73. Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

listened on Libby

384 pgs.

2024
Adult spicy romance
Finished 9/28/2024
Goodreads rating:  3.67
My rating: 2
Setting: Contemporary Austin, TX

My comments: Bleh.  Disappointing.  Tried and tried to like the female protagonist, Rue, but we were only given snippets of her inner self, and many didn't come until later on in the book.  Ice skating was a life changing event for both protagonists, and it should have been a bigger part of the book.  Rue was fighting with her brother about a cottage left in a will, but why?  Only because it was needed to move/change the plot a few times.  Not well done.  A disappointment from this author.

Goodreads synopsis:  Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through - and he's a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can't stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business - one that plays for keeps.

52. The Half-Orc's Maiden Bride by Ruby Dixon

listened on Audible, I think....
190 pgs.

2022
Adult X-rated Fantasy
Finished 6/7/24
Goodreads rating: 4.05
My rating: Fun to read

My comments: Yes, filled with Ruby Dixon's usual steaminess, this is the story of a 30-year-old clueless virgin and her more experienced husband to be.  You feel sorry for the extremely-tall unloved woman and hate her father...a good way to begin a story, hmm?  There's a pretty decent storyline and it's told in an easy manner....and it's almost a How-To sex guide if you don't mind that kind of thing,  lol!  Very likeable main characters.

Goodreads synopsis:  Lady Iolanthe of Rockmourn Keep expects to be a spinster all her days. She is very tall. She is very poor. And she is thirty. What lord could possibly want her?

But then her father returns with news that he has found a bridegroom for her - one that is impressively tall. One that is strong, and bold, and wealthy. And best of all? He wants Iolanthe. It seems too good to be true.

And when Iolanthe gets her first look at her husband-to-be, she realizes why.

No one mentioned the 'orc' part of things...

42. The Accidental Dating Experiment - Lauren Blakely

listened on Audible Original - free
?  pgs.- Only out in audio (6:55)

2024t
Adult Romcom, steamy
Finished 5-8-24
Goodreads rating: 3.45
My rating: 2.5

My comments: 2.75  Nothing very real or believable at all in this story.  Also, very steamy.  Too perfect protagonists with ridiculous excuses.  Kept my attention, but very unmemorable.  Meh.

Goodreads synopsis:  A dating experiment ignites a secret attraction in this steamy new rom-com from number one New York Times best-selling author Lauren Blakely!

Eight years ago I fell into a secret summer fling with my best friend’s little sister before our lives went in different directions. Now, I’m the grumpy to Juliet’s sunshine on a popular dating podcast we host, and when a wealthy fan gives us a charming coastal cottage as the biggest thank you ever, we head to the town where I grew up to give it a makeover.

And find the house has only one bed.

Located under a mirrored ceiling.

To make matters even harder, the bright, big-hearted woman I’ve been pining for tells me she wants to try to find the one and would I please be her dating coach for the week?

Like hell I’ll let her date other men. I’ll coach her on three dates with me.

But the second I take her out, I don’t feel like her teacher. I feel like she’s mine, especially when the first night ends with us tangled up together in that bed.

Each night we grow closer, but this dating experiment forces me to face my greatest fear–whether a man like me is worthy of her love.

Even though I’m already head over heels for her.

41. Bride by Ali Hazelwood

listened on Libby - borrowed from library
410 pgs.

2024
 Adult paranormal steamy romance
Finished 5/7/24
Goodreads rating: 4.09
My rating: 3.75

My comments:  3.75  Good vampire/werewolf/human story.  Last third of book has a LOT of steam....a little too much, actually....which took it from a 4/4.5 down to 3.75.  Loved the first 2/3 of the book.  Haven't read a decent vampire book in awhile...

Goodreads synopsis:  A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again...

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

3. My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills

listened on Audible

2023
327 pgs.
Adult Romance with steam...
Finished 1/16/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.10
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary NYC (with the beginning in the desert just outside Tucson!)

My comments: A steamy romcom set in a bookstore.  Take one six-and-a-half-foot exceedingly handsome football star and one thoughtful, conscientious (gorgeous, of course) bookstore employee who has raised her two younger siblings since they were very young, throw in a marriage-of-convenience/fake marriage trope and a few steamy sections ... and voila!  This is an excellently plotted story with great characters and, of course, an HEA.  Very enjoyable listening to on a frigid snow day.

