Fiction, Sweet Contemporary Romance, Neurodivergent Character

5*****

BLURB: Sometimes you just need flowers… It was supposed to be a routine meeting. A potential land sale that would give me the biggest commission of my career. The last thing I expected was a neurodivergent flower farmer who reminded me to slow down and enjoy life. Now, George Jamison threatens to knock me down a rung on my self-imposed climb up the corporate ladder when he keeps sliding into my thoughts with his wide grins and Southern charm. I hardly notice his social awkwardness and autistic tendencies when it’s just the two of us. And now, after ten of the most glorious days in country paradise, his touch and quiet strength have turned my world upside down. When I find out his grandfather is dying, I need to help George save the family farm, not sell it – even if it means giving up my career. But someone on the farm doesn’t want me to help George. They don’t want me there at all…

Road to Paradise is a gorgeous, heartwarming summer romance about the importance of family, respecting people’s differences, and finding the courage to slow down and open your heart to the unexpected.

THOUGHTS: I am very familiar with this author’s books – and have been in love with her work from the beginning, and this book is no exception. The world building/descriptions put you right there on the farm with George and Madison. I could almost smell the lavender in the fields. The way she introduces George and his neurodiversity is well-done. And having an autistic person be the hero of the story was so touching. I love the way she introduces him, and the back-and-forth between him and Madison. Plus Madison’s journey from big-city land procurer to farmer’s love interest is perfect. The last scene in the book was the crème-de-la-crème. A HEA ending that leaves you smiling.

Recommended

Review: ROAD TO PARADISE by Kelly Fletcher

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

5*****

Blurb: Sometimes you just need flowers…
It was supposed to be a routine meeting. A potential land sale that would give me the biggest commission of my career. The last thing I expected was a neurodivergent flower farmer who reminded me to slow down and enjoy life. Now, George Jamison threatens to knock me down a rung on my self-imposed climb up the corporate ladder when he keeps sliding into my thoughts with his wide grins and Southern charm. I hardly notice his social awkwardness and autistic tendencies when it’s just the two of us. And now, after ten of the most glorious days in country paradise, his touch and quiet strength have turned my world upside down.
When I find out his grandfather is dying, I need to help George save the family farm, not sell it – even if it means giving up my career. But someone on the farm doesn’t want me to help George. They don’t want me there at all…
Road to Paradise is a gorgeous, heartwarming summer romance about the importance of family, respecting people’s differences, and finding the courage to slow down and open your heart to the unexpected.

THOUGHTS: I am very familiar with this author’s books – and have been in love with her work from the beginning, and this book is no exception. The world building/descriptions put you right there on the farm with George and Madison. I could almost smell the lavender in the fields. The way she introduces George and his neurodiversity is well-done. And having an autistic person be the hero of the story was so touching. I love the way she introduces him, and the back-and-forth between him and Madison. Plus Madison’s journey from big-city land procurer to farmer’s love interest is perfect. The last scene in the book was the crème-de-la-crème. A HEA ending that leaves you smiling.

Recommended.

REVIEW: PAINTED DREAMS by Darlene DeLuca

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

5*****

Tag: When New York City artist Katlyn Andrews is hit hard by a devastating career setback, she has to decide whether following the advice of up-and-coming television star Nick Summers will lead to success and fulfillment or send her back to square one with an embarrassing thud.

Blurb: Katlyn Andrews is a talented artist on her way to fulfilling a dream—her own show at a New York City gallery. Focused on her career, she’s ditched her hometown of Denver for the bright lights of the Big Apple. When she’s drawn back to check on her beloved grandmother, she finds a surprise—Nick Summers, a woodworker bidding on a job at her parents’ upscale home. Nick’s gorgeous smile and easy-going manner charm Kat. Too bad he lives in Colorado. Nick adores the mountains of Colorado, but NYC is on his radar. He’s auditioning to be a guest host on a home-builders network there. Since that’s a long shot, he’s still pounding the pavement closer to home to secure jobs like the high-end Andrews project. Meeting his client’s intriguing daughter has his thoughts going in other directions. Too bad she lives in New York. But distance can’t dim their undeniable attraction. Unfortunately, it turns out dreams can be shattered. While Nick’s career is on an upward trajectory, Kat’s unexpectedly takes a big hit. Devastated, she struggles to find a path forward. Nick fears her family’s status and wealth keep her from seeing reality—is she reaching for the stars before paying her dues? In her heart, Kat knows he’s wrong about her…but could her heart be wrong about him?

THOUGHTS: Kat—aka Katlyn—is a gifted artist working at MoMA in New York. She’s been offered the chance to have her art featured at a prestigious art gallery and jumps at the chance, but it doesn’t turn out to be the wonderful opportunity she hoped for—especially when it gets cancelled after she’s paid for advertising, framing, and everything else. Then, she gets tasked with spending the holidays at home. To say she and her mother don’t get along well would be an understatement. Her mother is a socialite snob who doesn’t believe Kat is living up to her expectations. Fortunately, Kat’s grandmother—who is her stronghold—tempers some of the discord.

When she does go home, she meets Nick Summers, a woodworker who is doing some work for Kat’s mother. The two have a quick and intense attraction, but Kat’s mother thinks Nick is definitely below their social status and attempts to disrupt their connection. But Kat and Nick continue to meet up in New York and their romance grows until Kat’s job and the gallery showing fall through. Nick tries to convince her to try some lower-level ideas but she nixes them as being beneath her. When he accuses her of being a snob like her mother, the relationship completely falls apart – but also forces Kat to take a long look at herself and her life.

