Winner - - Tracy Solheim

 

The randomly chosen winner

of a signed copy of

Take Me Home for Christmas by Tracy Solheim is:

Laurie Gommermann

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Coastal Magic 2025 Blogger Spotlight & Giveaway - - Tracy Solheim

USA Today bestselling author Tracy Solheim has been telling stories all her life. Growing up, her parents and teachers referred to them—rather unkindly, she might add—as “Tracy’s Tall Tales.” Fortunately for everyone, she found a way to turn those story-telling skills into a way to make money. After years of writing stodgy reports and testimony for Congress, she’s found her happy place crafting award-winning novels with shirtless men on the covers. Her fun and flirty romance books are set in small towns, locker rooms, and even the White House. She currently lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two kiddos have grown and flown, but happily for her, they didn’t go far! 

PJ, here. I had the pleasure of meeting Tracy Solheim at the beginning of her romance publishing career (good things have been known to happen when talking to strangers in elevators at romance conferences) and have enjoyed watching her success over the years. Her books always keep me eagerly turning pages, whether they're set in coastal small-town Carolina, Washington, D.C. or within a professional football team in Baltimore or Milwaukee. I enjoy them all and am delighted to host Tracy as one of 2025's Coastal Magic Convention Featured Authors. Please give her a warm welcome. 

