Publisher: Forever

The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown | Book Review

Posted June 19, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown | Book ReviewThe Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain by Hannah Brown
Series: Mistakes We Never Made #2
Published by Forever on June 24, 2025
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Starling Ranch Inn promises to be a tropical paradise, and Sybil can’t wait to escape there, all expenses paid. Well technically the expenses were paid—last year, when she was supposed to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon with her then-fiancé Jamie. But the wedding didn’t go as planned (or at all), and now she’s decided to use those hotel vouchers alone, before they expire.

Sybil’s expecting mai tais, med spas and me-time, so she nearly plunges backwards into the infinity pool when she sees that Jamie has had the same idea! His family business is thinking of buying the resort, so he’s here with a gorgeous, tangerine bikini-clad “colleague” to give the property a once-over.

Desperate to save face in front of the ex who broke her heart at the altar, Sybil accidentally-on-purpose blurts out that she’s here with her boyfriend. But what starts as a harmless lie to spare her dignity soon spirals into an ex-fiancé fiasco when Sebastian—the second of Sybil’s three failed engagements—pops by fresh off a photography gig. Seb’s always up for a good time, and happy to play along ...sparking unexpected jealousy in Jamie.

From snorkeling snafus to stunning vistas to staff parties at the beach, Sybil does her best to juggle two ex-fiancés, but it’s becoming clear that her past of broken promises must be reckoned with once and for all—including that first fiancé, Liam, the one she never talks about…

Is the notorious free-spirit, life-of-the-party, runaway bride Sybil Rain ready to heal from her three past engagements and make room in her heart for a fourth and final chance at love?

Ok. I’d like to preface my review by saying I watched Hannah Brown on The Bachelor and then I watched her season of The Bachelorette. I like Hannah! She’s fun and will never pretend to be someone she’s not. Well, except for an author. I think this is the first celebrity book I’ve read before, and it taught me that I don’t like the idea of ghostwriters. I know that people sign up for this. They go into things knowing that they are writing a book for someone else and that that “someone else” will be taking all the credit. I didn’t know I hated the idea of this until I was reading the book and trying to picture Hannah having written it and not being able to. I’ve gotten to know well enough on TV and then on social media to know that this book does not sound like her. Why did she need to write a book so badly? Like, if she couldn’t or didn’t want to write it herself then why have someone else do it for her? I just don’t get why this is a thing and why people then flock to the celebrity and say things like, “oh you’re such a good writer I loved your book!!!” and they feel confident and happy enough to say “thank you!” when they didn’t write it. I could never! The imposter syndrome would be too severe for me. lol. BUT that’s just me. I would love it if you shared your thoughts on ghostwriters in the comments below.

This book has some undisclosed trigger warnings that blindsided me and could be upsetting to certain readers. I consider these warnings to be spoilers, but I absolutely wish I’d known about them before going in and these aren’t even my personal triggers. If you want to skip my warning, scroll past the pink arrows and italicized words below and pick up with “Review time!”, which has been bolded for your convenience.

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There’s a lot of discussion about the main character’s previous miscarriage
that occurred before the book begins, as well as infertility due to her chronic health condition (PCOS).

These topics are broached without any warning and the discussions are
plentiful enough that they’re unavoidable. Please read with care. 

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Review time! Let me start out with what I liked, because I have some conflicting feelings that I’m struggling to organize. I did not realize that The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain is a companion novel to Mistakes We Never Made. I have not read MWNM and didn’t feel the least bit lost reading Sybil’s story, so go forth and be unafraid if you’re in the same boat I was in. I love a travel romance, and Sybil’s solo vacation really intrigued me. I wanted to escape to the beach, and I enjoyed the snorkeling and horseback riding and sunsets. The descriptions of the scenery were lovely, and I felt transported to Hawaii. I’ve been through a lot in my dating life, and the idea of making up a new boyfriend in order to save face in front of an ex-fiance is exactly the kind of idea I’d come up with but be too afraid to carry out. The fact that her fake boyfriend ended up being another real ex-fiance of hers was the cherry on top. This. Was. Messy! I’m willing to rip my hair out while I watch The Bachelor franchise shows, so obviously I enjoy drama. And the drama did its thing really, really well. I couldn’t look away and had to know how this all turned out.

