THE ROMANCE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL, FOR ME. EDWARD WAS MY FIRST REAL BOOK-BOYFRIEND… P.S. Here’s my 5-STAR book review.

“Isabella Swan’s move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn.

Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife — between desire and danger.”

Dawn: Twilight started it for me too!

Amy: That’s what started it for me!

Branden: I mean was a big reader when I was younger but then was on like a decade hiatus and got pressured into reading Twilight lol! The rest is history 🤷‍♀️

Michele: I googled what to read after Twilight and found my Maryse’s Book Blog!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

Sherry: Same!!!!! And I found my Maryse 🥰🥰🥰

MARITAL STRIFE ALERT!!

“Lauri is a stay at home mom who was overwhelmed enough with a three year old and a new baby on the way. When she finds out her husband was cheating on her, she doesn’t tell anyone, not even her best friend Alex.

Alex’s marriage isn’t perfect either but she’s never confided in anyone about it and she’s not about to start now. Together they go about their everyday lives raising their children.

Separately, Lauri attempts to fix her marriage and Alex struggles to decide what to do about hers. Neither realizes their choices are intertwined. Until it’s too late.”

Jill: Mistakes: A Novel by Amanda Wilhelm. Just don’t throw your Kindle at me. Will never forget that book.

Maryse: Ooooooh NEW TO ME & I love anything that makes me wanna throw my Kindle. YAY!! Thank you for this one, Jill. This is exactly what I’m looking for. *happy dance*

Danette: For some strange and unexplainable reason, marital strife is my jam. Some of my favs… Mistakes by Amanda Wilhelm

I LOVE THIS AUTHOR!!! ONE-CLICKED, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO READ THIS! HER NEW LANDLORD IS NOT STRANGER-FRIENDLY…

“...after breaking up with her longtime, famous musician boyfriend, hiding out in a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart. And checking out her landlord who lives across the driveway just might cure it, too.

Only Tobias Rhodes didn’t rent out the apartment to her, rather it was his teenage son, Amos. Fiercely protective of his family and distrusting of strangers, gruff and grumpy Rhodes initially keeps little miss sunshine Ora at a distance...”

Kathy: …I don’t know why I waited to read it. For me, definitely one of her better books.

Melinda: Loved it Amazing 5 stars for me. Mariana Zapata builds the characters and you feel that deep connection with them, you feel their pain, happiness and building of relationships. It’s as if the characters become family.

Rochelle: …It had a slow start but the slow burn was great. All her writing is excellent. I love how she ties spots or outdoors into her stories. Never go wrong with Mariana.

Branden: I just finished All Rhodes Lead to Here and it was so super cute! Loved it😍

STUNNING FANTASY – SHE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A GOOD HOUSEWIFE & MOTHER AND HID HER SWORD…

“On a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice…

…Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface...”

BOOK #2 IN THE STILL BEATING SERIES (and we LOVED IT!!!) HE WAS KIDNAPPED AS A CHILD…

Kelly: Still Beating was also really good. Very trigger-y and VERY dark but so well written. The next book, Lotus, was my fave of the 2. Again dark and has lots of triggers but holy moly did I love it.

R. Renee: I finished Lotus over the weekend. I really liked it but Still Beating is definitely my favorite by her so far. 

Jill: Loved Still Beating, haven’t read Lotus but need to now that there’s a 3rd by Jennifer.

“…Twenty-two years later, the last thing Sydney expects is for Oliver Lynch to return. Having been captive underground for decades, he’s unfamiliar with the strange new world that awaits him—but he’s alive. He’s here. And no matter how he’s changed, he and Sydney both still feel the connection that runs between them.

But as their reborn friendship begins to feel like something more, Sydney and Oliver realize there are still jagged, painful truths creating space between them. The walls Sydney’s built don’t want to come down, and as Oliver hunts for his missing memories and lost time, he realizes his nightmare is not yet over.”

SUPER-SALE!!! “For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus”

Maria: Remarkably Bright Creatures is on sale …a good deal!

Mo: My favorite book this year was, Remarkably Bright Creatures. It was just a great story of love, loss, miracles, hope, and second chances

Maryse: That’s the second time I’ve heard that one mentioned as a favorite. I’m going to have to read it!! Thank you!!

Lena: Top 5: hello beautiful, remarkably bright creatures, romantic comedy, wish you were here, the measure, the seven year slip

Paula: Remarkably Bright Creatures! And then Lessons in Chemist followed by West with Giraffes. I read them all in a row and they were the best books I have read in years.

MAFIA ROMANCE – THE HOUSEKEEPER SLAVE & THE MAFIA PRINCE…

“A sexy ebook about two seventeen-year-olds—one a victim of human trafficking; the other the son of the man who enslaved her—who fall in love and question everything they ever believed…

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco grew up under vastly different circumstances. Haven, a second-generation slave, was isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege and excess.

Now, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide…”

Marta: Omg my favorite BUT I’d read it way before it became a book. J.M had a blog. That was sooo good. Because it was really long she had to shorten it . Book is great but the blog … mmm it was amazing. I remember waiting for the new chapter impatiently and was in book heaven when the new one came out.

Olivia: Absolutely loved this book!

Natalie: One of my favorite books still

Maryse: I 5-STARRED this incredible mafia romance (I had never read anything like it at that time…)

ONE OF MY 5-STAR FAVORITES IS ON SALE!! It captured me from the very start, and I could barely put it down. I swear it gave me at least three panic attacks… P.S. Here’s my 5-STAR review.

A” #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation. 

With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. 

