Knockout, by Jessica Prince

Synopsis: Things in Layla Fox’s life were going great. She had a fantastic job, amazing friends, and a killer apartment. There was just one tiny glitch in all that perfect. Her upstairs neighbor was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome . . . and she hated the man with every cell in her body.

Jude Kingsley was the most arrogant jerk she’d ever met, making the fact that she was attracted to him more than a little inconvenient.

When the two of them are forced together by Jude’s meddling grandmother, the bitter rivalry between the two feuding neighbors suddenly turns into something very different. And a raw, intense chemistry like theirs is bound to explode if they aren’t careful.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: This book had everything I love about a Jessica Prince romance novel: a strong, sassy heroine; a growly alpha male; and an entertaining supporting cast (in this case, Sybil). Layla and Jude start out at war when he completely misjudges her, and the buildup to him learning just how spectacularly wrong he was about her was one of my favorite parts of the book. I absolutely adore a damaged yet strong heroine, and Layla is a perfect example of just that. Jude thinks she's a spoiled princess, when in reality, she's about as far from that as a person can get. She had a tough past that she worked hard to overcome, and I loved how much self-worth she had. I also loved that she was trying to build that same sense of self-worth in the kids at Hope House. It took me a hot minute to like Jude because of how he acts in the beginning, but as the story develops, we see (as does Layla) why he was being such a judgmental jackhole. Jude's grandmother, Sybil, makes Jude more likeable; she is a hoot, and she stole just about every scene she was in. I enjoyed this one so much that it will definitely be on my reread list, and that list is not very long.

Comments

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

Search This Blog