Review: Betting on the Brainiac by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

About the Book

I have twenty million reasons to marry the nerdiest coder in Austin for a year…

When my roommate’s friend needs a place to work on his software startup, I’m happy to let him use the daytime hours to work in my night club. The guy is harmless--super sweet, a little nerdy. He might even be cute if not for his hoodie habit and the fact that he thinks I’m a party girl airhead.

But then he hears an explosive fight between my father and me, and all my family secrets come tumbling out--including the truth about our wealth and the inheritance I won’t get until I’m married. I know: welcome to the eighteenth century.

At first, I’m mortified. But then Oliver comes up with a plan to benefit us both. Unlock my enormous inheritance, right my parents’ wrongs, make my business dreams a reality, and save his company.

We just have to get married.

It’s a perfect plan. Until it turns out nerdy Oliver has charm, moves, and serious abs. When a kiss changes everything and blurs the boundaries in our marriage of convenience, can I trust his feelings? Or am I walking into a multimillion dollar trap?

USA Today bestselling author Melanie Jacobson delivers in this closed door/just kisses marriage of convenience romcom. It’s all swoon, no spice. Perfect for fans of Jenny Proctor banter, Emma St. Clair shenanigans, and Courtney Walsh heart.


My Review

Wow, talk about romantic tension! I loved the chemistry between Oliver and Madi as their seemingly simple relationship becomes more complicated with each page turn. They slowly discover things about each other as their proximity at the club and with friends reveals aspects that are hidden under first impressions. I love that they bond over rescued kittens, have a secret masquerade kiss that leaves Madi reeling- and guessing, and there is so much fun quirkiness like the 7-11 themed wedding of convenience. Madi's relationship with her family is dysfunctional, and I loved seeing how the dynamic with her sister shifted throughout the story. Oliver is just too good to be true, and he was such a sweetheart with his own struggles and desires. The roommates are in full force, especially Ruby the Matchmaker, and I enjoy the way they support each other and their variety of personalities.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

The Betting on Love series . . .

Review: Cocoa Kisses by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Two old friends, a snowed in cabin, and a mission to save Creekville’s Christmas…

Taylor Bixby is content running her café and watching her customers fall in love. She wouldn’t mind a little Cupid magic herself, but the last kiss to curl her toes was from an old friend--a rum-fueled mistake. It’s a good thing he hasn’t been around for the last four years.

She’s got her hands full overseeing the town’s most beloved annual tradition, and she’s fine leaving Levi Taft—and the night they don’t speak of—in the past.

Until he walks into her café without warning.

Levi Taft is back in Creekville to fix what he broke four years ago. He misses his best friend too much to let their friendship fade, and he sees his chance to make things right when catastrophe threatens Taylor’s ambitious winter festival plans.

It’s simple. They just need to outrun the blizzard of the decade and escape a snowbound cabin in a forest riddled with absurd amounts of mistletoe. Oh, and stay out of the clutches of their scheming moms.

Creekville needs rescuing, but is Taylor willing to try when it means risking her secrets for the only man to ever break her heart?

Revisit charming Creekville in this standalone Christmas novella full of the angst and hilarity that only happens when two best friends fall in love...

My Review

I have grown to love the fictional town of Creekville as I've read the books in this series! I appreciate that they can be read in any order, and I can revisit when the next book comes out without needing an info dump or rehashing the other plots. It's fun to see the previous characters pop up in cameos as friends or community members. Friends-to-more is one of my favorite tropes, but Taylor and Levi drove me a little crazy! I was glad when Taylor got out of her own head and gave in to the magic ;) The plot is charming and fun- rescuing the Christmas parade by procuring some last-minute reindeer, meddling moms, and unexpected time alone in a cozy cabin- this story has all the makings of a sweet Hallmark movie with the bonus of snappy banter.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the other books in the Creekville Kisses series . . . 

Review: Betting on the Best Friend's Brother by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

I don’t want a dating coach. Especially not one I’ve been in love with since junior high.

My roommates say I’m a workaholic. But when my boss temporarily suspends my extra lab time, my best friend and bossiest roommate makes fixing my love life her summer project.

My love life is non-existent, but makeover schemes and blind dates with her weird library patrons are not the answer. When she takes drastic measures and calls in her brother, Joey—one of Austin’s hottest heartthrobs—to consult, it’s my worst nightmare.

I fell for Joey when I was fourteen, and no other guy has ever measured up.

I’ll do anything to keep Joey from finding out—including putting up with a bombshell transformation—if it hides my true feelings when he looks at me. He rejected me once, and it nearly broke me. I’ll never give him that chance again.

Opposites attract in this swoony romcom. A brilliant geneticist versus a hotshot trendsetter she's secretly loved more than half her life. Dive in for meddling roommates, quirky neighbors, Ahab the cursing parrot, found family, a sneaky matchmaker, and makeover shenanigans.

My Review

Wow, such a fun book with humor, banter, awkwardness, and sweet romance! I liked how we see Ava in all her dysfunctional workaholic glory, and we slowly learn how and why she became that way. Her best friend and roommate Ruby is helping her find more balance in her life and relationships by pushing her out of her comfort zone- for her own good, of course. Joey getting roped into the makeover as a flirting coach sets the scene for lots of great interactions, and forces him to take a second and third look at Ava. I appreciated that it's less of a makeover and more of her getting back to herself and putting effort into her presentation and being present and caring about making connections. Naturally there has to be some bombs in the dating experiment, and Joey contrasts nicely against them... once he gets a clue and starts to pursue Ava. They have great chemistry, and he helps Ava come to terms with some of the deeper emotional weight she is carrying. I love it when rom-coms have layered characters!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Check out the other books in the Betting on Love series . . .

Review: Betting on the Boy Next Door by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

I’m a nurse who wants to be a rock star—a secret I don’t even tell my best friends and roommates. So when one of them—Ruby—gets it into her head to find me a man, I can’t explain why I don’t have time for her matchmaking. Ruby turns it into a bet to make sure I go along with it. I say yes, but won’t matter. My ex taught me the most important thing about men: you can’t count on them.

When Ruby picks the worst possible guy for me, I know I’ve got this in the bag. Sure, our brand-new neighbor, Josh, is hot, but he’s the privileged scion of an Austin family whose money is so old, it’s dusty. Been there, done that, and I’m not going back.

The thing is, Josh isn't easy to shake, especially not after he discovers my secret double-life. With the help of a fake dating scheme, a cursing parrot, and our late-night balcony talks, I’m starting to think he’s a risk worth taking—even when all the evidence says I better run.

My Review

What a fun book! I love Sami's rock star persona and the release she finds there creatively and emotionally. Poor Josh doesn't stand a chance since he has the same privileged upbringing as Sami's ex who inspired her angry-girl-rock lyrics. I loved his humility and determination to pursue her in long-game style, waiting for her to be ready for him, all while showing her how he can bet here for her in the ways that are most meaningful to her. Sami and Josh both have their emotional baggage, and they help each other slowly unpack it and let go during their lovely friendship and rocky romance full of chemistry and frustrating tension. I just gotta say, the scene with the snake Josh is baby-sitting is one of my favorites this year! Fans of rom-coms with depth won't want to miss this book!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Review: Scrooge and the Girls Next Door by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

When the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keeps blowing his fuses...

Twenty-six-year-old Paige Redmond, single mom and go-getter, can’t wait to give her daughter, Evie, the Christmas of her dreams. Nothing can get in Paige’s way, not even her newly purchased fixer-upper cottage needing way more fixing than she planned.

Paige tackles the holiday with Clark Griswold spirit, amusing the entire town—except for her humbug next door neighbor, the grumpy but deliciously handsome Professor Henry Hill. With the help of colorful friends and found family—plus a feral cat and a pancake snowman—Paige and Evie wage a campaign to cure the cranky professor of his Christmas blues.

When Paige's feelings for Henry wind up as tangled as her Christmas lights, there's suddenly more than Christmas spirit on the line. Will Henry pull the plug on their first solo Christmas? Or can Paige and Evie convince the town's biggest scrooge to open his grinchy heart to the holiday . . . and to them?

