Contemporary Romance:
The Perfect Bargain by Jessa McAdams (aka Julia London)
4.5 stars
Sloane, heartbroken and insecure after a broken engagement, travels to Scotland to escape her meddling friends and their attempts to find her a boyfriend. While there, she pays the local bartender to be her fake boyfriend when her friends arrive. Galen's pub is struggling and he needs the money Sloane offers and is a little intrigued by the tight laced woman. The plot is pretty ludicrous but it doesn't matter because this short book is so good and had me smiling the entire time. It is probably one that I will return to when I need a pick-me-up. Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Her Perfect Prince by Madeline Ash
3.5 stars
As teenagers, Dee and Jed had a sweet relationship that was just turning into romance when he abruptly moved away without any word. Fast forward ten years and he suddenly appears in Dee's life as abruptly as he disappeared. As Dee helps Jed uncover his past, she worries that she is once again falling for a man who can't stay in one place. This is a cute novella with a fun storyline. I liked that they had a prior relationship which is often necessary for shorter books and this one worked well. The characters were not always very likable which is fine if there is time for them to evolve but in a shorter book it didn't work quite as well. I am interested to read other books in this series though, as it is very fairy-tailesqe. Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Saving Grace by Kristen Proby
3 stars
Grace is a klutzy woman who's friends decide to gift her with ski lessons so that she can safely attend a bachelorette party. While there she mistakes the billionaire lodge owner with her ski instructor and sparks fly as he tries to teach her to ski. This is a fun, light-hearted story with good character chemistry but the klutzy woman trope is so overdone and the bedroom scenes were somewhat spicy but also fairly cheesy. Fun, quick read if not a lot of substance. Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Historical Romance:
Sebastian's Lady Spy by Sharon Cullen
4 stars
Sebastian and Gabrielle had a three day affair before their occupation as spies send them in different directions. It took a long time for Sebastian to get over the short romance and so he is chagrined to realize he is being paired with Gabrielle for a case. I have read many of Sharon Cullen's books and they are all relatively short but consistently well written with likable characters and lots of chemistry. Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Unforgettable Hero by Valerie Bowman
3.5 stars
An impoverished romance author hits her head and believes she is in her romance novel and the man who helps her with the dashing Duke from her book. I liked both of the characters and their relationship, however, they didn't interact enough to make the quick romance too believable. This novella definitely felt like a place holder and a way to reconnect with other characters from the series than its own romance. Overall, thought, this was a nice, quick read by a reliable author. Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tycoon by Joanna Shupe
3.5 stars
This book is a prequel novella to a series so in many ways it is setting up the time and place that the series revolves around. I really liked the New York, Knickerbocker, setting which is unusual in the Historical Romances. The characters, trapped together on a train, have good chemistry but the plot itself is a bit ridiculous and I'm not sure some of the ludicrous scenes were necessary because the characters themselves carry this story. Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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