Goodreads synopsis:  In a sizzling romance that sparkles with wit and depth, two wounded souls meet by chance in the desert and agree to get married, and their lives will never be the same.

On a normal day, Emmaline Darling isn’t a car thief. She’s just a simple girl who runs a bookstore and adores cats. But when she’s stranded in the desert and needs to get away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, she picks her only option: swiping the keys to a famous football player’s Lamborghini and speeding away.

Football star Graham Harlan is in chaos. First he took a hit on the field that left him with a near-death experience, and now he’s promised his brother he’ll get married to secure the family inheritance. Trouble is he isn’t even seeing anyone.

Then a mystery woman steals his car. With his usual stubbornness, he tracks her all the way to Manhattan and gives her an ultimatum: marry me or I’ll press charges.

Her choice is obvious, only neither of them expect the sparks that ignite between them.

As the end of their arrangement looms, will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever?

2. In a Jam by Kate Canterbary

listened on Audible (also on Kindle, but only read a small portion)

2022
480 pgs.
Steamy Rom Com
Finished 1/7/2024
Goodreads rating: 3.99
My rating: 4 

My comments: Set in contemporary Rhode Island in a small town on the coast, with a charming (though not entirely unexpected) plot with great characters - especially the 6-year-old niece that pretends she's a pirate and swears like one, too.  It didn't get steamy until at least a third of the way through, maybe even further, but is certainly did get steamy!  Told back and forth by the two protagonists, the voice of the male was particularly enjoyable.....

Goodreads synopsis:  When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm—under two conditions.

     First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.

     Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.

     Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.

     A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.

     Until Shay returns to their hometown.

CW/TW: absentee parent(s), brief mention of parent death, brief mention of parent chronic illness, mention of incarceration, mention of temporary foster care placement, reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit), brief incidence of fat-shaming, living with a neurodivergent child

42. Kismet by Lauren Blakely

2022

251 pgs.
Adult romance
Finished 5/27/2022
Goodreads rating: 3.60
My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary London

My comments: Unusual in that about 2/3 of the way through the book there s no heartbreaking secret that is finally exposed to the other half of the romantic couple!  There is nervous anticipation about what is going to happen about the two protagonists being up for the same job, but you never have any kind of nervousness about it because you know it will all be solved.  So, no strife, visiting places in London...quite a bit of steam, way too repetititive.....but a very non-angsty feel good novel.

Goodreads synopsis:  My first evening in London feels like kismet when I bump into a charming, book-loving Englishman, and by the end of the night, he’s making me see stars. I’m floating when we make plans to meet again.

Then fate decides to pull a fast one on me.

Turns out my smoldering new lover is my red-hot competition, and we’re vying for the same promotion at the elite auction house I crossed an ocean for.

If that’s not enough, the hottie and I are forced to work together on a brand new collection.
Every. Single. Tempting. Day.

What's an American woman in London to do?

Staying far, far away would be the safe choice, especially when I learn about his past and how it mirrors mine.

But I don’t always play it safe with my heart…

Contents Include: A grumpy/sunshine office romance, secret gardens, knee-weakening kisses by the river and a hero who loves books.

2. A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn

listened on Audible

2021
402 pgs.
Adult Romance
Finished 1/2/2022
Goodreads rating: 4.25
My rating: I didn't rate it - I read it, and liked some of it, not all of it...some was pretty good and some was pretty bad.....
Setting: Contemporary LA/Beverly Hills, CA

My comments: Huxley and Lottie. The usual. Why do I read these? An extremely handsome, buff, 35 year-old billionaire businessman with no girlfriend.....right....and petite, adorable, sexy 25 year-old from the lesser parts of Beverly Hills become fakely engaged (I love fake dating stories, I guess that's what pulled me in) for absolutely ridiculous reasons. The whole story was ridiculous, unbelievable, and extremely steamy. I DID like being inside Shame-on-me, I read the whole thing, all the way through the hugely descriptive (too) steamy parts to the HEA.  But it's a pretty charming cover, wouldn't you say?

