Kindle Unlimited readers, this one’s for you! We’re just finishing the second quarter of 2023, so it’s the perfect time to look back on the best books I’ve read in Kindle Unlimited so far this year. There is a GREAT selection of romance books in the program, and some of my favorite books of 2023 (so far!) are included.
I LOVE my Kindle Unlimited subscription, which makes picking out new books so easy. If you’re a voracious reader, then it will also save you a ton of money in the long run! Subscribers can borrow up to 20 books at a time, and there’s no limit on how many books you can borrow in a month. I read 20-30 books per month, so if I had to pay for each and every book, then the cost would add up quickly. Sure, utilizing your local library system will help, but then you’ll miss out on some of the best contemporary romance authors out there today. Not a member yet? Check out the details at: https://amzn.to/330w9BR
Each of these contemporary romance novels was a 4 or 5-star read for me. I’ve included the blurb, links to my reviews, and links to Amazon for easy addition to your collection. Happy reading!
5-STAR READS
String Me Along by Lilian T. James
This is a standalone, rivals to lovers, slowburn romance in the Learning to Love Series. Although it is not necessary, it is recommended to read Meet Me Halfway first.
Between moving across the country to help her best friend and building her music career from scratch, Layla is pretty dang proud of what she’s accomplished.
She’s booked every weekend, and her name is quickly becoming well known in the area.
So it comes as a shock when her booking agent slowly stops calling her. That is, until she runs into the musician who’s been stealing her gigs.
She can’t deny he has a voice to die for and the body of a god, but neither helps the fact that his personality is pure poison.
Their exchanges never fail to boil her blood, but it’s a game she starts to look forward to, and she’s determined not to back down first.
She always thought she wanted the sweet love she sings about. But with every quick-tongued remark and heated glance, she realizes sweet might not burn the way she needs.
And what better way to stoke a fire than with a little bit of hate.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3J2fhwJ
Your Last First Kiss by Avery Maxwell
My name is Penny Mulligan and my life is a mess.
After a disastrous marriage that left me with three perfect, rowdy boys and an ex-husband whose middle name might as well be Trouble, I’ve got more than enough testosterone in my life. I’m absolutely not getting involved with anyone.
Besides, at the end of the day when I collapse into bed, I’m too exhausted to think sexy thoughts. Except maybe about the one man who makes my life just a little easier…Mr. Wednesday, a.k.a. Dillon Henry.
Handsome, charming, thoughtful—the man is fantasy material.
And not just because he brings me my favorite coffee every Wednesday when he meets with my boss.
I’ll be ready to date again…someday…maybe after my boys are in college and I finally have the energy to think about myself. For now, I’m content to stick to my late-night fantasies about a certain coffee-bringing, suit-wearing flirt.
At least, that’s what I tell myself until Dillon Freaking Henry shows up on my doorstep in my hometown, demanding that I let him out of the friend zone.
He’s not intimidated by the fact that I’m a package deal or that my calendar is chaos or that my ex is a monumental pain in the…neck. Nope. Dillon is determined to change my mind.
Part of me almost hopes he can.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3nL2bN2
Whisky Business by Elliot Fletcher
Opposites attract when a fish-out-of-water actress and a grumpy Scottish whisky distiller are forced to work together to save the business they both love.
As a child, April Sinclair dreamt of escaping her quiet island life to become a world-famous actress. Now fully grown and with her once-flourishing career at an all-time low, what better way to figure out where it all went wrong than to go back to the beginning? April has her sights set on a new challenge, and that is saving her family’s distillery on the idyllic Scottish Isle of Skye. What she doesn’t expect to find is Malcolm Macabe, short-tempered and exceedingly attractive, living in the home she has just inherited. He may be a million miles away from the shy teenager she knew growing up, but one thing is for certain: he doesn’t want her around anymore.
Master distiller Mal has three loves in his life: Whisky, his dog, and silence. He has no time for the pampered princess poking her nose around his distillery, even if said princess is the one who got away. More comfortable in the shadows than the spotlight, Mal is content to wait her out. She’ll grow bored and run back to her glamorous world of nail salons and takeaway coffee eventually. When sparks begin to fly, he tells himself it doesn’t matter… because April Sinclair could never want a man like him, right?
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/45v75yJ
Fake Empire by C.W. Farnsworth
A standalone, steamy, arranged marriage romance.
There’s rich.
Then there’s the Ellsworth family. The Kensingtons. American royalty.
Money buys power, and power always has a price. The fear of those who already possess both? Losing it. The best way to ensure keeping it? Alliances. And elites don’t marry down—they marry equal.
For Scarlett Ellsworth and Crew Kensington, that leaves one option: each other. Accepting that inevitability is very different from embracing it. That’s the only thing they agree upon.
It was meant to be a union for better and for business.
Instead, it challenges everything Scarlett and Crew thought they knew about themselves, their families, and most of all…each other.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BWguSB
Our Scorching Summer by Kels & Denise Stone
Nico Navarro and I are friends.
His signature grin and playfulness are charming, except when you’re on the receiving end of his self-absorbed personality. The worst part—he’s ridiculously gorgeous and he knows it. For years, I’ve dealt with Nico’s incessant flirting by keeping my occasional fantasies about him strictly between me, my keyboard, and my vibrator.
We’re both players and not interested in settling down. He’s never been in love, and I refuse to commit to someone again. Besides, Nico is my best friend’s brother-in-law, so he’s strictly off-limits.
Just. Friends.
But when I suddenly lose my job, fail a class, and a man faints inside me—yes, inside me—all rationality falls by the wayside.
