Falling For The Grumpy Bad Boy by Weston Parker

I enjoyed the book that gave an interesting look at the behind the scenes work in the top  culinary career scene. The romance was filled with anticipation as well as finding reasons to deny their attraction. While Rhett was a slightly older man, it didn’t have an age gap feel to it.  The secondary characters were well developed as support for the kind of grumpy bad boy Rhett was.

Valentines Billionaire Auction by Weston Parker

VALENTINES BILLIONAIRE AUCTION is a without doubt a Cinderella story with some strange turns of events starting with the auction. Kaira is the “pack horse” for an event planning company setting up the charity auction. Meant to stay way in the background, it doesn’t quite pan out that way.

As the story progresses, Kaira is difficult to get a read on. She’s sometimes lacking confidence and other times quite sassy to Roman’s delight. I do like her quirky internal dialogue.

Roman is not what he seems, and that is what you will keep reading to uncover. Something makes him a PR nightmare for his companies. Details trickle out and his fake relationship with Kaira, while rocky at times, will help peel back those layers.

I received an early copy of this book to read to offer my opinion. It’s light reading and a fairly typical Cinderella style romance.

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Weston Parker

In DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART we have a “bad boy” that was in Dallas and the girl he once loved in Miami. After ten years apart, she comes home to put her deceased father’s affairs in order. There is no doubt from the get-go how they still see one another, but what lingers is why have they been apart and why have they stayed apart for so long? There’s stubborn pining, misinformation and miles standing between them. 

I love a good second chance romance and after receiving an advance e copy of this one to read, you’ll like it if you are looking for those broody, rough around the edges guys and high school sweethearts that got away.

One Midnight Kiss by Weston Parker

It starts on News Year’s Eve with an anonymous meeting at an exclusive party in Paris with ONE MIDNIGHT KISS and it ends with a promise.

But, story is about what takes place in the time leading up to the next New Year celebration with the promise of the anonymous, unrequited attraction, and the events of real life getting in the way. 

I was in the mood for a book like this with just the right amount of walls to break down, relationships to sort out, and pasts to forget. I received an advance copy of the book to read and can highly recommend it. The Holiday romance genre is full of Christmas, so having New Year to look forward to is a refreshing change as well as having a story that is real romantic.

Santa Baby by Weston Parker

SANTA BABY has a romantic feel from the beginning and it just gets better. The fake relationship with the brother’s billionaire best friend at Christmas has predicable elements, but the characters are so well suited for one another that we get invested in their often playful romance.

I enjoyed the early copy of this book I received both for it’s holiday flavor and for the sigh-worthy love story between Mason and Fia.

His For The Holiday by Weston Parker

 Taking place in New England over the Thanksgiving holiday, HIS FOR THE HOLIDAY starts out with a not too appealing billionaire playboy having to leave his party life and meet some family obligations he’s neglected too long.

Sutton and her daughter are starting over by moving back home from Scotland and of course they cross paths with Hawk, the guy who was her best friend, but hurt her badly resulting in both leaving home for 10 years.

I’m a second chance love fan and this has all the best elements with bonus of cute, but not obnoxious kids, supportive, protective family and friends, interfering exes, and not too much angst. The Thanksgiving connection was rather low key, and enough for atmosphere.

I was able to read an early copy of this book to offer my opinion and it’s an easy to read, well written and entertaining story.

You Know You Wanna by Weston Parker

YOU KNOW YOU WANNA has a different vibe to it than a lot of small town/resort books. It takes a little bit to warm up to some of the characters because of their motives. It makes it that much better when the transformation takes place. It also makes the conflict sting.

I was drawn to the book as a single dad romance. I received an early copy of the book to read and my honest opinion is that the dad/daughter relationship is worth reading about.

Last First Date by Weston Parker

LAST FIRST DATE is a story emphasizing not everyone is as they seem. Knox was guarded because of the life he had led in the spotlight. He’s a guy who rubbed elbows with celebrities, was on billboards in Times Square, and could get into all the good clubs.

Waverly had never left Utah. She loved her job, took care of her mother, and had to cope with the retirement of her beloved boss. His grandson (Knox) was not the kind, reflective leader she was accustomed to.

So we have two opposites that transform during the book -but give in to their attraction. We have to be patient while they sort things out, but it is worthwhile.

Fake It For Him by Weston Parker

The Faux agency series is my favorite FAKE IT FOR HIM adds to the diverse sets of circumstances the Faux agency escort finds herself in.

