Book Reviews – Page 124

* Review * THE WAY BACK TO YOU by Sharon Sala

January 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

The Way Back to You by Sharon Sala
Series: Blessings, Georgia #9
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on December 31, 2019
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What do you do when your whole life is turned upside down?

Sully Raines sets out to find his birth mother, and ends up in Blessings, Georgia. A new surprise awaits him here, but of the best kind—his childhood sweetheart, whom he hasn't seen since she moved away when they were teens, is living in Blessings now. He's not sure she's as happy to see him as he is to see her, but it's been a lot of years, and a lot of water under the bridge...

Sully's heartfelt search for answers about his past might just turn out to be the key to his future...

Exciting from start to finish! With book nine in her beloved Blessings, Georgia series Sharon Sala takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions in THE WAY BACK TO YOU. The plot is rich with drama and the characters are full of heart.

Sully is so easy to fall for right from the start. He’s sweet, he’s kind, he’s a take charge rescuer. I really enjoyed going on the journey of finding his birth mother with him and watching him find his long lost love.

Melissa is a delight and can’t believe her luck of reconnecting with her teenage sweetheart at just the right time to save her from catastrophe. She’s had a lot of ups and downs in her life and it’s great to see her finally getting another happy ending.

I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who loves a small town filled with good-hearted quirky characters who bring a story to life.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * LUCKY CHANCE COWBOY by Teri Anne Stanley

January 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * LUCKY CHANCE COWBOY by Teri Anne Stanley

Lucky Chance Cowboy by Teri Anne Stanley
Series: Big Chance Dog Rescue #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on January 28, 2020
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At Big Chance Dog Rescue, everyone can find a forever home

Marcus Talbott is a soldier through and through, and he's not going to let an injury keep him from his Army unit. Sure, his last mission nearly broke his back, but that's nothing his positive attitude and work ethic can't fix, right? In the meantime, he's got a place on the board at the Big Chance Dog Rescue, and flirting with his friend's sassy sister, Emma, is a welcome distraction.

Emma Stern is barely scraping by while working and caring for her elderly grandfather, but she's running out of options—and hope. The last thing she has time for is Marcus and his flirting, sexy as he might be. But every time Emma thinks she's reached the end of her rope, Marcus is there to lend a hand. Maybe there's more to the handsome playboy after all...

Big Chance Dog Rescue Series:
Big Chance Cowboy (Book 1)
Lucky Chance Cowboy (Book 2)

Sexy soldiers with loads of heart! With the second book in her Big Chance Dog Rescue series Teri Anne Stanley delights with another wounded soldier finding love in LUCKY CHANCE COWBOY. If you read the first book in the series you will recognize and reconnect with most of the characters quickly.

Marcus is an enjoyable character. He is a good guy trying to heal enough from his back injury to get back to active duty with his team. He doesn’t want to admit the pain he’s truly in on a daily basis, and the distraction of flirting with Emma is too good to pass up.

Emma is easy to connect with. She’s in over her head trying to take care of her cantankerous grandfather, work at the feed store and find time to help her brother Adam with the dog rescue here and there … the last thing she has time for is a man. Too bad Marcus seems to get to her more than anyone ever has.

I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a heartwarming yet sexy read about former soldier’s helping rescue dogs with some romance thrown in as they each stumble across their happily ever after.

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* Review * FIRECRACKER by Kelly Jamieson

January 28, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FIRECRACKER by Kelly Jamieson

Firecracker by Kelly Jamieson
Published by Kelly Jamieson Inc on January 28, 2020
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Arden Lennox’s charmed life may be in pieces, but she’d sooner get her hoohaw bleached than move back in with her parents. She’s no longer the prom-queen princess married to the football star. She’s a broke, penniless widow, and it’s time she stood on her own two feet.

An under-construction unit in a quaint Chicago brownstone is cheap (free), but it comes with an unexpected surprise. Tyler Ramirez, her brother’s gawky high school best friend, is now a smoking hot firefighter who spends most of his spare time in her unit hammering, drilling, and screwing. Usually with his shirt off—a temptation she has no intention of indulging.