One out-of-character decision later, I find myself on an international adventure with the irresponsible playboy. Our spontaneous vacation is filled with interrogations,a steamy arrangement, and the uncovering of my decade-long secret. I’m quickly becoming Nico’s new obsession and the rules I’ve kept to protect my heart start to crumble with each new lavish travel destination we visit.
Can I let myself love again or will our summer fling end up in flames?
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3or0eVI
Accidental Attachment by Max Monroe 🎧
A successful writer accidentally sends her new (and super-dreamy) editor the wrong manuscript. Instead of the full-length paranormal novel she promised Longstrand Publishing, she sends the fan fiction she’s written about her crush…on him—including every detail of the hot, steamy “physical activity” she’s fantasized about happening between them.
And Chase Dawson may be the hottest man alive and a super-talented editor to boot, but he’s completely oblivious that he’s the star of the manuscript he just convinced his boss to green-light.
Brooke Baker has been through a lot in her thirty-one years of life.
A divorce.
A career change.
A move to New York City from “small-town” Ohio.
Not to mention, she has a bit of a medical condition that involves occasional fainting spells, mild embarrassment, and the companionship of her adorable service dog and canine sidekick, Benji.
But none of it has prepared her for this.
None of it prepared her for Chase Dawson.
Strong jaw, blue eyes, cut muscles, and a perfect swoop of superhero-worthy black hair, Chase’s features are those of a book boyfriend and then some. Obviously, Brooke would know—she literally filled an entire manuscript with it.
A manuscript no one was ever supposed to see.
Will she survive two months of revising and editing the sizzling romance she imagined with Chase in extremely close quarters with him? Or will the constant white lies and overwhelming attraction make her spontaneously combust?
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/40wZxYu
One and Only by Karla Sorensen
You are cordially invited to my fake wedding.
Marrying Beckett Coleman is the best idea I’ve had in years. I can grant my sick dad’s wish to walk one of his daughters down the aisle, and Beckett has my help solving a custody situation with his daughter. Our plan is to spend a year together, then part ways. Easy, especially since I’m not his type, and he’s not mine either.
He’s too quiet and too serious. And while he’s distractingly gorgeous, he’s also my brother’s teammate. Beckett is fake husband material, not the real deal. I just have to remember that.
Until I move in with him. Get to know him. Share a bed with him. Turns out, the line between fake and real isn’t just blurry, it’s almost impossible to uphold when he looks at me the way he does.
This marriage is a whole lot more complicated than we bargained for. We’re threatening to destroy everything we’ve built, something neither of us can risk.
Marrying Beckett might’ve been the best idea in years. But falling in love with him would be the worst.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GRnqTu
The Prodigal by Kristy Marie
The Prodigal is a spicy, frenemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance full of delicious angst and heart-wrenching revelations by bestselling author Kristy Marie.
Arrogant.
Indifferent.
Uncompromising.
Remington Potter was a sarcastic jerk with a body of an avenging angel. He screamed good times and bad decisions.
But that’s not what made us friends.
His saving me that one night did—even if he denied it.
Remington Potter was my antihero.
I owed him at least a friendship and a plastic chair.
But I made one mistake.
I didn’t knock.
I didn’t look away.
All I saw was him on the floor.
Tormented.
Enraged.
And broken.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
I discovered Remington Potter wasn’t the mysterious savior I thought he was.
He was vengeful.
And I was the final piece in his game.
The Prodigal is a full-length standalone that features crossover characters from the Hands of the Potters Series.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3z8t2V9
Rook to King by Carina Taylor
A romantic adventure
Being an antique expert and authenticator isn’t as glamorous as it seems.
Not nearly the amount of excitement I’d hoped for—at least not until I have some competition looking for the missing pieces of an engraved chess set.
My competition is dashing—but more likely to swoop off with the chess set than me.
Bodie King. Alias Sullivan Keene, Robby Landon, Captain Sexy Pants, The Trade King, and I’m sure many, many more that he would never admit to.
To make it simple: he’s a con man.
Bodie shows up in my antique store with a smile and promise of things to come
I don’t trust him. And I definitely don’t want him to end up with the chess set. Which means I’m going to have to keep those pieces safe—and hopefully find them before he does. But more people than just Bodie and I are interested in the chess set, and we’re forced into a tentative alliance—at least until I’m out of danger.
But as we race against the clock and across the globe to find the missing pieces, Bodie surprises me by being real. Authentic. Dare I say loveable?
But can you ever really trust a con?
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3yPnKxy
Unexpectedly Mine by Erin Hawkins
Emma
Since the man I thought I would be walking down the aisle with broke up with me, I’ve been focused on my business.
As the designer of Emma Belle Bridal Gowns, headlining the Blushing Bride Convention in Las Vegas has been the highlight of my year. And the legendary editor of The Dress magazine wants to feature me in their upcoming issue?
A dream come true.
And it’s my birthday! Nothing can get me down…except maybe my ex’s engagement splashed across social media.
What’s a girl to do other than drink a truck load of champagne and see a male revue show?
When a dancer pulls me up on stage, the chemistry between us is undeniable.
Forget holy matrimony, I’m going to lower my expectations for one night.
One night that just may last forever.
Griffin
One last night…
After twelve years raising my baby sister, Sophie, and dancing for Las Vegas’s top male revue in order to pay bills and ensure she graduates college, I’m ready to hang up my tearaway pants and start a new life.
My intentions were to protect Emma, a captivating and tipsy woman at the show, from doing something she regrets. With chemistry neither of us can deny, the night takes an unexpected turn and we find ourselves waking up married.
It happens. We’ll correct our mistakes and move on.
But with a viral wedding video, our nuptials end up on Page Six, and Emma needs me in New York to play the part of doting new husband for a career-boosting interview.
