...my idea of exercise is speed walking to the café when there’s a sale on hot chocolate.
“I’m glad marriage hasn’t changed you.” He smFavorite Quotes:
...my idea of exercise is speed walking to the café when there’s a sale on hot chocolate.
“I’m glad marriage hasn’t changed you.” He smirks. “I’m still the same man, except now I need to drink more fluids.”
My Review:
I enjoyed this entertaining and amusing introduction to Winter Falls and now have a strong compulsion to go backward and read the previous series leading up to this one as I adored the quirkiness of the characters and the wit and smirk-worthy humor of their storylines. Each volume can stand alone although the author has cleverly interwoven the previously featured characters into each installment. ...more
Cameron never knew her father. According to her mom, she was an angel’s gift. Her mother simply woke up pregnant one day. All Cameron Favorite Quotes:
Cameron never knew her father. According to her mom, she was an angel’s gift. Her mother simply woke up pregnant one day. All Cameron could think was the night before had to be a doozy.
The director yelled cut, and he did just that… he cut one that cleared the set. I nearly fainted from methane poisoning. Seriously, he has digestive problems. The man stinks any way you cast him.
Time is a precious commodity. It’s like money. You have to know where you’re going to spend it.
I know what I see. That man cares about you, and you look at him like he’s the last steak you’ll eat before you go vegan.
My Review:
I have relished each amusing installment of this sweet series and adored this couple, they were lovely together. The storylines were engaging, realistic, insightfully observant, and easy to follow while populated with the endearing and ever-quirky characters of the tiny town of Aspen Cove. Every time I’ve finished one of these satisfying tales, I’ve started looking forward to the next....more
You are the one impulsive thing I’ll never regret.
My Review:
Having only recently discovered the delight of reading Allie Winters’ uniquFavorite Quote:
You are the one impulsive thing I’ll never regret.
My Review:
Having only recently discovered the delight of reading Allie Winters’ unique blend of humor and spice, I continue to revel in her clever wit and amusing storylines. It also doesn't hurt that her tales are not only peppered with crisp levity but sheet-scorching sensuality as well. Once obtained, her stories tend to be gleefully devoured like a failed dieter on a binge.
I adored this endearing couple, they were both people I would enjoy knowing and spending time with. Both were smart, successful, witty, well-meaning, and hard-working, and while they were also opposite personality types, once they were finally in sync, they fit together with perfection. And oh, happy, day. This tasty missive was only the start of a new series, there is more of this delicious goodness yet to come! ...more
My dad laughs. “I hate to break it to y’all, but she never oohed and ahhed over any of you like she does this baby. What they say, aboFavorite Quotes:
My dad laughs. “I hate to break it to y’all, but she never oohed and ahhed over any of you like she does this baby. What they say, about grandkids being your reward for making it through parenthood, is right.”
Those Erickson boys are finer than a frog hair split four ways… or five, I guess.
I will not cry today. I know the old song about it being my party and I can cry if I want to, but I don’t want to.
My Review:
The storylines were carefully built and slowly paced although still engaging. The storylines featured and carried over endearing and authentic characters from previous installments. The main character of Willow was admirable yet also rather heavy on the angst, which isn’t one of my favorite things, although I enjoyed the arc of her blossoming confidence and steamy romance and appreciated the welcome hits of wit and humor provided in the other characters' encounters. There is one more brother to go, the grumpiest of the bunch, I’m already curious....more
Sadie, we both know forbidden love is the hottest kind. You have no chance. The more you fight it, the hornier you’ll get for each oth Favorite Quotes:
Sadie, we both know forbidden love is the hottest kind. You have no chance. The more you fight it, the hornier you’ll get for each other. Y’all are like Green Valley’s Romeo and Juliet without the death. Well, maybe not Romeo and Juliet since you’re both hella old and our families get along, so never mind. Ahhhh! This is so hot. I’m excited for you. I would give anything to be in a sexy forbidden relationship!
I’m sorry I didn’t tell you immediately. I couldn’t figure out how to tell you without making your head blow up. I don’t want your head to blow up. You have enough going on, and I don’t want to clean up that kind of mess. I’m sure brain goo stains.
“Sadie is nothing like Leeann,” he pointed out. “For one, Sadie has never tried to run me over with her van. And for another, the flames of hell don’t trail behind her whenever she enters a room.”
