Hot and Bothered. Kate Meader. 2014. 401 pages. Forever. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] Hot and Bothered was such an enjoyable read. I found myself completely absorbed in the story, and feeling incredibly invested in what happened to all of the characters — that’s a feat! Jules and Tad are hopelessly in love with each other, but refuse to admit it. Instead, they’re best friends whose lives are so intertwined that they’re almost family. While Jules struggles to regain her independence while adjusting to motherhood, Tad focuses on opening a wine bar. Both feel the need to defy what they think their families view as failures, but sometimes undermine themselves with poor self-confidence.

Roman Holiday 1: Chained. Ruthie Knox. 2014. Loveswept. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] The first part of Ruthie Knox’s serial is a good start to what could be a great story. It pulled me in right away and left me hanging all too soon.Knox presents a story that is easily spread across several books, though I’d like to get them all in one sitting. I will absolutely be checking out subsequent books in this collection. Ashley and Roman’s introduction is not quite what one would expect, with her being chained to a tree and him seeing how soon she’ll break. Her heart is certainly in the right place — she wants to save a small Florida resort from destruction at the hand’s of Roman’s company. Her grandmother sold it behind her back, and it’s really all she has left.

New Year: A Novella. L. Mertz. 2015. 98 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited] What better way to start the new year than with a new romance? In L. Mertz’s novella, the reader is treated to a short but not always sweet courtship between Braydon and Annie. He’s a widower hotelier with a 6 year old son and a meddlesome mom. She’s a newly underemployed nurse with a knack for cooking and talking non-stop. Together, they have chemistry, but seem to have just as many misunderstandings between them. The story is told from Braydon’s perspective, which isn’t very common in romances. It was definitely an interesting vantage point to look at things from. And although I found the book interesting, the plot was slightly predictable. I could sense where the tension points would be between Braydon and Annie and felt they were a bit cliche. Nonetheless, I was surprised that it didn’t end the way I predicted (thankfully).

All Fired Up. Kate Meader. 2013. 416 pages. Forever. [ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] This story is as hot as the flames in the kitchen of Sarriette and the sexual chemistry between its two main characters, Shane and Cara, is definitely its fuel. All Fired Up is a great romance filled with just the right balance of lust, attitude, and humor and has so many references to delicious food that my mouth watered most of the time. I loved the writing overall. Meader has a way of building up just the right amount of tension and letting it crest a while before the reader everything they want. I knew while I was reading chapter 1 that I was in for a treat. In most books, the problem is front and center within the first page. Instead, I was left wondering what the awkwardness was between Cara and Shane for the entire chapter. It’s not often the book starts with the marriage, and that an immediate solution wasn’t granted made it all the more enticing to keep reading.

Unexpected Love. Casey Clipper. 2014.  213 pages.  Amazon Digital Publishing.   [Source: ARC provided courtesy of The Book Gurus.] Unexpected Love is the second installment in Clipper’s “Love Series.”  As far as I can tell, the series revolves around a group of cousins in the Millen family.   Close-knit to a fault, the family is filled with ex-military alpha males who protect the women in their families at all costs.  This book in particular focuses on Ryan Millen, a playboy whose life is turned upside down when he unexpectedly becomes a father overnight.  Financially strapped Lynn enters his life and the two find a seemingly mutually beneficial arrangement around the care of his son newborn son Brady. I think this is a great book for readers who enjoy romances filled with Alpha males and/or military-types.  Every single man in this book is imposing and aggressive, bordering on overbearing.  The women in the book seem to enjoy that so it works. But if that’s not your thing … Unexpected Love may not suit your fancy.  Regardless of personality type, the guys in the book mean well and Clipper does a good job of pairing them with women who balance them out and in some cases go toe-to-toe with them….