Posted October 30, 2018 by Marsha in Modern Western Romance, Series / 0 Comments
Who’s afraid of the big, bad cowboy?
After one too many heartbreaks, Travis Blake hung up his cowboy hat and put Big Verde, Texas, behind him. But when he gets the call that his young nephew needs him, he knows he has to return home. His plan is to sell the family ranch and hightail it back to Austin, but there’s a small problem: the one person who stands in his way is the one person he can’t resist.
Maggie is pretty sure she hates Travis Blake. He’s irritating, he’s destroying her business, and . . . and he’s just so frickin’ attractive. But when they’re forced to work together, Maggie discovers that the Most Annoying Man in the World is more than he seems. He’s sweet with his nephew, he helps out in the community, and he makes her heart flutter. Maggie doesn’t want to risk everything on a man who wants to leave, but what if she can convince this wayward cowboy to stay?
Titles in the Once Upon A Time In Texas series include: Big Bad Cowboy –
Read More
Tags: Big Bad Cowboy, Carly Bloom, Modern Western Romance, Once Upon A Time In Texas #1, Retelling
Posted September 22, 2018 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments
A contemporary twist on Beauty and the Beast, with just a touch of magic to spice things up.
Crystal Belle St. James’ life is demanding to the point of overwhelming. Her days revolve around the thriving exotic plant and floral nursery. Her nights are devoted to caring for a parent suffering from Alzheimer’s. She is lonely. But there are not enough hours in the day for a social life.
Reclusive Daniel Di Domenico may be handsome and wealthy but prefers solitude. No aimless thrashing about to find love for him. He doubts true love even exists.
Then Fate steps in. A brief glimpse of Crystal captures his interest. But before he can act on his desire to meet her, Daniel contracts Bell’s palsy and becomes temporarily disfigured. Just when he was ready to reach for something more than the status quo, his world becomes a cage of doctors and therapy.
Enter Blindfold, Inc. a unique dating service which allows couples to get to know each other without relying on a visual assessment of the other. On a Blindfold date, all the other senses come into play. They have the opportunity to discover the person behind the social mask. If they are lucky, they get to know their heart and soul
Read More
Tags: Liz Cowan, Retelling, romance, The Beast Within
Posted September 21, 2018 by Marsha in Series / 0 Comments
What happens when a werewolf hunter falls for her prey?
Red Locklear regularly hunts all manner of woodland prey, but her favorite kill is the beast that tore her parents apart when she was a little girl.
The werewolf.
Now that Red is all grown up, these horrid creatures are terrorizing Dakota Territory once again. As a member of the elite Dakota Guard, Red has a duty to extinguish the life of every last wolf she sees. Failing to do so is a death sentence.
When her grandmother doesn’t come back from a foraging run, Red dons her quiver of silver arrows and breaks town law, heading into the forest after sunset to search for her.
The dark woods test her hunting skills as well as her loyalty to the Dakota Guard, and she’s left wondering if there is any way out of this alive.
Titles in the Fractured Fairy Tales series include: Red – Cinder – Brave – Tangled – Frozen
Read More
Tags: Fractured Fairy Tales #1, J.E. Taylor, paranormal romance, Red, Retelling
Posted June 5, 2018 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments
A tale as old as time: she needs a place to stay, he’s a grump with a secret and an extra room…can love find a way?
Living in her overprotective dad’s basement, shy Belle lives her life through books. Being a part of the Naughty Princess Club is the first adventure she’s ever had, plus she desperately needs the money to save one of her favorite places – the local library.
But when her new friends and new business gets her kicked out of her dad’s house, Belle is rescued by the surly Vincent “Beast” Adams who invites her to be his house guest until she gets back on her feet. Despite his attitude problem and long list of rules, Belle finds herself warming to the muscled man with a penchant for growling and starts seeing a gentle side to him that wasn’t there before.
Yet there’s a room that Beast keeps locked and Belle keeps getting hints that Beast is hiding something…can a nerdy librarian tame the beast or will their romance be over before it has a chance to blossom?
Meet the Naughty Princess Club, a series from USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec that brings readers to Fairytale Lane and the hilarity—and romance—that three women fall into once they decide to strut their stuff and bring on their own happily ever after.
Titles in the Naughty Princess Club series include: At The Stroke of Midnight – In Bed With the Beast – Kiss the Girl
Read More
Tags: Contemporary Romance, In Bed With The Beast, Naughty Princess Club #2, Retelling, Tara Sivec
Posted December 6, 2017 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments
When quiet, bookish Izzy Simon accepts a two-week assignment as an assistant for an author of children’s books, it seems like the perfect way for her to make some much-needed extra money, but the grumpy author claims he doesn’t want or need her services. He might be as handsome as a storybook prince, but his prickly personality and resistance to all things Christmas are sure to make for a chilly holiday season.
Derek Croft never agreed to the cheery temp his staff arranges for him while they’re on vacation. Izzy is his polar opposite, but Derek soon realizes she could be the perfect solution to his interfering family…if he can get her to agree to pretend to be his live-in girlfriend. Before long Izzy’s sweet disposition and unflappable optimism has him decorating a tree and looking forward to late night hot cocoa, but he’s all too aware their time together can’t last.
Read More
Tags: Charlee James, Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Retelling, The Bookworm and The Beast
Posted August 7, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments
Title: Sweet Nothing
Series: 21st Century Bard
Author: Alison May
Genre: Retelling, Contemporary Romance
Published: August 7, 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Would you risk everything for love?