Goodreads synopsis:  How did you two meet?

The quintessential question asked to every couple. And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.

My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.

He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.

And that’s when we bumped into each other.

There were no sparks.

Not even a hint of blossoming love.

But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman--minus the frisky behavior.

We’re talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?

The absolute audacity.

But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.

My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.

Crapola Books Read 2022 - Guilty Pleasures, I Guess....

Sometimes you just need a break.  So you pick up something thoughtless - and usually trashy - that usually puts you to sleep.  When you finish, you wonder why you wasted your time.  These are those books.

6.  Three Simple Rules - Nikki Sloan

2015 Chirp Audio

This starts hot and fast and flies along with steam, steam, steam.  Yes, a tiny bit of storyline, but....

Goodreads :  I would do anything for my dream job. Now I have to.

     In order to save my skin at the office, I'm forced to sell it at an exclusive and illegal blindfold club. He paid thousands of dollars for one night to own me, but when my blindfold comes off, I want more. More nights, more rules, and more from this unavailable and uncompromising man.
     Rule number one, no questions. Rule number two, no lies. But, rule number three? That's the hardest one to obey.

39. Pause by Kylie Scott

listened on Audible/Original

narrated by Andy Arndt

Unabridged audio (6:17)
2021
only on audio - guessing around 225
Adult Romance of the Steamy Variety
Finished 4/15/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.90 - 679 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary USA

My comments: The book cover is deceiving.  This is not how I picture Leif at all - yes, he has long hair and tattoos.....

     Another too-good-to-be-true romance, but particularly well done, I think.  Leif, the male protagonist, was absolutely perfect: wonderful, smart, funny, articulate, built, and handsome.  The way their relationship began,, him rescuing her from a car crash that put her in a coma for seven months, was unusual and a great differenct to most of the silly romances heavy on the steamy parts.  Up to the point of the accident, Anna's marriage has been okay.  But while she's in a coma her husband has an affair with her best friend...yada yada yada...HEA.  Feel good kind of story.  It was narrated by Andy Arndt, one of my very favorite narrators.  Steam factor quite high in places.

Goodreads synopsis:  An unpauseable new romance from New York Times bestselling, Audie Award winning author Kylie Scott!
          When Anna wakes up from a coma after a car crash, she discovers life has gone on without her. Her husband has been unfaithful—with her best friend—and she’s been long since replaced at work. While her old life is a distant memory, her new life feels like an empty shell. Then she meets the stranger who saved her life during the crash, and he changes everything.
          Leif Larsen—tattooist, joker, and player—has his own scars thanks to the crash that put Anna in a coma. Helping her move on from her failed marriage, and create a new life, sounds like a perfect distraction. So when he needs a new roommate, he invites Anna to begin her new life with him.
          Although their lives may have been put on pause, together they just might find a way to heal.

36. Highland Shifter by Catherine Bybee

#4 MacCoinnich Time Travels

listened on Audible freebie

narrated by David Monteath

Unabridged audio (9:17)
2012
296 pgs.
Adult time travel
Finished 4/10/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.25 - 1616 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Contemporary America/medieval Scotland

First line/s: "Energy buzzed down Helen's spine until she shivered with the electrical current her gift created."

My comments: Two years have gone by in contemporary America, yet 15 or 16 years have gone by in medieval Scotland.  Simon is now 30 and each set of married couples has three or four kids to add the the melee.  And then Helen arrives from contemporary California because of a necklace that whe wears, purchased at an antique shop years before.  She works as an antiques appraiser, and travels to contemporary Scotland where we ends up time traveling and landing in Simon's path.  Of course it's practically instalove.  I like the story of this episode, but I never really became enamored with Helen for some reason.  She was kind and interesting, but I weirdly never connected with her character, so that was disappointing.  The physical attraction between Simon and Helen worked - she had grown up on the streets and had a bit of non-virginal background and was much more real than two of the three previous virginal female protagonists.  There's one more in the series to go, but I've read the reviews and I find that she has left that fifth book with a huge cliffhanger, and that was eight years ago....and she's not even hinted at a sequel.  I've also read a few spoilers that show Ms. Bybee has gone in a different direction, with a different feel, than the previous four books.  I think I will just leave it for now and not ready number five, at least at this time.

