The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Hartman

Description:

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Hartmann comes an angsty, standalone contemporary romance. Melody's husband is her world—until she loses him to tragedy. But when she has the opportunity to contact the man who received her husband's donated heart, there's no telling if there's hope on the horizon or even more devastation.

"We are both two broken souls, fractured in opposite ways.

She loved and lost…

And I was lost before I could ever love at all."

Melody March had her future all planned out, and it was a fairy tale.

Then, on her five-year wedding anniversary, her dreams shattered. Her husband was cruelly ripped away from her, leaving her broken heart behind.

But he left another heart behind, too…his.

Drowning in grief, Melody reaches out to her husband's heart recipient and seeks solace in a support group for fellow lost souls. She's determined to find the bright, optimistic woman she used to be, and the man with the only remaining piece of her husband—but she doesn't expect what else awaits her.

Enter Parker. Dark, brooding, and emotionally detached, he's Melody's opposite in every way, yet she's inexplicably drawn to him. But as their bond burns brighter, so do the secrets that come to light, challenging everything they thought they knew about love and loss, grief and hope.

Melody already lost her heart once.

Now, another heart holds the power to heal her…or destroy her.

Review:

I absolutely loved this book. Melody suffered the tragic loss of her husband, leaving her a shell of the woman she once was.  Melody obtained the recipient's email address who received her husband's heart.  After months of emails back and forth between the two, Melody begins to feel alive again. Is she drawn to him simply because her husband's heart beats in his chest?

When life begins to be too much, Melanie finds herself in a Suicide Survivor group where she meets Parker.  He is emotionally detached from the group and refuses to speak during group sessions, except when he's sharing his unwanted opinion or criticizing other members.

But Melody is drawn to him for some reason. She catches him watching her throughout the meetings. When Melody once again felt she was at her lowest, she turned to Parker for help.    

Throughout this book, I was rooting for Melody and Parker. When secrets are revealed, I still rooted for them. Parker brought Melody back to life.  Melody had a different effect on Parker.  She taught him to love, how to experience love, how to welcome it.

I could not put this book down.  It is a MUST read!   

This Could Be Us (Skyland Series, book 2) by Kennedy Ryan

 

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who's never met a party she couldn't host or a charge she couldn't lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.

 
But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She's too busy keeping a roof over her daughters' heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.
 
But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn't want but can't seem to resist. She's lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?
 
After all she's lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?

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REVIEW:

Kennedy Ryan has done it again!!!!

The takeaway from this book is LOVE YOURSELF!!

This Could be Us is book 2 in the Skyland series which follows three best friends.  Soledad's life was turned upside down when her husband is arrested and sent to prison. Sol's life had been dedicated to her family and when her feet are held to the fire, she needs to provide for her children, and she does everything in her power to do so.  Sol goes on a journey of healing and finding out who she is while building an online business to provide for her daughters.

Now enter, Judah Cross.  Judah plays a pivotal role in Sol's life, whether it be good or bad. I loved how Judah gave Sol the support she needed to grow and heal.  Judah never pushed Sol, he supported her in any way she needed while waiting patiently for her to open her heart to love again. 

This Could be Us will steal your heart, break it, and slowly mend it. With each word, I fell more in love with this story.  I enjoyed watching Sol make herself a priority, love herself, and learn to love again, despite having her heart broken.

all the Missing PIECES by Catherine Cowles

An all new, small-town romantic suspense from USA Today bestselling author Catherine Cowles.

Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step.  

Ridley Sawyer knows what it's like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished—because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.  

Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn't stop her from finding it for others.  

Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.  

Colt knows what it's like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he's not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn't matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there's more to Ridley's story or that he can't stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.  

But when Ridley's cold case turns hot and she's thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley's living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog's affections. But she's also proving that she's so much more than his first impression.

And as they get closer to the truth, the game they've been playing might just turn deadly…

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REVIEW:

Catherine Cowles is a pure genius.