Look in my eyes and memorize the way I see you. I don’t want you to ever forget it. No matter what happens, I will always love you. Always…
My Review:
This was a fun and lively tale that keep a smirk on my face throughout the majority of perusal, despite the inclusion of one of my least favorite tropes. I’m more than a bit rueful to leave this family behind as this volume completes the Monroe family saga, with the sweetest and kindest brother saved for the finale, and ooh la la, Ms. Everly ended the series with a bang as Barrett Monroe was nothing less than a delectable treat. The storylines were entertaining and engaging while laced together with clever wit, snarky humor, authentic and well-textured characters, and sensual scenes hot enough to melt my Kindle. ...more
“Future nannies shouldn’t trash their ex-boyfriends on Facebook,” she murmured, copying several fairly hostile posts. “And wishing hisFavorite Quotes:
“Future nannies shouldn’t trash their ex-boyfriends on Facebook,” she murmured, copying several fairly hostile posts. “And wishing his dick falls off is never a good look.”
I’m like a hothouse orchid. Slightly odd and unable to survive outside.
Sadly, you fight like a kid, saying things you shouldn’t. You really need to up your game in the arguing department. There’s a way to do it productively. I’m sure they have online classes.
My Review:
I know it is far too early to start reading Christmas books but when it is Susan Mallery, it really doesn’t matter what the calendar says. I enjoy her smooth, amusing, and easy-flowing style of storytelling as much as I do her lovable characters, they somehow remain endearing even when they are being obnoxious. She has definitely mastered the nuances of small-town living while also being extra crafty and clever deployment of her well-honed skill set to imbue each small hamlet, resident, and tale with uniquely entertaining quirks and precious pets. ...more
Maddie glared at her houseplant. ‘Comments like that are not helpful.’
My Review:
This was a fun and engaging woFavorite Quotes:
Grade-one snob syndrome.
Maddie glared at her houseplant. ‘Comments like that are not helpful.’
My Review:
This was a fun and engaging women’s fiction read featuring sisters at odds over their struggling family business in a small British village. The characters were well-etched and knowable, while not always likable – like most family members are in real life. Maddie was an endearing, driven, and lonely soul who not only talked to her plants but held intense conversations and arguments with them. The storylines were easy to follow, well-paced, and mild enough to recommend to my elderly mother’s church ladies’ book club.
I also gleaned a new addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list with berk, which is British slang for a stupid person. I have plants of my own to tell this one too. ...more
You need to work on your social game. Do me a favor. When you open your mouth, taste the words before serving them to others.
Sara glanFavorite Quotes:
You need to work on your social game. Do me a favor. When you open your mouth, taste the words before serving them to others.
Sara glanced around and wasn’t sure which were the pets and which were the owners. In one chair was an older woman carrying a cat wearing a superman onesie. Next to her was a little girl nearly strangling a poor pug.
Babies do crazy things to a body. I used to have abs, but now I have flabs.
With five women in the house, he’d learned to keep his opinion to himself. If a woman said she needed moisturizer that cost twenty dollars when Vaseline cost a couple of bucks, he didn’t argue. One of the biggest fights he had with Carol was over skin cream. It was the only time she ever threatened to leave him, and after that, his house had a steady supply of Olay until the day she passed. Come to think of it, his daughters had taken over where Carol left off, and he was sure a good portion of the food budget went to anti-aging skincare routines, but he wasn’t stupid enough to touch fire twice and never said a word.
“Do you think we’re grounded?” “I hope so.” When she was a kid, naps and getting grounded were the kiss of death, but as an adult, she was overjoyed at the prospect.
My Review:
Kelly Collins has conjured up another fun and lively tale from Aspen Cove, an odd little enclave she has created from her deft and imaginative brain. I have become unabashedly attached to the quirky collection of unique yet accessible and realistically eccentric yet endearing residents and eagerly await each new entry to the series. Like all previous installments, this entry was quick and easy to read and full of amusing and insightful observations and clever snark. Sara was a piece of work but she had become painfully aware of her missteps and prickly personality. I enjoyed her journey and envied her second chance with the Big D rancher. ...more
I thought of about twenty things I should have said. At least five of them were such intense burns, he would’ve needed skin grafts to Favorite Quotes:
I thought of about twenty things I should have said. At least five of them were such intense burns, he would’ve needed skin grafts to recover.
