I will admit – I haven’t been reading at all, but boy, have I been watching a lot of TV! See below for what I have been watching.
Ghosts (CBS/Paramount+)
Everyone has been raving about how great this show is, so we had to check it out. Turns out everyone was right because this show is hilarious! Samantha and Jay inherit a house that is haunted by everyone who has died there. This show is sweet and funny. I would highly recommend it.
Emily in Paris (Netflix)
I was on the fence about this show but I freaking LOVED it! Emily Cooper moves from Chicago (my hometown!) to Paris but doesn’t speak French. She works with some tough people, but makes some lovely friends and finds love along the way. We finished this show two weeks ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s great.
Murderville (Netflix)
This show was getting a lot of hype. It stars Will Arnett as detective Terry Seattle, who works for the Big City Police department. Each episode, he’s joined by a celebrity who is not given a script. Honestly, it was so stupid funny. The celebrity has to guess who the killer is. There are only 6 episodes and they are 30 minutes long so you could push this out in one day. It’s funny as hell.
The Woman In the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (Netflix)
I was looking for something to watch on my flight home from Florida and I happened to download all 8 episodes of this show for the ride. I got 6 done on the flight and couldn’t wait to get home to finish. Turns out this show is a parody of murder shows. I literally had no idea. Now that I know, it makes sense. I did enjoy this show. I’m a big Kristen Bell fan. I loved her in the good place. This show is worth the watch.
We are currently watching Reacher on Amazon Prime. We are halfway through. It’s great. My husband and I are always looking for recommendations. Feel free to leave some! We have basically every streaming service known to man!
Three strangers share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living among them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.
My thoughts:
I love 30 minute shows. They are my jam. I’d heard about this show, starring two of my favorite stars, Steve Martin and Martin Short, and thought it had to be funny. To be honest, it’s more of a dramedy than comedy, but there are some moments that made me laugh out loud.
Martin, Short and Selena Gomez (who was surprisingly good in this show) star as Charles, Oliver and Mabel, who are all residents in the same building on New York’s Upper West Side and all share a love of true crime podcasts. I found this aspect relatable as I became obsessed with true crime after listening to Serial. They all meet after their building is evacuated due to a fire alarm and all discover their love of the same true crime podcast.
The trio soon discovers there was a murder in their building, and decide to create their own podcast to solve the crime. They all keep secrets from each other, which was an interesting storyline.
There were a TON of celebrity cameos in this show. I won’t spoil because there are so many and they make the show more interesting. Overall, this show is fun, keeps you engaged and has a surprise ending. I’m hoping for a season 2!
R.S. Grey’s next standalone rom-com, Enemies Abroad, is out now! Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!
About Enemies Abroad:
It’s simple: Noah Peterson and I are enemies. Our fellow teachers know it, our friends know it—even the Starbucks drive-through lady knows it since every Monday she scrawls the name A. Hole for meon Noah’s cappuccino when I pick up the weekly group order.The shrill whine of the school bell announces the start of each day’s no-holds-barred grudge match. Since neither of us is looking to get fired or thrown in prison, we war with our words and our wits. We prefer banter that bites. All day, I’m on edge, looking around every corner, expecting him to do his worst. Just when I think I can’t take the sight of his (regretfully) handsome face for one more minute, the school day is done.Summer usually offers the sweetest relief—a two-month Noah detox—but not this year.“We need two volunteers to chaperone a group of eighth graders in Rome” becomes a game of chicken neither one of us is willing to lose. We both want that bonus check.“Back out,” I tell him.“Scared?” he taunts. No one thinks it’s a good idea for us to go to Rome together, least of all me. Taking this battle abroad will only lead to mayhem and misery.DING. Ladies and gentlemen of flight UA447 with service to Rome, fasten your seatbelts.We’re bound to have a bumpy ride.
R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels. She lives in Texas with her husband and daughter, and can be found reading, binge-watching reality TV, or practicing yoga! Visit her at rsgrey.com
The Girl in the Mist, an all-new, thrilling standalone romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley filled with off-the-charts chemistry, and edge of your seat suspense, is out now!
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes an all new thrilling romantic suspense guaranteed to have pulses rise, and readers begging for more.
Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven. A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she’s not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It’s perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she’s thinking she’ll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn’t so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn’t up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what’s happening.
The mysterious Cade Bohannan.
Excerpt
I called Hawk Delgado.
It was no surprise this situation in Misted Pines was known to him. He was tasked with keeping me safe, and although this had nothing to do with me, it had to do with Misted Pines, and that was where I was. It was also not a surprise that he currently did not have any resources to devote to assisting with it.
However, he gave me two names.
Nightingale Investigations, an outfit located where Delgado was, in Denver, Colorado.
And Tanner Layne, a private investigator who worked out of a shop in Brownsburg, Indiana, which was, to my astonishment, where Joe Callahan was based.
Neither were close.
But Nightingale was closer.
Though for reasons I didn’t understand (they probably had to do with Callahan), I called Layne first, left a message as it was the weekend and waited.
It was not long before he returned my call.
He had a full caseload, but said he’d look into it and get back to me.
I then reached out to Denver, leaving another message.
Not much time passed before a woman named Shirleen Jackson got in touch, saying she’d assessed it and presented it to her boss, the man behind the name, Lee Nightingale. She would follow up with me as soon as he’d made his decision.
Within hours, I had two replies.
Layne: “We’re ready to roll when we receive word from the investigator on site that he welcomes assistance. We have a message to him. But if he doesn’t give us the greenlight, I’m afraid at this time we can’t get involved. I hope you understand. I would feel the same if someone I didn’t know pushed into one of my investigations, especially at this early juncture. Trust me when I say that it’s never helpful.”
I didn’t know who “we” was, I also didn’t ask, but I suspected he’d consulted with Callahan.
I also didn’t think this was “early.” At that point, she’d been missing nearly a week.
Which begged the question, what parents had a slumber party for their eight-year-old on a Monday evening?
I didn’t ask Layne that either.
Jackson: “We understand your concern, but Lee looked into things and the investigator contracted to assist the local authorities is second to none. In this kind of situation, although it seems contradictory, more hands on deck can make a mess.”
That was two nos of the same ilk.
I decided to focus on the “second to none” comment, knowing they were referring to the fact it was clear the locals had called Cade Bohannan in.
About Kristen Ashley Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Hero, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books. Kristen’s novel, Law Man, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense. Her independently published title Hold On was nominated for RT Book Reviews best Independent Contemporary Romance and her traditionally published title Breathe was nominated for best Contemporary Romance. Kristen’s titles Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady (which won the Reader’s Choice award from Romance Reviews) and The Hookup all made the final rounds for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category.
R.S. Grey’s next standalone rom-com, Enemies Abroad, is coming January 20th! Check it out and be sure to get your copy on release day!
About Enemies Abroad:
It’s simple: Noah Peterson and I are enemies. Our fellow teachers know it, our friends know it—even the Starbucks drive-through lady knows it since every Monday she scrawls the name A. Hole for meon Noah’s cappuccino when I pick up the weekly group order.The shrill whine of the school bell announces the start of each day’s no-holds-barred grudge match. Since neither of us is looking to get fired or thrown in prison, we war with our words and our wits. We prefer banter that bites. All day, I’m on edge, looking around every corner, expecting him to do his worst. Just when I think I can’t take the sight of his (regretfully) handsome face for one more minute, the school day is done.Summer usually offers the sweetest relief—a two-month Noah detox—but not this year.“We need two volunteers to chaperone a group of eighth graders in Rome” becomes a game of chicken neither one of us is willing to lose. We both want that bonus check.“Back out,” I tell him.“Scared?” he taunts. No one thinks it’s a good idea for us to go to Rome together, least of all me. Taking this battle abroad will only lead to mayhem and misery.DING. Ladies and gentlemen of flight UA447 with service to Rome, fasten your seatbelts.We’re bound to have a bumpy ride.
About R.S. Grey:
R.S. Grey is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels. She lives in Texas with her husband and daughter, and can be found reading, binge-watching reality TV, or practicing yoga! Visit her at rsgrey.com
The Girl in the Mist, an all-new novel from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley filled with white-hot chemistry and page turning suspense is available now!
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes an all new thrilling romantic suspense guaranteed to have pulses rise, and readers begging for more.
Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven. A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she’s not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It’s perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she’s thinking she’ll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn’t so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn’t up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what’s happening.
About Kristen Ashley Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Hero, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books. Kristen’s novel, Law Man, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense. Her independently published title Hold On was nominated for RT Book Reviews best Independent Contemporary Romance and her traditionally published title Breathe was nominated for best Contemporary Romance. Kristen’s titles Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady (which won the Reader’s Choice award from Romance Reviews) and The Hookup all made the final rounds for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category.
From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes an all new thrilling romantic suspense guaranteed to have pulses rise, and readers begging for more.
The Girl in the Mist releases January 4th and we have the drop dead gorgeous cover!
Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven. A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she’s not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It’s perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she’s thinking she’ll stay there forever.
Until she sees the girl in the mist.
After that, everything changes.
Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn’t so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn’t up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer.