But then… there were quite a few things I didn’t like. You can tell that this book was written for a celebrity influencer. There are a lot of brand names and discussions on content creating. Sybil is a content creator for a company that makes period panties and is not just in Hawaii to use her expiring travel vouchers, but to cover a blood moon for her company (because periods…). There’s a lot of talk of harnessing your feminine power from the moon and mentions of a holistic positivity coach when Sybil really should have just been in real therapy instead. Both Sybil and her most recent ex, Jamie (the one she’s lying to about her fake boyfriend), are extremely shallow and immature and go through no growth throughout the story. Sybil in particular is incredibly self-centered and feels she’s perfect and that everyone else she associates with is the problem. She takes no accountability for her choices and actions, and just when I thought she might grow up a bit she slid right back to where she was. I liked Seb, Sybil’s other ex and the one she’s pretending to date, but he’s a caricature of every free-spirited photographer I’ve ever seen in fiction and lacked the emotional depth he easily could have been given. I was excited about the promise of the fake dating trope, but quickly grew disappointed when it took a turn and ended up not being a true “fake dating” romance. This chaotic romance also leans very heavily into the miscommunication trope, which I never enjoy. The pacing felt very off. I got tired of the long passages about Sybil’s previous relationships that were oddly placed randomly throughout the story and threw me out of the present. I have a few more complaints about the actual romance that I consider to be spoilers, so I won’t share them… but yeah, I was disappointed with the ending and really wasn’t rooting for anyone by then.

All in all, this was a big disappointment for me. It started off strong, and I loved the summer vacation vibes and the promise of a fun fake dating romance, but was instead presented with a lackluster second chance romance between two characters who were way too immature to enter a relationship and some emotional content I wasn’t expecting that really dragged things down for me.

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise | Book Review

Posted January 30, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise | Book ReviewNever Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise
Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies #2
Also in this series: Never Blow a Kiss
Published by Forever on February 4, 2025
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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To find her missing sister, an unconventional governess must infiltrate an infamous gambling den owned by a devilishly handsome rake.

Frankie Turner should be the perfect she’s genteelly born, impoverished, and owns a pair of ugly oversized spectacles. Now if only she didn’t have an alarming tendency to forget her charges while contemplating mathematics principles...

When Frankie’s impulsive younger sister goes missing, Frankie has no idea where to begin the search to find her. But when she discovers hasty marriages materializing between “troublemaking” women and men who don’t deserve them—she knows her sister is somehow involved. The only thread connecting the groomsmen is a membership to Rockford’s, an exclusive gambling hell owned by the devilish Jasper Jones. And it just so happens that Jasper has recently become the guardian of a sullen fifteen-year-old.

Jasper suspects his new governess has an ulterior motive for being in his household, but he can hardly find the time to uncover it when his life is in a constant uproar. First, Frankie teaches his niece how to count cards and then she tries to break into his study. When he finally learns Frankie’s true reason for being there, he agrees to help the brilliant mathematician find her missing sister, even if it means giving her a fake dowry and watching men trip over themselves in her presence. As he and Frankie work together to dismantle a nefarious scheme, Jasper realizes that for the first time in his life, he’s gambled his heart—and possibly lost it.

I loved the first book in this series, Never Blow a Kiss, so much that I’ve been eagerly waiting for this next book for over a year! I thought it would be the perfect book to start off my 2025 reading, and I really enjoyed it! The best part about this series is the mysteries that surround these governess spies. Each book features a different governess, who is under the direction of a mysterious and very connected woman referred to only as “The Dove”. These women go undercover as governesses in the homes of the members of the ton to solve crimes. They correspond with The Dove during their entire stay in these homes and eventually gain enough information so she can anonymously turn over dossiers to the police that help them close their cases. These women are strong and resourceful, and they push the boundaries of society. I always come away feeling proud and empowered. And, of course, each woman finds love while undercover. What a fun and unique concept for a historical romance series! I love historical romance and mystery, but my favorite is when they’re combined.