Goodreads synopsis:  A mysterious Druid book and Helen’s sixth sense send her to Scotland in search of a missing boy. After being attacked by strange men dressed in medieval garb, a handsome, desirable hero answering to the boy’s name rescues her. No one is more surprised than she to find herself in sixteenth century Scotland. Unable to deny the reality of time travel, Helen discovers smoldering passion with a man destined to leave her.
          Simon has lived his Druid life in two very different worlds, two vastly different times, and when Helen practically lands in his lap, he knows his life is about to change forever. There are enemies in California lying in wait for her, and an army in Scotland closing in on his family. Simon is the only person who can protect her. But when she learns his most guarded secret, will she still want him? Can Helen love a Highland Shifter?

34. Silent Vows by Catherine Bybee

#2 MacCoinnich Time Travels

listened on Kindle Unlimited Audio/Audible

narrated by David Monteath with GREAT accents and voice tones

Unabridged audio (9:35)
2010
302 pgs.
Adult Time Travel/Hist. Fiction
Finished 4/8/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.18 - 1924 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Contemporary LA/1570's Scotland

First line/s:  "My life is over.  Myra MacCoinnich sat astride her horse, marching toward death, death of her life, as she knew it.  Why?"

My comments: The second installment focuses mainly on Myra, the 21-year-old Scottish sister of Duncan and Todd Blakely, the young, fit cop that she meets when she is sent back to the 21st century.  Tara and Duncan are still on the scene, but background characters.  Lizzie and Finn come to a little more proinence, as do Simon and Kieran and Amber, sibling of Myra, Duncan, and Finn.  Gwen, the bad "witch," ges stronger and stronger and viler and meaner.  HEA.  Book 3 to come will be good.  This romance was steamier than the first, could've done with a little less. I don't know how the narrator keeps all the different accents and tones of voice he uses separate, but he does a great job!

Goodreads synopsis:  Myra, a medieval virgin druidess, flees five hundred years into the future to escape death at the hands of a cursed witch and lands in the arms of a handsome but cynical twenty-first century cop. Officer Todd Blakely knows Myra is hiding something, but can't resist her innocent charms. Destiny throws them both into a world of intrigue and mysticism. Can Todd be the true white knight she needs? Or will magic and the winds of time tear them apart?

33. Binding Vows by Catherine Bybee

#1 MacCoinnich Time Travels

listened on Audible Free

narrated by David Monteath

Unabridged audio (9:18)
2009
292 pgs.
Adult Time Travel Romance
Finished 4/7/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.99 - 2869 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary California/1576 Scotland

First line/s: "They weren't even at the county line and Tara McAllister already regretted getting in the car."

My comments:  Tara McAllister gets dragged to a Renaissance Fair by her best friend, Cassie, for a long weekend.  She doesn't want to, and is pretty miserable at the start.  Hiding in a dark corner to stay out of the way of drunken guys trying to get her to dance, Duncan sits on her without seeing that she's there.  Duncan and his brother, Finn, have traveled there from the late 1500s trying to thwart an evil witch.  Duncan and Finn are are Druids.  The first third of teh book...or maybe half?...takes place in this California Renaissance Fair setting, and then -- Spoiler Alert -- the remainder of the story takes place in 1576 Scotland.  It's a love story with quite a bit of steam in a couple of places.  Lots of fun.  The first in a series of what looks like four books.

     From a review:  "These books blend time travel, history, battles, humor, suspense, magic, and romance (and some sex) in just the right blend."  Perfectly said!

Goodreads synopsis:  Duncan MacCoinnich's task... Travel to the twenty-first century Renaissance Faire, deflower the Druid virgins, and go home. Only his job is not so easily accomplished with the virgin in question, Tara McAllister. Time is running out. The evil is closing in on them both. Tara finds Duncan irresistible after what was supposed to be a mock Hand-fasting binds them. When Duncan whisks her to his home in Scotland she could accept that. But, can she forgive him for taking away her modern life when she finds herself in the sixteenth century? And is it love they feel? Or something else?