Note: If you missed it, my review of Solheim's newest book, Take Me Home For Christmas, posted yesterday. Click here to read it.

~~~~~~~~~

by Tracy Solheim

                If a Christmas movie or book doesn’t have a gingerbread house-making scene, is it really a Christmas movie or book? Gingerbread houses became synonymous with Christmas sometime during Queen Victoria’s reign. They became prominent in holiday books and movies much more recently. We authors often include them as a plot device to give our couple a way to bond. Or, my particular favorite reason, as something to compete over while their attraction grows.

Why gingerbread house-making? Because they are easy to build. Anyone can do it.

Wrong!

I remember a holiday trip my family took to The Grove Park Inn in beautiful Asheville, NC where the National Gingerbread House Competition is held every year. There were some works of art built from cookie dough and decorated with all sorts of candies, crackers, pretzels, nuts and other assorted edible items. My two young kids were inspired. The minute we arrived home, they began begging to build gingerbread houses of their own.

Unfortunately for them, they have a mother who is not crafty. But, hey, they sell those kits at the craft stores, right? I could grab a couple of kits and make a party out of it with their friends. Just think of the photos I’d get for my scrapbook.

Oh, how blissfully ignorant I was.

Have you ever tried to get a couple of preschool girls and a trio of third grade boys to assemble sheets of stale gingerbread using only a tube of frosting? Roofs cracked, icing was used as a weapon and tears were shed before I realized that these kids weren’t going to master the art of constructing these houses on their own. Time to pivot. I sent them into the other room, put on a movie and handed out snacks to keep them quiet while I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

I may not be crafty, but I can McGyver with the best of them. It was time for my trusty glue-gun to come to the rescue. I had those houses built and the seams filled with icing before the movie credits rolled. The rest of the afternoon was spent with the kids happily decorating with the assorted candy and other accoutrements. And I’ve got the sweet photos to prove it. The other moms were stunned by the talent of their little angels. They dubbed me a super mom. Little did they know. 😉

Of course there is a gingerbread house-making contest in my book Take Me Home for Christmas. And the scene wouldn’t be fun if things didn’t get out of hand. No spoilers here, except to say things get a little dogged.

As with my previous Christmas book set in Chances Inlet, there are lots of food references. I always try to mention specific foods that are special to my family at Christmastime. In the spirit of the holidays, I’m sharing one of those recipes with you today.

I’ve also got a signed copy of Take Me Home for Christmas for one of you. Comment below and tell me if you’ve ever attempted to build a gingerbread house. Or tell me a favorite food your family enjoys during Christmastime. (International winner will receive a digital copy.)

*Giveaway ends at 11:00 PM (Eastern), December 14.

(Note: Sadly, due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, the National Gingerbread Contest has been cancelled this year. The Grove Park Inn plans to host it again in 2025.)

Review - - Take Me Home for Christmas

Take Me Home for Christmas

by Tracy Solheim

Chances Inlet - Book 5

Publisher: Sun Home Productions

Release Date: December 12, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

In the quaint coastal town of Chances Inlet, Christmas is a time for rekindling lost connections . . .

Elinor “Elle” McAlister is on the brink of a big-time promotion that will finally put her on equal footing with her overachieving siblings. The catch? She has to babysit a notoriously prickly war reporter who’s late delivering his memoir. As if that weren’t enough, her editor banishes them both to Elle’s hometown on the Carolina coast to get the job done. Spending the holidays in Chances Inlet might have been fine—if only she hadn’t wrecked the most important relationship in her life during her visit last Christmas.

Deputy Sheriff Hayden Lovell has known Elle was his person ever since she swiped his purple crayon back in kindergarten. Through every twist and setback, her steady friendship has been his anchor, especially after he returned from combat with wounds that run deep. But everything changed last New Year’s Eve when Elle surprised him with a kiss, stirring feelings he didn’t realize he had. Now that she’s back in town and keeping her distance, Hayden wonders if that moment meant as much to her as it did to him.

Chances Inlet has a knack for bringing people together. With Christmas around the corner, can Elle and Hayden rewrite their story before the holiday spirit fades? Join them in a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and the magic of second chances in a town that knows how to celebrate Christmas like no other.

PJ's Thoughts:

I can always count on the books in Tracy Solheim's Chances Inlet series to be brimming with a strong sense of community, quirky characters, relatable family dynamics, emotional depth, lovable animals, and heart-tugging happy endings. Take Me Home for Christmas is no exception.

I enjoy the friends-to-lovers romance trope. Throw in messy emotional baggage, a currently strained relationship, family complications, a potential new love interest (championed by his mother), and careers in different locations and you have a book that kept me flipping pages right up until the end. 

Solheim really brings these characters - as well as the town of Chances Inlet - to life. I could easily envision the noisy family gatherings and festive holiday events around town. Secondary characters add richness, humor, and texture to the story, enhancing without detracting from the main couple. I love how seamlessly family and friends weave in and out just as people do in real life. 

