Breaking The Ice by Whitney Dineen

I love a good billionaire/down on her luck romance but BREAKING THE ICE goes a step further with a story that is refreshing. It isn’t really a hockey romance, but the drama surrounding Zach’s appearance at a charity tournament as a donor and a crazy ex makes it entertaining.

Pity Pact by Whitney Dineen

I loved PITY PACT because the story was good, but Paige was so funny. Both her internal dialogue and her social presence had me chuckling more than once. The matchmaking reality show angle was done pretty well, but it was the excellent writing and interesting characters that make this a great book to read.

A Hate Like This by Melanie Summers and Whitney Dineen

I am in love with the whole series that takes place in Gamble, Alaska.  Moira’s story is so poignant and Ethan turns out to be just the persistent, nurturing and caring man she deserves after the life she has led.

A HATE LIKE THIS has well-deserved angst.  Who doesn’t get the trust issues of a single mom of three you boys, widowed by a not so great husband and working all hours in a diner to raise her boys.  You will love the kids and adore Ethan coming into their lives.  I hope there is more for us to find in Gamble.

Pity Date by Whitney Dineen

I had been waiting for PITY DATE to come out and when it did, I was totally into it from the first page.  The teaser gives a good sense of the story, but it can’t adequately convey how really well written this book is.

I don’t know how Whitney Dineen gets the humor so right for her characters.  In this book, it’s Faith that is so effortlessly funny, sweet, self depreciating, and unable to hide her emotions. Teddy just goes along with her perfectly.  While he’s a big star, he’s humble and more about the people around him than himself.

The story has some conflicts you can see coming, and others you can’t.  What doesn’t change is in spite of the conflicts, these two never compromise their good character and I really love that in this book.  I can’t wait to read more stories in the Pity series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Hate, Rinse, Repeat by Whitney Dineen

HATE, RINSE, REPEAT is the third book in the mom-coms of Gamble, Alaska and I have to say, my favorite of the three books.  First, Maisy and her son Jake made me laugh out loud with some of the snarky remarks, inside jokes, and just funny stuff.  Whitney Dineen does takes us to the cheap laugh occasionally (“Try not to cut the cheese today”) but that’s great 7 year old boy stuff.

Chase is a great character even though his anger at Maisy’s secret was the source of most of the tear inducing moments in the story.  How this secret was received by family, and the good citizens of Gamble made for uncomfortable moments - so well written that even I felt guilty and betrayed, at times.

So I devoured this story.  I hope we aren’t finished with the small town of Gamble.

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

No Ordinary Hate by Melanie Summers and Whitney Dineen

I wasn’t sure about reading a “divorce” romance, but boss’s sister-in-law’s hairdresser said NO ORDINARY HATE is clever, romantic and funny.  I sometimes smirk, or smile if a book is funny, but there were parts of this (like one gossip columnist named Ferris) that made we laugh out loud.

I loved the whole story.  The selfish, cheating husband just kept making himself more despised.  The mountain man, pilot, guide, chef and irresistible uncle, Digger, was everything Brett wasn’t and Harper and her kids needed.  

But Digger had his commitment issues, Harper wasn’t divorced yet and they both put her children first when it came to making their decisions. 

There are some excellent secondary characters.  Try to guess how many of them have to slap Digger upside the head (metaphorically) to get this story to an ending that is satisfying to all.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Head Over Feet by Whitney Dineen

I really enjoyed this book.  It tied me up in knots at times trying to keep track of who hated who, and who was meddling in what relationships. Whitney Dineen did a stellar job writing this web of meddling mothers and their offspring in a way that made it both interesting and emotional.

Captain Grady and Princess Bree were the targets of the matchmaking.  They might have worked it out on their own if their mothers, siblings and friends hadn’t decided to “help” them.  The help resulted in one mess after another sparking jealousy, hurt feelings and deceit.

If you enjoy enemies to lovers that grew up together and a contemporary royal family you should enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Text and Confused by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers

Toni is a down to earth, no nonsense and funny woman with bad luck in the boyfriend department so she decides to go for the Bizarro Boyfriend (complete opposite of her usual type) since what she was doing wasn’t working.

Cooper is also one of those “no games” types and full of heart.  Due to a misunderstanding, their lines of communication get crossed and Toni ends up trying to date the wrong man.

The best part of the story is that neither Toni nor Cooper were manipulative in their relationships and they end up falling to the machinations of others.

Mistle Text by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers

Holly Snow is a character in a Christmas story?  Yes, she is, and her character shows all the best qualities a person can have.  Holly is caring, humble and selfless.  She’s doing they best she can trying to support her niece and pay for her mother’s care.

So what better situation can she encounter than a proposed fake relationship with Archie?  She earns the money she needs and Archie looks like a family man for his career.