20. No Time Like Forever by Zoe York

listened on Chirp

narrated by Rebecca Roberts
Unabridged audio (5:58)
2014
211 pgs.
Genre/Level
Finished 3/7/2021
Goodreads rating:  4.04 - 885 ratings
My rating: 3
Setting: 

First line/s: "Mari Beadie used to love bartending weekend shifts at Danny's, Wardham's only pub."

My comments: Another fake girlfriend-to-lover novel, this time an NHL hockey player who's profession was squashed at 33 when he was in a card accident, and a 24-year old bartending, aspiring singer-songwriter.  Set in Canada, just north of Detroit, this light-hearted rom was fun.  It's a riot how they all follow the same outline, these steamy romances!  If I had knows I'd be reading these even five years ago  I would've absolutely, positively denied it, lol!

Goodreads synopsis: It started with a kiss...
          Mari Beadie needed a boyfriend, and former NHL hockey star Chase Miller happened to be in the right place at the right time. The kiss that followed wasn't necessary, strictly speaking, but it sure was hot.
          Hot enough that when the tables are turned, Chase knows just the pretty bartender to ask to be his pretend girlfriend. Only this time, it's not a one-time deal.
          The pub was slammed, strange for a Sunday night, but it was one of the last weekends of the summer. The tips would make up for the sore feet.
           Mari was pouring a tray of pints when the phone rang. She hopped over and stuck the ancient handset under her ear, pinning it in place as she pulled the long cord back to the taps with her.
“Danny’s.”
“You sound busy.”
Her heart didn’t leap a little at the sound of his voice. No, it didn’t. “Yep.”
“What time do you get off?”
“We close at ten tonight, then I need to do some clean up. Probably ten thirty, but I’m not sure.”
“Okay. See you later.”
She frowned as she hung up the phone. Two hours later, she was still confused when he sauntered in after last call. Instead of taking his regular stool, he started straightening chairs.
“What are you doing?”
“Helping you.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what boyfriends do?”
She looked around. They were alone. “Uhm…”
“Because that’s what friends do?” He shrugged. “Don’t overthink it. I actually just wanted to give you my cell phone number, but when I called you sounded swamped, so I thought it would be easier to stop by. And I’m not going to watch you sweep, that would be a dick move.”
“You watch me tend bar almost every day.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. Give me that.” He took the broom from her hand, and she ignored the little thrill she got at the brief, hot press of his fingers against hers. 

18. Millionaire at Midnight by Naima Simone

listened on Chirp
narrated by Philip Alces & Ava Lucas
Unabridged audio (7:34)
2017
244 pgs.
Adult Romance w/steam
Finished 3/5/21
Goodreads rating: 4.21 - 452 ratings
My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary Boston

First line/s: " 'The prince slipped the glass slipper on Cinderella's foot, and of course it was a perfect fit.' "

My comments: What a stupid name for this book.  It was exactly like the previous six or eight steamy, fake-fiancé books I've read, but for some reason this is a tome that I particularly enjoy.  The joke's on me!  Like a Nancy Drew mystery, they all seem to follow the same format.  This one is set in Boston, but the setting in very insignificant, unfortunately.  Super rich families, idiot fathers, super-mean society "friends," yada yada yada.  But I'm sure it won't be too long before I read another...again, the joke's on me!  An interesting aside:  the super buff, gruff male protagonist loved reading YA, and many are either quoted or reerred to, which was sorta cool.

Goodreads synopsis:  Boston socialite Morgan Lett is having a run of bad luck. Her fiancé just dumped her for her stepsister, the charity foundation she’s given her life to is in danger of folding, and now, the gorgeous man she bid on and won at a masquerade bachelor auction turns out to be a cold-hearted jerk…and her new employer.

          Millionaire Alexander Bishop needs the best wife money can buy. In order to inherit his family business, he must get engaged—fast. And Morgan, with her beauty and pedigree, is the perfect candidate. Her sharp tongue may drive him crazy, but she needs money to save the foundation she loves, and he needs a fiancée. It’s a flawless arrangement—no strings, no love. But soon she has him craving more, and cursing the platonic terms of their agreement.

16. Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

Listened on Libby/Library
narrated by Imani Jade Powers
Unabridged audio (11:26)
2021
308 pgs.
Adult RomCom w/steam
Finished 2/20/21
Goodreads rating: 3.79 - 4219 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Northumberland, England - Protagonist is American

First line/s: "I had not gone on a date in two years."

What I posted on Goodreads:  same as "my comments," below

My comments: 
A sweet romance that takes place between an American female and a British male set in Northumberland, England.  She's a 5' 10" Shakespeare lover who rents and runs a quaint bookshop in a small village on the coast.  He is a "farmer" with a Great Dane named Shadow that he adores.  It follows the usual trajectory and at about 85% is when the huge conflict comes.  This conflict was more ridiculous than most, this otherwise perfect man had lied to her about his age - he is six years younger - and financial status - he was rich and had a title - and this "lying" set her off.  So stupid, imo. But it was a fun and entertaining read.

Goodreads synopsis:  The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

          At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling's life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she's passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There's no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.
          Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she's drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can't deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love. 

8. Synnr's Hope by Kate Rudolph

listened on Chirp (I think, lol)
narrated by Tyler Darby
Unabridged audio (6:20)
2020
308 pgs.
SciFi Steamy Romance
Finished 2/2/21
Goodreads rating: 4.33 - 81 ratings
My rating: shoot, can't remember! 2.5 ?                     
Setting: contemporary other planet/galaxy

First line/s:  from Chapter 2:  "The last six months had sucked.  Or eighty years. Lena still wasn't sure how to square the passage of time in her mind.  She was still the same thirty-four year old who'd been walking down the streets of Oklahoma City on that fateful night, and she'd spent six months as the captive of aliens intent on using her for their twisted experiments."

My comments: Darn, didn't record reactions immediately....but there was a lot of hand-to-hand fighting, which made it boring and uninteresting for me....

Goodreads synopsis:  She’s stuck on the wrong planet…
          Lena is supposed to be back on Earth, but any chance of returning home was stolen by the aliens who kidnapped her. She’s safe from those pirates now, but she’s going crazy on Aorsa with nothing to do. Her only hope lies with Solan, the smokin’ hot military leader responsible for rescuing her from her former captors. She’ll team up with him to earn her wings—literally—but no matter what, they’re not falling in love.
          He can’t claim a human…
          Things were simple in the military: follow orders, take out bad guys, protect his people. At home in Osais, Solan has a heap of family obligations and expectations he can’t live up to. Adding a human Match on top of things will only complicate matters, but a Matched unit could go far in the Synnr military. To bond with Lena, he has rules and one is more important than any other: their relationship is strictly professional.
           But when they fail to gel as a unit, they’re sent off to intensive training in the middle of nowhere. Just Solan, Lena, and a house determined to hone them into the best team they can be. When sparks start flying, there’s nothing to stop the two of them from crashing together with explosive heat.

153. Fake Date by Monica Murphy

listened - free Audible

narrated by Savannah Peachwood (can't do voices!!) and James McAdams

Unabridged audio (9:46)

2019
358 pgs.
Contemporary Romance
Finished 12/17/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.72 - 144 ratings
My rating: 1 Crappy

Setting:  Contemporary Monterey, CA (with a trip to San Francisco)

First line/s: "Sometimes I marvel at the way my job choices have sent me down."

My comments: There was absolutely nothing to like about this book.  The female reader read everyone's speaking parts horribly except for the protagonist.  She added nuances to the speech that changed the peoples' personalities.  Everything was stupid, the way everyone acted and reacted, the bevy of friends, and all their "advice," and even the (nonexistent) amount of time that she spent "taking care of" her little sister, which se was always complaining about.  

Goodreads synopsis:  Working at Bliss, Sarah Harrison deals with all sorts of—interesting clientele. Yet no one sparks her interest more than Jared Gaines, the ultra-rich, ultra-sexy businessman who frequents her shop, buying delicate little “gifts” for the women in his life.

          But one day, Jared sends her a gift from Bliss. Then another—and another. So when Sarah walks into his office demanding to know why he can't stop sending her gifts, he makes her an offer she somehow can’t refuse: be his fake girlfriend for the weekend while attending his brother’s engagement party.
          Next thing Sarah knows, she’s in San Francisco, pretending to be in love with Jared. Not that it’s a hardship. Once you get the man away from the office, he’s much more relaxed. Sweet. Funny. Even…thoughtful? Oh, and sexier than ever, of course.
          Their pretend relationship feels very real, very quickly. Soon Sarah’s in over her head. Could what she and Jared share turn into something real? Or is it all actually…fake?