When Ridley Sawyer, a podcaster stumbles upon the broody sheriff, Colter Brooks on the sidewalk in a quant little town, she never expected how her life would change.

Ridley is in search of the missing pieces to help solve the disappearances of multiple women, her sister being one of them.  Ridley believes she's found a link and wants to speak to a woman who she believes was one of his first victims.  However, the town is very protective of her and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and out of harm's way, including her brother.

When Ridley's heart hurt, so did mine. I loved how Ridley uses her pain to help heal others. As the story unfolds Ridley finds herself in trouble as it appears she is getting is discovering new details that may have been overlooked during the initial investigation.

With the Sheriff hot on her trail, he seems to have developed quite an interest in the podcaster.  Colter has a grumpy demeanor and Ridley is the complete opposite.  Despite what Ridley has been through in life, she still has a beautiful outlook.  

I laughed out loud about Ridley's best friend, Tater, the three-legged feline.  Ridley's love for her cat was absolutely adorable and fit into the storyline perfectly when we needed lighter moments within the storyline.  

Catherine Cowles completely blew me away once again with her words.  All the Missing Pieces will take you on an emotional rollercoaster with its suspenseful plot twist and the romance brewing with Ridley and Colt.  

The Unraveling by ViKeeland

This “fast-paced and addictive suspense” (Elle Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author) thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Vi Keeland follows a New York psychiatrist’s descent into dangerous obsession.

This isn’t a love story. It’s a story about obsession.

After experiencing a terrible loss, New York City psychiatrist Meredith McCall is painfully adrift. When she crosses paths with a man with whom she has a tragic connection, she follows him, sparking an unhealthy obsession with Gabriel Wright.

But when Gabriel walks into her office as a patient, seemingly unaware of who she is, she knows it crosses all ethical and moral bounds to treat him. Yet, Meredith can’t bring herself to turn him away and becomes further entangled. With her life and career continuing to unravel, it appears that things could not get any worse…until they do.

“A sizzling ride down a dark path, with a twist that you won’t see coming” (Sarina Bowen, USA TODAY bestselling author), The Unraveling sinks its teeth in you from the very first page.

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REVIEW:

Vi Keeland has always been one of my go-to authors.  So when I heard she was writing a suspense book, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. T his riveting story has plenty of twists and turns.  This book was intriguing and kept me on my toes till the very last page.

Vi - give us more suspense books.  This one was definitely worth the read!

THE PATH TO LOVING HIM - Ryland Rowley is Here.

 

AMAZON What does one do when they completely blow an interview? If you're me, you pick up a one-night stand with the most gorgeous man you've ever seen... That's right, after a lousy interview that could have changed everything for me, I headed over to the local small town bar to sulk when the one man I shouldn't want walked in. And when my friend convinced me to take him back to my hotel room, I didn't think about it, I just did it . . . well, I did him.  It was an unforgettable night, but I didn't stay for breakfast. Instead, I got out of there and tried not to think about him again.  Everything was fine until I received a call from the interviewer saying I got the job as the assistant baseball coach at Almond Bay High. I'd be working directly under the one and only Ryland Rowley--my one-night stand. Now, I'm not only working with him but renting the apartment above his garage. And I have to deal with the fact that he's the man I dream about and can't have while not letting my attraction get in the way of keeping the harmony between us. Sounds easy, doesn't it? It should have been, except the plan falls apart when my shower breaks, and night after night I have to slip into his house to use the bathroom only to find him in the kitchen, staring me down with those hungry, single dad eyes. AMAZON

REVIEW TOUR - Indiscretion by ViKeeland

Title: Indiscretion

Author: Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 13, 2025

BLURB

He's her boss. She's his greatest temptation.

The first time I met Dawson Reed, we wound up in bed.

The problem was, neither of us knew the other were there.

When I woke up in the middle of the night and found a stranger next to me, instinct kicked in and I attacked the intruder.