I’ll play the part, do what she asks, then we’ll part ways.
Emma’s smart, enchanting and beautiful…and completely unexpected.
But right now, I have nothing to offer a woman like her, let alone forever.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/41B22uc
The Worst Wedding Date by Pippa Grant 🎧
I didn’t know bridesmaid was code for babysitter for the bride’s brother, but if that’s what my best friend needs of me for her dream wedding to go off without a hitch, that’s what I’ll do.
Even if Theo Monroe has been a pain in my rear since third grade.
Even if he should be responsible enough to not wreak havoc at his sister’s destination wedding.
Even if it means we have to share a hotel room in Hawaii, which might be the final duty that breaks me.
Not only does Theo know exactly how to push my buttons, but he never wears clothes, he’s hiding a litter of kittens in his room, and he keeps showing up with fresh-baked cookies that seemingly come from nowhere.
Also?
I have no idea what’s up with the tension between him and the groom.
Or why he’s so proud of the world’s strangest wedding gift.
Or why I suddenly want to know what makes him tick. The story behind his tattoos. How he can afford to rent a convertible in Hawaii. And if maybe all of that utter frustration and irritation I’ve felt for him for years is suppressed attraction that a good girl like me isn’t supposed to feel for the biggest bad boy of Snaggletooth Creek.
But I do know one thing.
When I find out his biggest secret and the answer to all of my questions, it will change everything.
The Worst Wedding Date is a frolicking good time of a destination wedding enemies-to-lovers romcom, complete with a good girl bridesmaid, her best friend’s troublemaking but secretly big-hearted brother, and more than one hitch on the way to happily ever after. It stands alone, has no cheating, and comes complete with ooey gooey goodness.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KBL3l8
Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
Love, laughter, and a dead body…
Juniper Bean has big plans for her writing career. Swoony kisses, sigh-inducing happily ever afters—she’s going to write them all.
There’s just one problem: she can’t seem to stop killing off her main characters.
After accepting that a genre change is in order, Juniper sets out to do some research. What’s the best way to carry a dead body? How exactly does one pick a lock? Juniper is going to find out—with the unwilling help of her new roommate, Aiden.
But Juniper’s plans go haywire when she stumbles across an actual, real-life dead body—and before she knows it, she and Aiden are thrust into the middle of a murder mystery that seems suspiciously tied to Juniper’s past.
Who killed the girl in the woods? Can Juniper ever get the hang of mystery writing? And, perhaps the biggest question of all: Why the heck does Aiden look so good in a tweed jacket?
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/40EFwQm
Desserts for Stressed People by Letizia Lorini
Nothing brings stressed people together like desserts.
Revenge is a dish best served scorching hot. That’s why professionally stressed and dessert loving Heaven Wilson creates a fake profile on the app her cheating boyfriend is using to find hookups.
But when she unexpectedly matches with Shane H, a man who seems as sweet as the baked treats he tempts her with, revenge becomes the least of her problems.
A more pressing issue? Not falling for the man she’s catfishing until she can ditch her unfaithful boyfriend. More pressing still? Shane turns out to be the professionally stressed, intimidating new boss she’s sent to work with.
And he has no idea she’s the girl whose messages leave him craving more every night.
With a boyfriend who could doom her to enormous financial debt, a hot and cold, irresistible boss complicating her work life, and the intricate web of lies she’s designed for herself, this is the perfect recipe for disaster.
When it turns out Heaven isn’t the only one keeping secrets, will the cookie finally crumble?
Desserts for Stressed People is a steamy, slow burn, laugh out loud story about love, friendship, and sweet treats. It features two stressed workaholics who, relying on each other’s strength, find the courage to chase the happily ever after they deserve.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FA91KW
The Right Move by Liz Tomforde
RYAN
She’s a distraction, that’s what she is.
I’m the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago’s NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister’s best friend, to move into my apartment. She’s messy, emotional, and way too tempting.
But when the team’s General Manager vocalizes his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can’t think of a better way to convince him otherwise than pretending to date my outgoing roommate.
The only problem? Faking it feels far too natural.
Having a fake girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be messy but having Indy under my roof and in my bed is complicated, especially when she wants all the romantic parts of life that I could never give her.
INDY
I never imagined I’d be living with my best friend’s brother, NBA superstar Ryan Shay. Even more unbelievable? He needs me to act as his loving girlfriend who’s suddenly changed him into a friendly and approachable guy.
Because, well…he’s not. He’s controlling of his space and untrusting of others.
Our arrangement isn’t one-sided, though. I’m in a wedding coming up, one where every one of my childhood friends, including my ex-boyfriend, will be in attendance, and there’s no better date than my ex’s celebrity hero.
Blurred lines make it almost impossible to separate real from fake. Falling for my roommate was never part of the deal, especially when Ryan is quick to remind me that he doesn’t believe in love.
I’m a romantic and can’t help fantasizing that he’ll change, but soon enough, I find myself questioning if sharing a roof with my best friend’s brother was the right move after all.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XtnLlz
Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
Bestselling author Lucy Score returns to Knockemout, Virginia, following fan-favorite Things We Never Got Over with Knox’s brother Nash’s story.
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PFRkxl
The No-Judgment Zone by Ellie K. Wilde
Two players. One apartment. A whole new game.
Serial dater Finn Palmer has it down to a science: dinner, drinks, the this-is-just-sex conversation, and he’s back in his own bed by midnight. With his infectious smile and preference for one-night flings, he’s exactly the distraction Jenna Carling needs when she returns home for her sister’s dreaded wedding.