Tyler can’t believe his high school crush is living right across the hall, or how fast his fierce lust for her comes blazing back. She’s still gorgeous—a little sadder, a little quieter, but still with the amazing smile and sweet body that fueled his awkward teenage fantasies.

Despite her best intentions, Arden can’t resist grown up Tyler but the sparks between them send her into full retreat. And by the time she realizes the heat between them could last a lifetime, it could be too late to tell him…

She was his teenage crush, now he’s her fantasy come true! With her latest, Kelly Jamieson brings us a delectable cast of characters in FIRECRACKER. I sincerely hope this becomes a series because I have got to get my hands on Jamie & Mila’s story and man, Liam and Danny would be the bomb too! Great characters, easy connections and so much heat!

Arden is super easy to like as we try to figure out her story. She’s a bit lost and trying to find her way back to herself, and as we get to know the ashes she’s stepping out of, we understand what makes her weary.

Tyler is yummy! He’s kind, he’s sweet, he’s sensitive and man does he know how to rock her world! Watching him fall for the one who starred in his teenage dreams is super sweet … and he just keeps getting better and better throughout the book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a close-knit cast of family and friends and a story line with so much heat it sizzles! I adored this book and hope there’s more to come.

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* Review * FOREVER STRONG by Piper J. Drake

January 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FOREVER STRONG by Piper J. Drake

Forever Strong by Piper J. Drake
Series: True Heroes #6
Published by Forever on January 28, 2020
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On the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, not all is paradise in this high-stakes, action-packed romantic suspense.

He'll risk his life for her . . . but will he risk his heart?
Jiang Ying Yue assumed her kidnapping was random, that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After all, who would want to harm her? But then her rescuer---a charismatic former soldier who takes her breath away---uncovers a traitor in her father's organization. Now, Ying Yue realizes that she's become a pawn in a dangerous game, and her kidnapper won't be satisfied until she disappears for good.

Zu Anyanwu's work with Search and Protect and his canine partner Buck have always been his first priority . . . until he's tasked with keeping Ying Yue safe. To him, the brave and resilient investment expert is more than just another client. But with danger closing in, Zu can't let his emotions get in the way of the most important job he's ever had---protecting the woman he loves.

Pulse-pounding intrigue! With the sixth book in her True Heroes series, Piper J. Drake continues the non-stop action with FOREVER STRONG. The plot is thick with tension as the team tries to keep an innocent safe through multiple capture attempts.

Investment expert Jiang Ying Yue thought her ordeal was over once she was rescued from her kidnapping and delivered to Hawaii to reconnect with her father, but the trauma is just beginning as she recognizes one of her kidnappers as part of her father’s security team.

Search and Protect leader Zu Anyanwu and his canine Buck were in the right place at the right time to rescue Ying Yue from her kidnappers, and when she panics at seeing one of them again, he takes her into his protection until he can figure out exactly what is going on around here.

I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who enjoys a romance mixed with a band of former soldiers and their canine partners saving the day on a regular basis. There were a few holes that could have been built on a tad, but overall this was a solid read and one of my favorites in the series. It was especially satisfying to see all of the guys reconnect for a mission.

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* Blog Tour/Review * MAKING YOU MINE by Melissa Foster

January 22, 2020 2 Comments

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Blog Tour/Review * MAKING YOU MINE by Melissa Foster

Making You Mine by Melissa Foster
Series: The Bradens & Montgomerys #5
Published by World Literary Press on January 22, 2020
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Knox Bentley never liked the pomp and circumstance that came with being wealthy. He'd distanced himself from his pretentious family and their fortune as a young adult and found his own path to success. But even with the world at his fingertips, he realizes something is missing, and after a long stay overseas, he finally knows exactly what it is. His no-strings-attached hookups with Aubrey Stewart, an exquisite and stubbornly independent blonde, are no longer enough for him. They connect on every level, but Aubrey is a fierce businesswoman with a new movie channel on the horizon and no time for much else. She is the deal he can't close, the precious jewel even his billions can't buy. Now that he's back in the States, he's determined to show her that what they have goes beyond the bedroom and finally make her his.