Independent, straight-talking Trix Allen wouldn’t. She’s been in love once before and ended up with nothing. Now safely single, Trix is as far away from the saccharine-sweet world of hearts and flowers as it’s possible to be.
Ben Messina is the man who broke Trix’s heart. Now he’s successful the only thing rational Ben and free-spirited Trix see eye-to-eye on is the fact that falling in love isn’t part of the plan. But when Ben’s brother sets out to win the heart of Trix’s best friend, romance is very much in the air. Will Trix gamble everything on love and risk ending up with zero once again?
Read on for my thoughts on Sweet Nothing. No true spoilers, promise.
Read More
Tags: 21st Century Bard, Alison May, Contemporary Romance, Retelling, Sweet Nothing
Posted June 12, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments
Title: The Ugly Stepsister
Series:
Author: Aya Ling
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Retelling
Published: June 12, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
When Kat accidentally rips apart an old picture book, she’s magically transported into the world of Cinderella–as Katriona, one of the ugly stepsisters!
Life turns upside down now that she’s a highborn lady and must learn how to survive the social season, including how to get through the door in a huge metal hoop skirt.
To get back, she’ll have to complete the story, right to the end of happily ever after. But the odds are huge: the other stepsister is drop-dead gorgeous, the fairy godmother is nowhere to be found, and the prince, despite being insanely hot, openly dislikes balls. Can she ever return to the modern world?
Read on for my thoughts on The Ugly Stepsister. No true spoilers, promise.
Read More
Tags: Aya Ling, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Retelling, The ugly Stepsister, Young Adult
Posted June 12, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 3 Comments
Title: Midsummer Dreams
Series:
Author: Alison May
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Retelling
Published: June 12, 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Four people. Four messy lives. One night that changes everything.
Emily is obsessed with ending her father’s new relationship – but is blind to the fact that her own is far from perfect.
Dominic has spent so long making other people happy that he’s hardly noticed he’s not happy himself.
Helen has loved the same man, unrequitedly, for ten years. Now she may have to face up to the fact that he will never be hers.
Alex has always played the field. But when he finally meets a girl he wants to commit to, she is just out of his reach.
At a midsummer wedding party, the bonds that tie the four friends together begin to unravel and show them that, sometimes, the sensible choice is not always the right one.
A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Read on for my thoughts on Midsummer Dreams. No true spoilers, promise.
Read More
Tags: Alison May, Contemporary Romance, Midsummer Dreams, Retelling
Posted May 9, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments
Title: Cinderella Had It Easy
Series: The Cinderella Body Club #1
Author: Jennifer Conner
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Retelling
Published: March 23, 2015
Publisher: Books To Go Now
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:
Story one from the a new romance series of the timeless Cinderella story re imagined where four girlfriends make a wish on a locket. They all wish they were beautiful, and look like the girls they’ve always wanted to be. The belle of the ball.
Cami works in the basement of a television station which airs history documentaries. With scars on her face that she acquired in a car accident as a child, Cami finds it easier to be by herself. She gets into a heated debate with the handsome new host of the show she’ll be working on. Is Lance the knight in shining armor who can drag Cami out of her safe zone? With no carriage and no helpful mice, she has to rely on the magic from her grandmother’s locket.
Cami only has 24 hours in her Cinderella body, what will she do with it? Will she keep hiding or can she learn how to live life?
Read on for my thoughts on Cinderella Had It Easy. No true spoilers, promise.
Read More
Tags: Cinderella Had It Easy, Contemporary Romance, Jennifer Conner, Retelling, The Cinderella Body Club
Posted February 25, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 1 Comment
Title: A Beastly Scandal
Series:
Author: Shereen Vedam
Genre: Regency Romance, Paranormal
Published: February 28, 2015 (original April 15, 2013)
Source: NetGalley
Story Blurb:
Inspired by Beauty and the Beast
A BELLE OF THE BALL…
Lady Annabelle Marchant was a belle of the ball in London until she used her psychical senses to save a man’s life. She failed miserably, leaving him dead and her disgraced. All she wants now is a chance to comfort his widow by cleansing the woman’s home of her husband’s restless spirit. But the widow’s son, the beastly Lord of the Manor, accuses her of coming to the wilds of Cheshire to snag him as a husband. Thoroughly disgusted, she is bent on proving him wrong.
…BECOMES PERSONA NON-GRATA…
Rufus Marlesbury, the Earl of Terrance, is suspected of murdering his father. He has come home to clear his name by finding the real killer before the new year or Rufus will be called in front of the House of Lords to answer for the crime. He does not have time to waste fending off a marriage-minded miss who has inveigled an invitation to his home by playing on his grief-stricken mother’s worst fears.
…WHEN A MURDERER IS ON THE RAMPAGE
With an unruly manor ghost terrorizing the occupants and corpses piling up in the village, Belle must find a way to see the man beneath the beast and Rufus must learn to believe in the love of a woman who has no reason to trust him. Only by working together can they stop a vengeful ghost before it torments the guests or before the killer strikes again.
(New Regency Romance/Fairytale)
Read on for my thoughts on A Beastly Scandal. No true spoilers, promise.
Read More
Tags: A Beastly Scandal, paranormal, Regency Romance, Retelling, Shereen Vedam