Not Quite Perfect. Cathernine Bybee. 2016. 332 pages. Montlake Romance. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] In full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of the Not Quite Series from Catherine Bybee. Book 5, “Not Quite Perfect,” continues by focusing on psychology Mary Kildare and her strained history relationship with Glen Fairchild — at least, it would be a relationship if either of them would make the first move. There’s plenty of chemistry between them, but Glen’s playboy past makes Mary leery of opening up to him. Add to that the fact that the pilot/co-owner of Fairchild airline lives on the opposite side of the country – there’s enough to give Mary pause than just their antagonistic first impressions. “Not Quite Perfect” did not disappoint. As always, Bybee gives the reader an enticing courtship between intriguing characters. I found myself constantly wondering whether Mary would be her own biggest hurdle to a successful relationship and whether Glen would actually commit to a relationship, rather than a fling.

A March Bride. Rachel Hauck. 2014. 99 pages. Zondervan Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] What girl doesn’t dream of marrying a prince and becoming queen in a faraway kingdom? It’s literally the fairy tale most girls dream of from the time they’re old enough to speak. That wasn’t quite what Susanna, a girl-next-door from Georgia, thought she was getting when she started dating Nathaniel. However, she soon finds herself head over heels in love and facing the prospect of becoming a part of Brighton royalty. The hitch? She has to give up everything she has dreamed of. No small-town wedding with her closest friends and family looking on. No quiet life in America. She’ll even have to renounce her American citizenship. And as the wedding draws near, all her carefully laid plans are coming apart one by one.

Maybe Baby. Andrea Smith. 2014. 500 pages. Meatball Taster Publishing. [Source: personal copy.] I wanted to like this book, but it fell short in a lot of ways for me. The premise was intriguing for me – Tylar has a strained relationship with a mom who was more interested in her own romantic life than the well-being of her child; her father was never in the picture. Now, she’s on her own and pursuing her dreams in equine science, thanks to a trust fund from her absent dad. She’s working at the Sinclair ranch, which is being run over the summer by tightly-wound Trey Sinclair. Within the first chapter, I began to dislike Tylar. She comes across as incredibly timid to the point of being a push-over (no pun intended). Her youth, both in age and maturity, is shown right off the bat when she chugs a bunch of coolers, plays a drunken game of chicken in the Sinclair pool, and ends up with a concussion. That starts a running theme for me – she’s a borderline alcoholic before the book is even half-way done, and generally seems to have piss-poor judgment in everything she does. Even when I wanted…

Yummy Addictions. Belle Davis. 2015. 145 pages. BD Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] I had so much fun reading Yummy Addictions!  I’m not sure if it was more because of the main characters’ playful, sensual rapport, or the decadence of the Parisienne  vacation the main character is one. Either way, it makes an unfortunately short book more fun to enjoy. Vale is a fun and relatable character.  She’s been burned in the past and has turned over a new leaf in how she looks at herself and her relationships. I feel like I’ve seen parts of her personality and approach to life and love in myself and friends. I also enjoyed how authentic her vacation felt – I was enjoying a French vacation along with her, taking in more common as well as lesser-known destinations. The progression of her relationship with Jason is unexpected, but enticing. I definitely understood her attitude toward him (for better or worse) and caught myself getting excited or apprehensive along with her. I definitely recommend this for a fun, flirty read, and I’m ready to read the rest of this trilogy.

Hideaway Cove. Anna Sullivan. 2014. 316 pages. Forever. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] I really enjoyed this book, and now I am going back to read the other books in the series. Hideaway Cove is one of those sleepy towns where the townspeople know everyone and the gossip mill is more pervasive than air. While outsiders try to find the heir to a missing millionaire in the sleepy town, the true heir is in life-or-death danger. Jessie just wants to raise her son Benji to be the good man his father wasn’t ready to be. Along the way, Hold is researching her genealogy, as well as the path to her heart. Add in meddling townfolk who have no problem scandalizing Jessie and Hold, and the resurgence of Benji’s father Lance, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.