Looking For Some Escapist Reading? Look No Further!

 

The Kiss Contract by Angela Taylor is a fun, fluffy book with cute dogs and just the right amount of comedy in the love story. It's a nice Rom Com. If you like it, there are more books in the same universe! One of the things I like about these books is that each book features different tropes. I'm a big fan of fake relationships, and that is the first thing that drew me to The Kiss Contract.

Here is more info about the book! 

When you sign a contract to fake-date your sister’s best friend, things are bound to get

complicated!

�� THE KISS CONTRACT

Pet photographer Jessa Lockwood has a problem, and his name is “Creepy Bruce.” After one misguided

internet date, the guy turns into a stage-five clinger. Getting rid of him is harder than keeping dog hair

off her clothes. So, what’s a girl to do when she runs into him on the street? Kiss the first guy she sees

and pretend he’s her boyfriend, that’s what. Great idea, right?

Double-decker, she’s so screwed, abso-flipping-lutely wrong!

There isn’t enough ice cream in the world to melt away that bad decision. Especially when the guy she

locks lips with turns out to be her best friend’s sexy-as-sin, loves-to-push-her-buttons brother, Chase.

Still, she can fix it. Once she gets rid of the creepster, she’ll go home, lock herself in her bedroom, and

never come out again. After all, what’s food delivery for, if not to provide sustenance to the terminally

mortified

Chase Maysen just won the lottery in the form of a dimpled blonde he’s had a crush on for years. Jessa’s

always been off limits, but when her mom witnesses their kiss and invites him to an overnight family

gathering, he accepts before Jessa can say no. She’s never considered him relationship material before,

so this is his once in a never-gonna-happen-again chance to change her mind.

Now Jessa’s stuck between a rock and six-pack abs. She can’t get out of the predicament, but she can lay

down some ground rules. Because seriously, if she and Chase sign a contract to “fake-date” each other,

what could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, right?

Right?

�� Get it here: https://mybook.to/TheKissContract

�� Check out the entire series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKFG3MBL

These books are available as part of a Kindle Unlimited subscription!

Angela writes steamy, frisky, fun contemporary romance that always includes humor, heat, and lots of

snarky banter. Happily ever afters are a must!

When she’s not writing romance, she’s probably either reading in the “Bunny Estate” (aka his own

bedroom) with her bunny, Tag, glued to the TV watching everything from Hallmark to The Amazing

Race to John Wick, or going to the theater for a popcorn fix—er—to watch a movie. Oh, and let’s not

forget drinking way too much Diet Coke! (Yes, she knows she has a problem. Don’t judge!)

Angela shares her rural home with three short, furry children, Remi, Ruby, and Starsky, and her

husband, Dean, who is used to the dogs being mentioned first.

Join her Facebook Readers Group: https://bit.ly/AngelaTaylorSteamSquad

Follow her on BookBub: https://bit.ly/AngelaTaylorBookBub

Follow her on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@angelataylorauthor

Say There, Would You Like A Bunch of Free Books? The Sunday Post

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

On Tuesday, over 1,000 romance ebooks will be free. Some are free on Kindle and some are free on a bunch of different places, so if you don't do Kindle but you do Nook or Apple Books or Kobo, you are in luck! You can go to https://romancebooklovers.com and pick what books you want to grab on Tuesday.

My first book No Gouda Without You is free under the small-town romance section of the website. If you plan to pick up some books let me know!

I have a cold or a sinus infection--to be determined, so I've been laying around hoping to feel better and trying to read. Here is what I've been reading:

The Sunday Post! It's The Cold or Allergies Time of Year!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

The temperatures in my neck of the woods have been downright tolerable lately.  I often say that if you want to visit Chicago, September is the best weather time of year to do it. I forget each year that it's also ragweed season and that I am allergic to ragweed. This weekend I've been playing the is it a cold or allergies? I have all the miserable allergy symptoms: itchy eyes, itchy ears, runny nose., sneezing frequently, sinus congestion, and worst of all, the dreaded itchy throat. I slacked off earlier this week and didn't take my daily allergy pill for several days. I guess now I am paying the price. I used to be able to take Benadryl for allergies but now I can't take it. It causes me to have restless legs and that is even worse than allergy symptoms. Okay enough of me! Do you have allergies? 

This weekend I finished reading Haunted To Death by Frank Anthony Polito. I am about halfway through reading Payback is a Witch by Lana Harper (physical book), I have three hours left of One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole on audio, and I"'m ten percent into Divorce Towers on Kindle. Divorce Towers was an Amazon First Reads. 

This is my 996th blog post. With only a few posts to go, I'll hit 1,000 posts! That's wild! I didn't imagine that when I started this blog way back when! 

Moist, Actually A Short Sexy Comedy

This delightfully funny,  romantic novella started from a photo of Chris Pine that author Ash Dylan tweeted about.  Above is a snippet from the book. If you read romance, do yourself a favor and 1-click order this ebook, you'll laugh so hard and also appreciate how Ash Dylan also gives you all the feels over the course of a night with Elena and Rhys. 