Experience the laughter and magic of a Creekville Christmas from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Jacobson today!

My Review

I was so happy to read Paige's story and have all the great characters from the Creekville Kisses series make appearances. This author excels at vibrant characters whose personalities jump off the page- even when they are as staid as Henry. I loved how Paige was able to peel back his layers and help him loosen up, while also learning to respect his boundaries. There is plenty of chemistry, hilarious encounters, and heart melting moments as Paige and her daughter crack open Henry's heart and they all find the happiness Christmas and love have to offer.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the connected books in the Creekville Kisses series . . .

 

Review: Wedding Belles: A Novel in Four Parts by Melanie Jacobson, Jenny Proctor, Becca Wilhite, Brittany Larsen

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

* The e-book is only $3.99, such a great deal for four great stories! *

Synopsis

Harper is an event planner with dreams of taking over the Charleston wedding scene . . . until she meets the biggest Bridezilla of her career. She needs the job, but the only way to keep it is to hire a temperamental chef with big dreams of his own.

Janie is a classical cellist booked to play a posh Charleston wedding. She’s excited to have the lucrative gig until the groom’s brother, Emmett, shows up and asks her to help him play a song he wrote for the happy couple. The only trouble? Emmett is her unrequited high school crush.

Lily has been Dahlia's best friend, partner-in-crime, and now her maid of honor . . . until suddenly there's no wedding, and she's left to clean up Dahlia's biggest mess of all. She's been friends with Deacon, the jilted groom, for just as long, and it's up to her rescue him after Hurricane Dahlia blows through.

Sutton is a photographer running from her past. Only the pleas from her best friend to photograph her wedding could bring Sutton back to Charleston. Her plan is to get in and get out before her ex knows she and their daughter are in town. At least it’s the plan until she meets Max, who turns out to be the safe place she didn’t know she was looking for.

Can each of these couples trust their growing chemistry, or are they on the verge of new disasters?

My Review

Oh my, what a great collection of stories! I try not to use this word too much, but it really is swoony! Each couple had a bit of a journey to take to finally come together, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride for each. I loved how the four stories weave together in subtle ways, connected through the big Charleston wedding, but also stand so well on their own. I also thought the choice to have the timeline start before the wedding and finish after was smart and it kept me interested and engaged to have the majority of each story occur at a different point in time with some overlap. I seriously can't decide which one was my favorite, I loved them all equally. The personalities and circumstances of each couple are distinct and unique, but something they all share is fabulous romantic tension and amazing kissing scenes! Highly recommend to fans of sweet contemporary romance!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Review: Delilah's Desserts by Melanie Jacobson, Heather B. Moore, Julie Wright

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Tangerine Street is a must-see tourist stop with a colorful mix of one-of-a-kind boutiques, unique restaurants, eclectic museums, quaint bookstores, and exclusive bed-and-breakfasts. Delilah's Desserts, situated in the middle of this charming collection of shops and cafés on Tangerine Street, is a bakery that offers a different variety of desserts each day. The emotions that Delilah bakes into these desserts have a strange effect on customers, sometimes altering the course of their lives . . .

My Review

I love the Tangerine Street Romance series! There is a special vibe in Seashell Beach- relaxed and yet busy with the small businesses that thrive there. In this collection of stories we get to meet Delilah, the owner of the bakery, Roxy, the local artist/muralist, and KC, a vegan author. It was easy to get to know and like the characters and their stories were interesting. I loved the idea that Delilah not only baked whatever desserts matched her mood, but hat she released her emotions into them. My favorite story was Roxy's, because she is an artist and introvert, and her individuality and tell-it-like-it-is demeanor attracts Mark, who is attempting a year-long dating hiatus. They had great chemistry and I loved their vulnerability with each other. KC is a vegan who indulges in a cupcake from the bakery once a month as a ritual, and the connection she makes with a magazine journalist is threatened when he suspects her of being a fraud. Each of the stories has a common thread with the bakery but also the theme of forgiveness. An enjoyable addition to the series!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

---

Don't miss the other books in the Tangerine Street Romance series . . .