Uber Stan… He didn’t actually work for Uber, just passed out a card with his phone number and told us all to text him if we needed a ride. Even made a fake Uber sign for his back window. Nobody told him that wasn’t quite how it worked, too proud of the sweet old man for managing to figure out texts and Venmo to break his heart.
Evangeline sighed and rolled her eyes. “God, sometimes I’m so thankful I’m not attracted to men. Y’all are dumber than a bag of hair.”
It’s so strange, being with him. It’s like a time machine back to when things were simpler and a glimpse into a future I can’t have. And I’m caught there in that place of wishes and lost dreams. I can’t make myself walk away.
My Review:
I think each new book I read by this author is her best and my favorite until I read the next one. Run For Your Honey is definitely my favorite, for now. The dichotomy of the characters’ conflict was perfectly pitched and so real it felt tangible. The amusing storylines were laced with broad humor, breath-stealing steam, and keen snark. I am not exaggerating when I say I adored every well-chosen word. I smirked and giggle-snorted my way through this well-nuanced and evocative read and finished with a sigh. Staci Hart has crazy good skills and I greedily covet and plan to amass, all her clever and entertaining arrangements of words....more
And she wondered why she’d never thought about this day would come. Or stopped to realize how much it would hurt when it did.
SanganettFavorite Quotes:
And she wondered why she’d never thought about this day would come. Or stopped to realize how much it would hurt when it did.
Sanganette Gautier-Preston. White. Prim. She incorrectly, by most accounts, considered her size twelve, five-foot-four-inch frame to be petite and her thinking progressive. An aficionado of designer heels and designer purses, she was always overdressed in the classroom full of sixth graders at Harris-Harper Elementary School where she taught. Her hair was blonde and curly, her eyes blue and heavily mascaraed, and her nose, straight, delicate, and usually in the air.
“I don’t think that man knows what he’s saying to you,” Sanganette quipped. “Telling you he’d give you anything you need.” Sanganette let loose a sinister little laugh. “You been single a long time. He might not be able to live through what you can put on him.”
… she was surprised that the service was in a church. Nona hadn’t known her father to be a religious man. She’d only heard him call on the Lord when he wanted the dice to roll his way or when the level in his whiskey bottle was low.
In her time away, Nona had accomplished so much and done nothing. Coming home, she found that things rarely work out like they were supposed to, but it didn’t mean things didn’t turn out right.
My Review:
I struggled with this one while reading, although I consistently appreciated the excellence of the author's craft. This family and town were comprised of characters who were realistically, deeply, and uncomfortably flawed and often were rather awful, yet truthfully, nearly every family I know of has issues and history just as heinous. Each one was completely knowable, and I was intrigued and annoyed by them in equal measure.
The storylines were perceptively written with provocative and heart-squeezing insights and profound observations that go far beneath the skin, this author must either have Superman’s x-ray vision or magical goggles. While their culture, latitude, and longitude are far different from mine, the characters were exposed and laid bare. Ms. Bentley sucked me in and hit a nerve, I was right there with them.
After I finished reading, I tried and failed to write a review, I couldn’t determine my overall rating or derive an opinion. I ruminated, stalled, and mulled for several days, which is highly unusual. In looking over my highlighted notes, I have concluded that Cade Bentley/Abby L. Vandiver/Abby Colette is an exceptionally talented, brilliantly observant, and perceptive human being. ...more
Her anger disappeared in an instant. When a person had nine toes inside heaven’s gate, there was no room for petty squabbles.
Tilly touFavorite Quotes:
Her anger disappeared in an instant. When a person had nine toes inside heaven’s gate, there was no room for petty squabbles.
Tilly touched the crinkled corners of her eyes. “You don’t have crow’s feet. Yours are more like sparrow’s feet.” She thumbed the corners of her eyes. “Look at me. I have pelican claws.”
By tomorrow, she’d have to shove this year’s butt in last year’s jeans. It would be like putting ten pounds of taters in a five-pound sack, but what did she care? No one was looking at her taters, anyway.
Not everyone was cut from the same cloth, and poor Margot was burlap in a room of Egyptian cotton.