The idea for this book all started on Twitter where author Ash Dylan commented on a photo of Chris Pine:

this looks like the cover for a romance about a literary fiction author who agrees to read his neighbor's novel, and he returns it with a note that says she uses the word moist too much and if she doesn't fix it he'll have to spank her, and her next edit has twice as many moists

You can click here to see the photo and the original tweet: Chris Pine Inspiration for Moist, Actually 

There are so many funny moments and swoony scenes, if you like romance and you could use a good chuckle or twelve, read this book! 

 

 

A Fun Romance with a Clever Premise that Also Deals With Grief

 

I am here to recommend this audiobook, it's included with an audible membership and I loved the book's premise. In this story, Alice, a school teacher, has co-written and self-published a thriller that sold 73 copies.  One day a man comes to see her and he demands to know where she got the information disclosed in the story.  He looks and behaves just like her fictional secret agent main character!  

We quickly learn that Alice's book needs to be moved from the fiction section to the non-fiction section--and Alice has to figure out who to trust as she is taken on a wild adventure.  I wonder if Brynn Kelly wrote this in response to a "What if you met your book boyfriend?" prompt.  

The story is engaging, packed with action and romance, and a nice amount of humor--amusing references to writing. Important content warning: It has some heavy scenes that deal with the death of loved ones from cancer, and it is a fairly larger part of the book so take that into consideration.

4 stars.  Definitely worth a listen! 

An update on my lettuce container. At this time I don't know what are lettuce seeds beginning to sprout and what are weeds!  TBD! 

For When You Are Looking for A Light and Fluffy Read

 This book is a follow-up to The Ex Hex, it takes place during October, and it has nice Halloween ambiance but as you can see I read it during the dead of winter. This book was a fast read for me, I liked the way the story of Gwyn and Wells is fun and has a nice balance of action/romance and comedy. This is like a well done Hallmark Witchy movie--something the world needs more of- and by world I mean me!

I found myself smiling quite a bit as I read about Gwyn and Wells and the baby witches. Fun Stuff!  My rating is a 4 and here is the blurb from Goodreads:

"Welcome to Spooky Season!! The follow-up to Erin Sterling’s New York Times bestselling hit The Ex Hex features fan favorite Gwyn and the spine-tinglingly handsome Wells Penhallow as they battle a new band of witches and their own magical chemistry.

Gwyn Jones is perfectly happy with her life in Graves Glen. She, her mom, and her cousin have formed a new and powerful coven; she’s running a successful witchcraft shop, Something Wicked; and she’s started mentoring some of the younger witches in town. As Halloween approaches, there’s only one problem—Llewellyn “Wells” Penhallow.

Wells has come to Graves Glen to re-establish his family’s connection to the town they founded as well as to make a new life for himself after years of being the dutiful son in Wales. When he opens up a shop of his own, Penhallow’s, just across the street from Something Wicked, he quickly learns he’s gotten more than he bargained for in going up against Gwyn.

When their professional competition leads to a very personal—and very hot—kiss, both Wells and Gwyn are determined to stay away from each other, convinced the kiss was just a magical fluke. But when a mysterious new coven of witches come to town and Gwyn’s powers begin fading, she and Wells must work together to figure out just what these new witches want and how to restore Gwyn’s magic before it’s too late."

A Letter To Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass Out This Tuesday!

 I got an ARC of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Letter to Three Witches is out on Tuesday, Jan 25, 2022. I requested this book because I liked the cover and the description promised romance and witchcraft a combination I enjoy in books and film. 

#ALettertoThreeWitches #NetGalley.

This book has a very clever inciting incident that compels you to read more.  Tannish, a witch that enjoys stirring the pot sends a letter to her three cousins and that letter sends them into a tizzy.  Add into this drama the fact that all four of the witches are banned from practicing magic by the Powers-that-Be due to a screw-up of an ancestor!  How will things turn out?  A Letter to Three Witches is a real page-turner, one of those can't put down, gotta stay up way past bedtime to see what happens type of book. 

This book is billed as a Rom-Com and to that I found it to be heavy on the comedy and light on the romance. So if you are looking for a fun, truly laugh-out-loud book with a nice sprinkling of romance, get this book!

Most of the book is told through Gwen's POV. I enjoyed her growth over the course of the book and I wonder, based on how the book ends if this will be a series of books and maybe we will get books from the perspectives of her other cousins. 

4 stars to #ALetterToThreeWitches a clever funny gem of a book! 

Thanks #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book! 

My Introduction to Alexis Hall writer of Boyfriend Material

 This is my first book by writer Alexis Hall. Alexis Hall has written a bunch of books including a paranormal investigator series that I think I will check out sometime later this year.  Boyfriend Material is the first book in a new romance series. This was picked as our book club read for April and I was excited to get to read it. 

Well, as I tend to do for this book club, I didn't 'read' it, I listened to the audio. For this book that was a good choice as the reader, Joe Jameson, has the most delightful accent - I assume it's a London accent.  Is that a thing?  In any case, he really helps make the book that much more enjoyable. 