100. The Fix-Up by Kendall Ryan

Listened via Audible Escape
narrated by
Unabridged audio (
2016
345 pgs.
Genre/Level
Finished 6/27/20
Goodreads rating:
My rating: 2
Setting:

First line/s:

What I posted on Goodreads: nothing 

My comments: Such a ridiculous story, the feelings and emotions of the protagonists in no way reconciled with their actions.  It was just plain stupid all around.  The ridiculous plan that Cameron hatched to find a wife for Sterling, and even more so the two of them not realizing where their feelings for each other would lead was totally implausible.  The entire book was implausible.  A lot of delicious meals and steamy foreplay happened, though....

Goodreads synopsis:  From New York Times bestseller, Kendall Ryan, comes a sexy new standalone novel.
          My tempting and very alpha friend Sterling Quinn is someone I consider off-limits.
         It's not just that we're friends, he's also cocky, confident, and British, which means he's a walking aphrodisiac.
          But lately he's been giving me the look. You know the one. When he thinks I'm not paying attention, and his gaze lingers for too long.
          When we start working together, that's when the sexual tension between us gets so thick, I want to hack through it with a machete. I want to make all these deep feelings I've harbored for him disappear, because there's no way this can end well.
          The lines between business and pleasure become irrevocably blurred, and I'm stuck between a rock, and Sterling's very, very hard place.
          Rather than keep a level head about our growing attraction, Sterling wants to go all in, showing me just how explosive we can be together.
          But I've been around long enough to know that this British bad boy is more than my heart can handle. I'm not about to be cast aside like yesterday's underwear when he's done having fun.
          Sterling’s never been told no, and he's not about to put his ego aside and play by my rules. But I never thought he'd fight so dirty.
          *This is a spin-off from the HITCHED series, but can be read as a standalone.

97. Heidi's Guide to Four-Letter Words by Tara Sivec

Listened to on Audible Escape
narrated by Andi Arndt
Unabridged audio (6:15)
2019
197 pgs.
Adult RomCom (ADULT -with definite steam)
Finished 6/17/20
Goodreads rating:  4.04 - 3973 ratings
My rating:  3
Setting:  Contemporary Minnesota - including accents and terminology

First line/s:  " 'Hello, everyone!  Welcome to Heidi's Discount Erotica Podcast, Episode Number Ten.' "

What I posted on Goodreads:  Stupidly unbelievable and totally fun.

My comments:  Very, very humorous story once you get over the overprotective, ridiculous mother.  It's about a 25-year-old that goes from super straight, innocent (almost ridiclously so) to over-the-tio sexual innovator.  Throw in befriending one of the hottest actors in America and his steamy romance author wife as your close friends and a too-good-to-be-true next-door  neighbor hunk and there you have it.  Totally unbelievable and totally fun.

Goodreads synopsis:  Cowritten by USA Today best-selling author Tara Sivec and award-winning narrator Andi Arndt, a hysterically funny, heartfelt romance about starting over and taking chances.
          Nothing good ever comes from drinking a box of wine alone. So when I decided to entertain my drunken self by setting up some hand-me-down podcasting equipment and reading the steamy parts from romance novels, I never thought anyone would actually listen. The fact that I admitted my huge crush on my sexy next door neighbor made the whole thing even more mortifying. But sometimes life surprises you, and that’s how my podcast, Heidi’s Discount Erotica, was born.
          Now I, Heidi Larsen, a sweet former kindergarten teacher in Waconia, Minnesota, lead a scandalous double life reading erotic novels to the listening world. And with each episode, I find myself embracing my new alter ego more and more. Now I’m starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin and do things I never would have dreamed of - like kissing my neighbor.
          Look out, Waconia, because Heidi’s on the loose! She’s in your ears, in your hearts, and down your pants...wait, that didn’t sound as good as it did in my head. Well, you get the picture, don’tcha know!