Stay Tuned

 

Yes, we promised to be back after the weekend, but I will confess we haven't been reading, but playing Cyberpunk 2077. So we decided to take a short break and we'll be back in January when we've got something to review.

As for Cyberpunk 2077:

Don't just listen to the haters. I haven't found a game I enjoyed as much as this one since Dragon Age Inquisition. Yes, it has a few bugs, and it crashes from time to time, but I love it!

Happy Holidays!

 

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

We'll be back after the weekend.

Teaser Tuesdays - Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe

 

They called themselves (very simply and with great economy) "the Gang of Five" (although currently there were only four) and were as stealthy as any lunar ninjas. 

(page 7, Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe by Zig Zag Claybourne)

buy from bookdepository

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Last Christmas - Book Review

 

Last Christmas

by Josie Jaffrey

What is it about:

Some secrets are best left buried.

With the latest land reclamation project, the Daggett mansion is finally accessible again; rich pickings for a crew like Mara's.

It was supposed to be a simple heist, planned to perfection, but there's something in the water that they hadn't anticipated. And inside the mansion: bodies and memories.

It turns out that Mara picked this mark for a reason. She's about to remember what it is.

A standalone short story

What did I think of it:

A short, but intense story.

Set in a dark, but believable future this story might be about Christmas, but it's definitely not a fluffy and jolly read.

Pulling no punches it delivers pain, heartbreak and suspense.

If you're looking for a gritty and dark read, look no further.

Why should you read it:

It's a dark and intense read

buy from amazon

A Cup of Salt Tears - Book Review

 

A Cup of Salt Tears

by Isabel Yap

What is it about:

Makino’s mother taught her caution, showed her how to carve her name into cucumbers, and insisted that she never let a kappa touch her. But when she grows up and her husband Tetsuya falls deathly ill, a kappa that claims to know her comes calling with a barbed promise. “A Cup of Salt Tears” is a dark fantasy leaning towards horror that asks how much someone should sacrifice for the one she loves.

What did I think of it:

This is a beautifully sad short story.

Makino seeks some solace and solitude at the bathhouse after caring for and worrying about her dying husband all day, but is visited by a kappa who makes some enticing promises.

I loved the atmosphere and mood in this story. Makino's emotions are understated, under the surface, but definitely there. As the kappa makes his promises she'll have to make a choice and find out if she can live with that choice.

All in all a lovely, sad story.

Why should you read it:

It's a beautiful short story about love and grief.

buy from amazon

Five Golden Rings - Christmas Read Book Review (repost)

 

Five Golden Rings
by Jeffe Kennedy
Novella, ebook

What is it about:
On the first day of Christmas, my lover gave to me...

Matilda Campbell's plans to spend Christmas solo in the sun take an erotic turn when she encounters the handsome and enigmatic Miguel D'Oro on the plane to Mexico. As the CEO of a major firm, Tilda's used to being the one in charge--but now she'll have to learn how to take orders instead.

In the spirit of the season, Miguel offers Tilda naughty gifts for each of the twelve days of Christmas. There's just one rule: she must accept them--and fulfill his commands--or face the sensual consequences. Intrigued and aroused, Tilda agrees to let Miguel take control of her pleasure.

What follows is a week unlike anything she's ever experienced. From choosing her sexy new wardrobe and naughty accessories, to pushing her boundaries with BDSM play, Miguel satisfies every forbidden craving. But as their time together runs out, she must decide if there's room in her real life for her holiday lover and her newly discovered kinky side.

31,000 words

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
Jeffe Kennedy wrote yet another delicious story I could fall in love with.

The idea of a naughty twelve days of Christmas was alluring and I loved how Kennedy translated the song into a sensual and intense BDSM romance.

The story starts out uncomplicated enough. Tilda meets the attractive and charming Miguel and decides to take him up on his offer of a kinky Christmas, eager to explore her own sexuality. But what starts as a casual holiday fling, turns intense fast when their emotions get involved.

