When You Least Expect It, by Jessica Prince

Synopsis: The last thing Stella Ryan had time for was a man. With her family in trouble and looking to her to fix everything, romance and commitment were the furthest things from her mind. Until she ran into a man with a jawline that could cut granite and arms she wanted to lick like an ice cream cone. A man who made her forget the things that really mattered.

West Scott was one of the last bachelors standing. With all his Alpha Omega brothers settling down and popping out a bunch of kids, he had become the target for meddling women looking to fix him up. But there was one woman, in particular, he couldn’t get out of his head. The one in the killer dress with a gift for picking pockets.

When fate puts Stella in his path again, he’s determined to get to the cause of her desperation and help solve all her problems. If only the headstrong, stubborn woman would let him in. She’s trying her hardest to keep her walls up, but he’s dead set on showing her that the best things happen when you least expect it.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: I've read the entire Hope Valley series (this is Book 11), and I would say that this one is in my top two favorites (competing with Wrong Side of the Tracks). I knew when I read the blurb that I would love this one. As a huge fan of the show Leverage, I was super excited to see that our heroine, Stella, is a grifter. She comes from a long line of them, and I loved her whole grifter family, all of whom we get to meet in this story. She's spent her whole life learning how to grift, and though she has awe-inspiring skills, she'd like to use them for good rather than bad. She's also been judged harshly in the past, so much so that she's closed herself off. But our hero, Alpha Omega badass West, slams right through her walls and into her life. He never judges her, just accepts her for who she is. Together they battle some serious meanies and slimeballs, making this story a captivating page-turner. I absolutely adored the premise of this one and hope we'll see more like it in the future. If you haven't read the Hope Valley series, I highly recommend it. However, I do think this can be read as a standalone. While characters from the other books do appear, knowing their stories is not crucial to understanding this one.

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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

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Resting Book Face

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