Heartfelt goodness! With book five in her The Bradens and Montgomerys series, Melissa Foster continues to delight with Knox and Aubrey’s story in MAKING YOU MINE. Fans of her various series will recognize both characters from previous friends or business partner books and now it’s their turn to find their happily ever after.

Knox is a really fun character to read. He’s got a heart of gold and has been enjoying stolen moments with Aubrey for two years now and suddenly it doesn’t feel like enough. His heart is getting invested, and for his sanity he needs to get her on board with moving forward.

Aubrey is hard as nails and isn’t going to let a relationship derail her one track business mind, but Knox truly does seem to understand her will to succeed and just kind of gets her.

I recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who loves a steamy connection between two characters who are surrounded by a close knit group of family and friends. Foster has a way about her writing that always brings out all the feels for her characters!

Making You Mine
The Bradens and Montgomerys
Melissa Foster
Releasing Jan 22, 2020
World Literary Press

Blurb:

Knox Bentley never liked the pomp and circumstance that came with being wealthy. He’d distanced himself from his pretentious family and their fortune as a young adult and found his own path to success. But even with the world at his fingertips, he realizes something is missing, and after a long stay overseas, he finally knows exactly what it is. His no-strings-attached hookups with Aubrey Stewart, an exquisite and stubbornly independent blonde, are no longer enough for him. They connect on every level, but Aubrey is a fierce businesswoman with a new movie channel on the horizon and no time for much else. She is the deal he can’t close, the precious jewel even his billions can’t buy. Now that he’s back in the States, he’s determined to show her that what they have goes beyond the bedroom and finally make her his.

You may have met LWW Enterprises billionaire Aubrey Stewart in ANYTHING FOR LOVE, and her friends-with-benefits lover (Graham Braden’s business partner), Knox Bentley, in TRAILS OF LOVE. If not, don’t worry! Like all of my books, their story may be enjoyed as a standalone! Buckle up and enjoy the wildly romantic, fantastically fun, ride!

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45306340-making-you-mine

Goodreads series link:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/151180-the-bradens-montgomerys-pleasant-hill—oak-falls

Buy Links:

➜KINDLE: http://smarturl.it/MYM_Kindle
➜APPLE: http://smarturl.it/MYM_Apple
➜KOBO: http://smarturl.it/MYM_Kobo
➜NOOK: http://smarturl.it/MYM_Nook
➜GPLAY: http://smarturl.it/MYM_GPlay
➜PAPERBACK: http://smarturl.it/MYM_Pb

Also in audio book

➜Amazon – https://smarturl.it/MYMa_Amazon
➜Apple – https://smarturl.it/MYMa_Apple
➜Audible – https://smarturl.it/MYMa_Audible

Get it FREE when you sign up for an Audible 30-day FREE Trial https://smarturl.it/ktz4oa

Read Chapter One: https://melissafoster.com/making-you-mine-sneak-peek/

Author Info
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster
Newsletter: http://melissafoster.com/newsletter/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melissa-foster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissafoster_author/

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Reviews

* Blog Tour/Review * ALMOST JUST FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis

January 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Blog Tour/Review * ALMOST JUST FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis

Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis
Series: Wildstone #4
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on January 21, 2020
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Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Emotional, heartwarming and real! With book four in her ever enjoyable Wildstone series, Jill Shalvis brings us another winner with ALMOST JUST FRIENDS. With her typical humorous twist, Shalvis delights the reader with fun loving characters, emotional revelations and happily ever afters galore … I adored this story!

Piper Manning had me at hello … okay, so more like at the part on page one where she admits to hating being the center of attention to the core of her being. She’s had a hard life, and raising her siblings was a daunting task. Now that they’ve finally gotten out into the world on their own, she’s ready to get the property inherited from the grandparents fixed up and sold and finally get started on achieving her own dreams. Yeah, that was the plan … but now she has a man she can’t seem to pull her attention off of hanging around and a full house of siblings refusing to leave again. Secrets are rearing their ugly heads left and right … and it’s all about to get way too real.

