Miss Trailerhood by Carina Taylor

 

About the Book

She disappeared from our lives without a word. I never expected to run into her at a Quik Mart in between jobs. What’s a guy to do when he finds his first crush? Follow her home, of course, and remind her of all the things she’s missing.I didn’t know that holding onto Riley would involve living in a trailer park. Or keeping it a secret from my sister— her best friend.Riley is completely at home with lawn-mower racing, beer-guzzling exhibitionists. She doesn’t think I can handle it.Well, I’m going to show Miss Trailerhood that I’m here to stay—no matter what trailer-park mayhem she puts me through. Love is patient, love is kind, love means buying a single wide.

My Thoughts

I will fully admit that I am a little picky with my rom-coms. I love the genre but can be hard to find those ones that successfully balance the humor without going over the top into the realm of unbelievability. When I stumbled upon Carina Taylor’s books I immediately fell in love and binged them all, which then left me desperately waiting for this book to come out! Mr. H.O.A. (book one in this series) was one of my absolute favs of hers and I was so excited to get to know Riley and figure out what had happened! 

I loved both Nate and Riley and together they were so much fun! The fact that they’d grown up together and had so much history gave depth to their romance and I loved watching them get together! I really valued Nate’s dedication to winning Riley over and his refusal to just leave her. I understood Riley’s fears, especially when you considered her past and all the pain she’d endured. I loved how Nate didn’t dismiss or belittle her fears but loved her through them-it was the absolute sweetest!

The characters in the trailer park were definitely entertaining but I loved that she didn’t just make them all obnoxiously eccentric-they had their unique personalities and there were definitely some oddballs but they were realistic. 

In short this was a wonderful follow-up to the last book and I’m already anxiously awaiting what she has in store for us next!

Meet the Author

Carina Taylor writes zany romantic comedies to make you ugly laugh. 

When she's not writing, you can find Carina chasing after three little boys, ignoring her laundry pile, pretending to work out, drinking large amounts of coffee, and dreaming up the next story.

You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram: @carinataylorauthor

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Lavender and Lace by Tara Grace Ericson

 

About the Book

In their online writer chatroom, they are getting serious.
In the real world; He thinks she’s shallow, and she thinks he’s out of touch.
When their worlds collide, will their hearts survive?

Lavender Bloom is a social marketing expert and influential fashion blogger. Always focused on the perfect image, she shows the world a flawless version of herself, except to her family and her nameless online best friend. Her broody new client certainly doesn’t understand her or why she prefers to hide behind her computer.

Reclusive author Emmett Drake spends his days writing his award-winning fantasy saga and his nights chatting online with the woman of his dreams. When he is forced to hire an image consultant to please his publisher, he despises everything the woman stands for, even if he sees hidden depths beneath her polished façade.

Lavender is determined to help Emmett embrace the power of social media, convinced he has the platform to make a difference. Meanwhile, he is determined to uncover the woman hiding behind the carefully scripted marketing lingo. Their struggle to find authenticity in a world centered on likes, comments, and shares will challenge them both to embrace God’s purpose for their lives – together.

Return to Bloom’s Farm in Lavender and Lace and embrace the joy of family, faith, and true love in this nostalgic modern nod to the romantic classic, You’ve Got Mail.

My Thoughts

This just might be my favorite of this Bloom Sisters series! Like it’s predecessors it was cute and sweet and everything you could want from a light contemporary romance. I related to Lavender more than I have the other heroines so far, with her quiet nature and fear of expressing her deeper thoughts for the world to see. I liked seeing her find her confidence and taking the step of faith to trust God with her words.

Emmett was pretty great too, I’m always a sucker for the quieter heroes and he definitely fit the bill. But his quietness hid a strength that had helped him overcome his childhood pain and make a place for himself in the world. His past also kept him grounded and gave him a heart for others that I admired. 

Lavender and Emmett were really cute together, once they got past the bit of a bumpy start, and I loved watching their romance play out! The similarities to You’ve Got Mail were fun, even though I’m not personally a fan of the movie. All in all another great installment in this series and I’m excited for the next book!

Meet the Author
Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author. Her first book, Falling on Main Street, was written mostly from airport waiting areas and bleak hotel rooms as she traveled in her position as a sales engineer. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually her black lab - Ruby - and a good cup of coffee or tea. Tara unashamedly watches Hallmark movies all winter long, even though they are predictable and cheesy. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living. She wants to encourage her readers with stories of men and women who live out their faith in tough situations.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White

 

About the Book

Zivon Marin was one of Russia's top cryptographers until the October Revolution tore apart his world. Forced to flee to England after speaking out against Lenin, Zivon is driven by a growing anger and determined to offer his services to the Brits. But never far from his mind is his brother, whom Zivon fears died in the train crash that separated them.

Lily Blackwell sees the world best through the lens of a camera and possesses unsurpassed skill when it comes to retouching and re-creating photographs. With her father's connections in propaganda, she's recruited to the intelligence division, even though her mother would disapprove if she ever found out.

After Captain Blackwell invites Zivon to dinner one evening, a friendship blooms between him and Lily that soon takes over their hearts. But both have secrets they're unwilling to share, and neither is entirely sure they can trust the other. When Zivon's loyalties are called into question, proving him honest is about more than one couple's future dreams--it becomes a matter of ending the war.

My Thoughts

Roseanna M. White never fails to wow me and of course this book was no exception! I was completely fascinated with the glimpses we got of Lily and Zivon in the previous book and I was elated when I found out they would be the hero and heroine of this book!

I loved the way Lily looked at the world, finding pockets of beauty in every ordinary moment. Her skill at capturing that beauty was amazing and I was also impressed by all the ways she helped the Admiralty. She had such a caring heart which was evident in how fiercely she loved her family and the way she served at the hospital.

Zivon was definitely a mystery from the moment we met him but I loved seeing the layers peel back and getting to know the amazing hero beneath. His loyalty and determination were some of his most admirable qualities as well as the way he was able to keep moving forward and fighting for right despite having all that he cherished ripped away from him. The way his brain was always working steps ahead was truly fascinating and I loved seeing it in action.

Together Zivon and Lily were just absolutely perfect. Their romance started a little slowly but it unfolded beautifully at just the right pace and I loved it. The way Lily pulled Zivon out of his solitary existence and the way Zivon saw Lily’s heart above all else. They had my heart melting and I couldn’t stop reading.

The villains of this book were both easy and hard to hate and I applaud the way the author wrote them. I absolutely detested their actions but she also showed us their humanity.

I adored getting glimpses of all of our favorite characters from this series and the previous two (especially Barclay) though I’m refusing to accept that this is the end of this story world despite what the author has said. In all seriousness though this book was amazing and the perfect cap on this Codebreakers series! These three series will forever be some of my absolute favorites and I’m so thankful for them!

Meet the Author

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.roseannamwhite.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.