But most importantly, girls are dying.
There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what’s happening.
About Kristen Ashley Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Hero, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books.
Kristen’s novel, Law Man, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense. Her independently published title Hold On was nominated for RT Book Reviews best Independent Contemporary Romance and her traditionally published title Breathe was nominated for best Contemporary Romance. Kristen’s titles Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady (which won the Reader’s Choice award from Romance Reviews) and The Hookup all made the final rounds for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category.
A VERY MOUNTAIN MAN NEW YEAR by Shaw Hart is out now! Check it out and get your copy today!
Title: A Very Mountain Man New Year
Author: Shaw Hart
Genre: Holiday Romance
About A Very Mountain Man New Year:
A surprise pregnancy. A second chance to realize how right they are together.Snow:It all started five weeks ago. That’s when I had a one night stand with the hottest lumberjack that I’ve ever seen.I thought that it would be fine. I would finally do something crazy before I settled into my boring life as an accountant.Then I miss my period and all three pregnancy tests come back positive.I’m kind of freaking out and I have no idea what to do next. The only thing that I do know, is that I need to track down that lumberjack and let him know that he’s about to a daddy.Wells:When Snow shows up on his doorstep, he can’t wait to get her out of his house and his town. He knows that he can’t be in a relationship so maybe he’s a little harsh with her as he escorts her back to her car. He just doesn’t want to waste anymore of her time.Then she tells him that she’s pregnant with his baby and everything changes.Wells’ New Year’s resolution this year is to convince Snow to give him a second chance, but will he be able to make that come true?
Shaw Hart is an Amazon Top 100 best-selling author of contemporary and New Adult romance. She loves writing instalove romances that always end in happily ever afters.She lives in a constant state of motion, chasing after her two children and three dogs. Shaw enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends. When she’s not doing that, she’s reading romance books, watching stand up comedies or crime TV shows. Her favorite book tropes are secret baby and boss/employee romances. She’s a big fan of James Acaster, Anthony Jeselnik, Nate Bargatze, and John Mulaney’s comedy. Her favorite TV shows are Psych, Burn Notice, Leverage, Barry, Bob’s Burgers, and New Girl. She’s a Pinterest addict, dog lover, tea snob, and a wannabe yogi. She also writes contemporary romance books under the pen name, Rebecca Wilder, and she’s one half of the paranormal romance duo, Skye Alder.
One week with one little girl—an angel, according to my staffing agency. Acting as the short-term nanny for a single dad should have been an easy way to make some extra cash. Until I show up for my first day and face off with a demon disguised as a seven-year-old girl wearing a red tutu and matching glitter slippers.
Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.
Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.
Thanks to Deanna at A Novel Glimpse for this recommendation! I loved this book! Everything about it was great.
I’m a sucker for a single dad. Maddox was a billionaire, but he sure didn’t seem like it. He was a real down to earth guy, struggling to raise his 7 year old daughter on his own. Maddox needs a nanny while home for the holidays and gets Natalie – whom he doesn’t remember from high school!
Natalie was a a great character. She was so good with Violet, so patient and loving. She was an easy character to love.
There are two more books in the series, about twin brothers Heath and Tobias. I’ve already downloaded them. I can’t wait to read them. These books are available on Kindle Unlimited so if you have that, go grab them.
Book 2 – Three Bells, Two Bows and One Brother’s Best Friend
5 out of 5 stars
I pride myself in being grounded. Sure, I’ve had my share of childhood fantasies. Winning an Oscar. Winning the lottery. Winning an Olympic medal for an athletic talent I have yet to discover. But the only fantasy I ever thought might actually happen was winning my brother’s best friend.
Heath Holiday.
My crush on him has ebbed and flowed over the years, but the day I started working for his construction company was the day I smothered it for good. Sort of. Mostly. It was on my to-do list. Making it a priority would have been easier had he not arrived at his family’s annual Christmas party looking ridiculously handsome in a suit.
Then he kissed me. We stepped into an alternate universe and he kissed me. I assumed the next day I’d just be Guy’s little sister again. The office newbie. Our kiss forgotten. Except he keeps showing up at my house. With gifts.
A gold bracelet carrying three jingling bells. Two dainty jeweled earrings, each shaped as a bow. And finally, he brought himself.
One brother’s best friend, asking if I can keep a secret.
This is my favorite book of the series by far! I just loved Stella and Heath. I’m a sucker for the brother’s best friend trope for sure, and this one did not disappoint!
I just devoured this book – I couldn’t get enough. Stella and Heath were such great characters. Stella was kind of a dork – but she was adorkable and Heath was so fun and outgoing. I just loved them both.
