Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

More Trouble in Loveland: Timeless Romance Single, Book 6 is a holiday-themed contemporary romantic comedy novel written by Jennifer Peel. Charlee’s life was chaotic at best. Her dad was getting married to Felicity on Christmas Eve, and Charlee still had her finals to face before coming to grips with the craziness of Christmas. She and her new husband, Ryan, would be getting away for a seven-day holiday vacation in Beaver Creek, and, best of all, they’d be able to take Josh, Ryan’s young son, along with them as his ex-wife was going to Europe with her current beau. The only real problem was that Charlee seemed to be coming down with something. She figured that it was some virus that Josh, whom she adored and who was starting to call her ‘mom’, had brought home from school, but one of her classmates, an older woman named Penny, declared that she was pregnant. Charlee knew she and Ryan had been very careful about family planning and were waiting until after her practicum was completed, so it couldn’t be that, could it?

Jennifer Peel’s holiday-themed contemporary romantic comedy novel, More Trouble in Loveland, is a humorous and enjoyable tale about a dream vacation that goes hilariously south after Ryan and Charlee finds themselves sharing their suite with mothers-in-law and a host of unexpected guests with enough issues to keep the two of them at their wits’ end. I especially appreciated the author’s development of Charlee and her relationship with her father, whose shared enjoyment of an impromptu pickup game of basketball is a joy to behold. Peel also addresses relevant issues such as shared parenting and mothers-in-law in this comedy which proves that Murphy’s Law is real and apt to strike when one least expects it. More Trouble in Loveland: Timeless Romance Single, Book 6 is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite

Don't Let Him Go by Kay Harris is book one in the contemporary romance series I Want Morrison, a well-crafted and powerful story of love, family, and what it takes to balance work and romance. Candace Gleason has just passed her bar exams and landed a wonderful job, working successfully as a corporate lawyer. She wouldn’t want anything else as her job is fulfilling and pays a handsome salary. But everything changes when she is handed a case involving the boss’ son, Jack Morrison. Jack is from a powerful family, but not the favored son. Hot, headstrong, and incredibly charming, he immediately gets a hold on Candace’s heart, and her world, including her profession, could be falling apart. She has never wanted anything as much as she wants Jack Morrison, but where can she go with such an easy-going, carefree man?

This lush, evocative story is nothing short of a brilliant introduction to a contemporary romance series that establishes the author as a rising star in the genre. Kay Harris knows just too well how to explore the depths of human emotions and her writing is irresistible, crafted to seduce the reader and to excite their curiosity. I enjoyed the characters, especially Candace Gleason, a calculating, careful, and disciplined lawyer whose defenses get quickly shattered in a way she couldn’t have anticipated when she comes into contact with Jack. The plot is well-paced and builds with mounting tension. The reader is keen on following up with the heartbeats of the characters. Don't Let Him Go is tantalizing, absorbing, and entertaining.

Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite

Bailey Meredith is a talented, aspiring interior designer going nowhere in a prestigious firm in Playing House by Laura Chapman. Tired of being a gofer and having her ideas rejected, Bailey takes a chance at an interview and is surprised to be hired as a design consultant for a popular television home makeover show, Playing House with Wilder and Waverly. Although she has never watched such shows, Bailey quickly learns the business - dealing with an up-tight producer, a flighty star, and her handsome husband. Things certainly are not what they seem behind what Bailey always thought of as the ‘smoke and mirrors’ of this type of show, and the secrets become harder and harder to keep. Falling in love with Wilder is not at all anything Bailey is prepared for and, when he reciprocates, the stakes grow awfully high. Will Waverly fire Bailey or are there even worse things that can happen? Toss in her own family history and Bailey has more to consider than she ever thought possible.

For a delightful romance with plenty of twists and turns, as well as a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the popular genre of home makeover television programming, Playing House offers a solid read. Laura Chapman uses wonderful descriptions of the unique Texas scenery and plenty of detail regarding home remodeling and interior design to really draw you into the picture, and the characters come alive through their interactions and dialogue. Even the choice of the book’s title, Playing House, adds to the overall plot and gives a hint at Chapman’s subtle sense of humor. A truly enjoyable story with lots of backstory, character development and human interest, along with wonderful descriptions. I highly recommend this great story as an enjoyable experience with enough depth to be more than just another fluffy romance.