Luc is so hard on himself and right from the beginning you just want good things for him. Unlike most of the Romance books, I've read lately this one is not told from both Luc and Oliver's point of view.  This one is only from Luc's POV and I did enjoy that change. 

The tagline for this book is: 

Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

As you know if you read my blog, I love a fake relationship! There is lots of wonderful banter and high-quality cuddling as this fake relationship slowly morphs into so much more. I appreciated Luc's slowly awakening from depression as he spent time with Oliver and Oliver's actions revealing that he wasn't the only person in the relationship with self-esteem issues and doubts.  This book has many laugh-out-loud moments and tons of the sweetest scenes. 

If I had to compare this story, I would say that this romance reminded me of David Rose and Patrick Brewer on Schitt's Creek.  Funny, sweet, and kind.  This romance was described as a cracked door romance, by a reviewer on Goodreads.  To me, someone who usually reads more explicit romance, I thought it was a closed-door romance. All that is to say, if you prefer more scenes with bedroom ( or other rooms LOL) action, you may be left wanting more, but overall I wouldn't let that stop you from giving this a read! 

Starting Off The Week With A Free Short Read and Another Rom Com from The Mystic Bayou!

 I've read and listened to a few shorter stories so I thought I'd give some reviews here. But before I do that, I have to share this great spring picture I took on my run the other day. I'm working on increasing my mileage so I am working on expanding my running routes. This is on a four-mile route I do most often during the summer, why? Great question!  In the winter if there is snow, too much of the route isn't shoveled and I don't like trying to run in drifts of snow.  But in the spring, it's a good route and has some of my favorite trees. 

Since I enjoyed running with Love and Other Wild Things, I decided to go right into the next book in the Mystic Bayou series. This one is called  Selkies Are A Girl's Best Friend, and like the other books in this series, the readers are Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis. 

This time around it's Sonja--Gillian's best friend who's come to Mystic Bayou.  She's the office manager and more for the league office and her dander is up from the moment she meets the new Doctor in town Will Camody.  Yes, this is starting off with an enemies to lovers vibe! As I've said before this series is nice to listen to while working out or cleaning.  The readers seem to be having fun acting out these books so you stay engaged in the story and the romance is comedic.  It's a light and fun escape listen! 

In case you aren't aware, selkies are seal people. When they are in the water they are seals and when they are on land, they are people people. 

If you like cozy mysteries, I have a free taste of a series for you!  Just click hear and you can sign up for Ellen Jacobson's newsletter and get a free ecopy of her prequel  Robbery at the Roller Derby. It's a novella origin story for Ellen Jacobson's Mollie McGhie's Sailing Mystery Series.   Mollie is the kind of ametur sleuth I'd like to have as a friend in real life. She's smart, kind and no one's fool.  The prequel doesn't have a murder this is a robbery mystery.  I liked this aspect, I feel that it's hard to build up suspects in a book that is only about 40% as long as a mystery novel. I will be reading on in this series.  I thought this first story was well-crafted and a nice distraction!

Mollie in Robbery at the Roller Derby

 

#2021 Audiobook Challenge Review - Pure Fun and An Easy Vegetarian Dinner!

 

Spring Fried Rice from Real Simple Magazine.  Simple to make and easy to modify! 

I didn't have nori (dried seaweed) or cashews on hand,but I did have a red bell pepper that needed to be used so I added that and I doubled the garlic in the recipe. If I had leftover ham, pork, chicken, steak, any of those proteins could be included if you didn't want a vegetarian meal. If you sub tofu for the eggs, then the recipe is vegan. 

Next time I make this I would like to add more scallions and pea pods. 

 

I tried to be very patient when cooking the egg so it done without flipping it.  I feel I succeeded. 

Now that it is looking like the Chicago Marathon will be a go this year, I've started to increase my running mileage and that means, I'm on the hunt for audiobooks that are engaging to distract me from the long miles I need to put in to build my stamina.  

This week I listened to the second audiobook in the Mystic Bayou Series by Molly Harper: Love and Other Wild Things.  Having enjoyed book one, How To Date Your Dragon I was ready to dive into Love and Other Wild Things.  This book is the story of my favorite side character in book one, Zed the werebear and mayor of Mystic Bayou.  As in book one, this story is loaded with humor:

“You would think I would have weird abandonment issues, considering that both my parents left me behind. But I’m pretty well adjusted, except for this little thing where I run from emotional intimacy like my hair is on fire.”
― Molly Harper, Love and Other Wild Things

One of the best parts of book one was the best friend duo of Bael and Zed, I was very happy to see it continue in this book:

“Bael, you’re my best friend, but please don’t smell me. We’ve talked about this.”
― Molly Harper, Love and Other Wild Things

This book was a great distraction as a ran. I love to read book series in part because I enjoy seeing the characters unfold when reading a series.  Book two in a series also gives the reader a clearer understanding of the overarching conflicts in the story.  

4 stars- if you have Audible, definitely give this series a go!