I don't know about you, but the choices in Kindle Unlimited can be daunting to wade through when you are looking for something new to read. Here are a few I enjoyed recently and would recommend. Contemporary: In a Jam by Kate CanterbaryPublished 9/20/22 Marriage of convenience, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine... this romance has it all. After being dumped at the alter only hours before her wedding, Shay is depressed and hiding out in her best friend's house. Then she finds out she has Continue Reading
Iby’s Minis: Reviews for books by Mariana Zapata, Lauren Layne and Elizabeth Cadell
When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana ZapataUrban FantasySeptember 15, 2022Kindle Unlimited Mariana Zapata is a stealthy author - she just randomly announces on instagram that she is dropping a book that day, and everyone rushes to read it. If you like Zapata’s writing, this book will definitely work for you. Highly slow burn, over 600 pages long, lots of dialogue between the two main characters. What’s different about this book is that it’s not contemporary romance - it’s a superhero Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday- Wicked Games by Jessica Clare
Amazon tells me I bought this book on April 7, 2014, but all I remember is gobbling up this series in one month and then writing a blog post about it on Fiction Vixen. Do y'all remember when we did the "If you like... then you should read?" posts? Those were fun. This series, which focuses on reality TV competition shows (think Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother) is laugh-out-loud AND romantic. True romantic comedies. This scene is one I think of even after 8 years. It's a challenge that Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
Mariana Zapata has a die-hard following on Bookstagram and BookTok. She self-publishes long, slow-burn books, and I think she is one of those authors where the writing will either work for you, or it won't. For me, her books really work for me - I like the focus on the hero and heroine, and I love a good slow burn. Her books are on Kindle Unlimited, so if you partake and are curious about checking her out - this is a great, low-stakes book to start with. This is her most recent book, and Continue Reading
Review: Rival Radio by Kathryn Nolan
Rival Radio by Kathryn NolanContemporary RomanceMay 20, 2022, by That's What She Said Publishing Review by Melanie I normally review a lot of ARCs for Smexy but I have to make an exception for this book, which came out in May of this year. I don’t know how I managed to miss a book that so very clearly tapped into all of my romance novel catnips but I’m glad I finally got my eyeballs on it because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a workplace romance with two bickering radio hosts Continue Reading
Jen’s Mini Reviews: Books by Lydia Michaels and Meagan Brandy
Love Me Nots is the third book in the Jasper Falls series. It can be read as a standalone and I haven’t read or listened to the other two books. No issues catching up with characters or complicated backstories. Go for it! I must be on a small-town romance binge because this is the third one in a row for me- and they’ve all been excellent! Perrin is a small town bar owner. She and her sister own the business and Perrin has big plans to expand. She’s also had her fill of heartbreak Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- All Fired Up by Dylan Newton and A Deal with the Devil by Elizabeth O’Roark
All Fired Up by Dylan NewtonContemporary RomanceMay 17, 2022, by ForeverARC Although it's not indicated on Goodreads or Amazon, this is actually a follow-up to this author's previous release, How Sweet It Is. If you're interested you can check out my review here. All Fired Up features Imani Lewis, best friend to Kate and publicist to Drake Matthews from the first book, and Zander Matthews, Drake's younger brother. The two hooked up at Kate and Drake's wedding and then haven't really Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: A Deal with the Devil by Elizabeth O’Roark
This scene was one of the most hilarious from my favorite read in April. The banter with this book was - chef’s kiss - incredible. The author spun a masterpiece out of a highly unbelievable set-up: a lowly assistant/writer who is paid to temp for a hot plastic surgeon, and they fall in love. This book is funny, with a great pining hero and some insane sexual tension. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves contemporary romances with some steam. (Fun fact: the entire Smexy team cannot get Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: The Favor by Suzanne Wright
There is something about a growly alpha hero who convinces a likable heroine to enter into a marriage of convenience that just does it for me. Suzanne Wright’s The Favor does this trope extremely well. Vienna is a spunky, smart survivor who works as a highly competent executive assistant for her boss, Dane. Dane needs a wife to claim an inheritance and convinces Vienna to be his wife. In this scene, someone is trying to sour the relationship between Dane and Vienna by sending some misleading Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- Beneath the Stairs Jennifer Fawcett and The Last Eligible Billionaire by Pippa Grant
Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer FawcettGothic Mystery/Suspense2/22/22 by AtriaARC I picked up Beneath the Stairs for two reasons: this is a new to me author and I'm always on the lookout for new authors in genres I enjoy and the summary sounded interesting. This book had everything to keep me engaged... a ramshackle house out in the woods, rumored ghosts of a murdered family, two women haunted by their visit inside the house as young girls, and chapters that skip from past to present-day Continue Reading