Among Sand and Sunrise (An American Heiress #3) by Stacy Henrie

--1909--
After three failed seasons, American heiress Syble Rinecroft is more than ready to move forward in a life of independence and adventure. And what better way to begin than by taking a trip to Egypt with her grandmother and her band of widowed friends to find a hidden tomb? There’s only one catch. The archaeologist the widows insist on employing is none other than the irritating Marcus Brandt whom Syble met years ago on another trip to Egypt. If Syble has any hope of finding the tomb and being known for something other than too vivacious to make anyone a suitable wife, she’ll have to learn to work with Marcus.

British archaeologist Marcus Brandt has only ever wanted one thing—a discovery in Egypt that will bring him the acclaim that has eluded his career. Such a thing will surely be found in the tomb he is presently clearing. So when his wealthy patroness and her friends, including Marcus’s grandmother, seek his help in finding a hidden tomb, he’s reluctant to agree to the new dig. Especially when it involves daily interaction with Syble Rinecroft, the annoying adolescent he met eight years ago.

Compelled to do the dig for different reasons, Syble and Marcus finally agree to work together, in spite of their opposite approaches to life. As the days pass, though, they discover there may be more to each other and their growing friendship than either expected to find. And yet, opening their hearts might just cost them their dreams.

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This is the third book in this American Heiress series by Stacy Henrie.  Each book can stand alone easily so don't worry if you haven't read the others but do add them to your read list as they are both great stories!

I loved the setting for this story.  Egypt is so foreign to me and the excitement of the 1900's when people were discovering all the ancient ruins and tombs makes this book so fascinating.  Can you imagine finding and walking into an undiscovered tomb full of treasures and history?  Wow.  How amazing that would be?  I felt some of that amazement through the eyes and thoughts of the characters in this book and I loved it!

This story is slow and gentle.  There isn't anything heart pounding or climactic about it.  It follows Syble and Marcus as they learn about each other while working together on a dig.  They are both just outside the "norms" of their time which made them even more interesting to me as a reader.  I really enjoyed my time spent with this book.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

The Island Patriot: Georgia Patriots Romance (Heathcliff Family Romances Book 8) by Julia Keanini

The Island Patriot. He's arrogant, cocky, one of the nation's greatest football players, and ... Sophie's partner for the TV show Chefs and Celebrities?

But that's fine. So what if her dream to be accepted as more than an internet chef is on the line? So what if the hit TV show can take her new charity from startup to household name? Sophie can work with that. She can work with him. Right?

Sure. As long as she doesn't let him drive her crazy. Or worse...fall in love with him.

The Island Patriot is a stand-alone romance, complete with a happily ever after and the eighth book in the sweet and wholesome Heathcliff Family Romances series.

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I am really enjoying this Heathcliff Family Romance series and I am always happy when a new one comes out!  Sophie and Marcus have a bit of a rocky start with some preconceived notions about each other- especially Sophie.  She remembers Marcus from a not so pleasant encounter at her family resort and has determined him to be rude and arrogant  but they have to work together for a TV cooking show so they try to sort things out enough to call a truce.  Sparks are sparks though, and they are flying all over the kitchen!  

Sophie is determined to prove herself as a chef.  I loved that determination.  I also loved how quickly Sophie accepted what she didn't know about Marcus and apologized for her faults.  She is a great character.  Marcus is an all in type of guy in whatever he is doing.  It was fun to see him zero in on Sophie with all that "all in" focus.

How can you beat a love story with cooking and a hot football player?  Good food and good kissing.  Yup, it's a great combo.  :)  I especially loved the ending.  💙

This book is available on Kindle Unlimited!

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Embracing her Ever After: E is for Engineer (ABC's of Love #6) by Brenna Jacobs

Brilliant engineer Tessa Fuller has the opportunity of a lifetime at work, and all she needs to change the world is a little help from her old college friend, Ethan Bedford.

Ethan can give her five weeks before he’s off to chase his own dreams, and when they meet again for the first time in six years, Tessa realizes the gawky guy she graduated with has grown into a super hot tech genius.

Just as she’s on the verge of a fun, short-term fling to discover once and for all what-might-have-been, her wayward sister drops a baby on her doorstep and disappears, leaving Tessa to take care of the kid.

One huge problem: Tessa doesn’t know a thing about babies. And she doesn’t have time to learn while the clock is running out on her dream project at work.

But Tessa’s team is determined to show her that she’s not alone, and while they might be clueless about babies, they know a thing or two about engineering. As their baby “hacks” and inventions get progressively wilder, Tessa is less and less sure she really can have it all. And the first thing she has to give up is Ethan.

