Susan's Review of Samantha Chase's Save Me--Donovan Series #3

Pretending to date the town’s bad boy seemed like a good idea.
But who knew that being bad could feel so good…
A small town, fake dating, opposites attract standalone romance from NY Times Best Selling Author Samantha Chase
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Ryleigh Donovan has been unsuccessfully dodging her mother’s matchmaking attempts for far too long. In an act of desperation, she finds the one guy in her small town who is guaranteed to shock everyone to be her fake boyfriend. It doesn’t need to be for long, she just needs to buy herself enough time to recover from her mother’s last disastrous fix-up. It’s really a fool-proof plan. But when a few staged kisses lead to some very real feelings, she realizes she might be in over her head.
Ryker Masella has been patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to get Ryleigh to take him—and his numerous attempts at asking her out—seriously. When she grabs him and kisses him in front of her family to prove a point, he’s more than on board. But when she proposes a fake—and temporary—relationship, he’s 100% on board. After all, she might be all about pretending, but he sees it as a way for Ryleigh to truly see the real him.
Fake flirting and orchestrated dates quickly bring on real feelings. For Ryker, they’ve always been there and he’ll be as patient as he needs to be. She might have asked him to save her from her family, but what he wants is to save her from herself.

Save Me is the third novel in Samantha Chase’s Donovan series. The chemistry between Ryleigh Donovan and Ryker Massella has been simmering for the past few months—I was so excited to read this novel!

 
Ryleigh Donovan is tired of her mother’s over the top matchmaking. Kate’s last fix up for Ryleigh was a complete disaster and Ryleigh needs to figure out a way to stop this nonsense. She leaves the pub and runs into Ryker Massella. Ryker is the opposite of what Kate views as boyfriend material for Ryleigh—he’s kinda scruffy looking with a beard and tattoos. Ryleigh asks Ryker to be her fake boyfriend and he agrees.

 
Ryker had asked Ryleigh out and she’d refused him. Now, he has the chance to romance Ryleigh and let her see the man behind the beard and tattoos. I enjoyed how this story evolved-at first Ryker supported Ryleigh. And when Ryker needed support-Ryleigh was there for him.

 
Ryleigh and Ryker are creative people; Ryleigh designs websites and Ryker is a well- known tattoo artist who is on a sabbatical as he figures out the next step in his career.. The chemistry between the couple is off the charts and it was so much fun to read their love story. Loved that Ryker put his feelings for Ryleigh out there first and waited for Ryleigh to fall for him—this was beautifully written.
Loved all the Donovan drama and that Ryker shaved his beard and got a haircut before his first family dinner—Ryleigh’s reaction was priceless—she knew he didn’t have to change his appearance to be accepted….this was such a key element in the storyline. Ryker’s interest in Ryleigh drew me into this emotional love story—the characters are beautifully developed, their love story is passionate and the addition of Donovan drama adds humor and light to the novel.

 
I highly recommend Samantha Chase’s save Me—Ryker is Ryleigh’s perfect Valentine!

Susan's Review of Tempt Me by Samantha Chase

 Lady Celeste is thrilled to recommend Tempt Me by Samantha Chase. 

He hates the holidays. She lives for them. Let the games begin.

A small town, grumpy/sunshine romance from NY Times Best Selling Author Samantha Chase

Six months ago, Liam Donovan met the world's cheeriest, most upbeat woman at a wedding.
It was the longest two days of his life.
Now she’s his next door neighbor.
Talk about awkward.

Tessa Sullivan believes in always looking at the bright side. Unfortunately, her new neighbor is the most negative man on the planet and seems to have made it his mission to ruin her good mood on a daily basis. She loves to sing, she loves to smile, but more than anything, she loves to decorate for the holidays. The fact that this seems to bug her new neighbor is simply a perk.

After twelve years in the Marines, Liam is more than ready to come home and start the next phase of his life. He’s starting a business, reconnecting with his mildly over-bearing family, and loves the fact that he’s finally got a place of his own. If only his neighbor’s decorations would stay on her side of the property. There isn’t one thing about Tessa that tempts him…until there is. Now she’s all he can think about.

Being friends makes sense.
Becoming lovers was inevitable.
But having Tessa be his forever is more than tempting.