I highly recommend this book to anyone enjoying a complex emotional story filled with laughter, love and a whole lot of heart. This entire series has been top notch and I’d encourage you to go back and catch them all. I love Wildstone!

Almost Just Friends
Wildstone – Book 4
By: Jill Shalvis
William Morrow – Jan 21, 2020

BLURB

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44890060-almost-just-friends

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/190905-wildstone

Buy Links

KINDLE ➤https://amzn.to/2LK9EHo
APPLE ➤https://apple.co/2yerpWE
NOOK ➤http://bit.ly/2MgVFbs
KOBO ➤http://bit.ly/2LGM2Dy
GPLAY ➤http://bit.ly/2K3uxdr
PAPERBACK ➤https://amzn.to/2LHtens
AUDIO ➤https://amzn.to/2SP4WJj
CH 1 ➤http://bit.ly/AJF_SneakPeek
GR ➤http://bit.ly/AJF_GR
BB ➤http://bit.ly/AJF_BB
Series Buy Link: https://www.jillshalvis.com/the-wildstone-series

AUTHOR INFO

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Newsletter: http://jillshalvis.com/faq/newsletter/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jill-shalvis

EXCERPT:

*Read the First Chapter, https://www.jillshalvis.com/excerpts/almost-just-friends

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Reviews

* Review * WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW by Debra Webb

January 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW by Debra Webb

Witness Protection Widow by Debra Webb
Series: A Winchester, Tennessee Thriller #5
Published by Harlequin Intrigue on February 1, 2020
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Can the witness protection program keep her identity secret?

After Allison James finally escapes her marriage to a monster, she becomes the star witness in the case against her deceased husband’s powerful crime family. Now it’s up to US Marshal Jaxson Stevens, Ali’s ex-boyfriend, to keep the WITSEC widow safe. But as the danger escalates and sparks fly, will Jax be able to help Ali escape her ruthless in-laws?

With the fifth book in her A Winchester, Tennessee Thriller series, Debra Webb brings us the story of a woman in witness protection in WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW. The story was intense and danger chased them around every corner.

Allison James lived a nightmare with her late husband and barely lived to tell the story after escaping his maniacal family. She’s an interesting character with a lot of grit and fortitude and it’s easy to root for her as the story unfolds.

Jaxson Stevens is the ex that broke her heart all those years ago and happenstance has him stepping in to protect her four days before she’s set to testify and bring down the head of her late husband’s family. He’s filled with regret and snags a reader’s heart quickly.

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a danger filled, action packed reunion story. It’s fast paced, well developed and though the ending felt a bit abrupt, I really enjoyed it!

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* Review * FOR THE TWINS’ SAKE by Melissa Senate

January 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * FOR THE TWINS’ SAKE by Melissa Senate

For the Twins' Sake by Melissa Senate
Series: Dawson Family Ranch #1
Published by Harlequin Special Edition on February 1, 2020
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"She's your baby, Noah Dawson. She's your responsibility now."

But is she? Noah is willing enough to believe the adorable newborn left on his doorstep is his child. And then his ex, Sara Mayhew, turns up, claiming the baby is hers--a twin to her infant son--and Noah realizes he's not the father. Even so, the cowboy has already turned his life around and swapped his spurs for a baby carrier. Despite their still-powerful attraction, Sara isn't ready to trust the "new" Noah. But he's already fighting for their future as a family...

An emotionally charged story of forgiveness and happily ever afters! With the first book in her brand new Dawson Family Ranch series, Melissa Senate takes us through an unexpected twist in FOR THE TWINS’ SAKE. The characters were easy to connect with and the story heartwarming. Really enjoyed it!

Noah was super easy to like. He changed his life to fit the baby left on his doorstep several weeks ago. He calmed down and let the little angel wrap herself around his heart full on. And now he’s being told she’s actually not his? Heart breaking right?

Sara was conflicting. I felt for her for the situation she had been in with her husband, but found her rigidness with Noah hard to stomach … but I was also only seeing the good side of him for sure, not what she had lived through previously.

I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a surprise baby story line or a reunion of past loves. It was emotional and satisfying. Looking forward to more in the series to come!