This book is about Frankie. She’s an odd spinster with a brain for mathematics, and her sister has gone missing. When The Dove approaches her and offers her the opportunity to help bring down a ring of men called the Dowry Thieves, Frankie strikes up a deal and requests that The Dove find her missing sister in exchange for her help. These Dowry Thieves orchestrate compromising situations that entrap women into marriage so they can gain control of their dowries, and Frankie knows her sister is somehow involved. Frankie is placed in the home of Jasper Jones, proprietor of the most lavish gambling hell in London: Rockford’s. The thieves have all been traced back to Rockford’s, and it’s Frankie’s job to figure out if he’s involved and what’s actually going on. Jasper just inherited the most hilarious and precocious 15-year-old niece and is desperately in need of help, so it works out perfectly. Frankie infiltrates his home and his heart, and I loved reading about her adventures.

Frankie is such a fun character. She was unable to find a match after being out for four Seasons, and has decided she doesn’t need a man anyway. She’s a brilliant mathematician, but is significantly undereducated in the ways of society. She’s awkward, brutally honest, and liberated. You can’t tell her what to do or silence her. She’s got very strong opinions, is extremely intelligent, and charmingly witty and flirtatious without realizing it. I just loved her. Jasper is a former fishmonger who worked his way to the top rather than being placed there at birth. He’s got a conscience and a strong moral fabric. He values women for their minds and sees them as equal to himself!! Be still my heart. He’s had a rough life and feels unlovable. Frankie feels the same way about herself. And rather than finding love in each other first, it’s Cecelia, the 15-year-old girl, who makes the both of them realize they are capable of loving and being loved in return. Cecelia is very observant and whip-smart. She pushes the both of them to follow their hearts, and she is the absolute sweetest. She says some of the most jaw-droppingly outrageous (for the time) things, and I smiled at her strength each time. I fell in love with her as quickly as Jasper and Frankie did. I love this found family, and was so pleasantly surprised by how sweet and tender their relationships are with each other. The romance is also very swoony and the spice had me fanning my face at times. I really loved some of the things Jasper says to Frankie, although I did feel the dialogue got pretty cheesy and had me rolling my eyes a time or two.

The mystery was exciting and intriguing. I never try too hard to suss out the resolution to a mystery like this because I enjoy the journey and I love to be surprised. I did figure this one out a page or two before the reveal, but I didn’t mind! It was all so much fun. I love The Dove, and cannot wait until the day the author tells us who she is. At the same time, I don’t want to find out because that will most likely end the series. I’d love to know more about her and her connections and how she came to be in this line of work. Give us a prequel for The Dove, please!! Just like the first book, this book ends with an epilogue that introduces the next governess. It’s like a mini cliffhanger to get you excited for the next one. And it has worked both times, because I am SO excited about the next book now! I highly recommend this book and the first one (although, this one can stand alone if you don’t mind some cameos from the characters in the previous book) if you’re looking for historical romance with some intrigue and a story driven by more than just romance! It’s still incredibly romantic, but there’s murder too! The perfect combination!

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise | Book Review

Posted January 18, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise | Book ReviewNever Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise
Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies #1
Also in this series: Never Gamble Your Heart
Published by Forever on January 23, 2024
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 345
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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In this delightfully witty Victorian romance, a governess spy running away from her past falls for an ex-soldier turned railroad magnate.

The utterly charming Emily Leverton has a dark past and is determined to leave it behind in her respectable new role as a governess. But when she is recruited by a secret network of governesses who spy on the ton, it may just be a way to redeem the dark secrets of her past. Straddling the worlds of the ton and the working class, as an ex-solider turned railroad magnate, Zach hunts killers for the Metropolitan Police by day and dutifully attends balls at night. In neither world has he met a woman with the brazenness to mock him. So when a saucy governess blows him a kiss he is determined to catch her, never expecting that when he does he will find an intelligent, quirky woman hiding more than her true name. As Zach peels back the layers of Emily’s lies, he falls for the street-wise woman who handles a dagger like a pro and kisses like a mistress. But when his affair with Emily intertwines with his hunt for a killer, he discovers Emily is hiding an explosive secret—one that could destroy them both.

Never Blow a Kiss is the kind of historical romance I love! Witty banter, spunky heroine, swoony hero, and maaaaajorly romantic. It’s also got an underlying mystery and suspense, which I love and rarely see in historical romance. Lisa Kleypas does this in some of her books and I LOVE these aspects of her stories, so I am always looking for more historical romance novels that incorporate mystery.