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

Take My Husband, Please by Kimberly Jayne is a delicious romantic comedy surrounding the antics of a nearly divorced couple. Sophie and Will had been married for twenty-two years. When Will told her that he didn't love her any more, Sophie decided to get on with her life. She gets a job as a real estate rookie and begins dating Mitch, the hot real estate broker who is sponsoring her. Ironically, Will keeps getting in the way. He lost his job and, with his condo in escrow, he has no other place to live. Will living in the same house with Sophie is causing Mitch to have second thoughts about entering into a relationship with Sophie.

To assuage Mitch's misgivings that Will has feelings for her, Sophie makes a deal with Will. He has to go out on five blind dates of her choosing and he will receive something precious that he lost in a bet several years previously. He grudgingly goes through with the dates, only to find that women are crazy and Sophie looks good. Then the subtle sabotage begins. Sophie is at a loss as to how to deal with Will. Despite all her efforts to get Will out of her life and prove that they are over, she and Mitch keep stumbling over him at the most inopportune times. Will she never rid herself of Will?

Take My Husband, Please by Kimberly Jayne was a wonderful romance and a complete delight to read. The circumstances that Sophie gets herself into were hilarious. She had me in stitches throughout the whole book. I nearly fell out of my chair when she lost her bikini bottoms while wave boarding. I could sense the love/hate emotions between Sophie and Will as they struggled to maintain their choice of separation. The characters and their foibles were so real and normal that they were easily related to and quite entertaining. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good combination of comedy and romance.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Sylvie Stewart’s The Spark is another entry in the Carolina Connections series, a book I judged by its cover and one that turned out to be a perfect read in the romance category, a love story that is character-driven and so tightly written that readers will be blown away by the intense and powerful emotions it evokes. Meet the outgoing, bubbly, and fashion aficionado, Fiona Pierce, a woman who is loyal to her best friend and who can be described as a model daughter. But behind the smiles and the cheers she fills the world with, there is a dark secret she wants no one in the world to know. And then she meets Mark Beckett, a guy who only gets into women for a one-night stand and who makes it clear to any woman that he doesn’t get past the one-night stand. The only trouble is, he could break his own rule with Fiona.

Two powerful and complex characters drawn towards each other, secrets explored, and a path towards personal growth are the elements woven into the plot of The Spark. I love it when characters are well-developed in a romance piece and Sylvie Stewart has done a great job in this area. Her characters are interesting and flawed — yes, one wants to see a character who needs to grow throughout the story — and it was entertaining to see key characters struggle with their emotions, their family issues, and their past. The writing was gorgeous and seductive. I can’t complete this review without noting that the cover was excellently done. It caught my attention immediately. The Spark is a perfect read for those who love romance with a strong plot and complex characters.

Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite

What do you do when the very algorithm you use to help find your customers the perfect match tells you who your imperfect match is? Well, if you’re matchmaker Meg, you use the perfect opportunity, and get the intriguing but imperfect man out of your system. In Statistically Improbable: Dating by Design Book 2, Meg’s coworker, Zander, is in need of a pretend girlfriend so he approaches her because, who else? Jennifer Peel has created a fun environment featuring two characters with hidden depths. The story starts with Meg and Zander’s usual banter, but from there we learn what makes them tick and who they are beyond the work facades they put on each day.

My favorite part of Statistically Improbable is the basic premise. The science and math say that Meg and Zander are wrong for each other. If they start something, the Binary Search pretty much guarantees it won’t end well. But the pull is too strong to resist. It doesn’t matter that he’s an arrogant player; what matters is that she wants him and he wants her, even if he doesn’t want to. These two are much more than they appear and it makes their journey that much more entertaining. You knew right away that they had explosive chemistry and I had so much fun watching the fireworks. I truly enjoyed that there wasn’t much mystery about their feelings. There wasn’t a lot of back and forth that can get annoying. They wanted each other, but both had valid reasons for not going there, and watching them try to resist had me laughing out loud and flipping the pages eagerly.