It’s a fairly typical fake relationship story with a very entertaining 5 year old.  It has a perfect holiday mood with the importance of family whether by blood or not.  MISTLE TEXT is another worthwhile read in the series.

Text In Show by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers

This was a unique book in many ways and I liked that.  The family dynamic was really fun and the funniest part of the book was around the dog show and I truly did laugh out loud at several of the situations.  There   are many clever exchanges and idiosyncrasies throughout the story that make it enjoyable.

I liked both Jack and Autumn a lot but the romance was a little flat.  The texting didn’t play as much of a role in the flirtation and I did miss that from the other books in the series.

Relatively Normal by Whitney Dineen

RELATIVELY NORMAL has a lot to unpack in terms of human frailties.  The story is told with intelligence, wit and a kind of humor that grows on you.

Cat and her fiancé Ethan and his parents head to Central Illinois to celebrate a “traditional Scottish Thanksgiving”,if there is such a thing, with Cat’s family.  They invite her first love, aka the one that broke her heart, and his parents to dinner.  What we find is a cast of characters each defined by their quirks, and what quirks they are.

Amidst holidays, heartbreak and haggis, Cat does some soul searching.  The story has poignant, romantic, even tragic moments, and a few really good surprises that make it a solid read.  It does lead into the next book in the series so it ends in a “happy for now”.

Text Wars by Whitney Dineen, Melanie Summers

There are quite a few laugh out loud moments in TEXT WARS:  MAY THE TEXT BE WITH YOU featuring NASA astrophysicist Ben and astrologist Serafina.  Total respect for the Rocky and Bullwinkle inspired line, by the way.

While the foundation of the relationship wasn’t based on texting, it’s survival was.  Serafina is refreshing, sassy, independent and most importantly, knows her worth.  Ben is intelligent, introverted, and refreshingly mild mannered except when it comes to astrology.

If you like honest, funny and well written romantic comedy, you will love this book.

Text God: Text and You Shall Receive by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers

This was truly a gem of a novel.  It had a really poignant and beautiful story woven around the optimism of Jen.  The mistaken texting between Jen and Gabe stretched the limits of believability until you realized the kind of soul Jen had.

The family interactions with Gabe and his family were laugh out loud funny at times.  Whitney Dineen and  Melanie Summers don’t go for the cheap laughs.  They also don’t worry about building up to that funny moment, because that’s not how it works in real life, with real people.  That’s why reader’s may be caught off guard and end up spitting water on their kindles - I was.

The romance was so sweet and the writing drew the picture of the excitement and the heartache of navigating a new love.  Wonderful book! 

Text Me on Tuesday by Melanie Summers and Whitney Dinesen and

 I couldn’t decide what I liked more - the humor or the romance in this book.  They both were fabulous.  This author collaboration certainly hit the right notes in quality of writing and sharp wit.  

Noel and Aimee start out with a difficult relationship from the very first moment they meet.  From there it is one misstep after another as they each try to do what is best for the other while sacrificing themselves.

The story starts around Aimee thinking she is texting Noel’s PA when it is actually Noel simultaneously responding to her texts and digging himself a bigger hole in the metaphorical city of Deception.  What happens next is what you will have to find out by reading the book.  Aimee’s girl crew comes through for her during her time of need introducing secondary characters that we will no doubt follow in other books in the series.

Ain’t She Sweet by Whitney Dineen

AIN’T SHE SWEET is a romance between a farmer and a pastry chef that used to be a supermodel.  They start out on a very wrong foot but circumstances, and meddling mothers, keep throwing them together.

The story with James, Tara and her breakup with the rock star, Romaine was really good.  James really knew when to step it up and bring it home.  I thought the story between Gwen and Billy was too much of a distraction.  It is like it interrupted quality James/Tara time.  If the story had not been told separately under Gwen’s POV, it might have worked better for me.  I’ll be interested in seeing how other people see this,

My favorite part was the day before Thanksgiving, and that’s all I am going to say about that!  You’ll see what I mean when you read how that day goes. During the story we meet some people that will be targets of Ruby’s future matchmaking efforts, so see if you can tell who she’s thinking of putting together next.

Love is a Battlefield by Whitney Dineen

As a glamper, I felt a special connection to this story since Addy was told she was coming to Oregon to transform old cabins into glamping sites.

This contemporary romance was an enemies to lovers story.  Addy had been tormented by Brogan and his brother James when they were kids.  Their families would camp together and the boys would prank her.

The mothers were trying to match make here.  Brogan was a genuinely good guy that sincerely regretted the hurt he caused Addy by pranking her.  One of the “laugh out loud” moments involved a hamburger prank.

Addison was pretty shook up as a kidney some of the pranks.  She took some steps to exact revenge and that started a domino of events culminating with Addison and Brogan bonding.

If you enjoy a clean romance with engaging characters and not too much angst, you should read LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD.