Tour Review - - Here to Stay

 

Here to Stay

by Adriana Herrera  

Publisher: Carina Press 

Release Date: August 25, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

Starting over is more about who you’re with than where you live…

Julia del Mar Ortiz is not having the best year.

She moved to Dallas with her boyfriend, who ended up ditching her and running back to New York after only a few weeks. Left with a massive—by NYC standards, anyway—apartment and a car lease in the scorching Texas heat, Julia is struggling…except that’s not completely true. Running the charitable foundation of one of the most iconic high fashion department stores in the world is serious #lifegoals.

It’s more than enough to make her want to stick it out down South.

The only monkey wrench in Julia’s plans is the blue-eyed, smart-mouthed consultant the store hired to take them public. Fellow New Yorker Rocco Quinn’s first order of business? Putting Julia’s job on the chopping block.

When Julia is tasked with making sure Rocco sees how valuable the programs she runs are, she’s caught between a rock and a very hard set of abs. Because Rocco Quinn is almost impossible to hate—and even harder to resist.

PJ's Thoughts:

I adored this book. It's one of the highlights of my summer reading. Herrera has created a cast of fresh, vibrant, fully-dimensional, authentic characters and given them a story that made me laugh, cry, sigh, and reach for my fan. I do love me some steamy times.

Julia and Rocco are great fun, exchanging snappy banter, and striking sparks off one another, first as workplace adversaries then, eventually, as tentative friends, and finally, in passion. I admired Julia's strength, her kind heart, and the unconditional love and support from her family that have helped shape her. I enjoyed exploring her rich cultural heritage through her interactions with her parents and grandmother. It's such a sharp contrast to Rocco's dysfunctional family experiences and the impact they've had on his priorities, namely, always putting everyone else's needs before his own, even when doing so results in heartbreak for him. 

I enjoyed the growth in both of these characters. Again, it's Julia's family who helps her move past the lingering effects of a past relationship and Julia herself who brings the emotional strength to her relationship with Rocco that helps him evolve. And speaking of Rocco, he brought me to tears more than once. He's so endearing, and so hot. There were many times I just wanted to hug him...then jump him. I enjoyed his relationship with his sister and niece and how protective he is of them but I also enjoyed watching his sister grow to the point where she became the advisor. I don't know if Herrera plans any more books in this world but, if she does, I sure would like to see more of Sofia and Blue.

I'd also love to spend more time with the Gotham Exiles, a group of NYC ex-pats Julia has brought together in Dallas. They're delightfully eclectic and much more than a group of friends. They're found family for both Julia and Rocco and they captured my heart. We should all be so fortunate to have friends like these in our lives.

Here to Stay was my first Adriana Herrera book. I guarantee it won't be the last. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Here to Stay

Excerpt

Julia 

I stepped into the elevator and shoved my phone into the pocket of my dress, took a moment to send a prayer to the employee discount that let me buy bomb clothes on a nonprofit worker budget, and did some mental math of what could be going on.

Was the program really in trouble? Could we actually get shut down?

Nope, I would not go there. I would not think about what it would be like to get on a plane back to New York dumped and unemployed. Not happening.

A distraction. That’s what I needed. Just as the door to the elevator was about to close, someone got in. The fact that I was eye level with the base of his throat was a good clue as to who it was, but when he opened his mouth and the now familiar knee-weakening baritone echoed off the walls of the elevator, I got my confirmation.

“Morning, Ms. Ortiz.” That voice could be used for interrogation tactics. Every muscle in my body loosened at the same time whenever I heard it.

I squeaked out a “Morning” and took my time lifting my head all the way up to look at the last person in the world I wanted overhearing my conversation with my mother.

Him.

Rocco Fucking Quinn, otherwise known as the “Team Leader” for the consulting firm looking to bag my job. The guy with the New York City-est name on the planet. I hadn’t exactly gotten personal with Mr. Quinn, but I picked up on that accent the first time we met.

“What’s good?” I really tried to sound polite, but my Queens jumped out in situations like this. I did not gulp, because I could not let this fucker see me sweat. I managed not to cut my eyes at him, but it was a close call.

I took him in, ramrod straight, every hair in its place, not a wrinkle in sight, and decided he could not be the proprietor of the laugh-choke from before. The man seemed to be completely lacking a sense of humor. I knew he must have teeth but I’d never seen them.

Yeah, definitely not him. That fact rallied my spirits a little bit as I stood close enough to pick up on how he smelled. Like the ocean and something woodsy. That was not helpful information.