Elle's and Hayden's individual journeys as well as their romantic one feel authentic and relatable. I enjoyed the growth of both characters as they navigated the changing landscape both of their personal goals and dreams and their deepening feelings for one another. 

The children in this book are a particular delight, especially their relationship with the curmudgeonly author Elle's publisher has tasked her with babysitting (for lack of a better term). West (the author) has an interesting evolution of his own, one that intersects with Elle's and leads to unexpected opportunities for both of them.

Take Me Home for Christmas is the fifth book in Solheim's Chances Inlet series. Fans of the series (like me) will no doubt enjoy all the catch-up cameos by couples from earlier books while readers new to the series should be able to enjoy Elle's and Hayden's story on its own. Whichever camp you fall into, Take Me Home for Christmas delivers a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, heartwarming tale of family, community, and finding that one person who completes you in all the right ways. 

Review - - No Ordinary Duchess

No Ordinary Duchess

by Elizabeth Hoyt

The Greycourt Series - Book 3

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: December 10, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Cold and brooding, Julian Greycourt, the heir to the Windemere dukedom, has always known that his uncle the duke was responsible for his mother’s death. Now he’s determined to exact revenge against his uncle—if he can find the proof. But Julian hides a secret so explosive it will destroy him if it’s ever revealed, and the duke is watching. The last thing he needs is a distractingly sensual woman whose very presence threatens to destroy his plans.
 
Sunny and cheerful, Lady Elspeth de Moray doesn’t know why her brother and Julian fell out all those years ago, but she can’t let the autocratic man get in the way of her mission: to retrieve an ancient family text that she believes is in one of the Windemere libraries. Locating the tome, however, proves trickier than she anticipated, and at each turn, she’s thrown together with the maddingly mysterious Julian. And the temptation to give in to her family’s greatest enemy grows stronger with each intriguing encounter…

PJ's Thoughts:

I've been reading Elizabeth Hoyt since her debut. One of the many facets of her writing that continues to bring me back to her books is her characters. In No Ordinary Duchess, the newest installment in her Greycourt series, both hero Julian and heroine Elspeth are standouts in Hoyt's long list of unforgettable lead characters. 

There are few authors who write complex, emotionally tortured heroes as well as Hoyt. Do I love him? Despise him? Maybe both? In Julian's case, there were points where I wanted to wash my hands of him, others where my heart broke for him. He holds himself apart from family and friends (for reasons) yet strives to protect those he loves with every fiber of his being. He believes his past actions are villainous and unforgiveable and that present actions mark him as unnatural, unable to forgive himself for either. As I said: complex.

Elspeth is one of my favorite Hoyt heroines, a straight-talking young woman with an unconventional upbringing that sets her apart from a typical London miss. Everything about her feels authentic: her determination to complete her quest, her insatiable curiosity, her unapologetic exploration of sensual desires with Julian (Hoyt always brings the spice), and her refusal to accept defeat, especially at the hands of the true villain of this story. She's a force and I adored her. 

The wise women storyline that runs through this series is one I could take or leave. It really doesn't add that much to the books for me other than as a plot device to explain the unexpected skills and knowledge the female leads possess. I'm not that interested in what will happen to the group. What I am interested in is Elspeth brother, Ran, former best friend of Julian and current recluse. The history there is fraught, fascinating, and overflowing with angst. I really hope Hoyt has a story planned for him. I am aching for it.

Winner - - PS: I Hate You

 

The randomly chosen winner

of a print copy of

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is:

Jody Hunt

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review - - The Maui Effect

The Maui Effect

by Sara Ackerman

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: November 19, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

They say opposites attract, but are they meant to last?

‘Iwa Young’s life is high in the Maui rainforest. As a field biologist, she’s happiest in the company of trees and birds and waterfalls. When a developer arrives with plans for a so-called eco resort in the middle of a forest full of endangered species, ‘Iwa puts all her energy into the fight to protect it. But a chance encounter threatens to distract her. His name is Dane Parsons, a big-wave surfer from California. ‘Iwa has a few unbreakable rules, and at the top of her list: never date a surfer.

Dane is part of an underground group of big-wave riders, and his connection to the ocean runs deep. When he meets ‘Iwa, he can’t get her out of his mind. But ‘Iwa wants nothing to do with Dane until he offers to help protect her beloved forest and waterfall. Always on the hunt for the ultimate ride, Dane suddenly glimpses something even greater.

In this thunderous love story, we travel deep into the Maui rainforest and hop across the globe from Hawai'i to California to Portugal, chasing waves the size of nine-story buildings—where the unthinkable is always just one breath away. 

Hellie’s Heeds

Much like extreme sport surfing, this story is intense, fast-paced, and makes your heart drop into your stomach at least once a chapter. The level of detail made me feel as if I could understand surfing (have I touched a board? No) and made me respect the work the author clearly put into the story to make the characters authentic and relatable. Iwa, the heroine, is an eco-activist–and the detail there with her story in trying to protect one of the rainforests in Hawaii also felt very well researched yet approachable. The secondary characters were all very individualized, as if you met them at a party, you’d know who they were and what their quirks were. (Also I’d really like to meet Winston–I am not into surfers and would have totally thrown Dane over for him–and he can sing.) 

