It's been two weeks since I've written a Sunday Post and I've missed doing it. I finished up my classes for both colleges I teach for this last week, so I have the whole summer off before I'm back to work. I'm excited to have a few months off to work on my own projects. 

One such project is editing my book and deciding if it's fit for publication, and what that entails. I'm a big fan of indie authors and self-publishing, I believe it takes the power and puts it in the hands of the author, so if I publish I'll be an indie author. We'll see how it goes!

Otherwise, I've taken my sweet puppy on a few doggy playdates to my best friends house where she has one big dog (very big!) and one small dog. I'm trying to get sweet Kneesaa, my pup, socialized so she doesn't spaz out every time she sees other dogs or humans. It's going okay so far. She's a good girl, but she's a little afraid of dogs. Like mother like fur-daughter, I suppose. I was bit by a German Shepard when I was five years old, so I've always been a little afraid of dogs. Maybe she can sense it? As for how she feels about the play dates, well....

She gives the best side eye!

What I'm reading this week

A small-town enemies to lovers romance and the debut novel from the bestselling author of Flawless and Wild Love.

Keeping things professional with my employees has never been an issue… until Billie waltzes onto my property.

She’s talented, feisty and so damn tempting. We clash from the moment we meet, and I can't stop thinking about all the ways I could take her down a peg. I can't stop thinking about her, period.

And in a small town, on an even smaller farm, it’s hard to keep my distance. Billie is the whole package: whip-smart with a body I fantasies about, and quite possibly the only woman who can save this business – and me. She drives me crazy, but the more time we spend together, the more I crave her: her lips, her trust, her heart… I want it all.

But at what cost? Because suddenly I don’t just want to win races, I want to win the girl.

Author: Brooke Montgomery
Genre: Cowboy Romance
Format: Audible, Kindle
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Series: Yes, Sugarland Creek Book 1
Pages: 392

Synopsis {via Goodreads}

A forbidden age gap stand-alone from small-town romance author Brooke Montgomery about a daring horse trainer and her off-limits ex-boyfriend’s dad…

When we met at the rodeo, I only knew his first name.

Sparks ignited between us, and we spent an unforgettable night together.

It's not until the morning after when I recognize his last name do I realize who he is.

So I do what any rational woman would and make the walk of shame while he sleeps. It's not like I'll ever see him again or have to explain why I left.

But I'm proven wrong when he shows up at my family's ranch as the new farrier.

We can't be more than friends—for many reasons. 

He's twice my age, workplace relationships are off-limits, and he moved back to rebuild a relationship with his son—the one I used to date. 

Getting involved would ruin everything.

As we struggle between right and wrong, our connection deepens even though his traumatic past makes him doubt he deserves a second chance.

But it doesn't matter when everything's against us, including a rival who's out to get me and my ex who's determined to win me back.

After a riding trick goes wrong on his watch, he insists on taking care of me. Even though the odds are stacked against us, we keep the truth to ourselves.

But secrets don't stay hidden for long in a Southern small town.

Here With Me is book 1 in the Sugarland Creek series. Contains 20+ year age gap, ex-boyfriend's dad, workplace romance, opposites attract, and secret relationship vibes. Each book in this Southern, small town series is a stand-alone and ends in a happily ever after. Please read the content warning before the prologue.

Review:

Here with Me is a cowboy romance with all the energy. This book has a one night stand, a secret relationship, a hot ex-boyfriend's dad, all the cowboy (and cowgirl) vibes you could possibly want, and it's got a sweet age gap romance to boot. Montgomery pulls out all the stops with this one and it is hot! This book starts spicy and stays that way to the end. 

Fisher and Noah are both fun characters in completely different ways. Noah is completely forward, while Fisher is more reserved. She comes on to him first and there's a one night stand that she initiates. While Fisher is an older man with a troubled past, Noah is young and successful with a great big loving family. They're completely different and they completely fall for each other and it is delicious! 

The plot of this book is a perfectly paced age-gap, ex-boyfriend's dad plot with a suspense element. There's a bad guy who does bad things (I won't tell!). It's completely clear why the bad guy is doing the things he's doing and you feel for Noah and the horses through the ordeal with the baddie. I suppose there's also a place where you feel for Fisher, too, but since this story has an HEA that angle doesn't have as much of a bite. 

Overall, the story is spicy and delicious and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys age gap and cowboy romances!

Oh, and if you happen to listen to this book on Audible, the female narrator, Maxine Mitchell is *chef's kiss* while the male narrator, Tor Thom, is *cringe.* While I'm sure Tor Thom is usually fine, his southern accent is absolutely awful. No reflection on the book or the author, but yeah, do yourself and favor and skip the Audible and read this one. 

Rating: 

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful

Author: Stephanie Napolitano
Genre: Small Town Romance
Format: Kindle, ARC
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Series: No, Standalone
Pages: 347

Fall from Grace follows former NYC party girl and socialite Grace Harrington, who’s spent the last year as an outcast after a scandal shattered her high-society life. No longer the carefree woman she once was, Grace struggles with her tarnished reputation. Her mother refuses to accept the new Grace, and her so-called friends have turned their backs on her.

Desperate for a fresh start, Grace seeks refuge in the small town of Grand Haven, where she finds herself charmed by the simple life—and even more so by Caleb, the rugged single dad who owns the local bar. As Grace begins to heal and rediscover herself, her past resurfaces, threatening to unravel everything she’s worked to rebuild.

Can Grace overcome the shadows of her old life and finally find her place, or will she keep falling?

A small town, single dad romance with an HEA!

Review:

🩷 Redemption

Fall From Grace is a sweet small town romance that starts as a big city tragedy. Grace is a big city party girl who, after a tragedy befalls her, runs away from her life in the big apple to hide in a cozy little town. Grand Haven is exactly what a sweet little town should be, it's full of small town, Hallmark-ish charm and the cast of characters in Grand Haven are a wonderful, diverse group of people. Napolitano does a very nice job making the characters in this book, well... characters. 

Caleb is a hot single dad, so his little girl, Noelle, plays a big role in the book. While there's some sad moments with little Noelle, she's a ray of sunshine throughout the book. While he may be hot, Caleb has a few issues, like a fear of being abandoned by city girls because this exact thing has happened to him before. But, he's a sweet, stable, sexy bar owner with a good support system. He's basically the exact opposite of Grace, who is living out of hotels and Bed & Breakfasts. 

Grace and Caleb have heat and chemistry almost from their first meeting and it's easy to see how they fall in love as the story progresses. While they don't weather their first big hurdle very well, no one in romance novels ever does. Talking goes out the window and Grace does what she does best, she runs. The whole thing could probably have been worked out with better communication, but overall their struggles aren't insurmountable. 

Fall From Grace has a few different things happening, there's a redemption plot, a romance between Caleb and Grace, and a side-plot with little Noelle. So there're a lot of threads and Napolitano does a great job tying them all up in the end. There're no loose threads hanging around, everything is tied up with a pretty pink bow. When the book ended, I still wanted to know more about Grace and Caleb's life together, which I think is the mark of a good story. 

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys cozy, small town vibes. 

Rating: 

❤❤❤❤ - Delightful!!