Without saying another word, I ran my eyes over him. It struck me that he was not wearing something bespoke like pretty much everyone here. Don’t get me wrong, he still looked good enough to eat, but he was clearly on a budget. And at a place where everyone looked like they were heading to a New York Fashion Week photo shoot, it was sort of jarring. Still, the suit fit him well. And there was no question, this guy could wear the fuck out of a suit. I held back a whimper when I envisioned him in a Brioni or a Zegna. They’d have to put out a heat advisory for the building if that ever happened.

“I thought I could detect a familiar accent when I was coming down the hall.” His perfectly blue eyes twinkled at what I was certain was an expression of utter mortification on my face. He sounded pleasant enough, but he was also alluding to the fact that I was yapping on my phone. This wasn’t the first time he tried to be cute. Rocco Quinn seemed to like fucking with me. And it was only a matter of time before he stepped on my last nerve and I reamed him out.

Thankfully, just as I was scrambling to respond to his comment, the elevator got to my floor. I was planning to just leave him hanging and run off, but he was hot on my heels.

Dammit.

“Sounds like your mom misses you.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Why did he have to act all fake nice?

I nodded without looking at him. “She does. Listen, Mr. Quinn—”

“You can call me Rocco.”

Nope, that was not happening. I was not letting this sexy bastard talk me into getting all chummy with him. I was already on thin ice as it was. He could keep his pheromones and his slick-as-fuck expressions to his damn self. I came to a dead stop a few feet away from the conference room door where my boss—and whatever shitty news she was about to give me—was waiting.

When I turned around, Rocco was looking down at me with an expectant smile. God he was handsome, that jet-black hair so dark it almost had a tinge of blue and those eyes, piercing. And I guess he had teeth after all, and of course they were perfect. Asshole. I shook my head hard when my traitorous brain started wondering what Pantone color his eyes would be.

Get your head in the game, Julia del Mar.

I straightened my back, determined to fight off the debilitating effects of those gleaming teeth and perfectly pink lips. I had to remember this niceness was probably his way of getting us to let our guard down. He was here to find ways to cut jobs. I was not about to mouth off and get myself fired, but I needed to get some things clear.

“Look.” I was proud of myself for not rolling my neck or pointing at his face. “I know you’re trying to be nice, but you make me nervous.” I pulled on the hem of my blue polka-dot dress and smoothed my yellow cardigan, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

“Why do I make you nervous?”

Uh, maybe because you’re here to close down as much of the foundation as you can.

I refrained from actually saying that because I had not been raised by a Puerto Rican man and Dominican woman just so I could act like I had no home training with the guy who could get me fired. But it was a close call.

“I’m sorry for saying that. You don’t make me nervous.”

Lies.

Rocco Quinn didn’t just make me nervous. He made me want to run my hands all over that big-ass body and moon over his almost but not quite curly hair and blue eyes, in spite of the fact that I knew he was out here gunning for my entire program. And yet, I still wanted to kiss the hell out of him while I climbed him like a sequoia. 

Copyright © 2020 by Adriana Herrera

 

Buy Here to Stay by Adriana Herrera

Harlequin: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369700926_here-to-stay.html

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Here-Stay-Adriana-Herrera-ebook/dp/B086R2QY77

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/here-to-stay-adriana-herrera/1136795733

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/here-to-stay/id1506190677

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Adriana_Herrera_Here_to_Stay?id=_-zaDwAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/here-to-stay-20

 

About Adriana Herrera

Adriana was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last fifteen years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people, getting unapologetic happy endings. 

When she’s not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a trauma therapist in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. 

Her Dreamers series has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and has been featured in The TODAY Show on NBC, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Library Journal and The Washington Post. Her debut, American Dreamer, was selected as one of Booklist’s ‘Best Romance Debuts of 2019’, and one of the ‘Top 10 Romances of 2019’ by Entertainment Weekly. Her third novel, American Love Story, was one of the winners in the first annual Ripped Bodice Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction. Adriana is an outspoken advocate for diversity in romance and has written for Remezcla and Bustle about Own Voices in the genre. She’s one of the co-creators of the Queer Romance PoC Collective. Represented by Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary.