Dane is a flawed but very lovable hero. He grew up without a father; and he has a very complicated relationship with his mother. His character arc in this story was as big a wave as the kind he seeks out for the best surf of his life–and about as dangerous. The story should maybe have a trigger warning or two since drug addiction, depression, death (or near death), and mental health plays a big role in his heroic development. Iwa is a lovable but stubborn (slight flaw) heroine who has been once bitten, twice shy where surfers are concerned. While Dane definitely shows her he is not like the other surfers she has dealt with, it becomes clear that Dane’s need for extreme surfing as a way to get ‘high’ and not have to deal with his issues (both mommy and daddy ones) and Iwa has to rightfully draw some boundaries. As Luke tells her, you can’t save him; you can only love him. And sometimes love isn’t enough. (Iwa also has some undealt with emotions and grief where her mother is concerned. Honestly the grief and emotions that have to be dealt with where mothers are concerned should have been a specific trigger warning for me…)

I loved the love scenes–they did not feel gratuitous or rushed, but the sort of modern blend of consent and passion I have come to appreciate in my romances. And that scene at the waterfall–ooof. They were definitely ones that developed the relationship between the characters–but the story itself was so meaty with all the other plot and conflict that the sex scenes definitely took second fiddle. (At least for me–it’s not the love scenes I remember–it’s the intense conversations and scenes where they bond in other ways.) 

If you want to escape to Hawaii…or learn more about big wave surfing, this is the book. I need to go find more books by Sara Ackerman now because I can’t believe I haven’t read her books before. And with the cold settling in where I live, the escape to Hawaii was perfect–though I’m going to stay on the beach. This story did not lure me to want to learn to surf. Just a beach and a 5 star book for me.

Winner - - Under Loch and Key

 

The randomly chosen winner

of a print copy of

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson is:

Mollie W

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and address 

with "Under Loch and Key" 

in the subject line to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Winner - - Designs on You

 

The randomly chosen winner

of a print copy of

Designs on You by Jaci Burton is:

Glenda

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Winners - - December Coming Attractions

 

The randomly chosen winners from

December's Coming Attractions are:

Meg

(Love You a Latke)

Sharyn Lewis

(One Big Happy Family)

Congratulations!

Please send your full name and mailing address to:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Review & Giveaway - - PS: I Hate You

PS: I Hate You

by Lauren Connolly

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by Santa

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at her brother's funeral, she would have killed him for this.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.

Santa Says:

PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly is a five star read with engaging characters and breathtaking places and people. I will warn you to have tissues handy. You’re going to need them because this rom-com will test your fortitude. Don’t worry there will be happy and sad tears in equal portions. 

The main character, Maddie and her brother Josh were very close having grown up with a verbally and emotionally abusive grandmother, a self-absorbed mother and the less said about the father, the better. Actually, the less said about this trio of losers, the better. Josh and Maddie were each other’s anchors. Maddie's life is turned upside down by her brother's year-long battle with cancer. It’s a battle that he loses at the tender age of 29. A lifelong adventurer and outdoor photographer, he traveled the world. His dying wish outlined in his will is that his sister spread his ashes in eight places in the United States that he never got to see. Maddie is more than happy to fulfill his wishes except he wants her to make the trip with his best friend Dom Perry.  Maddie would rather eat glass than spend any time with the boy, er man, who broke her heart.  

Growing up, their only other source of normalcy and security came from Josh’s childhood best friends Dom and Rosaline. Maddie was the younger sister always at their heels. From an early age Maddie worshipped Dom Perry and basked in the warmth of his family. Dom and Rosaline were high school sweethearts but broke up for a brief time while in college. After a romantic interlude with Dom during that break, Maddie came upon Dom proposing to Rosaline. Oh, yes he did! Heartbroken, Maddie went far away to college and purged Dom from her heart. 

However, Maddie agrees to go on this excursion across the country with a now divorced Dom. What they discover along the way is that Josh has picked some pretty incredible places to spread his ashes. They also discover who they really are as individuals. Old hurts and betrayal come to the surface and misunderstandings come to light. And, yes, there is a snow storm and an inn with just one bed! Thank you romance trope gods! There is also a mind blowing revelation that I didn't see coming at all! I love those kinds of surprises. 

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have always liked younger sister in love with brother’s best friend stories but this one was layered with so many emotions. I cried for Josh gone much too soon. I lost my own brother when he was only 44 years old. Twenty years later, it still leaves an ache, especially during the holidays. But Josh played Maddie and Dom like fiddles in bringing them together. Well done, Josh and well done, Lauren Connelly. I look forward to more from this author.

