Bombshell, by Jessica Prince

Blurb: After ending the world’s worst relationship, Marin Grey had sworn off men. So it was rather inconvenient that she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes and thoughts off the Ice King himself, Pierce Walton—also known as her ex-boyfriend’s older, much hotter brother.

He was cold, callous, and rude. He was also the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, which made the fact that he’d hated her from first sight all the more unfair.

When circumstances dictate they put their swords away so Marin can help Pierce take care of his son, that ice-cold hate suddenly takes a turn into something much hotter. And if they aren’t careful, they could both be burned alive.

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Love, Widower

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Review: My internal cringe was intense as I began reading Pierce and Marin's story and realized that it checked off quite a few boxes of the tropes I'm least fond of: Marin had been in a long-term relationship with Pierce's brother, Pierce was still mourning his deceased wife and mother of his son, and the ex drama potential was super high. It was like the author had looked at my personal list of story conventions that I avoid like the plague and then combined them into one book. Still, I love me some JP, so I trudged on, knowing that in the past, she's tackled tropes I don't particularly like and done it well. Once again, she has managed to write a great story (and a great start to a new series) that I truly enjoyed, despite my initial misgivings and my preconceived notions about how the storyline would play out. I can always count on JP to make her heroines strong as hell. Even when they've made bad decisions and were down for a while, they come up swinging. That's Marin for sure. You can't help but love her and root for her to get an HEA with a man worthy of her love. It took Pierce a hot minute to get there, but he does.

What I loved most: Marin. She's a complete sweetheart.

What made me want to throw my Kindle: How quickly Marin forgave Pierce (but alas, that's the thing I loved most about her in action). Still, that dude needed to do a lot more groveling after putting her through such misery.

Bottom line: if you are a fan of the tropes I mention above, you'll love this one. If like me, you're not, then give it a try anyway; you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well this author handles these conventions in a different way.

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The Secret Hook-Up, by Pippa Grant

Synopsis: You’d think nearly dying trying to get out of a too-tight gown in a dressing room and being saved by a strong, competent man was a good thing. Not so much, though, when that strong, competent man is your ex. Your secret ex. And the reason you need a gown is because you’re part of a charity auction. The charity auction where he gets into a bidding war to win you. And now, because you’re one of few female coaches in professional baseball, and he’s the captain of the local professional hockey team, and he paid a ridiculous sum of money for you…The entire city is shipping you. You can’t leave your apartment without getting a knowing wink from strangers. Your bosses want to use the publicity to have you jointly launch a new community outreach program. That’s bad enough. It truly is. But even worse? Duncan Lavoie, the green-eyed, curly-haired, dimple-cheeked, hot-as-lava hockey player wants a second chance. And he’ll play dirty to get it. The Secret Hook-Up is a laugh-out-loud rom...

Webster's defines resting book face as follows: (a) the look a person gets when someone interrupts them while they're reading a really good book; and (b) the vacant stare of a reader who is mentally lost in their book world when reading isn't possible. Okay, fine. It's not in Webster's. But it should be.

The Body in the Backyard, by Lucy Score

Synopsis: Her self-absorbed news anchor ex-husband careening back into her life was not on this amateur psychic detective’s bingo card. Not only does Griffin Gentry show up unexpectedly at Riley Thorn’s door—the real shock is that he’s begging her for help. Riley’s hot private investigator boyfriend Nick Santiago refusing to take the job is…well, less of a surprise. Too bad for Nick that his octogenarian business partner overrules him and takes the lead on Griffin’s case. But when a dead body makes it clear someone really is out to get Riley’s ex, the mile-long suspect list means all hands on deck at Santiago Investigations. Even the wrinkly, retired ones. It’s only a matter of time before Griffin brings the danger directly to their doorstep. And with Riley and Nick busy interviewing suspects, that leaves their elderly roommates to wreak havoc in the surveillance department. Can Riley block out the chaos to focus her psychic visions long enough to narrow down the list of suspects? Or ...

Resting Book Face

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