Only it turned out, the man wasn’t an intruder at all.

Dawson had rented this cabin, too. Apparently, a system glitch allowed a duplicate booking.

We’d soon find out we were in town for the same wedding, and Dawson was the groomsman I’d been warned about. He was as tall, dark and jaw-droppingly gorgeous as my best friend had described. Though she was also right when she’d said you two will hate each other.

When daylight rolled around, Dawson and I attempted to straighten out the mess we found ourselves in. But it proved to be more difficult than we initially thought. Since it was a holiday weekend, there wasn’t a single room available for more than fifty miles.

I suppose things could be worse than sharing a cabin for a weekend with a handsome man you despise.

Like maybe him winding up being your new boss?

REVIEW:

Vi Keeland has a way with words.  Once again, Vi had me crying while reading Indiscretion. Dawson was an amazing hero with a huge ego and his filthy mouth was an even bigger turn-on.  From Dawson and Naomi's first encounter, I loved both their personalities.  I needed to know Dawson and Naomi's story - what made them tick, and why they both have hesitations with relationships.  

Naomi has been warned to stay clear of Dawson by her best friend, Lily, but circumstances have her interviewing for a job to work for Dawson.  The connection between the two was obvious from the encounter in the cabin, so how will the two of them be able to work together?  Will their professional relationship become something more?

I absolutely LOVED the connection between Dawson and Naomi. There was just the perfect amount of steamy romance, dirty talk, and real emotions weaved into Discretion. 

This was a 5-star read for me.

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Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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REVIEW TOUR - What Happens at the Lake by Vi Keeland

Title: What Happens at the Lake

Author: Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Trope: Grumpy-Sunshine

Release Date: January 15, 2024

BLURB

When life took an unexpected turn, I decided to get out of New York for a while. What better place to go than the idyllic small town my father spoke about so fondly when I was growing up? Laurel Lake held the title America’s Friendliest Town for seventeen years running, and friendly was just what I needed right now.

Unfortunately, friendly wasn’t the welcome I got when I arrived.

Instead, I got Fox Cassidy. My tall, dark, and burly neighbor, who grunted at me instead of saying hello.

Okay, so I might’ve had his mailbox in my hands the first time we met. And it might’ve been a little crushed after removing it from under my tire. And I might’ve needed his help breaking into the place I was staying in after the key broke off in the lock. But still…he didn’t have to be so grumpy.

As time went on though, I started to notice things about Fox other than his glares. Like how he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking, or how fire ignited in his eyes whenever we bickered. Though I was in Laurel Lake to escape my problems, not create new ones. And getting involved with a man like Fox screamed trouble, even if he was gorgeous and unlike any man I’d ever met.

But alas, problem seemed to be my middle name this year. So why not have some fun while I was here for the summer? It seemed like a good plan. At least until it was time to go home…

They say what happens at the lake, stays at the lake. But it’s not so easy to walk away when what stays behind…is your heart.

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REVIEW:

As always, Vi Keeland delivered another book that captivated my attention.  I could not put the book down and devoured What Happens at the Lake in one sitting. Josie was a breath of fresh air and when she arrived in the small town of Laurel Lake, Fox Cassidy was thrown for a loop.  

From the moment Fox laid eyes on Josie, he knew he needed to keep his distance and stay away from her.  Despite knowing he isn't good for Josie, he always finds himself in her presence.  

When tempers flare, sparks will fly, especially when they agree to enjoy this temporary arrangement between the two of them.  

Will they develop feelings for each other?  

Can they enjoy a no-strings-attached relationship? 

Will one of them want more than the other is willing to give? 

Will what happens at the lake, stay at the lake?

This small-town romance is a MUST READ.  I can never get enough of Vi Keeland's books. I know going in, I will always fall hard for her heroes, even when they are a broody SOB like Fox Cassidy.  Beneath Fox's hard exterior, lay a man with a heart of gold that just needed the right person to love him.

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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