~~~~~~~~~

Readers, have you read any books by Lauren Connolly?

Do you enjoy books that elicit deep emotional responses?

What are the places (world-wide) that you'd like to see?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 8 will receive a print copy of PS: I Hate You.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Cover Reveal - - Eliza and the Duke

 

 

If you've been following me the past few years, you already know how much I've enjoyed Harper St. George's Gilded Age/Victorian historical romances. This past April, St. George published The Stranger I Wed (read my review) which launched her The Doves of New York series. This new series features an interesting take on American Dollar Princesses. Rather than the pampered, legitimate daughters of wealthy industry icons, the Dove sisters are the cast aside, illegitimate daughters of a member of one of New York's wealthiest founding families who must marry British aristocrats in order to collect their inheritances. Makes them all the more interesting, in my opinion!

Besides her wonderful stories that keep me reading way too late into the night, St. George's books are also known for their stunningly beautiful, rich, jewel-toned covers. Her next book in the series is no exception. I'm delighted to share the cover reveal for book two of The Doves of New York: Eliza and the Duke!

Eliza and the Duke will be published on June 24, 2025 but is available now for preorder at the following link: https://bit.ly/3YS5G3K. It goes without saying that I have already preordered my copy. 

Eliza and the Duke

by Harper St. George

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 24, 2025

American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience...until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.  

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,’ Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both. 

Have you read any books by Harper St. George yet? 

Are you a fan of historical romance?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 7 will receive a print copy of The Heiress Gets a Duke, book one in St. George's The Gilded Age Heiresses series. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

 

Review & Giveaway - - Under Loch and Key

Under Loch and Key

by Lana Ferguson

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by Nancy

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

Nancy's Thoughts:

Under Loch and Key skillfully weaves family secrets and estrangement with a magical curse and a quest for belonging into an engaging paranormal romance. Key’s determination to scatter her father’s ashes in Loch Ness had me sympathizing with her immediately. Yes, there are signs warning that the rocks around the loch are dangerous, but her reasons for ignoring them are understandable. So is Lachlan’s irritation with her after he keeps her from sliding in the water. They definitely get off on the wrong foot, and their beginning seeds the prickly tone of their dealings going forward. 

In addition to scattering her father’s ashes, Key very much wants a relationship with his family, who’ve never met her and don’t seem to want her. Despite the grudging hospitality her grandmother offers, her grandfather makes her welcome. She stays at their farm and tries to show them she’s someone they could come to care about.

I wasn’t quite so ready to root for Lachlan. While I started out rooting for him, I found the cryptic references to his problem off-putting. He’s staying at the MacKay farm because he’s looking for something. He sneaks into the attic to search it, for a clue to solve his problem. It’s hard to root for him there, though, because he’s being sneaky and breaching hospitality. For me, that requires a compelling reason, but we’re told only that he’s lost a lot and he wants a chance at a normal life. Without knowing what he’s lost, what he’s looking for, why he thinks whatever he’s looking for will help, and why he can’t have a normal life without it, I gradually began to feel less sympathetic toward him. I didn’t know what his problem was or what the stakes were, and without knowing these things, I couldn’t root for him to succeed.

The truth about his problem comes out about a third of the way through the book, and knowing it had me fully on his side again. So if you find cryptic references and the lack of a clear rooting interest as annoying as I do, just be patient and read on. 

Yes, I know I’m being cryptic, too, but I’m trying not to spoil anything!