“I’m the ash man.” He gave him a sly smile. “Seventy years ago, I could have dropped the h and added an s.” He chuckled. “The mind is still willing, but the body gave up long ago.”
In her other hand was a little black dress. It was so tiny that if she bent over, she would become an underwear model.
Miles entered the house. It smelled like dusty curtains and death. Anyone who told him death didn’t have a smell had never experienced it. It was sadness, anger, and unfulfilled dreams mixed and left in the sun to rot.
My Review:
Another engaging and enjoyable small-town, second-chance romance from the insightful and witty pen of Kelly Collins. Her uniquely flawed yet endearing characters frequently have me wanting to give them a good pinch or ten, but I trust they will eventually see the error of their ways and retrieve their craniums from their colons as Ms. Collins is a guaranteed happy-ever-after raconteuse. She has never failed to bring a delighted smirk to my face during perusal. ...more
I’ve got my regimen down. I wake up, get up, and grab my coffee, which I like with a little nip of whiskey. My sweet tea with a bit ofFavorite Quotes:
I’ve got my regimen down. I wake up, get up, and grab my coffee, which I like with a little nip of whiskey. My sweet tea with a bit of Long Island, and my lemonade with a dab of vodka. At my age, they say it’s important to thin the blood.
What are you going to do about Margot? That girl is five dollars’ worth of ten-cent makeup.
Marybeth gave her a critical look. “Your ass cheeks are like two communion wafers in a paper sack, sweetie. If no one shook the bag, we wouldn’t know they were there.”
A woman sitting on the edge of the dock gasped, then punched the man sitting beside her in the arm. “Turn around, Hank. That’s how it’s done. You don’t pop open a beer can and say, ’Let’s get hitched.’” Hank made a face and shrugged. “You said yes anyway.” She shouldered him. “That’s because I didn’t have other plans that weekend.”
My Review:
I adored this! While I revel in and will never tire of her Aspen Cove series, I am delightedly impatient with anticipation for more of this new one as well. This installment was an excellent commencement for a new set of tales.
Kelly Collins just keeps honing her stellar storytelling skills, the premise was original, the pace was perfectly smooth, and the story threads were amusing, authentic, and easy to fall into with an endearingly flawed cast of characters that entertained as well as beguiled.
I was quickly enamored with Willow Bay and believe my favorite character is going to be the bird-loving Cricket, and I’ll just leave the type of bird as a smirk-worthy surprise for now. ...more
Jeminy had always been like sunshine sneaking in under the porch eaves on a winter’s day.
My Review:
I struggled with this one as my persFavorite Quote:
Jeminy had always been like sunshine sneaking in under the porch eaves on a winter’s day.
My Review:
I struggled with this one as my personal preference is to avoid conservative religious themes as I find them wearisome and exasperating, and this installment featured more droning of those issues than the rest of the series combined. Given the current irksome narrowing of these hot button issues, I should have stopped reading when these complications became apparent or when the polarizing stance in opposition to my personal position on a woman’s freedom of choice first became annoying as the heavily repeated judgmental tone became increasingly tedious and tiresome and overrode the pleasure and interest I had with the other storylines. Despite our differing views, I still found Ms. Fischer’s writing to be top-notch and emotive, and I did appreciate the perceptive and thoughtfully written story threads of an elderly woman struggling with family and memory loss, the creative use of an emetic agent against a villain, and catching up with the characters from the previous installments. ...more
Sure, excluding the kitchen staff and bouncers, my co-workers were all mostly naked and covered in glitter, but that didn’t bother me Favorite Quotes:
Sure, excluding the kitchen staff and bouncers, my co-workers were all mostly naked and covered in glitter, but that didn’t bother me any. I worked with kindergartners nine months out of the year. They also liked to take off their clothes and paint their bodies with glitter.
This kid made no sense. Kids weren’t supposed to be interested in interesting things. They were supposed to be interested in pointless things, making too much noise, spreading disease, and telling stupidly long stories that had no ending and made no sense.
It was rare for me to be at a loss for words. I felt verbally bankrupt at the moment.
How much worse can my reputation get? I’m the town pity-project, as my mother loves to remind me all the time. I’m on the bless-your-heart bingo card.