So when Jenna shows up on his doorstep looking for a hot do-over of their failed one-night stand from a year ago, she’s shocked that Finn offers her something entirely different: his spare bedroom for the summer.
Finn’s self-prescribed singledom means two things: he is woefully cuddle-starved, and he will never, ever sleep with a woman he’s interested in. He knows there’s something different about Jenna. She’s charming, warm, lets him wax poetic about his favorite documentaries… And there’s no way he can sleep with her without catching serious feelings. But he can definitely keep her around as a platonic roommate. And he can definitely get this pesky crush under control.
Problem is, Jenna’s now convinced she’s lost her mojo. And the harder she tries to tempt Finn into more—more sex, more midnight bakery rendezvous, more… cuddling?!—the harder it is not to fantasize about a future with her. Too bad he’s witnessed the destructive effects of love. And Finn would never put himself through that.
He only needs to survive the summer. Soon, her evil sister’s wedding will be over. Jenna will be gone. And Finn can get back to… What, exactly?
The No-Judgment Zone is a steamy romantic comedy with the roommates-to-lovers, reformed player, forced proximity, sunshine/golden retriever, and wedding date tropes. This romance has a happily ever after.
It’s the second book in the Sunset Landing series but can be read as a standalone.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IvwZYv
Final Offer by Lauren Asher
Callahan
I’m the Kane brother everyone gossips about behind closed doors.
Trust fund brat. Washed-up athlete. High-functioning alcoholic.
No one knows the real me but her.
Lana Castillo—my childhood best friend and the only woman I ever loved.
When I broke her heart six years ago, I promised to never return to Lake Wisteria.
I kept my word until my grandfather’s will changed everything.
To receive my inheritance, I was tasked with spending a summer at the family lake house
before selling it.
The request was simple in theory until my entire plan blew up on the very first day.
Turns out Lana doesn’t just live at the house, but she claims to own it, too.
Alana
Falling in love with Callahan Kane was a mistake.
He told me so before destroying my heart and our friendship six summers ago.
When he promised never to come back, I foolishly believed him.
But then Cal showed up again, intending to sell his grandfather’s lake house.
The biggest flaw in his plan?
My name is on the deed.
Final Offer is the third and final book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uCJoDp
The Sixty/Forty Rule by Ellie K. Wilde
six-ty for-ty rule (noun): a deal you make with your pain-in-the-butt client, when hating him starts to feel a little too good.
Jude Holland has slogged it for years at a chance to land a coveted job designing the city’s most breathtaking restaurants and nightclubs. And when a spot opens up on her firm’s design team, her boss makes her a deal: design Theo Jordan—the firm’s biggest client—a new restaurant, convince him to renew his contract with the company, and the job is hers.
If only he’d play along.
Theo is infamous for three very specific things: he’s a hot-shot young chef-turned-restaurateur, a thorn-in-your-side client, and the kind of attractive that makes you wonder which kind of psychedelics the great maker was taking, when he created him. Not that Jude notices. She’s too busy sticking to the plan, and it helps that he’s a total ass, anyway.
That is, until a steamy business trip leads to a very different deal between these enemies, who suddenly can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Sixty percent of the time, they’d indulge those funny, fluttering feelings that seem to manifest whenever they’re together. The rest of the time? They’d be nothing but professional.
It doesn’t take Theo long to realize that’s easier said than done. But with a restaurant launch and a dream promotion on the line—not to mention a workplace rival hell-bent on ruining her career—Theo only has a handful of weeks to convince Jude to make that sixty percent full-time.
The Sixty/Forty Rule is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers workplace romance between a sunshine commercial designer and her grumpy client. It has a healthy dose of spice and a happily ever after. It is the first book in the Sunset Landing series of standalone reads.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HqyBU1
The Brightest Light of Sunshine by Lisina Coney
A woman ready to move on. A man who can’t afford distractions. An inspiring journey of healing love.
Determined to walk away from a traumatic past, 22-year-old Grace Allen feels ready to take the next step in her healing journey—dipping a toe into the dating pool. Although she should probably start by making a friend or two, right?
Samuel ‘Cal’ Callaghan isn’t who she had envisioned as her first male friend in… well, forever. With an intimidating build, tattoos everywhere, eight years her senior, and a little sister under his care, the last thing she expected was to warm up to him so easily. As their friendship evolves, Grace can’t help but wonder if Cal is exactly who she’s been looking for all this time.
Cal can’t afford to lose sight of his priorities—making sure his tattoo parlor thrives and taking care of his little sister. Especially the latter. He wants to make sure 4-year-old Maddie has a healthy and happy childhood, despite their mother going off the rails and her father’s blatant neglect. There’s certainly no room for love in his life right now. But when a sweet blonde with a veiled past breaks down his walls, he finds it difficult to stick to his guns.
CONTENT NOTES: This book contains themes of sexual assault (there are no explicit scenes depicting sexual assault), profanity, alcoholism, and explicit sexual content. Recommended for 18+.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YXath1
Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth
Abbie Keller thought that Richard Bartholemew Benson the Third would be her forever. In their four years of dating, she never doubted that she wouldn’t end up with his grandmother’s engagement ring on her finger. Sure, she had to change a few things about herself to fit that mold, like dying her hair, dressing more conservatively, and finding golf enjoyable (honestly the most difficult of the changes), but she was sure that at the end of it all, it would be worth it.
That is, until he leaves her crying outside her apartment wearing a Halloween costume, having broken it off with her because she’s just not serious enough. She was just fun, he tells her – and now that Richard has becoming a partner at his law firm in his sights, he needs to focus on work.
So she does what every girl does when she’s broken up with: she calls her friends, gets drunk, dyes her hair, and formulates her plan for revenge. It just so happens that the universe supports her efforts and gives her the perfect match to prove to her ex that he made a huge mistake: his boss.
