Weekly Reads: November 4 to 10, 2024

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Quick novella. Super quick little romance here with Everleigh who is spending Christmas at her late grandmother’s house and fireman Griffin who consistently comes to her rescue. Her stay in town is only temporary and the fireman is all sorts of charming, so she tries her best to resist at first. But that only lasts for so long.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

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Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Quick novella. The upstairs neighbor Theo is all sorts of cute and charming and Evie tries her best not to make a fool of herself in front of him. But he also has a massive crush on Evie, so it all works out in the end anyway.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. Lady Ophelia is one of the snootiest debutantes around and is constantly disparaging the commonborn Drake, even though he was raised by a duke and duchess. When she washes up ashore the Thames with no recollection of her memory, Drake decides to play a trick on her and tell her that she’s his housekeeper. It’s terrible of him and he knows it and he swears he’ll tell her the truth the next day, but then she says something snotty, and it makes him mad all over again. Interestingly though, now that she’s lost her memories, she’s actually a much nicer person and Drake is able to let down his guard around her. They grow closer together, but Drake feels a mix of guilt and protectiveness towards her. Plus, there’s the mystery of how she ended up in the river in the first place, which makes Drake even more protective. Tons of emotional angst while we wait for Drake to get in trouble for his sins.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Co-op by Tarah DeWitt (2022)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. LaRynn and Deacon had a summer fling as teens that left them both heartbroken and now they’re stuck as co-owners of their late grandmothers’ home. In order to have enough money to fix it up to sell, they need access to LaRynn’s trust fund. They enter into a marriage of convenience to do that, all while angrily bickering with each other. But they really just still have a simmering attraction for each other and are resentful of how things turned out when they were younger. They each have to improve their communication skills and trust in each other. Super angsty and emotional with lots of sexual tension.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Wish Upon a Christmas Candle by Anne Gracie (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Widowed Ellie and her daughter Amy live alone in a cottage when an injured stranger lands on their doorstep. Ellie provides him with shelter and warmth, but the poor man doesn’t remember who he is when he wakes up. Despite not knowing anything about the man, Ellie ends up falling in love with him anyway, and he with her. This book was a super quick read, but I enjoyed the caring and emotion that developed between the two main characters, especially as the man came to Ellie’s defense against the slimy squire.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Melody and Beat are the offspring of a legendary rock duo who broke up for unknown reasons 30 years ago. They’re approached by a television network to team up and get their mothers back together. We get to watch all sorts of chaos unfold, while still seeing the instant connection between Melody and Beat. Super fun and chaotic and super steamy. Plus, bonus blackmail of Beat and the drama that’s involved there. I enjoyed this book a lot and it was a fun holiday read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Hellion’s Secret by Jess Michaels (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the About an Earl series. This book overlaps a little bit with Book 1 of the series. We get the romance here between a rakish but upstanding earl and the runaway daughter of a marquess who is now a prizefighter. Esme had run away from her cruel cousin after her father’s death and has a new life now as a masked boxer. She tries to avoid interacting with society since she has fallen pretty far from her previous station. When she interacts with Finn at a club, she’s instantly skittish and tries to avoid him, despite her attraction to him. Finn is basically obsessed with the woman who turned him down and even more intrigued when he finds out that she’s a boxer. He’s preoccupied by thoughts of her and wants to spend more time with her. But he’s skeptical of his own feelings, being unsure if he’s capable of love after witnessing his parents’ toxic marriage. Tons of steam plus the ongoing threat of discovery by Esme’s cousin.

Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.