Everyone knew Jackson James didn’t throw parties, or drink, or eat good tasting food, or have fun. If he were a paint color, he’d be beige. If he were a food, he’d be dry, white toast. How a firecracker like Charlotte had ever dated his boring ass, I had no idea.
My Review:
Reading Penny Reid’s cleverly penned missives is always good fun and a guaranteed smirk-producing activity. I adore her complex, multi-layered, and well-textured characters and the couple featured in this sparkling installment has become my new favorite. Even the secondary characters were brilliantly imbued with authentic and brain-snagging idiosyncrasies. I continue to be totally enamored with Hank days after finishing his tale.
Ms. Reid’s storytelling never fails to dazzle and delight me and I sank into this engaging tale as if I was sitting in the corner watching it occur. I may even have hissed a few times when the plagues of real life intruded upon my perusal.
And to prove my mother wrong in her stance that reading fiction was not educational and a waste of time, I am pleased to report that I learned a new word with “dingly” as well as a plethora of text emoticons, which I was required to Google to fully appreciate. As such, I owe Ms. Reid my undying gratitude for continuing to plug the holes in my knowledge that my scholarly endeavors have left sorely lacking. Obviously, future Reid editions are now compulsory reading. ...more
Not a morning person and forced to wake very early even during the summer, my half-asleep daughter... wisely told me once that if the Favorite Quotes:
Not a morning person and forced to wake very early even during the summer, my half-asleep daughter... wisely told me once that if the sun hadn’t risen yet, it was too early to be awake, and I didn’t blame her for that logic.
We all had to learn that we see things through our own lens and that it isn’t always the most accurate image.
My Review:
I admire, covet, and adore Jess B. Moore’s perceptive and stealthily observant storytelling skills. Her original and endearingly quirky characters are so refreshingly real and knowable that I know their voices and hear them talking to each other in my head as I read. Her stories are a pleasure to fall into and easily fit together whether you have read the previous installments in the series or not. But I advise amassing the entire collection, they are all frankly divine and have that special sly touch that must be magic as her words somehow squeeze my heart while opening it up. I suspect the woman has a clandestine supply of pixie dust which she surreptitiously mixes into her ink pen. ...more
… she needed her muse to return. Without her, no words hit the paper, and no words meant no money. No money meant no future. Without mFavorite Quotes:
… she needed her muse to return. Without her, no words hit the paper, and no words meant no money. No money meant no future. Without money, she’d be living with her mother until they both needed walkers.
He was big and burly and had been told occasionally that if he wasn’t smiling, he looked like he was prepping for murder.
It wasn’t often she found someone who put her at ease. Then again, she spent most of her time with her mom and that woman made her want to cut her tongue out.
A good PI is like a good bra. It’s working behind the scenes, but it’s holding up its end of the bargain.
“Who needs a boyfriend when you have a dog like that.”... She sipped her wine and smiled. “Well, as far as the opposite sex goes, he’s been the kindest and most loyal. On a sour note, he farts in bed, and licks himself at all hours.”
My Review:
I adored this couple as much as I am enamored with their creator. Kelly Collins has never failed to put a smirk on my face, cause occasional eruptions of giggle-snorting, and raise my pulse rate all in the same chapter. The engaging storylines and smooth writing style had an easy and pleasant flow with humorous descriptions, color small-town characters, and sage and insightful observations. I always enjoy my visits to Aspen Cove and will never tire of this quirky small town. ...more
I was unsettled. Like the time I saw my fourth-grade teacher wearing jean shorts at the Piggly Wiggly. How dare someone have a life ouFavorite Quotes:
I was unsettled. Like the time I saw my fourth-grade teacher wearing jean shorts at the Piggly Wiggly. How dare someone have a life outside the one they occupied in my head?
I was hit by the overwhelming reality of how fast time was moving. Not just moving but passing me by. It was like I was standing still, and life was blurring around me like a time-lapse camera.
My family always claimed we were from a long line of witchy women. Something about us attracted dangerous men. I suspected it was just my great rack.
I’m so full of sugar, I could sneeze cotton candy,
I would have smacked anybody else that said that to me. And yet… and yet. Wasn’t it interesting that our internal voices were the hardest to ignore?