Abbie starts dating the founding partner of Richard’s law firm, Damien Martinez, with one thing in mind: convincing him to invite her to the huge annual Christmas party as his date.
But when the relationship starts to become something more than casual dating and Abbie sees that the tough New York lawyer has a soft side, will she be able to follow through with her plan of deceit?
Tis the Season for Revenge is a contemporary, grumpy sunshine, age-gap, Christmas romance. It is a full-length romance with a Happily Ever After that features sexually explicit material and profanity. This book is intended for 18+.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3C68z5o
The Playing Game by Ainsley Booth
Two years ago, I spent the hottest night of my life with a woman who never told me her name. In the morning, she was gone.
I’ve searched for her—relentlessly. I’ve scanned the stands and the cheering crowds in every city I’ve played in, but “Jersey Girl” never showed up again.
That night ruined me for anyone else. She was funny, sexy, and—after I got past her brittle shell—secretly very sweet.
Then one night, I skate onto brand new ice as part of the NHL’s latest team. And she’s in the stands at our first game of the season, very carefully not looking at me.
She disappears after the first period, and the chase is on again. This time, I have more clues, and I stop at nothing in my need to find her.
Turns out, she has good reasons why she can’t date a pro hockey player. But I have even better reasons why she can—like, we’re meant for each other, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be the man she needs.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZJtV29
Strictly Pleasure by Carrie Elks
Never tell a lie. Especially not to a cocky CEO who knows exactly how to seduce you. They always come back to bite.
I should have remembered that before I spent the night with Liam Salinger.
In my defense, he’s stupidly attractive and knows it. He also willingly admitted to me that he never sleeps with the same woman twice.
So I shouldn’t feel too bad about lying to him the next morning. We can forget about each other and get on with our lives, right?
Wrong.
We’ve both been chosen as godparents to my best friend’s gorgeous newborn. Which means we’ll be spending a lot of time together, much to our mutual disgust.
And yes, he looks great cradling a tiny baby against his expensively attired chest. Plus he’s funny, irreverent, and weirdly protective toward me.
But I’m not going to fall for his charm. Not a second time.
I just have to keep telling myself that.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hdqnnJ
Things I Overshared by Kelsey Humphreys
If you’ve ever been told you’re too much…
Samantha Canton feels your pain. She knows she is, well, a lot. It’s been a rough year, to put it mildly, so she is overjoyed to find out she gets to go on her dream work trip to Europe. But she’s not going alone. She’ll be crossing the pond with the company’s CFO, Emerson Clark.
Icy Emerson, as the industry calls him, is logical, serious and quiet. He likes solitude, the color gray, rain and hot tea – he is British, after all.
And he cannot stand Samantha in all her extra, southern, chatty, upbeat, neon-dress-wearing glory.
No problem, she’s never met someone she couldn’t befriend.
Until Now.
Commence nervous verbal diarrhea.
And commence the ultimate Grumpy/Sunshine, Billionaire, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn Boss Romance with rich characters and a payoff that will leave you absolutely giddy.
**This is a steamy, full-length standalone adult contemporary romance. Prepare for Manhattan, London, Paris, surprise twists, laugh-out-loud banter, a happily ever after, and a sisters group text thread you’ll wish you could join. This is the second Heartlanders book but can be read on its own.**
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kWzISD
4-STAR READS
Love Marks by Rachael Harriet
What do you do when your worst enemy turns out to be your new boss?
Quinn Taylor is flat broke and stuck in the same Brooklyn apartment she’s lived in her whole life. Struggling with student loan payments and medical bills, she works at The Phoenix, an elite Manhattan lounge known for its confidentiality. She’s not waiting around for Prince Charming; in fact, she learned to forget that dream a long time ago. Now, her dream is to open her own restaurant. The only problem? The handsome and elusive real estate mogul Wesley Marks just got her fired.
When Wesley unexpectedly inherits his father’s position as CEO of Marks Properties, he’s desperate to take care of his family and prove he’s nothing like his father. But after the beautiful hostess at The Phoenix betrays his trust, leaking a story that nearly destroys everything, he has a new plan. You know what they say – keep your friends close, and your enemies on your payroll. Both Wesley and Quinn are determined to get their way.
But can they put down their weapons for long enough to discover the connection between them?
LOVE MARKS is a dual-POV, open door enemies-to-lovers, billionaire boss contemporary romance. Please note that this book has content warnings for adult language, adult content, a parent with cancer, alcoholism/rehab, brief references to suicide, sexual assault, and sex work.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GxFBO6
How to Kiss Your Enemy by Jenny Proctor
How is it possible for the chemistry between two chefs to be hotter than a ghost pepper yet colder than liquid nitrogen?
When THE Tatum Elliott shows up to run the catering kitchen at my family’s farm and event center, I don’t trust her anymore than I did back in culinary school.
But like it or not, she’s here. On my territory. My turf. In the kitchen that shares a building with my farm-to-table restaurant.
And she can’t seem to keep her hands off my parmesan.
Our old rivalry flares to life faster than a flambé, but there’s something else flaming between us too. And it’s heating up quicker than anything we’re making in the kitchen.
But I can’t forget that Tatum is the daughter of Gordon Elliott—America’s most famous chef. She belongs in a big city, in a restaurant with her name on it. Not running the catering arm of Stonebrook Farm.
Whatever her reasons for being here now, I can’t see her permanently walking away from the fame and fortune her father can offer her, no matter how well she fits in on the farm—how well she fits with me.
She’ll leave eventually—I’m sure of it. I just have to make sure that when she does, she doesn’t take my heart with her.