Learning the truth about Lachlan’s situation wins Key to his side. They begin working together to solve his problem, a quest complicated by the need to keep it secret. The romance is tender, and the love scenes are steamy and well done. My only issue with them is that I strongly dislike the c-word for female anatomy. I realize, though, that not every reader feels this way. 

Supporting characters include Lachlan’s friends Rory and Blair, Key’s cousin Brodie, and her grandparents. Rory and Blair like to tease Lachlan, which leads to a fun Highland games competition. Brodie and Lachlan have known each other since childhood but have never gotten along. Brodie does like Key, though, and he supplies information that turns out to be helpful before his resentment of Brodie comes to a dangerous boil. 

Key’s relationship with her grandparents evolves in a believable and sympathetic way. As the truth about her father’s mysterious departure for the United States comes out, their different reactions to her unexpected arrival become more understandable and even a little sad. 

I had two other issues with the story. First, I don’t quite see how someone standing on rocks above the water gets knocked forward into it by someone in the water. Second, when Lachlan visits Key to tell her the bits of his story he has held back, she seduces him before he can get out more than a few words. Then she accuses him of hiding the truth. He says he was going to tell her but doesn’t point out that he had started to explain when they became distracted. That’s a logical defense, and I didn’t understand why he didn’t use it.

Overall, the characters are engaging, the story moves at a good pace, and the paranormal elements are used beautifully. The Scottish setting, in addition to contributing to the mystery, provides a lovely encounter between Key and a Highland cow. 

Highly recommended. 

4 Stars. 

~ Nancy

~~~~~~

Have you read Lana Ferguson?

Have you visited Scotland?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), December 7 will receive a print copy of Under Loch and Key. 

*U.S. only

*Must be18

Review & Giveaway - - Designs on You

Designs on You

by Jaci Burton

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: December 3, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Natalie Parker is in her mid-thirties, divorced, and firmly focused on her newly resurrected career and her two children. When her sister asks her to help design the backyard in the new home she shares with her boyfriend, Linc, Natalie’s more than happy to take on the project. What she isn’t prepared for is Linc’s younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He’s smart, incredibly good-looking, and constantly flirts with Natalie. He’s also too young for her, which makes him totally off-limits.

Eugene is intrigued by Natalie’s beauty, smarts, and especially her sarcastic wit. When he teases her, she throws it right back at him. Besides that, they have an instant chemistry, but she keeps trying to get rid of him despite the sparks that fly between them. And Eugene never backs down from a challenge. 

Natalie is running out of reasons to think being with Eugene is a bad thing. Her kids adore him, her sister loves him, and even her always negative mother does, too. The only person holding her back is...her. Maybe it’s time she take that leap and design herself a love for the ages. After all, if she can create the perfect home, she sure as hell can design a happily ever after.

PJ's Thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed Linc and Hazel's book, Housebroke and was curious about what the author had planned for Linc's brother, Eugene. At the time I had no idea that plan included Hazel's (then married) sister, Natalie. However, once Natalie and Eugene hit the page in Designs on You and their chemistry was obvious, I was totally on board. Eugene was a sweetheart and Natalie deserved a happy, fulfilling relationship on equal footing after exiting her toxic marriage. 

One of the traits that I most enjoyed about Eugene was his respect and support of Natalie in all facets of her life. I loved how he lifted her up time after time, how he respected her design opinions and her parenting decisions, and especially how determined he was to do special things just for her. So different from her ex-husband. I also loved Eugene's relationship with her children. His scenes with them were among my favorites in the book.

Natalie had a more significant growth arc. Her ex did a real number on her self esteem and some of the emotional baggage that exited her marriage with her spilled over onto her relationship with Eugene. I cheered her on as she continued to pursue the career she was denied during her marriage. I appreciated how hard she worked to ensure her children were happy and had a healthy, loving relationship with their father, even if she wasn't his biggest fan. But she had a lot of growing to do when it came to a healthy work/family/relationship balance in her life. She continued to evolve and eventually reached a point where I felt like she and Eugene could finally meet on equal footing and create a happy, loving, and long-lasting family together.

One of the facets of this story that didn't work for me was the emphasis on the age difference between Natalie and Eugene, in particular from Natalie's perspective. It's used as justification for a number of her opinions/decisions throughout the book. So how big is this huge age gap that has an almost 34-year-old woman treating a successful, financially-secure, sexy, committed man like a teenager who doesn't know his own mind? Three years. Three. Years. I understand the need for conflict, and if Eugene had been, say, ten years younger it would have made sense but the almost non-stop emphasis on three years being insurmountable threw me out of the story more than it drew me in. 

While there were a couple issues that detracted from my overall enjoyment of Designs on You, for the most part it was a satisfying read with multi-faceted characters I could root for, endearing kids, adorable dogs, relatable family dynamics, and a hard-won happy ending. It can stand on its own but for a better understanding of all characters and their backgrounds, I would recommend reading Housebroke first. 