 

Connect with Adriana Herrera

Website: https://adrianaherreraromance.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladrianaherrera

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.adriana.94801

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladriana_herrera/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18639202.Adriana_Herrera

Review - - The Legal Affair

The Legal Affair

by Nisha Sharma

The Singh Family - Book 2

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Release Date: August 18, 2020

Reviewed by PJ 

 

Rajneet Hothi built her empire with sweat, blood, and information. She knows everything there is to know about Ajay Singh, the future CEO of Bharat, Inc., as well as how crucial he is in securing her future. But she didn’t expect the passion that burst between them the first time they went head-to-head. She’d never felt anything like it before, especially during her marriage to her soon-to-be-ex-husband. When her company is blamed for her ex’s dirty dealings with Bharat, she’s forced to prove that Ajay is no match for her in the art of business or seduction.

Ajay shouldn’t trust Raj or her company. He’s on the verge of losing everything his family has worked to achieve, but he can’t stop thinking about the breathtaking way Raj opens her mind, body and heart to him. Throwing his infamous caution to the wind, he tempts the gorgeous CEO into his bedroom and boardroom. He soon realizes he wants Raj by his side and he’s willing to fight the people he’s always protected to be with her.

When Raj and Ajay discover the source behind Bharat’s leak, they must trust each other and work together to defy the odds and save the Singh legacy.

PJ's Thoughts:

I waited more than a year for this second book in Nisha Sharma's The Singh Family trilogy. It was so worth the wait. Raj and Ajay are everything I could have hoped for. And more. 

Rajneet Hothi is a strong, independent, successful woman who owns her power, her ambition, and her sexuality. I adored her. She makes this book sing (no pun intended). Ajay Singh is a man striving to make his mark in his family's company. He also is strong, independent, and accomplished but he's also much more than the businessman persona he presents to the world, as one unexpected evening with Raj demonstrates (grab your fans, ladies). When these two mix business with pleasure, with both of their reputations on the line, it creates an explosion of passion, pride, skillful maneuvering, and the possibility of a love of a lifetime...if they can outwit the forces determined to take them down.

As was the case with the first book in this series, The Takeover Effect, once I started reading The Legal Affair I couldn't put it down. Sharma pulls readers into a world of cut-throat business, steamy romance, and legal maneuverings as the Singh family fights to save their business from hostile takeovers. She creates vibrant, realistic, fully-dimensional characters who open a window into the rich cultural heritage and complex dynamics of these Indian-American characters. And the food! Keep your phone handy because if you're like me, you'll be ordering take-out from your nearest Indian restaurant before you're halfway through the book. 

Sharma fills this book with plenty of passion, adversity, and heart, and I am here for all of it. I swooned a bit over Ajay, especially when Sharma shows us the man's heart and vulnerability. Puppies, home-cooked meals, red-hot passion, and respect for, and confidence in, the woman who holds his heart. Enough said. But blended with that is a whole lot of strength and passion. It's only a man with all of those characteristics who could be a match for someone as amazing as Raj and could give her the space to be vulnerable herself while she gives him the safe space to do the same. Speaking of Raj, she brought me to tears a few times too (again with the puppy) but I spent most of the book cheering her on and yelling, "YES! OWN YOUR DESIRES" and "YES! SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!" Honestly, I'm surprised my condo neighbors didn't start pounding on walls. This character inspired loud, enthusiastic support. 

If you haven't discovered Nisha Sharma's Singh Family yet, I highly recommend giving these books a try. You don't have to read the books in order but I think you'll have a better understanding of the family and the obstacles facing them and their business if you start at the beginning. As for me, I'll probably go back to the beginning and reread both books (a few times) while waiting for the next one in the series. 

RWA 2018 - Westward Bound (Part Two)

From the first day, it was apparent that this year's RWA national conference would be different. From Suzanne Brockmann's speech at the RITA® ceremony, to Sonali Dev's heartfelt address at the Librarians Day/Bloggers Day luncheon (listen to Sonali's speech here), to workshops, parties, hallway conversations, and more, two themes echoed throughout this year's conference: diversity and inclusion. It's time. Frankly, it's beyond time. Were all of the obstacles conquered? No, but nothing is accomplished without taking that first step and this year's conference was a solid step forward to a time when every reader will be able to open a romance novel and see herself reflected in the pages of a hopeful love story with a happy ending. Regardless of our skin color, ethnicity, gender, body type, disability, or sexual orientation, we all are worthy of that happy ending. Whether we're the recipient, experiencing the journey while reading a favorite novel, or the creator of that story, we all deserve the opportunity to love, be loved, and create love. And while both authors and readers should be able to see people like them on the pages of the books they write and/or read, we should also celebrate the books that reflect our differences.  