It’s enemies to lovers foodie edition in this fast-paced, banter-filled romcom from bestselling author, Jenny Proctor.
How to Kiss Your Enemy is a sweet romantic comedy with all the crackling chemistry and sizzling kisses you want in a closed-door romance but no explicit scenes.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/43SmAzO
Throttled by Lauren Asher 🎧
What happens when my brother’s rival becomes my secret crush?
Noah Slade is a Formula 1 legend in the making.
Focused. Unapproachable. Ruthless on and off the track.
A man with walls higher than the Grand Canyon.
And my brother’s new teammate.
I want more of the prince who disguises himself as the villain.
But while I crave a happy ending, he wants to destroy his.
Maya Alatorre is a forbidden temptation.
An ambitious post-grad I should stay far away from.
And chaos wrapped with a bow.
We’re a ticking time bomb, about one wrong move away from exploding.
I want to trip the wire, detonating together in passion and pain.
Because in the end, all’s fair in lust and war.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/42WoEWF
Duke: Faking the Play by Kayley Loring & Connor Crais
#4 Callum Duquette. Placekicker for the Boston Tomcats. Former underwear model. NICKNAME: Duke.
I thought the most annoying thing about being a single dad was that my friends were always trying to find me a date. Until a sassy British ray of sunshine bumps into me at a bookstore. One accidental butt grab, a viral photo, and a lot of misunderstandings later, I find myself in a fake relationship with a movie star.
Now I’ve got my friends off my back, but the cheeky Brit has complicated my life even more.
She calls me the Duke of Grumpville.
I call her movies the end of civilization as we know it.
She calls my job “the wrong kind of football.”
I call her the one thing on Earth that can make me lose focus and control.
It’s getting harder to pretend I still want this to end after my team’s game in London.
I thought we were only faking it.
But getting to know the real Millie Darden changed everything.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3L8f5Og
Runaway Love by Melanie Harlow 🎧
Yes, I’m a single dad who needs a nanny for the summer.
But hire the stranded runaway bride who shows up on my doorstep in a wedding gown with no references, no skills, and no experience?
No one is that desperate.
Except within twenty-four hours, down-on-her-luck Veronica Sutton manages to charm my kids, my family, and half the population of Cherry Tree Harbor into believing she’s perfect for the job.
And for me.
It’s not that I can’t see the appeal–those baby blue eyes? The endless legs? That mouth made for trouble? But I’ve got enough on my plate, raising two kids on my own and keeping the family business alive. I don’t have the time or the inclination to fall for an outspoken city girl.
So I should have kept my hands to myself.
Holding her in my arms was a big mistake. Even worse? Spending the night together. She ignites a possessive fire in me that I’m finding hard to snuff out.
But the most unforgivable? Growing attached to the sound of her laugh, the scent of her skin, and the way her body wraps around mine in the dark.
At the end of the summer, she’ll be gone.
And if I’m not careful, she might run away with my heart.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/42Aj0d8
One Percent of You by Michelle Gross
Make no mistakes about it. I know what I look like to others. Young, government-aided, pregnant mom. They see Lucy on my hip, and they see a mistake. I mean, why else would someone have a child so young, right? They couldn’t be more wrong. I’m too busy most days between parenting, work, and finishing up my last year of nursing school to let their judging gaze tear me down until he moves into the vacant house next to the apartments I live in.
His cold, blunt observation of us doesn’t differ from any other stranger. He doesn’t know me, but he’s already painting a picture of who he thinks I am in his mind. He judges my very round belly, Lucy’s inability to leave him alone, the bags under my eyes, and the fact that I couldn’t care less what I look like anymore.
He’s a rude guy. Stays that way for months too. Then something happens, I’m not even sure what. Judgmental Guy decides Lucy and me—as well as baby Eli, are worth his friendship.
Turns out, Judgmental Guy isn’t too mean—okay, he kind of still is. But he graduates to Elijah. I build an unlikely friendship with him which deems it necessary for him to start smiling around me and my kids.
I’m wrong again. Elijah isn’t rude. He’s terrifying. His strange acts of kindness are unraveling me. Elijah is only my friend.
Right?
Oh, fudge. I think I’m wrong.
Again.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/42f9qLG
Doctorshipped by Savannah Scott 🎧
I’m the absolute last remaining single woman in the entire town of Bordeaux.
Okay, maybe not the very last.
Just the last one with all her teeth, natural hair color, and the ability to remember where I set my keys.
I decided years ago that I’m going to remain single until my dying day.
I’ll infuse a new, hip meaning into the term “old cat lady.”
I don’t need a man.
I’ve got my bulldog, my cats and some of the best friends in the world.
My cup’s not half-full—It’s overflowing.
My man-free life is going along fine until the day I walk into my new job as a part-time tutor to the daughter of the new doctor in town. The sight of this man is making my skin tingle and my breath hitch, and something very much like butterflies are erupting in my stomach.
Butterflies!
I don’t do butterflies over a man.
My reaction doesn’t mean I need to change my stance on men. After all, Grant’s a broody, stern, cantankerous man. If I were going to start dating, it certainly wouldn’t be someone who obviously hasn’t smiled since he was forced to for school pictures.
But then his daughter walks in the room and his face lights up.
That smile. Who knew swooning was a real thing?
Still, I’m not dating. And that’s final.
Doctorshipped is a laugh-out-loud, small-town, grumpy-sunshine romcom with a broody single-dad book boyfriend who has a heart of gold, and a found-family friend group. You’ll get all the sizzle you ever wanted in a closed-door romance with a happily ever after that will leave you smiling!