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* Review * MORAL COMPASS by Danielle Steel

January 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

Moral Compass by Danielle Steel
Published by Dell on January 7, 2020
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At an elite private school in Massachusetts, a wide circle of lives will be forever changed by a devastating series of events in Danielle Steel’s riveting new novel.

Saint Ambrose Prep is a place where the wealthy send their children for the best possible education, with teachers and administrators from the Ivy League, and graduates who become future lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, and CEOs. Traditionally a boys-only school, Saint Ambrose has just enrolled one hundred and forty female students for the first time. Even though most of the kids on the campus have all the privilege in the world, some are struggling, wounded by their parents’ bitter divorces, dealing with insecurity and loneliness. In such a heightened environment, even the smallest spark can become a raging fire.

One day after the school’s annual Halloween event, a student lies in the hospital, her system poisoned by dangerous levels of alcohol. Everyone in this sheltered community—parents, teachers, students, police, and the media—are left trying to figure out what actually happened. Only the handful of students who were there when she was attacked truly know the answers and they have vowed to keep one another’s secrets. As details from the evening emerge, powerful families are forced to hire attorneys and less powerful families watch helplessly. Parents’ marriages are jeopardized, and students’ futures are impacted. No one at Saint Ambrose can escape the fallout of a life-altering event.

In this compelling novel, Danielle Steel illuminates the dark side of one drunken night, with its tragic consequences, from every possible point of view. As the drama unfolds, the characters will reach a crossroads where they must choose between truth and lies, between what is easy and what is right, and find the moral compass they will need for the rest of their lives.

Danielle Steel never fails to satisfy a reader’s heart with her powerful storytelling voice that captures every aspect of a character’s mind, heart and soul. With her latest release MORAL COMPASS she takes her reader through a journey of acceptance, denial and consequence. The first chapter wallops quite a punch of characters to keep straight, but once the story line truly begins, it’s easy to follow and delivers an emotional plot. I couldn’t put it down!

Saint Ambrose Preparatory School has an excellent reputation for developing powerful minds who go on to pedigreed educational endeavors and prestigious careers. After more than two centuries of being a male only student body, the first 140 female enrollees are walking through the hallowed doors for the first time.

A Halloween night alcohol fueled adventure leads to one student being in the hospital near death and the lives of those involved being changed forever. The questions of who will step forward to tell what happened and lead to the capture of who assaulted her weaves a powerful story with people and lives being changed forever.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an in depth story of secrets, lies and corruption. It was obviously light on the romance aspect because of the sensitive nature of the book, but the character nuances and emotional upheaval were spot on.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * CINDERELLA’S ROYAL SEDUCTION by Dani Collins

January 21, 2020 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * CINDERELLA’S ROYAL SEDUCTION by Dani Collins

Cinderella's Royal Seduction by Dani Collins
Published by Harlequin Presents on February 1, 2020
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His until midnight

Will she wear his crown?

Sopi is exhausted! With Prince Rhys Charlemaine staying nearby, the luxury spa she calls home is overflowing with aspiring princesses! It’s frantic…until working all hours leads to a late-night encounter with charismatic Rhys himself…

Untouched Sopi gives herself one chance to feel like a princess in Rhys’s arms. She knows it cannot go further, until Rhys stuns her with his convenient proposal! He promises exquisite pleasure, but Sopi has seen the man behind his royal mask—dare she believe he wants her for more than desire?

Could she really be the one to steal the Prince’s heart? CINDERELLA’S ROYAL SEDUCTION by Dani Collins is a really fun take on a modern day Cinderella story. The characters are very likable and the story is fast paced and well told.

Cassiopeia (Sopi) nabs a readers heart from the very beginning of the story. She’s run ragged trying to please all of the guests at the inn she holds dear to her heart while trying to keep her step-family from destroying all that her mother built.

Prince Rhys could have his choice of any of the wanna-be-Princesses that are clamoring for his attention … but he’s only interested in one. She seems to be an employee of the spa … and she’s delightful!

I highly recommend this story to anyone enjoying an opposites attract story with a royal spin on it. I really enjoyed everything about Sopi and Rhys!

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