I loved Emily. What a heroine to root for! She’s had to fight against so much opposition and so many obstacles in her life to get herself to where she is today. She’s worked so hard to not be defined by her past and to climb out from under the pile of garbage dumped on her as a child. She’s strong, plucky, independent, smart, and very sweet. She’s so cute with children she’s hired to take care of. Zach is also on the outskirts of society, but is respected because of his money. He doesn’t have to work, but does because he wants to be useful. So he works for the Metropolitan Police. I loved his strong, protective ways, and I also loved that he let Emily shine on her own. He knows she can take care of herself and he values and cherishes every part of her and where she came from. The romance between the two of them happens very quickly, but it felt so believable and realistic. I loved their flirting and their gentle ribbing of one another. Zach calls her Noodles, and I think it’s the cutest pet name. They have such a playful relationship that is also deep and meaningful. When they open up to one another about their pasts and can empathize and offer comfort and support to one another I did a chef’s kiss in my mind. Oh, and did I mention that he falls first and is a total puddle around her? Perfection.

The serial killer plot line kept me so interested. A person the press calls the Evangelist is murdering prostitutes, and there are some intense, action-filled scenes sprinkled throughout the book related to this story. Zach and Emily are both working to catch this killer, although he doesn’t know how invested she actually is. When she’s recruited to this secret society of governess spies by a woman known only as The Dove, she’s instructed to pay attention to any talk that might lead to catching this killer. The Dove is an anonymous informant who has used the information her governesses send her to help the police solve crimes. I am so interested in who this woman is, and hope that we learn more about her in future books in this series. We also meet another governess named Frankie, who is extremely smart, and I am pretty positive she will be recruited and be the main character in the next book. I’m very excited about that possibility.

Lindsay Lovise’s writing is lovely! Her descriptions are rich and placed me right in the middle of those Mayfair streets. The steamy scenes were sultry and romantic without being too much. The light banter balanced out the darkness of the Evangelist, and I couldn’t stop reading once I got invested. The ending surprised me! I had no idea who the killed was! The author has set this up to be such a fun and exciting series and I can’t wait to see where it goes!

In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer | Audiobook Review

Posted March 24, 2022 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer | Audiobook ReviewIn a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
Narrator: Amanda Dolan, Neil Hellegers
Published by Forever on March 15, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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A clever, tender, and romantic novel for readers of Christina Lauren, Jasmine Guillory, and Sophie Cousens, this laugh-out-loud debut is a perceptive reminder that fate can have a sense of humor, and that love can happen…In a New York Minute.

Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been laid off from her (admittedly mediocre) job, the subway doors ripped her favorite silk dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his (Gucci!) suit jacket. On the not-so-plus side, he can’t get away from her fast enough.

Worse yet? Someone posted their (entirely not) meet-cute online. Suddenly Franny and her knight-in-couture, Hayes Montgomery III, are the newest social media sensation, and all of New York is shipping #SubwayQTs.

Only Franny and Hayes couldn’t be a more disastrous match. She’s fanciful, talkative, and creative. He’s serious, shy, and all about numbers. Luckily, in a city of eight million people, they never have to meet again. Yet somehow, Hayes and Franny keep running into each other—and much to their surprise, they enjoy each other’s company. A lot. But when Franny’s whole world is turned upside down (again!), can she find the courage to trust in herself and finally have the life—and love—she’s always wanted?

I love New York! There, I said it. I absolutely love the bustling, beautiful, exciting New York City. I love finding books set in NYC, and always find myself salivating over the descriptions of the city and the food. I was so excited to get my hands on Kate Spencer’s debut, In a New York Minute (yes, I sang the song for days and am singing it again now as I write my review), with its cute cover and promise of  a laugh-out-loud “clever, tender, and romantic novel for readers of Christina Lauren”. This had all the makings of a very Jana book: New York, rom-com, Christina Lauren. Yes, please! And while it was cute, a few things just didn’t work for me. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. The meet-cute was my favorite part of this story. The cherry on top of Franny’s day from Hell was when the subway ripped her favorite dress right off her body, causing her to moon half of New York. Luckily Hayes was there to offer her his suit coat (Gucci) before disappearing into the crowd of people, never to be seen again. Or so you might think. In the hustle and bustle of NYC, these two just kept being thrown together until it was clear that they were supposed to be more than strangers. This meet-cute was cringey cute. Cringey because oh my gosh, I would not survive this kind of meeting if it happened to me. The mortification! This set us up for a very fun, romantic story. But then…