My Review:
While I’d never want to live there, I have always enjoyed my virtual visitations to the uniquely quirky denizens of the oddly enticing Green Valley, Tennessee. They are highly unorthodox, and as amusingly entertaining as a small rural enclave could possibly be. The delightful series of the Scorned Women Society is a prime example of the clever comedic storytelling I’ve come to expect from Smartypants Romance. The smirk-worthy humor has bite, as do the insightfully written storylines and heart-squeezing inner musings. I’ve read and gobbled up each one and am content with the finale and how their saga was wrapped up, although I am more than a bit melancholy in bidding them farewell. ...more
I had to stop the train my thoughts were on right the hell now or I would be going places I couldn’t handle, especially at this momentFavorite Quotes:
I had to stop the train my thoughts were on right the hell now or I would be going places I couldn’t handle, especially at this moment. I had this tendency to do what, according to Dr. Google— the only doctor I could afford for myself, most of the time— was called indulging in apocalyptic thinking. Once I got started, I could be thinking about a glass half empty and end up picturing the glass exploding, sending shards flying everywhere and blinding a pack of nuns.
Lois and Max shared a look, like they were communicating telepathically as I’ve often thought female best friends could do through some kind of sorcery...
My Review:
This was a fun and lively second chance romance/small-town/southern read that covered a lot of ground with common and uncommon issues, disabilities, and foibles that make navigating our world a bit trickier for some. Their challenges were well-integrated and smoothly featured with thoughtful insights as well as clever and amusing humor within comfortable and easy-to-follow storylines. The characters were easily accessible, endearing, admirable, and the type of well-intentioned and hard-working people I’d like to know and have in my life. The writing style and story threads scrolled smoothly through my gray matter and were well-paced, engaging, and entertaining. I am enjoying this series as well as this author's work and am eager to pick up the next offering. ...more
Ever since the layoff, my ego had been suffering from severe fracture lines, splintering into a million spiderweb breaks. I was holdinFavorite Quotes:
Ever since the layoff, my ego had been suffering from severe fracture lines, splintering into a million spiderweb breaks. I was holding it together with duct tape and a prayer, the most reliable of southern adhesives.
“Welcome to the annual man-meat show.” I was horrified and stupefied and in complete danger of swallowing my own tongue. I hoped there was a defibrillator in that ambulance just in case.
I bit my bottom lip, determined not to regret anything in the past. There was no use to it. Like my dad always told me, “Don’t waste your time looking back. You’re not going that way.”
Life is never fair. You just have to make roses out of shit-hills most of the time.
Meeting Jed’s family was like falling into a vortex and being squeezed tight by fluffy teddy bears and sharp-toothed piranhas at the same time.
My Review:
This was a cleverly written, fun, and frisky romp that kept me smirking, gasping, and seeking libation to rehydrate my desiccated body. This engaging couple had a compelling yet tempestuous history as well as undeniable physical chemistry that singed the sheets. My Kindle was smoking and my mouth was frequently parched. This was my first exposure to Ms. Cross’s delightfully delectable word voodoo as her listing looks primarily paranormal, a genre I don’t often peruse, although I can’t help but cross all my fingers and toes she churns out more of these clever Smartypants romantic comedies. ...more
“Don’t make me call your mama. Because you know I will.” “C’mon now. There’s no need to do that,” Kyle mumbled. The twenty-something, Favorite Quotes:
“Don’t make me call your mama. Because you know I will.” “C’mon now. There’s no need to do that,” Kyle mumbled. The twenty-something, muscled man looked terrified at the thought of his mom being called. “I’m just being friendly.”
“Please tell me this won’t hurt,” Dolores said, catching her hand as she walked into the studio. “The last time I exercised Ronald Reagan was in the White House.”
Oh no. She wanted to die. Or at least disappear for a very long, Jimmy Hoffa amount of time.
My Review:
This was an enjoyable and lively read full of amusing humor, insightful and witty observations, and frequent family meddling - which was both good and bad for the main protagonists. The storylines were crisply written, entertaining, engaging, and easy to fall into. The Winterville characters were an enticing, fun, and feisty bunch with plenty of sass and snappy banter. I adored the main characters’ connection and their Netflix binges and discussions of porn, Matt Damon’s abs, and The Notebook. I look forward to more Winterville escapades and am itchy with curiosity about Alaska’s mysterious misadventure as a child, which is hopefully being cleared up in the next installment. ...more
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