This story really kept my interest. The progression of the romance was believable. The supporting characters were as rich and well defined as Calan and Ella. It combined the fake relationship trope with the second chance (after a one night stand) trope. The reason for Calan needing a fake girlfriend was a pretty standard one, but Weston Park added that extra twist that made me keep reading.

Advanced copy received. Voluntary review.

Fake It For Glory by Weston Parker

Fans of the Faux series are probably thinking “What more can Weston Parker do with the Faux Agency?” and the answer is in FAKE IT FOR GLORY.

The fake date/escort trope is one of my favorites and in this installment we get a new twist and the anticipation very early of what a train wreck this could potentially become.  If you are with Merida, you are internally begging her to think things through carefully.

But, that would not be much of a story.  Merida and Jensen’s story is a page turner because they are both good people put in situations that are out of their norm.  Good book.

Advance copy; voluntary review.

Guard My Heart by Weston Parker

I would consider GUARD MY HEART a departure from Weston Parker’s writing in the romance department, but that’s not a negative.  This story had an impeccable devotion to the US Coast Guard training environment.  Parker did a service to an often overlooked branch of the military and while I enjoyed the romance, I gained a greater appreciation for his versatility as a writer and for the responsibilities of the USCG.

Santiago and Layla are instructor and cadet creating that tension and fear of discovery of a forbidden romance. Layla’s dad was something of an ominous factor as Santiago’s former superior.  So what we have here is a steamy, age gap, forbidden romance set in the search and rescue training for the Coast Guard.

You will find the dynamic with other cadets and instructors interesting and wonder how this can possibly avoid a catastrophic result for both career-wise.

Advanced copy received from the author.  Voluntary review.

Fake It For Fortune by Weston Parker

Dylan told he parents he was married and they finally insisted on meeting his “wife”.  He didn’t have one so he went to the Faux Dating Agency to hire someone to pretend to be his wife.

Liv is our “Cinderella” without the stepsisters.  She has no money, a dead end low paying job, and dreams that take money.  When Della from Faux gives her card to Liv, she embarks on the journey to meet Dylan.

I liked the story.  I went back and forth with liking and disliking Dylan.  Liv is hard not to like.  She is the conscience and grounding of the story and you’ll enjoy seeing how she plays that role.

Advance copy from the author; voluntary review.

Love Me Not by Weston Parker

LOVE ME NOT starts out with an unusual set of circumstances and just keeps adding to it.  Tristian is showered with what would normally be an occasional blip on the screen of life, but his are a hailstorm.  He’s cool, calm and collected on the outside and all “what’s going on?” On the inside.

Colette is lovely but doesn’t give herself a break.  She’s amusing, passionate and has been on her own so long she decides to mix it up and do something out of character when she meets Tristian.  

I enjoyed the book although there seem to be a lot of “wedding planner” stories out there.  I love Weston Parker’s writing so instead of giving it a pass for that reason, I read it and enjoyed it.

You and Me, Baby by Westin Parker

As the first book in a new matchmaking series, YOU AND ME, BABY is an intriguing departure from the usual matchmaking books.  Sight Unseen is a dating agency with matches meeting in the dark until five dates have passed.

Grace and her sister had one of those pacts that they would put themselves out there for love by the time they reached 30.  When Grace was still single and focused on her career, Hope convinced her to try Sight Unseen, the company she worked for, and she was matched with Sharp.

Now, this was one of those page turners that will have you shaking your head at times thinking “you did NOT just do that” about something one of the characters did.  Between the “what were you thinking” and “how are they going to get out of this” is a whole lot of story not only about the dating agency, but also about the livelihoods Sharp and Grace were so devoted to.  I liked the whole matchmaking concept, the romance and the steam, but I also liked the uncertainty created by the conflict in the story.

This is a good start to what should be an interesting series. I am writing this voluntary review after reading an advance copy of the book.

My Last Song by Weston Parker

MY LAST SONG is such a good second chance/secret baby romance that I am still thinking about it.  Jesse was one of the most interesting characters not only because of how he grew up, but how he took hold of his life and found the way to live it on his terms and with such understanding for what made himself tick.

Rainey - you will really wonder how she kept things together when her world was so rocky.  Weston Parker did such a good job showing where her vulnerabilities came from and how they drove decisions that outwardly made little sense.  

When Parker put Rainey and Jesse back together after their dozen years apart we felt them fighting their feelings, but never being able to deny them.  That is the formula for my favorite second chance love stories - the love that endured whatever happened in the past, whatever happened when they were apart, and picked up where it left off when they came together again.