My circle of friends includes people from different countries, with different skin colors, different religious beliefs, different political points of view, different body types, challenges, weaknesses, and strengths. Knowing them does not bring strife into my life. Instead, it fills my life with a richness I might not have otherwise known. It promotes understanding and appreciation of experiences different from my own. So do the books written by authors of different colors, ethnicities, and sexual orientation that feature characters with life experiences far removed from that of a middle-class, heterosexual, caucasian woman raised in a midwestern U.S. state. 

A Princess in Theory was created by the exceptionally talented  Alyssa Cole and features a Nigerian prince hero and an orphaned NYC scientist heroine who has no idea that she might actually be a Nigerian princess. About as far from my upbringing as one can get, right? I loved it. In fact, it is one of my favorite books published this year. How sad it would have been if this author's words had not been published, if I had not bought this book written by an author of color with characters so different from me. And yet, that's exactly what happens with too many authors of color working hard for the opportunity to have their books published...and purchased. There are many diverse books and diverse authors out there just waiting to be discovered by all of us. We have only to step out of our comfort zones and give them a chance. I'm going to make a concerted effort to read more of them and bring them to your attention here at the blog. In the meantime, here are some of the talented, diverse authors I had the pleasure of chatting with at this year's RWA conference. Please, do consider reading their books.

Kianna Alexander & A.C. Arthur

Kianna Alexander and A.C. Arthur. 

A.C. Arthur hit my radar last month when she was a guest at the Romance of Reading page at Facebook. It was such a pleasure to meet her in person and I'm looking forward to reading her books. One Perfect Moment, the third book in her The Taylors of Temptation series was released in print July 17 and will be out in ebook on August 1. A.C. lives in Maryland and has worked in the legal field for more than 20 years.

Kianna Alexander has been a well-known name in romance for the past decade. Writing has helped her through difficult times in her life as I have no doubt her books have brought love and hope to those readers who buy them. The book she's holding in the photo is A San Diego Romance, part of the Millionaire Moguls series. 

And yes, both ladies were just as warm and friendly in person as they appear in the photo!

Pintip Dunn

Pintip Dunn is the author of Sci-Fi Young Adult Fiction. Her debut novel, Forget Tomorrow won the 2016 RITA® for Best First Book and the second novel in that series, Remember Yesterday won the 2018 RITA® last week for Best Young Adult Novel. Pintip is warm, engaging, intelligent (magna cum laude graduate of Harvard with a J.D. from Yale Law School), and an exceptionally talented writer. She's also one of the nicest people around. I just can't help but smile whenever I'm in her presence.

Alyssa Cole

Alyssa Cole was born to write. This accomplished, award-winning author of both historical and contemporary romances is a star on the rise. As I stated above, A Princess in Theory (contemporary romance)  is one of my favorite books of 2018. The second book in this new series, A Duke by Default, featuring a grumpy Scots hero and an American heroine finally taking control of her life, will be released July 31. It's another winner! In addition to writing romance, Cole is also a science editor and has contributed many romance-related articles to a variety of publications. Her novella, "Let Us Dream," in Daughters of a Nation was a 2017 RITA® Finalist. 

Beverly Jenkins

I don't know anyone in the world of romance who does not admire and respect Beverly Jenkins. This self-professed "slayer of words" has been bringing the stories of African-American characters to life for the past 25 years. From the American Civil War to the Old West to present-day Kansas, her complex and exquisitely crafted characters leap from the pages of her beloved novels. Awarded the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, Jenkins has also been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature, was featured in the romance documentary, "Love Between the Covers." and on CBS Sunday Morning. Ms. Bev, as she's called by many, is smart, sassy, warm, inclusive, generous, kind, and immensely talented. Click here to read Hellie's Top Dish review of her historical romance novel, Breathless and here to read Janga's review of Chasing Down a Dream, the eighth book in her contemporary Blessings series. 

Rich Amooi, Sonali Dev, Silvi Martin

Sonali Dev was the luncheon speaker for this year's Librarians Day/Blogger Day event. The message of acceptance, opportunity, and inclusion that she delivered was heartfelt and timely. Though infused with plenty of her signature humor, this was a serious topic that, clearly, has impacted both her life and the lives of family members and dear friends. By the time she finished, there was not a dry eye to be found. The mastery of her words and depth of life experience shared in her speech, that reached the heart of each person at my luncheon table, are on full display in her award-winning novels featuring characters and customs from India, the country of her birth. 

Xio Axelrod

Xio (pronounced ZEE-oh) Axelrod writes contemporary romance, romantic fiction, and what she refers to as strange, twisted tales. She also writes erotica under the name of Xio Nin. When not busy creating stories, this multi-talented woman can be found in a music studio, writing and/or recording. This USA Today bestselling author was honored this year as one of the 2018 RWA Service Award recipients. Last year, she founded the Philadelphia Chapter of RWA and she's also a founding member of Philly Loves Romance, an author group dedicated to raising the profile of romance in their area. 

