The right life is the one you never see coming.

I had it all. The luxury apartment, hot dates, and the big office to go with long nights at work.

Life was perfect.

But after a one-night stand, two little lines on a pregnancy test, and three lost legal cases later…

Well, overnight I went from career lawyer to single mom.

It’s okay, I can do it. I’m ready to face this alone until…

Along comes Nathaniel Chadwick. Billionaire adrenaline junky. Everyone’s favorite playboy… and my sister’s brother-in-law.

He’s as hot as he is jaded. When it comes to relationships and family, he’d rather jump off a cliff.

I wrote him off long ago, except since he learned about the baby he’s been by my side.

Is it pregnancy hormones or is there something real happening between us?

I didn’t expect any of this...most of all him.

Title: Didn't Expect You
Author: Claudia Burgoa
Series: Against All Odds (Book 2)
Pages: 347
Genre(s): Romantic Comedy, Romcom, Contemporary, US, Friends to Lovers, Surprise Baby
Hot Buttons: n/a

Release Date: 16th September, 2020


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Another fantastic read

5 stars

My first experience of Claudia Burgoa was the novel that precedes this one in the Against All Odds series, Wrong Text, Right Love. Each novel stands completely alone from the other, but I absolutely adored Wrong Text, and would highly recommend that book as much as I do this one.

Because this book was just as delicious as the first book in the series. Said series follows siblings Persephone, Nyx and Eros (their parents are slightly quirky!) as they go through challenges, find their forever person, and live their happily ever afters. Persy’s story is Wrong Text, Right Love while Eros’s story comes next in Love Like Her.

Nyx is the boring, dependable one in the family. She’s sensible, she plans and she keeps her wilder siblings in check. Yet recently, she’s been looking for some excitement in her life. She might not be a fan of her organisational tendencies but I fell head over heels for her and her smart and sensible ways. I love a fellow list-lover! And Nyx was far from boring. She might not be as extroverted and wild as her sister and brother, but she was odd in her own way and so much more interesting than she gave herself credit for.

Nate. Well - at first he started off like you would expect anyone billed as an adrenaline junkie, playboy to. Then he started to reveal his layers. His baggage and the reasons for the way he acted and thought. And the reasons he thought he needed to ‘fix’ himself before he would be worthy of Nyx.

And that’s where the magic of this novel happens. Both Nyx and Nate are aware of their attraction to each other - but circumstances, meddling family, unexpected pregnancies - kept them both from taking that next step with each other. As such, this is a pretty slow burn tale, but it’s a subtle burn, too. You watch all the little things that the pair do for each other. How they are perfect for each other and balance each other out. Before you or they realise it, we have love. And you will believe it. If you’re anything like me, you’ll get a wee bit sappy over it.

You’ll also laugh. A lot. I surprised myself by getting a little sniffly only to find myself laughing out loud (actually out loud) in the next sentence. So you get real love, real emotions and real laughter. Is there anything else you need in a romance?

As with the first book, the writing style really pulls you in, and you feel invested in the story from the first chapter. I also felt that there was a great lesson in the story - but not in a special edition of Saved by the Bell kinda way. It just made you think - about your own life and what’s important to you.

My delight with Claudia Burgoa continues with this smashing book. I loved it from the first page to the last, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun story with just enough depth, angst and deliciousness. Definitely another winner. 5 stars.

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AUTHOR BIO!

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author.

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breath away.

She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and her youngest two children. She has a sweet Bichon, Macey, who thinks she's the ruler of the house. She's only partially right.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At night, I like to binge-watch shows with his equal geek husband.

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He's Breaking All The Rules

He's her BFF - Best Friend Forever
And he's off limits.
But now that she's single,
He wants to change the rules.
So why can't they be best friends with benefits?
Oh yea, because he doesn't like those rules either.

Dear Readers,
Austin and Laney are too hot together to be just friends. He's a DIRTY mechanic and she's a plus size hottie and together they're going to get your engine revving! VROOM! VROOM! I hope you enjoy this steamy, sweet love story of friends to lovers and second chances.
XX, Hope

Title: Bad Boy Best Friend
Author: Hope Ford
Series: n/a
Pages: 136
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, friends to lovers
Hot Buttons: n/a

Release Date: 25th August, 2020

Sweet and light

4 stars

This is my first book by Hope Ford and in a general sense, I would compare her writing and story style to Lucy Darling or Alexa Riley. The authors who tend towards the more insta-love type of story.

And while it definitely reminded me of that kind of story - this tale actually isn’t one of insta-love, as our hero and heroine, Austin and Laney, are best friends and have been since they were kids and have never crossed the line into anything ‘more’. Yet I suppose their transition from friends to lovers happens quickly enough that you could class it as insta-love if you fancied!

Laney has just returned to her home town for the first time in a year. While she and Austin have called and texted, they haven’t actually seen each other in a while. And suddenly Austin finds himself having thoughts about his bestie that are definitely not friend-like. For her part, Austin has always been the man that Laney measures all other men against. And each is found wanting. But she knows that she and Austin are so deeply in the friend zone that she has locked her feelings away. Until Austin changes the rules.