I received an advance copy of the book to read from the author and this is my voluntary review.

Bad Boy Bachelor Valentine by Ali Parker and Weston Parker

What drew me to read this book was a Valentine matchmaking cruise.  Juliet has the professional matchmaking business and Hart is a male supermodel that is looking for a date to an event he will get a major award.

But the book disappointed me.  Too many things did not make sense like going on a month long cruise to get a match for a date to one event.  Also, Hart was not a “Bad Boy”.  He was thoughtful, a bit introverted, and kind when he could have been unkind. Finally, if I had to evaluate Juliet’s business, she would get low marks for her matches and for who she thought would be suitable for the cruise.

The overall premise of the story was right up my alley, but I felt it fell short in how it was delivered.

I received an advance copy of the book from the authors and this is my voluntary review.

Fake It For Fame by Weston Parker

Katherine had been working for the Faux agency for while and was a popular date.  She didn’t work for Dells because she was in desperate need of money.  She enjoyed the platonic dates, traveling and flexibility the agency gave her to enjoy filling her life with other things - her grandfather, painting, cooking, etc.

In FAKE IT FOR FAME, Katherine and and another girl are contracted for a masquerade date with two brothers.  One of them is a famous actor who is very tired from work, being recognized everywhere and from being alone because he can’t trust peoples’ motives.

The story immersed us in the movie industry - it’s fame, talent and the risks taken messing with any of that.  Katherine and Val both seem too good to be true to each other, so they are both wondering if they have found the one or if their judgment is colors by the glitter of Hollywood.  I enjoyed the book especially since it took a different spin on the motivation for Katherine working at Faux.

I received an advance copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary review.

Bad Boy Bachelor Christmas by Ali Parker and Weston Parker

I read a lot of Christmas romances so I have no trouble saying BAD BOY BACHELOR CHRISTMAS is a stand out.

The story is unique.  There’s a tree farm, but it is a high end specialty tree farm that doesn’t just supply the tree. Interior decorator intern, Winter, designs and decorated the trees. She’s in Maple Hill for a month.

North is the grumpy tree farm owner.  He is annoyed with Winter’s chatter.  His conversation consists of one word answers.  He loves his family business and it has made him a billionaire (from trees??).

So we have the attraction between Winter and North right out of the gate.  Winter is ready to rumble but North is going through some things.  Combine the banter between these two with the snarky best friends and you have a humorous and at times poignant romance with the perfect holiday backdrop.

I received an advance copy of this book from the authors.  This is my voluntary review.

Fake It For Good by Weston Parker

 I always look forward to a new addition to the Faux Agency romances by Weston Parker.  FAKE IT FOR GOOD is the Christmas edition covering primarily the fake relationship, other side of the tracks, billionaire and evil ex tropes.  The evil ex was a particularly special. Addition to this story.

As the title suggests, Noelle had a rough beginning to her life and dedicated herself to making the lives of orphaned children better not just with money or toys, but  with her time.  The Christmas toy coffers are running low so Noelle takes the job with Faux to buy toys for the orphans.

Cane owns a toy making company that he built from scratch only to have half of it taken from him by a cheating ex in a nasty divorce.  To improve the company’s presence, Cane’s partner suggests people would like to see him resurrect a Mrs. Claus persona even going as far as dating the woman to attract interest.

It’s a good holiday story with the spirit of giving.  The path of Cane and Noelle’s relationship (business or otherwise) is fairly smooth until the evil ex shows up to make everyone miserable.  And she keeps showing up reminding Cane of what he went through with her.

FAKE IT FIR GOOD is steamy.  Both Cane and Noelle put out a restrained vibe on the outside, but not behind closed doors. I didn’t feel the romance as much as I usually do.  Cane was ok.  Noelle seemed almost aloof. The best way for me to put it is that it felt like she smiled without it reaching her eyes.

I received an advance copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary review.

Parker’ Handsome Holiday Box Set by Weston and Ali Parker

What better way to have a collection of quality holiday romances than with a box set like this one?  I have read several of the stories but would say Bad Boy Bachelor Claus is one of my favorites.

Naughty Santa Claus in a tailored velvet suit was the perfect kind of characterization for a steamy boss/employee romance for the holidays.  “Tinsel” and Chad were a fun couple.  I enjoyed the story as much as the romance.

I received an advance of the book and this is my voluntary review.