything other than friendship with the other. But once they are living together and spending so much time together, their passion quickly ignites and they agree to see where things go while he is living with her. But even though they both had a horrible family life as children, their lives were really different. Sasha comes from money, and TJ never had any and was left to fend for himself. Can Sasha and TJ successfully take their friendship to the next level, or will their differences create too many problems for them to overcome?

I really liked both TJ and Sasha. TJ was sweet and thoughtful, and also really hardworking. He wanted to do things on his own and prove that he could provide for himself. He had a lot of pride, and sometimes it created problems for him. But I really loved how TJ was with Sasha, and that he could admit that he liked watching movies with her and just hanging out at home. He didn't feel the need to try and impress her, and I liked how comfortable he was with her. They could just be themselves and it really worked. Sasha was comfortable in her skin and she knew what she wanted. She also had a vulnerability to her though that she didn't show to many people. I felt like she was her true self with TJ, and that he was able to really see all sides of her and love the real her. They had great chemistry, and they had such a great foundation because of their friendship.

Overall, I thought that TJ and Sasha were a really great couple. They were perfect for each other, and I loved seeing them take their friendship and turn it into more. I really like this series, and I think that this group of friends is so cool. The characters are likable and easy to relate to, and I really love the camaraderie between them. They are always there for each other and are so supportive. I am so interested to see where things are headed with Scott and Gaby. In this story and the previous one, you could tell that things are really escalating with them. There is so much between them and I am really curious to see what will happen next. I recommend this story if you are read the first book, and also if you are looking for a short sweet and sexy read. TJ and Sasha are worth the read, and I would definitely recommend this story. I look forward to reading more from Bethany Lopez in the future, starting with the next installment in the series 42 Hours.

**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**

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ARC Review: 8 Weeks by Bethany Lopez

I can tell you right off that this book will not be for everyone. It deals with the very serious subject of cheating, and that can definitely affect how the reader feels going into a story. I would suggest that before reading this book that you read the blurb and a few reviews and really get a feel for what you are in for. That being said, this book was one that I thought was really good. I will do my best to avoid spoiling anything, but I think that this story is one that is worth the read even with the heavy subject matter. 8 Weeks is the first book in Bethany Lopez's Time for Love Contemporary series, and I am really looking forward to continuing on with this series. I can't wait to see what she has in store next.

Cal and Shelly have been together since they were juniors in high school and met at a pep rally. They got engaged on the night of their graduation and have been married since they were eighteen. Now six years later Cal is in Vegas for one of their friend's bachelor party. He wakes up naked having no idea what happened the night before or how he got back to the hotel. Then a blonde that is not his wife walks out of the bathroom naked. Cal knows that he can't keep this a secret and decides to tell Shelly as soon as he gets home. Shelly leaves him and tells Cal that she wants a divorce. Cal convinces her to give him eight weeks to show her why she should give him another chance. One date a week for the eight years they have been together. Cal tells her that at the end of the eight weeks if she still wants a divorce he will sign the papers and walk away. As Cal and Shelly go on their dates, they realize that their relationship wasn't as perfect as they had both thought and even if they do decide to stay together they cannot go back to the way things were before.

I felt a lot of things about Cal, and honestly I wasn't ever really decisive when it came to my feelings on his character. I both liked him and had issues when it came to him. I will admit that I was rooting for him the whole time though despite everything. He was really sweet and thoughtful and did a really great job of showing Shelly just how he felt about her. I loved the dates that he planned for them, and I liked that he was able to remind her of their past as well as show her how their future could be. Shelly was also a character that was harder for me to really make up my mind on. I understand that she was hurt by everything that had happened, but I felt that she didn't really give Cal a chance right off to explain. She also ran a bit hot and cold, and it sort of confused me. I also didn't understand why she thought that she couldn't do certain things she wanted to before with Cal and then did them after they separated. I think that she was a little bit immature as far as that kind of stuff went, and she should have been able to talk to Cal about the things she wanted. I think that part of that was her age though. They had started their relationship and marriage at such a young age, that I think they were a little afraid to really be completely open and honest and they seemed to have let things get a bit too comfortable and complacent. I liked learning about their connection though, and it was clear that they both really loved each other. They also had a lot of chemistry together.

There were a few things that didn't work as well for me and are the reason for my drop in rating. I thought that this story might play out like other similar stories in that over time we would get to see bits and pieces remembered of the lost night, and find out what happened. We are never given that. I think that this story was a bit cheated because we never actually find out if he was unfaithful or not. So the readers and the characters are left making assumptions and life altering decisions based on a what if. At least if we had known definitively, we could all sort of deal with it and either forgive and move on or just move on. I felt like even though Shelly had every right to be upset and have strong feelings about it that she was basing a lot off of what could have happened but may not have. There is the chance that Cal was faithful and she was willing to throw that all away before he talked her into the eight weeks. Not to mention that she never really seemed to stop and think of how Cal was feeling in all of this. Imagine waking up in that same situation and having to tell your spouse and love of your life that you have no idea if you actually cheated on them or if it just looks like you did. Either way Cal was going through a lot as well, and he knew that he had to be honest with her regardless of if it would drive her away forever. The other issue I had was that during the eight weeks Cal and Shelly have sex and don't use a condom. They have no idea if Cal was unfaithful and yet neither one of them suggested that he get tested first or use a condom to protect themselves? I understand the heat of the moment and testing taking time, but the least they could have done was use protection. It might sound small, but that really bugged me.

Despite my few issues though, I really did enjoy this story. I loved watching as Cal and Shelly really got to know each other for the people that they had become. They had not realized that their relationship needed work and I liked that they started to see where they could improve. I also like that they did things that took each of them out of their comfort zone and really pushed them to take a chance and open up. I also really loved their friends. I thought that they were all really great characters and I found them likable and interesting. I can't wait to get to know Scott and Gaby better! They seem absolutely perfect for each other, and I really hated Victoria like TJ and Cal did. I am also really interested in seeing what happens between Sasha and TJ. I just know that one is going to be explosive! Overall, this book was really more about the journey between Cal and Shelly and about growth and healing as well as moving on. Sometimes things aren't always perfect in a relationship, and I always find it really interesting to see how couples deal with the hard parts as well as the easy. This book was a really great story and I think that the ending was really well written. Bethany Lopez did the characters justice and was able to write an ending that was satisfying and fit not only the story but also the characters. I look forward to reading more from her in the future and getting more of this series.

**ARC provided by Inkslinger PR**

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