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3peWBTj
Golden Hour of You and Me by K. Jamila
Sheyanne Shaw hates nothing more than she hates her hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Except maybe being forced to return to it. After escaping her estranged relationship with her father, leaving behind her brother and her best friends, she returns after four years away. All to help her father in sorting out the house and the stables she grew up on. But she is not just greeted by him and the demons she tried so hard to leave behind.
Liam Landon never thought he’d step foot in such a small town.
Raised in the city of Vegas, the small town was not what he expected. Hired to help Mr. Shaw manage his finances, he can’t turn down the opportunity to help out his grandparents and start building a life for himself. While traveling for the job isn’t unheard of as a freelancer, it’s a bit different to be expected to stay for three months. Liam is open to it—only to be met with the absolute spitfire of his boss’s daughter.
Sheyanne is forced to confront her demons and her past relationships that have faded into nothing in the years she’s been gone. And she is forced to confront Liam. A man here on limited time, who seems to see straight through her defenses. He is cool, calm, and collected, and there for her every step of the way.
When faced with her worst fear and her own thoughts, will Sheyanne decide to leave like before?
Or will she stay?
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FOLJAg
Our Ride to Forever by Julie Olivia
Sometimes, the best rides are unexpected.
Orson Mackenzie didn’t want a relationship. Perfect. Neither did I.
But what started as a fun ride with no commitment turned into hitching our cars to the same train. Orson needed my insurance. I needed his tax break. So we signed a piece of paper to make me his not-so blushing bride.
Forever was never the destination. Until Orson unexpectedly changed course, and we found ourselves on different tracks.
Now, it’s seven months later, I’ve lost my apartment and, luckily for me, my husband still has a heart of gold. And a spare bedroom.
I can move in with my fake husband, right? How hard can it be?
Except I’m having a hard time overlooking how his eyes undress me and the way his voice rasps when he calls me sweetheart. And the more time we spend together, the more I see through his happy-go-lucky exterior. He needs someone in his corner, and for once, maybe I need someone in mine too.
I shouldn’t fall in love with my husband. But my heart might be thumping to the bumpy tune of forever.
Our Ride To Forever is a romantic comedy featuring a secret marriage of convenience and lots of roommate shenanigans in a house with only one shower and very, very thin walls. Enjoy the comforts of a small town theme park, filled with lots of love and even more steamy, sizzling spice!
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3voOx2b
Right Man, Right Time by Meghan Quinn 🎧
From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn, comes a new fake dating, standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of and love. This steamy, age-gap romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while making your cheeks blush at the same time.
Running into your ex is never ideal.
Running into your ex who is now dating your nemesis is a literal nightmare.
That’s how I found myself in a sheer panic, reaching for the closest guy at the bar and kissing him. And to my delight he was easily the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.
The only problem is, when I tried to walk away after thanking him for his help, he stopped me with three life-changing words . . .“You owe me.”
That’s how I found myself, a college girl, in a fake relationship with a professional hockey player ten years older than me.
At first it was easy.
He helped me with my internship.
I helped keep his ex away from him.
We were becoming fast friends.
It wasn’t until he started staying the night at my dorm did the rules of our arrangement become complicated.
Now my feelings are involved and even though I kissed the right man at the right time, I’m worried he’s just waiting for the clock to run out.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YEF7N6
First to Fall by Jenny B. Jones
When I woke up this morning, I became aware of two things:
One, I felt hungover, and I knew I hadn’t had a drop of liquor.
And two, I was pretty sure I had accidentally married someone.
I, Olivia Sutton, have a Ten Year Plan. It’s air-tight and written in permanent ink. You know what’s not on the plan? Getting married to the man I used to love to hate. But when my sister’s pre-wedding trip goes horribly wrong, I find myself legally bound to my old nemesis, tech sensation Lachlan Hayes. Lachlan pitches a plan to temporarily stay married. Is it absolutely insane? Yes. But it has the potential to fix so many problems for both of us—and create even bigger ones.
As secrets unravel between us, I discover there’s more to my nerd husband than arrogance and a party-boy reputation. Falling for this guy is definitely not on the Ten Year Plan, but living in the same house? Acting like I’ve given my heart to my husband? Public kisses that make me forget my name? When our fake marriage becomes all too real, Lachlan and I find ourselves crossing lines we swore we wouldn’t. It has me wondering if I can walk away from Lachlan when our time is up.
Or if I’ll be the first the fall.
Grab the second book in the hilariously swoony A Lost Story Bookshop series. Perfect for fans of closed-door romantic comedy.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IoWhY4
The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke 🎧
She wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.
Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability. Nothing about Cole says forever. So why is he so hard to resist?
Cole is swinging through town to visit his parents when he meets the kind of down-to-earth distraction he’s been looking for since retiring from the majors. True, his long-term relationship score is zero. But even though raising his average with Palmer seems impossible, it’s worth a shot.
As promising as the summer nights are, fate turns small-town dreams upside down, and some lessons are learned the hard way. But having faith in love and choosing hope over fear might get Palmer and Cole to the sweet spot they’re looking for.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IUnbcd
Water Under the Bridge by Kels & Denise Stone
A laugh-out-loud, sexy, slow burn, office romance.
Avery Soko, a bright-eyed and ambitious do-gooder, is on the cusp of getting her dream fundraising job at the Oceanic Research Organization. Luca Navarro, a former corporate lawyer with an extravagant tie collection and an irritatingly handsome smirk, holds Avery’s future in his very large hands. When he calls with the news of her rejection, Luca seems to revel in crushing her dreams.
But Avery will do anything to pursue her passion, even accept a job at a struggling start-up. Her spell of bad luck finally changes when a competition is announced at a grandiose gala that could save her and her new team from going under. Of course, Avery’s least favorite person, Luca, also joins the running for the multimillion-dollar prize.
