Stay With Me. Alexandria House. 2017. 194 pages. Pink Cashmere Publishing. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] As the first book in the “Strickland Sisters” series, Stay With Me introduces the lively bunch while focusing in on Angela’s most recent foray into romance.  She’s a naturalista turned Youtube starlet, but can’t seem to get it right in her love life.  When the ever-so-gorgeous Ryan Boye rents the vacant half of her duplex for a 6-month business stay, she’s put to the test. Ryan, admittedly, “ain’t shit.” He’s a playboy who has no intentions of settling down, let alone with his short-term landlord. Alas, fate has a funny way of challenging you. Angie and Ryan had an undeniable attraction from the start and their chemistry only grows over time. They do a song-and-dance about not complicating their relationship as landlord-tenant, but that obviously wasn’t going to last.  It didn’t come as a shock that they hooked up, but the question remained about whether they could actually have a functional relationship despite Angie’s insecurities in love and Ryan’s resistance to commitment. 

Bad Habit. Blu Daniels. 2015. 168 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment. I devoured Misconceptions, and I just had to know more about Braxton Earwood.  He left a bad taste in my mouth in the first book, because he treated his girlfriend (?)/babies’ mother so horrifically while she was pregnant.  I came into this book expecting him to have had a “come to Jesus” moment after the birth of the quadruplets and be good for once. That’s not quite what happens here. The book starts with Braxton basically forcing Alex to marry him. His outward excuse is that if they aren’t legally married, the costs of her healthcare will bankrupt the family.   She reluctantly agrees, and Braxton feigns that he’ll be a devoted-ish husband.  I found it difficult to ascertain, in the beginning at least, whether Braxton was capable of viewing their marriage as more than a legal contract. It was clear that although Alex was a reluctant bride, she was also willing to throw herself 100% into their partnership beyond just a legal level. If it was possible, this book made me dislike Braxton even more. His outlook on life and interactions with friends, family, and…

Misconceptions. Blu Daniels. 2014. 332 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] I came across Misconceptions courtesy of Girl, Have You Read, who did a feature on favorite romance tropes on Instagram. This one seemed outlandish with a high potential for drama, and I was lucky to find it available on Kindle Unlimited. The book is told from the perspective of Alex Stone, a recent MBA graduate who has a bright future. She jets up to New York after one last fling with her “Bad Habit,” and seems poised to take on the marketing world. Too bad she finds out she’s pregnant a few months later. Then finds herself jobless.  Oh wait, on top of that, she’s actually having four babies, not just one. She reluctantly tells Bad Habit, assuming he’ll let her live her life as a mother in peace, but when he moves her down to Atlanta, she finds out she’s getting more — and simultaneously less — than she bargained for. In all honesty, I vacillated between loving and hating Alex. She’s young and sometimes acts more immaturely than I think most would given the circumstances. I also recognize that in many ways, she’s between a rock and a hard place,…

Mine to Keep. Ashley Nicole. 2016. 201 pages. [Source: Amazon Kindle Unlimited.] Noelle has terrible luck with men. That’s why when she begins to fall for her next door neighbor Jaylen, she’s hesitant with good reason. Too bad her hesitance is well-founded: the man has a stalker. Jaylen didn’t think much of the creepy notes that were being left on his windshield.  Signed SA,  he simply thought it was a secret admirer who’d reveal themselves and keep it moving. That changed when the notes became more angry and “coincidences” in his life became more violent.

Heated Harmonies. Alexandra Warren. 2017. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] A weekend of great reading continued with the release of Heated Harmonies. It’s centered on pop icon Zalaya as she tries to redefine not only her image but also her sound.  She fixes her sights on unknown producer Gabriel, but instead of jumping at a chance at stardom, he wants nothing to do with Zalaya or the music industry. Zalaya is used to getting her way. Being harshly rejected by a “nobody” is a bitter pill to swallow, so she doesn’t. In fact, she’s a bit relentless — if not reckless — in getting Gabe on her musical team. However, in trying to find musical chemistry, they actually find a nice amount of personal chemistry as well.  It really stands out that their “relationship” actually started from platonic (even if it doesn’t always stay that way).