Title:  Brewing Up a Bad Boy
Author: Katherine Garbera         
Genre: Romance        
Rating:  2.5 out of 5

Sometimes the second sip is sweetest.

In the cozy town of Birch Lake, tea shop owner Poppy Kitchener thought she’d left her mistakes, and her failed marriage, in the past. But when her ex-husband, Alistair Miller, turns up—as charming and irritatingly handsome as ever—those old feelings float to the surface. To top it off, he has a puzzling pretend they’re still married for his cousin’s wedding in exchange for a lucrative business deal with his family.

Easy enough, right? After all, this could be Poppy’s last chance to get closure, grow her business and use Alistair’s knowledge of microbrewing to help her finish that winning recipe for the tea competition.

But even after all this time, he still knows how to make her laugh. And he’s changed in ways that make Poppy wonder about the man he’s become… Can she trust this new Alistair with her heart, or will a second chance brew up disaster?

This was an okay read, but that’s as far as I’m willing to go. At first, Poppy and Alistair’s divorce was in the distant past, then it was 18 months ago. The first half of the book, Poppy wasn’t into anything spiritual, then suddenly she was a diehard practitioner. This needs another round of editing to make it palatable. I enjoyed the tea stuff, but the “As you know, Bob,” discussions of kombucha and brewing felt like I was being waterboarded.

Katherine Garbera is a bestselling author. Brewing Up a Bad Boy is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Afterglow in exchange for an honest review.)

Title:  Only in Your Dreams  
Author:  Ellie K Wilde       
Genre:  Romance       
Rating:  4 out of 5

If he can prove he loved her then, and he loves her still, this time might be different.

Ten years after one of the most heartbreaking nights of her life, Melody Woods is back in her small hometown of Oakwood Bay, broke, jaded, and unceremoniously dumped by her big-city boyfriend. To top it all off, her twin brother, Parker, is pushing her to take his spot on a camping trip with the one guy she’s spent a decade avoiding.

For college football coach Zac Porter, his best friend’s twin sister, Melody, has always been off-limits. And after fumbling his chance ten years ago, a devastated Zac was sure he’d lost Melody for good. So, when Melody shows up at the campsite instead of Parker, Zac realizes that now is the time to prove to her that they were always meant to be, no matter how long it takes to make up for his teenage self’s mistake.

Reeling from the truth of her last relationship, Melody plans to stay in town just long enough to get back on her feet. Then, she’s gone again. Meanwhile, Zac is facing an uphill battle to coach his team to its first winning game in years, to show Melody how she deserves to be loved, and to keep Parker from ever finding out. Maybe then, being with her will be more than just a dream.

I like second chance romances, and this was a fun read. Melody and her antics kept me entertained, and Zac seemed too good to be true—while Melody’s ex was no good at all. This was pretty steamy—very steamy, actually. This would make a perfect weekend binge-read.

Ellie K Wilde is from Canada. Only in Your Dreams is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Title:  Earl Crush  
Author: Alexandra Vasti         
Genre: Romance        
Rating:  4 out of 5

For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of—a marriage of convenience. To, um, herself.

Unfortunately, the Earl of Strathrannoch has no idea who she is.

When a bewitching redheaded stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned—but when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.)

But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.

I really enjoy Alexandra Vasti’s books, and this was a fun one, too. That scene with the zebras had me laughing! Lydia was a fun character, and Arthur was a good one, too. Several fun adventures here, set against a more modern viewpoint than was probably common back then, but this was a fun read.

Alexandra Vasti lives in Louisiana. Earl Crush is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)