I love how Kennedy writes her BDSM romances. She gives her readers the hot, steaming bondage scenes as well as a romance you can believe in. As in many of her other stories she shows how submitting yourself to your lover isn't necessarily a sign of weakness, but how it can be one of strength. Tilda sure shows she's strong enough to handle Miguel.

All in all this story is hot, intense and very satisfying, and even though set in a tropical paradise it is a wonderful Christmas read. I can tell you this novella has earned a place on my list of Christmas traditions: bake a Christmas Bundt cake, watch The Sound of Music and read Five Golden Rings.

Why should you read it:
It's a delicious BDSM Christmas romance


Find buy links here

Red as Blood and White as Bone - Book Review

 

I'm quite addicted to Cyberpunk 2077 at the moment, but I managed to read a couple of short stories.

Red as Blood and White as Bone

by Theodora Goss

What is it about:

Red as Blood and White as Bone by Theodora Goss is a dark fantasy about a kitchen girl obsessed with fairy tales, who upon discovering a ragged woman outside the castle during a storm, takes her in--certain she’s a princess in disguise.

What did I think of it:

This story starts somewhere in the 1930's, but as Klara, the lead character has her head full of fairy tales it feels more magical and timeless somehow.

Klara's encounter with a woman she thinks is a princess leads to events that can be both mundane or magical. I love how there's hints for something supernatural happening while at the same time you could make a case it's all in Klara's head. I was hooked from the start and had to find out what Klara was getting herself into.

Overall this is a story about imagination, strength, and courage. I will most certainly investigate what else Goss has written.

Why should you read it:

It's a beautiful bittersweet story.

buy from amazon

Teaser Tuesdays - Serpent and Dove

 

There's something haunting about a body touched by magic. Most people first noticed the smell: not the rot of decay, but a cloying sweetness in their noses, a sharp taste on their tongues.

(page 3, Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin)

buy from bookdepository

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain - Book Review

 

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle #2)

by Nghi Vo

What is it about:

The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of fierce tigers who ache with hunger. To stay alive until the mammoths can save them, Chih must unwind the intricate, layered story of the tiger and her scholar lover—a woman of courage, intelligence, and beauty—and discover how truth can survive becoming history.

Nghi Vo returns to the empire of Ahn and The Singing Hills Cycle in this mesmerizing, lush standalone follow-up to The Empress of Salt and Fortune.

What did I think of it:

I loved The Empress of Salt and Fortune, so I had to get this book as well.

And what a cool read!

This book can be read as a standalone, but connects to the first book by the character Chih. They get cornered by hungry tigers and Chih tells them a story in hope to get out alive.

I loved the tigers. They really thought differently than humans, and it was fun to read their remarks on the story Chih tells. As the story unfolds it gets clear the tigers have their own account and it differs at crucial points.

I was as engrossed in this story as in the perils of Chih and their companions.

 All in all a wonderful read. I love the way Nghi Vo tells a story and I love the prose. You bet I'll read more books by Nghi Vo in the future.

Why should you read it:

It's a cool story with tigers and mammoths! 

buy from bookdepository

Must Have Christmas Read - Since Last Christmas

 

Looking for a romantic Christmas read to get in the Holiday Spirit?

Jeffe Kennedy has got you covered!

Since Last Christmas (Missed Connections #2)

by Jeffe Kennedy

This Christmas, Amy is getting what she wants. Her career in fashion design is taking off. Her boyfriend Brad is the dictionary definition of a catch. Soon he’ll buy the massive diamond that makes it official: she’s nobody’s hard luck case anymore.

Her old friend Jon ought to understand. A decade ago he was the other scholarship kid with a crap family. He got her quirks, her insecurities, her rules, her passions. Now he swears she’s not really happy, and she’s forgotten something that proves it.

When Amy throws away everything she’s worked for with one impulsive, impossible word, she’s horrified she’s proved Jon right…and strangely, secretly excited. That he knows more than the past she wants to forget — he knows what heats her up, what makes her heart race.

