What Happens in the Ballroom

 What Happens in the Ballroom (Designing Debutants 2)- Sabrina Jeffries

Zebra Publishing

Release Date: March 28, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: A young military widow, Eliza Pierce is enjoying both freedom and financial success as part of Elegant Occasions. When her late husband’s best friend, Nathaniel Stanton, the Earl of Foxstead, hires Elegant Occasions to help another young widow of an officer become part of high society, Eliza wonders why. Is the woman a relative? Or is she the earl’s mistress and her adorable toddler his child? If so, why does he take Eliza in his arms every chance he gets . . .

Foxstead’s family situation makes it difficult for him to marry, so his visceral attraction to his best friend’s widow is an unwelcome complication. Burdened by family secrets and those of his commanding officer, he’s determined to do his duty even when it means being around Eliza every day. But how can he resist when the fetching Eliza keeps tempting him to break his own rules? For if he dares to expose the truth, will she ever forgive him? Or will she banish him from her life forever . . .

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This was a fun, quick book continuing Sabrina Jeffries' series of three sisters trying to make a living by running a small but elegant business of catering parties and helping debutants. This time eldest sister and widow Eliza meets her match with Nathaniel, Lord Foxstead, when he asks Eliza and her sisters to help his ward Jocelin enter society in order to find a husband. While Nat and Eliza have known each other to some degree for years through her husband, spending more time together because of Jocelin leads to a slow burn romance. Neither is quite ready for marriage- Nat because of his duty to Jocelin and Eliza because her marriage and her parent's example has turned her off the idea. But the more they try to convince themselves a brief affair is all they need, the less they believe it!

I enjoyed this story, and how strong Eliza was despite what she's been through before we meet her. She works to be the strong one in the family and refuses to admit when she needs anything, even to herself, so she finds enjoying Nathaniel's company a surprise. I admire how she grew after her emotionally and psychologically abusive husband went off to war- even if he had come back I don't think he would have found her so easy to manipulate as he did when she was young and impressionable. She did what she needed to do- like start a business- because she and her sisters knew they couldn't rely on anyone but themselves. The fact that three young women were strong and smart enough to do that is great. Nathaniel knows he's emotionally attracted to Eliza early on, but he makes things complicated. By the end you understand why and from his point of view I get it. But he ended up doing quite a bit of lying- or at least playing fast and loose with the truth. He thought he was protecting people, and he was. But he had to learn that sometimes you can protect one person while trusting another at the same time. I loved that Eliza never let him get away with anything, and he had to really think and learn from his mistakes. I wish for Eliza's sake he hadn't had to make quite so many along the way, but  you were quite sure he wasn't going to repeat any of the ones he did make!

A light book about learning to trust others with your heart and becoming partners in all senses of the word, with some steamy scenes and delightfully romantic moments. Can't wait for Verity's turn!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Just a Little Hookup

 Just a Little Hookup- Carly Phillips & Erica Wilde

CP Publishing

Release Date: March 21, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Being a bachelor has its perks. It also has its downside. Just ask Derek Bettencourt.

Standing on stage and being auctioned off in the name of charity is awkward AF… until his business partner’s younger sister wins him for the weekend. He’s all hers to do with as she pleases and he can’t say he’s unhappy with the prospect. Especially since she saved him from an ex-fiancée determined to get her claws into him again.

Jessica Cavanaugh never intended to bid on the man she’s had a lifetime crush on. But her spur-of-the-moment decision gives her a chance to exact a bit of playful payback, for old time’s sake. And Derek is all too happy to indulge Jessica's whims.

What starts as a fun, flirty, game, with Derek acting as her personal handyman, quickly turns into a steamy and forbidden weekend. Lines are crossed that they never intended and emotions unravel their playful facades. Afterward, he can’t get the gorgeous, full-figured woman out of his head and he’s determined to make her his.

But how can they concentrate on a future when someone is threatened by their relationship and will do anything to come between them?

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What a great book! Two strong and solid leads, down-to-earth personalities who have learned not to let parental or social pressure change who they are or what they want out of life, Derek and Jessica are just perfect for each other! 

Derek is a great leading guy, looking for substance over eye-candy, as perfectly shown between the clash between mean girl Claire and Jessica. Jessica still has a few insecurities once and awhile (not bad after a lifetime of bullying from her mom and classmates) but has built a successful business about to launch a new line of Curvy Girl Lingerie. She's had a crush on her older brother's best friend Derek since she was a teenager. Now they are discovering some sizzling chemistry together and everything seems to be perfect-until someone sets out to sabotage her designer launch, her business, and her life.

 I really loved the body positivity and self-worth messages in this book. It's nice seeing more plus size heroines in romance these days, but the positive message we see in this book took it to a new and wonderful level. LOVED the ending! Maybe one of my favorites in this series yet!