The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime…”

Alice: It’s one of those books you never forget. I read it five or six years ago and it has stuck with me.

Lorna: It’s such a good book!

Linda: One of the best books i ever read

MYSTERY ROMANCE SERIES – one of our original indie favorites!

“...Being a bartender by night and law firm runner by day helps make ends meet for Kathleen Turner. Mostly. Being 23 and single in Indianapolis wasn’t exactly a thrilling adventure, but then again, that’s not what Kathleen wanted. At least, not until she met Blane Kirk.

Navy SEAL turned high-profile attorney, Blane is everything a woman could want. The only problem? He’s her boss.

Blane is known for playing the field and the last thing Kathleen needs or wants is to get involved with him. But when her friend is murdered and it seems Kathleen will be next, she may not have a choice…”

Catherine: Thank you for that recommendation – absolutely gripped!!! 😉

Nikki: Loved this series

Lesli: love love love these!!!

Jennifer: Have you read these …If you haven’t.. you MUST.. 😉 LOVE them!! …they’re still on my mind.. weeks after reading them..

MUCH LOVED FANTASY ROMANCE SERIES!!

“…In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King’s Champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it’s there to kill...”

Tiffany: I love, love, love the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas!

Taylor: my favorite fantasy series has continued to be Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

STUDENT TEACHER ROMANCE!! HUGELY POPULAR amongst our book crew! Here’s my book review.

“…Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well-respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption. 

When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide…”

Lynn: Absolutely loved this series…couldn’t put them down.

Tina: Totally agree loved both books 110%. It is the next series that I have been telling all my friends to read. Have it on Kindle and paperback…..well had to for the paperback cover!! 🙂

JAMES A. MICHENER RECOMMENDATION!!

“Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story of Colorado—the Centennial State—is manifested through its people:

Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain and warrior, and his Comanche and Pawnee enemies; Levi Zendt, fleeing with his child bride from the Amish country; the cowboy, Jim Lloyd, who falls in love with a wealthy and cultured Englishwoman, Charlotte Seccombe.

In Centennial, trappers, traders, homesteaders, gold seekers, ranchers, and hunters are brought together in the dramatic conflicts that shape the destiny of the legendary West—and the entire country.”

Philippe: Any novel by James Michener. If it has to be one, “Centennial”.

Carol: James Michener is fabulous

THIS BOOK TORE MY HEART OUT!! Here’s my 4.5 STAR book review.

“…Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). She’s quick witted, endlessly passionate about music, the first to offer a smile, and the kind of loyal that most friends only dream about.

The one thing that escapes her optimism is love. She’s never bought into it, never believed in it. So, when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall hard for Keller Banks.

They both feel it. But they each have a reason to fight it. They each have a secret…”

Michelle: Such an AwESOme book! One of the best I’ve read in 2014!

Mo: Bright Side by Kim Holden! Tears for days!

Colette: Bright Side by Kim Holden I thought I was safe listening to the audio at work since I had already read the book. I. Was. Wrong. 😭😂

ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL INDIE FAVORITES!! Here’s my book review!!

“Reason to Breathe is the first book in the million-copy bestselling Breathing Series.

“…In the affluent town of Weslyn, Connecticut, where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all. She’s more concerned with feigning perfection—pulling down her sleeves to conceal the bruises, not wanting anyone to know how far from perfect her life truly is. Without expecting it, she finds love. It challenges her to recognize her own worth―at the risk of revealing the terrible secret she’s desperate to hide.

Reason to Breathe is one girl’s story of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and her precarious grasp of hope.”

Sadie: Finished OOB last week. 🙂 What an intense and memorable series!

Penny: These are really engrossing and heartwrentching stories.

ONE OF MY 4.5-STAR FAVORITES!!

“…Through childhood disasters and teenage woes they cling together as friendship turns to love. The future looks rosy until the fateful night when Frank Anderson, Nick’s abusive father, is shot to death in his filthy trailer. 

Suddenly, Nick is gone, leaving Alix alone, confused and pregnant. For the next fifteen years she wrestles with the pain of Nick’s abandonment, a bad marriage, her family and friends. But finally, she’s starting to get her life back together. Her divorce is almost final, her business is booming, and she’s content if not happy—until the day she looks up and sees Nick standing across the counter. He’s back, and he’s not alone...”

P.S. Here’s my 4.5 STAR book review.

Tess: WOW…..what a book! Loved it….

Tori: I LOVED this book! I read ’til the wee hours of the morning just to finish ’cause I just couldn’t put it down, and now that it’s over, I keep replaying parts of it in my head. (sigh) Thanks again for such great finds!

Annie: This book was AMAZiNG. Loved the way the love just sorta grew as they grew up. One of my fav book of all time. loved your blog by the way. *bookmark it*

FANTASY ROMANCE!! DUOLOGY ALERT!

“…This breakout romantasy sensation by Rachel Schneider that has taken the Internet by storm bursts with suspense, romance, and a breathtaking twist you won’t see coming.

Even though she’s not one of them, Brynn has spent her life among the Alaha, training to be a guard and waiting for the chance to attend the annual market hosted by the Kenta–the very same people who exiled her adopted community to a life at sea. Going to the market is a rite of passage eagerly anticipated by all young guards, but Brynn does not anticipate breaking a century-long peace treaty while there. Nor does she plan for the intense encounter with an enemy soldier that now threatens to unwind the fragile coexistence between their people–and everything Brynn once believed about herself to be true.

Brynn’s loyalty to the Alaha is tested when the truth of her identity is brought to light by this soldier who’s taken an oath to bring her back to where she belongs...”