But remembering what she’s forgotten since last Christmas might mean breaking all the rules…

buy links

On McPig's Radar - Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe

 

Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe (Brothers Jetstream #2)

by Zig Zag Claybourne

No one has time for your BS...but Captain Desiree Quicho and her crew of utter badasses surely don't. Got a universe to save. Again. Commandeer one piece of out-of-this-world tech and suddenly you have an evil billionaire and a corporate queenpin on your ass, factions scrabbling at the power grab to end all power grabs, and an ultimate AI bent on a rampage of healing.

All a captain wanted was a little chill time, a few tunes, and quality barbecue.

Woe to those blocking her groove.

Four women; One machine goddess; a Hellbilly, Saharan elves, the baddest Pacific Octopus this side of Atlantis... and Humanity's balance tilting toward its biggest unknown future.

buy from bookdepository

Conversion - Book Review

 

Conversion

by Katherine Howe

What is it about:

It’s senior year at St. Joan’s Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys’ texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can’t.

 

First it’s the school’s queen bee, Clara Rutherford, who suddenly falls into uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. Her mystery illness quickly spreads to her closest clique of friends, then more students and symptoms follow: seizures, hair loss, violent coughing fits. St. Joan’s buzzes with rumor; rumor blossoms into full-blown panic.

 

Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen—who’s been reading The Crucible for extra credit—comes to realize what nobody else has. Inspired by true events—from seventeenth-century colonial life to the halls of a modern-day high school, this is the mystery that raises the question, what’s really happening to the girls at St. Joan’s? 

What did I think of it:

I loved Howe's The House of Velvet and Glass so that's why I put this book on my wishlist and got it as a present back in 2016. I only just now picked it up.

And this is a really cool read.

I loved reading about the Catholic school Colleen goes to and was eager to find out what was going on. The story switches between Colleen, who describes what happens at her school in 2012, and Ann, who in 1706 confesses to what transpired during the Salem witch trials. 

I was kept guessing as to what was going on, and kept reading to see if Colleen would figure things out. The ending was very satisfying in my opinion, and I'll definitely will read more by Howe in the future.

Why should you read it:

It's a really intriguing YA read 

buy from bookdepository

Teaser Tuesdays - When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain

 

It was as if the mammoth they rode were the world, and the world had gone stock still with fright beneath them.

(page 23, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi  Vo)

buy from bookdepository

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Black Bird of the Gallows - Book Review

 

Black Bird of the Gallows

by Meg Kassel

What is it about:

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell there’s more to Reece Fernandez than just the tall, brooding athlete who has her classmates swooning, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. When something supernatural tries to attack her, Angie is thrown into a battle between good and evil she never saw coming. Right in the center of it is Reece—and he’s not human.

What’s more, she knows something most don’t. That the secrets her town holds could kill them all. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

What did I think of it:

This was totally a cover buy two years ago.

And because of that gorgeous cover I wanted this to be a cool read. It was entertaining at best though.

The general idea of the story is cool, but the execution makes it fall flat. The build-up is slower than molasses and when at chapter 27 the action finally begins it couldn't grab my attention anymore.

I did finish it, but was underwhelmed.

I might go easier on this book if the characters had been more fleshed out, but they all felt as flat as the aforementioned execution of what might have been an intriguing story.

All in all not a book I'll reread.

Why should you read it:

It's an entertaining if slow Paranormal YA read.

buy from bookdepository

Alex, Approximately - Book Review

 

Alex, Approximately

by Jenn Bennett 

What is it about:

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

What did I think of it:

This is a really fun read.

Basically this is a Young Adult version of You've Got Mail, which in turn is a remake of an earlier story where two people connect by phone/email/messenger/whatever while they are not able to get along elsewhere.

And I will confess: I'm totally here for that particular trope and have been ever since seeing an old movie where two people have crossed wires with their phone and don't know they're neighbors. I can't remember the title or much from the overall plot, but since then I live for plots like this.

And this book delivers. I was hooked from the start and kept reading to see if Bailey will figure out who Alex is or if she will remain clueless while she gets closer to Porter.