Their story was so fun to read. I highly recommend it!
Book 3 – A Partridge and a Pregnancy
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
There are a lot of places I’d rather spend Christmas Eve morning than on a cold, snowy sidewalk outside someone else’s home. I’d kill to be sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.
Instead, I’m here, standing in front of my one-night stand’s house, working up the courage to ring the doorbell and tell him I’m pregnant.
I hate that term—one-night stand. It sounds so cheap and sleezy. Tobias Holiday is neither of those things. He’s handsome and caring. Witty and charismatic. And once, a long time ago, he was mine.
Our one-night reunion was only supposed to be a hookup. A fling with an old lover. A parting farewell before I moved to London and put my feelings for him an ocean away. How exactly am I supposed to explain that to Tobias that I’m having a baby? His baby? Maybe I could sing it. He always loved the silly songs I made up in the shower.
Three French hens, two turtle doves.
And a partridge and a pregnancy.
This is my least favorite of the series – don’t get me wrong, it’s a good book, but I really struggled to relate to Eva. She’s a woman married to her job. She finds out she’s pregnant and she’s not really willing to give it up – and she’s moving across the world!
Tobias was also a little hard to read – he was so the polar opposite of Heath. He was very closed off and quiet. He needed to speak up more.
The story itself was good, and I ended up loving Eva, but it took a while.
I highly recommend this series. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited.
Christmas with the Beast by C.M. Steele | 3 out of 5 stars
One look, one heartfelt moment and that’s all they had. Could either forget or was it enough to invade their souls and become a part of them?
Franco: I had no idea when I decided to thank the chef for a delish meal that I’d lose my heart to the most beautiful woman that ever existed. Our brief encounter was cut short, but I promised I’d return. I was normally a man of my word. However, fate had taken it out of my hands and taken me away from the woman I could never forget.
Two years. Two long, painful turns around the sun and a day and she still lived within my soul. Slowly I allowed the depression to set in until the choice to hide was taken away from me. She’d come to me and the beast that lives in this castle is afraid that he’ll never let his Belle go.
Isabelle: One time. It’s all it took for my heart to belong to Franco Fiore, my boss’s brother. Who knew that I’d fall head over heels for a man with one short meeting only to have my heart ripped from my chest with his accident? Days turned into months, and now after years, he and I will finally meet. Will he push me away? Does he even remember me? Sadly, I could never forget him, and today, I may have my heart broken for good if he does.
Insta-love is at the center of this holiday novella. Franco meets Isabelle and says he’s instantly convinced he has met his future wife. Fate had other plans and after two long years, these two still long for each other.
This was a cute story. To be honest, the best part for me were the epilogues. They were so cute and endearing. If you’re looking for a sweet holiday read, pick this one up on Kindle Unlimited.
Christmas with the Boss by C.M. Steele | 3 out of 5 stars
Fabio: She’s the sister of my favorite chef, but after speaking to her for the first time, I feel something I’ve never felt for her twin. There’s only one problem, she believes the tabloid news spread about the celebrity customers and me I serve. How can I prove to her that she’s the only one for me?
Anabelle: Fabio Fiore is hotter in person than I was prepared for. When we cooked up the plan to get my sister and his brother together, I never expected to be the one falling madly in love. Still, I’m not the next flavor of the month kind of girl, but can I ignore him when he turns his charm on me?
Book 2 focuses on Fabio and Annabelle. I honestly liked this one better than the first book. At least it wasn’t an insta-love kind of thing like book one. Annabelle was a strong character; stood up for herself. I loved Fabio; he was such a great guy. The best part of these books are the epilogues. I am looking forward to book 3!
Santa’s Lay by Octavia Jensen | 2 out of 5 stars
When my best friend hired me as a Christmas elf at her adult toy store, I didn’t expect to come in contact with the hottest Santa this side of the equator. I also didn’t expect him to have an accent that made my knees weak or a gaze that made me want to bend over, but he did. Kent Baker was everything I’d never wanted, and yet, one touch from him had me questioning my commitment issues and wondering if he felt the same. Would I find myself in a relationship for Christmas, or end up just another notch on Santa’s bedpost?
So I read this book in about an hour – it’s a quick read, but it takes such a weird, unexpected turn into BDSM. Hadley and Kent work at a sex store as a naughty elf and sexy Santa – no other careers mentioned and yet they both own their own houses! Kent was likable enough but there was zero character development; in fact, for Hadley, the heroine, I’d say there was character regression. She started off as this tough girl and became a submissive in like 3 seconds flat – that’s when the book lost me.
TV Addicted Bookworm 