Except Ethan isn’t a quitter. And he’s not about to give up on Tessa, not when the flame that flickered between them in college gets fanned back to life.

Can a team of hilarious engineers, one sweet baby, and a handsome blast from her past open Tessa’s heart to new love and second chances?

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If you haven't read any of the books in this series, you really should- especially if you enjoy light, happy romances.  This book is definitely the funniest of the books so far.  I was entertained by the characters in Tessa's workplace.  They fight over who gets to "wear the baby".  It's so funny.  Maybe it's even more funny to me because I am married to an engineer and so many stereotypes are so true.  

Tessa and Ethan have history.  It makes navigating feelings and a new chapter in their relationship tricky because they aren't who they once were but some of the feelings are the same.  Even though neither one of them wants to own up to them.  Tessa is a stubborn girl!  Her childhood history provides a few bumps in her road with Ethan.  Ethan is a champ though- he really steps up (and aside) when needed.  I loved him.  I also loved that he listened to his mother!  What a good boy.

This was a fun addition to this series and I think my favorite so far!

Content: kissing 

I picked this book up on kindle unlimited.

 

Marry Me At Dawn (Romano Family #6) by Lucinda Whitney

To Damian Vaughn, image is everything. As CEO of the family business and heir to a fortune, he lives his life above reproach, not wanting to repeat his father’s mistakes that almost brought the company to ruin.

Gabriela Romano has discovered she’ll never be able to bear children. Distraught and still recovering from surgery, she leaves for an extended vacation in the Azores Islands, far away from her family’s prying eyes and the constant reminders of what she’ll never have.

When social services drop off a baby they say legally belongs to Damian, he knows it’s not true, but the media will be quick to judge if the news leaks. Desperate to avoid a disaster, he takes his lawyer’s drastic suggestion and proposes to Gabriela, a woman he’s just met. She has her own reasons for accepting, and as long as she guards her heart, she’s confident she’ll be fine.

But as sparks start to fly, Gabriela begins to wonder—how can she turn this marriage of convenience into her happily-ever-after?

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I love this Romano Family series by author Lucinda Whitney.  I think this one might be one of my favorites.  (I also might say that every time.)  I just love marriage of convenience romances and this one was so romantically sweet.

Gabriela has just had a devastating change in her life plans.  Coming to terms with the idea of never having children is hard to say the least.  Why wouldn't she jump at the chance to be a mother to a sweet baby girl when the opportunity is practically placed in her arms?  Gabriela is so classy and so gentle.  I loved her devotion to mothering.  It really connected me to her.

I also loved the sparks between Damian and Gabriela.  They were yummy.  Feeling the attraction was never a problem with this book.  That makes me happy because I want to feel the zingies too.  (yes, I'm aware that zingies isn't a real word but it describes what I want to say.)  The story is more than just Damian and Gabriela, it's about Damian trying to find answers about the baby too.  It all just felt happy around my heart.

I picked this book up on KU!

 

Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me by Julie Wright

When aspiring author Charlotte Kingsley finally gets published, she thinks all her dreams have come true. But the trouble begins when her publicity firm reinvents her quirky online presence into a perfectly curated dream life. Gone are the days of sweatpant posts and ice cream binges with her best friend, Anders, replaced instead with beautiful clothes, orchestrated selfies, and no boyfriend. Only, that carefully curated fairy tale life is ruining her self-esteem and making her feel like a fraud.

When a bestselling author takes Charlotte under her wing—almost like a fairy godmother—she helps Charlotte see the beautiful person she already is and the worth of being authentic. But is it too late to save her relationship with Anders? The clock is quickly ticking towards midnight, and Charlotte must decide between her fairy tale life and the man she loves, before he's gone forever.

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I've been waiting and waiting to read this book.  It's been taunting me from the TBR pile for a bit, waiting for it's turn.  That's a real thing- the taunting.  Seriously.  I've moved my TBR pile to an end table that has a door so I can close it and not see those taunting books.  It helps me stick to the reading schedule.  True story.  But not the one you came here for.

This book was fun.  Julie Wright incorporates humor and wit in her books that always has me smiling.  Told in first person, Lottie's inner thoughts and desires come through loud and clear.  She is a bit quirky and someone I think I would love to be friends with.  I love the relationship between Lottie and her sister.  Lottie is the best kind of big sister.  I liked that Lettie was an author and that bit of insight into a writers mind and world. 