I loved the setting and all the characters. Porter can be an ass at times, but he isn't afraid to apologize and do better. Bailey makes a lot of mistakes as well, but also grows and learns. I rooted for them to get their happy ending.

All in all just the story I was hoping for.

Why should you read it: 

It's a very enjoyable and fun YA read.

buy from bookdepository

On McPig's Wishlist - The Ones We're Meant to Find

 

The Ones We're Meant to Find

by Joan He

One of the most twisty, surprising, engaging page-turner YAs you’ll read this year—We Were Liars with sci-fi scope, Lost with a satisfying resolution.

Cee awoke on an abandoned island three years ago. With no idea of how she was marooned, she only has a rickety house, an old android, and a single memory: she has a sister, and Cee needs to find her.

STEM prodigy Kasey wants escape from the science and home she once trusted. The eco-city—Earth's last unpolluted place—is meant to be sanctuary for those commited to planetary protection, but it’s populated by people willing to do anything for refuge, even lie. Now, she'll have to decide if she’s ready to use science to help humanity, even though it failed the people who mattered most.

Expected publication: May 4th 2021

buy from bookdepository

Vicious Moon - Book Review

 

Vicious Moon (Earth Witches #3)

by Lee Roland

What is it about:

“A powerful witch might live a long time, but a single well-placed bullet could change that. While my preferred weapon was magic, I was not averse to shooting anyone or anything offering my sister or me harm.”

Ex-soldier and earth witch Nyx Ianira is working as a PI in San Francisco when she sees the last thing she ever wants to see: the Sisters of Justice—the mysterious earth witch police force. A Triad of Sisters usually means an execution mission, but the Sisters’ only goal is to capture and escort Nyx across the country.

Nyx is badly needed back in Twitch Crossing, Georgia, the place she ran away from ten years ago to escape the stiff rules and duties of being a true witch. She wanted a life of her own. Now she’s being dragged back to her swampy hometown because another life is in danger: Her little sister is missing, and Nyx is the only one who can track her down in Duivel, Missouri.

But the key to finding her may lie with dark and tempting Etienne—a sinister criminal with a fearsome reputation, a ruthless attitude, and a total immunity to magic....

What did I think of it:

It's been a while since I read the first two books in this series, but my reviews tell me I thought the heroines were dawdling while they should be doing things.

In this book the heroine actually tries to get stuff done as soon as possible, as her sister's life is at stake. Her attempts are thwarted from all sides though, so this time it's actually believable why things take a long time. And the love interest in book one who was on the losing end of the triangle there is back in this one as the main love interest! So double win!

I had a great time with this book and might even do a reread of the others to see if maybe I was a bit too harsh on the dawdlers. This book does leave things open, but not in an annoying way. Which is good as I don't think there will be more books.

Why should you read it:

It's a cool and enjoyable Urban Fantasy read.

buy from Amazon

Teaser Tuesdays - Black Bird of the Gallows

 

The slightest of smiles curves his mouth as he holds me still and waits as I watch the horrors of his face unfold. He wants me to see this. Wants me to know I'm not being held by a human being.

(page 41, Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

buy from bookdepository

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Dare - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

The Dare (Briar U #4)

by Elle Kennedy

What is it about:

College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

I totally picked this up because the blurb mentions a fake relationship.

And to be honest: as a fake relationship romance this book fails in my opinion. Things between Taylor and Conor feel too real from the start. It's more a lets  give this a try than fake.

That said: I did enjoy this New Adult Romance. It is fun and entertaining. I might have bought it for the fake relationship, but the antics of these two kept me reading even after I concluded it didn't have the right fake relationship vibe for me.

All in all not a book I'd reread, but I might try something else by Elle Kennedy in the future.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun and enjoyable NA Romance 

buy from Amazon

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight - Book Review

 

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charley Davidson #11)

by Darynda Jones

What is it about:

A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. 

As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. 

But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all.

What did I think of it:

Eleven books in and this series is still going strong.