This is a lovely story about two people who have a shared love of art, but come from two different backgrounds. It is a deep romance that shows a lot of conflict between the two until they can put their differences aside and let love conquer all.

Recommended.

Review: To Seduce a President by Mark Reutling

Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Thriller

4****

Blurb: Sexually abused as a child, Suzanne Dahlstrom matures to become a highly skilled call girl, determined to get her own back against men by taking advantage of their greatest weakness, their sex drive. Suzanne is recruited by a shadowy cabal to seduce the president and thereby undermine his political power, the ultimate payback for her childhood mistreatment. But first she must seduce and marry the president’s younger brother, becoming the president’s sister-in-law, with free access to the president. The president’s political career will suffer irreparable damage if he is caught in bed with his own brother’s wife. Suzanne excels at her calling, and everything seems to be going well, until things get more complicated, and highly dangerous.

THOUGHTS: This is definitely not your standard romance. There is intrigue, betrayal, treachery, and more. And the main character, Suzanne, is definitely not your standard romantic lead. She’s a highly paid call girl who suffered immense abuse as a child leading her to hate men. She uses this hatred in ways that work for her as a femme fatale. When she is coerced to joining a secret group out to embarrass the president, she has few qualms about seducing his brother in order to get closer to him.

But then a problem arises and she falls in love with Adam, the brother of the president. Unfortunately, the cabal won’t let her fail her mission and uses her mother as the bait to get her to do what they want – which means not just seducing the president, but killing him.

The writing is fast-paced, though a little too graphic for my comfort with some of the scenes. The author tells the tale from several points of view, but Suzanne’s story is the main one. But with the themes of political intrigue, abuse, power, it is also a book that is very easily seen as possible in today’s political world. Which is frightening on many levels.

There is a semi-satisfying ending to this story, but it was a challenging read for me – others may love this political thriller. But if you have triggers when it comes to rape or violence, caveat emptor.

Recommended with reservations.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Ghosted by Lori Matsourani (cover art attached)
A sweet (PG-13) second-chance romance with a nod to the paranormal
Releasing on August 13

Blurb:
When her fiancé’s infidelity prompts Bethany Hendren to map out a new path forward, her plans are disrupted by an unexpected encounter with Nick Dorsey, who convinces her to help search for the remains of a troubled eighteenth-century ghost. Nick is the handsome summer boyfriend who ghosted her years ago, and now he wants to rekindle their relationship. Despite her reluctance to trust him, Bethany discovers he’s still the funny, caring person who captured her heart as a teen, but giving him a second chance is risky—it could lead to love and happiness or result in another devastating heartache.

 Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/lorimatsourani

Author bio: Author Lori Matsourani is a romance addict. Give her stories with a touch of heartbreak and a spark of joy, and she’s happy. Throw in characters with a huge helping of heart and soul, and she’s up reading all night in romance heaven! While currently a Texas resident, Lori grew up near Baltimore and often draws on the historical flavor of Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to inspire her story settings. She authored her first fiction story at twelve and has been hooked on writing ever since. Early on, her writing career focused on articles for magazines and newspapers before shifting to her first writing love—fiction. For Lori, connecting words to tell a story is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and she loves the challenge of creating every piece.
Social media links:

Website: https://lorimatsourani.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.matsourani.author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lori.matsourani/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lori-matsourani.bsky.social

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Series

4****

Blurb: It’s Independence Day weekend, and Maria Dolores, the descendant of Danger Cove’s first lighthouse keeper, is the new manager of the Lighthouse Farmers’ Market. While she may be a bit uncertain about her career change—trading financial planning for flower stalls and farm fresh produce—she’s still determined to get the market into shape and onto one of the region’s “best of” lists. From the very beginning, though, events conspire against her. Her mentor and attractive local farmer, Merle Curtis, fails to show up to introduce her to the vendors, the stalls are all in the wrong place, and an earthquake shakes up everyone in the market! In its aftermath, Maria realizes the flower vendor is more than shaken up… she’s dead. Maria suddenly finds herself embroiled in a small town mystery that’s got everyone on edge. Will it all lead to the end of Maria’s new career? Or worse yet… her life?

THOUGHTS: Danger Cove is aptly named as much as Cabot Cove is for Jessica Fletcher. Even though this is the 14th book in the series, it is the first one in the Farmer’s Market part of the series. So we are introduced to Maria Dolores as she takes over as manager of the farmers’ market in Danger Cove. And it’s the weekend of the 4th of July, so there is a lot going on—including murder x 2!

I love Maria Dolores and how she deals with Cary, who seems to be autistic (it’s never said, but the descriptions of his issues show that he is). And the curmudgeon woodworker. And the earthquake. And so many other things. I’m surprised her migraine wasn’t any worse than it was! But she deals with everything, including the potato farmer who hates her (he wanted the job) and just wants to cause problems for her.

I loved how the author put her own name in as the author doing a signing at the bookseller’s tent! That was a hoot. The mystery itself is well-done with clues placed here and there and lots of suspects. And a satisfying ending as she and Merle, the previous manager, get to finally enjoy some alone time together.

Recommended.

#GemmaHallidayPubblishing