*Each book in the Donovans series can be read as a standalone*

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Tempt Me is a poignant story of two people who are struggling to find their footing. Samantha Chase has created a heartfelt story for former marine Liam Donovan and music teacher Tessa Sullivan. At first, I thought Tempt Me was a grumpy hero-sunshine heroine novel- Tempt Me is SO MUCH MORE!! Samantha Chase has created two very complicated characters in Tempt Me. Neither character is what they appear to be—loved getting to know both of them. Tessa’s grief is overwhelming-she puts on her happy face to the outside world. Once she enters her front door she is surrounded by memories of the life she shared with Trevor. She understands she needs to move forward but is torn—she doesn’t want to forget Trevor. Loved that through Tessa’s experiences, Samantha Chase was able to show that everyone’s journey through grief is different. Liam has returned home after spending 12 years in the military. As the oldest sibling, he is used to bossing everyone around and having them fall into line. Things have changed –his brothers and sisters grown up, have successful careers and don’t appreciate his interference. The conversations between Liam and his brother Patrick are spot on and reveal so much about Liam. The novel takes place over a 4 month period which enables the reader to connect with the couple. The chemistry between the couple sizzles—this pairing is a true opposites attract romance. Liam challenges Tessa to move forward while Liam finds himself looking forward to cooking dinner with Tessa. Loved that Tessa brought laughter and love into Liam’s life. Tempt Me is a well-plotted, deeply emotional story with unforgettable characters whose story will tug at your heartstrings. I am so looking forward to the next Donovan book !! Reviewed by Susan Gorman ARC provided by the Author

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot.  She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than sixty titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017!  When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 28 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

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Susan's Review of Snow Place Like Holly Pointe by Cindy Kirk

 

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Will love be on their Christmas Lists?

Holly Pointe, Vermont might be the Capitol of Christmas Kindness, but when residents learn their beloved Mistletoe Ball has been canceled, goodwill is in short supply. Lucy Cummings feels like a grinch for canceling, but the ball is a financial lump of coal for the Barns at Grace Hollow. If she wants to save the venue she manages from being sold to an out-of-state buyer, she’ll need every penny she can earn to purchase it herself.

After years away, Trevor Sherwood has come home to Holly Point—and to Lucy. The last time he saw his former best friend, they were rambunctious kids. Now, Trevor is a talented entrepreneur and Lucy is a very beautiful--very stressed-out--businesswoman.

Trevor and Lucy soon realize their feelings go far beyond friendship. But with their personal Ghosts of Christmas Pasts haunting them, are they ready for love? When a massive snowstorm shuts down the town, nothing short of a miracle can restore Lucy’s Christmas cheer--and save their yuletide romance.

Grab a cup of hot cocoa, put up your feet, and dive into this uplifting story of second chances today!

I look forward to Cindy Kirk’s Holly Pointe books each year! Love the characters, the gorgeous town of Holly Pointe, Vermont and of course the romance!

Snow Place Like Holly Pointe features businesswoman Lucy Cummings and artist Trevor Sherwood. Lucy and Trevor were childhood best friends until Trevor’s family moved when they were in middle school. Lucy manages an event center and the town’s marketplace. Lucy is saving to buy the buildings from her mother and revenue from each event counts. Trevor shows up unexpectedly to help Lucy during her busy season—and she welcomes the help and the chance to reconnect with Trevor. Love the slow burn romance—it sizzles!

Lucy’s decision to rent out the event center instead of holding the annual Mistletoe Ball has made her very unpopular with members of the community. I could relate to Lucy’s situation she’s trying to balance earning the funds needed to buy the properties and can’t afford to host the event for free.  I felt for her when several people gave her a hard time—especially when they reminded her that her that Kevin loved Christmas. Kevin and Lucy dated for years but, never married. Lucy threw herself into work and community events after he died.

Cindy Kirk brings the town of Holly Pointe to life! Loved getting to know Derek, Cameron, Mel and Kate and enjoyed how Trevor joined Lucy in the many holiday themed events! The romance between Lucy and Trevor was perfectly written—loved that they were given a second chance as adults to reconnect. Trevor’s story is a key element in the story—he’s overcome a rough childhood and turned his love of woodworking into a successful business—he’s a talented, thoughtful, kind person. Snow Place Like Holly Pointe blends romance, friendship and drama perfectly. Enjoyed reading this holiday book with its captivating characters, holiday themed events and surprising plot twists and turns.

If you are looking for a heartfelt holiday romance—Snow Place Like Holly Pointe is the perfect book for you!

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USA Today Bestselling Author Cindy Kirk is a Booksellers' Best Award Winner, a National Readers' Choice Awards finalist, and a Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Cindy launched her Good Hope series with a bang. Christmas in Good Hope hit #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for both Contemporary Romance and Women's Fiction.

A lifelong Nebraska resident, Cindy started writing after taking a class at a local community college. An incurable romantic, Cindy loves seeing her characters grow and learn from their mistakes and, in the process, achieve a happy ending.

Someone once told Cindy that to know a writer you just have to read what she's written; she hopes that once you read her books you can tell she is an eternal optimist, one who truly believes in the power of love. She invites you to kick off your shoes, pick up one of her books, and get to know her.

Cindy and her high school sweetheart husband live on an acreage with their two dogs.