As for Anders and Lottie, well, that is a different type of story.  It's a bit of a journey with them and while they are great together, it takes work to make a relationship work- especially when lots of life changing things are going on.  Things get a bit bumpy with Anders and Lettie but they sure do learn a lot about themselves and each other.  It was sweet.  I especially enjoyed Lottie's realization that we can add to who we think we are.  We don't have to stay in the confines of one definition.  As we live life and learn new things, we evolve and become more.  I like that.

As always, I am happy to have another book by Julie Wright.  She doesn't disappoint.  Until the next one. . .

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

Sugar & Spice: A Destination of Heart Romance Book 4 by Lisa Swinton

She’s sugar. He’s spice. Can the dance of passion bring these two together during a romantic mix-up in Spain?

Sweet and shy Clara takes a leap of faith and lands in Spain to pursue her dream of becoming a travel writer. While there, she runs into a woman who could be her visual twin—and her personality opposite with a fiery persona and penchant for drama. Isabella is a Flamenco dancer for a troop that’s facing financial ruin. When she leaves them high and dry, they beg Clara to take her place. She agrees, believing the experience will make for a great travel article.

Spicy Teyo becomes Clara’s Flamenco mentor, teaching her to embody everything that is passionate about the dance. When things heat up between Clara and Teyo during tourist-filled days and dancing nights, Clara knows her heart’s in trouble. With no sign of Isabella’s return, she feels obligated to continue the switch, even if it means letting the press think Teyo and Isabella are dating.

But when Clara learns that Teyo once held a flame for Isabella, she wonders if he's truly in love with her or the woman she pretends to be—and how will she know the difference? If she can't figure it out before Isabella returns, her whirlwind romance in Spain may leave her head spinning and her heart on the dance floor.

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First, I the couple on the cover of this book.  I love her dress (those swirls make me happy!) and I love how the cover represents the book so well.  💙

Clara is really the sweetest.  A bit naive as well, but I love how Clara's sweetness captures all around her.  People cannot help but be drawn in.  I love how Teyo tries so hard to protect Clara.  They meet under very unusual circumstances but they build a solid foundation of friendship and trust as the book progresses.

The dancing was awesome.  It was my favorite part of the book because that was where the passion and connection came in.  I could envision the dancing in my mind and I loved it!  Teyo and Clara visited many places on their tour and sometimes the descriptions of these places got a little long and drawn out but other than that, I really enjoyed this book!  The ending was dreamy. This is a fun series and I'm always looking forward to the next book.  While this is a series, each book can easily stand on it's own.

This book is just $.99 right now (!!) AND it's also on Kindle Unlimited if you have that.  

Content: kissing, mild peril, mention of intimate relations outside of marriage

- I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Smarter Than a Monster: A Survival Guide by Brandon Mull, Mike Walton (Illustrations)

Page Count: 32
Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Manners & Etiquette
Ages 4 to 8, Grades 1 to 3
Cover Illustration by Mike Walton
Book Design: © Shadow Mountain

No monster wants you to read this book. The more you know about monsters, the more you will know how to defeat them.

Little kids have big fears, which they often imagine to be scary creatures, like monsters. But this book helps explain how knowing "Monster Facts" can help kids outwit them.

Want to avoid monsters?

Fact: Monsters love dirt and grime, so when faced with two kids, the monster will choose the dirty one every time.

And if toys and clothes are all over the floor, you may get ambushed by a mess-loving monster.

Survival Tip: Take baths and keep your room clean.

Smarter Than a Monster will arm young readers with practical advice in this innovative and imaginative parenting tool that teaches common sense and positive and healthy habits.

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This book is the cutest!  I absolutely adore it.  Of course, as a parent, this book encourages kids to do everything you want them to do- brush their teeth, clean their rooms, sleep in their own beds, take a bath, etc..  I can really get behind a book like that!   Yes, this book is filled with monsters, but they are more cute than frightening (as you can tell from the cover of this book).  The illustrations are bright, engaging and fun.  Youngsters will love looking at them.  I love looking at them!  The best kind of book is one that adults and children can enjoy reading together.  This book is perfect because adults will be just as entertained as the children.  I was laughing out loud in a couple places.  I really, really love this book!

-I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author:

Brandon Mull is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his four children and a dog named Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.
www.brandonmull.com
Follow the author on Instagram @writerbrandon and Facebook @authorbrandonmull

About the Illustrator:

Mike Walton has been a professional illustrator for more than twenty years. He earned his B.A. in Illustration from art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. He’s worked in animation, comic books, web comics, trading cards, and all manner of media throughout his career. Smarter Than a Monster is his debut children’s book. He currently resides in Southern California and considers himself a nerd who loves visiting Disneyland attending the San Diego Comic Con.