I very much enjoy the adventures of Charley and I'm very curious were this series will lead to. This book certainly seems to be building up further towards the series finale and things are moving into place.

There were a few hints things were going on that I think Charley should have picked up on sooner, but with all the strange things going on in her lief maybe it was to be expected she missed them.

All in all another fun addition to the series. I'll be picking up book 12 soon.

Why should you read it:

If wacky and snarky Urban Fantasy is your thing you need this series.

buy from amazon

Liana Brooks - Two Quick Reviews

 I was looking for Liana Brooks' All I Want for Christmas is a Reaper when I saw these two short stories by her. I just had to give them a try.

Level Nine by Liana Brooks

What is it about: 

Andrea plays the Game—a massive, interstellar, virtual reality experience—as often as she can. And she plays well. Really well. 

…Well, she cheats, actually, which she feels ambivalent about to be honest. 

Except on Level Nine. Because no matter how hard she tries, Level Ten remains out of reach… until a wholesome newcomer arrives. 

A light-hearted, feel-good story about the power of online gaming to bring people together. 

What did I think of it:

This 25 page short story is a fun and quick read. I very much enjoyed the characters and the setting. I wouldn't mind if Brooks would write a longer story in this setting.

Not Quite Cinderella by Liana Brooks

What is it about:

The king announces a ball in order to end the war. His subjects? Overjoyed.

Marian? Determined to stop it. Her sponsors need the war to continue.

Looks like sabotage will feature at the top of tonight’s menu.

A Cinderella retelling for everyone who ever wondered why Cinderella wanted to marry the prince in the first place.

What did I think of it:

Another short, but satisfying story.

I admire how Brooks set up and delivers an intriguing story in just 27 pages.

I will definitely try more of the short stories by Brooks as well as other stories in this series.

Why should you read them:

They're short fun reads for when you need a quick book fix. 

Buy Level Nine here

Buy Not Quite Cinderella here

With A Prince - Book Review by Voodoo Bride (repost/reread)

 

With a Prince (Missed Connections #2)
by Jeffe Kennedy

What is it about:
The guy on the train is just Marcia’s type. A face like an angel, a scent like raw honey, treats her like he has a white horse and suit of armor stowed in his messenger bag. Perfect.

Too perfect. No guy like that would be interested in prim, awkward Marcia, notorious goody-goody and a twentysomething still clutching her v-card. She’s been following rules her whole life—but somewhere, the game changed. And left her behind.

So when she meets Damien, with his rumbling motorbike, gleaming piercings, and wicked imagination, she doesn’t care that he’s the exact opposite of “her type.” Her type would never dare her into such shocking, fiendishly inventive adventures—and she can’t wait to say yes.

Yes to whiskey in the middle of a workday. Yes to letting her hands roam over his body from the back of his bike. Yes to a fling full of wild abandon and absolutely no long-term potential. Except Damien’s not just the straightforward bad boy she imagined. And as they burn through Chicago’s nights, Marcia can’t shake the fear that this happiness is just another fairy tale…

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I will confess I seriously disliked Marcia in Last Dance. She did something there that made me so angry.

Imagine my surprise when Marcia actually started to grow on me in this story.

Liking Marcia came slowly. but when it happened I was hooked. Marcia starts out as someone I didn't have much connection with: she's soft and too lost in her perfect plans to see the real world. But then she meets Damien and she is starting to open her eyes. I loved seeing Marcia's personal growth.

And Damien!
*dreamy sigh*

There are just not enough Alternative/Goth heroes who are more than the bad boy who needs a good woman to settle down. Luckily Damien is one of those yummy few. I loved how he and Marcia were together. Their romance is hot, sexy and sweet.

Of course Marcia and Damien encounter some obstacles on their way to a happy end, but you can trust Jeffe to make those obstacles interesting, while you never have to fear they won't be overcome.

All in all a delightful Contemporary Romance that I already have read several times and will reread again for sure.

Why should you read it:
It's a hot, sexy and sweet Contemporary Romance.

Buy Links

Notes on rereading: Still as yummy as the first time I read it!