~~~~~~~~~

Have you read Jaci Burton?

How many years constitutes a significant age gap for you?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 6 will receive a print copy of Designs on You. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Coming Attractions & Giveaway

 

Happy December!

 

This is one of my favorite months of the year and for the first time in many years, I can happily say on December 1st that I am finished with my Christmas shopping. I have three packages left to mail and Christmas cards to write but, other than that, I am free to enjoy the holiday season and all the good books waiting for me. Here's what will be happening at The Romance Dish during this final month of 2024. 

Join me on Tuesday, December 3 for a review and giveaway of Designs on You by Jaci Burton. This heart-tugging contemporary follows last year's Housebroke with a new story featuring Natalie and Eugene, the sister of Hazel and brother of Linc, the main couple from Housebroke, along with endearing kids and adorable rescue dogs. 

Stop by on Wednesday, December 4 for Nancy's review and a giveaway of Under Loch and Key, a Scottish paranormal by Lana Ferguson. 

Friday, December 6 brings Santa's review and a giveaway of PS: I Hate You, a new romcom by Lauren Connolly.

Don't miss my review of No Ordinary Duchess on Tuesday, December 10. It's been a while since we've had a new historical romance from Elizabeth Hoyt!

We're heading back to Alaska on Wednesday, December 11 with a review of Flirting With Alaska. This is book two in Belle Calhoune's heartwarming Moose Falls, Alaska series. 

Tracy Solheim joins me on Thursday, December 12 for a Coastal Magic 2025 Featured Author Spotlight. Solheim's newest book, Take Me Home for Christmas (12/12/24), takes readers back to Chances Inlet and another heartwarming romance on the Carolina coast. 

Monday, December 16 brings a review and giveaway of The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. These three always hit it out of the park.

It's another Coastal Magic 2025 Featured Author Spotlight on Tuesday, December 17 when Sera Taino joins us for a Q&A featuring her Navarro family contemporary romance trilogy. 

Just in time for Christmas, join me on Monday, December 23 for a review and giveaway of Anne Gracie's The Secret Daughter. This historical romance is the fourth book in Gracie's The Brides of Bellaire Gardens series. 

Friday, December 27 brings a review of Treasure Coast Legacy, the sixth and final book in Leigh Duncan's heart-tugging Emerald Bay family saga. 

Wrapping up the month - and year - will be another Coastal Magic 2025 Featured Author Spotlight. Stop by Monday, December 30 to welcome Tere Michaels and check out our Q&A featuring Whisk-y Business, a new romcom with a magical twist that launches Michaels' The Love Broker series. 

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What books are you looking forward to reading this month?

Do you read more or less over the holidays?

Do you send out Christmas cards? Want one from me? Email your mailing address to theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com with Xmas Card in the subject. 

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 4 will receive a print copy of Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot.

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 4 will receive a print copy of One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18