At the height of the competition, Avery and Luca realize they’ve met their match. Will the tense moments, absurd attempts to out-do each other, and the string of games and bets they’ve concocted turn into a series of failures, or will it make them into something more than adversaries?
Water Under The Bridge is book one of the Perks & Benefits series but can be read as a standalone. Warning: This book contains explicit content, and profanity.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QmmKZQ
Go Fake Yourself by Elle Maxwell
Help Wanted: Romance author will pay $20k for 60 days of fake dating a stranger. PS – You have to live together (and there’s only one bed)
AUDREY
Okay, so I’m more than a little starstruck when I show up for my interview to discover Victoria-freaking-Trulette is my prospective employer. That shock is nothing compared to Victoria’s job offer—fake date a stranger for sixty days, as “research” for her next novel? Not to mention that I have to live with him… in a condo with only ONE BED!? I mean, I barely have any experience being a real girlfriend!
But you know what they say about desperate times. I’m out of options; it’s either this, or moving back home with my overcontrolling mother. And I refuse to choose door number two.
Now, I just have to survive the next sixty days without making a complete fool of myself. Or falling for my fake boyfriend. Hot, intimidating, and completely out of my league, Walker is the kind of guy I usually avoid out of sheer self-preservation. He can also be a jerk, which helps with remembering we’re fake—it’s the glimpses of his softer side that are dangerous to my Feel Nothing for Walker plan.
(Don’t even get me started on his droolworthy abs, or tendency to walk around shirtless!)
WALKER
Twenty grand, to be some girl’s fake boyfriend for two months?
This author lady might be certifiable, but if playing along with her little experiment is what it will take to finally quit working for my dad and start my own business, I guess I can chill in the weird lane for a couple of months.
As far as “falling in love?” If that’s Victoria’s hope, she’s in store for a disappointment. (Good thing I’m no stranger to disappointing people… just ask my dad.) I am not that guy. Then there’s Audrey, who is the most awkward girl I’ve ever met. Definitely not my type… no matter how cute she looks in her glasses, or how much I like her crazy hair.
(I mean, she’s a vegetarian. How am I supposed to pretend I love a woman who doesn’t eat bacon?)
Go Fake Yourself is a standalone slow burn romantic comedy with a guaranteed (though not easy) HEA. It does include explicit language and eventual open door scenes, recommended for ages 17+.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BPnErR
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
Rowan
I’m in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don’t get happy endings.
Not when we’re destined to ruin them.
Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I’d ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn’t care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn’t fix everything.
Especially not us.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GdK33l
Chick Magnet by Emma Barry 🎧
From Emma Barry comes a clever romance about a hot veterinarian and a chicken-loving influencer who can’t help but ruffle each other’s feathers.
Nicole Jones needs a fresh start. “Chick Nic” to millions of internet fans, the social media star and her flock of chickens bask in the spotlight—until she’s publicly dumped by a YouTuber for clout. She has no choice but to round up her birds and move on.
But when one of her hens has an emergency, Nic gets her first taste of her new stomping grounds—and it isn’t good. Veterinarian Will Lund is wildly attractive, yes, but he’s also surly. In fact, he comes right out and calls her a menace for parading her chickens on social media.
As neighbors, Nic and Will can’t exactly avoid each other. Then again, maybe they don’t want to. The two can’t deny their smoldering attraction, and it isn’t long before late-night confessions lead to backyard shenanigans.
Is this the start of a neighborly relationship—or could something more be hatching?
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Ff5gJP
Love and Kerosene by Winter Renshaw 🎧
Two people find love in the embers of their painful pasts in this slow-burn romance from Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Winter Renshaw.
For me, family is a curse. My father and brother made my life hell. My mother’s untimely death still keeps me up at night. Now that my brother, Donovan, has been killed in an accident, I can forget the past.
The last remnant is the childhood home I’ve inherited—and which I intend to burn to the ground. The only obstacle? Anneliese Nielsen, Donovan’s fiancée.
Donovan left her destitute, and selling this run-down house is her only chance to recoup her losses. I shouldn’t care, but…maybe it’s her eyes when she sees me. I look strikingly like my brother, a man she loved despite everything.
So we strike a deal. We’ll renovate the house together, but she’ll have to convince me to sell—or up in flames it goes.
But the more time we spend in the house, the more its terrible history threatens to come out.
And even more dangerous, the harder I start to fall for Anneliese.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VObh6s
Kindle Unlimited is awesome for audio lovers!
Want to add more audiobooks to your collection, but don’t want to spend a ton of money? Audio add-ons are a great solution, and they work very well with Kindle Unlimited! I’m always one-clicking Kindle freebies and deals, so I’ve got a ton of cheap books in my collection. Now, if I want to add the audiobook versions to my library, they’re cheap as well. This also works with books you’ve borrowed from Kindle Unlimited – and the audiobook is yours to keep. Once you borrow a book from Kindle Unlimited, be sure to check the audiobook price as well!
Check out my list of $2 audio add-ons here.
Amazon is offering a deal on Kindle Unlimited subscriptions! Now is the perfect time to start a membership. Check out the details at: https://amzn.to/330w9BR
You can easily purchase audiobooks a la carte, or subscribe to Audible for credits towards new releases and access to a back catalog of great books. Audio add-ons don’t require a subscription at all, but if you’re going to be listening to new releases, then you’ll likely want to grab an Audible subscription. Get a deal on Audible Premium Plus at: https://amzn.to/3qBcCja. You can also give Audible subscriptions as gifts at: https://amzn.to/3xWbIjt.
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