2. Hayes dates another woman, Serena, for the bulk of the book. That really killed the swoony feelings I was having over him in the beginning. He was clearly into Franny, but he was so lacking in self confidence that he decided to date someone else because Franny was clearly uninterested. It didn’t work, though, and he frequently thought of Franny while he was on dates with Serena. I didn’t like that my sweet, shy, caring Hayes sort of accidentally used Serena to get over a girl he never even had. And I say “accidentally” because I don’t think Hayes even realized what he was doing. But still, it rubbed me the wrong way that he spends more of the book with the runner-up than his number one. 

3. In a New York Minute is told in alternating perspectives, and I always enjoy it when an author chooses to do this. Franny and Hayes take turns telling the story, and I enjoyed jumping into both of their heads. These two are polar opposites, so it was refreshing to switch things up. Hayes is very serious, analytical, and shy. Franny is funny, outgoing, and bubbly. I liked both of them for the most part, but Hayes’s lack of awareness and Franny’s dramatic thoughts had me rolling my eyes a time or two. I found their interactions to be cute, if not a little awkward at times. Hayes in particular just… doesn’t seem very socially adjusted and fumbles several times with both his actions and his words. There’s a lot of miscommunication and confusion between these two, and after a while I just wanted to lock them in a room and make them actually speak to one another.

4. The supporting characters were wonderful. I loved that both Franny and Hayes had great friends who supported and loved them. Franny’s two best friends, Cleo and Lola, were so sweet and so much fun. They really knew how to take care of their friend, and I’m jealous of their friendship. This trio actually kind of reminded me of the dynamic between Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe from Friends. And then Hayes’s work wife, Eleanor, was always there to give him a reality check when he got in his own way. His cousin Perrine was also amazing, and had a romance of her own on the side that I thought was sweet.

5. You can tell the author loves New York. This book is a love letter to New York City, and I was captivated by the descriptions of the city. We get to go on walks with the characters to see the city during busy and quieter times, eat yummy food, and read about how much they love living there.

6. The romance is slow burning and fade-to-black. It felt slightly reminiscent of some of my favorite romcom movies like While You Were Sleeping and You’ve Got Mail. Franny and Hayes have some great flirty banter, and some sweet romantic interactions. I liked that their relationship progressed naturally from strangers to employer/client to friends to lovers. They go on this really romantic date that keeps getting longer and longer, and I loved it. It was pretty magical. I wasn’t a fan of their third act drama, but oh well.

7. This review was really hard to write, because I think the audio tarnished my reading experience. While writing this review, I realized the negative things I was thinking about the story were most likely due to the narration. I wonder if I’d read it instead if I would have liked it more. Neil Hellegers did a fine job with Hayes and I don’t have any real complaints on that end. But Amanda Dolan’s narration for Franny grated on me and I struggled to listen to her. Some of her vocal choices for exciting/tense moments or other characters were shrill and piercing. She read very dramatically, and I found myself pausing out of sheer exhaustion. For example, Franny and Hayes end up doing a TV interview together after their viral meet-cute and I wanted to throw my phone across the room while listening to how Amanda chose to read the voices of the interviewers. Loud, obnoxious, and cheesy. You know how on sitcoms when a character tries to be an actor and it comes out really weird? Like they can’t smile naturally or speak in a normal fluid way and it ends up sounding very choppy and stiff? And it’s like, wow that real life actor is really good at acting like a bad actor but oh my gosh stop talking like that because I am so uncomfortable? That’s how this went. I sped the audio up many times just so I could be done with her. It’s hard to really explain my thoughts when I can’t share specific clips. Anyway…

I can’t say I’m satisfied with this review, but I’ve spent over an hour and a half straight trying to organize my thoughts and here we are. lol. Seriously, WordPress kicked me out while I was writing this because my session expired. That’s how long I’ve mulled over this. I loved the idea of the story, the meet-cute, the love of NYC, the friendships, and the handful of romantic moments I got. I liked both characters, but found myself frustrated with their ability to communicate with one another. The ending is very romantic, and had me smiling. I really didn’t like the narration, and I’m sure everything would feel different if I had read it instead. All in all, I will read Kate Spencer’s next book and maybe I’ll find the time to go back and read this one again to better appreciate the things I loved about it.

Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday | Book Review

Posted October 15, 2020 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday | Book ReviewParadise Cove by Jenny Holiday
Series: Matchmaker Bay #2
Published by Forever on July 28, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Dr. Nora Walsh has just been dumped in spectacular fashion, making it the perfect time for a major life change. She figures taking over the medical practice in tiny Matchmaker Bay for a couple of years will help her get over her broken heart, and then she can head back to the big city. But when the first man she sees looks like a superhero god, she wonders if maybe there's something to small-town living after all.

Jake Ramsey also has a broken heart -- one he never expects to heal. He doesn't need people anyway and is content hiding out in his secluded cottage on the beach. But after helping Nora with a medical emergency, he finds himself opening up to the witty, warmhearted doctor. Soon the local matchmakers are working overtime to pair them off, and Jake begins to wonder if his campaign to get Nora to stay is for the town or because he can't bear the thought of her leaving.

I’ve struggled with books by this author in the past, so I was a bit worried about trying again. But my friend, Estelle at Forever, pitched this to me so hard while we were talking on the phone one day that I decided to give Jenny Holiday another try! I’m glad I did, because I really enjoyed this for the most part! I do have a few tiny complaints, but I’m definitely interested in reading the other books in this series. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. We’ve got Nora, the city girl who moves to a small town to take over the medical practice there. I love stories like this, because I really enjoy anything medicine (even though it plays a tiny part in the story). She’s also running from a bad relationship and wants a new start. She’s a very energetic, bright personality and I enjoyed the contrast between her and Jake, the hero of this story.

2. Jake is a very quiet Mr. Fix-it that everyone loves even though nobody knows him very well. Well, they know his story but they don’t know him. He’s a man of very few words, but when he does speak it’s important. He lives off in a secluded part of town and goes around quietly fixing things that need fixing. He randomly shows up at Nora’s house to re-build her deck, and she stumbles upon him while he’s out there working. That’s just what he does! He’s the fix-it fairy, and I loved him for that. He’s got major heartbreak in his past, and watching him go through the grieving process and learning to open up again was very sweet. Oh, and Nora refers to him as Aquaman, if that does anything for you. I’m not a fan of the long-haired, man-buned man but I know many are!

3. Nora’s and Jake’s relationship is very organic. They start out as friends with benefits, which I actually hate. lol. But then things get deeper as he opens up to her. She expects absolutely nothing from him, and lets him open up slowly and quietly and on his own terms. When he tells her his story, she responds in a very comforting way without exhausted cliches. She reacts to him in a way nobody else has. She asks him tough, but meaningful, questions about his son instead of glazing over him as if he never existed. It’s hard on Jake, but also helps him realize that he can look to the good times and remember than fondly, rather than feeling guilty for the bad times.

4. The sex scenes were a bit too much and too frequent for me. I enjoy steam in my books, and I like it when it adds to the story. But when these scenes just keep happening and happening I start to skim over them because I need more than that in my books. I begin to disconnect from the characters because I’m not seeing them grown and learn and love. I’m just seeing how much stamina they have in the bedroom and that gets old. lol.

5. That being said, I really had fun getting to know these two characters and seeing their love story unfold. I loved Jake’s dog and his house, which was in a cute little cove. I loved that Jake bought Nora some rain boots that stayed at his house so he could put them out for her when he knew she was coming over. That way, when the tide rolled in she could traverse the wet rocks and wade through the water to get around the bend and make it to his house without getting wet. How sweet is that?

6. I loved the supporting characters and all the friendships that were developed in this story between the townspeople and Nora. I’d like to go back and read the first book in this series so I can get more info about some of these characters.

All in all, I enjoyed the story and am excited to read more books in the Matchmaker Bay series! Jenny’s writing is great and her characters are loveable. I could do with a little less heat and steam and more actual story, but it’s not enough of a drawback for me to keep me from reading more of her books!