Forbidden Promises. Synthia Williams. 2020. HQN Books. 270 pages. [Source: Personal copy.] This book was drama with a capital D. What else could it be, with one sister silently in love with her sister’s ex-husband? India is the baby of the Robidoux clan, a family whose legacy is rooted in a successful and long-lasting tobacco company. Family loyalty is held above all else and has dictated the lives of generations. India thought she’d escaped some of the weight of familial obligation by touring as an orchestra’s violinist, and is dismayed when a brief trip home turns into campaigning for her brother’s senate run. Further complicating things is having to share space with a man she’s loved — or lusted after — from afar, including while he was married to her older sister. Travis and India have chemistry that’s difficult to hide, both on a personal and physical level, and India finds herself in a constant struggle of whether to prioritize her sister’s feelings and family’s reputation or pursue what could be her true love. Despite India being the heroine of this story, the adjacent characters’ depth shows as well. Older sister Elaina is portrayed as cold and career-focused, but it’s…

Bless Your Heart. Ashleynicole. 2020. 174 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Nothing beats a small town romance. The nosey natives. The mysterious interloper. It always makes for a a special kind of messy that I find hard to resist. In this case, the interloper is Charadee, a Connecticut-raised romance author who sets up shop in a house on the outskirts of Preto Village, a town so small it’s not even on the map. She, quite by accident, catches the eye of the hometown doctor and most eligible bachelor, Keegan. He is himself a reluctant resident of Preto Village who left for med school but finds himself at the mercy of his dramatic mother’s attempts to keep him near. The thing about small towns is that anyone’s business is easily everyone’s business, whether they like it or not. So while Charadee wants to live her reclusive, author life without drama, she’s also not afraid to back down from it when the townsfolk make it clear that she’s not welcome. She’s generally unbothered by the antics of her new neighbors, whether good or bad. As anyone who’s ever dealt with unsavory folks in the midwest or south knows, a quick “bless your heart”…

Behind the Scenes. Christina C. Jones. 2020. Warm Hues Creative. 363 pages. [Source: Personal copy.] Add this to your shelf. I’m not quite sure where else to start with Behind the Scenes, but that’s pretty important. When Logan Byers agrees to take on a client as their executive concierge, she doesn’t quite know what she’s getting into. What she doesn’t fathom is that it would be Pierre Perry III, someone with whom she’s made a brief yet memorable acquaintance. Pierre is less convinced that he needs her as his babysitter as he takes on his role as showrunner for a semi-autobiographical short-run series on the WAWG network. What he quickly learns is that Logan is far more than a mere babysitter, as she quickly demonstrates how integral she is to his success both personally and professionally. Pierre and Logan have a lot of similarities – they’re both from prominent families in their respective fields and have the weight of expectation on their shoulders. Logan, of the Byers, comes from an esteemed family of attorneys. She did a stint at the family law firm and has defied everyone by daring to step out of the role that’s been crafted for her….

The Rose That Got Away. Christina C. Jones. 2020. 91 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] In a follow-up to Deuces Wild, Jones follows Tamra, a former Rose, and Wilder, a former Thorn, who cross paths and end up assuming that the other is out to kill them. Their meeting (and re-meeting) actually puts them on the same path to protect a woman and child who are about to become collateral damage in an upcoming election. But everything isn’t always as it seems, so the two — under the tutelage of Ace — put the skills they honed in The Garden to use in finding out the truth. I enjoyed that this book novella isn’t focused on a romantic relationship. Don’t get me wrong — it’s there. But it is very much secondary to the central plot that brought Tamra and Wilder together. It was a pleasant surprise to see Ace return in a mentoring capacity. She’s often a voice of reason for both, professionally and personally. A secondary plot explores Tamra and Wilder as they come to terms with life after The Garden’s collapse. While Tamra’s opted for a mostly anonymous and mundane life, she also has to grapple with the…

Whoa. Alexandra Warren. 2020. 101 pages. [Source: Kindle Unlimited.] Whoa is a spin-off that I wasn’t sure would be coming, but was ready to read as soon as it did. DJ Whoa and Mali were introduced in Oops as a friend and sibling, respectively, of Maverick. It was clear there was a little bit going on with the two, and Whoa picks up with them front and center. Mali has her mind on her business and everything else comes in second. She’s at the helm of a popular and growing online boutique, but takes a chance on a blind date when set up by her intern. To the shock of her and her date Walter — pka DJ Whoa — they already know of each other, through her twin Maverick. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the extended first date is only the first example. With Whoa, Warren takes a pointed look at how career ambitions help or hinder relationship building. For Mali and Walt, they initially connect on how hard they go to create notable careers. Unfortunately, the biggest wrench for Mali and Walter is exactly that. With Mali also being a few years younger than Walt, there’s…