New York, Actually
In this, the first of the “Bark Rangers” books, we find cynical divorce lawyer Daniel pursuing psychologist Molly with the aid of an over enthusiastic dog he borrows from his Sister’s business.
The couple get close only for their secrets to get in the way of a future together.
Another enjoyable romance from Sarah Morgan. It’s amazing how consistently she puts out solid and entertaining books.
Holiday In The Hamptons
This book is technically the fifth book in the “Urban Genie” series but is also the second book about the Knight family siblings who own the “Bark Rangers” service.
Felicity Knight is the business brain behind Bark Rangers. Normally a cool and savvy woman she panics when she discovers that her ex-husband Seth Carlyle has turned up in Manhattan.
When her grandmother falls and hurts heself Felicity uses it as an excuse to run away from Manhattan. Of course she discovers pretty much immediately that Seth was only helping out at a Vet clinic in Manhattan and actually lives in the same Hamptons town as her grandmother.
I enjoyed this one quite a lot as I tend to do with Morgan’s stuff. I really liked the lead characters and Felicity’s Gran is a lot of fun too.
Bury The Hatchet
Bury The Hatchet is a “Fake Married” story in the romance sub genre of Ice Hockey novels.
Hunter makes a few inappropriate remarks about Tulsa when he learns he’s moving there as part of the expansion draft.
To calm down the stories about him in the press and to redeem the image of beauty queen Tallulah they agree to a marriage of convenience.
This is a readable but not especially enjoyable romance. I love “Fake Married” stories and I’ve certainly enjoyed some of the author’s previous Hockey books but this one just didn’t do anything for me.
Crazy in Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop
The third of the Lonely Hearts Bookshop series finds tattooed cutie Nina trying to find the “crazy love” of her life – the Heathcliff to her Cathy.
No one would be more surprised than her when Noah – the boy her brother bullied every day at school – turns up to rejig the bookshop business and he takes a serious interest in her. Surely she’s not interested in this total geek?
Another competent romance from Annie Darling. It’s not quite as enjoyable as the first in the series and again relies on people behaving like idiots for it’s source of relationship drama. It’s worth picking up as a 99p ebook like I did.
Sunset In Central Park
This is the second book in the “Urban Genie” sequence. This is the story of Frankie. Due to her childhood Frankie doesn’t trust that love can be real. Matt (brother of book one’s Paige) knows that he wants to be with Frankie but understanding that she’s got trust issues slowly builds their relationship.
When Frankie finally recognizes her feelings for Matt things go a little haywire.
A perfectly sweet and enjoyable romance by an author who consistently delivers enjoyable romances.
Faking It
The second Dempseys book is similarly filled with whip-smart dialogue but the story doesn’t quite land as well. It stands up just about as well as it did when I reviewed it a few years back.
Welcome To Temptation
The first of the Dempsey books is an enjoyable read full of Crusie’s signature witty dialogue.
I reviewed this one a couple of years ago and most that entry still stands.
Lost and Found Sisters
Jill Shalvis writes very enjoyable romance novels. She rarely writes a dud and while they’re not particularly memorable they are so much fun while you’re reading them.
This particular story follows Quinn – still reeling from the loss of her sister Beth.
In swift succession she learns she’s adopted, that her birth mother has died from cancer and that she has a teenage sister.
It’s got great female relationships and a half-decent romance.
Definitely worth checking out if you’re into contemporary romance.
The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts
When her friend, mentor and boss dies Posy unexpectedly inherits the bookshop she’s worked in all her life.
Not a natural business person she still realizes that something has to change for the shop to remain open.
She decides to re-open the shop as a specialist in the genre she loves – romantic fiction. Unfortunately she has to deal with her boss’ rude grandson who is determined that the shop should be a specialist crime bookshop.
Inevitably after many stumbling blocks romance ensues.
I quite enjoyed this one and on balance more than the second book in the series even though the quality was roughly the same. Mainly because the characters in this novel aren’t as pointlessly dumb as in the follow up.
It’s been a year of reading in fits and starts – I never quite seemed to have the focus to read a lot. I’m hoping to read a bit more in 2018. We’ll see how it goes!