I enjoyed this story. It’s very well written and you are quickly engaged with the characters and their interactions. I liked both our main characters and rooted for them to take that step to change their relationship.

I really wavered between giving this book 3 stars of 4. As I said, I liked the writing style, I enjoy a good insta-love story, and this was a sweet and light example of such.

I just felt that we could have delved so much deeper into the emotions of our characters and the angst that they must have been feeling over the changing of their life-long relationship. I suppose I wanted to see them both suffer a bit more - to feel the worry, the joy and the chemistry of a new relationship, even if they’ve known each other forever.

I think if I’d had that, I would have understood, especially Austin, a bit more. Why did he go all macho on his supposed friend for talking to Laney? How did he feel over that bit of foolishness? It just seemed to happen and we’re to accept that this is normal behaviour. I don’t mind jealously - in fact I quite like it - but make me understand what you’re feeling. That you’re just confused rather than just a douche.

And while I’ve constantly likened this book to others, I did feel this was perhaps less sexy than similar books in that category. Oh there was sex, sure, but it didn’t give me that filthy feeling that I love when I read it. I’m not deducting stars based on heat level, but I felt it was worth noting.

I might have been a little grumpy with this review but I did enjoy this book and this story. It’s fairly short, probably taking little over an hour to read, and you could easily read this in one sitting. The writing is good, the characters are fun and I enjoyed them on their way to their happily ever after. I will definitely pick up other books by Hope Ford in the future.

 

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AUTHOR BIO!

Bestselling Author Hope Ford loves writing steamy, sweet stories of curvy women finding love.  With over ninety books, she feels that she has found her calling.

If you love your romance books with insta love, hot love scenes, and a sweet story, then please give one of her books a chance.  You will be happy you did.

 

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The Sheriff's Plus One is a standalone, small town romance in The Kincaids series. If you enjoy friends to lovers romances, then you'll love Archer Kincaid and Molly Parrish's book.

Star Falls Sheriff Archer Kincaid thought nothing could shock him anymore… until his fianceé skips out on their wedding day. In an effort to save face and give his heart a chance to heal, he turns to his best friend. Only he didn’t count on falling in love with her along the way.

Molly Parrish is done with love, but when her best friend is jilted on his wedding day, she can’t help but help him get over his ex-fiancée. Platonically, of course. She’s totally not falling for him. Like, at all. When Archer’s ex returns to town and asks for help to win him back, Molly is convinced she’s cursed.

Can Archer convince Molly to be his permanent plus one?

Title: The Sheriff's Plus One
Author: Marquita Valentine
Series: Kincaid Series
Pages: 114
Genre(s): Contemporary, US, small town, friends to lovers
Hot Buttons: n/a

Short and sweet

4 stars

I enjoy Marquita Valentine’s smooth and engaging writing style and this short but sweet book pulled me in just as I expected it would.

Archer and Molly are best friends, both getting over break-ups. Well, Archer is actually getting over being dumped at the altar and, as Sheriff of their small town, he’s obligated to go to lots of events. Desperate not to be subjected to pitying stares, he ropes Molly in to be his plus one.

I do enjoy a friends-to-lovers story and this is a very gentle example of that trope. There’s no startling revelation of love from either Molly or Archer - just a kiss that makes them think and consider whether perhaps they are right for each other after all. It’s all very sweet. While there is some sex, it happens behind closed doors for the most part.

The relationship between Molly and Archer is nice, and they have some fun banter. However, it’s the interactions between Archer and his brother, Gunner, that are absolutely hilarious. I love a bit of manly banter and I could have read that pair all day.

There are a few grammatical and spelling errors that are a little annoying. Nothing that a good proofreader wouldn’t be able to fix.

My main reason that I didn’t give 5 stars to this story is that there were lots and LOTS of references in this book to situations, people and scenarios that I had no clue about. The man Cora (Molly’s other best friend) was infatuated with, the Mansion, a non-existent invitation to a Yarn Shop - I felt like I was on the outside of some insider jokes. But I’ve no idea where that inside is! This book is part of the Kincaid series so perhaps things become clearer in later books. Or perhaps in this book’s prequel, The Sheriff's Midnight Kiss. And while I was confused, it wouldn’t put me off picking up other books in the series to read more about these characters.

I also feel I have to mention the strange parallel with Jane Austen’s Emma. Cora Woodhouse and her hypochondriac father. Self-righteous and pompous Elton that Molly meets after being set-up by Cora. I’m sure this is no coincidence but other than that, I saw no similarities. Again, perhaps that’ll be in future Kincaid stories.

Overall, this is a short and sweet story that will delight those that love some small town loving. An easy read and one I’d happily recommend to you. 4 stars.

 

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AUTHOR BIO!

Marquita Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Holland Springs and Boys of the South series.

Since first taking the plunge in July of 2012 to self publish, Marquita Valentine has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling Ebooks Lists on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes&Noble. She's been called "one of the best new voices in romance" (Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews) and her books have been accused of being "a sexy, fun, and slightly addicting contemporary read" (The Book Queen).

When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys shopping, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south with her husband, two kids, and a dog.

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