I received an ARC of this book from Booksprout in exchange for an honest review

Rise of the Firebird

Rise of the Firebird (Firebird Faire Tale series #3)- Amy Kuivalainen

BHC Press

Release Date: March 21, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Traveling from the battlefields of Skazki to the Underworld of Tuonela, Anya and her companions encounter the vicious dark goddess Louhi and gain two magicians, the mad hero Kullervo and Eldon Blaise--apprentice of Merlin himself.

As devastating secrets of history and the heart are revealed, Anya must fight the darkness within herself and rise up to be a symbol for the Neutral rebel army that rallies under the banner of the firebird. Ready to restore the balance at any price, the final battle of the three armies will shape the worlds forever in this exciting finale of the Firebird Faerie Tales series.

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The end of the Firebird series has definitely left me with a book hangover that will be staying with me for awhile. Like the first two in the series, (Cry of the Firebird, Ashes of the Firebird) Kuivalainen's amazing world-building abilities are on full display here as she takes Anya and crew through multiple worlds in true faerie tale quest fashion. They meet new allies, annoy new powers, and search for the powerful weapon that will help them defeat Baba Yaga and Yanka once and for all. 

Over and over we're reminded that power can be seductive and it is easy to slide to darkness. That seems to have been what happened with Yanka and Baba Yaga and while everyone keeps saying Anya looks like Yanka, and she certainly has some moments of anger, nobody worries about her becoming dark as much as I expected. Maybe because she worries about it, maybe they figure the Firebird won't let it happen? I was surprised it didn't come up more, especially since as the book goes on the idea of revenge comes up more. 

There was a lot going on in this book, almost too much for one book. Kuivalainen drags us all through the emotional wringer, even before the final battle. I was so attached to all the characters that even figuring a major final battle wasn't going to go well, losing some at the end made me cry. There were more loose ends left hanging in this book than I expected, very unusual for Amy Kuivalainen, which makes me wonder if there will be a spin-off with one or two characters in her next series to answer some of the questions she left us with at the end. And I have to admit I wasn't comfortable with the 'raising of the spring' ritual- felt like a trigger warning beforehand wouldn't have been out of place there. But maybe that's just me?

Overall Rise of the Firebird continues the beautiful blend of urban fantasy and Russian/Finnish mythology the series is know for. I do definitively recommend reading the first two books before reading this one, since this picks up right where books 2 left off.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Protector

 The Protector (Game of Chance 1)- Susan Stoker

Montlake

Release Date: March 14, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Riggs “Chappy” Chapman didn’t expect to be disrupted at his remote cabin in the woods. But when a stray dog arrives on his porch, he winds up finding a stray woman, too, trudging through the snowstorm in search of shelter. His military days may be behind him, but Chappy is hardwired to protect her from the storm and whatever it is she’s running from.

Carlise Edwards didn’t expect her car to break down in the Maine wilderness. All she wants is to escape whoever is stalking her back home. There’s no way anyone’s going to find her and Chappy deep in the forest, especially not in dangerous weather. But she finds it hard to mind the circumstances when the company is this stimulating.

As the snowstorm rages, Chappy and Carlise find that, despite the cold, they can generate plenty of heat of their own…but there’s more than just natural dangers lurking in the woods.

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When Riggs "Chappy" Chapman goes to spend his vacation at his mountain cabin, he isn't expecting to spend it with a strange woman and a stray dog. And he's definitely not expecting that woman to be THE ONE. But after plenty of bad luck in the military, luck seems to be smiling on him. Except for the stalker problems Carlise is running away from.

Susan Stoker starts a new series in a major way with The Protector and I'm already completely hooked. Chappy, Cal, JJ, and Bob leave the Army after a mission goes bad and ends up with them captured and tortured by terrorists. They find a new home in a tiny town in Maine and new lives cutting trees and helping hikers, trying to put their past traumas behind them. But, like all of Stoker's alpha heroes, these guys are protectors and not about to leave someone in trouble to fend for themselves. While his friends are a little skeptical that Chappy seems to have fallen in love with Carlise as quickly as he has, they are willing to help out as needed, because they are family and that's what family does. It's a great group of guys and I can't wait to read all of their stories. Chappy is super aware of the abuse Carlise has been through and wants to make sure she never feels like she's anything but safe with him. Carlise doesn't think of herself as brave- when she is threatened she leaves town-but she's sensible, smart, kind, and fits perfectly with Chappy. 

The stalker/other story is a little predictable, but since it isn't really the driving focus of the book I was ok with that. This was really about two damaged people learning to open up to each other and trust that wonderful things can happen when and where they are least expected. And Baxter, the abused dog who brings them together, absolutely steals every scene he's in and is the true hero of the book.

The Protector drew me in from the beginning and I really loved it. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review