Brenda Jackson

Brenda Jackson is a trailblazer in the romance genre who has published more than 100 novels and novellas and has more than 10 million books in print. Stop and think about that for a moment. Ten. Million. Books. Jackson was the first African-American author to be published by the Harlequin/Silhouette Desire line and also the first African-American author to hit the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists for series romance. Jackson has received many awards in her distinguished career, including the 2012 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. Not content to rest on her laurels, she continues to write (full-time now that she's retired from her non-writing career), attend events where readers can meet her, and give back to her community in a variety of ways, including educational scholarships. One of her books, Truly Everlasting has been made into a movie which has been featured on Netflix. Another book, A Silken Thread is set to be made into a movie that will be directed by the multi-talented Debbie Allen and distributed by Lions Gate. 

Alisha Rai

The first time I met Alisha Rai, I heard her before I saw her. While gifted with gorgeous, dark eyes and a wide, beaming smile, it was her exuberant, unfettered laugh that drew me across a crowded room, intent on meeting this woman who was filled with so much joy. She continues to draw people to her, both personally and through her books. Complex, emotional, and deeply sensual, these are stories not to be missed. Rai is the first author to have an indie-published book named to The Washington Post's annual Best Books list and has also been on annual Best Books lists at NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, Kirkus, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. 

Nicki Salcedo & PJ

From my introduction to Nicki Salcedo at the Georgia Romance Writers Moonlight & Magnolias conference almost ten years ago, it was clear there was something very special about this woman. She's someone I admire, respect, and am proud to call my friend. We tell people we're sisters. You see the resemblance, right? (by the way, the matching blue outfits were not planned) Nicki is a whip-smart Stanford grad and gifted writer who shares her talent through books, essays, short stories, mentoring, and speaking engagements. She's also a hardworking wife and mom with a full-time job outside of her writing/speaking commitments. Her essays are thought-provoking (check out Intersections, a collection of essays published in her weekly column at Decaturish.com) and her debut novel, All Beautiful Things has a special place on my keeper shelf. 

Cheryl Etchison, Marielle Browne, Tracey Livesay

I met Tracey Livesay (far right) at last fall's Buns and Roses Tea in Texas and was immediately impressed by her intelligence and wit...not to mention her fabulous fashion sense (click here for Buns & Roses photo). A former criminal defense attorney, she left her law career behind to pursue her passion of writing romance and those of us who read her books are glad she did. Her novels have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and on CBS This Morning. If you haven't read Livesay's books yet, I recommend any of them but especially Love Will Always Remember. 

Alexis Daria, PJ, Priscilla Oliveras

And last, but certainly not least, Alexis Daria and Priscilla Oliveras. 

Daria, an award-winning contemporary romance author from New York is gaining fans left and right. Her debut novel, Take the Lead which features a Puerto Rican heroine and a romance that unfolds during a TV celebrity dance competition not only was named one of the Best Romances of 2017 by Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post but was a double finalist for the 2018 RITA®  and took home the award for Best First Book. Daria also received the RWA New York City Chapter's 2018 Golden Apple Award for Author of the Year. Like so many romance authors I've met, Daria also enjoys giving back. She states on her website that her most fulfilling job has been as a group facilitator at a women's empowerment community where she was instrumental in helping other women follow their creative dreams.

As Priscilla Oliveras shares on her website, with a Mexican American father who served in the US Navy and a Puerto Rican mother who earned her business degree from the University of Puerto Rico, it stands to reason her contemporary romances would be filled with a beautiful blend of her Latino heritage and, as she puts it, "good ol' US of A traditions." Her debut novel, His Perfect Partner was a 2018 RITA® double finalist and earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. This busy mom who holds one bachelor's degree and two master's also enjoys tennis, running, theater, dancing, and sports. Because she's a Cubs fan (yay!) and so darn nice, I'm going to overlook the fact that she also cheers for the Florida Gators. ;-) 

Both Oliveras and Daria are part of the 4 Chicas, a group of four romance authors celebrating life, love, and romance with a Latinx flavor. Find them on Facebook. 


Have you read any of the authors spotlighted above?


Do you have any favorite books written by diverse authors or featuring diverse characters that you'd like to recommend?

One person who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM, July 28, 2018 will receive a package of books and swag from this year's RWA conference. (U.S. addresses only)